Two-Person Galactic Journey: Earth Was Destroyed While Imprisoned in Space Prison

Chapter 227

Chapter 227

I once heard that comets trail tails because the heat of a star melts the surrounding ice.

If that's true, then that object flying with a tail despite being clearly distant from the star must not be a comet after all.

There are six objects resembling comets flying toward us. Why would they risk being discovered by intelligent life just to fly with tails? The questions only increased.

"Emotion. Please collect the data."

'Is something bothering you?'

"Yeah. It's just a little concerning."

Flying with a tail. Being visible even from a considerable distance is probably because it's emitting light itself—or releasing some luminous substance.

For a creature whose purpose is to parasitize other lifeforms to so blatantly reveal itself, there must be a reason. But that reason is unclear. From what Terapolapaneshio said, it seems battles between intelligent life and those things have been sporadically occurring since long ago, not just with the Federation.

But stopping at the thought of 'that's just the kind of creature it is' isn't Kait's way. Even if it doesn't lead to a permanent solution, he wants to at least understand Lufate Gainun's behavioral principles.

'Understood. Please at least select the truly necessary data.'

"First, the composition of their body structure. Next, the wavelength of the emitted luminous matter. Once secured, compare it with the data stored by the Federation."

'Got it.'

For the first time in a while, his instincts were telling him—this is something quite important.

The size of the mother bodies mimicking comets is said to be about ten kilometers in diameter at the largest, and around three kilometers at the smallest. Come to think of it, the comet-mimicking mobile mother body—was it a creature itself, or a vessel carrying Lufate Gainun?

Kait exited Queen Bee and broke away from the Federation fleet forming a formation, positioning himself alone where he could clearly see the mobile mother body.

'Don't break formation, that ship over there! ......Ah, wait! Kait, Third-Rank Citizen (Enec Lagif)!? Please fall back! That area is in the line of fire and dangerous!'

The command that came through the transmission turned into a warning midway. Being famous isn't always a bad thing. Since the other side was entirely in the right, he bowed his head in apology.

"Sorry. I'll fall back once I've clearly identified their form. Please give me just a moment."

'U-Understood! Please make sure to do so before the firing begins!'

"Roger that."

From the other side of the transmission, he could hear someone saying, 'I just talked to Kait, the Third-Rank Citizen!' to their crewmates. You know I can hear you, right?

Kait's eyes caught the form of the lead mobile mother body. Because it was scattering luminous material around it, the main body deeper inside was hard to see. He'd have to rely on Emotion here.

'Recording complete. Let's fall back.'

"Okay."

Moving Queen Bee out of the firing line, Kait began preparing for battle. He detached all the Worker Bees from the ship's hull and had them float around.

'Oh? Not using the Psionic Launcher?'

"Yeah. Firing that might interfere with the other ships' shots."

'I see. That's true.'

Besides, the highly penetrating Psionic Launcher wasn't very effective for suppressing the scattered larvae. A weapon that could be used like a barrage was more suited for area suppression.

'How about ramming into the comet?'

"You want to get swarmed by larvae?"

'......That was a slip of the tongue. Please forget it.'

Emotion must have imagined those things swarming the ship's hull. Kait pictured it too and had ruled it out from the beginning. If he was going to do it, he'd have to control it properly from inside Queen Bee. Otherwise, the larvae might swarm not just the ship but his body too.

The lead mobile mother body entered effective firing range. However, the fleet had yet to begin firing.

The reason was simple. Terapolapaneshio would handle the mother body. The fleet's role was to eliminate the larvae scattered by the mother body. Until larvae were released, the fleet wouldn't move.

"Still, I wonder why they're not firing. Feels like we could at least chip away at it a little."

'Apparently, if you do that, the mobile mother bodies following behind will choose to retreat. But once they start releasing larvae, they won't retreat anymore.'

"I see. So they've already tested it. Makes sense."

After all, the Federation had far more combat experience. Any idea Kait could come up with now, they'd already tried and moved past.

The second, third, and fourth ones. Gradually, the other mobile mother bodies were entering the firing line.

As the fifth entered the line, something other than a luminous object emerged from the first. It was quite close to where Kait was stationed.

'Open fire!'

Simultaneously, the command was issued. The Federation fleet began firing all at once.

The scattered objects—presumably the larvae—were obliterated without a chance to resist. But the first one, while continuing to scatter larvae, did not retreat. Kait didn't follow its rapidly approaching form with his eyes. Instead, he focused on the mobile mother body coming from behind.

"The rearmost one... has entered the firing line too!"

He directed the Worker Bees to crush the freshly released larvae swarm. As more larvae were released, he sent another strike while pulling back.

Stirring through the luminous matter, the Worker Bees went around destroying the larvae released from the second mobile mother body.

The third and fourth ones behind had also begun releasing. The number was overwhelming.

"Yeah, no kidding—we definitely need numbers!"

'The last one has also begun releasing larvae. Do the mobile mother bodies not have very good vision?'

"Or maybe they're chasing the emitted luminous matter. As long as they can see it, they might not retreat."

'That sounds plausible.'

The lead mobile mother body passed close to Queen Bee. Suppressing his desire to look, Kait focused on operating the Worker Bees. Emotion was surely recording everything perfectly without him needing to look.

As the other mobile mother bodies gradually approached, Kait shifted his focus from the second one onward.

The Worker Bees seemed to be slowing down a bit. What could it be?

"Emotion. The Worker Bees aren't responding well."

'Checking. ......It might be the body fluid stuck to them. It's highly acidic. The Worker Bees are protected by the Captain's psychic power, but the surrounding fluid has crystallized. If we don't scrape it off, their performance will drop.'

"Got it!"

The larvae's body fluid was acidic, but in space, it quickly froze. Since they were destroying other larvae in that state, the fluid layered and crystallized.

He temporarily pulled the Worker Bees back and instructed them to rub against each other. The crystals soon flaked off, and their movement visibly improved.

It might be useful for some research. Thinking he'd collect the crystals later, he sent the Worker Bees toward the mobile mother bodies again.

Then, a strong psychic power reaction. Kait glanced behind him.

A rainbow light radiated from Di-Kigaia Zarmos. No—perhaps only Kait's eyes caught it. The rainbow light enveloped the mobile mother body and seemed to constrict tightly.

"Whoa."

If he hadn't seen it, it might've just looked like the mobile mother body exploded. After the explosion, there was no trace left—not even of the larvae it had released. It had been crushed entirely.

Come to think of it, this might've been the first time he saw Terapolapaneshio unleash offensive psychic power.

Di-Kigaia Zarmos moved forward. The other mobile mother bodies entered range all at once. Before long, every one of them was thoroughly crushed and vanished.

"......I wonder if the Federation has any mobile mother body specimens?"

'......Who knows?'

The countless released larvae were destroyed completely by overwhelming firepower before they could reach any planet or small asteroid. Unlike Terapolapaneshio's destruction, this left behind a fair amount of wreckage.

"Since this side leaves behind potential specimens, they should remain intact without issue."

'......Agreed.'

The contrast made it clear why Terapolapaneshio was called the strongest force in the galaxy.