The preparations humanity made for this engagement surpassed my expectations! The swift fall of the outer sects is directly attributable to the sudden appearance of three unidentified machines. It was my oversight not to have been sufficiently alarmed by the emergence of this new weapon.

After all the fleets of the Ancient Legion had successfully retreated, Weng Sha-lie convened a high-level meeting. Addressing the assembly of Ape Masters seated below him, he spoke thus:

“My Lord, please do not speak that way. The appearance of a new weapon is a low-probability, unpredictable factor. Moreover, new weapons have appeared on the battlefield before, but none have affected the course of battle as profoundly as those three machines today,” one Ape Master said respectfully.

“I concur with that assessment. The combat capability of those three machines is at least a generation ahead of Earth Forces’ past equipment. Sir, forgive my bluntness, but even you, without concrete intelligence to support it, could not have predicted the impact such a new weapon would have on the battlefield before the engagement,” another Ape Master added.

“Exactly.”

“Indeed.”

The majority of the other Ape Masters nodded in agreement. Though a few wore complicated expressions, none voiced a direct objection.

“Since that is the case, the matter of the new weapon is temporarily concluded. I will inform Lord Hras to investigate the details within the human world,” Weng Sha-lie surveyed the room. “As for our loss of Europa,” he turned toward a stout figure in the seats below, “Gangdi, tell me, exactly what transpired on Europa?”

The Ape Masters turned their gazes toward Gangdi, their eyes harboring a host of hostile sentiments: anger, contempt, disappointment, and scorn.

Every movement and utterance of a Master-level expert is imbued with will. As so many gazes converged on Gangdi, the heavy mental pressure made his body feel weighted down.

However, Gangdi knew very little beyond the fact that Master Garcia had led a contingent to storm the fortress and fought him. He could only stammer out a few details, explaining only that the Nuclear Arsenal had been attacked by a mysterious individual, and the nuclear warheads were subsequently modified and detonated.

“A mysterious individual? You don’t even know if it was a squad or just one person?”

“This is too sloppy! What happened to Base Two and Base Three on Europa? Don’t you have any insight?”

“You say a certain suspicious individual infiltrated Fortress One a day prior? What use is saying that now? Once you learned someone had infiltrated, you should have been far more vigilant! To still be hampered by them—what other explanation is there besides your incompetence?”

“Gangdi, this is inexcusable.”

“Enough!”

Weng Sha-lie raised a hand, halting the barrage of accusations. “The defensive measures of the Nuclear Arsenal are the most stringent. Even a Master-level expert might not open it easily. Using a lightsaber to cut through would only trigger a massive explosion burying everything. There was no option other than systematically cracking the security doors. The intruder opened the Arsenal doors in such a short time, clearly indicating prior preparation. Even you might not have anticipated this. Objectively speaking, do not use words like incompetence.”

The Ape Masters fell silent. Gangdi, surprised that Weng Sha-lie had defended him, immediately showed a flicker of joy.

“However!” Weng Sha-lie’s tone shifted, “Gangdi, as the supreme commander of Europa’s defense system, regardless of the reason, the loss of all three fortresses is an unforgivable crime!”

“I offer my deepest apologies, My Lord,” Gangdi bowed deeply, feigning apprehension. “But the Jovian campaign is not yet over. I beg your permission to redeem myself through service.”

The atmosphere in the chamber became so still a pin drop could be heard as the Ape Masters all looked to Weng Sha-lie, awaiting his judgment.

Weng Sha-lie considered for a moment, then nodded. “Very well! Your punishment will be temporarily postponed. In the battles to come, you must re-prove your worth. If you fail to achieve sufficient merit, this transgression will be pursued alongside the crime of your fleet’s total annihilation during the last engagement.”

“Yes, thank you, My Lord!” Gangdi lowered his head and spoke with utmost reverence.

Weng Sha-lie grunted, his gaze sweeping over the Ape Masters, and continued, “Although we failed in the battle for Callisto, and lost Europa, the matter is not over. Io, Ganymede, as well as moons like Callisto Five, Six, and Fourteen still hold fortresses. We still maintain an advantage. Our fight with the Earth Forces has only just begun.”

“Yes!” the Ape Masters chorused.

After the engagement, the Earth Forces and the Ancient Legion disengaged, each side tending to their remnants while awaiting the next clash. The Earth Forces settled on Callisto, intending to use the moon's mass to shield themselves from the fortress cannons deployed by the Ancient Legion.

“Sir, Marshal Alexander’s adjutant contacted me. The Marshal wishes to speak with you, privately,” Katerina walked onto the bridge and whispered into Yang Ying’s ear.

“Privately?” Yang Ying pondered for a few seconds before asking, “When?”

“As soon as possible. The adjutant gave me a private channel number that connects directly to the Marshal. He said the Marshal is waiting for you,” Katerina replied.

“Then let’s do it now. I want to hear what Marshal Alexander has to say.” Yang Ying exchanged a quick word with Howard, then rose and walked out of the bridge with Katerina.

Arriving at his quarters, Yang Ying opened the door and stepped inside.

The room’s furnishings were extremely sparse: only a bed and a desk with a chair, with no other furniture present.

Yang Ying sat down at the desk, placed the communicator upon it, and turned it on. Katerina stepped forward and dialed the private number. A few seconds later, Marshal Alexander appeared on the holographic screen.

“Your Excellency, Marshal. Greetings. May I ask why you sought me out?” Yang Ying greeted him.

“Commander Yang Ying,” Marshal Alexander seemed still immersed in the joy of victory, smiling warmly. “I will skip the pleasantries. How is the status of your mercenary corps' ‘Thor’?”

Following this battle, almost all high-ranking military officials regarded the Thor as a weapon defining an era. Its robust armor, powerful and comprehensive firepower, combined with its flexible deployment, meant that both sky and ground fell under the Thor’s control.

This heavy assault mecha represented the trend of future battlefields—a historical weapon, much like the rifle, the tank, or the missile, capable of drastically altering the nature of warfare.

Yang Ying was unaware of the exact thoughts within the military high command, but he could generally guess. Alexander’s private communication was clearly related to this matter. He replied calmly, “It was just recovered by a transport ship and is currently undergoing repairs. The Thor sustained significant damage during this battle; there isn't nearly a flat surface of armor left on it. It was subjected to sustained fire from all manner of artillery, beams, and missiles. Nearly the entire fortress defense capability focused on the Thor. If its armor hadn't been made from the same material as that of a Leviathan-class battlecruiser, it would never have withstood such intensity of attack. Even so, the Thor’s armor is near its limit.”

After grasping the situation, Marshal Alexander inquired, “Since it is so severely damaged, how long will it take to repair and re-enter the fray?”

“I estimate, at least one week.”

Yang Ying knew his own business. The Thor had only just been manufactured, and spare parts were not sufficiently stocked. Repairing one damaged Thor was manageable, but repairing three, all damaged to this extent and requiring deep overhauls—there simply weren’t enough replacement parts. Most of that week would be dedicated to allowing the Floating Continent to manufacture the necessary components.

“One week? It seems difficult for the Thor to make it to the landing operation on Ganymede.”

Marshal Alexander frowned, thinking for a moment, his expression turning very serious. He looked at Yang Ying with intense eyes. “Seven days is too long. Why don’t we let the military’s maintenance personnel assist in repairing one or two Thors? This would greatly reduce the repair pressure on your corps and allow this epoch-making weapon to return to the battlefield sooner, contributing more to the subsequent fighting.”

Here it comes, the crucial point. Yang Ying let go of his smile and replied coldly, “May I ask, Marshal, where did you observe that the military’s maintenance personnel are capable of repairing the Thor? They have absolutely no knowledge of the machine. Trying to repair it might end up with them damaging components further, leaving the Thor even more incomplete. Should I perhaps send them the schematics for the Thor as well, to prevent them from making mistakes?”

Yang Ying’s words clearly conveyed distrust in the military maintenance crews, implying they might dismantle parts of the Thor for research and then cover up the damage by claiming they had broken it.

Alexander clearly understood the unspoken message in Yang Ying’s words and immediately waved his hand. “Commander Yang Ying, please don't misunderstand. My suggestion carries no malice; it is merely offering your corps a favorable option. Wouldn’t many things become more troublesome if the military didn't offer assistance? As for the schematics, I will treat that as a joke. I trust the military maintenance personnel are not so incompetent…”

Alexander was also speaking in double entendre, subtly warning Yang Ying to surrender one Thor to the maintenance personnel for study to avoid further complications.

Yang Ying let out a cold laugh, remaining silent. Since the military deemed the Thor an epoch-making weapon, allowing the Tran Corporation to monopolize such a weapon would surely incite jealousy among many, especially the consortium of military suppliers: the Military Industrial Complex Council (MICC). They monopolized the Earth Forces' provisions and held numerous advocates within the military structure, and they would absolutely not tolerate an external power seizing business from their system and threatening their standing.

The Tran Corporation had recently refused the Council’s invitation, which meant they had forfeited the chance to integrate into the Council's system. The two entities were now in competition. Upon learning of a weapon like the Thor, the MICC would naturally react.

A brief silence fell between them before Yang Ying broke it, “Marshal Alexander, I will dispense with pretense. I will ask directly: Are you a member of the Council?”