[Imperial log: Landing ship anecdotes]
[While our landing pod was descending toward Amat Eiro II, these foolish plant natives attacked it with crude kinetic weapons, causing tremendous damage-by which we mean our landing pod tilted by 10°. Everyone found this hilarious.]
[Xi Yan's annotation: Energy weapons really are the way forward.]
The impacts of the bioenergy-powered kinetic missiles caused little more than shaking and instability. After all, anything moving at that speed would still pack a punch.
Xi Yan swayed along with David Newland, who was carrying him on his back. Wearing his VR gear, Xi Yan even felt a little dizzy.
"Fuck, don't crash!" He contacted the landing ship's captain directly through the communications system. "Hello? How's it looking? Can we land safely?"
The captain sounded supremely confident.
"Rest assured, Marshal. Unless I make a piloting error, attacks this feeble won't stop us!"
"Good. Proceed carefully," Xi Yan said encouragingly. "What's your name?"
The captain was thrilled. "Reporting, Marshal! I'm the best landing ship pilot in the entire fleet-the legendary Captain Zobayan!"
But the moment Xi Yan heard that name, he panicked.
"Why would you have that name? That's not a suitable name for a captain!"
Xi Yan shut off the comms, his face contorted.
"It's over! Kids, I'm not coming back!"
Kids, this wasn't funny!
Just then, the attitude-control thrusters around the landing ship's hull activated. They formed a ring of small thrusters around the conical vessel.
Guided by precise calculations, they began making minute adjustments. The landing ship's shuddering eased until it finally steadied. Then the braking thrusters at the bow activated, sharply reducing the vessel's descent speed.
Using the science ship's scan reports, the navigation system selected a suitable landing site. The landing ship slowed again, finally approaching the ground and driving its pointed bow firmly