Ziye watched the pirate ship being hauled away, a wave of pure relief washing over her, finally letting out a long-held breath of frustration.

Moments later, Li Chunyu messaged her. "Our legion doesn't have any raiders available, and the battleships are too slow. Would a frigate work? The frigates are fast, and while they don't pack much firepower, they won't engage since they'll see the Huaxia Legion markings."

Ziye dared not make further demands; a frigate bearing the Huaxia Legion's insignia shouldn't attract interference. She agreed, "Fine. When can I leave?"

"Take a shuttle out. Come out from the rear, aiming for the third frigate up from the captured raider on the right-hand side. It's currently positioned within the fleet. Wait for the fleet-wide broadcast authorizing departure; they'll escort you out shortly. Oh, and how many crew do you need for your raider? I can arrange for a few people to pilot it out to help you disguise the departure."

As he spoke, a light screen flickered, displaying the coordinates he had sent. Ziye felt deeply moved; Li Chunyu had been so thoughtful, anticipating everything for her.

Her voice choked with emotion, "Thank you, Brother Chun'er. I will certainly repay this kindness."

Li Chunyu smiled gently, "Silly girl, I didn't do this expecting anything in return. Be careful on your journey. I'm still at the academy and can't get back just yet."

Ziye nodded, tears welling, "Mmm."

She disembarked from the Phantom-class Raider and, following Li Chunyu's directions, located the specified frigate.

On this deck, row upon row of identical frigates stretched out before her. As she stepped inside, two men emerged to greet her. Both were clad in traditional Zhongshan suits, projecting an air of refined scholarly calm.

Ziye paused, surprised, "Hello. I'm here to claim the ship."

Both men were young, and they looked somewhat alike—likely brothers. One of them spoke, "Chunyu mentioned you haven't piloted one of our legion's ships before, so we were worried you might have trouble driving. He asked us to come help."

Ziye glanced at the control panel; it was largely the same as the frigates she was familiar with. Piloting shouldn't be an issue. "I am a professional pilot; I can handle it. Thank you for your thoughtfulness."

The two brothers exchanged a look. The older one chuckled, "You don't need a first officer, either?"

A standard frigate usually had a Captain and a First Officer.

Ziye deployed her two specialized robots. "I have these two; they understand the systems."

The brothers' eyes lit up when they saw the two robots with skin so flawless it seemed to bloom. "You're Ziye, the designer from Mengya Group? We've admired your work for ages!"

Earlier, Li Chunyu had mentioned his junior apprentice was the robotics designer from Mengya Group, but they hadn't believed him. Now, seeing the youthful girl with a cute, winged orb perched atop her head, their respect for her image soared inexplicably.

Appearances truly are deceiving!

Ziye managed an awkward smile, "Thank you."

One of them added, "The robots you make are exceptionally beautiful and powerful. Chunyu brought one back once, and we were terribly envious."

Hearing such praise brightened Ziye’s mood considerably. "Once I get through this rush, I'll make two for Chunyu to bring to you both. Right now, I’m quite pressed for time."

The brothers nodded. "In that case, we won't keep you. Wait for the departure broadcast. This fleet is being dispatched for border garrison duty. Once you reach the border, detach from the fleet, cross the Fia border, and you'll reach the Angel Domain."

Ziye nodded, and the brothers exited the frigate.

Ziye closed the hatch and gestured for the robots to take the first officer's seat. Little Sprout immediately hopped onto the console and settled in securely.

Just then, the fleet broadcast activated: "All Captains and First Officers, please take your stations. Press 1 if ready for departure, or press 2 if a delay is required."

Ziye decisively pressed 1.

The broadcast continued: "Initiating departure sequence. Please align in order."

It was Ziye's first time participating in a fleet operation, and she found the process rather novel. With so many ships around, she wasn't worried about being intercepted. She smoothly exited the hangar, falling into formation with the escort.

Fleet operations had one great advantage: the captain had a very relaxed duty.

The fleet had a designated Leader and a Deputy Leader.

Under normal circumstances, the Leader directed the movement. If the Leader encountered an unforeseen issue, the Deputy Leader took over.

During transit, neither cruising nor warp jumps required individual input. The lead frigate possessed fleet-wide jump capabilities, ensuring the entire formation moved in perfect synchronization.

Ziye had been running on adrenaline for days and was utterly exhausted. The rare chance to skip the mental strain of warp jumps meant she immediately closed her eyes in the Captain's chair to rest, only rousing when the fleet broadcast announced the approach to a stargate.

Stargates were massive symbols in space, but also a major headache.

You couldn't warp directly through a stargate, nor could the fleet lead the entire formation through. Before the gate, each ship had to navigate through individually, after which the fleet would execute a collective warp jump.

Each time Ziye was just beginning to drift into a comfortable rest, the fleet broadcast would jar her awake, which was intensely frustrating. Eventually, she simply told Little Sprout to handle passing through the stargates while she leaned over the command chair and fell soundly asleep.

Though light, frigates still experienced some tremor during warp transition. Ziye's sleep was restless. When she awoke, it was evening. She looked up at the viewport—the monotonous, vast expanse of space remained unchanged.

"Where are we?"

Little Sprout was nearly asleep too, the tiny sprout on its head bent into a Z-shape. Hearing Ziye, it puffed itself up and checked the display. "One more jump."

Ziye nodded, wiping her face with a wet cloth to clear her head. Just then, the ship's voice system activated: "Greetings, friend of Chunyu."

Ziye immediately straightened up, feeling as though she’d been called on in class, and sharply replied, "Reporting!"

The voice continued, "This is as far as our legion escorts you; we have reached our border. Once you detach from the fleet, proceed straight ahead, and you will soon reach the Angel Domain."

Ziye nodded gratefully, "Thank you all for escorting me this far."

The voice softened slightly. "It was nothing; we were going this way anyway. Be cautious as you move forward; the border zone has many ships and a mixed populace."

Ziye nodded in acknowledgment again.

Having detached from the fleet, Ziye plotted the route to the Angel Domain and initiated another warp sequence.

There were fewer ships during the night, and Ziye proceeded with caution. Furthermore, the Huaxia Legion markings on the frigate seemed to afford her safe passage across the Fia Legion's territory, successfully entering the Angel Domain.

Finally, safe!

Ziye didn't even need navigation anymore; she knew the routes in the Angel Domain by heart, executing warp jumps while pondering who she should contact for help. While many legions had offered humanitarian aid after the Wolf's Den space station was bombed, returning to the Wolf's Den alone in a Huaxia Legion ship felt improper toward the Huaxia Legion.

Who did she know in the Angel Domain?

She turned to Little Sprout, who immediately hopped up and declared, "Our Douban!"

-RS