Chapter 222 - The Regulators' Predicament
Damocles
While the welcoming banquet continued with a relaxing atmosphere and soft instrumentals playing in the background, the main control center was brimming with activity and pressure.
"Are you not planning to attend the welcoming banquet, Your Majesty? It had already commenced some time ago," a subordinate brought up while his fingers busied pressing numerous keys on the holographic screen before swiping over to the next person.
Emperor Polemos watched the ongoing battle in the asteroid belt on-screen as hundreds of his droids were destroyed by a powerful blast of psionic energy.
The situation appeared especially intense as the damaged alien mothership inched closer, and the second defense line in the asteroid belt was on the verge of collapse.
"You think I can leave in this situation? The second defense line is about to be breached, and once we lose the third defense line too, there will be nothing to stop them from heading out way," Emperor Polemos casually spoke.
The losses were insignificant to him.
In the end, the droids, weapons, and starships were all just heaps of metal that can be rebuilt anew if destroyed.
"You would think that they would leave after repairing their mothership\'s engine after being taught a lesson by the Lord. But no, they are pressing forward quite aggressively despite suffering casualties in return."
Emperor Polemos rubbed his chin thoughtfully before muttering, "I wonder what is driving them to come here? Is it revenge?"
"Being the first interstellar civilization we have discovered, you would think that they were smarter than this…"
"Maybe they are perverts, You Majesty?" the subordinate guessed before adding, "Maybe once was not enough for them that they want to eat a second attack before they are convinced of the overwhelming difference."
"Perhaps," Emperor Polemos uttered.
Suddenly, Damocles received a call that went straight to the main control center directly before one of the men informed, "Your Majesty, there\'s a call from Earth."
"From Earth? Strange, the Lord wouldn\'t call the control center…" Emperor Polemos pondered for a moment before he said, "Put it through."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Ding!
Shortly after, the big screen switched to a video call and displayed female twins in white space uniforms with a snowy background.
"Greetings, Emperor Polemos." Ceone greeted.
"The Federation\'s Regulators? I didn\'t know the Federation was doing so well in Middle Realm that it can spare two Regulators to visit us." Emperor Polemos commented with a raised eyebrow before asking, "Is there something you need from me?"
"Yes, and urgently so."
As Ceone replied, the video call trembled with pixelate lines and static noises as if there was not enough energy to fuel the connection.
"Ceone will make it brief. We heard Emperor Polemos is hosting a party on Damocles and would like to request entry to attend."
"Sure, my men will be informed of your visit and will not attack your approaching spacecraft."
Although the welcoming banquet was not an open event anyone could join, he did not mind the Regulators\' attendance and agreed straightforwardly.
"Let us meet on Damocles—"
"W-Wait! Please send a starship to pick us up!"
Just as Emperor Polemos prepared to end the call, Ceone cried urgently before his finger paused a short distance from the red button.
Pew, pew!
Cetwo\'s expression changed abruptly before pulling out her laser gun and firing two shots before shouting, "Report; the petrels have returned with reinforcements!"
"Damn, birds!"
Ceone shortly pulled out her own high-tech firearm and began shooting as giant white petrels fell out of the sky after being struck while the rest swooped down on them in a frenzy.
"Question; why are they so mad at us? We did not antagonize them first."
"This is why I hate lesser species; unintelligent and unreasonable violent!"
As the Regulators moved, the ongoing video call screen flashed with different scenes rapidly—but slow enough for Polemos to discover the crashlanded spacecraft and droves of petrels that did not seem local to Earth.
He quickly understood the gist of the situation.
A set of coordinates was shortly sent to Damocles before Polemos sent out the order to dispatch a starship with battle droids to the Regulators\' location.
…
…
…
Damocles, Docking Bay
Shortly after Albion left with Fenriri to get changed, Emperor Polemos\'s private spaceship was moved to the repair section for maintenance after the subordinates stationed in the area noticed the dirty exterior.
The private spaceship went through a quick high-pressured water cleansing before a cleaner spotted a white feather embedded in the black spaceship\'s armor.
"What kind of feather is this? It actually broke through the defense of his Majesty\'s spaceship?" the cleaner wondered after exerting all his strength to pull out the feather.
A 2-star female officer shortly stopped by after noticing the cleaner\'s dazed look before noticing the beautiful white feather in the cleaner\'s hand.
"Where did you get that feather?" the 2-star female officer queried curiously.
"Eh? Hello, officer," the cleaner greeted before answering, "I got the feather from the spaceship while cleaning."
"Anything inside the spaceship belongs to either Emperor Polemos or the Lord," the 2-star female officer mentioned with a frown before saying, "You dare to take things from them?"
"Huh?" the cleaner was quickly shocked by the accusation before he quickly explained, "No, no! The feather was found on the spaceship, not inside of it! Look, there\'s still a few more over there!"
The cleaner pointed to a patch with more feathers embedded into the ship before the 2-star female officer\'s eyes widened in surprise.
"What kind of bird did the spaceship hit? Its feather actually penetrated the defense of grade-6 materials?"
"I would also like to know that too…"
…
While the cleaner and 2-star female officer wondered what the spaceship struck, Albion was completely oblivious to the matter as he stepped out of the change room in his new outfit—a full black medieval-styled costume with a cloak and a red Oni mask.
Fenriri shortly stepped out of another change room in her contrasting white ancient robe and blue dragon mask.
"Master, these clothes are so soft and comfortable. What do you think?"
"Hmm…" Albion gazed at Fenriri\'s outfit, which had been worn completely inside-out, before he calmly nodded with praise, "Looks good."
"Alright, that\'s that. Let us go eat now."
"Yes, Master!"