At Zhao Chen's words, Charlotte pondered a moment and said nothing more.
She fastened the handheld terminal about her wrist and, using the authority within it, opened up the data on this ship.
And this one look was no small thing.
Charlotte's eyes went wide, and she turned to Zhao Chen beside her in disbelief. "This ship's data… is it all real?"
"Real, of course." Zhao Chen wore the look of a man showing off his own child. "Well? What do you make of this ship of mine?"
Charlotte said, her expression grave, "If the figures shown here are genuine, then in a duel among T2-tier ships, this ship is all but an undefeatable existence!"
An undefeatable existence.
What a terrifying assessment that was.
Had Zhao Wan'er or Li Wei heard it, they'd surely have curled a lip in scorn. A ship cobbled together from three junk vessels, and it was to be an undefeatable existence among T2 ships?
Was this some kind of joke?
"In a while, we'll take her out for a shakedown run. It'll be a good chance for you to sort out the crew's post assignments along the way."
Zhao Chen rubbed at his nose, a touch of awkwardness about him. "Because I… haven't got much funding right now, this shakedown run is really about getting you familiar with the ship — a training stage. I'm hoping you can all get the hang of handling her as quickly as possible."
"May I have a look at the slave roster you purchased?" Charlotte asked.
"You may. It's right there within your authority."
Charlotte opened the roster of crew candidates, and there were the hundred beast-folk slaves.
Every one of them a companion of hers. The sight softened her gaze a good deal — and filled her heart, at the same time, with guilt.
The thought that no few of her kinfolk were still captives left an ache inside her.
"It's all right — these are all seasoned crew. And on top of that, this ship is only a T2-tier vessel; three to five hours of practice and they'll be about ready to take her into battle," Charlotte answered.
A satisfied smile crossed Zhao Chen's face.
Half a day later, Charlotte had made herself familiar with this Blizzard Zero, and the rest of the beast-folk crew had finished resting up.
"These are the post assignments I've drawn up for the beast-folk crew. To pilot and operate this Blizzard Zero calls for no more than 50 of them." Charlotte handed Zhao Chen a list.
"The extras can serve as reserves for the various posts; let them get a feel for the working environment first," Zhao Chen instructed. This was his first starship — and it would not be his last.
When the time came, these crew could be assigned to other ships besides.
"I've already put in a departure request with the starport. My lease on this ship bay is nearly up as well, so I've used what little funding I have left to rent a berth at the academy starport. Once the shakedown training is done, we'll head straight back to that starport berth. I've bought some simple bedding and daily necessities; from here on, you'll all be living aboard this ship. As for living supplies and the like, I'll find a way to see to that later." As Zhao Chen finished, an inward pang went through him.
His account balance was dwindling faster by the day.
And after this he'd have 100 beast-girls to keep fed; he'd simply have to find some way to lay hold of money.
To think that a proper interstellar lord should be reduced to such straits — it was, frankly, a bit shabby.
"Yes." Charlotte took Zhao Chen's order, and step by step settled further into her role.
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair, looking out over the aged bridge, and hardened his resolve within: he would, without fail, own a true T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser!
"This is your living area, five to a room. For meals, it's two a day for now; come to the dining area on time to collect them. Every post runs on a three-shift rotation, taken in turn. Is that understood?" Charlotte looked out over the hundred beast-folk crew before her — and the feeling was, for all the world, as though she'd been carried back to her days fighting aboard the resistance fleet.
These few months had felt like the span of another lifetime.
"General… must we really fight for that human?" one of the female beast-folk crew asked just then, raising a hand.
The mood of the other beast-folk ran low as well.
Their status as slaves, after all, still hung over them — and it weighed heavily on their spirits.
"You are all my former subordinates. It was through my own failure that you fell to the state you're in now. And if you are still willing to place your trust in me, then I promise you — I will, without fail, restore the freedom of every one of you. Captain Zhao Chen has given his word: fight for him three years, and when those three years are up, we will be granted our freedom. And what is more, so long as we win merit in battle, he will seek out those of our kin who were trafficked into the Starlight Empire. Perhaps you place no trust in humans — but I, Charlotte, am willing to trust that man. So… I ask you all to trust me. I swear it on the honor of the White Tiger clan: I will lead every one of you home!" Charlotte's words and the feeling behind them moved the beast-folk warriors gathered there.
And this whole scene, Zhao Chen, up on the bridge, took in from start to finish — for the bridge kept watch over some 80% of the ship.
It had to be said, Charlotte had put it plainly enough: she fought for Zhao Chen now not out of loyalty, but for the sake of freedom.
Zhao Chen took no offense at that. On the contrary, it was precisely this that had led Zhao Chen to place his trust in Charlotte.
Buy some slave off the block, and have them fall to their knees before you and swear their fealty just like that — that was the sort Zhao Chen would sooner not trust.
Before long, the once-cluttered ship bay had been swept clean, everything that could be carried off carried off.
At the same time, the ship bay's transit passage swung open.
Registry… Blizzard Zero… cleared to enter feeder lane D13.
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair, looking to his deputy captain, Charlotte, at his side — and to the dozen-odd beast-folk crew now present on the bridge.
"Move out," said Zhao Chen.
Deputy Captain Charlotte relayed the command. "Start the ship's engines; enter feeder lane D13."
The beast-folk crew worked the ship with a certain rustiness, but smoothly enough on the whole.
A few minutes later, Blizzard Zero drove out along one of the lanes of this interstellar city that was the Northstar Starship Academy.
Blizzard Zero's bridge was a fully enclosed structure; drawing on the image-capture equipment ringing the hull, it projected several views of the ship's exterior within.
Watching the images of the cosmos come up across the projection screens before him—
Zhao Chen felt a stir of excitement within.
Here he sat, this very moment, aboard a starship of his own, sailing the cosmos…
"Captain, next we'll carry out the 29 shakedown-training items. Please give the order." Deputy Captain Charlotte looked to Zhao Chen.
"Begin," said Zhao Chen.
There was a great deal to be said for having a capable subordinate — no need to see to every last thing yourself.
"Heading zero-seven-one mark 20; engine power output at 30%; speed 30 star-knots." Deputy Captain Charlotte issued the sailing orders with thorough professionalism.
And with that, this Blizzard Zero set out on its first shakedown run.
……
"Hold this heading; engines to full power output; speed 100 star-knots. All compartments throughout the ship, keep close watch on your readings, and report the instant anything looks amiss." Deputy Captain Charlotte had by now reached the final item of the shakedown training.
Full-speed sailing.
This was the trial of how every system of the ship held up under the fastest, most extreme speed it could reach.
And it was also the point on which Charlotte harbored the deepest misgivings about this ship — for less than a month ago, this had been three separate vessels!
One minute…
Three minutes…
Five minutes…
10 minutes…
"Report — engine system all normal, power supply all normal."
"Report — hull structure all normal."
"Report — sailing steady, not the slightest anomaly."
……
Three hours later.
Deputy Captain Charlotte let out a long breath. She looked to Zhao Chen and drew herself up straight. "Reporting, Captain — Blizzard Zero has completed all 29 items of the shakedown training. Awaiting your orders."
"Let's turn back," Zhao Chen said with a smile. "I think there's someone who's been waiting for a beating — and can't wait much longer."