Homecoming

Part One: The Establishment of the Heart of Freedom

Prologue

In the Ferrobo Asteroid Belt, a starship is in transit. Marked with a silver trident emblem, it belongs to the new Federal Government of Humans. It is heading towards a black rocky asteroid, unremarkable among the vast Ferrobo planetary group. With a diameter of only eight hundred kilometers and a mass of approximately thirty sextillion tons, it orbits a star about one hundred eighty million kilometers away. This means it has low temperatures, limited gravity, and qualifies as a terraformable asteroid. It has been modified to become one of the thirty-eight exile stars of the new Federal Government, specifically designed to accommodate criminals who are not sentenced to death but cannot be left free.

The "Crimson Moon" battleship is now carrying a special guest to the exile star.

She is an elderly lady sitting in a glass room, wearing a white robe, appearing to be in her sixties, but with a ruddy complexion and a keen spirit, focusing on a Rubik's Cube.

The Rubik's Cube is not in her hands but floating in front of her.

It rotates slowly in the air, as if held by an invisible hand, occasionally moving, causing the colors on the cube to change.

The old woman watches the Rubik's Cube as if she hasn't noticed Captain Kevin Nelson outside the glass room.

This annoys the captain, who asks his young female lieutenant beside him, "How long has she been like this?"

"Three days, sir," the lieutenant, with long black hair, replies.

The captain glances disdainfully at the Rubik's Cube in the air. "An energetic old hag..."

"You're jealous, Nelson," the old woman suddenly speaks from the glass room, looking at the Rubik's Cube. "You envy the power I possess that you lack, don't you?"

"Perhaps, Senator Loche," Captain Nelson shrugs. "You're always so wise, able to see through people. But what does that matter? Look at you, once so high and mighty, now a prisoner. Even if you have abilities beyond ordinary people, what of it? Your fragile abilities can't even break through the glass in front of me. What can you do? Kill me with your Rubik's Cube? Or wear yourself out with your three-day insomnia?"

The old woman's gaze finally shifts from the Rubik's Cube, and it falls with a "thud."

She approaches the captain, standing by his side in front of the glass wall, lightly tracing her finger over the glass.

This action makes Captain Nelson nervous, and he takes a small step back.

Then he realizes nothing has happened.

The old woman looks at him, her eyes full of mockery, as if the one imprisoned is not herself but him.

She says, "Your animosity toward me stems from your wicked master. I know you're his loyal dog. In your eyes, every bit of humiliation towards me is a ladder to your success. You're just a pathetic creature, begging for scraps."

This thoroughly infuriates Captain Nelson.

Bang!

His fist hits the glass wall, creating a loud noise.

He angrily shouts at the old woman, "Old hag, on this starship, I am the boss. You have no idea how much trouble you've caused yourself. You'll see how miserable you'll be next!"

The old woman calmly responds, "In fact, I know better than you what will happen next."

"What?" Captain Nelson is puzzled.

"First, you'll be very angry at my rudeness and plan to teach me a lesson. But at this moment, a sudden emergency will require your attention. You'll have to temporarily let me go and return to the command hall to deal with it. Then, your subordinates will start a mutiny and kill you. Finally, I will be released, escorted by those who support me, leaving here, forever haunting your master's dreams." The old woman replies calmly.

Captain Nelson laughs as if he's heard the funniest joke, "What are you talking about? You, old hag, are obviously driven crazy by superpowers. Woody, go and..."

He was about to let his subordinate teach this old lady a lesson when an urgent call came from the cabin:

"Warning, warning, unidentified fleet approaching. All personnel, please take your positions immediately and prepare for battle!"

Captain Nelson's face froze.

He looks at Senator Loche in surprise, who is equally calm.

Captain Nelson shakes his head, "It must be a coincidence."

He quickly retreats and then runs towards the command hall.

The command hall is already chaotic, with everyone busy preparing for a possible sudden attack.

Captain Nelson arrives at the command hall and shouts, "Can anyone tell me what's going on?"

"As you can see, Captain," an officer points outside the porthole.

Captain Nelson sees a fleet of black, unmarked ships approaching head-on.

"Oh, damn!" Captain Nelson groans. He asks, "Do we know who they are?"

"Not clear. The communications officer keeps sending signals to make contact with the other ships, but there's been no response at all."

"This is not a good sign. Immediately raise the energy shield, then fire warning shots at the other side, and..." Captain Nelson was about to speak when suddenly, Loche's words flashed in his mind.

"Then, your subordinates will start a mutiny."

This makes Captain Nelson tremble, looking cautiously at the people around him. He sees everyone busy or waiting for his orders, which reassures him.

That damn old lady was just talking nonsense.

At that moment, the black-haired female lieutenant, Woody, enters from outside. "Captain."

"What's up? Make it brief. I don't have much time for nonsense now," Captain Nelson says impatiently.

"Understood, Captain." Woody takes out a gun and points it at the captain's head.

"Mutiny!" she declares.

She pulls the trigger. 

In 1969, the "Apollo 11" spacecraft carried three astronauts to land on the moon, opening the era of human space exploration, and human space technology began to flourish.

 In 2046, humans landed on Mars and established the first settlement there, which lasted for 49 days.

 In 2158, the human population on Mars surpassed one thousand.

In 2290, the Mars dome project was completed, marking the official maturity of humanity's planetary transformation capabilities, and the era of interstellar migration began.

 In 2584, the first successful experiment in extracting quantum vacuum zero-point energy was achieved, allowing humanity to directly absorb zero-point energy from the cosmic vacuum, marking the beginning of humanity's ability to voyage far beyond.

 In 2999, miniaturization of vacuum engines was completed.

 In 3248, humans developed the new supermaterial, Barbarta One, which made space exploration, previously expensive for over a thousand years, more accessible to the general public, and colonization of stars began to flourish.

 In 3459, the first space war erupted, leading to a surge in space warfare technology, and humans began to unite, establishing a federal government.

 In 3856, the first artificial intelligence appeared.

 In 4123, the robot rebellion erupted. After suppressing the rebellion, the federal government began to regulate artificial intelligence, no longer allowing the emergence of advanced artificial intelligence.

 In 4257, mutant and clone uprisings broke out on a large scale, shattering humanity's dream of waging wars through proxies, and warfare returned to the era of direct physical engagement.

 In 4288, exhausted by continuous civil wars, the federal government declared dissolution, and humanity returned to the era of warring states.

 In the same year, the second space war broke out, with space mechs making their first appearance, but ended in failure, dubbed as clumsy space toys, sitting ducks in space.

 In 4574, the third space war erupted, with space mechs becoming the most dazzling stars on the battlefield, replacing fighter jets and being hailed as the butchers of space.

 In 4638, the third space war ended, and the new federal government was established, leading humanity once again towards unity.

 In 4859, the first warp engine was completed, possessing the ability to travel faster than light, marking humanity's entry into the era of interstellar travel.

 In 4988, humans discovered floating lifeforms on a planet, marking the first contact with extraterrestrial life.

 In 6989, an exploration ship, the "Eagle," disappeared in the Godsend Galaxy cluster. The last words from the crew before disappearing were:

"Oh my God, what is that?"

...

Now.

Year 7255.

Boom!

In the pitch-black void of space, ripples of light spread like waves, followed by a dilapidated starship jumping out of the void, creating an invisible ripple stretching billions of kilometers in vacuum. It looks like a piece of junk just salvaged from a garbage dump, torn apart and reassembled with missing parts. Almost every part of the ship's hull is riddled with cannon fire, resembling a beehive.

Yet miraculously, it completed a superluminal journey. When the ship's AI, Laura, announced "jump completed" in the command hall, the entire hall erupted.

"We did it, we succeeded!"

"We're finally home!"

"We've come back alive."

The control officers in the command hall cheered.

"Well done, Captain!" a crew member suddenly shouted.

So everyone stopped and looked at the young officer sitting in the captain's seat.

He was young, with thick golden hair and a handsome face.

But despite facing such a young captain, everyone stood up together at this moment, offering him their most sincere and warm applause.

It was their heartfelt gratitude and admiration for their commander, who brought them back alive from that dangerous place.

"Not yet," Johnny Reno smiled shyly.

He wasn't quite used to such scenes.

After completing the jump, the Abrodi was still three days away from Earth, flying at sublight speed.

In these three days, all the crew members finally breathed a sigh of relief, releasing the tension that had been building up inside them, and fell into a deep sleep.

They had not slept well for too long. Some fell asleep, never to wake up again.

After a good night's sleep, Johnny Reno woke up.

He walked to the porthole and looked at the blue water ball that was gradually enlarging in his eyes, taking a long breath.

Finally, they were almost home, and only at this moment could he say this to himself.

In front of others, he had to maintain the image of a cautious commander, not one to easily claim victory or defeat.

Was this Earth, the origin of humanity?

At this moment, Reno looked at this water ball with curiosity and admiration.

Although he had seen images of Earth countless times, seeing it in person still amazed him with its beauty.

Here, he could see real grasslands, mountains, horses, and clouds, rather than artificial constructions as on colonized planets.

Unfortunately, due to humanity's development today, with a population exceeding five trillion, Earth had long been designated as a special zone, not accepting external immigrants, only providing temporary residence for those who made special contributions to the new federal government.

After completing this mission, they should be able to enjoy some time on Earth, Reno thought leisurely.

Three days later, the Abrodi flew into Earth's orbit and entered Dock 12, where twenty-six giant mechanical arms like octopuses reached out, clamping the ship's body with anchor chains and firmly securing it in the spaceport.

"Docking complete," Laura's voice came again.

The command hall erupted in applause as usual, but the excitement was much lower than when they jumped out.

"Communication request from Earth," communications officer Daniel Brad said.

"Patch it through," Reno replied.

 As the communication connected, a holographic image of a middle-aged military officer appeared in the hall.

 He looked somewhat stubborn, and as soon as he appeared, he said, "Jeram, you must explain to me why you never responded to my communication requests and about the completion of the mission..."

 Then his voice abruptly halted, and with an incredulous look, he stared at Johnny Reno and said, "Who are you? Where is Jeram?"

 Reno replied, "Captain Jeram perished in battle sixty Earth days ago, Colonel Sean Crisp."

 Although Crisp didn't recognize him, Reno knew who this colonel was.

 Sean Crisp, the executive officer of the Earth Fleet, an arrogant and unpleasant fellow.

 It was Crisp who issued the death mission for the Abrodi.

 "What about the executive officer? And where are the other alternate commanders?"

 "They're all dead."

 "And you, who are you?"

 "Captain Johnny Reno, Second Battalion Commander of the Mecha Squadron, currently serving as interim captain of the Abrodi."

 Colonel Crisp was stunned, "You, a mech pilot, commanding a starship? That's absurd!"

 "In fact, it's not insane," Johnny Reno replied calmly, "According to the Federation Star Defense Act, when all commanding officers of a starship are killed, the officer with the highest rank at the time automatically assumes the role of interim captain. In the past five hundred years, there have been three hundred and forty-two similar incidents, and nearly forty percent of the interim captains successfully completed their missions."

 "But they didn't command a starship riddled with holes like this!" Crisp exclaimed loudly, even without seeing the casualty reports, he knew how dire the situation of the ship was just by observing with his own eyes.

 Johnny Reno shrugged, not bothering to explain further.

 Yes, those people definitely didn't return with a ship in such a state.

 The true extent of the Abrodi's injuries far exceeded what was visible. The ship had been attacked over two hundred times, with one hundred and thirty-seven areas damaged, including sixteen critical sections. The ship's energy shield reserves were at three point four percent. The power chamber was severely damaged, with six out of eight ion engines exploding after the jump, leaving only two functional ones. The life support system suffered severe damage, and the crew relied on the mecha's life support systems to survive. The energy system was damaged by eighty-two percent, with severe energy shortages... This was why Reno hadn't responded to communications; he had to allocate all energy to flight.

 For others, this might just be a string of cold numbers, but for a battle-hardened general, seeing these numbers automatically transformed into the harrowing wars in the starry sea, the terrifying salvos, and the desperate cries of soldiers.

 In such a despairing environment, even the best starship commanders might not be able to bring the ship back.

 But now, a mech pilot had managed to do it.

 It was simply ironic!

 Johnny Reno had no intention of explaining.

 He simply said, "Colonel Crisp, I know you're questioning my qualifications to command a starship, but I believe whether I have the ability to command a starship is no longer important. What's important is that there are three thousand one hundred and eighty-two wounded personnel on this starship."

 "So many?" Colonel Crisp was visibly startled by this number.

 Although artificial intelligence had been restricted three thousand years ago due to robot rebellions, starships were still the most intelligent places. With the use of a large number of intelligent machines, a starship usually had only eight hundred to one thousand crew members, with more than two-thirds of them being mech pilots.

 "Including personnel from the Red Rain, Autumn, Taurus, and Magro." Reno replied.

 Colonel Crisp understood.

 Of the five warships sent out, only one returned in the end, with everyone else forever lost in the depths of the alien territory.

 It was unimaginable that the Abrodi had also rescued members from other ships.

 How did he do it?

 The colonel noticed that when Reno spoke, no one else on the ship interrupted, and their looks toward Reno were filled with admiration. This meant that Reno hadn't relied on luck to complete this journey.

 But what the colonel was more concerned about was another matter. He asked, "How did the mission go?"

 "The cargo has been retrieved."

 "Excellent, I'll have people retrieve the cargo immediately." The colonel breathed a sigh of relief.

 "Colonel, I believe you should first send a medical team." Reno said calmly, "I remember telling you that there are now more than three thousand injured personnel on board, including more than eight hundred severely injured. Every second you delay could mean a lost chance to save a life."

 "What did you say?" Colonel Crisp looked at Reno with obvious displeasure.

 Reno just stared quietly at him.

 After a moment, Colonel Crisp finally turned around and shouted, "What are you waiting for? Send out the medical team and retrieve the goods!"

 The military's efficiency was high.

 It only took fifteen minutes for the medical team to arrive.

 The personnel on the ship were carried out of the Abrodi and into specialized medical ships, which then departed.

 They would be taken to hospitals all over, where they would receive the best treatment.

 With this done, Reno's heart finally relaxed. The heavy burden of dozens of days and nights was finally lifted off his chest. Besides the relief, there was suddenly an inexplicable sense of loss in his heart.

 Waving away the lingering sense of loss in his heart, Reno walked casually on the bridge, watching the medical team's work.

 He watched as the medical personnel took away one injured soldier after another. As each soldier passed by him, they would say, "Thank you, sir," and Reno would respond with a standard Alliance military salute - placing the index and middle fingers together beside his temple, then lightly waving it away.

 He watched them leave, his eyes filled with reluctance.

 Goodbye, comrades, after this time, I won't be your commander anymore. Reno thought to himself.

 The Federal Government has strict, almost tedious, requirements for every starship commander, and he was just a mech commander, not meeting the conditions to be a captain, so soon, he would step down from the captain's position again.

 To say there was no regret about this would be false. Although Reno loved piloting mechs in space battles, piloting a starship was also his childhood dream.

 Once he had been very close to this dream, but it was destroyed by an accident...

 A burly soldier lay on a stretcher being carried past Reno.

 His body was as strong as a bear's, with bandages wrapped around his arms, yet he spoke with full vigor, booming like thunder, "Hey, boss, don't make me go to the hospital, I'm not that badly hurt."

 "Shut up, Tychus, your wounds are already infected, if you don't get proper treatment, you'll need an amputation!" A graceful female officer with a slender figure, azure eyes, and golden short hair walked over, speaking.

 She was Claire Jia, the chief medical officer on the starship, a captivating girl to everyone. Thanks to her, many wounded on the starship could hold on until now.

 To the crew of the Abrodi, she was like an angel.

 Seeing it was Claire who approached, Tychus closed his mouth.

 If Tychus was a mountain, Claire was water; her beauty and tenderness could melt any strong heart.

 Reno smiled and said, "Don't worry, buddy, your injuries don't require a long stay in the hospital. The Abrodi will be undergoing major repairs on Earth, and until it's fixed, we don't need to go anywhere. We can enjoy a rare holiday on Earth. And based on my experience, this holiday will last at least three Earth months."

 "Wow!" Tychus whistled at Reno's words. "I'm definitely going to find some girls on Earth."

 Reno replied, "Believe me, you can't afford them. The people who come here are either rich or noble, there are very few poor soldiers like us."

 "Maybe some princess will fancy my strong biceps." Tychus raised his arm, trying to flex his muscles.

 Unfortunately, before he could continue his display, the medical staff had already rudely pulled him away.

 Reno and Claire looked at each other and laughed together.

 Just then, there was some commotion in another part of the starship.

 Soon, the commotion began to spread, reaching the deck, causing the entire process of transporting wounded to stop.

 Reno had to walk over.

 A soldier ran up to him, saluting, "Trouble, sir."

 "I see, what's going on?" Reno asked before the soldier could answer, a squad of soldiers dressed in black uniforms with purple thorn armbands and white gloves were walking toward Reno; these were the military police.

 The leading officer was tall and thin, with a striking hooked nose and a small mustache.

 "Damn, it's Matthew!" Claire Jia exclaimed incredulously.

 "Trouble always seems to find its way." Reno couldn't help but shake his head.

 The young officer who strutted in from a distance was taken aback for a moment, then he became furious, "Reno, you scoundrel! What are you doing here?"

 He rushed over, intending to grab Reno by the collar, but several soldiers on the ship blocked him, and the military police behind him stopped his impulse.

 "It's hard to understand," Claire Jia said angrily, "You've gone too far, Matthew!"

 "Huh? Isn't this the famous genius of Alpha Academy, Johnny Reno, who was expelled by the academy? Hahaha!" Matthew said sarcastically after taking three long breaths.

 As his laughter echoed, the soldiers behind him also chuckled, mocking along with their superior.

 Although they were not clear about the grudge between Matthew and Reno, it didn't stop them from flattering their commanding officer.

 "Enough, Matthew!" Claire Jia said angrily, "You've gone too far!"

 "Oh? Isn't this the famous Alpha Flower Claire Jia? I'm sorry I didn't notice you just now. Are you and your sister still following this shameless guy, Reno?" Matthew exaggeratedly spread his hands.

 "You shouldn't forget her habits if you remember my sister." Claire Jia said angrily, "Since you remember my sister, you shouldn't forget her habits."

 Matthew's face suddenly changed.

 His neck stiffened, and he reluctantly lowered his head, then he saw an inconspicuous red dot on his chest that he hadn't noticed before.

 Right at his heart.

 "Nor... la!" Looking at the red dot on his chest, Matthew's throat felt like it was blocked by a stone, and he struggled to say the name.

 He began to regret his provocation.

 Nora Jia, Claire Jia's twin sister, the assassin forever hidden in the shadows.

 The most terrifying thing about this crazy woman wasn't her precise marksmanship that could kill a mosquito from ten miles away, but her fearless personality that dared to do anything. In Matthew's, no, in the memory of all the students of Class 856 of the Alpha Military Academy, there was nothing Nora wouldn't dare to do. She and her sister Claire were like the extremes of ice and fire; Claire was always gentle and considerate, like an angel, while Nora only brought death.

 In other words, when Nora's gun was aimed at his chest, she really dared to shoot!

 Fortunately, Reno also knew this.

 He took a step forward, blocking the deadly passage to Matthew's heart with his own body. "Matthew, I guess you didn't come to my ship to taste the feeling of being targeted by a laser. Why don't we focus on more important matters?"

 Seeing the white spot disappear from his chest, Matthew breathed a sigh of relief.

 He took off his white gloves, took a paper bag from a soldier beside him, and said, "From now on, the custody of Target Zero will be taken over by the Military Police Department. This is a document issued by the Military Police Department." 

 Target Zero was the mission of the Abrodi's trip, for which four starships and over two thousand soldiers were forever left in the dark and deep space.

 Reno took the documents and carefully reviewed them. "It's true, you can take the Zero Target," he said.

 Matthew's signature victorious smile returned to his face. "In that case, please have your soldiers clear the fourth passage; my people need to pass through there."

 Reno finally understood the cause of the commotion. "The fourth passage is currently transporting wounded personnel and cannot be made available to you at the moment. Please have your people wait."

 "That's precisely what I want to discuss, Reno. Your people are violating Security Ordinance Chapter 124, Section 6, which mandates full containment of important national strategic assets when transported by warships. But look at your people now! They are crowded in the cargo hold, together with the Zero Target!" Matthew shouted sternly.

 Reno replied, "That's because the living quarters of the Abrodi have been severely damaged. I had to transfer all soldiers to the cargo hold, the only available space. It's spacious enough there and the only place where we can concentrate care... We didn't have many people available to attend to the wounded at that time. The warship suffered severe damage, and everyone was busy repairing it to prevent its imminent destruction."

 "I'm not interested in your incompetence and blame-shifting. I only know you've violated the security ordinance!" Matthew shouted loudly. "I will report this to the higher-ups, but for now, clear the passage immediately!"

 Reno sighed helplessly and leaned his body to the side. He indeed cleared the passage, and once again, the red dot from Nora's MX748 laser sight appeared on Matthew.

 Matthew's face went pale. He had forgotten about Nora again. To Nora, provoking Reno was second only to harming her sister.

 Looking at Matthew, Reno said, "You can complain about me however you like, but for now, stay aside quietly until my people leave. Any problem?"

 Matthew's face looked like a cooked pig liver. He glared fiercely at Reno. "As you wish, I'll wait here. But let me remind you, offending the military police is not a good idea. I'll be watching you, finding every mistake you make!"

 "On the contrary, I'd rather not see you for even a second longer," Reno replied politely.

 This remark angered Matthew. He glanced around, suddenly thought of something, and grinned. Then he exclaimed loudly, "I don't know how you became a captain, Reno. But I guess they don't know that their captain is actually a rapist!"

 This sentence spread throughout the bridge, and everyone's eyes focused on Reno simultaneously.

 ...

 One hour later, the Abrodi completed all personnel transfers, and Matthew was finally able to take the cargo he had been ordered to retrieve from the cargo hold: the Zero Target.

 It was a huge metal box, about three people tall, completely sealed. Despite this, one could still sense that there seemed to be some object inside emitting light because the metal box, made of Burke 97 alloy, displayed a faint red spectral response, indicating that there should be some kind of strong light source inside.

 Matthew wasn't interested in the cargo he was taking; he was more focused on Reno. He faced Reno arrogantly, as if snatching a beloved toy from a child, but all he saw was a cold and indifferent face.

 Even when Matthew accused Reno of being a rapist in front of everyone, Reno still wore the same expression, making no defense, and his gaze even carried a hint of sympathy.

 No raging fury, no frantic anger, no accusations of blame, and no physical altercation.

 It was as if everything that happened had nothing to do with him.

 This made Matthew feel like he had punched the air.

 What disappointed him even more was the reaction of the people around him.

 After a few seconds of surprise and astonishment, most people returned to their normal routines, continuing with their tasks.

 Life is precious and not worth stopping for gossip.

 Moreover, everyone was intelligent enough to realize that baseless accusations would only expose the sinister intentions of the accuser.

 So Matthew left the Abrodi with his frustration.

 Before leaving, he glanced back and saw Reno briefing several personnel on board about the tasks ahead.

 Throughout the ordeal, Reno never glanced at him again.

 Matthew felt a sense of anger at being ignored, as if flames were engulfing his chest.

 "I'm not done with you, Reno!" Before hatred burned through his rationality, the shuttle flew away.

 As the Zero Target was moved out of the ship's hold, Reno knew that his mission had ended.

 From now on, he was no longer the captain but returned to the role of the second battalion mech commander.

 With some reluctance, he removed the eagle emblem symbolizing his captaincy from his body, ran his fingers over the clean and neat control platform, and finally glanced at it for a few seconds before turning away.

 Walking out of the Abrodi, entering the spaceport, and proceeding along the long stream of people, Reno walked mechanically and numbly, like a living dead. His heart had forever remained on that captain's chair.

 The scene seemed hazy, as if he had returned to a vibrant era ten years ago...