Today’s Lodging Search
“If we don’t find anything by tomorrow, let’s head back to that space colony for now.”
“Understood. Even though it’s only been a few days, everyone’s exhausted, so I think it’s a good call.”
Executive Officer Meyrica-nee replied.
“Well, since that’s decided, let’s find a place to stay for tonight.”
“A place to stay…?”
“Yeah, a ‘lodging place’ to park this ship.”
“Ah, a suitable asteroid. Then, what about that one?”
The navigator, Rani, pointed to one of the asteroids on the radar.
“Hmm… The distance and size seem just right. We should check it first—just in case—but I think that’ll do. What do you think, Executive Officer?”
“Understood. I’ll have the patrol fighters currently in training investigate. Lieutenant Karin, if you would.”
The executive officer ordered Lieutenant Karin, the officer in charge of ship-based aircraft control, to survey the target asteroid.
Honestly, it’s a relief that she handled it instead of me.
I still feel hesitant giving direct orders to Karin Senpai.
To our generation, she was an admired figure—one of the prestigious Onshi-gumi (Imperila Gifted Group).
Not to mention, back in school, she was always kind and caring toward her juniors. And with her beauty, every male student had, at some point, been “helped” by her.
…What kind of help, you ask? Well, that’s something I can’t mention here.
In that sense, having Meyrica-nee mediate for me is a massive help—though it happens all the time.
While Meyrica-nee outranks Karin in both age and military experience, their official ranks are a bit… complicated.
Karin is a military lieutenant, but… well, it’s best not to think too hard about it.
Right now, Meyrica-nee is this ship’s executive officer, and naturally, her command authority takes precedence.
If this ship were under direct military command, things might get messy—but since it’s currently part of the Her Highness’ Wide-Area Criminal Police Organization’s fleet, there’s no issue.
Besides, Karin Senpai doesn’t seem to have any complaints.
Though, if I’m being honest, I’m the one who’s uneasy about her being under my command. She’s probably tolerating it for Her Highness’ sake.
Next time I see Her Highness, I’ll request my own demotion and Karin Senpai’s promotion.
That would make far more sense.
“Understood, Executive Officer.”
With that reply, Karin Senpai immediately radioed the ship-based fighters, ordering them to investigate the asteroid.
But then again, given that she was once a trainee in the military’s fighter operations division, she carries herself with authority.
When it comes to handling fighters, there’s no room for doubt.
Not to mention, she’s incredibly skilled at training new recruits—not just the cadets, but also the crew involved in fighter operations.
Even if we swapped positions, I couldn’t match her expertise. Eventually, I’ll have to ask her to train future control officers too.
[Shunmin] dispatched the fighters for reconnaissance while slowly advancing toward the asteroid, scanning the surroundings as they moved.
For the past three days, nothing had changed—just peaceful, uneventful hours passing by.
About twenty minutes after ordering the fighters to investigate, the bridge’s radio crackled with static—and then, a tense voice came through.
“Zzzzt—krshhh… Enemy contact! Requesting permission to engage—zzt—krshhh—!”
In an instant, the air on the bridge froze.
“Captain!”
“Yeah, permission granted. No restrictions on weapons use.”
“Understood!”
“No need to identify the enemy. Focus on defensive maneuvers and order them to retreat. Have them bait the enemy with photon torpedoes if necessary—their safety comes first.”
“I’ll relay the orders.”
Karin Senpai immediately responded to my instructions, commanding the two fighters.
“Executive Officer. Raise the ship’s alert level to combat readiness. Prepare to recover the fighters.”
“Understood. Changing alert level now.”
As Meyrica-nee acknowledged, the other bridge crew sprang into action.
At the same time, emergency sirens blared throughout the ship.
“Navigator, change speed. It’s risky, but push to Third Cosmic Velocity toward the target.”
“Understood. Adjusting speed from First to Third Cosmic Velocity.”
While I was urging Navigator Rani to hurry, the communications officer relayed the situation to the entire crew over the intercom.
We still weren’t at the level the military demanded, but compared to when I first took command, the crew’s discipline had improved dramatically. There was little chaos as the ship’s alert level shifted, and tension took hold.
“Patrol Officer. Any sign of the enemy?”
“No, still searching.”
“Captain, stay calm.”
Noticing my agitation, Meyrica-nee cautioned me.
So far, I hadn’t given any wrong orders—but if I messed up now, there’d be no taking it back.
She was probably worried about that.
Unlike during our old inspection squad days, with this many people under my command, they couldn’t just blatantly ignore my orders—so her advice was much appreciated.
Back then, they clearly had no intention of listening to me.
Well, thanks to that, I survived—but Meyrica-nee’s warning helped me steady myself.
“Right, thanks, Executive Officer. I’m fine now. The blood’s has cleared from my head. So, what’s the situation?”
“The two fighters are currently engaged in combat and heading toward us. Estimated rendezvous in five minutes.”
“Any damage to the fighters?”
“No reports so far. Sensors don’t indicate any issues either.”
“Enemy spotted yet?”
“Negative. The asteroid field’s interference is too heavy.”
“True. This area’s littered with small rocks and debris—hardly even asteroids. Soon, even radar won’t be reliable.”
“Got it. That’s troublesome… Can we at least determine the attack’s origin?”
“We can guess the direction, but not the distance.”
“I see… Alright, once we recover the fighters, have the main guns and torpedoes fire along that axis. If the enemy’s there, they’ll hit.”
“What? Blind firing?”
“Yeah. After launching the torpedoes, we’ll follow their trajectory straight toward the enemy. Once we’re close enough, we’ll spot them—even without radar. We’ll figure out the rest after we find them.”
“But if it’s pirates—if it’s the Sicilian Family—they might use this attack as a diversion and strike from another angle.”
“That’s a valid concern, Executive Officer.”
“For now, focus on recovering the fighters. Everyone else, stay alert. Even if we’re ambushed, this ship can handle minor hits. But I refuse to just sit and take it—so stay sharp and assume we’re launching a counterattack.”
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A few more attacks were detected afterward, but nothing else happened.
About twenty minutes after my earlier order, Karin Senpai entered the bridge.
…Huh?
When did she even leave?
I must’ve looked visibly surprised
because Meyrica-nee quietly filled me in.
“She headed to the hangar fifteen minutes ago when the fighters began recovery.”
Oh.
I thanked Meyrica-nee.
“Thanks for telling me. My focus was too narrow. I’ll keep it in mind.”
As I spoke with her, Karin Senpai approached to report.
“Both fighters have been successfully recovered. No damage to the craft or injuries among the crew. Rest assured.”
“Thanks, Lieutenant Karin. Now, we take the offensive. I know it’s sudden, but prepare the fighters for another sortie—just in case. Hopefully, we won’t need them, but better safe than sorry.”
“Understood. I’ll begin preparations immediately.”
“Make sure they’re properly serviced. Don’t push them too hard. Oh, and give the crew enough rest too. Next time, they’ll be flying single-seaters.”
“Of course. I don’t intend to send cadets out this time, so don’t worry.”
With that, Karin Senpai left the bridge again.
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