The border of the Reef Star Region.
An interstellar fleet of some 30-odd interstellar warships was being encircled by the Snake-folk's interstellar fleet, the ship-cannons of both sides standing ready at any moment.
And upon the hulls of those 30 interstellar warships were all manner of wounds left behind after fighting; indeed, some of the interstellar warships had even their weapon modules incomplete and battered.
One could see that this was a fugitive interstellar fleet, come fleeing for refuge.
Upon the bridge of this interstellar fleet's flagship.
Midai'er was, at this moment, pacing back and forth before the captain's chair, a whole face of anxiety.
"My lord, what are we to do now? We'd originally thought that fleeing to this Reef Star Region could give us a spot of refuge; who could have thought that this Reef Star Region would, of all things, have been unified by these Snake-folk," a female adjutant at her side said, a whole face of care and worry.
Midai'er heaved a sigh, and said in a low, grave voice, "For now we can only take it one step at a time, and see. If we were to fight with the Snake-folk's interstellar fleet, then with these interstellar warships of ours we'd simply be no match for the other side. A good thing that Snake-folk queen we met just now showed no intent to move against us; there should be some turn of events in this matter."
And just as Midai'er and the rest were bitterly waiting —
A radar-soldier called out in alarm, "Reporting — an exceedingly strong starship-energy signal has been detected upon the starship radar, approaching this position of ours; it's suspected to be a T4-grade interstellar warship. And… and its speed is very fast!"
Midai'er strode swiftly to the radar-control interface; she looked at that radar star-chart, and could see a red dot closing in upon them, at an astonishing speed, from the radar's outer-perimeter region.
Its speed was several times that of an ordinary interstellar warship!
In the brief span of time it took Midai'er to look, this interstellar warship appeared within the range observable to the naked eye through the deep-space telescope.
An image window appeared before Midai'er.
It was a crimson-red interstellar warship, for all the world like a flaming divine bird.
This was, beyond all doubt, a T4-grade interstellar warship!
Midai'er, tense, clenched her fists.
It was just at this point that the request for a video-comm window popped up; the one coming was, precisely, this crimson-red T4 interstellar warship!
Midai'er drew a deep breath; she knew clearly that the negotiation to come would decide the fate of this fleet of hers.
She agreed to the video-comm request.
And just as she was making ready to face the other party head-on, her expression went blank.
Because she'd seen a familiar face.
"Midai'er! It really is you!" Charlotte looked in delighted surprise at the Midai'er before her.
Midai'er looked dumbly at the Charlotte on the far side of the window, and gulped.
"You're… you're… Sister Charlotte?"
Zhao Chen, off to the side, watched these two sisters reminiscing over old times.
From their outward appearance, these two looked very alike — both of them of white fur.
Only, Midai'er's stature was somewhat smaller than Charlotte's, and at the same time her gaze wasn't so drawn-in and restrained as Charlotte's.
"Since you're sisters, then don't chat with a video between you. Invite her over onto our starship," Zhao Chen said from the side.
"Is that all right?" Charlotte looked at Zhao Chen with delighted surprise; and, upon getting Zhao Chen's smiling signal, Charlotte at once began to arrange for this half-sister of hers to board the T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser.
A somewhat battered and worn-out shuttle sailed slowly into the T4 Vermilion Bird's hangar.
Midai'er, somewhat tense, walked down from the shuttle; she looked at the clean, bright, and vast hangar before her — of all the interstellar warships she'd ever boarded, she'd never yet seen a hangar of this kind.
"Midai'er!"
At this point, a lovely, bright figure darted out and gathered Midai'er straight into her arms.
Catching the familiar scent, Midai'er now thoroughly confirmed the identity of the person before her — it was, precisely, the Sister Charlotte she'd revered from her childhood up.
"Sister Charlotte, you're actually still alive — it's wonderful! I just knew you'd absolutely never abandon us… wu-wu-wu… Sister Charlotte, Midai'er has missed you so!" Midai'er — this white-tiger commander who, before her own subordinates, was a cold-faced commander — was, at this moment, before her elder sister, for all the world like a big cat come home.
"Don't cry; your sister's doing just fine." Charlotte wiped away the tears on Midai'er's face.
At this point, Midai'er only then noticed the clean, neat, dashing military uniform on her Sister Charlotte's person — while what she herself wore was a military uniform of who-knew-how-many past owners, indeed somewhat faded, with stains upon it.
"Sister, I'll get your clothes dirty…" Midai'er, half-consciously, made to take a step back, somewhat embarrassed.
"What of it? In a while your sister will take you to have a bath. And then take you to meet my current commander." Charlotte stroked her younger sister's head.
Midai'er called to mind that male voice that had appeared in the video window; at the time, it had been that man's permission that had let Sister Charlotte bring her aboard this T4 interstellar warship.
She knew clearly her own sister's character — even in the past, within the rebel army, there had been not a single superior who could wholly win her over.
And now, of all things, she had a commander — just what sort of man was this, who could tame her sister?
While Midai'er was thinking on these things, she was brought into a clean room.
"This is my deputy-captain's quarters." Charlotte undid her own uniform collar.
"The deputy-captain's quarters? This big!" Midai'er was dumbstruck, looking at this two-storey bedchamber — this was, after all, a good deal bigger than the quarters she herself, this captain, currently dwelt in.
And just as Midai'er was looking at this luxurious bedchamber, the clothes on her body were stripped off by Charlotte.
"Ah…" Midai'er, bashful, covered her own body.
"Sister Charlotte, what are you doing…"
"When we were little, before, didn't we always bathe together? And it's been getting on for three years since we've seen each other; let your sister give our Midai'er's body a good inspection, and see whether our Midai'er has grown up any." Charlotte looked at Midai'er teasingly.
Thereupon, Midai'er was dragged by Charlotte into the bathtub — and then there rang out a shrill, piteous cat-cry.
Half an hour later.
The starship dining hall.
Midai'er, changed into Charlotte's spare everyday clothes, followed Charlotte into this huge starship dining hall.
Midai'er, who'd originally still borne some "grievance" against her sister, upon seeing this huge dining hall, and the tempting fragrance pervading the air, in one stroke forgot the matter of what had just happened.
And it was just at this point that a man wearing a smile like sunshine came to stand before her and Charlotte.
Midai'er, somewhat timid, hid herself behind Charlotte.
For some reason, Midai'er — who had once commanded a fleet in battle — at this moment, at Sister Charlotte's side, laid her fragile side wholly bare, for all the world like a child in need of being looked after.
"This one here is my Commander." Charlotte introduced him, her tone carrying respect and pride, the tail behind her swinging ceaselessly to and fro besides.