Reason for the Assignment
As I was talking with my senior, one of the security officers brought Maki-neechan.
“Captain, I’ve brought the Lieutenant’s uniform.”
“Ah, Maki-neechan was here.”
“Captain, we’re on duty now.”
“Ah, sorry, Chief Maki. Lieutenant Karin, this is Chief Maki who manages the operation of this ship. She’s my senior from the orphanage where I grew up and was like a good older sister to me. I can’t help but slip into old habits when I let my guard down. I apologize for the unseemly display.”
“No, Captain. Please treat me like a subordinate at all times if possible. Otherwise, it might affect morale.”
“I think it’ll be fine. This ship is the furthest from such concerns. Well, I’ll keep it in mind. Or rather, I’ll keep it in mind… is that okay?”
“Captain, you’re ruining it.”
Just then, the security officer from earlier brought tea for the three of us, so we chatted a bit while drinking it.
Both Maki-neechan and I were curious about why Senior Karin, who was on a fast track in the Space Force, had been transferred here.
Of course, she noticed our curiosity and explained.
From her explanation, we learned that firstly, she and Her Highness were quite close, being school friends.
She told us that Her Highness had been very concerned about the future of this country for quite some time, since her high school days.
One of the things they often discussed back then was the concept of a Interstellar Criminal Police Organization.
She said he always thought about the need for a broad judicial organization that could deal with everything from noble corruption to pirate suppression.
When Her Highness finally created this organization, she wanted to participate as a friend, so she volunteered to be seconded here.
However, even if you wish for it, organizational barriers aren’t easily overcome.
Especially since the senior wasn’t a dropout or from a humble background.
What she finally managed to tell us, seemingly with great difficulty, was that this Interstellar Criminal Police Organization was already becoming a source of political strife.
Apparently, the nobility, various government agencies, and even the military were eager to bring this new organization under their control.
Of course, Her Highness understood these movements and was trying to exclude them as much as possible, but it was uncertain how long he could keep doing so.
One of these influences came from the military.
It seems the Space Force wanted to place it under their control like the Coast Guard, but they haven’t been able to do so yet.
Her Highness has succeeded in excluding them for now, using the power of the royal family.
However, some persistent military factions had blood relations with the senior.
The senior was the daughter of a viscount family, and her father was also an official in the military central command.
She told us that she readily agreed to participate in this scheme at her father’s suggestion.
I thought she didn’t need to tell us such sensitive information, but she smiled and said she had also told Her Highness, who was her friend, which left an impression on me.
From the senior’s story, I could see the problems Her Highness was facing.
The organization, which had been seen as Her Highness’s hobby, was attracting more interference from outsiders the more it proved its usefulness.
We have to leave the complex issues to Her Highness and others.
I can only do my job.
The next day, I gathered everyone to introduce the new members before departing from Nihonium.
It was the first time I saw the senior at work, and as expected of the top performer among her peers, her work ethic was extraordinary.
She would find every opportunity to launch carrier-based aircraft for training.
She would also ride in the back of the aircraft herself, giving direct instructions to check and improve the pilots’ skills.
That alone was impressive, but she also participated in aircraft maintenance with the mechanics in the hangar, never neglecting to check the time required for maintenance.
Even I wouldn’t impose such brutal training, but the senior showed no compromise.
And yet, from an outsider’s perspective, there was no waste or unreasonableness.
This could only be described as a godlike skill.
It seems she had various thoughts about the carrier-based aircraft mobile unit’s air operations staff in the Second Fleet where she was assigned before coming here.
They probably couldn’t fully utilize her abilities.
It might have been unavoidable for a newly appointed officer, but perhaps she wanted to do various things according to her own ideas once she became free.
Anyway, the senior continued training until we reached the vicinity of the asteroid belt.
As usual, we raise the ship’s alert level to semi-combat just before the asteroid belt, so the training ends here.
We proceed towards the Rhenium star system through the asteroid belt while maintaining vigilance.
Indeed, since it’s in the asteroid belt, it’s not easy to find a place where we can proceed on a straight route to the Rhenium star system.
The routes we know now are only those used as regular routes for scheduled services.
However, the existence of pirates’ hidden routes is no longer just a rumor, but has become a reality.
There must be places that can be used as routes other than the regular ones.
We had been searching since we came to Nihonium, and considering our encounters with pirates, it seems we’re not far off the mark where we are now.
We navigate the ship while avoiding asteroids and meteorites that approach our main ship.
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Although the ship’s alert level is at semi-combat, for safety reasons in the asteroid belt where meteorites fly about, we use carrier-based aircraft and internal boats for forward surveillance, clearing the way ahead.
Since carrier-based aircraft put a strain on the pilots, we mainly use internal boats, with veteran non-commissioned officers from the former inspection team leading a few subordinates for exploration.
The carrier-based aircraft are deployed for surveillance when the internal boat crew returns to [Shunmin] for rotation.
Originally, the internal boats were under the mobile unit, but now that there are no mobile unit members, I’ve entrusted their management to Senior Karin along with the carrier-based aircraft.
The first thing Senior Karin discovered was problematic.
Senior Karin was monitoring real-time data from various sensors mounted on carrier-based aircraft and internal boats using the console panel for carrier-based aircraft control command.
The carrier-based aircraft command seat on [Shunmin]’s bridge has a system that allows monitoring of radar, infrared, ultraviolet sensors, and optical camera footage mounted on carrier-based aircraft and internal boats, synchronized with the pilots.
The carrier-based aircraft commander can discover things that the patrol pilots might miss by monitoring from [Shunmin]’s bridge.
If anything suspicious is found, they order the pilots to reinvestigate via radio.
During one such reinvestigation, we found a spacecraft drifting in space.
To be precise, at this stage, we found an artificial object that could potentially be a spacecraft.
Yes, it was drifting.
I ordered Kasumi to use [Shunmin]’s sensors for reinvestigation, but the results were the same as what the senior had found.
To be honest, it’s unclear at this point.
“Executive Officer.”
“Yes, we need to investigate since we’ve found it.”
“Kaori. Any distress signals?”
“No, nothing is coming from that ship.”
“Executive Officer, bring [Shunmin] closer to that ship. Carrier-based Aircraft Control Officer, sorry, but please recall the internal boats. We’re going to board that ship.”
I have a responsibility to handle shipwrecks according to the law, but more than that, I’m curious about that ship.
Normally, a shipwreck in such an area would be almost hopeless, and one could predict a tragic state inside the ship, but somehow I can’t shake the feeling that there’s more to it.
“Executive Officer, I’m sorry, but we’re going to board together.”
“Huh??”
That’s right.
It’s an unthinkable order.
In this case, if I let the Executive Officer lead the inspection team, I, as the captain, would stay on the ship.
If I were to lead the inspection team, the Executive Officer would typically take charge of the ship.
But the order I gave was neither of these.
I might have considered this during our first encounter with pirates, but fortunately, we now have a reliable senior on [Shunmin].
What I ordered next was precisely this.
“I’m entrusting the command of this ship to Lieutenant Karin while I’m on inspection. Executive Officer, please organize an inspection team with experienced members. Wear power suits and assemble in the rear hangar.”
[Shunmin] has already approached close enough to visually monitor the drifting ship.
Now, an inspection team of fifteen members is lined up in front of me in the rear hangar, waiting.
The composition is ten officers and non-commissioned officers centered on my first workplace, the inspection team, and five security personnel entrusted to us by Her Highness.
“The wreck we’re about to board is very suspicious. I don’t know what we’ll find, but I want you to handle any situation calmly.”
I slowly looked over the assembled team members.
Everyone has put away their usual cheerfulness and is looking at me with serious expressions.
“Alright, let’s board.”
We boarded the wreck in front of us in an internal boat that I was piloting.
Following the inspection manual, we forcibly opened the hatch at the rear and entered with the internal boat.
“Captain. The possibility of traps…”
“Can’t be ruled out. Kasumi, check for those first.”
Well, we’ll do what we can.
The rest… I hope there are no bodies…
“There are no apparent traces on the hull, but we can’t be sure. We should be prepared.”
“Then let’s start the inspection. Kasumi, go to the bridge and check for traps. Maria, head to the engine room. Executive Officer, please secure the interior of the ship.”
“What about you, Captain?”
“I’ll head to the captain’s quarters.”
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