Just as Leila forced her attention away from Lin Cuo's infuriating face, dozens of civilian airships across E.U. changed course simultaneously.
In an underground assembly depot in the Rhine industrial zone that had been out of service for years, Laura Bodewig stood before Black Rain's deployment rack, looking up at the iron-gray force assembled opposite her.
A large number of motorcycles, trucks, and several oddly shaped armored machines stood in neat rows behind them. The machines' lower limbs and joints clearly came from the TQ-21 Gao Hai, while their head-mounted Integrated Sensors, Flying Swallow Claws, and high-speed gliding mechanisms bore traces of Sutherland design.
In E.U.'s import catalog, their official name was:
[Heavy recovery and complex-terrain engineering validation platform for Apollo Chariot orbital accidents.]
The machines' weapons had been dismantled into separate components and brought into E.U. as high-energy cutting equipment, electromagnetic mining drills, and remotely operated demolition tools for hazardous environments. Once all the crates were reopened in the same warehouse, the so-called engineering validation platforms became combat machines again within two hours.
At that moment, Colonel Hans Krüger stood behind her, his face showing none of the ease one might expect when speaking with a young woman.
"We were deployed under Great Han's supreme Western Common Defense command authority. Within the current mission chain, the Regent holds supreme command."
Laura turned around, unmistakable interest already showing in her red eye.
"Then if I beat him in a formal duel, can I take command of you?"
Kruger fell silent for a moment.
"No. An army is not a trophy."
"Doesn't your country worship the strong?"
"Even the strong must have a lawful appointment, a complete chain of command, and a state capable of sustaining their troops. Winning a personal fight alone cannot make an ammunition train arrive on time,