Perhaps because Thomas had made it a priority, the supply gathering finished in the blink of an eye, and our departure clearance was issued shortly after.
I had a nagging suspicion that while we were away on the battlefield, Walter might try something bold, like declaring himself Emperor the moment our backs were turned. When I voiced my concerns to my wife, she just shrugged.
"Even if the civil officials allowed it, the military and the nobility never would," Veronica said. "Leave him be."
I suppose she was right.
We spent the afternoon handling cargo loading at the spaceport. Edge, Coco, and I were in high demand since we were the only ones with forklift licenses and slinging training. The rest of the group had been conscripted into spaceport security.
Having done this sort of thing extensively back at the hotel, it was practically second nature to us. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it our "specialty," but we were certainly moving with more efficiency than any part-time laborer.
For this mission, my wife’s ship had been upgraded to the latest model of a super-large battleship. Since the Imperial Guard didn't have enough personnel to man a vessel of that scale, volunteer soldiers were pulled in from the Space Marines. They all had the hardened, intimidating faces of Yakuza, which honestly made me feel like I could trust them to get the job done.
Furthermore, by order of the Empire, students from the university division of the Officer Academy were brought on board to gain "field experience." There was no way they wouldn't be useful; you can never have too many fighter or tank pilots.
...Meanwhile, my friends and I only held licenses for transport craft.
That said, the university students were absolutely floored when they saw our simulator scores for the humanoid fighters.
"Wait, this is the high school average? These are ace pilot numbers!"
"Are you serious? You entered the atmosphere while blocking anti-aircraft fire with a shield? People usually die doing that!"
"How are you so good with ballistic weaponry? What do you mean, 'you’d be dead if you weren't'? Excuse me?"
I was starting to worry that I’d end up acting like a seasoned non-commissioned officer, constantly barking at the university kids.
One real lifesaver was the inclusion of agricultural graduate students. With them on board, we could actually manage the high-level hydroponic cultivation facilities and keep the food production plants running.
(The equipment was university-level, so they wouldn't let us touch it for fear of us accidentally killing ourselves or the crops.)
At the very least, we wouldn't have to worry about going hungry.
Once preparations were complete, we waited for our scheduled departure.
"Looking at it this way, one realizes just how vital non-combatants are," Veronica remarked, acting in her capacity as Captain.
"Well, we spend a lot more time living than we do fighting," I replied. She seemed impressed by the sentiment.
Departure was set for nightfall. Currently, the spaceport was a hive of activity, frantically pulling together reconstruction supplies while dealing with a massive influx of people. There were those fleeing the capital, claiming it was no longer habitable, and those flocking to it, believing it was the safest place left in the Empire.
While that was a matter of personal freedom, I doubted those who fled now would ever be able to restore their reputations. Because of the chaos, security was stretched thin. Once the loading was finished, Edge, Coco, and I were reassigned to patrol duty.
The situation was total chaos, with anti-establishment types mixed into the crowds. I don't care if you're against the Imperial Family, but for god's sake, read the room. We had bigger problems to deal with right now. I knew there was a potential timeline where Edge joined the rebels and started a revolution, but from a soldier’s perspective, they were just a nuisance.
If you want to play revolutionary, do it after we've beaten the Zork!
As I was directing traffic with a glowing wand, an old man decided to pick a fight with me.
"Listen to me, you pawn of the authorities!" he screamed, grabbing me by the collar.
I really wanted to deck him.
Seeing the old man accost me, the Imperial Guard nearby completely panicked.
"S-Stop! Don't kill him, Lord Groom!"
What do they think I am?
The old man was quickly hauled away by the guards. I was at my wit's end. This was a job for the professionals. I pulled out my communicator.
"What is it, Leo-kun?" a middle-aged voice answered.
"Count Rancid. I’ve been dealing with would-be terrorists all afternoon. Could you send some Public Security people down here?"
"What? Where are you?"
"The airport. People are trying to smuggle in weapons, and a bunch of idiots are trying to hold anti-establishment protests in the middle of this crowd. They’re blocking traffic and shoving flyers in everyone's faces. It's slowing down the departure."
"Dammit! No one told me! Fine, I'll send a team immediately. Make sure the Princess and Major Piggett are in the loop!"
"You got it."
Next, I called my wife.
"What is it, Lord Groom?"
"I asked Public Security to send reinforcements. The situation on the ground is reaching its breaking point."
"Understood. I shall inform Piggett myself."
A short while later, Public Security arrived with several prison vans. The regular police had been trying to direct traffic and had arrested a few of the more violent ones, but they were limited by how often they could realistically charge people with "obstruction of official duties." The Public Security specialists, however, had no such qualms. They began rounding up the political agitators one after another.
The situation was suppressed in no time. Honestly, why did setting sail have to be this much work?
By nightfall, we were all exhausted. Even Major Piggett looked like he’d aged five years. I decided to leave the post-departure night watch to the university students who hadn't been much help during the day.
We finally boarded and prepared for takeoff. Fortunately, the food plants and other essentials were ready. I took my place on the bridge, trying to look like "unimportant staff member number three."
"Depart!" Veronica commanded.
At her signal, the massive warship took flight. I let out a sigh of relief. Finally, we were actually doing military work. Our destination was a large colony just past the Capital Planet, where we were scheduled to rendezvous with Baron Ohno.
I had an image of the Baron being a terrifying man. If he had the face of a Yakuza, I knew I could trust him. That was mostly a joke, of course, but you can always spot a combat veteran. Well, I’d worry about him once we actually met.
"Wife, do you mind if I crash?" I asked.
"Go ahead. You worked yourself to the bone today, Lord Groom. I’ll handle the rest. Get some sleep."
I headed for my quarters. It wasn't a shared room for the two of us, but since I had officially become an officer on paper, I was granted a private room. I wasn't the captain this time, but the rank inflation was getting terrifying. I had somehow ended up as a Captain rather than a First Lieutenant. Apparently, so many officers had died that they’d had to adjust the ranks across the board.
Rising through the ranks was all well and good, but my actual administrative skills weren't keeping pace with my combat record. It was a bit stressful.
As for the other room assignments, there had been a major dispute regarding Kevin. He hadn't been kicked out of the military, but he had been slapped with a pay cut. Kevin had requested a spot in the men's six-person barracks, but there was no way that was going to happen given his current appearance.
When it came to placing him in a two-person female dorm, the reactions were split: The "I’d hate to be roomed with a former man" faction—the sane ones. The "I’m fine with it if I can use him as a dress-up doll" faction—the ones losing their grip. The "More than welcome! I won't take responsibility for what happens! Hehehe!" faction—the ones who were immediately disqualified.
In the end, he was roomed with Melissa, who fell into the "I don't really care" category. Personally, I thought I should have just taken the six-person bunk and given my private room to Kevin, but that was rejected on the grounds of "assassination prevention."
It was all very complicated.
I drifted off to sleep while mulling over these trivial problems. Outside the viewport, the planets near the Imperial Capital drifted silently by.