Interstellar Survival: Invasion

The speaker did not mean anything, but Domo's words did give me a new idea.

"Everyone, I know what we're missing. There might be a massive wormhole, a time tunnel, or something similar in the Horsehead Nebula. Because of that, the ripples from the whirlpool were transmitted even farther away, attracting celestial bodies from far away," I said in excitement.

"That makes sense. If a wormhole is involved, the distance involved can be explained," Old Du agreed.

"Li Canyue, what are you saying?" Domo's furious voice rang out behind me.

I hurriedly turned around. Since I had taken his idea, the little fellow was so angry his face had turned red.

"You're blatantly stealing from me!" Domo continued scolding while everyone else was confused.

"Everyone, Domo was the first person to come up with this idea. Let us show him our appreciation as encouragement," I quickly said.

And thus, everyone looked at Domo with a look of praise, including Commander Zhang Xingxing, who nodded at Domo with a look of acknowledgment.

"Don't worry about it at all. As an officer in the 7th Armored Division, this is what I should do," said Domo. He was no longer angry. Rather, he had a smug smile on his face.

"A low-level soldier insists on pretending to be an officer. What has the world become?" said Zhang Bao'er, who was obviously jealous of the praise Domo was receiving.

"What a surprise, Domo. I did not expect you to come out with such an idea. I have a whole new level of respect for you," praised the honest Old Du.

I could see that Baobao was about to speak, but then Domo tripped him and made him fall onto the floor.

"Ahh? Kid, if you want an autograph, just let me know. Why are you so impatient? You even broke my leg!" Domo even hurriedly threw out an accusation, afraid that Baobao would expose him.

"If there is a wormhole or a time tunnel, we could use it during our retreat," suggested Dodo.

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"Jack, start scanning immediately. Look for the tunnel immediately. If it is big enough for a black hole to pass through, it will be so big that it can be easily found," said Zhang Xingxing.

As the command room bustled with noise and activity, we reached a spot 600 million kilometers away from the three-star system. At that point, we were already able to get a clear look at the three distant stars.

With the dark universe as the backdrop, the three bright figures hovered before us, looking grand and majestic. Different from the red, yellow, and blue stars that we remembered, two of the bigger stars were actually blue giant stars that were about six times bigger than Blue's sun. The smaller star in the middle was a yellow dwarf star and was about 80 percent the size of Blue's sun.

"Canyue, these stars don't really look like the three stars we saw before. At the very least, the colors are different," said Old Du.

"Is it possible that they have changed over the past 100,000 years?" asked Zhang Bao'er.

"Not possible. From their appearance, 100,000 years will not be enough for them to undergo such a change in appearance. Stars that can actually change their appearance within 100,000 years will be stars at the end of their lifespan, not these three that are still relatively calm and stable," said Dodo.

"Canyue, I think we might have gone to the wrong place," said Zhang Xingxing.

"Might? We have definitely gone to the wrong place. This is a three-star system, but not the one with the beast-breeding base," I said.

"The view here is so beautiful. I am in awe of the power of nature for creating such a sight," said Zhang Xingxing as she gazed at the three stars before us.

"After your father is found and peace is returned to the universe, we can take a ship together and explore the far corners of the universe for the secrets hidden there," I made a wish.

"That would be great. May all of us get through this difficult period safely and return to our beautiful job of exploring the universe for its secrets," said Zhang Xingxing, who looked pleased to hear my wish.

"The premise for that is that Blue needs to gain its independence as well," interrupted Zhang Bao'er, who had come behind us without us realizing it.

I turned around and gave a good look at the initial squad of four when I first started my career as an explorer. It was truly fortunate that all four of us were still alive. In fact, the team had been growing without stopping. Of course, we also owed a lot to the righteous warriors who had sacrificed to help us, such as Blueflash, Adelan, Li Yizhi, and the Blueling warriors who had left their lives behind on alien lands for a righteous cause.

"Dodo, resume the search. Try to locate the correct three-star system as quickly as possible," I gave the order.

With my order, Dodo started scanning the massive dark nebula once again.

"Commander, do we leave this place first?" I asked.

"I wonder how the two princes are doing. We are still 20 hours away from the agreed time. Can they return safely? Will Jack be able to discover the wormhole that can help us retreat safely?" asked Zhang Xingxing. She was filled with worries.

"Commander Xingxing, don't worry about them. We haven't even found the beast-breeding base we're here for. It's still not the time to think about retreating," said Zhang Bao'er.

"Reporting to the deputy commander, this part of the nebula is too thick. My scans can't pick up any rays of light from the nebula," reported Dodo.

"The thick nebula has obstructed light, making it hard for our laser probes to discover new stars. I suggest we use our infrared equipment to try to pick up the stars through heat," suggested Jack.

"Infrared probes? With Blue's current level of technology, our infrared scans will be limited in distance. We can only detect heat in a rather small range. We won't be able to pick up the heat from stars so far away from us," said Dodo helplessly.

"You don't have to use Blue's technology. This Skyhawk is the Divine Empire's battleship. Let me show you the high capability of the empire's technology," said Jack in excitement.

Next, Jack immediately went to the control panel and started working on the infrared probes right in front of Dodo. The technological level of the Divine Empire was truly far beyond our imagination. Jack activated Skyhawk's infrared probe, which could detect heat 100 billion kilometers away. That was far beyond what the league was capable of.

"A distance of 100 billion kilometers, but the Horsehead Nebula is a lightyear wide. How long will it take us to completely scan the place?" asked Zhang Bao'er.

"I reckon we will need more than 100 hours if we're really unlucky," replied Jack calmly.

"We can afford to wait 100 hours. If the princes send us a message during that time, just have them come to us," I said and ordered Jack to start.

Following my order, Jack started scanning the entire Horsehead Nebula. The rest of us took the chance to rest. A period of 100 hours was rather long. It was enough for all of us to take a good rest.

With my free time, I decided to visit my old friend, Nyx, at the bottom level of the ship. Before that, I also took a look at Bulu who was still in my backpack. The little fellow was still in deep sleep. After leaving Bulu in my room, I headed to the bottom level.

At that time, Skyhawk had stopped within the three-star system. The three stars were relatively near, and their rays of light filled the ship, giving us a relaxed sensation akin to sunbathing amid the spring breeze, setting a big contrast with the cruel battle earlier and the danger we were going to face next.

"Canyue, where are you going?" came Zhang Xingxing's voice right after I stepped out of my room.

"I'm going to the bottom level to visit Nyx. It has been a while since I last saw him," I said.

"Can I go with you?" asked Zhang Xingxing with a rather cautious tone.

"Of course! I had not expected you to come with me at all. Your company is definitely appreciated!" I said in excitement.

Upon receiving my agreement, Zhang Xingxing walked beside me. I saw that she was carrying a big backpack. It was probably filled with Nyx's favorite food.

"Canyue, do you think we will succeed in our goal?" asked Zhang Xingxing as we walked.

"Of course! Evil will never prevail over justice. So long as we remember our aspirations and persist in the face of all hardships, I believe we will obtain success!" I replied firmly.

"But I have been feeling lost recently. I don't even know what my goal is anymore. From a small and poor team, we have grown to a level where we have a small fleet of our own and an army of over 10,000 people under our command. However, every single life we command is incomparably precious. All these lives will be endangered just because I wish to look for my father. Is that worth it? I don't know the answer," confessed Zhang Xingxing.

"Everyone's goal will change upon reaching a different stage of life. I think you worry too much, Commander. Existence itself is meaningful. What every soldier experiences and each event that happens are in accordance with the universe's law of survival. You do not need to blame yourself too much. So long as you remember your heart and do not give up on righteousness, everything will be fine. Everything that will happen, will happen during our pursuit of justice. All sacrifices will be for the sake of preserving peace and ensuring the survival of even more lives in the universe. That is a price that must be paid," I said, sharing what I had concluded after all I had experienced recently.

"Well said, Canyue. You make me realize something. So long as we continue striving for justice, we will be able to fight for equality and the right of living for more life forms. Even if some of us have to sacrifice for that goal, it will be worth it," said Zhang Xingxing as the light in her eyes slowly returned.

"Yes. There is no absolute fairness in the world. Let us shoulder the inequality and hardships so that others won't have to experience the same. My only hope is that in the future, everyone can live peacefully without war and slaughter," I said.

"I understand. Your words made me understand. I know what our mission is. We should bravely face all hardships. Through the pursuit of our goals, we will change the unequal state of the universe and fight for the equal rights of existence for all living beings in the universe. I will keep this in my mind until the very end!" said Zhang Xingxing.

"Whatever happens, I will walk alongside you. Our squad will also support you until the end," I vowed.

My promise helped her regain her spirit. A determined look covered her face, as though all her misgivings were gone. We only had one goal in mind: to fight until the very end for justice and the equal rights of existence.

Suddenly, she held my right hand tightly with her left hand. This was the first time our hands joined, and a sense of responsibility and joy flooded my heart. We did not say anything else. Hand in hand, we walked silently to Nyx's room.