FT DR Chapter 133: Storm Fury

Chapter 133: Storm Fury

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

“Tata!” Kazumi Koyama was standing at the cabin door. As soon as he saw them coming up, he immediately took his son from Yin Bo’s neck and hugged him tightly, “Darling, are you okay?”

Tata had been scared by the explosions all the way and hadn’t had time to cry until he saw his dad. He burst into tears as soon as he saw him and hugged Kazumi Koyama’s neck, crying bitterly.

Yin Bo couldn’t spare the time to comfort his family. He shouted loudly to a soldier responsible for escorting them, “Quick! Tell the captain to set sail immediately! Maximize the protective shield, fly out of the enemy’s attack range, and activate high-speed curvature propulsion as soon as possible after leaving! Notify Tianque Spaceport and the Tianchao Fleet to send someone to pick us up as soon as possible!”

His role as a Navy lieutenant was to assist the captain in ensuring the safety of everyone on board, in addition to taking care of Kazumi Koyama.

The soldier ran off to carry out the order, and Yin Bo put Zhuang Zhuang down on the ground. He said to her, “Go with Uncle to the rear cabin, fasten your seatbelt, hurry! We’re about to take off!”

“I want Daddy!” Zhuang Zhuang rushed up and grabbed Mu’s sleeve, looking at the blood stains under his feet, feeling both scared and heartbroken. Her face turned pale, “Dad, what’s wrong with you? Does it hurt?”

“Be good, Daddy only hurts a little bit, like when you cut your finger with scissors. It’ll be better after I apply some medicine later,” Mu comforted his daughter despite the pain, “Listen to Lieutenant’s instructions, go with Uncle to the rear cabin. You’re the big sister, so you have to take care of your little brother. I’ll come find you after I clean up my wound, I promise.” As he spoke, he gave her a subtle hint. Zhuang Zhuang had never experienced such a terrifying situation before, so she stared at Mu’s eyes, her pupils contracting and dilating, and soon accepted the suggestion, walking with Kazumi Koyama to the rear cabin.

“We’re going to the medical bay.” Yin Bo lifted Mu horizontally and ran to the medical bay, shouting as he ran, “Get the ship’s doctor here, Dean Mu is injured!”

The ship’s doctor rushed over and performed a simple examination on Mu. He found that his bones were not broken, only a tiny shrapnel was embedded in his muscle. After removing it, he closed the wound with adhesive and cleaned it to prevent infection. Mu was a doctor himself and knew that his injury was not serious, just affecting his ability to walk. He was worried about the situation outside and urged Yin Bo to go with him to find the captain to understand the situation.

Yin Bo pushed him in a wheelchair to the control room, where it was bustling with activity. The captain was giving orders loudly, the navigators were adjusting the course in real time, and a dozen soldiers were standing by the weapon systems, clearly prepared to counterattack.

“What kind of people are they? Have you figured out their target, the port or us?” Yin Bo asked the captain.

“I don’t know yet.” The captain’s expression grew solemn. “We had detected fifteen enemy ships, without clear identification numbers or active public communication. We couldn’t establish contact with them. I had just sent out a distress signal to the nearest military station, but received no response. I suspect we might be under electromagnetic interference from them.”

“How could this happen? Why didn’t we receive any prior warnings? This is the jurisdiction of the Independent Vanguard Fleet. Why would someone attack a civilian port?” Yin Bo asked, his face dark with concern. The captain knew nothing, only shaking his head.

The starship slowly lifted off, leaving the port. The captain maximized the shield to barely withstand the incoming fire. But just as they breathed a sigh of relief, thinking they could engage the warp drive, new attacks came swiftly—those enemy ships, which had attacked the port, immediately turned their weapons towards them as they departed, no longer targeting the ruined docks but pursuing them relentlessly.

Without a doubt, the enemy’s target wasn’t the port but their research starship carrying scientists and volunteers!

“Prepare for battle!” The captain issued the attack order without hesitation. Over a dozen soldiers manned weapon systems, firing back at the enemy ships. The first mate deployed unmanned drones from the lower deck, attempting to carve a path through the enemy’s assault, allowing them to escape the fray and engage the warp drive.

This research starship was a modified navy assault vessel, massive in size with sophisticated onboard weapons. Besides the drones, it also housed five combat mechas. While it could easily handle small bands of raiders or interstellar pirates, this time they faced well-equipped regular military forces—even though all fifteen besieging ships had no identification numbers, their weaponry revealed their identity: they were an active fleet!

Under the relentless assault of the enemy, the research starship steadily retreated. With no reinforcements or supplies and facing enemies ten times their number, they had no chance of winning! Soon, the drones were depleted, and though two enemy ships were damaged, the remaining ones closed in, trapping them completely.

“Deploy the mechas.” Yin Bo, who had been observing from the control room, had to join the fight himself. He instructed, “Have all mecha pilots gather in the lower deck. Notify my full-time doctor; I’ll be waiting for him on the mecha.”

With a sudden realization of the gravity of the situation, Mu wanted to leave Kazumi Koyama behind. However, considering their intertwined fates, if Yin Bo died, Kazumi Koyama wouldn’t survive either. So instead, he nodded silently, saying, “Don’t worry.”

Yin Bo strode towards the elevator. The captain had already informed the other mecha pilots, and soon, ten mecha warriors assembled in the lower deck, including Kazumi Koyama. They all boarded the combat mechas.

Mu sat anxiously in the control room, gripping the wheelchair’s armrests tightly, watching the situation outside through the massive holographic display above the console. The five combat mechas flew out of the lower deck, leaving the shield behind, and rushed towards the enemy ships. The “Yin Bo” mecha, with Kazumi Koyama’s support, flew ahead, its trajectory smoother and faster than the others, unleashing its firepower on a medium-sized destroyer ahead.

The other four mechas positioned themselves to shield it from the nearby enemy ships’ attacks. With their combined effort, the fire raining down on the research starship lessened slightly. The captain immediately ordered the chief engineer to start the main engines, pushing the starship’s tail forward towards the weakest part of the encirclement. The enemy ships noticed their intentions and followed suit, further tightening the noose. Mu sat in front of the control panel, looking out through the transparent viewport; he could almost see the enemy ships in the distance with his naked eyes.

At the critical moment, Yin Bo smoothly maneuvered, avoiding the damaged side thrusters of the destroyer. The mecha swiftly transformed its head into a massive particle cannon and fired at the enemy’s main engines and power compartments!

“Full speed ahead!” The captain understood Yin Bo’s intent and, together with the first mate, pushed the research starship to its limits, following Yin Bo’s lead.

Boom! The entire starship shook violently, metal creaking under the strain. Mu’s wheelchair slid towards the metal wall. He immediately engaged the brakes and secured himself with the safety belt.

The research starship scraped past two enemy vessels and burst out of the encirclement. Yin Bo and two mechas led the charge, while the remaining two mechas protected their rear, blocking the pursuers. With everyone’s effort, they gradually broke free from the encirclement and ventured into the vastness of space!

“Dean!” A research assistant rushed in, looking flustered. “Could you please go to the aft compartment? The kids are crying non-stop, and we can’t console them. Zhuang Zhuang says if you don’t come out, she’ll come to find you. She says you promised to come see her as soon as you’re done treating the injuries.”

Mu suddenly remembered his daughter and Tata. He couldn’t be of any help here, so he asked the assistant to push him to the aft compartment to check on the children. The compartment was chaotic; Zhuang Zhuang was crying hysterically, her little lion appearing again, trembling on the ground. Tata, on the other hand, had been put to sleep by Kazumi Koyama before leaving, but Zhuang Zhuang’s cries woke him up. Unable to find any adults, he started crying too, calling for his parents.

Mu picked up Tata first, wiping away his tears gently. He said softly, “Tata, you’re a good boy. Mom and Dad are out fighting bad guys. You’re brave, aren’t you? Don’t worry about them, okay?” Then he turned to Zhuang Zhuang, saying, “I’m sorry for not coming to see you earlier; that was wrong of me. But you’re the big sister now. Shouldn’t you be comforting your little brother instead of crying with him?”

Zhuang Zhuang felt reassured when she saw him. She stopped crying and whimpered softly. His words made her feel ashamed, and she lowered her head, holding onto his clothes timidly. She whispered, “Daddy, I’m scared. The big ship keeps shaking. Are we going to die?”

“Nonsense. We have so many soldiers protecting us. We’ll be back at Tianque Spaceport soon,” Mu said sternly. “Don’t say such things. How will your brother feel if you scare him?”

Zhuang Zhuang felt a bit aggrieved but dared not argue with her father. She bent down to pick up her little lion, sitting next to Mu, gently stroking it. “Tao Tao is scared too. It’s my fault. I should protect Tao Tao…,” she glanced at Mu and added softly, “and my brother.”

Mu’s heart ached. He knew she was apologizing to him through comforting the little lion. However, he didn’t have time to comfort her properly. He only managed to pat her head with one hand before turning to soothe Tata, who was crying uncontrollably. While Yin Bo and Kazumi Koyama protected the starship outside, he had to take care of their son first.

With Mu’s comfort, Tata gradually calmed down. Besides his parents, Mu was the person he was most familiar with. He hugged Mu’s neck, his chin quivering as he choked up, “Uncle, I want mommy, I want daddy… Waaah…”

“They’ll be back soon. They’re protecting our big ship outside, protecting little Tata,” Mu gently patted his back. When Tata’s breathing eased a bit, he placed the snacks Yin Bo had bought earlier on his lap. “Don’t cry, my dear. Uncle will give you candy to eat. Look, these are the snacks mommy bought for you just now. There’s strawberry pudding and apple pie… Look, your sister is hungry too, and she’s watching us. Shall we share some with her?”

Tata’s attention was diverted by the snacks. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand, grabbed a bag of apple pie, and handed it to Zhuang Zhuang. “Sister, eat.” 

Zhuang Zhuang felt a little embarrassed but took the apple pie with a smile. “Thank you, Tata. Don’t cry, okay? We’re both brave little babies.”

Under Mu’s soothing, the two children finally calmed down and began eating snacks on their seats. At this moment, the starship ceased its shaking, seeming to run smoothly again. Mu felt slightly relieved and told Zhuang Zhuang, “Be good and take care of your brother. Daddy will go to the control room to see if the mecha warriors have returned. Listen to Uncle Assistant, okay?”

Seeing that he was about to leave, Zhuang Zhuang subconsciously wanted to cry. But seeing his serious expression, she forced back her tears and nodded pitifully. “Daddy, come back soon. I-I’m scared… But I’ll take good care of my brother.”

“Good girl.” Mu patted his daughter’s head and instructed the assistant to keep an eye on them. Then, he returned to the control room in his wheelchair. The captain was directing the first mate to adjust the course. When Mu entered, the captain took the initiative to report, “We’ve broken out of the encirclement, Dean. The mecha warriors are returning. If the starship continues a bit further, we can initiate warp drive after shaking off the enemy.”

“That’s great.” Mu breathed a sigh of relief and watched the holographic surveillance outside. He saw the two mechas responsible for clearing the way return to the lower deck. Yin Bo moved from the front of the ship to the back, joining the other two mechas to resist the pursuers and cover the starship’s escape. About ten minutes later, those two mechas also returned to the starship, leaving only Yin Bo at the back.

“‘Yin Bo’ mecha, return immediately!” The captain urged Yin Bo, “We’ll initiate warp drive in fifteen minutes. Please return to the starship immediately!”

“Roger.” Yin Bo’s voice came through the communication system, sounding somewhat exhausted. Seeing him starting to retreat while fighting, the captain turned to Mu and said, “Dean, you should go to the aft compartment and rest. There shouldn’t be anything here that needs your attention.”

Mu nodded and turned his wheelchair around. Just as he was about to leave, the entire ship shook violently, followed by a significant tilt of the control room, and the lights flickered before going out completely.

“First Mate! What’s happening?” The captain’s voice came through in the darkness, followed by the first mate’s response, “We’ve spotted a large fleet at two o’clock ahead! Captain, we’ve just suffered a fierce attack. The port auxiliary engines have stopped, and the power system is malfunctioning!”

“Engineers! Repair the power system immediately!” the captain shouted. “Activate the shield! Mecha warriors, stand by!” The lights came back on, albeit dimmer than before, indicating that the power system was severely damaged. Meanwhile, the first mate balanced the ship’s body, restoring the control room to its original gravity.

“God… such a massive fleet!” The captain saw the situation outside through the holographic surveillance system, and his whole person was stunned. He muttered, “H-How is this possible? This is the jurisdiction of the Federal Navy!”

Mu followed his gaze and also wore a shocked expression. In the dark expanse of space, a huge fleet appeared directly ahead of their starship, with more than thirty vessels. And behind them were the fifteen warships that had intercepted them earlier.

Nearly fifty starships surrounded them, leaving them no chance of breaking through, no chance of survival.

A new wave of attacks ensued, although the captain had tried to allocate resources, they were still in a precarious situation. Yin Bo, with four mechas, went into battle again, but despite their best efforts, they couldn’t turn the tide. In just a few minutes, the research starship was riddled with holes, the shield flickering intermittently, rendering it virtually defenseless.

“We have to abandon ship,” the captain’s face went pale, he said to Mu, “Dean, get the volunteers and researchers onto the lifeboats. I’ll raise the white flag immediately and surrender them.”

At this point, Mu had already guessed why the enemy had come— the most valuable on this ship were the research team, their whereabouts leaked, the enemy was after the embryo disruptor!

Now what to do? Hand over the project and volunteers to the enemy? Or let everyone die together? Mu gripped the wheelchair armrest tightly, feeling for the first time that he couldn’t bear the weight of this burden. The project was too important. Once it fell into the hands of the Voyager Army—such a large-scale fleet couldn’t be terrorists, it had to be the Voyager Army—it would inevitably bring huge disasters to all humanity.

As for how the secret leaked and why the Voyager Army struck at this moment, he had no time to consider. The biggest problem he faced now was deciding the fate of the entire research team.

What to do?

Mu frowned, his heart churning violently like oil in a frying pan. He hesitated several times but couldn’t make a decision. Every second passed quickly, the starship shook violently, the children were still in the rear compartment, Yin Bo and Kazumi Koyama were outside fighting fiercely…

“Raise the white flag.” After a long while, Mu sighed deeply. He couldn’t bear to watch so many people die together.

The captain nodded helplessly, “Yes.” Just as he was about to order the navigator to raise the white flag, he suddenly heard the first mate shout in surprise, “The Federal Legion! The Federal Legion’s fleet! Someone’s coming to our rescue!”

“What?” The captain was overjoyed. He had only sent out the distress signal half an hour ago and couldn’t be sure if it had been sent out, but how could someone come to rescue them so quickly? He hurriedly looked at the holographic monitor and exclaimed in disbelief, “The Federal One! The President’s fleet!”

The President?! Mu was stunned. He didn’t expect the first to arrive would be the President! Shouldn’t the President be staying on Planet Dunkirk? Why was he appearing on such a dangerous frontline?

Only Mu knew why. He grasped the edge of the control console, his fingers trembling uncontrollably. He didn’t know who had informed Jin Zhe, or maybe it was just a coincidence, but he knew that Jin Zhe, at this moment, was risking everything, leading seven or eight ships into the encirclement of more than fifty enemy ships, all for him and Zhuang Zhuang—according to the Presidential Security Regulations, in such a situation, the first priority should be to ensure the President’s safety, notify the nearest station, rather than recklessly rescue a research starship on the verge of destruction!

“This is Federal One, respond if you hear!” A cold, stern voice came through the public communication, “Are there any survivors on board? What are the casualties?”

“Reporting to Your Excellency, the President!” The captain was so excited he was almost in tears, “Two mecha warriors have fallen, but there are no other casualties among the crew!” His eyes swept to Mu standing beside him, and he added hesitantly, “Dean Mu is slightly injured and is recovering.”

“Your starship is about to explode. Everyone evacuate immediately and set the destination for the red transport ship at three o’clock. We will send mecha warriors to escort you. Protect the wounded and the bodies of the mecha warriors. Before the last batch of personnel evacuates, ensure that all sensitive objects are destroyed, and all data is completely crushed.”

“Yes!” The captain responded loudly, closing the communication and immediately ordering his subordinates, “Arrange for all researchers to board the lifeboats. Warriors will evacuate in batches. Let Yin Bo lead three mechas to assist Your Excellency the President’s mechas in escorting everyone!” With everyone receiving their orders, he turned to Mu, “You take the children and volunteers to evacuate first, hand the data to your assistant for disposal.”

“No.” Perhaps because of Jin Zhe’s arrival, Mu had calmed down completely. He said solemnly, “Let my assistant take the children to evacuate first. I will take two researchers to handle the drugs and data.”

“But you’re injured…”

“I’m fine.” Mu was stubborn, and nothing could change his mind. Without another word, he sat in the wheelchair, opened his personal terminal to contact Zhuang Zhuang, disregarding his daughter’s crying, sternly instructing her to take her brother and assistant and leave first, while he took two researchers to the lab in a hurry.

The battle raged on. Although the President’s fleet only had eight ships, these eight ships embodied the most advanced space technology of the entire federation, condensing the wisdom of all humanity, fighting fiercely. The five attacking ships soon broke through the encirclement, approaching the research starship. Dozens of mechas flew out of various compartments, joining Yin Bo’s four mechas, establishing an unbreakable rescue channel between the red transport ship and the research starship.

The first lifeboat flew out of the research starship smoothly, under the escort of the mecha team, safely entering the red transport ship. Then, ten lifeboats popped out one by one, and all were safely rescued.

“Is everyone safe?” In the spacious control room of Federal One, Jin Zhe’s face was as dark as water, nervously tapping his fingers on the console. “Has Dean Mu and his daughter arrived at the transport ship?”

“Miss Yan has been rescued. The other child, Tata, is with her.” The special agent reported the situation in a timely manner. “Dean Mu has not evacuated yet. He is destroying drugs and data with the research staff.”

“But he’s injured, isn’t he? Why leave him behind?” Jin Zhe was furious, slamming the console heavily, leaving a dent in the hard metal. “Inform him to retreat immediately! Send someone else to handle those things… No, everyone retreat, we’ll bombard that ship before we leave, leaving nothing for Hannibal!”

“Yes!” The special agent opened communication with the captain of the research starship, only to find out that Mu had already gone to the lab, and the internal damage of the starship was severe, communication was blocked, and they couldn’t reach him. They had to wait for news after sending someone to look for him from behind.

As Jin Zhe listened to their conversation, he paced back and forth like a trapped beast. When he heard that Mu had lost contact with the captain, he suddenly snorted heavily, and said sharply, “Prepare the mechas for me! I’ll personally go out and get him!”

 

 

 

 

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