Though he said that, Yu Lian didn't look particularly surprised.
"...Why do I get the feeling you're not only completely unsurprised, but even a little schadenfreude?" Admiral Sylvester looked Yu Lian up and down hesitantly.
"I'm just very empathetic, sir. When I put myself in Earth's shoes and consider things from their perspective, I realize that something going wrong isn't unexpected. If everything went smoothly, that would be the real surprise. Of course, if you think I'm not being solemn enough, senior, I can look as though I've lost a parent." As he spoke, Yu Lian's expression indeed turned mournful.
Admiral Sylvester nodded, seeming to sympathize deeply. "That's right! Nine out of ten things in life don't go your way, so what about war? Take my son, for instance. He was a perfectly good young man, but he just had to go study music. What respectable person studies music?"
He grumbled for three or five seconds, but still remembered the matter at hand and continued, "Still, this should count as good news, shouldn't it? Our dreadnought has set sail and is expected to reach Sedd by June. We should start preparing the crew in advance. Earth has already directly appointed the captain and most of the key officers." The senior added.
Wasn't this good news? Why the "should"?
As for Earth bypassing the theater command and directly appointing the captain, there was a slight suspicion of overstepping and micromanaging, but this was a personnel matter, not a matter of specific tactical command. It wasn't exactly against the rules.
Then again, reporting up the chain by skipping levels was a major taboo, but sending orders down the chain by skipping levels was called "parachuting someone in."
After all, this was a dreadnought, a massive warship with a crew of tens of