Chapter 88: Alliance Meeting

Ret PoV

After we left the others back in the mecha dock, the prince, we commanders (including Varia), and Lieutenants (minus Lia and the still slumbering Tira) headed to the conference room onboard the miniature class ship. The atmosphere was tense, a stark contrast to the playful energy we had just experienced.

Commander Wilneth broke the silence, tilting her head at me. "So, mind explaining the full situation with Yusan?" she asked. "I heard from the others, but I would like to hear it from you, Ret."

I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts. The memories of that day were still vivid, a mixture of fear, betrayal, and confusion. "It all started when my team and I were flying toward Edesia. We were sent to assist Commander Yusan in dealing with the rebels. The mission brief was clear: provide support and help stabilize the situation on the planet to avoid a mass rebellion."

I paused, glancing around the room to gauge their reactions. Everyone was listening intently, their expressions a mix of concern and curiosity.

"We were in mid-air, approaching the planet, when everything went sideways. A powerful laser hit us out of nowhere, taking out several of my soldiers instantly. It was a devastating blow. I had the rest of my team retreat back to the ship to avoid more casualties. At the same time the 'Sea Rose' started malfunctioning. The controls became unresponsive, and the systems went haywire."

Commander Wilneth leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. "What happened next?"

"I tried to regain control of the Sea Rose, but it was useless. The mecha wouldn't respond to any of my commands. The impact was rough, but I survived thanks to hardening my skin with my ki and positioning Sea Rose to absorb most of the shock. That's when I realized something was terribly wrong."

Wilneth frowned.

"After the crash, I was assessing the damage to my mecha and trying to figure out what went wrong. That's when Yusan appeared. He looked... different. He acted the same, chatty, annoying. But there was this cold, calculating look in his eyes that I had never seen before. He didn't waste any time. He attacked me, and it became clear that he was trying to kill me."

Commander Wilneth's face hardened. "Did he tamper with your mecha?"

I nodded. "Yes. There were clear signs of sabotage. Someone had tampered with the controls and the navigation systems. It was deliberate, and it was meant to ensure that I wouldn't survive."

Lieutenant Zairus, who had been silent until now, spoke up, his face pale. "I can't believe Yusan would go this far… He was always so cunning, but to set a trap like that against one of our own…"

I glanced at Zairus and Prince Huitlo, both of whom had worked under Yusan. "I know it's hard to believe, especially given his position as the military governor of Edesia. But he used the mission as a cover to get rid of me and anyone loyal to me. He saw me as a threat to his vision, and he wanted to eliminate me."

Zairus sighed, rubbing his temples. "This is worse than I thought. Yusan had our fellow Titanos soldiers killed... but for what?"

"He seeks to overthrow Queen Xilonem," I said.

Prince Huitlo sighed. "And he also tried to do the same to me too. My mecha stopped working the other day while in the air and someone sniped at me."

I hummed. "That sniper might've been the same one who attacked my mechas. As it's clear now that not all of you under Yusan were aware of what he was doing."

"Too bad we didn't get to question the guy ourselves," Zairus said.

Varia hummed and tapped her head. "Hello?" she said. "This is Varia."

"Huh? Varia? Are you still on Edesia?" Arisa asked as sound came the lobes of Varia's ears.

Commander Wilneth's eyes widened a bit. "This person, who is she?"

"The leader of the Edesian rebels," I said, crossing my arms.

Zairus closed his eyes. "Commander Retas, I understand why you did it, but working with those rebels in the long term isn't likely to be of any good."

Varia shushed us. 

"I hear voices," Arisa said.

"Sorry, the peanut gallery was just talking amongst themselves."

"Peanut gallery?" Huitlo said, tilting his head.

"I'm not sure what that is, but how what's your current situation?"

"We're fine. We made it to Pararis. We're currently onboard a Titanos ship. We plan to leave to my universe soon, but before that, I would like to ask, did you uncover anything about the sniper Day caught?"

"Hiesno went to interrogate him, but the guy's lips are as sealed as those of the certain commander."

"Does she mean you?" Huitlo asked.

I turned away. "Yes."

Zairus smiled. "At least you didn't give away everything."

I scratched my head. "Like I would."

Huitlo put an arm around my shoulder. "See? I knew you weren't a traitor like Tira made you out to be."

I frowned. Tira really believed I was. Yusan must've drilled it into her head a couple times, if not more. Granted, Tira was sensitive to betrayal.

Commander Wilneth looked at me, her expression softening. "Ret, you did what you had to do to survive. And now, we have to focus on stopping Yusan. We can't let his treachery go unchecked."

I nodded, feeling a renewed sense of determination. "You're right, Commander. We need to come together and put an end to Yusan's dangerous schemes. We'll need all the help we can get."

"Arisa, keep me updated if you discover anything."

Arisa's voice came through Varia's earlobes. "We'll keep you updated on our progress."

As the communication ended, I turned to my fellow commanders and Lieutenants. "We have a common enemy in Yusan. Let's put aside our differences and work together to bring him to justice."

Prince Huitlo nodded, a determined look in his eyes. "Agreed. Yusan's reign of terror ends here."

Zairus, though still looking troubled, spoke up. "I may have served under Yusan, but I stand with you all in taking him down. Justice must prevail."

Commander Wilneth clapped her hands. "Let's gather our resources and make a plan. We need to act swiftly and decisively."

"I think it's too soon. We aren't sure of the situation in Retra yet," I said.

Varia sighed. "Yeah. We will need to find him first."

"Then we should pay Zepheria a visit. He told me he saw Yusan some days ago."

Varia winced a bit. She probably didn't want to meet with a guy who she had fought against not too long ago and who almost killed her.

Commander Wilneth nodded in agreement. "Zepheria may have valuable information that could lead us to Yusan."

Prince Huitlo stood up, his expression resolute. "Let's head to Zepheria's location. We can't afford to waste any time. Yusan's actions have put all of us in danger, and we need to act swiftly to prevent any further harm."

"Alright, let's warp jump to Retra. The ship should be ready now," Wilneth said as she stood up. "I'll let the others know."

I nodded. We had to find out where that traitor was, before he could get his hands on weapons even we couldn't defeat.