Scramble

The operation to liberate the prison colony, considered the first battle of the campaign to reclaim the former Damura Star Cluster Commonwealth territories, ended in complete victory for the Acnelia Space Fleet's 9th Fleet and the M19 Fleet contingent.

However, this also meant the outbreak of war between the Acnelia Galactic Federation and the Holy Rimorian Empire.

The Sirius Stellar Province, adjacent to the Holy Rimorian Empire, became a base for invasion, making it a natural first objective for the Holy Rimorian Empire's counterattack.

Moreover, the Salius Stellar Province borders the Rimorian Galactic Empire, and the Akneria Galactic Fleet had anticipated that the Holy Rimorian Empire would be forced into a two-front war against both the Akneria Galactic Federation and the Rimorian Galactic Empire. However, the situation also carries the potential that the Akneria Galactic Federation could end up facing a two-front war against both empires.

Regardless, the Galactic Fleet General Command neither ignored nor dismissed the danger, but remained fully prepared.

As the Second Fleet was deployed centered on the Solius Stellar Province, four fleets, including the Fifth and Eighth Fleets, were simultaneously deployed to the Solius Stellar Province to maintain vigilance.

Shin nosuke returned to the Solius Stellar Province, having fulfilled his duty of escorting the space environment agency's research fleet, and resumed his heightened state of alert.

Though numerous new discoveries were reportedly made during the space environment agency's on-site investigation, those matters fall within the purview of the agency and biologists like Yan, so Shin nosuke has no intention of interfering.

He’ll simply wait for Yan or Sanders to explain things in due time.

Thus, Shin Nosuke visited the Free Traders' Guild with Marks to report the completion of the request from the Space Environment Bureau.

"Good work. That was quite a demanding series of tasks, wasn't it?"

Lina smoothly went through the procedures as usual.

"Yeah. Those two seem pretty worn out, too."

Those two referred to Millina and Seira.

Both had experience serving as escorts on warships and had endured long voyages and consecutive combat missions.

However, this was the first time they'd performed such varied tasks back-to-back. Although each task was brief, they had little experience maintaining constant vigilance against unpredictable threats in the asteroid belt, where danger could strike at any moment.

Although they hadn't engaged in combat during this mission, the two returning members were exhausted, pushed to their physical and mental limits. Ordered by Shinnosuke, they were resting in their quarters aboard the dock.

"Yes. Procedures completed. Regarding the reward..."

...Beep!

At that moment, a red warning light flashed on Lina's terminal screen.

No— it wasn't just Lina's terminal. The warning light was flashing on every terminal within the guild.

...Beep, beep, beep!

A siren blared throughout the guild.

"…No way! Third-class scramble?"

This was no ordinary situation.

While the escort ships affiliated with the Free Merchant Fleet were armed, they were not a military force.

However, in times of emergency, the Free Merchant Fleet could issue an emergency deployment order—commonly known as a scramble—to its affiliated escort ships.

Scrambles are categorized into three levels, from Level 3 to Level 1. Level 3 carries no enforcement power, but it still signifies an emergency situation.

Many escort crew members from the union rushed to the nearest counter.

"What's going on?"

Lina explained the information displayed on her terminal in response to Shinosuke's question.

"One unidentified vessel is heading toward this colony. It will arrive in about three hours, but it's moving at extreme speed in a straight line. The space forces and coastal defense units have been dispatched to intercept it, but for precaution, the union has also been ordered to scramble."

Though three hours might seem like plenty of time, the reality is far from it.

Whether the Space Force and Coast Guard can make contact or lock onto the target within three hours depends delicately on each unit's positioning.

"Even if it's just one vessel, how could they have slipped past the alert system and gone undetected this close?"

Though the cosmos is vast, surveillance around colony-based zones is extremely tight.

As Shinosuke said, it's far too unnatural for them to have breached the alert system and closed in this closely.

"Perhaps it's some form of terrorism."

Mark's guess was likely correct, but there was no time to ponder the cause or track it down.

"Anyway, head back to the dock! Launch Yatagarasu and Fubuki! Mark, contact everyone—emergency launch!"

"Understood!"

At this point, this scramble is a request for assistance directed at the escort ship, carrying no enforceable authority, but indicating that some threat is approaching.

I considered whether to deploy Holy Bell as well, but Holy Bell, though a fast vessel, is less armed than the other two ships.

This time, it's just Yatagarasu and Fubuki.

Regardless, immediate deployment is essential.

"Wait a moment, Shinosuke-san!"

Lina stopped Shinosuke from running off.

"What is it?"

"Um, could you please sortie with the guild's combat vessel, Shinosuke-san?"

Indeed, the Free Merchant Guild did possess outdated combat vessels, and Shinosuke was capable of piloting them.

In fact, he had even served as a simulated enemy during Andy's training exercises aboard a combat vessel.

However, it was a fact that while he could operate them, he was still far from being a professional combat vessel pilot.