The Defiant

General Chen's words made many of those present quietly wipe at the corners of their eyes.

Xingtian had been in service since the day Xuanse Cangqiong was established. It would have been a lie to say people felt nothing for it.

Of course, Meng Changqing was the exception. He'd only been a Tieyu for two years.

But he wasn't Bai Ying, who said whatever came to mind, so he knew better than to speak up.

"We've settled it, then. Lao Yu, once we're done here, take a team and start repairs. The sooner, the better." General Chen already knew how everyone felt.

"Yes, General!" Lao Yu wiped his nose and replied with a smile.

"Now, let's turn our attention back to the cube." General Chen turned toward the object from beyond the skies. "What do you think we should do with it?"

"General, we're unanimous in thinking that we should first confirm the cube's material properties, such as its density, hardness, melting point, boiling point, and other basic characteristics."

"Do you think we need to contact the Omega Research Complex?" General Chen raised the most pressing issue.

"...Yes, General. This is an object from beyond the skies, after all. Protocol requires us to report it to Omega." The chief technical officer sounded reluctant.

Everyone knew Omega had always looked down on the researchers at the forward base. Their standing in the research world was worlds apart.

But the matter was too serious. This wasn't the time to dwell on personal grievances.

"Then move it to the lab now." General Chen never did things by halves.

"Wait!"

The one who interrupted him was Bai Ying.

Everyone's eyes turned to the somewhat unhinged girl in an instant.

"This thing is connected to Xingtian!" Bai Ying held out her hand. In her palm lay one of Xingtian's broken support beams.

"What are you babbling about?" Meng Changqing couldn't take Bai Ying's ridiculous claim any longer. "The cube doesn't have Xingtian's name carved on it. What makes you think it has anything to do with Xingtian?"

But Bai Ying hadn't been lying. The moment she'd picked up the broken support beam, she'd felt a faint, magnetic pull in her palm.

The source of that pull was the cube.

Bai Ying ignored Meng Changqing and walked straight to a spot two meters from the cube.

All the while, the support beam in her hand grew more and more restless.

Clack!

The moment Bai Ying let go, the broken support beam shot straight toward the cube like it had been pulled by a magnet!

The next second, blue light suddenly spilled from the black cube!

"Take cover! Get down!"

At General Chen's command, everyone immediately dove behind the nearest cover as fast as they could!

Crack!

Blue light extended downward from the top of the cube, splitting it cleanly down the middle. Wherever the light passed, the mysterious material, which hadn't had a single seam, began to separate to either side in geometric shapes!

A low hum!

A strange, resonant hum filled the hangar. The cube suddenly broke apart into countless tiny geometric pieces, fine as dust, and surged toward Bai Ying like a swarm of insects!

In a flash, Bai Ying dodged and rolled behind a nearby metal crate!

Unexpectedly, the black swarm didn't keep chasing Bai Ying. Instead, it flew straight into the hollow in Xingtian's chest!

Crash!

Countless geometric pieces converged on Xingtian's chest. Blue light darted through the gaps, like a shuttle weaving through fabric!

In the blink of an eye, a huge black sphere took shape in the hollow of Xingtian's chest. It quickly spread into countless intricate structures, joining the sphere to Xingtian's ruined body!

The whole process took less than ten seconds.

"What just happened...?"

When the black sphere stopped moving, people began emerging from behind cover and slowly gathering beside Xingtian's ruined body.

"Wait, isn't that the shape of a reactor?" Lao Yu exclaimed.

Only then did everyone realize that the sphere had transformed again as it joined with Xingtian, settling into the shape of a toroidal nuclear reactor!

"Contact the Omega Research Complex and have them send someone over immediately." General Chen's expression was grave. "Lao Yu, put the repair plan on hold for now. If that reactor is something parasitizing Xingtian, the consequences could be disastrous!"

"What should we do?" Lao Yu was anxious too, rubbing his deeply wrinkled hands together again and again.

"For now, hoist Xingtian up and see if we can separate the reactor. If we can, keep Xingtian away from that damn thing and start repairs at once. Don't give it another chance to act!" General Chen immediately laid out a workable plan.

"Yes, General!" Lao Yu saluted General Chen respectfully.

"As for you..." General Chen turned to Bai Ying, and a powerful presence seemed to spread around him. "You disobeyed orders on the battlefield. Have you thought about the consequences?"

"I'm willing to accept punishment... but I don't regret my decision." Bai Ying met the general's gaze without fear.

"You think you saved everyone, but that doesn't justify disobeying orders." General Chen gave the slightest shake of his head. "Stubbornness isn't determination, and recklessness isn't courage. Following orders is a soldier's duty, and you clearly haven't understood that yet."

A rush of burning heat rose to Bai Ying's cheeks. She was sure her face was as red as a child's after being scolded by a parent.

Bai Ying bit down hard on her lip, her body trembling as she glared at General Chen with resentment and fury. She answered each word distinctly.

"You were born a soldier. I wasn't."

When Bai Ying said this, a fleeting sadness crossed General Chen's eyes.

"Bai Ying, I'm temporarily stripping you of your status as a Tieyu. You'll spend one week in the confinement room reflecting on your actions. If your attitude is still the same afterward, your name will be removed from the roster of Xuanse Cangqiong's military personnel. Do you understand?"

"...Understood," Bai Ying replied through gritted teeth.

"Louder!"

"Understood!" Bai Ying repeated, shouting as if to vent her feelings.

General Chen nodded, then turned to the others. "Dismissed!"

The crowd dispersed at once. The base had only just suffered a devastating blow, and there were still plenty of urgent matters to deal with.

Only if everyone did their part could the great ship that was Xuanse Cangqiong keep sailing on.

But just as General Chen was about to turn and leave, a small hand suddenly tugged at the hem of his clothes.

"I have just one request." Bai Ying lowered her head, her long white hair hiding her red eyes.

General Chen closed his eyes and let out a long breath before answering slowly. "Go ahead."

"Promise me you'll repair Xingtian."

"I promise."