Chapter 64: Yessiru’s Doubt (Extra Update)

After the retreat of the Terran mech forces, the inhabitants of Skyvault began to bustle with activity. They busied themselves collecting the wreckage of fallen mechs and hunting down the pilots who had become separated from their machines.

Two days passed. The Central District government, realizing there had been no renewed invasion from Earth, finally allowed themselves a sigh of relief. Eighteen mech pilots had been captured, but two or three remained unaccounted for. The Central District had activated the Sky Eye system, launching surveillance across every city within its borders.

In the district prison, the captured pilots were kept in separate cells and interrogated one by one. Through a series of psychological maneuvers, the authorities gradually pieced together clues about the origins of these mysterious invaders.

At that very moment, a meeting was underway in a conference room within the Central District. The district governor and representatives from various departments sat around the table.

“Some of the humanoid mech pilots we captured have already confessed,” one official reported. “According to their statements, they are not Skyvault natives. They hail from a star called Earth, somewhere in the cosmos.”

The words had barely left his lips when the room erupted into murmurs. The commotion only ceased at the district governor’s sharp rebuke.

“Quiet!” he commanded. “These Earthlings have come in search of their companions. That means the Stellar Cult has long been aware of the existence of alien civilizations. We must immediately report this to the High Priest and await his judgment!”

The governor’s proposal met with immediate and overwhelming approval. Yet, despite this consensus, a thread of tension still lingered on every face.

As the charged atmosphere settled over the chamber, the anxiety on the governor’s face began to fade, replaced by a calm and composed resolve.

“Speaking of the High Priest,” he mused, “I am reminded of something. Back in 5591, when the Great Planet drew near to Skyvault, the High Priest prophesied the challenges that would come to our world. The crisis would not come from wandering stars, he said, but from alien life as intelligent as we are.”

This was the prophecy the High Priest had spoken in 5591. In truth, he had foreseen the incursion of alien civilizations long ago. Though the prophecy may have faded from the memories of many, the district leaders and scientists had never forgotten.

Hearing this, the tension in the room seemed to melt away. To them, the High Priest was like a towering tree atop Skyvault, silently watching over all life with wisdom and strength.

“No wonder the Stellar Cult captured Earth’s scientists,” the deputy governor added with a sigh. “It was all within the High Priest’s grasp. He has always been fully aware of the Earthlings’ movements.”

Just as the crowd relaxed, the doors to the conference room swung open and a priest of the Stellar Cult entered.

“By order of the High Priest, all district representatives are to gather at the Central Temple.”

This announcement caused no surprise. Since the High Priest had foreseen everything, it was only natural that he now summoned the leaders together, no doubt to plan their response to the events unfolding.

The district governor rose and followed the priest toward the Central Temple.

…

At that moment, the narrative shifts to Earth.

The Saivians had already established themselves on Earth. In their quest to colonize other worlds, their civilization’s ecological integration technology had made tremendous leaps forward.

After Yeslu sent word to the homeworld, the Solar System was designated as a new strategic node in the galactic war. The Saivian council recognized Yeslu’s accomplishments, promoting him to commander of the Solar System fleet and governor of Earth.

In galactic civilization, when a species colonizes many planets, they rarely bother to redefine the names of stars or systems. Unless a star system is uninhabited, they simply adopt the designations given by the local native civilizations.

With the influx of Saivian immigrants, Earth began to flourish anew. Although the Saivians did not possess overwhelming technological superiority in the galactic war, their vast numbers and ability to control the resources of entire star systems allowed them to gradually subdue their rivals.

The Saivian strategy was one of patient encroachment. They did not seek to conquer every single system in the galaxy—only to annihilate or subjugate all advanced civilizations. Once that was done, the galaxy would effectively be theirs.

Yeslu sat in his floating chair, gazing down at the tireless robots and alien laborers toiling on Earth. A sense of pride welled up within him at the might of the Saivian civilization.

As he basked in the glory of his newly acquired authority, his adjutant hurried into the office.

“Commander Yeslu! We’ve received intelligence from our embedded agents within the Terran civilization. We have located the Earthlings!”

Yeslu stood, taking a small device and attaching it to his auditory organ. Instantly, a virtual screen appeared before his eyes, displaying a file sent from the direction of Earth. The Terran script was instantly translated into Saivian.

“Greetings, Commander Yeslu! Your loyal subordinate, Stein Sigel, reports: The Earthlings have discovered a life-bearing world similar to their own. They are currently migrating toward it and will arrive in several years. According to recon reports, the planet is called Skyvault and is inhabited by a native civilization. The natives’ technological level is extremely low—pre-fusion era by Earth standards—and pose no threat. The Earth Unified Government intends to settle on Skyvault, develop their civilization, and gather strength. I will continue my infiltration; many Terrans under my leadership now yearn to join the Saivian cause. We eagerly await your arrival, Commander!”

The message concluded with the star chart location of Skyvault and the safe route the Earthlings had traveled.

After reading the report, Yeslu made no visible reaction. Instead, he scrutinized the star chart for any oddities.

“Saivis, report again on the Terrans’ propulsion technology intelligence we’ve gathered,” he ordered.

“Yes, Commander. During our reconnaissance, we found Earth had already developed antimatter propulsion. According to our technological assessments, this is highly anomalous. Their interstellar travel capabilities are drastically out of step with the rest of their civilization’s development.”

“Estimate the plausibility of their speed,” Yeslu said.

“No need, sir. Our investigation shows their spaceflight technology is deeply unreasonable. We have already begun inquiries throughout the Solar System and neighboring star systems.”