Ten minutes later, the Winged Race warship's Tractor Beam appeared again, slowly drawing a shuttle that did not belong to it into the ship.
Yet not a single member of the Winged Race noticed this blatant operation. Everything still looked normal on the monitoring crew's displays, as though the shuttle had never appeared...
Inside a deserted, isolated little hangar, the silver shuttle that had just come to a stop slowly liquefied. It gradually vanished as though seeping into the floor, revealing Nie Yun in a black trench coat, along with Eight Stripes.
Nie Yun glanced around, then headed straight for the hangar's exit.
With a soft hiss, the tightly shut passage door suddenly opened automatically. Nie Yun walked through without breaking stride. The door closed behind him, and the hangar lights dimmed, plunging it back into darkness...
In a passage inside the warship, two Winged Race crew members chatted as they walked.
"I never thought the Sea Race would suddenly attack us. Those bastards have some nerve. Aren't they afraid of sanctions from the Joint Council?"
"Tell me about it. Thank goodness the captain caught on early, or we probably would've died out here today!" the other crew member said, still shaken.
Although the two warships behind them were still in pursuit, the difference in speed was widening the distance between them. The battle alert aboard the ship had therefore been lifted, and apart from essential personnel on duty, most of the Winged Race crew were now resting.
"Heh! The Sea Race is in for it now. The captain has some serious backing. Our Winged Race definitely won't let this slide!"
"That's for the big shots upstairs to worry about. Come on! Let's hurry to the mess hall. We might catch Officer Catherine having a meal!"
"Hey! You're still hung