These people looked at each other, their faces visibly gloomy and desolate.
Xia Chujian grew even more curious, but she didn't ask further. Her nimble eyes darted back and forth across the faces of the five.
Finally, Sun Jiahao said, "Since the captain is interested, we have nothing to hide. We are not deserters."
"We indeed transferred to the Fourth Interstellar Fleet after that battle."
Xia Chujian raised her eyebrows. "...But why does everyone say that the Fifth Interstellar Fleet was reduced to the last three people?"
Sun Jiahao's lips twitched. "What else could it be? We don't count as people..."
Xia Chujian: "..."
She was a little confused and subconsciously asked, "Ah? You... are Humanoids?"
Although she had always considered Humanoids and humans to be people, she also knew that the Beichen Empire did not treat Humanoids as people.
Sun Jiahao was taken aback, then found this young female captain quite interesting.
He sighed and said, "Of course we're not Humanoids. But in the Interstellar Fleet, we Starry Sky Marines are probably about the same as Humanoids..."
At this moment, another captain spoke up.
The nameplate on his chest read: Second Lieutenant: Li Dali, Captain of the 3rd Starry Sky Marine Squad of the Falcon-Class D1 Starry Sky Cruiser.
Li Dali said, "Jiahao, let's talk properly. Captain Xia is young and probably doesn't know the truth."
Then, looking at Xia Chujian, he said sincerely, "Captain Xia, it's like this. When calculating the attrition rate in the Interstellar Fleet, we Starry Sky Marines are not included. That's why Jiahao said we don't count as people..."
Xia Chujian's fists clenched. "...What do you mean, when calculating the attrition rate, Starry Sky Marines are not included?!"
Li Dali was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "That's right, Captain Xia hasn't been in the Military for long, has she?"
Xia Chujian didn't answer, only humming noncommittally.
Sun Jiahao became even more sarcastic, saying, "It means, we can die and it doesn't even count as a denominator!"
Xia Chujian's eyes widened even more.
Li Dali had no choice but to explain in detail, "Each Interstellar Fleet has at least 500,000 Starry Sky Marines. There are also Starry Sky Fighter pilots, officers of all ranks, drivers, Navigators, and the captain. But when calculating the attrition rate, only the deaths or injuries of these people are counted."
"The deaths of us Starry Sky Marines don't fall within the commander's performance evaluation indicators."
Xia Chujian didn't know what expression to use to face such an absurd practice.
She spoke as if she were dreaming, saying, "...Is that why they say the Fifth Interstellar Fleet lost more than 5,000 people, wiping out almost the entire fleet, with only three survivors? Those 5,000 people didn't include any of the Starry Sky Marines who died in battle?"
Sun Jiahao didn't expect this young captain to understand so quickly.
He stopped being sarcastic and said through gritted teeth, "Before that battle, our Fifth Interstellar Fleet had a full complement of Starry Sky Marines, 500,000 people."
"But after being attacked by the Southern Cross Star Kingdom's fleet, within a minute, our 500,000 people were quickly reduced to 250,000..."
Xia Chujian: "!!!"
Holy crap!
The attrition rate was fifty percent as soon as the battle started! Was interstellar warfare this brutal?!
Sun Jiahao continued, "We were ambushed. Originally, under Marshal Huo's leadership, our Starry Sky Marine attrition rate was the lowest among the five major fleets. But that time, someone betrayed our position, and the Starry Sky Marines who were landing on the desolate star became targets. They were caught off guard, and in less than a minute, we lost fifty percent of our forces."
"Then everyone came to their senses and began to counterattack in teams, but we were far outnumbered by the enemy, and more than 50,000 more people died."
"Marshal Huo certainly couldn't sit idly by and watch us be slaughtered. He immediately ordered the Warplane pilots and senior officers to launch a counterattack, forbidding them from hiding in the rear."
"Marshal Huo personally charged ahead, leading those people to severely damage the enemy's forces, while covering the retreat of us Starry Sky Marines who had run out of ammunition."
"Noble officers and pilots who refused to fight to the death with the enemy, and even wanted to surrender, were directly killed by him."
"But the Southern Cross Star Kingdom had been preparing for many years, and their reserve forces were endless. Seeing that more firepower support was arriving on the battlefield, if we continued to resist, it would result in the deaths of all the Starry Sky Marines on the spot."
"When the fighting reached that level, both sides were using high-level Mecha. We ordinary Starry Sky Marines only had military exoskeletons, not real Mecha. Wasn't it expected that we would suffer heavy casualties?"
"In fact, at the time, the Warplane pilots and officers of the Fifth Interstellar Fleet didn't understand Marshal Huo's actions."
"They said, we Starry Sky Marines can die, it won't be counted in the attrition rate anyway, why bother risking their lives to save us?"
"On the contrary, even if those warplane pilots and officers are slightly injured, it's counted in the attrition rate, which affects Marshal Huo's performance evaluation as commander-in-chief."
"Moreover, if all 200,000 of us Starry Sky Marines die, it might buy time until reinforcements arrive."
"...But Marshal Huo refused. He refused to build his achievements on our corpses, and he refused to let us die silently like cannon fodder."
Xia Chujian clenched her fists as she listened, anxiously asking, "...And then what?"
Li Dali said bitterly, "Then Marshal Huo launched a counterattack, fighting to the death. Before the final battle, he used the last Cruiser to transport all 200,000 of us Starry Sky Marines who were still alive, leaving only him and two adjutants behind."
"We knew he was determined to die for his country... Unexpectedly, heaven helped Marshal Huo. Not only did he turn defeat into victory, but he also escaped death!"
Sun Jiahao added, "Later, everyone knew that it was a great victory. Even though our Fifth Interstellar Fleet was down to the last three people, we wiped out almost all of the Southern Cross Star Kingdom's Interstellar Fleets!"
"But those people actually said that Marshal Huo disregarded the lives of his own men for victory and wanted to send him to the Military Court!"
Xia Chujian said in surprise, "Can these people even count?! Marshal Huo clearly exchanged the lives of five thousand soldiers for the lives of you two hundred thousand, and almost the entire Interstellar Fleet of the Southern Cross Star Kingdom! How is that disregarding the lives of his own men?! It's because he disregarded the lives of the Nobles that he angered those Military high-ups, right?"
The five captains exchanged glances.
Sun Jiahao hesitated, "Captain, do you think our lives are the same as those Noble Sergeants?"
"Of course, they're the same!" Xia Chujian said without hesitation, "We were all born from our parents, and everyone only has one life. Who is more noble than whom?"
The five captains looked at her, speechless for a long time.
Xia Chujian was a little uneasy and said, "What's wrong? Did I say something wrong? ...Um, or do you think those people's lives are more noble than yours?"
She tried to explain, "I know that everyone's status is different, and they are indeed more noble than us in terms of social status."
"But as far as life is concerned, I don't think there is any distinction between high and low."
"Of course, if you think there is, then you're right. I won't argue with you."
Xia Chujian was actually quite capable of arguing, but facing these battle-hardened veterans who had fought for the Empire with their lives, yet were not even counted in the attrition rate, she couldn't say a single harsh word.
Li Dali smiled, avoiding this sensitive topic, and continued, "Later, the Military not only stripped us of our military merits but also said that we were deserters who fled in the face of battle and wanted to punish us according to Military Law."
"It was Marshal Huo who risked his military merits from that battle and argued with reason in front of Emperor, protecting us. But the Military high-ups still added black marks to our military files. We weren't considered deserters, but we all had major demerits and weren't allowed to return to the Fifth Interstellar Fleet."
"At that time, many people couldn't take it and directly retired. There were also a small number of us who couldn't bear to leave the army."
"Later, through Marshal Huo's efforts, we were transferred to the Fourth Interstellar Fleet. The commander-in-chief of the Fourth Interstellar Fleet didn't care about those black marks and accepted us. We didn't ask for anything else and just planned to retire here."
At this time, another captain also said, "Everyone doesn't want to make contributions anymore. We just want to work a job, get paid for a day, and support our families."
"The Fourth Interstellar Fleet is famous for being a place for old-timers. Who doesn't know how to slack off? Who cares about risking their lives for those high-ups?"
This was directly speaking frankly in front of Xia Chujian.
Of course, this was also a rhythm of completely giving up on themselves and not caring about anything.
They didn't want to be promoted anymore.
Otherwise, who in the Military would dare to openly complain about their superiors like this?! Only Li Dali was still kind enough to smooth things over, saying, "Actually, we're just saying it out of anger. If we really didn't want to do it, we would have retired."
The reason why they hadn't retired yet was, of course, because they were still waiting for a war.
Even if they weren't counted in the attrition rate, even if they would be directly used as a constant stream of cannon fodder by the commander-in-chief at a critical moment, they had never thought of leaving.
Xia Chujian understood a little.
Did the commander-in-chief of the Fourth Interstellar Fleet send them to participate in this search and rescue operation to atone for their sins?
Or did he want to give them more military merits to remove the black marks from their military files? Thinking this, Xia Chujian said thoughtfully, "I think you did the right thing. But if you don't want to fight anymore, why do you still stay in the army?"
Li Dali seriously corrected her, "We don't not want to fight, we just don't want to risk our lives for the high-ups. These are two different things."
Xia Chujian seemed to understand, but she still nodded, "That's good. This time, you're participating in this search and rescue operation, just treat it as a vacation. You don't have to bother fighting. I will be responsible for all search and rescue matters."
The five captains looked at each other.
Sun Jiahao hesitated, "Captain Xia, I heard that more than a hundred warplanes from the Flying Base on Kanli Star have lost contact. Relying on you alone..."
Xia Chujian smiled and said, "You also know that it's warplanes that have lost contact, not a war. You don't even have warplanes and can only stay in the Hold of the Cruiser, so why worry so much? You might as well think about how to use this time to eat something good."
What she was thinking was that if this group of people didn't cause her trouble, they would be helping her.
If the search and rescue were successful and there were military merits, she wouldn't be stingy either.
Li Dali smiled and said, "Captain Xia, actually, we Starry Sky Marines can also remotely control weapons on the Cruiser to fight against external enemies. We don't necessarily have to fight a landing war on a planet."
Xia Chujian gave an "oh" and said with a smile, "Okay, I'll keep that in mind. If I need you, I will definitely give the order."
After saying that, she glanced at them again, her face sinking, and said, "Now that you are my soldiers, I'll put the ugly words first."
"I don't care if you were wronged before, or if you were really deserters, that's all in the past. Now, do your duty well, and let's all complete the mission together!"
Of course, Xia Chujian didn't completely believe these people just because of their side of the story.
She knew that what these people said was not important, what was important was what they would do.
Besides, the previous matter was related to the Fifth Interstellar Fleet anyway, and she could directly ask Huo Yushen.
She wasn't afraid of these people fooling her.
Xia Chujian stood up and said bluntly, "Meeting adjourned."
Those people stood up together, saluted her, and watched her leave the conference room with a Guard.
After she left, the five captains left the conference room on the fourth floor one after another.
Their interest in this captain had truly become intense, and they all wanted to figure out what made her so special.
...
Xia Chujian understood the entire situation on this Starry Sky Cruiser and sat back in her captain's room.
She first sent a message to Huo Yushen, inquiring about the surviving Starry Sky Marines in that battle.
[Xia Chujian]: Marshal Huo, what exactly happened to those five hundred Starry Sky Marines? Were they all transferred from the Fifth Interstellar Fleet?
Huo Yushen replied very promptly.
[Huo Yushen]: Yes, they were. What's wrong? Are they being uncooperative?
[Xia Chujian]: ...Of course not. Is it true that they are not counted in the casualty rate?
[Huo Yushen]: According to the Empire Military's regulations, yes, they are not counted in the casualty rate.
[Xia Chujian]: Angry.JPG. How can it be like this?! They are also people! They are also our soldiers!
[Huo Yushen]: They are soldiers, but their deaths are not counted in the casualty rate. Do you think that's wrong?
[Xia Chujian]: Of course it's wrong! Oh, then their military pay, various supplies and equipment, and pensions, no one is embezzling them, right?
Huo Yushen looked at this reply and thought it was very Xia Chujian, but he didn't think she was a money-grubber like before.
[Huo Yushen]: No, they are not. It's just that they are not counted in the chief officer's performance evaluation, which is the casualty rate. Other supplies are the same as the Regular Army's treatment.
[Xia Chujian]: That's good, but it's not good enough! If I have the opportunity in the future, I will definitely make the Empire Military change this absurd rule!
[Huo Yushen]: Okay, I support you.
Xia Chujian looked at Huo Yushen's reply and couldn't believe her eyes.
She even thought she was seeing things and rubbed the virtual display screen with her hand.
No, she wasn't mistaken.
Huo Yushen, who had always been indifferent to her, the aloof and unapproachable Inspector Huo, actually said "support" her...
Xia Chujian was overjoyed and immediately replied.
[Xia Chujian]: Marshal Huo has good eyes! The rules that Marshal Huo can't change, I will change!
This reply, still to her highest superior, was actually a bit arrogant and impolite.
She should have just thought about it in her heart, but she actually said it so presumptuously.
Huo Yushen was really amused by her.
[Huo Yushen]: I'll wait and see. Second Lieutenant Xia will definitely surpass her predecessors.
Xia Chujian had never received this level of praise from Huo Yushen before, and after the excitement, she calmed down.
Something felt wrong.
Wasn't he being sarcastic on purpose?
[Xia Chujian]: ...Marshal Huo, don't use rhetorical devices such as metaphors, allusions, and irony, as they will cause unnecessary misunderstandings.
[Xia Chujian]: I'm just an ordinary person, my genes can't evolve, I come from a commoner background, my family has been poor since I was a child, and I can't even afford Low-Level Nutrient Solution. Now I have elderly parents above me, young children below me, and two dogs, so the burden is very heavy...
[Xia Chujian]: I was just dizzy and bragging just now...
Huo Yushen chuckled, she was quite flexible.
[Huo Yushen]: ...No, Second Lieutenant Xia, you are not bragging. Believe in yourself, you will definitely be able to do it.
Xia Chujian's mouth twitched, and she spat at Huo Yushen's reply.
So he really was trying to fool her.
Did he think Xia Chujian was an ignorant girl who would get hot-blooded and risk her life for him after a few sweet words? He hadn't even negotiated the price before assigning her a mission?
She wouldn't fall for that.
Xia Chujian retracted her words without any regard for her image.
[Xia Chujian]: Marshal Huo, I was just joking, please don't take it seriously. I have a lot of respect and admiration for you. Now, let's get back to those Starry Sky Marines. After we're done, I need to get back to work. Unless it's necessary, please don't disturb me.
Huo Yushen: "..."
It was as if he was watching someone burn the bridge after crossing it.
Huo Yushen tapped his finger on the desk, and finally replied with a sentence.
[Huo Yushen]: Those five hundred Starry Sky Marines, even if they are disheartened, would never stab someone in the back. Don't worry.
Xia Chujian was relieved.
That was all she needed to know.
She felt that she was taking everyone to rescue people, not to fight a war. As long as they didn't hold her back, everything would be fine.
After ending the call with Huo Yushen and resolving the internal issues, she needed to think carefully about how to carry out the search and rescue operation.
Xia Chujian sat behind her desk, pulled up three large virtual display screens, and connected to the Mechanical Intelligence of the Starry Sky Cruiser.
"Please show the last location where the missing warplanes sent out a distress signal."
After Xia Chujian finished speaking, the Falcon-Class D1's Mechanical Intelligence displayed the summarized information on the virtual display screen.
This information, of course, came from the Kanli Star Flying Base.
When the trainees' warplanes entered the Asteroid Belt, they could press a green button on the warplane if they wanted to withdraw.
Then the warplane would send out a signal with its coordinates, waiting for the base's Interstellar Airship to come and pick them up.
This had never been a problem before.
But this time, something went wrong.
Not only did these trainees' Starry Sky Fighters disappear, but even the ten Interstellar Airships that entered the Asteroid Belt to pick up the warplanes also vanished without a trace.
After Xia Chujian gave the command to the Cruiser's Mechanical Intelligence, a simulation of the Asteroid Belt appeared on the virtual display screen in front of her.
Then, more than a hundred small red dots appeared on the simulated Star Chart, one after another.
Then, the Starry Sky Cruiser's Mechanical Intelligence prompted that these were the last locations where the trainees' warplanes were seen forty-eight hours ago.
This is the second update, a sudden big chapter, including Moon Tickets for June 2400+.
Surprised? Where are the Moon Tickets? There will be a new update at 0:05 tonight.
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