Return from Ceres

[cloningblues]

[Back on Star Rose, Asagi watches the fleet returning from the battle of Ceres through a window as it passes by the station. It was a victory where humanity managed to hold the line against the Wulgaru, and his decisive action in taking command over Team Rabbits when Izuru wasn't available had a part in that. And yet...]

Many ships are missing...

How many casualties did we suffer in this battle alone? And in this whole conflict?

Comments

[cloningblues]

Is it possible to fight a larga-scale battle where only a single person dies?

[kill_all_vagans]

I'd like to believe that. If you could kill an enemy commander, throw their forces into disarray, and then demand they surrender with the promise that they'd be treated fairly, then, then-

That...

[Even Flit can see the holes in that. It would require so many things to go right.]

...

It's easier said than done...

[cloningblues]

We don't even know if the Wulgaru have commanders. The closest they have to one might be that white unit... And you've seen how strong it was.

[kill_all_vagans]

Strong enough to get the better of Red Five on two separate occasions now...

[Not to mention humiliate Leos. Flit has no doubt that AGE-1 wouldn't fare well against this enemy, even with the Titus gear. For an enemy like that, you'd need speed... incredible speed and maneuverability...]

... But there's no way an AI or mindless soldier would showboat like that!

[A beat.]

... Unless it was one like Elizabeth...

[cloningblues]

That wasn't an AI. That was a real Wulgaru soldier. A really good one.

Who's Elizabeth?

[kill_all_vagans]

She was a really advanced AI who was here for a little while. You know, with her sister Cathy!

[cloningblues]

Oh, that Elizabeth! I almost forgot about her. I even helped her when she was stuck in my room once...

[Asagi feels stupid right now for forgetting.]

I wonder what she's doing now.

[kill_all_vagans]

Hopefully not having to deal with as much as we are.

[cloningblues]

At this rate, those are matters all people will have to deal with eventually.