FT DR Chapter 138: Life and Death Uncertainty

Chapter 138: Life and Death Uncertainty

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

Losing contact with his family, Chen Miaomiao was on the verge of going crazy. After a while, he remembered his grandparents living in Gabriel Military Harbor and quickly dialed their number, but the line rang empty for a long time, with no one picking up.

Had something happened to his grandparents too? Chen Miaomiao was horrified. Suddenly, he remembered the communication ID of the neighbor’s child. After making the call, he learned that the elderly couple had left Gabriel a month ago to visit Seiling.

What had happened in Seiling? Why was there an information blackout? Did the Third Army know what was happening on the Independent Brigade’s side? Chen Miaomiao was at a loss. He wanted to ask Wu Chenghe, but the system indicated that the other party was in interstellar hibernation and couldn’t be reached. He then contacted Marlow’s communication. Fortunately, Marlow answered quickly, albeit sounding a bit frantic. “Miaomiao, are you okay? I was just about to call you!”

“Marlow!” Hearing his voice, Chen Miaomiao felt somewhat relieved and asked, “What’s going on? Star Core Base received orders, and many people are evacuating to Tianque Spaceport. They said someone crossed the Alpha Frontline. Who could it be?”

“I don’t know!” Marlow, being just a navigator, didn’t have access to higher-level secrets and was also extremely anxious at the moment. “We also received news from Tianque that someone attacked the Independent Brigade’s territory. Several space fortresses were under attack. Our fleet is currently flying to Star Core Base, led by General Latika herself, to escort you to Tianque.”

“Oh.” With the escort of the “Moon Chariot,” there shouldn’t be any danger, right? Chen Miaomiao hesitated for a moment and asked, “Marlow, they said the attackers came from the Alpha Frontline. That’s the Commander’s territory. Could it be…”

He didn’t finish his sentence, but the implication was already clear. Marlow fell silent for a moment before saying, “No, it couldn’t.”

His tone carried a hint of uncertainty, obviously lacking confidence in his own conclusion. Chen Miaomiao wasn’t ignorant; over the years, he had heard many people speculate that Commander Hannibal harbored disloyal intentions. However, Marlow was a soldier, and communications were monitored by the military. Some things, even if he thought about them, couldn’t be said aloud. Chen Miaomiao understood Marlow’s dilemma, so he changed the subject. “I just contacted Seiling Military Harbor. There’s an information blackout, and I’ve lost contact with my family. I’m really worried.”

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine.” Marlow comforted him softly, reassuring himself at the same time. “General Popova is seasoned in battle and has been stationed in Seiling for over a decade. There shouldn’t be any problem, especially since she has your dad there. As for you, alone in the Star Core, if anything happens, don’t panic. Your top priority is to protect yourself, understand?”

“Yeah.” Chen Miaomiao felt somewhat reassured and said, “You too. No matter what happens, as long as our conscience is clear, it’s enough.”

“You’re right.” Marlow’s tone brightened slightly, and he breathed a sigh of relief. “Stop guessing. Get on the ship quickly. Our fleet will meet up with you halfway and fly to Tianque Spaceport together… I’m here. I don’t believe my father would order the ‘Assassin’ to attack the Alpha Frontline.”

On this point, Chen Miaomiao also agreed. Both he and Marlow were only children in their respective families. If the Voyager Army really wanted to do something, they wouldn’t ignore their safety.

“See you on the way.” Chen Miaomiao bid farewell to Marlow.

“Take care of yourself.” Marlow said. Both of them hung up the communication at the same time.

Several hours later, two medical ships from Tianzhu Military Hospital set off from the Star Core Asteroid Base. Under the protection of four destroyers from the “Tianzhu” fleet, they flew towards Tianque Spaceport. Chen Miaomiao, anxious, went into hibernation, expecting to arrive at Tianque upon awakening. However, after the second quantum leap, the system woke him up.

“What happened? Why did we stop halfway?” Chen Miaomiao ended his hibernation, changed into his intern doctor uniform, and went to see the head of the emergency department. The head said, “The ‘Moon Chariot’ fleet is converging with us. They’ve been ordered to escort us to Tianque Spaceport. We’ll depart as soon as the handover is complete.”

“Oh.” Chen Miaomiao recalled Marlow mentioning that General Latika would personally lead the team to escort them. He then asked, “Is there anything I can help with? Do we need to transfer patients?”

“No need. We’ll wait for instructions from above. The people from ‘Tianzhu’ are negotiating with them.” The head frowned and said, “What’s going on? Why are we being picked up by the ‘Moon Chariot’? The previous orders from the fleet commander didn’t mention this… Is it the big boss’s idea?”

By “big boss,” he meant the Independent Brigade’s General Yan Ling. Chen Miaomiao felt puzzled upon hearing this. They were from Tianzhu Military Hospital, and Jin Xuan had already sent a fleet to escort them. Why did the “Moon Chariot” intervene?

“Let it be. Whatever.” The head waved his hand and said, “Go check with your attending physician, patrol the treatment pods, and see the status of the patients. Don’t let anything go wrong. It’ll be several days before we reach Tianque. We can’t afford to be careless.”

Chen Miaomiao obeyed and went to inspect the patients’ treatment pods with his attending physician. After more than two hours, when he returned to the main cabin, he found that the fleet still hadn’t started moving, and officers from both sides were still negotiating.

“Is there going to be a problem?” Chen Miaomiao was a little worried and asked the head, “How much longer do we have to wait?”

“Who knows? The military hasn’t transmitted any messages yet,” the head of the medical team said with some confusion, furrowing his brow. “Has there been a conflict? Are the people from ‘Tianzhu’ and ‘Moon Chariot’ arguing?” As he finished speaking, the system prompted a shuttle request for docking, which came from the flagship of the “Moon Chariot” fleet.

With their rank higher than theirs, the head didn’t dare not to open the door. The shuttle entered the medical ship through the bottom hatch, and soon a team of armed soldiers walked into the control room.

“Hello, Director.” The leader, a tall and stern-faced Indian woman, nodded slightly to the head. “I am General Latika of the ‘Moon Chariot’ fleet. I have been ordered to take over your starship and escort you to Tianque Spaceport.” With a wave of her hand, two captains behind her moved towards the starship control console, attempting to take control.

“Wait, General.” The head began to feel that something was amiss. “May I ask whose orders you are following to take over our ship? We are a medical ship from the Tianzhu fleet and are not under your jurisdiction. Besides, our fleet commander, Colonel Jin Xuan, has already arranged for an escort for us. You…”

“I am acting under the strict orders of General Yan Ling. Do you have any objections?” Latika impatiently interrupted him. 

The head was forced back a step by her powerful aura, but he remained steadfast in his duty. “Empty words are not evidence. We have not received any orders from General Yan Ling, and the captain of the escort destroyer has not sent any messages either. I can’t believe you without proper documentation.”

Latika gave him a cold glance, completely ignoring his request. “Are you defying military orders, Director? I advise you to cooperate with my work and not delay military affairs.” She gestured to her soldiers, indicating they should take control of the starship.

“What are you doing? This is unacceptable!” The head wanted to protest but was held back by two soldiers, one on each side. 

Latika briskly walked to the control console, ordering someone to crack the main control password and take over the medical ship. Most of the patients and medical staff were still in hibernation, but a few who were awake were also restrained, including Chen Miaomiao. He was handcuffed with magnetic restraints, along with the doctors, and they were all forced to stand against the wall, with two soldiers aiming guns at them.

General Latika locked down the ship’s internal testing systems. She then instructed one of her men, a demolition expert, “You can install the bomb now.”

A bomb!? Chen Miaomiao looked at her in horror, unable to hold back. “You can’t do this! These are all innocent civilians, patients, and injured people!”

Latika seemed to just notice his presence. She glanced at him, then lifted her chin slightly. “You’re Chen Miaomiao, General Popova’s son?”

“I… I am,” Chen Miaomiao’s heart pounded like a drum. He didn’t know what she was going to do to him but answered anyway, forcing himself to remain calm. “What do you want?”

To his surprise, Latika smiled, ignoring his question. She simply said to one of her soldiers, “Take him away.” Then she began to walk towards the exit, turning halfway to the soldier walking behind, “Take care of the others. Make sure they don’t cause us any trouble.”

“Yes, ma’am!” The soldier saluted crisply, then turned back. Chen Miaomiao, terrified, didn’t understand what “take care of” meant. He wanted to look back, but he was pushed forward by someone, stumbling into the corridor leading to the lower deck. Just as he struggled to get up, he heard several dull “puff” sounds from the control room behind him – the sound of laser guns piercing through bodies. They killed those doctors!

“You can’t…” Chen Miaomiao turned back in desperation, only to be firmly blocked by a burly man. Another person grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the corridor and covering his mouth. Chen Miaomiao struggled frantically, but he couldn’t match the person’s strength. Soon, he was dragged to the lower deck and stuffed into a shuttle.

The shuttle shot out of the medical ship like a bullet. Chen Miaomiao looked out through the transparent porthole and immediately forgot to struggle – at some point, a battle had broken out outside. Dozens of ships from the “Moon Chariot” were surrounding the medical ship and the four destroyers from “Tianzhu,” engaging in fierce combat. Light cannons struck the starship’s force field, emitting dazzling white light!

Heavens! What was happening? Why were the “Moon Chariot” and “Tianzhu” fighting? Chen Miaomiao was in a state of disbelief. He slowly turned his head to look at General Latika, who was sitting calmly in the front. Gradually, a terrible reality dawned on him – the “Moon Chariot” had betrayed them!

And Marlow? Had Marlow also been captured by General Latika? Or… was he already a member of the rebel forces? No! It couldn’t be. Marlow couldn’t betray them!

Chen Miaomiao was brought into the flagship of the “Moon Chariot” fleet in the midst of intense mental turmoil. In the control room, he finally saw Marlow after more than a month apart.

Marlow, wearing his navigator’s uniform, stood expressionless at the navigation console. His face was pale, his eyes reddened, obviously having just experienced a bout of mania. When he saw Chen Miaomiao being brought in, his icy blue eyes swept over his face with indescribable concern and pity, but he didn’t speak, only subtly shaking his head to indicate that Chen Miaomiao should stay calm.

Chen Miaomiao was already so shocked that he couldn’t understand Marlow’s expression anymore. But seeing him standing calmly at the navigation console and not being arrested, the terrifying speculation from earlier immediately solidified—Marlow knew about General Latika’s conspiracy, and he had joined his superiors in betraying them!

A wave of immense disappointment and anger engulfed Chen Miaomiao instantly. He looked at Marlow in agony, shaking his head again and again, and finally averted his gaze, refusing to look at Marlow any longer.

“The mission is complete. Inform the people from ‘Tianzhu’ to cease fire. Otherwise, we will detonate the bomb immediately and blow up that medical ship,” General Latika’s voice was cold and ruthless. “Tell them that all awake people on the medical ship are dead. Don’t expect anyone to defuse the bomb. If they dare to send a shuttle to board, I’ll detonate the bomb immediately.”

“Yes!”

“Prepare to change course. Once they stop firing, we will withdraw.” Latika said, “It’s been too long. Jin Xuan may have already noticed something unusual. That kid is too difficult to deal with. If he blocks our previous guard line, it will be a big problem if we start fighting.”

“Yes.” The first mate prepared to adjust the course. Marlow, as a navigator, assisted him in plotting the course, opening the star map while keeping an eye on Chen Miaomiao from the corner of his eye.

General Latika calmly sat down in the captain’s seat, her dark brown eyes scanning Chen Miaomiao up and down. She spoke softly, “You look so much like Popova. My little boy.”

Her eyes had the typical deep and affectionate feeling of an Indian woman, but when she looked at people, her gaze was icy and sharp, a huge contrast that sent shivers down one’s spine. Chen Miaomiao swallowed hard and asked, “Why did you capture me? What do you want?”

“Don’t be afraid.” Latia smiled, a smile devoid of warmth. “The purpose of my trip is to take you back to the Voyager Army, of course, and to tidy up the ‘Tianzhu’ fleet a bit. Ugh, I’m tired of seeing Jin Xuan’s face. Who does he think he is?” She nodded to the guards. “Unlock his handcuffs. I don’t think he’ll resist, right?” The last sentence was directed at Chen Miaomiao. “You don’t still want to go back to the Federal Legion, do you, my little boy? Since you boarded this ship with me, you’ve been on the opposite side of the Federation. Even if you go back, they won’t believe you—your colleagues and teachers all died for you.”

“You devil!” Chen Miaomiao shouted angrily, “You’re not worthy of being a soldier. You killed innocent civilians!”

Latika chuckled, “It’s precisely because I’m a soldier that I make the best judgments in critical moments. This is the world of adults, child. There’s no right or wrong, only victory or defeat. Look, they’ve stopped firing, haven’t they? We’ll soon be out of their attack range… In a few days, you’ll be able to see your mother.”

Chen Miaomiao’s expression froze. “My mother? What do you mean?!”

“I’ve spent so much effort just to bring you home and see General Popova,” General Latika said. “Oh, I forgot to tell you, the Voyager Army has announced its withdrawal from the Federation and established a new militarized empire. Commander Hannibal has already been appointed as the first emperor of the empire. And your mother, General Popova, will soon announce her support for Emperor Hannibal! In the future, she will be appointed as one of the two great generals of the empire.”

Listening to this unbelievable news, Chen Miaomiao couldn’t help but laugh instead of getting angry. “You must be the second of those two great generals, right?”

General Latika’s expression froze for a moment, then she smiled faintly and said, “To stand side by side with your mother under the banner of the Emperor, I feel doubly honored.”

“Don’t delude yourself!” Chen Miaomiao sneered contemptuously. “My mother will not betray the Federation. She is a General of the Federation, not a supporter of Hannibal! The role of a watchdog is more suitable for someone like you! Despicable! Shameless traitor!”

General Latika’s eyes narrowed dangerously, then she shook her head slowly. “You will regret what you just said, child. I am not someone you can speak to disrespectfully.” With that, she stood up and swiftly slapped Chen Miaomiao across the face. “Consider this slap a lesson from your mother, teaching you not to speak disrespectfully to your elders!”

Chen Miaomiao was dazed by the blow, stumbling to the ground with blood streaming from his nose. As he struggled to get up, a steady footstep approached, and a strong arm helped him up. It was then that Marlow’s cold voice sounded, “He’s just an ordinary person, General Latika. Please, watch your words.”

General Latika snorted. “Perhaps you should advise your friend, Marlow, to know that he’s just an ordinary person and not to easily anger a sentinel!”

Marlow didn’t say anything more. He gently helped Chen Miaomiao up and said, “Let them take you to the medical room to stop the bleeding.”

Chen Miaomiao felt a stabbing pain in his heart as soon as he heard Marlow’s voice. He forced himself to push Marlow away, refusing his help. His eyes were red, and he said, “Get away from me!” 

He wanted to call him a traitor, to accuse him of aiding and abetting, to beat him up, but he couldn’t. Even though Marlow’s actions had disappointed him to the extreme, even though he was heartbroken, he couldn’t bring himself to hate him completely.

Chen Miaomiao felt utterly desolate. His love and his efforts were so cheap, unable to secure even the most basic friendship, only to be met with deception and insults. He pushed Marlow away again, rejecting his attempts to help, glaring at him fiercely before being shoved and pushed by Latika’s guards into a bare cabin.

A flight surgeon brought him a medical kit. Chen Miaomiao attended to his nose, finding his face swollen, and the corner of his eye also sore. Latika’s slap was too hard, probably not inferior to his mom’s strength.

Thinking of his mother made Chen Miaomiao even more upset. Popova had been promoted by Hannibal for many years and had always been loyal to the commander. But Chen Miaomiao believed that his mother’s loyalty was not based on personal worship of Hannibal, but because Hannibal represented the Voyager Army, and they together defended the borders of the Federation! If one day Hannibal betrayed humanity and led the Voyager Army onto the path of secession from the Federation, Popova would never join him.

But why did Seiling go missing? Had Hannibal already moved against the Third Army? Chen Miaomiao speculated anxiously. Why did Latika go to such lengths to bring him here? Did she want to use him as a hostage to threaten his parents?

Chen Miaomiao suddenly understood the crux of the matter and was immediately horrified. Although Popova was usually very strict with him, always scolding and hitting him, she loved him deeply from the bottom of her heart, not to mention Chen Zhen, who protected him like his own eyes. With him as the “ace,” would they succumb to Hannibal’s threats?

What should he do? Should he obediently be taken away as a hostage or commit suicide?

As Chen Miaomiao agonized over his thoughts, the warship suddenly shook as if it had been hit. Then, the overhead lighting went out, and the ventilation stopped.

“Is anyone there!?” Chen Miaomiao realized that they might have encountered a Federation military blockade halfway. He immediately jumped up and pounded on the door. “Let me out!”

No one paid attention to him, but the shaking of the warship became increasingly frequent. The lighting flickered on and off, and when the ventilation started again, there was a smell of burning. The ground tilted sharply, forcing Chen Miaomiao to grab onto the pipes in the corner to maintain balance. The violent shaking made his stomach churn, but fortunately, he hadn’t eaten anything since waking up from deep sleep, so he didn’t vomit anything out.

The chaos continued for nearly an hour. Just as Chen Miaomiao was considering whether to tie himself to the bulkhead to avoid being thrown around and killed, the cabin door suddenly opened with a “whoosh,” revealing Marlow standing outside.

Their eyes met, and Chen Miaomiao stared at Marlow in a daze, while Marlow stared back at him. Their gazes entwined with pain and anger, but amidst the pain and anger, there was an inexplicable sense of melancholy—after all, Marlow was his first love, the only man he had ever loved with all his heart for twenty-two years. He could hate him, blame him, but he couldn’t stop loving him.

Marlow’s eyes were filled with the same pain, but within that pain, there was a suppressed determination and love. He gazed at Chen Miaomiao’s face as if trying to imprint that image deep into his soul, unwilling to waste even a blink of an eye. After a long while, his Adam’s apple bobbed several times, and he hoarsely asked, “Does it still hurt?”

Chen Miaomiao was taken aback for a moment, then realized he was referring to his face. He subconsciously shook his head, but immediately stopped himself, angrily turning his face away, refusing to speak to Marlow.

Marlow sighed almost imperceptibly, about to say something, when his expression suddenly changed—urgent footsteps echoed in the corridor outside, followed by General Latika’s icy voice, “What’s going on? Is he still causing trouble, refusing to come with us?”

Marlow’s tall figure blocked the doorway, shielding Latika’s view. His voice was flat and calm. “Yes, he refuses to come with us. He insists that General Popova will not betray the Federation.”

“It’s too late, we must go to the escape pod immediately, or we’ll die with this ship!” General Latika’s voice was tinged with impatience. “Jin Xuan is too formidable; his fleet is much larger than ours… Well, if Chen Miaomiao insists on not going, then just kill him. We’ll tell General Popova that her son died at the hands of the Federation. An angry mother is easier to manipulate for the Commander, for the Emperor.”

Marlow fell silent, as if making a difficult decision. Just as Chen Miaomiao hesitated whether to go with them, Marlow suddenly turned around, his icy blue eyes locking onto Chen Miaomiao’s, and he said, “Fine.”

Chen Miaomiao looked at Marlow incredulously, his dark eyes reflecting his handsome face, and then, a black muzzle.

A soft “puff” sounded as Marlow’s hand pulled the trigger of the ray gun, and a pale blue beam pierced through Chen Miaomiao’s left chest, spraying crimson blood from his chest onto Marlow’s chest. Chen Miaomiao stared wide-eyed, his throat moving slightly, but he couldn’t even utter a cry of pain before collapsing to the ground, motionless.

“Oh!” General Latika exclaimed softly, seemingly surprised by his decisiveness. But the starship shook violently, and she immediately rushed out, “Quick, to the escape pod! We’ll be scattered by their fleet if we’re any later!”

Marlow stood silently at the doorway, his right hand holding the ray gun trembling. After a moment, a tear rolled down from the corner of his eye, dripping onto his uniform stained with Chen Miaomiao’s blood. His lips moved a few times, whispering words only he could hear, wiping the tears from the corner of his eye with his thumb, opening his personal terminal to send a quick message, then grabbing the gun and heading towards the escape pod.

Author’s note: The keyword for this pair is “letting go.”

Marlow’s story isn’t over yet; he’s a very complex and passionate young man.

Also, the keyword for the fourth pair, Yin Bo and Kazumi Koyama, is “changing places.”

Now that the fate of all four pairs is clear, I’ll gradually reveal their progress. See you tomorrow!

 

 

 

 

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