Chapter 2: The Beginning of the Trip
Written by: 菁鸟
“The Blight War was a sacrifice of the atheists to the gods.”
Saber, the first Shipsian Marshal of G.A.A., in a speech.
1
As the award ceremony concluded, the crowd gradually dispersed. Initially, some enthusiastic spectators stayed behind, talking loudly about the previous achievements or taking the opportunity to snap a few photos while the area was less crowded.
Phoenix, who had come alone, also remained in the square, not to take commemorative photos but for another reason.
Within ten minutes, the residents of Ceres had wholly vanished from the square—except for this young girl.
"Miss, why haven't you left the venue yet?"
A gentle male voice came from behind, prompting Phoenix to turn around. The gentleman in the blue suit had accidentally bumped into her earlier in the crowd, accompanied by another man with gray-silver hair wearing sunglasses.
"Sir, is there something you need from me?"
Phoenix immediately turned her head and looked up at the much taller Aries.
"I accidentally bumped into you earlier... I'm truly sorry."
Aries bowed again, leaving Phoenix somewhat bewildered.
"No, no, sir! There's no need for that!"
Phoenix quickly waved her hands, feeling flustered as she bowed in return.
Seeing the two at a standstill, their companion walked over, supporting Aries' shoulder to straighten his posture while gesturing for Phoenix to rise. Then, he draped his arm over Aries' shoulder and said, "Don't mind him. This gentleman is quite the gentleman. He's usually polite, but on the battlefield, he can be quite sluggish and really get on my nerves—right, Aries?"
Aries responded helplessly to his companion, "Excuse my behavior, miss. This is my partner, Starless. I am Aries."
"I am Phoenix." Phoenix bowed to the two of them—a standard military salute from the Galactic Alliance Army, which was also Phoenix's favorite way of greeting.
A smile tugged at the corner of Aries' mouth as he assessed Phoenix's movements. He clapped his hands in a drumming motion and said, "Your posture is quite exemplary, better than many new recruits in the Alliance."
Phoenix felt puzzled.
Recruits? Could the person in front of her also be a member of the Galactic Alliance Army?
"Are you a member of the Galactic Alliance Army?"
"Indeed."
Excitement tinged Phoenix's tone.
"Are you a Shipsian?"
Aries smiled and replied, "Yes."
Phoenix was almost ready to jump with joy. Becoming a member of the Galactic Alliance Army had been her dream since childhood, and she had always yearned for the mysterious Hipsus lineage to manifest in her. With a heart full of reverence for all Shipsian people since she could remember, she now seemed like an enthusiastic fan conversing with her favorite idol.
"I've always wanted to become a member of the Alliance!"
Phoenix couldn't contain her emotions and exclaimed loudly.
"I want to be a Shipsian and a warrior like you!"
Starless and Aries were momentarily stunned, then exchanged a glance. Starless was the first to burst into laughter, patting his partner's shoulder. His slightly hoarse voice added a unique charm to his laughter. Aries smiled calmly and turned his gaze towards Phoenix.
"Then please continue to work hard, miss."
Aries seemed to want to say more, but then his wristwatch emitted a sound.
"I must take my leave. If you don't mind, please keep this item."
Aries slightly bowed and took out an object resembling a medal from the pocket of his suit jacket, handing it to Phoenix. Phoenix hesitated but accepted it with both hands. Upon closer inspection, it was a badge of the Galactic Alliance Army.
"This is the badge I received when I first became a recruit. It has a distress signal on the back. If you are in mortal danger, press the button three times to call for the nearest Galactic Alliance Army support."
"It’s so precious to accept!"
Phoenix was taken aback and tried to return the badge.
Aries simply shook his head and said, "I trust you."
Starless glanced at Aries and added, "I'm sure you understand the purpose of this item. Please refrain from sending a false signal when you are safe. After all, this thing is meant for use in warfare."
"But I can't hold onto such an important item of yours. How can I return it to you?"
"If you insist on returning it to me, please do so at the Galactic Alliance Army base."
2
Ceres, District XVIII.
"So you just said goodbye to them like that?"
The blue-eyed girl with short black hair looked at Phoenix with some surprise.
"Hehe, how about that, Disar? Isn't this medal cool? Feeling envious, right? Your bestie is just that lucky! Haha."
Phoenix boasted to the girl named Disar.
However, Disar's face showed no joy but rather a sense of helplessness as she uttered a sentence.
"...Didn't even ask for a group photo?"
The air suddenly became heavy.
"Huh?"
Phoenix froze for a moment, then suddenly began to wail.
"Ahhhhhh!"
"Ah, you..."
Disar held her head and sighed.
"If only you had come with me, Disar! Then we wouldn't have missed taking a group photo!"
"After returning from Zhey Auna, there's a big exam to prepare for, can't slack off on studying for the test... The ceremony and all, they'll replay it on TV."
Disar rolled up a few sheets of math problems and lightly tapped Phoenix on the head.
Phoenix stared at her childhood friend with a face full of grievances.
Since as far back as they could remember, Disar and Phoenix had known each other. The two of them grew up inseparably with the same dream and comparable grades. Classmates, neighbors, best friends, childhood friends—none of these adequately described the unbreakable bond between them.
"Question: Who are the Shipsian warriors who sacrificed themselves in the Battle of Bright?"
"Striker, Flare, Phantom. Well, this one won't stump me."
Phoenix confidently answered.
"But you dropped four spots in math last time." Disar used the math sheet to tap the other's head again.
"Disar is the best... learns fast, studies well, and excels in physical fitness... That's a characteristic of the Shipsians, right!" Phoenix grabbed the test paper, "Teachers all say Disar will become a great figure."
Disar shook her head and sighed, saying, "You're not bad either," then put away the test paper.
"Tomorrow, we're setting off for Zhey Auna, Disar, and it's the day we've been waiting for."
Phoenix suddenly looked out the window and murmured.
Disar leaned against the edge of the bed, gazing at the azure sky.
"Let's live up to our expectations and dreams. Let's go to the Galactic Alliance Army together, Phoenix."
"Alright, Disar."
3
"Knock, knock."
The wooden door at the street corner was being knocked on.
"This is ridiculous. This is the vacation I fought so hard for... Why are they all coming to bother me one by one?"
An impatient voice came from inside the door.
"...It's me, Trinity."
Trinity lowered his voice and spoke to the door again.
"Who?"
The house owner approached, asking again through the wooden door with an incredulous tone.
"Trinity."
"Impossible. That guy is still holed up in his rundown shack, drowning himself in alcohol for the past ten years. How could he come out, let alone come looking for me?"
"Yigothu, I have a request."
"Don't bother me, and I have experiments to do." The footsteps inside the door faded away.
"Yigothu?"
No response.
"Yigothu."
Trinity called out to the person inside the door once again.
He sighed and spoke again, "I've come with a request. If you don't open the door... I'll have to use force."
Still, there was no reply.
"I hope there's no flammable material inside."
Bang!
Trinity disappeared from outside the wooden door instantly, with a whoosh appearing inside the door.
"Hey!"
Yigothu sprang up from his chair, his right hand quickly clenched into a fist. With a somewhat deep buzzing sound, a pale white field unfolded, covering the entire wooden house.
"Contain your black fire! Are you not afraid of igniting this laboratory?"
Yigothu pointed at Trinity, his voice hoarse and menacing.
Trinity shook his head, removed his hat, and loosened his tightly clenched fists. The slowly spreading black explosives around were gradually sucked back into a slightly pale blue device on Trinity's left arm.
Seeing the black fire being contained, Yigothu lowered his hand, releasing his grip, and the field disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"You scared me. I built this lab with half a year's salary. Put away your Trinidian teleportation!"
"You have your own spacetime field." Trinity sat down on a chair as if he was familiar with the setting. "How have you been lately?"
"It's all about missions. Luckily, I got half a month off for wiping out an enemy squad." Yigothu sat back in front of his workbench. "Damn endless war, kill, kill, kill. How long do we have to keep killing? I used to be a rear-line researcher, as you know. Now I've become a top-notch warrior!"
"Any alcohol?" Trinity asked.
"Only that 'Shipsians' special nutrient fluid, want it?" Yigothu disdainfully tossed a bottle of dark liquid. Trinity unscrewed the cap, sniffed it, and then silently closed it again.
"After all these years, their concoctions are getting worse." Trinity tossed the nutrient fluid into the nearby trash can.
"Agreed." Yigothu continued, "After going around in circles, what brings you here today? Dear Anax Shipsians, you should be grateful your wanted poster isn't plastered on the walls of this alley."
"I'm a thousand times stronger than those who hunt me." Trinity tapped the armrest of the chair with his fingers. "Those rebels were killed before because they were too weak. Dealing with them with my aura and Zen mastery was a breeze."
Yigothu chuckled, but his sinister voice sounded more like a sneer.
"Is that so? Suddenly, I want to see how the once hero looks stripped of his main cannon."
"I'm here today to ask you to fix this." Trinity tapped his chest, and a faint blue light appeared, flickering on and off.
"Can you fix it?" Trinity coughed twice.
Yigothu's expression suddenly turned serious as he questioned, "Fix it?"
"That's right."
"Are you planning to return to the battlefield?"
"I just need to know if you can handle it."
"...It won't be a challenge for me."
"Then help me fix it."
"Why?"
"Why what?"
"I mean, the only reason you'd fix it is for combat, and you gave up fighting for humanity before... Why come back?"
"The reason is simple."
A never-before-seen flame of hatred flickered in Trinity's eyes. He looked silently at Yigothu.
Yigothu seemed to understand something instantly, furrowed his brow, then muttered in a lowered voice under his breath.
"...Those bastards."
Character Introduction
Phoenix： A girl with long blue hair and golden eyes, a resident of Ceres, 13 years old. Full of energy, she dreams of becoming a Shipsian and joining the Galactic Alliance Army. Disar's close friend.
Disar: A girl with short black hair to her shoulders and blue eyes, a resident of Ceres, 13 years old. A quiet and studious type, her dream is to become a member of the Galactic Alliance Army. Phoenix's close friend.
Arietis: A Shipsian holding the rank of Captain in the Galactic Alliance Army. A gentle gentleman. Partnered with Starless.
Starless: A Shipsian holding the rank of Captain in the Galactic Alliance Army. A steady warrior. Partnered with Aries.
Yigothu: A Shipsian holding the rank of Colonel in the Galactic Alliance Army. A somewhat aloof technical researcher and mighty warrior. I am currently on leave.
Trinity: ???