Him and their stars.

Chapter 2022 Everything was as Princess Rainbow Rose had predicted.

"I am Babaru, it's been a long time, everyone."

The calm voice brought a moment of silence to the bridge. Most people didn't actually know this Lumina workers' leader, but his presence in such an environment meant he could only be a very important figure.

Since they were important people, everyone decided to remain silent out of courtesy, even if it was just for the most basic politeness.

And indeed, Rozes's reaction proved this point. Although he had expected it, he still couldn't hide his astonishment. He even subconsciously leaned forward, as if trying to see through the blurry holographic image to get a clearer view of the other person.

However, before that, Krell had patiently adjusted the terminal. As a result, the image displayed on the projector gradually became clearer.

Its massive body was covered in metallic-looking armor, its four thick arms looked like they were cast from steel bars, and the armor plates on its face were pressed tightly against its cheeks, forming irregular horns around its oval head.

Needless to say, he was a fierce and imposing man even among the Lumina people, the kind of guy who wouldn't need makeup to play a demon king in a movie.

Only those eyes, despite being vertical pupils that naturally exude a fierce look, appeared unusually calm.

Krell clapped his hands in gratitude: "Very good, it really is him. It really is him."

He had barely finished speaking when he noticed that Rose was staring at him with a rather dangerous look: "Oh, Chester, my friend, that look in your eyes really terrifies me... I thought we were comrades who would live and die together, and that we could trust each other at any time."

"I remember you were with the Alliance Military Intelligence Bureau, right? With your position, you must have been at least a deputy director or something like that, right? And you must also have a part-time position with the Extraordinary Management Bureau."

Krell opened his mouth slightly, then immediately understood what the other person meant, and could only lower his voice and say, "Well, whether you believe it or not, I haven't been involved in this kind of thing for many years. I know that Mr. Babaru, and Mr. Ash Stern who is with him, are now on the wanted list, but it really has nothing to do with me."

“The bounty of one hundred million stars is almost half of what the escaped snake heads have earned,” said Rozes.

“Do I look like someone who needs 100 million? Besides, I personally think that's underestimating Mr. Babaru.” He revealed an indignant expression.

"Is that Mr. Claire Belmont over there? The last time we met was at Ronghuilou," Babalu said with a smile, his mood quite calm.

See, I've said it before, we're old friends. Krell winked at Rozes.

Then, the two sides spent another ten minutes discussing the current situation in detail.

"You didn't come here specifically to wait for us?" Rosetz asked.

"I am just a Lumina worker, and I do not have the ability to predict the future. However, we have deployed deep space probes in your star system and sensed the signal of a massive spacecraft. In addition, I received a request for help from the source mass wave, which was sent through the encrypted channels of the Pioneer Party and the Human Federation. Therefore, I felt that I could respond."

Are we calling for help using the encrypted channels of the Pioneer Party and the SUPP?

Rozes looked at the communications department with suspicion, sensing that the situation wasn't so simple. He then looked at Krell and suddenly understood.

"At first I thought it would be Imperial political (meow) prisoners or rebel cadres who escaped from the donkey-flagged transit station, but I didn't expect it to be you." Babalu seemed quite admiring: "How did such a huge Titan ship get here from Earth?"

“While I would like to proudly tell you that this was due to my brilliant command and everyone’s united efforts and determination, there was certainly a lot of luck involved. Is that so, General Belmont?” Rosetz looked at the other man meaningfully, as if he were paying him a salute.

"Yes, the spirit of the universe stands on the side of justice," Krell declared solemnly. "Progressive revolutionary soldiers never die, for truth endures forever!"

The logic behind this statement is still quite sound, but both Rozes and Babaru felt goosebumps, even though the latter, being a Lumina person, didn't have this ability.

He said, "Well then, time is limited, Colonel Rozes. Since we can set up surveillance, the Imperial Army has no reason to be negligent in the same way. There are three thousand Imperial warships in this star system, and patrol fleets may arrive at any time. Please change course now and head to this point in space to search for gravity wells."

Babaru then reported a series of navigation signals for a weight well, which was at least a full astronomical unit away from the destination they had originally planned to reach.

"This route will lead you to our 'International Camp' system. It's a name we've only recently adopted."

"A new shipping route?" Krell was taken aback. He really didn't know that this terrifying red giant star system actually had other branch shipping routes, which was indeed amazing.

“Neither the Empire nor the Alliance are ‘natives’ here; the local warlords and gangs are,” the Lumina workers’ leader replied. “We’re new here, and some are quite friendly; we’re willing to exchange goods with them. Some are wary, but we can still coexist peacefully. Others insist on turning hostility into action, so we have no choice but to defend ourselves and fight back. As a result, we’ve seized some spoils, including star maps they’ve discovered themselves, and we’ve managed to establish a base.”

Whether they are pirates, gangsters, or warlords, anyone who has any hope for their future will treat the star map as their private property. They would never actually hand it over to the Standard Shipping Association and share it with the entire universe.

The latest shipping routes they possess are often among the most valuable spoils of war. This is why naval anti-piracy forces around the world must also include a large number of marines.

Even the most inconspicuous pirate ships might have new shipping route information, which is related to the future of free trade and space shipping. We must be cautious and take decisive action!

In that sense, it makes perfect sense that Babalu and his comrades managed to seize the star map from some rather unfriendly "native."

Krell added, "Our original plan was to go to the Delk system. I have a past with the Delk gang that rules there, so we can rest for a while. They have three Sky Giant-class mobile docks that can repair giant ships."

Realizing that his comrades on the bridge were all looking at him, he quickly added, "This has nothing to do with me. The Sky Giant-class can be bought on the international arms market."

It is indeed possible to buy one. However, the cost of such a super-large mobile dock is comparable to that of a battlecruiser and a regular aircraft carrier. Without some under-the-table dealings, how could a local warlord afford it?
However, this is not the point.

It's not just the Alliance and the Empire; every second-tier power with any influence over Femor has its own proxies, including the defunct Kingdom of Cherk and the Blue Star Community.

Babalu's carapace twitched involuntarily. His facial expression, unlike that of a human, still conveyed embarrassment vividly.

He paused for a few seconds, then said, "So you know, the Decker Gang... they're the locals I was just talking about who aren't very friendly and put their hostility into action." "..." Rosetz didn't know what expression to make.

"The Decker Gang's leaders, the Decker family, have all been wiped out. The remaining gang members have all been publicly tried and sentenced to prison terms ranging from hard labor to the death penalty based on their past crimes. Currently, the 12 settlements and 3 space cities in the Decker system are temporarily managed by a committee elected by the residents. We are temporarily in charge of security."

"..." For a moment, both Rozes and Krell felt a little ashamed. They were quite impressed by their feat of leading a Titan out of the encirclement and across the Milky Way, but it was easy to imagine that Babaru's expedition must have been much more exciting than theirs.

“However, our base is not in the Delk system, nor are the three captured Sky Giants here. Just sail according to the coordinates I gave you, and we will have everyone prepare the dock and materials.” Babaru’s meaningful gaze swept across Krell’s face: “Commander Ash Stern is also here, so everyone’s future, the future of the war, and even the future of the world can all be discussed openly.”

Claire Belmont responded with a flawless business smile, pretending not to have heard the rest of the sentence.

Regardless, while Babaru's unexpected intervention was surprising, it was ultimately a good thing. Rozes gave the order to change course almost without hesitation.

They indeed found the gravity well near the cosmic point reported by the other party.

After another jolt that made the entire crew's teeth ache, the Independence Titan finally arrived at a mature star system not marked on the common star map. The stable and peaceful gravitational environment immediately gave everyone on board an unprecedented sense of security.

“We still need to make one more jump to reach that international camp, but we should be able to breathe a sigh of relief for now,” Rozes concluded, then added to Krell, “At least you can rest a bit. You, the navigator, have been the one working the hardest during this time.”

Krell wanted to add a slogan like, "Serving justice is never hardship." But they were all mature adults, and some things didn't need to be said in detail. As the navigator and de facto first mate, Krell Belmont decided to go along with the captain's good intentions.

He returned to his room, and after a brief hesitation, finally turned on his personal terminal. He took out a bottle that was shimmering with spiritual light, smeared the spiritual liquid inside on his fingers, and drew an intricate circular pattern on the terminal's panel.

As the colors of the pattern changed from bright to transparent, and the entire pattern disappeared into the watch-style terminal, there was another burst of noise, like a series of chaotic electromagnetic waves.

The noise lasted for a full half minute before things started to clear up a bit. Then, the faint light from the projection finally spilled out from Krell's watch face, condensing into the image of a young woman. Even in a simple white lab coat, her graceful figure was still undeniable.

That was Amida Berencaster, the one known to the world as the "Rainbow Rose Princess." Of course, with another Berencaster sitting in the mansion of the self-proclaimed Grand Commander of the Azure Palace of the Alliance, many well-informed people already believed that this was the true Shadow Grand Commander.

But in reality...

Anyway, Claire Belmont himself felt that his cousin was much more difficult to deal with than the current president. So, when the blurry figure looked at him, he quickly stood at attention and forced a standard business-like seriousness onto his face.

Yes, simply using a smile in a business setting is only the beginning of one's skills in managing facial expressions in the workplace. Mature adults must also master using solemnity, seriousness, emotion, sadness, and so on in a business setting.

"I'm so glad to see you still alive and well, Claire." The Rainbow Rose Princess in the projection looked her up and down, a relieved smile on her face.

Through those clear, sapphire-like eyes, Krell seemed to see his own blank reflection, and for a moment felt goosebumps rise on the back of his neck.

He hurriedly and hastily averted his gaze from Yani's face, his eyes drifting towards the porthole at the back of the opposite room. Then, he was so stunned by the fleeting glimpse of a massive flying machine that he almost choked on his words.

"That, that, that, that..."

"I am currently in the Zanta sector."

"So, we, this, that..."

"For now, none of this concerns you. Claire, just forget about it. It's for your own good." Princess Rainbow Rose stared at Claire Belmont, her clear blue eyes once again reflecting his blank expression.

“I…I understand.” Claire Belmont chose to comply. And so, the fragments of memory from that moment truly vanished from his mind.

"Very good!" Princess Rainbow Rose's smile remained bright: "I can tell you've arrived safely in Femor, haven't you? It's admirable that you were able to carry a cumbersome Titan across such a natural barrier. You should have a place in the history of space travel in the future."

Claire Belmont forced a smile that was worse than a grimace: "How did you figure out I was in Fairmore right now?"

"It's probably from your dark circles. Krell, you didn't have such big eye bags when you and your Goodnight Kitty team spent a whole week at the Seaside Pavilion in Lanor."

"No, that's not true! There were ten professional musicians and three excellent music video directors in that venue! We were clearly discussing the script!"

“I was talking about the script, what else did you think it was?” Yani looked puzzled.

Krell wished he could punch himself to death, so he could only offer an awkward laugh.

Yani continued, "Your route after breaking out from Earth is predictable, and being stuck in the Minha Passage and unable to enter the country is not exactly a secret. Under such circumstances, the routes you can choose are very limited. Given your sense of responsibility, you wouldn't be in this situation if you hadn't been traveling in dangerous passages for a long time."

Although Krell felt that the other party was making some subjective judgments, he had no evidence and, upon closer examination, found it to make a lot of sense.

Yani praised him sincerely, "Kreel, this is growth, isn't it? Even if it's just 'guardian,' you can still be a qualified navigator. Learning by analogy is also a kind of cultivation, isn't it?"

To be fair, after guiding the Independent on such a perilous journey, my own abilities have indeed improved significantly. Could this have been part of Princess Rainbow Rose's plan?
He twitched his lips slightly, looking a little awkward, before saying, "I'm in Femor now. Just as you predicted, I've met up with Mr. Babaru. Ash Stern and Mr. Babaru's escape group... well, terrorists, have indeed established a foothold in this stable part of space. Yes, just as you predicted."

As he spoke, he carefully observed the other person's expression.

He only saw an unchanging, calm smile, as if it were a mask that had been frozen in time, revealing an unfathomable depth.

I have some scary news for you: Little Meow's summer vacation starts today. Elementary school students' summer vacations are much longer than kindergarten's.