The beautiful blonde girl sat astride the handsome young Naval Officer.
Her thin, translucent pink lips, adorned with high-gloss lip lacquer, exuded a faint, fresh luster.
Her glistening, beautiful lips trembled slightly, making one long to press against them.
Horatio's heart also quickened its pace as he admired the dreamlike scene before him.
As a male in the prime of his youth, especially under the influence of a slight alcoholic haze, he found it difficult to resist the temptation of such an atmosphere.
A warm current flowed through his heart.
After experiencing so much.
He wouldn't deny that he felt a stir in his heart.
Now, was it the work of physiology and alcohol, or was it a natural progression of emotions?
He couldn't say for sure, nor did he intend to waste this precious moment exploring the question.
He wrapped his arms around her slender, graceful waist, pulling her close.
Until their chests, separated by their officer uniforms, pressed together.
He felt the soft, creamy touch and elasticity.
Just as he exhaled a warm, gentle breath, and their lips were about to meet.
The ship's comm system in the room unseasonably transmitted the Captain's urgent voice.
"Acting Lieutenant Horatio, Midshipman Hood, report to the bridge immediately. We have an emergency."
Horatio and Farida instantly looked towards the comm system.
Both of their faces flushed red, and Farida stood up from him, awkwardly tidying her uniform.
"Well, it seems we'll have to continue this topic when we return," Horatio said reluctantly, still wanting more, teasing her playfully while hoping to alleviate some of her embarrassment.
Farida lowered her head, biting her lower lip with her pearly white teeth, her face scarlet, but she remained silent.
Horatio donned his bicorne hat and inserted his sheathed saber, which was on the coffee table, into his waist belt.
Then he placed Farida's bicorne hat on her head, straightening it for her.
Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Farida instinctively flinched, her downcast, flushed green eyes blinking once.
With a hint of tears, she looked at the young man's gentle, jade-like eyes in surprise.
"Let's go, it seems to be very urgent."
Horatio placed his white-gloved hand on his saber, resuming his solemn, businesslike demeanor, and offered Farida a handkerchief.
Farida reached out and took it, using her slender fingers to hold the cloth and dab away the tears on her long eyelashes.
After a few deep breaths, she pursed her lips and nodded, quickly regaining her officer's composure.
Horatio gentlemanly opened the door for her, inviting her to go first.
The two immaculately dressed Naval Officers, as if nothing had happened, walked briskly and seriously towards the elevator leading to the bridge.
"Captain." Horatio, who had stepped onto the command bridge first, saluted the Captain. Farida followed behind him, also saluting.
The battle-hardened old General's face was grim, as if something earth-shattering had occurred.
The entire ship had been placed on Level Two combat alert.
The officers, who had barely rested, were returning to their posts on the bridge one after another.
At first, they didn't understand what had happened, but once they learned of the situation on the Retribution-class Battleship Sacred Will, everyone was greatly surprised.
Commodore Peru looked at Horatio and Farida, slowly exhaling, and stated directly, "General Hood's Sacred Will has experienced an armed forces mutiny."
"Wh—" Farida's green eyes widened instantly, and a gasp caught in her throat.
"Mutiny?" Horatio's reaction was also one of surprise.
"The Voidsmen-at-Arms are loyal crewmen tested in battle; how could they mutiny?"
Precisely because the Voidsmen-at-Arms were a crucial defensive force on the battleship, the Navy Department provided them with good treatment to ensure their loyalty.
Normally, even if all the Sailors mutinied, the Voidsmen-at-Arms would not.
"I know it's hard for you to believe. But this bizarre event has happened, and if General Hood hadn't contacted me personally, I would have severely reprimanded the Communications Officer."
Commodore Peru sighed.
"General Hood is my good friend, your superior, and your father." Commodore Peru's eagle-like gaze swept over the faces of the two young officers:
"The speed of the Unyielding and other ships definitely won't be fast enough.
I will send all immediately deployable Shark Assault Boats from the Unyielding, filled with troops. And you, Acting Lieutenant Horatio, you still have your Inquisition rose knot, right?"
"Yes." Horatio pulled out the crimson rose knot from his collar.
"I hadn't intended to tell you about this so soon.
But Lieutenant Stirling and I have the duty to command the battleship and prepare for battle.
If, by any chance, we can't make it in time, and the rebels seize the Retribution-class Battleship... we might have to engage in a void battle with the Retribution-class Battleship while waiting for fleet reinforcements.
God Emperor, even I can't trust who among those nearby are loyalists and who are spies lurking among us.
According to Imperial Navy Classified Management Regulations, all classified documents must be retrieved by two officers together, under mutual supervision, to ensure the documents are not tampered with or lost.
Among everyone, only the two of you remain members of the Gothic Fleet Security Committee; one is an Inquisitor's Acolyte, and the other is his biological daughter, both trustworthy.
General Hood possesses a very important list of information, a top-secret document written on hallowed parchment. It is contained within a large leather pouch and involves the cult forces that kidnapped you at the time.
You will personally bring this information back, and the Astartes of the Blood Angels will protect your safety."
"We will not fail our mission!" Horatio's expression was solemn, and Farida bit her lower lip as she saluted Commodore Peru.
"Oh, and Acting Lieutenant Horatio, this is your symbol of authority." Commodore Peru took out a meticulously carved electrum box from his throne's storage compartment, opened it, and handed it to Horatio.
Inside lay a twelve-pointed star made of electrum, with the Unyielding's ship emblem inlaid in silver in its center. Below the emblem, the ship's name, 'Unyielding,' was engraved in a banner pattern.
"This is the Unyielding's Star of Proxy. We call it the'Star of the Unyielding.' It is eight hundred years old; keep it safe, there is only one on each battleship.
It will continue to be useful in the future, but for now, it is yours. With it, you have the authority to act as a Naval Lieutenant."
Commodore Peru said solemnly with a grave expression, "Your father also wore it. The God Emperor expects everyone to fulfill their duties."
"We will not fail the Emperor's will!"
Horatio respectfully held the twelve-pointed star with both hands, put the small box away, and pinned the palm-sized, conspicuous medal to his chest.
"Now, please proceed to the landing platform immediately, young ones. We will surely strive to salvage this crisis."
"Yes!"
The young man and woman immediately set off, Horatio and Farida rushing directly out of the command bridge.
On the Unyielding's landing platform, red warning lights flashed, and piercing sirens echoed throughout the entire compartment.
"I am the Armed Forces Officer, Unyielding Armed Forces, board the boats immediately, three minutes countdown."
The Imperial Navy Boarding Team and Voidsmen-at-Arms formed marching columns, running urgently across the platform.
They rushed into the Shark Assault Boats and took their seats.
These 55-meter-long behemoths could carry 50 mortal Soldiers at full capacity.
Tech-Priests and Acolytes performed long-range assault checks, and the Warrant Officer shouted at the Sailors to check if the fuel tanks were full for the impending long-range assault.
Given the distance between the Unyielding and the Sacred Will, even a Shark Assault Boat or Thunderhawk Gunship, fully loaded with promethium fuel, would only have enough for a one-way trip.
After obtaining the documents, Horatio and Farida would need to return by boarding another Shark Assault Boat from the Sacred Will's bridge docking platform.
General Hood had already prepared a return boat for them and arranged for his General's Guard to defend it to the death.
These assault boats would be escorted by Fury Interceptors, and depending on the situation, they would either directly ram into the Sacred Will or dock at the connecting platform.
To distinguish friend from foe, the units participating in the boarding operation updated their identification codes and also affixed fluorescent strips marked 'Military Police' to their arms, backs, and helmets for visual identification.
"Have you heard? General Hood's Sacred Will has experienced a Sailor mutiny... Unbelievable."
"My childhood friend is on board; we're very close, but I can't imagine any reason why he would do such a thing."
With such a situation on the Sacred Will, almost all personnel involved in the armed suppression were bewildered.
"Quiet, Soldiers." The Armed Lieutenant said, "The Officer has something to say."
A Military Supervisor and an Armed Lieutenant stood in the middle of the assault boat.
"Remember, upon boarding, any rebel found without a Military Police marker is to be shot on sight! I don't care if they are your friends or family.
From this moment on, they are all unforgivable sinners! Any sympathy is tantamount to betrayal!" The Military Supervisor shouted to the Voidsmen-at-Arms inside the cabin.
"Understood! Officer!"
"Let's go!" The Armed Lieutenant patted the cockpit.
The landing platform pushed the Shark Assault Boats one by one into the launch rails.
Whoosh!
The electromagnetic launch rails propelled the assault boats into the void.