Cannon fodder in the Interstellar

Ruo Manni and her team had only recovered about 30% of their physical strength. Seeing that there was no imminent crisis in Baili City, she decided to let them continue recuperating in the vehicle. She planned to only mobilize them if the situation became critical.

Ruo Manni had a nagging feeling that today’s events wouldn’t end so easily, so she focused on recovery—strength was the ultimate guarantee of survival.

For the mech fighters of the First Battalion, the return of their commander felt like a morale boost. Their confidence soared, and they fought with even greater ferocity.

The swarm of locust beasts attacking Baili City was smaller than the one that had besieged Gaoping City. With over 200 mech fighters in the First Battalion, they completely wiped out the swarm in less than two hours—down to the very last beast.

“This locust beast wave isn’t an isolated event. Even Morning Star has experienced a similar outbreak. The Second Prince tried to contact you earlier, but you were in combat at the time. He also reached out to me,” Deputy Adjutant Tong reported.

Ruo Manni was aware of this. After resolving the crisis in Gaoping City, she had sent back a brief message assuring them of her safety. At that time, she knew that Hebrew Adam was also engaged in combat.

“Things here are under control now. You stay behind and oversee the aftermath. I’ll take the rest back to headquarters,” Ruo Manni instructed.

She wasn’t overly worried about Morning Star. As the headquarters of the Seventh Army, it housed not only several sixth-level mech fighters but also a number of seventh-level ones.

Currently, Hebrew Adam’s martial arts level was at mid-seventh, and his psychic power was at late-fifth. His combined combat strength surpassed hers, so Ruo Manni didn’t fret too much.

As soon as Ruo Manni and her detachment from the First Battalion returned to the camp, she received an urgent message from Lin Changfeng: “Immediately bring the listed personnel to headquarters. Right now. Without delay.”

The repeated emphasis on urgency in Lin’s message caught Ruo Manni’s attention. She quickly realized that something major was happening.

Looking at the accompanying list sent by Deputy Adjutant George, she saw the names of five individuals: Deputy Adjutant Ma, Gong Jiafeng, Chen Genghui, Zhao Lixue, and Cao Juexian. All five shared one common trait—they were sixth-level mech fighters.

Recognizing the seriousness of the emergency summons, Ruo Manni didn’t dare delay. She left all ongoing matters in the hands of Deputy Commander Yu Paul and immediately gathered the five listed individuals to head for headquarters.

The Topaz Star Military District Headquarters is located about 500 to 600 kilometers from Baili City, in the opposite direction of the First Battalion’s base. As the central military base of Topaz Star, the headquarters is even larger and more developed than Baili City.

Ruo Manni had been here many times before, and given her current reputation, her arrival at the headquarters’ gate was met with immediate recognition. The gate guards saluted her and welcomed her warmly.

One of the soldiers drove an open-topped hovercar to escort them inside. After a quick four- to five-minute ride, they stopped in front of a large building.

“Captain Hua De, the meeting is on the 38th floor,” the soldier informed them.

Ruo Manni thanked him and led her team into the transporter bay. Elevators in this world operated with such smooth precision that no motion could be felt. In just four or five seconds, they arrived at the 38th floor.

Since the First Battalion was relatively close to the headquarters, Ruo Manni and her team arrived earlier than most. A guide led them into the meeting room of the base headquarters, which was still empty except for four military officers—all sixth-level warriors.

When Ruo Manni entered, the most senior officer, a mid-sixth-level warrior, stood up and extended his hand.

“Commander Hua De, hello. I’m Smith, Deputy Commander of Battalion 0002.”

By military designations, Ruo Manni’s First Battalion was officially referred to as Battalion 0001, making Battalion 0002 the closest neighboring unit. It was no surprise that Smith had arrived early as well.

Although Ruo Manni had not met Deputy Commander Smith before, neighboring battalions were considered “brother battalions,” which explained his friendly approach. Ruo Manni shook his hand politely.

“Deputy Commander Smith, nice to meet you.”

“I’m Zhi Fengcai, Deputy Commander of Battalion 1155,” another sixth-level warrior, this one in the early stage, introduced himself and extended his hand as well.

This officer also came from a battalion near the First, but his demeanor was more arrogant. Judging by his appearance and aura, he seemed to come from a well-connected family.

Ruo Manni, being far from naive, was aware that while some people on Topaz Star admired her, others harbored resentment or prejudice for various reasons. This individual seemed to lean toward the latter. Maintaining a composed and serious demeanor, she returned his handshake briefly but distantly.

The other two sixth-level warriors were officers from Battalions 0003 and 1154, both also deputy commanders. Like the others, they were from nearby units and had arrived early.

These two officers didn’t show any overt hostility toward Ruo Manni, but their scrutinizing gazes were unmistakable. Ruo Manni pretended not to notice. After exchanging polite greetings with the senior officers, she joined her subordinates and sat down.

Since an emergency summons had been issued, no one dared delay. People began arriving one after another. Although Topaz Star wasn’t very large, even the furthest military base could reach the headquarters within an hour and a half using high-speed travel.

Within ten minutes of Ruo Manni’s arrival, the meeting room was bustling with several hundred people. Clearly, many had been notified in advance and had already started making their way over.

The attendees shared two key characteristics: they were all at least sixth-level warriors, and each battalion typically sent one or two representatives. Ruo Manni, however, was the exception, having brought five subordinates along.

Another noticeable detail was the scarcity of female officers in the room. Ruo Manni, a young woman barely past adolescence, stood out even more among the crowd. Without introductions, most people could easily guess who she was, and many couldn’t resist glancing her way for confirmation.

Having just experienced the locust beast swarm, most attendees still showed signs of fatigue. However, after resting for over an hour, Ruo Manni and her team no longer appeared as weary, though they weren’t entirely refreshed either.

About thirty minutes after Ruo Manni’s arrival, Lin Changfeng entered the room accompanied by Deputy George and four captain-level officers. Lin Changfeng’s expression was unusually grave, which immediately told Ruo Manni that something critical was unfolding.

“Due to the extreme urgency and seriousness of the situation, I’ll keep this brief,” Lin Changfeng began. “An hour ago, I received an emergency order personally from Colonel Xiahai Adam of the Imperial Capital Star.

The Empire’s probes have detected a swarm of cosmic creatures heading toward the Gumera Star Region. Based on data gathered during the Empire’s initial scouting attempts, this swarm appears to feed on planetary lifeforms. The Imperial Military Command has issued orders to immediately form a Deep-Space Combat Division. This division will gather on Desert Star One, located north of Topaz Star, to intercept these cosmic creatures before they reach any inhabited planets.”

Despite the nearly one thousand attendees in the room, the atmosphere was deathly silent as everyone absorbed the details while reviewing the provided data on these cosmic creatures.

“Just ten minutes ago, the Imperial Capital Star updated the information. That swarm of cosmic creatures will reach Desert Star One in a day. Major General Hebrew Adam, the deputy commander of the Seventh Army, has instructed us to take immediate action. The Seventh Army’s Deep-Space Combat Corps will pass by Topaz Star in five hours, and our Deep-Space Combat Unit must merge with them and head to Desert Star One together. The following is the roster for the Deep-Space Combat Unit.”

Ruo Manni glanced at the list and saw that seven members from Base Unit One had been selected.

“Captain Zhou Yinxing and Captain Ruo Manni,” Lin Changfeng called out.

Ruo Manni immediately stood up at attention. “Present!”

“You two, step forward.”

Zhou Yinxing, seated right beside Captain Lin, stood up and walked to the front, taking his place before the large screen. Ruo Manni joined him, standing shoulder to shoulder.

“In response to Major Hebrew Adam’s request, the Topaz Star military will send over 700 deep-space mech pilots to form a Deep-Space Combat Unit. The unit will be led by former deputy chief commander Captain Zhou Yinxing, and Captain Ruo Manni will serve as the deputy commander,” Lin Changfeng announced.

His gaze swept across the room, as if to gauge whether anyone objected.

Although Zhou Yinxing was only a mid-level sixth-grade warrior, several others in the room had similar capabilities. However, as the deputy chief commander of Topaz Star, his rank and authority surpassed anyone except Lin Changfeng, the chief commander. No one could question his appointment.

Ruo Manni’s appointment, however, was another matter. She was undeniably young and inexperienced. Yet, when the room noted her qualifications—mid-level seventh-grade telekinetic, seventh-grade mech engineer, and late fifth-grade warrior—any opposition quickly faded.

Youth and inexperience could be overlooked when her skills were so extraordinary. Among those present, no one could rival the power of a mid-level seventh-grade telekinetic.

Lin Changfeng, likely due to time constraints or strategic considerations, hadn’t discussed this decision with Ruo Manni beforehand. However, being unexpectedly thrust into this position didn’t faze her.

In the original timeline described in the story, there had been no cosmic creature invasion before the arrival of the Yunkai people.

This was no small matter. According to data from the Imperial Capital Star, if this cosmic creature swarm couldn’t be intercepted, the people of Topaz Star wouldn’t need to worry about the Yunkai invasion. This catastrophe alone could lead to their complete annihilation.

Such a major event was never mentioned in the novel, which means it didn’t happen in that timeline. Otherwise, the Crown Prince couldn’t have been completely unprepared. Based on his usual methods, if he could “predict” this event, Desert Star One on Topaz Star would have already been fortified.

It’s even possible that the sudden locust beast outbreaks on Topaz Star and Morning Star weren’t within the Crown Prince’s “predictions.” If they were, he would have issued some kind of warning.

Ruo Manni was worried because these changes were extremely unfavorable to humanity.

She suspected that the overall development of the Gumera Starfield, especially the rapid progress of the Gus Empire, which far outpaced that in the novel, had unsettled the Yunkai spies.

Take Topaz Star as an example.

In the novel, when the Yunkai people invaded the Gus Empire, Lin Changfeng was appointed as the chief commander in a time of crisis. At that time, his abilities were only at the early sixth level, and the Topaz Star deep-space combat group under his leadership had barely over a hundred sixth-level mech warriors.

Now, with two years remaining until the Yunkai invasion, Topaz Star could already field more than 700 sixth-level mech warriors. Who knows how much this number will multiply in two years?

It’s important to remember that the Yunkai people have spies embedded in the Gumera Starfield, so they would undoubtedly be aware of these developments.

The Crown Prince had repeatedly used Ruo Manni and Hebrew Adam as bait to flush out these spies, successfully catching quite a few of them.

But judging from current events, the spies’ forces hadn’t been significantly weakened. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to orchestrate the locust beast outbreaks or the current cosmic creature invasion.

Initially, Ruo Manni thought her appointment as the deputy commander of Topaz Star’s deep-space combat unit would spark dissatisfaction among some people. However, observing the room’s silence and lack of opposition, it seemed her concerns were unnecessary.

Seeing no objections, Lin Changfeng continued, “Topaz Star’s deep-space combat unit will fall under the direct command of the deep-space combat corps. The corps’ commander will be Major Hebrew Adam. From then on, all your actions will follow his orders.”

Ruo Manni noticed that after Lin Changfeng said this, many people glanced in her direction. Clearly, even among high-ranking military personnel, rumors and gossip still sparked curiosity.

She stood there composedly, but a wave of excitement rose in her heart at an inopportune moment. Would she finally get to see him this time?

In reality, it had been over a year since the two of them last met.

After Lin Changfeng finished speaking, he handed over command to Zhou Yinxing and Ruo Manni before hurrying off.

The large-scale locust beast outbreak on Topaz Star left Lin Changfeng with countless matters to address. He couldn’t spare more attention for the deep-space combat unit.

As the commander, Zhou Yinxing, assisted by Ruo Manni, assembled all the mech warriors of the deep-space combat unit to introduce everyone to each other.

Zhou Yinxing already knew something about most of the members. Since this was a specialized unit, it wasn’t divided into traditional squads or platoons. Instead, they were organized into twenty-person teams, and each team selected its captain and vice-captain.

Zhou Yinxing and Ruo Manni each led a ten-member guard team. In this context, the “guard team” was essentially a rescue team.

As commander and deputy commander of Topaz Star’s deep-space combat unit, Zhou Yinxing and Ruo Manni weren’t expected to engage in direct combat initially. Their role was to oversee the entire operation.

If a particular team on the battlefield faltered and faced the risk of annihilation, the commander or deputy commander would lead their guard team to provide reinforcements. Typically, the commander would remain in position while the deputy commander went into action.

The five people Ruo Manni had brought from Outpost Group One were assigned to her guard team. To this, she added five more members, including Smith, the commander of Outpost Group Two. The remaining four had slightly lower ranks, each being at the early sixth level.

Reviewing their profiles, Ruo Manni noticed they shared a common trait—they were all natives of Topaz Star. She understood her reputation among the locals, and this arrangement struck her as a deliberate and kind gesture.

In contrast, Zhou Yinxing’s guard team was composed primarily of his direct subordinates.

Zhou Yinxing was a trusted subordinate of Lin Changfeng. Ruo Manni had even met “Uncle Zhou” back when she was still a pitiful young girl under Lin Changfeng’s protection.

It could be said that Zhou Yinxing’s current high rank and advanced abilities were largely due to being one of Lin Changfeng’s most trusted aides, having once shielded Ruo Manni during her most vulnerable days.

This explains why Lin Changfeng left so quickly earlier, showing no concern about whether the abruptly paired commander and deputy commander would clash.

Zhou Yinxing not only had no intention of suppressing Ruo Manni but also actively consulted her on every matter. He showed her full respect, never treating her dismissively due to her young age.

Although Ruo Manni had anticipated that Zhou Yinxing wouldn’t make things difficult for her, his considerate attitude still exceeded her expectations, making the collaboration a pleasant surprise.

As temporary partners facing unknown dangers, their ability to work together smoothly would allow them to focus entirely on the upcoming battle.

Each special operations team quickly selected its captain and vice-captain. While Ruo Manni wasn’t familiar with most of the individuals, she had their profiles at hand. The principle for choosing team leaders was simple: the person with the highest rank in the team would take the role.

Once the teams were organized, with their duties assigned and supplies distributed, the time for departure arrived.

The Topaz Star Deep-Space Combat Unit boarded a starship, leaving the planet behind and heading to the designated location to rendezvous with the main force.