Last Chapter Recap: Tired, I resign myself to my fate. It's two o'clock… I hope the princess will pay me a visit at least once.
NOW
Gravity Prison
The judgment hour has come.
As I predicted, her highness herself has come to my humble prison. With her head held high, I can tell her confidence is unshaken.
Mine, however, is shattered by her companion. Instead of one of my slaves, she's escorted by none other than commander Heidi.
Of course, commander is already under partial effect of my brainwashing. Her reaction to my sight tells me everything I need to know.
Unfortunately, partial won't cut it here. This strong willed-woman is doubtlessly capable of suppressing unwanted thoughts. In other words, I lost!!!
"Ensign Adam Black," Tila called, her voice clear and unmistakably royal.
Sigh... "What is it, Your Highness?" Adam asked, barely masking his irritation.
"You are truly a terrifying man..." Tila said, her eyes fixed on him. "Perhaps the most dangerous agent Neo-Terra has deployed against us in this war."
Her words basically confirm what I feared. They found something. I don't know what. I don't know how. But with such a brazen plan, there was bound to be some oversight.
"And now you have this dangerous agent in your grasp," Adam said, smirking. "Congratulations—I'd clap if I could. So, what now? I bet you'll milk me for every bit of knowledge I've got."
"Of course," Tila said, her voice cool but with a flicker of intensity in her eyes. "You're our most valuable source of knowledge about crooked Neo-Terran science. If necessary... we'll even drill into your skull to extract it."
"Ha ha," Adam laughed, a dry, bitter sound.
Somehow, the prospect of my skull being drilled seems more tempting than usual interrogation.
"Well, the operation has concluded successfully," Tila said, a slight smile playing on her lips. "So, I suppose I'll tell you a secret, Adam Black—you were the target from the very start."
"H-Huh?" Adam stammered, his brows furrowing in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"The mission to deliver plans to the Combined Fleet in the Pluton Star-zone?" Tila said, her smile thin. "That was merely a ruse to smoke you out. Oh, the plans are real, by the way—we knew you wouldn't fall for a dummy. The Empire—one of the powerhouses of the Alliance—is also in the Pluton Star-zone."
"W-Wait—what?" Adam stammered, his mind racing to process the revelation. "You're telling me... The Empire is involved in this?"
"You played right into our hands..." Tila said, a slight smirk on her lips. "Though I admit, I didn't expect you'd employ such methods. Poor captain—lost half of her crew... shame on you."
Fuck! Fuck! Just as I thought… they somehow realized my saves are still complicit!
"Highness..." Heidi called, her voice interrupting the tension in the room.
"Ah, sorry, Commander," Tila said with a small laugh. "It's a nasty habit of mine."
"So, you're saying... this whole operation," Adam said slowly, piecing it together, "was just a ploy to flush out Neo-Terran agents?"
I got rid of that agent, took his place at the academy, and enslaved Principal Ms. Garcia—all to execute my plan for revenge on behalf of my family and kingdom.
Because of that, Neo-Terra sent an investigation team to Goliath to gather information. After we found it, we realized we were being tailed—then the battle broke out. It all happened after the princess's arrival. So, the database drive, the captain recovered from the enemy—it wasn't about me. It was about that agent. What a waste of time... and a massive headache.
"Exactly," Tila said, her head tilting slightly to the side, a faint, knowing smile playing on her lips. "I admit, though—I didn't expect there to be two spies, including Lieutenant Chand. Goliath really is a magnet for spies."
Ha… hahahahaha! What a cruel joke!!!
Fuck it! I should've known! I should've realized that someone like the Princess of Pandora was completely out of place aboard the Space Titan Goliath. It was a honey trap!!!
To fall into a trap that wasn't even laid out for me… and here I thought devil luck was on my side!
"Ughh..." Adam groaned. "I admit, this is my loss, Tila de Pandora. I'll tell you everything!"
"Just as you told the commander, huh?" Tila said, her gaze sharp. "No, Adam. It seems that even from this cage, you're able to somewhat influence others. I don't trust you."
She continued, her tone growing colder, "If this elaborate setup can't stop you, then we have no other choice but to neutralize you in another way."
"What?" Adam said, his voice rising in shock. "You can't—"
"After we thoroughly scan your brain," Tila said, her voice icy, "you'll be neutered until arrival at the Pluton Star-zone."
(A/N: Neutered means remove the sexual parts of an animal.)
"No—!" Adam shouted, his voice filled with panic and defiance.