They officially made contact with the organization at a little past ten on the night of November 17. At the time, Yu Lian and Ina were hiding on a hill, secretly observing the scene and thoroughly enjoying a blockbuster of a show.
Ina was thrilled, her eyes brimming with the revolutionary romanticism of "so a million enemy troops really are just a million pigs." Yu Lian, however, wasn't satisfied. "What a shame. If Senior had two thousand more troops at her disposal—I mean troops with at least the combat strength of average marines—and a bit more heavy weaponry for a few rounds of saturation fire, she could've seized the opportunity to launch a sortie and drive them out of the city. That might've set off a chain reaction across the entire enemy force. Could've been a glorious victory... Hmm, no, Hesen managed to gather a million Sand People into an army back in the city-state era. That makes him a remarkable leader, and he must have made preparations. The city's forces are limited, so we can't take risks. Still, even if Senior's a little crazy, she knows how to stay calm when it counts."
"Senior?" Ina asked curiously. Her curiosity seemed a little oddly directed.
"Ah, no. I meant Commander Eleanor."
"Wouldn't you normally say Commander Bonaparte?"
Yu Lian was at a loss for several seconds, so Ina let out a cold, "Heh heh heh," and laughed like a predator.
"I'm really curious about what you were like at the military academy," she added.
The two discussed things a little longer and then started back. But before they reached the valley, they received a transmission from the communications soldier.
For the past few days, the communications soldier had been using a busted Nine Stars Company transmitter to call the command center in the city over a military frequency. He hadn't been able to get through. What he hadn't expected was that the transmitter would finally receive a response that very night—and from "reinforcements" who had come from far away.
After another half day of hiking through the mountains, the two finally found a concealed spot on a ridge. There, two orbital drop craft were "hung" against the cliff face, and Yu Lian encountered the first group of Commonwealth soldiers he'd seen since his rebirth, other than the troops at Outpost 12.
"I'm Captain Richard Winter, commander of the 101st Company." The officer at the front looked to be in his early thirties. He wore powered armor, and his bronze-colored complexion and resolute bearing marked him at a glance as an outstanding junior officer with years of combat experience.
Another famous figure—and one featured in military academy textbooks! He just wasn't as famous as Senior in the city or Ina outside it. And he was a hero among ordinary people, leading a team of heroes... In a way, wasn't that even more admirable?
With that thought, Yu Lian stood at attention and saluted. "Warrant Officer Yu Lian, acting commander of Outpost 12 of the New Jade Gate Security Force."
"Master Sergeant Ina Shirika, staff sergeant at Outpost 12." Ina's salute was far more precise and serious than Yu Lian's.
"Warrant officer? A student getting caught up in something like this must have had a rough time." Captain Winter understood what the nonstandard rank meant. He nodded and smiled. "Could you tell me what's happening?"
"Let's talk as we walk."
It took everyone over an hour to walk to the hideout, but by then Captain Winter had gotten a thorough understanding of the situation.
Ina snapped her fingers toward the ridge ahead. Only then did everyone notice that what they'd taken for nothing but mountains concealed an inconspicuous entrance to a gorge.
Even the elite Hell's Paratroopers rarely came across such a sight. They couldn't help staring in amazement.
"We've got not only a Moonie, but a superhuman, too!" Lieutenant Pakin, a lively sort, whistled and gave Ina a thumbs-up. He was teasing her, but meant no harm.
Captain Winter was well-traveled, too. He glanced at Ina again, but there was no jealousy or scrutiny in his expression, only a delighted smile. The stronger their comrades were, the better their chances of survival. This excellent junior officer understood that well.
"So this is the power of psionics! What an incredible ability," the captain marveled.
More precisely, it was an illusion spell from the psionic discipline. "Starhunters" were not only skilled at hunting and capturing their targets; they were also adept at hiding themselves. Concealing a gorge entrance was only a beginner-level ability along that path.
Even at the beginner level, however, it was enough to fool the naked eye and even the less sensitive detection devices. That was why Yu Lian dared to hide so many people so close to the battlefield.
When they entered the camp, the civilians, who had been prepared for their arrival, welcomed them warmly.
There was no helping it. These tall, well-equipped men looked reassuringly safe—certainly a lot safer than the ragtag troops in Yu Lian's security force.
The 101st Company belonged to the 3rd Marine Division, an orbital drop force known as the "Hell's Paratrooper Division." More than a hundred burly soldiers made up the unit, and over sixty percent wore AS56 Dragoon powered armor. Even at a glance, it looked sleeker and more futuristic than the security force's AS40 suits. The other forty percent weren't unarmored, either. They were medical, engineering, and fire-support personnel equipped with specialized powered armor.
Dr. Banks and Miss Belinda were practically drooling over the gray-and-white medical armor. Even Ina, who was usually so composed, saw a gunner walk past in a Lynx special combat suit carrying an anti-materiel personal railgun, and her eyes began to shine.
Compared with the whole lot of unarmored troops at Outpost 12, this really was the difference between cannon fodder and regulars.
Just look at little George, the military enthusiast. He ran around the soldiers with a group of kids about his age, shrieking excitedly as though he were watching a parade of floats at an amusement park.
There was no helping it. One group was watchdogs kept by the governor's office or the sector government; the other was an elite force directly under the Commonwealth Central Military Commission. Even if the navy still looked down on them as "Marine apes," their combat strength and equipment were worlds apart.
Even Councilor Jiang Yudong, who had only just started feeling better, got up and clutched his stomach. He gripped Captain Winter's hand and wouldn't let go, his eyes brimming with tears. "You—you've finally come! The people of New Jade Gate have been waiting and hoping for you for so long!"
Captain Winter felt a chill run down his spine. He tried to pull his hand away, only to discover that even his armored fist, wrapped in powered muscles, couldn't break free from the other man's grasp.
"With you here, everyone finally has someone to rely on. I really... sob, sob..." The councilor couldn't hold back his tears, and the nominal representatives behind him began to weep along with him, as if they were people in a liberated region finally welcoming our army back.
Then again, if the Marines were "our army," what did that make the security force that had been with them for days?
Humans were susceptible to herd behavior. The councilor and the public representatives were already crying, and at this rate, everyone else might join in. Just then, a violent old man with a pipe tucked in his mouth, dressed in denim and wearing a felt hat, strode out of the crowd. He stepped over to Councilor Jiang and smacked the back of his head with a hand as big as a fan. "What kind of nonsense are you blubbering about? These kids went through a lot to get here. Can't you do something useful for once?"
The councilor flew into a rage, but when he heard that familiar voice, he deflated like a pricked balloon. "Uncle... Uncle!"
With the interruption from the irascible old man, everyone was spared from crying day and night.
Captain Winter took the opportunity to pull his arm free. "We have a military conference to hold, so we'll leave you to it... Well, my troops are a little tired. We hope we can get food, water, and somewhere quiet to rest. Don't worry, we'll keep track of all expenses, and the Outer Ring Fleet Command will pay market rates. Sorry to trouble you."
Only an elite force like the Hell's Paratroopers, which still held on to some fine traditions, would say that. With other branches, even the "noble" naval fleet, you wouldn't hear that last sentence. The councilor put on an expression of perfectly measured gratitude. "It's no trouble at all. Everyone, please rest easy. I'll make sure the governor's office pays all the expenses. We can't trouble the Outer Ring Fleet."
Sure. The governor's office had already been charged for all the food and water consumed by the thousand or so refugees over the past few days. Another hundred soldiers wouldn't make a difference. The councilor had accepted this arrangement and decided to let himself go completely.
The 101st Company hadn't brought much food or water with them. They had only two basic loads of ammunition and energy packs, and had even left most of their heavy weapons at base. A standard orbital drop company should have more than a hundred soldiers equipped with full sets of military powered armor, along with over a dozen vehicles: multi-terrain infantry fighting vehicles, drone control vehicles, dual-purpose surface-to-air missile launchers, and more. They should even have low-altitude transports and gunships.
"Can't be helped. We were actually on the planet Yumen 7 in this system for a polar march exercise, so we didn't bring any vehicles or aircraft. Then the captain got a distress signal saying the New Jade Gate colony was under siege, and we rushed over," Captain Winter explained helplessly.
That matched the "history" Yu Lian knew.
"So we have warships in orbit already, sir?" Ina asked, delighted.
Orbital bombardment! Boom, boom, boom! Even a destroyer only three or four hundred meters long could blast a few million enemies into helplessness. That had to be what the girl was thinking.
Captain Winter paused and gave a wry smile. "Sorry, it's only an assault ship."
Assault landing ships were often paired with strike craft in space battles to penetrate enemy formations, split them apart, and finally board them. Every ton of a ship like that was devoted to acceleration, defense, and ramming. At most, it had a few point-defense guns. How could it possibly be used for orbital bombardment?
"Don't worry. We've already forwarded the distress call to the Nebula Garrison Command and the Outer Ring Fleet. More reinforcements will arrive soon," the captain said.
That was how things were supposed to go in theory. But no one knew what other cards the Sand People and the forces behind them might have up their sleeves, or when they might play them. They couldn't afford to wait.
More importantly, Yu Lian knew what would happen next, but he couldn't say.
"I need to hold an online meeting with the security force command center. Warrant Officer, and you too, Sergeant, please come with me."
If Captain Winter had been a rigid man who cared about status and rank, he wouldn't have let a student trainee like Yu Lian—or a low-ranking security force officer like Ina—attend the meeting. Fortunately, this future fixture of military textbooks was a kind, practical, and intelligent man. And like commander, like subordinates: the other officers and senior NCOs in the 101st Company were decent folk, too, and no one objected.
Of course, their status as a Moonie and a psionic also earned them special consideration.
The communications equipment the 101st Company carried was much better than Nine Stars' junk. They soon connected to the command center inside Tulong, and light streamed out of the device, coalescing into the other side's holographic projection.
Yu Lian, the man who had been reborn, finally met Senior Eleanor for the first time since his rebirth—the one who "seemed to have been very close to him."
Before you continue