Even though the hull of the Natural Emblem had tilted noticeably, the officers on the bridge could hardly believe they'd been hit. As members of a proud Titan, they knew the ship's capabilities inside and out. They had absolute—and almost superstitious—confidence in its anti-aircraft guns, shield strength, armor thickness, and even its alchemical systems.
Even though Earth's torpedo ships had proven their worth in several major battles, the Titan's splendor and glory were beyond reproach. How could those toy-sized little ships have managed to ambush them?
As for that little incident in the Emerald Feather Campaign... First, that had been a fortress gun. Second, it had been a fluke—a very unlikely fluke.
And if you looked only at the death toll and ignored who had died, the losses really had been negligible.
So when Commodore Lunrigin, the captain, received the confirmed report that they'd been attacked, his first thought was that someone was trying to pull a fast one on him. Some remnants of the old order aboard the ship must be stirring up trouble, trying to trick and ambush an outsider like him.
After all, that miraculous shot during the Emerald Feather System battle had wiped out most of the Natural Emblem's command staff. The captain, navigator, first officer, gunnery chief, and head of security had all been parachuted in afterward. But they couldn't replace the crew as well—not if they wanted to get the ship back to fighting strength quickly.
Outsiders and old hands had never gotten along, whether in local government or the military. It was a time-honored human tradition.
What's more, the newly appointed Commodore Lunrigin was a close ally of Duke Gairibeian, a noble officer who cared deeply about decorum. Naturally, he didn't fit in with the ordinary crew.
He looked at the chief engineer