20 hours later, an imperial-military interstellar fleet numbering 30 ships reached the position from which the interstellar transport fleet had sent its call for aid.
"Where are the Mechanical Race warships from the distress message?" In the video window, an imperial-military officer of colonel's rank asked with a frown.
"That starship wreckage out there is them," Zhao Chen said coldly.
"You wiped them out?" the colonel asked, taken aback.
"Not us — then was it you, the imperial military?" Zhao Chen shot back.
The colonel caught the ill will in this man's words. "What do you mean by that?"
"I'd rather ask what you mean by it! This was plainly an escort task — so why were there Mechanical Race warships to ambush us, and a warp jammer used on us besides! Colonel, sir, this is no simple escort task." Zhao Chen fixed his eyes on him.
Uncle Zheng Xiong, likewise on the video comm channel, said with an unkind look in his eyes, "Withholding task information — that breaks the rules of task issuance."
"The Mechanical Race fleet's attack was mere coincidence. For a coincidence to arise on a bounty task of this sort is nothing out of the ordinary. Besides the normal task remuneration, we'll buy back the wreckage of those Mechanical Race warships you destroyed at the highest market price, and by imperial law we'll grant you the bounty for destroying Mechanical Race warships," the colonel said without turning a hair.
"Coincidence? Then tell me — why are those interstellar transports' cargo holds empty!" Zhao Chen flung out several captured images outright.
The images were of destroyed T1 interstellar transports; from the wreckage one could see that the cargo holds of some T1 transports were empty — with not the least trace of any supplies scattered about.
A cold light flashed in the colonel's eyes.
"Colonel, sir, those of us who knock about out here are no fools either. Since we dare lay our cards on the table with you here, we have a follow-up hand. We've already made a data backup of what happened here; if — we don't get back safe and sound, then this affair will be brought to light! And the imperial military's good name will suffer greatly! Is that a responsibility a single imperial-military colonel can shoulder?" Uncle Zheng Xiong slapped the table. "I led my fleet in a fight to the death here. Turns out this was all a trap — having us escort an interstellar transport fleet without a scrap of supplies aboard. Had we not fought valorously, we might well have been wiped out to the last ship long ago. My fleet even lost three T1 ships, and over 100 brothers who braved life and death! We want an accounting — is that too much to ask!"
Zheng Xiong, an old hand at this, had squared it with Zhao Chen well beforehand.
Faced with this uncanny imperial-military bounty task, they most certainly could not simply swallow the grievance and hold their peace.
But to face off against the imperial military, they'd need a few things prepared in hand.
The colonel fell silent for several breaths, then looked at the two and said heavily, "This matter is beyond my authority to handle. Wait till we reach the Quicksand City Interstellar Fortress, and I'll give you a satisfactory answer."
To wipe out these few mercenary fleets before him was, for an imperial-military fleet, no hard thing — but the troublesome part was the mess that would follow.
Were the imperial military's face harmed thereby, it would be a losing bargain.
"Fine — I should quite like to see just what reasonable explanation you, the imperial military, can give us!" Uncle Zheng Xiong finished, and, seething, cut the comm.
Zhao Chen said coldly, "We too only want a reasonable accounting for our crew. You are a ship's captain-commander yourself. You ought to understand this frame of mind."
With that, Zhao Chen too withdrew from the comm.
The colonel took no offense at the two men's browbeating; this, on the contrary, was within his expectations.
For this escort task truly was not so simple, and that these escort fleets could survive the ambush of a Mechanical Race fleet was, if anything, a surprise to them.
For among those destroyed Mechanical Race ships was a T3 Black-Iron-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer!
"Get in touch with the head of the interstellar transport fleet; have him give me all the video records of this campaign. Three hours to clean up the battlefield, and then we escort the interstellar transport fleet back to Quicksand City." The colonel instructed his subordinates.
"Yes."
……
"With the attitude we took just now — the imperial-military officer really won't do anything to us?" Shen Bing looked, a touch worried, at Zhao Chen beside her and Uncle Zheng Xiong across the video window.
Uncle Zheng Xiong drew a pull of his cigarette. "Little sister Shen Bing, on this you can rest easy. The imperial military has always cared for its face; this escort task was plainly shabby dealing on their part. We don't know what they're scheming, but if we bring this out into the open, it'll surely do great harm to the imperial military's prestige — and then what private fleet would still dare take an imperial-military task."
"And the two of us are outstanding cadets of the Northstar Starship Military Academy besides; should the Northstar Starship Military Academy come asking after this, that'd be no small matter." Zhao Chen had long since had his reckoning.
"Zhao Chen, little brother — how much do you reckon we should ask for this time?" Uncle Zheng Xiong wore a sly cast of expression.
Zhao Chen thought a moment, then held up five fingers.
"Mm… that's a bit much, but worth a try." Uncle Zheng Xiong nodded.
After that, the imperial-military fleet set to cleaning up the battlefield.
And at a spot some distance from the engagement zone, they found the traces of another battlefield.
It was in the direction from which that T3 Black-Iron-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer had earlier appeared.
There lay the wreckage of several ships; on confirmation, it was the fleet of that leather-clad woman who'd earlier fled the fight.
Every ship wiped out; by the gunfire-wounds on the fleet, they'd all been crippled and destroyed by that T3 Black-Iron-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer!
This news set Zhao Chen and the others at ease within.
People like that — they never come to a good end!
These matters dealt with, the imperial-military fleet escorted the interstellar transport fleet and Zhao Chen's and the others' fleets, and set out once more for the Quicksand City Interstellar Fortress.
This time all went smoothly; after 10 days' voyage, they reached the Quicksand City Interstellar Fortress successfully.
Looking at the interstellar fortress before them—
It was an interstellar military fortress built with a planet for its base, ringed round by several asteroids and moons remade into military asteroids and military satellites.
Its extent was not so great as Northern No. 3 System's, and the ships stationed there not many.
But they were, one and all, T2 combat-type ships and T3 combat-type ships!
After Zhao Chen's fleet arrived, the military starport gave his and the others' fleets basic repairs free of charge.
On the other side, the demand for redress put forward by Zhao Chen's and the others' fleets had been relayed by the colonel to his superiors.
"This escort fleet actually survived? And wiped out a Mechanical Race fleet entire." A figure with the look of a general, on hearing this report, got a fright.
Then he had a subordinate call up the information on this campaign, and the escort fleet's data.
"A T2 carrier with star-shield tech, no less!" The general looked at the campaign footage, his whole face astonished.
"General, might this matter be given over to me to handle? And might I trouble you to seal these footage records, so that all who already know of this affair may not spread it abroad." At this a young man, adjutant to the general at his side, stepped forward and spoke.
The general looked at this young man, taken aback. "Little Song, this is no trifling matter. A T2 carrier possessed of T2 star-shield tech!"
"General, this man is connected to the Chu family. I'll trouble you with it," the young officer said modestly.
The Chu family?
The general narrowed his eyes at this young officer; this man had been placed here by the Chu family some while back — a very young one-star brigadier, and on good terms with the Chu family besides.
By the look of it, this T2 carrier was connected to the Chu family.
Then he'd do the Chu family this favor.
"Fine — do as you say. This whole affair is yours, Little Song," the general said gravely.
The young officer said with a smile, "Thank you, General. I'll speak to His Excellency the Chu River Governor of your valorous showing here!"