Chapter Sixty-Nine: A Misunderstanding

At this moment, aboard the flagship of a space fleet dispatched from the Coastal Base—having lost contact with the Mountain Base and now en route to provide support—tension hung thick in the command room. Yuri Gotner, leader of the Terran Ormeti Empire, occupied the central command seat. Seated across from him was Kaba Duhl, the empire’s Director of Intelligence.

Indeed, this was the same Kaba Duhl who had previously introduced himself to Councilor Qian as the captain of an Ormeti border patrol recon squad.

But now, Kaba Duhl’s unease was palpable, as revealed in his exchange with Yuri Gotner. Gotner spoke first, his tone sharp:

“All right, Duhl, enough silence. Is silence really golden? By now, you should be able to give me a reasonable explanation, shouldn’t you?”

Kaba Duhl responded, “I’m sorry, Chancellor, I…”

Gotner cut him off, anger rising. “Enough! I demand an explanation. Who is responsible for this? The Bureau of Cosmic Observation? The Intelligence Service? I cannot tolerate such betrayal—especially when it comes from a threat emerging from an unknown region…”

Kaba Duhl spoke, “It’s our responsibility, the intelligence agency’s. We failed in our duty. We will take responsibility…”

Gotner pressed, “And how do you propose you do that?”

Kaba Duhl answered, “Previously, I assumed any alien creatures from the unknown region would construct a base on site, so we only deployed a containment net nearby. Now, we’ll expand the net and focus our search around the Mountain Base. As for Councilor Qian and his group, they may still be useful to us. Given how the situation has unfolded, it wouldn’t hurt to do them a favor—let them know the Gomar are up to no good. Collaboration may be valuable in the future…”

Gotner interrupted, “Enough. The matter with Councilor Qian is easily resolved—at worst, we’ll deal with them directly once we return. What I want to know now is how you intend to handle the alien. I’ll also be pursuing your failure to detect any contacts between the Gomar and Councilor Qian.”

Kaba Duhl hurried to steer Gotner’s attention back to the current crisis: “Given the situation, the alien must still be inside. If we move in, we’re bound to encounter it. We need to act quickly—there’s no time to waste. This is our best move.”

Gotner considered this, then said, “Very well. I hope you don’t disappoint me again. Otherwise, I won’t be able to protect you.”

“Yes, sir!”

At that moment, a guard entered and saluted. “Chancellor, Director, we are about to reach the Mountain Base. However, the main gate cannot be opened by normal means. It appears we’ll have to force our way in.”

Gotner immediately ordered, “Very well. Don’t hesitate—force it open at once. We’ll deal with the rest after the doors are open.”

“Yes, sir!” the guard replied.

The entire Terran Ormeti reinforcement unit sprang into action, readying their laser cutters and breaching tools, launching the operation without delay.

Yet, due to a communications breakdown between those inside and outside the Mountain Base, the breaching action by the reinforcements from the Coastal Base led those within the Mountain Base to a misunderstanding: they believed human forces had arrived to support them, and judging by the sound of the breach, the technology was formidable.

At this moment, the acting commander of the Mountain Base, Saide Ouri, received a report and immediately issued orders:

“Lure the monsters from the abandoned cloning labs toward the entrances near their territory. Prepare to use them to relieve the pressure on our forces…”

“Yes, sir!”

A guard responded and rushed off to carry out the order. Saide Ouri continued, “Deploy the main force at the entrances not infested by monsters. Hold your positions—steady the line! Move out!”

“Yes, sir!”

Yet none of them realized the embarrassing confusion they were about to spark—a case of the Terrans unwittingly turning their weapons upon their own.

Meanwhile, Zhang Desen’s retainers, accessing the undisturbed Terran network from their computer, learned of this development and reported to Zhang Desen at once. He was caught off guard, uncertain whether his headquarters had somehow dispatched reinforcements to rescue him in this universe, or if something else was at play. He also noticed that the Terran troops’ attacks had noticeably slackened.

Despite the sudden decrease in pressure, most of Zhang Desen’s retainers did not feel reassured; instead, a sense of foreboding crept in. The abrupt lull seemed too suspicious, and they all feared some hidden scheme.

Though not a formal military unit—at best, a private armed force—they were nonetheless seasoned by many battles. Like all veterans, they knew to be wary of sudden silences on the battlefield.

However, because the enemy had not fully withdrawn, there was a measure of reassurance. Zhang Desen, too, was wary of this change, so he instructed his men to keep fighting. Leaving one retainer to take over his firing position, he returned to the computer to survey the situation. He quickly scanned all accessible feeds.

For reasons unknown, however, he was unable to connect to the surveillance devices outside the Terran Mountain Base—perhaps a firewall had been put in place to prevent external monitoring failures. He could only speculate about the situation beyond the walls, though the interior remained visible.

From what Zhang Desen could observe, it seemed clear that, regardless of who the newcomers outside were, the Terrans themselves were tense. For now, vigilance was paramount, as any new arrivals were likely to be hostile to his own side.

At the same time, the Terrans assaulting the Strategic Food Chain Laboratory appeared to pause their offensive, perhaps needing to redeploy in light of the changed circumstances. Zhang Desen took the opportunity to order his men to remain alert while seizing the moment to rest and resupply for the battles ahead.

Time had only just passed the first hour since the crisis began; there was still a long defense ahead.

Outside, the Terrans were not idle either. The commander of the Mountain Legion, Saide Ouri, left his deputy—his younger brother, Gasse Ouri—to continue containing Zhang Desen’s group, for he had more pressing matters to attend to.

At the same time, Yuri Gotner and Kaba Duhl, leading the reinforcements, remained unaware of the situation inside the Mountain Base; there was simply no way to communicate.

They kept their forces concentrated at the three main entrances to the Mountain Base. At the northernmost airlock, Yuri Gotner and Kaba Duhl personally supervised the breach. Under their watchful eyes, progress was swift, and the door was soon nearly open.

Inside, at this very airlock, the acting commander of the Mountain Base—Commander Saide Ouri—addressed the Terran soldiers assembled to defend it:

“Brothers, warriors! Do you love your homeland?”

“Of course!” came the resounding reply.

“And our homeland is…?”

“The Ormeti Empire!”

“What does home mean to us?”

In chorus, the soldiers answered, “Home is a word that warms the heart, a place that inspires longing. Only those destined can become family. Everyone has a home; it is the place most familiar to each of us. It is where our dearest loved ones and most cherished possessions reside!”

Hearing their response, Saide Ouri felt deep satisfaction. He pointed solemnly at the northern airlock and addressed the gathered soldiers in a commanding voice:

“But now, everyone is well aware of the situation before us. The enemy is attempting to destroy our home, to take everything from us. What should we do?”

“Let them perish here!” the soldiers shouted in unison.

Saide Ouri pressed on, “Good! That’s the spirit. But we do not know how strong the enemy is, nor their numbers. We only know they are nearly upon us. There is only one path: resist to the death. Perhaps the enemy is strong enough to destroy us all—perhaps our efforts will be in vain. Will you still go forward without hesitation?”

“Without hesitation! Defend our homeland, give our all!” the soldiers thundered.

Listening to their resounding voices, Saide Ouri felt a surge of pride, gratified that all the effort spent in training had not been wasted. He continued fervently, “Excellent—very good. Even if the enemy’s power is overwhelming, enough to annihilate us, we must let them know: even if we all fall, we must make sure they remember how terrifying we are, so that the very thought of us will make them tremble. Let us fight together, warriors, for the glory of the Ormeti Empire!”

“Long live!” the soldiers shouted.

Meanwhile, watching all this through the surveillance system—and using a captured Terran translator to interpret their language—Zhang Desen found himself admiring the Terran soldiers’ spirit. Yet, that spirit, if turned against humanity, would be formidable—and thus, troubling.

Still, he was curious to see their true capabilities; soon, he thought, the coming clash between the Terrans and the unknown force outside would reveal much.

…

After a period of intense effort, the supporting Terran legion from the Coastal Base, under the direct supervision of Yuri Gotner and his staff, finally breached the northern airlock of the Mountain Base. At the very instant the door gave way, Gotner issued a crisp order to the vanguard commander:

“Vanguard, hear my command!”

Commander Yuo Kinschenko stepped forward. “Here!”

“Advance immediately. Assess the situation. If you encounter the enemy, eliminate them at once and rescue as many of our compatriots as possible. Understood?”

“Yes, sir! The mission will be accomplished!”

With those words, Yuo Kinschenko led the vanguard through the newly breached airlock and into the Mountain Base.

Inside, the Terran defenders, believing the enemy had broken through, were fully prepared for a fight. The moment the Terran vanguard poured in from the Coastal Base, Saide Ouri shouted, “For the glory of the Ormeti Empire!”

The defenders unleashed a hail of fire at the entrance. In an instant, battle erupted; smoke and chaos filled the air!