“Any signs of the EFSF?”

“No, Mam. None of the buoys we have dropped into the surrounding space has been triggered.”

Khan frowned. It seemed the EFSF might have chosen to take a breather. They did, after all, speedily regain quite a number of smaller resource points.

Not that she could relax in her post. The enemy might jump and launch an attack at any time Thus, she could only prepare in advance and wait patiently.

“Last known sighting of the EFSF?”

“Commander. Our data shows that they last returned to the lunar base and have also been strengthening the resource asteroids bases that they have regained.”

“They’re building a supply chain…” Khan muttered under her breath.  It made sense to her. Vesta, Pallas and Interamnia are much larger resource bases, and she herself had planned to dig in and drag out any battle to wear down the EFSF fleet.

Commander Khan had hoped that the EFSF would be emboldened by their recent victories and immediately attack.

Unlike the EFSF, the martian fleet did not have a similar rate of replenishment. Well. That was about to change.

“Commander Khan,” a lieutenant named Tomas Sanchez excitedly informed her. “The Kasvallian Group was true to their word!”

Khan snapped her fingers and the hologram in the center of their command center displayed a group of approaching Kasvallian Group Freighters, the hydra emblem vibrantly eye-catching.

“Will this really help?” An elderly lieutenant named Allira wondered out loud. “The Kasvallian Group is known for their… second-rate products. Unlike the other interplanetary conglomerates, they don’t have a specialty, but instead produce cheaper versions of existing products…”

Commander Khan had selected Allira primarily because this elderly woman had a knack of asking the right questions needed to peer behind the veil. She knew that she herself hadn’t seen that many martian cycles, and very much appreciated Allira’s experience.

“Lieutenant Sanchez. Escort our guests in and test the inventory they have supplied.”

“Yes, mam.”

“Respectable Allira. Please provide assistance to Sanchez.” Khan saw Allira as a wise elder of their group. Though the martian fleet was organized in a specific way, she was more than happy to treat some members unique to their background.

Very soon, a brown-haired man with a few strands of white in a suit with the hydra emblem was escorted in.

“Commander Khan. Chapman. John Chapman.” The middle-aged man bowed deep and shook the newly promoted martian commander’s hand. “I had the benefit of fraternizing with your father back in the day. Only recently did I come to know of the unfortunate attempt at his life. I’d like to think he may still recover.”

Khan could only shake the man’s hand and nod her head in agreement. Her father had been in a coma for many years. Without Vice-admiral Zheng’s support, it would have been impossible to acquire the medical tools needed to maintain her father’s body.

“The board of Kasvallian Group is willing to supply the necessary resources for you to maintain this war. We have already delivered much to the Pallas and Vesta. I am happy for our cooperation.”

“Thank you.” Khan’s astute mind was rather doubtful of the Kasvallian Group’s intentions. Why did they seem so happy to supply the martian fleet with copious amounts of resources? After the T3ST unit had completed the retrieval mission of the prototype unit from Earth, Zheng had informed Khan of that mission. Still, it seemed ridiculous that retrieving such a unit would lead to such a wide-scale support.

It was as if… the Kasvallian Group had been looking for an excuse to give them support! Were they not concerned that the Earth Feds would target them? Then again… it was not as if the other interplanetary conglomerates weren’t selling them supplies. Yet, the degree to which the Kasvallian Group was supporting them… sending supplies to their occupied asteroid bases on the brink of battle…

With regards to the whole dynamic between the interplanetary conglomerates and Earth, Khan sensed there to be a sort of underlying tug-o-war. The Earth Feds must be attempting to find methods to limit the conglomerates’ desire to continue maintaining business channels with the martians.

The key must be the asteroid belt. Many asteroid resource hubs had been recaptured by the EFSF, but Mars still has Vesta, Pallas and Interamnia. Also, there are still many asteroid colonies that stand behind Mars. As long as they could stop EFSF’s advance at this stage, the conglomerates will continue maintaining connections with Mars, desiring to access those resources!

“Well, Commander,” John Chapman beamed as he left the command center with a wave of his hand. “Best of luck. I will also be delivering supplies directly to the cities of Remus and Romulus on Mars in the future. I certainly hope your father recovers.”

“Thank you.” Khan bowed. After the Kasvallian Group left, Khan herself visited the supply depot.

The two lieutenants stood to attention before her on noticing her arrival.

“Inform me of the quantity and quality of the inventory.”

“Commander. I was incorrect in claiming the Kasvallian Group’s produce to be second-rate.” Allira apologetically bowed her head. “It seems that they are now only… not even half-gen behind. Perhaps only a year or two, technologically speaking.”

Khan overflowed with euphoria at this revelation. This should prove critical for the martians in holding their current position without being overly reliant on Neurorevo. Or, to put it more simply, Neurorevo would be less likely to withdraw any of the current support if they knew the Kasvallian Group was prepared to replace them as a supplier.

A four to five year technological gap is too large a gap. One to two years behind? A single breakthrough could flip the script. Khan wondered-- are the other interplanetary conglomerates aware of this? At least, she imagined the conglomerates should, to some degree, be wary of each other.

Another martian concern-- there was also the previous incident of Vice-admiral Laurent’s movements being leaked to the EFSF.

How had the Kasvillian Group, positioned as a provider of second-rate products, reached this degree of advancement? Khan couldn’t help but wonder as she examined the goods in the supply depot with the two lieutenants directly under her.

Earmuffs were distributed as Allira controlled a lumbering artillery turret to a testing range. The elderly soldier simultaneously activated a number of engineering measurement devices that monitored the status of the artillery turret.

Elementary stress testing of the artillery turret commenced.

“Commander. It is as effective as our original weapons. The heat distribution analysis suggests that it is capable of a similar rate of fire without structural damage. Long term durability will be difficult to test, but our simulations indicate it should last at least ninety percent if not ninety-five percent of the comparative lifetime.”

“Expected delivery of kinetic force and penetrative potential of the rounds?”

“Nearly identical, within the expected error in measurement.”

“Railguns?”

“We only received one complete set. The others are parts meant to repair any existing damage to the existing ones. Simulations indicate comparative capabilities, but slightly reduced lifetime durability.”

To think that the Kasvallian parts had some compatibility with the original railguns inherited from when the martian fleet was but a branch of the EFSF…

Khan activated a holographic device and began analyzing positions to place the new railgun as well as the multitude of artillery turrets. Since the EFSF had chosen to resupply and strengthen their logistics, with the support from the Kasvallian Group, she now also had an opportunity to set up a nasty surprise.

Currently, she had no nexarms under her command, but perhaps the T3ST unit would provide reinforcement. Regardless, the Kasvillian Group had also given them many defense buoys, mines, fighter jets among automaton swarms. It was too good to be true.

“Did these come from the Kasvillian orbital colony?” For a period after Mars declared their independence, when prices had skyrocketed on Earth, the Kasvallian colony had gone dark.

“One moment, mam.” Sanchez immediately began examining all the recent footage available on the Kasvillian Colony.

“Mam…” Sanchez was baffled, his voice soaring an octave higher. “None of these came from the orbital colony. I’ve also tried tracking the freighters that arrived here, but it wasn’t possible because they jumped in from unidentified space.”

“Hmm…” Khan delivered the revised defense plans to the two through the neuro circlets. “Set up the new defenses.”

She dismissed her curiosity. She was far more concerned over successfully defending Interamnia. Her success would also bring glory to Vice-admiral Zheng. If her mentor were to gain more influence with the martian high command, Mars would certainly have a brighter future, she believed.

___________________________________________________________________________

T3ST colony, the Belt.

The members of the T3ST colony floated outside their asteroid home like bees defending their hive. All of them had a right hand across their heart, and their left arm outstretched, their palm open and fingers spread as if trying to encompass the stars in their vision. From afar, it was as if thousands of fireflies had come to rest on a piece of rock in a dark cavern.

This is the ceremony of Senior Zseven’s departure on his next journey. As a past grand elder, many came to bid him farewell.

A casket was sent toward Alpha Centauri. This was the dream of all those in the belt. Many of them had been forced by circumstances to inhabit the belt, but having lived here for many generations and with Earth overpopulated, their hearts began reaching out further into the stars, dreaming of a new world, a perfect world. Not Mars, where its people could only reliably reside beside the Wolf’s Coil that provided the gravity that humans needed.

A masterful procession led by Grand Elder Enine, the other twelve elders, then Bone, Xeight Yfour and Asix followed. Enine tapped the glimmering black casket that carried Zseven’s body, configuring the system within to carry Zseven to Alpha Centauri.

This material was unique in that certain minerals within the metal twinkled like stars in Earth’s night sky. The navigational system beneath the surface would release ions to adjust and propel the casket towards the planets of Alpha Centauri.

It was not just Zseven’s casket being sent to a new world, but also a few other members of the T3ST colony that had fallen in battle. Despite Starship Oneiroi barely sustaining much damage during their mission, a few members had unfortunately inherit their ancestors bodily weakness, and succumbed after strenuous operation of the systems onboard Starship Oneiroi.

“May you find a safe haven in the far beyond. May the stars be with you, grandpa.” Those were the words that Xeight muttered to himself as he deftly controlled his spacesuit in procession as a row of twinkly black caskets were sent off into space one after another.

The T3ST colony would soon receive a message to provide support to Vice-admiral Zheng.

___________________________________________________________________________

Pacific Memorial Park, Pacific City, Earth

Athena could barely restrain her anger bubbling within her throat. Her parents had come to visit, yet their time together was wholly negative. Particularly, her mother was unable to resist from continuously pestering her to quit the EFSF. To leave her comrades behind.

How could she? They had been through many battles. Two had lost their lives in their efforts to guarantee Earth’s prosperity.

She had stormed off. She certainly was not in the right mood for this somber ceremony meant to honor David Levy, Igor Smirnov, among the dead of others in the EFSF fleet.

Her father had remained thoroughly silent throughout the many ‘discussions’ with her mother. Athena could tell that he was torn, unsure of what to say.

Her mother, frustrated, finally wandered off somewhere, not having any interest in the funeral. Perhaps she simply did not wish to even consider the possibility that one day, it might very well be her daughter here.

Her father, Tatsuya Watanabe, pulled her to the side.

“Your mother is just… concerned. During her pregnancy with you, there were some minor complications, and she strove to eat all the right foods and…”

“Pa.” Athena rejected vehemently what she viewed as excuses her father was making for her mother. “This world… this world wasn’t built without blood, sweat, and tears…”

“When I climbed into space and looked back at Earth… it was as if I saw a glimpse into all that had gone into making the wonderful world what it is, today!”

“Pa…” Athena sought for any form of connection within her father’s eyes. “I don’t want to just sit here in this… globe. Hoping that others would sacrifice themselves for my leisurely daily life.”

Her father only nodded his head. At least he was trying to understand…

Only today when interacting with her parents did Athena feel as if her mindset had changed. She increasingly felt as if those on Earth lived without a care in the world, happily meandering within the safe cage with abundant resources. Well, someone had to guarantee the continuation of that. Someone always had to. And some will in the future as well.

Athena found it… impossible for her to return to that state of resting in that cage. Wandering about in a beautiful garden, ignoring the monsters outside, living without a single care in the world.

In Athena’s eyes. her mother simply would never understand. She might not understand even if she traveled to space. Clio… Clio had chosen to return back into that cage. Athena did not blame Clio. Her mother might prefer Clio…

She silently sat through the funeral, her hand resting on her heart, choosing to forever etch every single moment she had shared with Levy and Smirnov, and their sacrifices, into her mind.