Time passed, he knew not how long.
When Horatio opened his eyes again, he found himself covered by a blanket.
The feeling of the stimulant wearing off was unpleasant; his mind felt as if it were weighed down by a lead ball.
He rubbed his temples and slowly turned his gaze.
Farida stood fully armored before the Emperor's portrait, her back to him.
"Farida…? Are you alright? Uh…" He slowly stood up, his scabbard swinging against his trousers.
Farida said nothing, her eyes fixed intently on the Emperor's holy image.
As a transmigrator, Horatio knew it was a portrait of the Emperor from the 30th millennium, when he still walked among men.
But… why was she staring at it so intently?
And her gaze…
Horatio was not mistaken; Farida's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, strikingly reminiscent of her father, Navy Lieutenant General Hood.
"Mr. Horatio, we've reached the Starport. Please prepare to disembark." Her tone was as cold as frost, her voice hoarse and mature.
She turned and walked towards the door, and as she passed Horatio, she turned her head to look at him.
That resolute gaze, that mature voice made hoarse by its tone, that righteous aura, dispelling all evil.
Horatio thought he had mistaken someone else, but she was indeed Farida Hood, the Navy Lieutenant General's daughter, and she increasingly possessed her father's spirit.
[What's wrong with her? She feels like a completely different person.]
The two walked out together, silent throughout, with only the heavy footsteps of their boots on the ground.
In the bridge passage, Commodore Peru and Lieutenant Stirling were waiting for them.
"Your Excellency." Horatio saluted the Commodore.
"Mr. Horatio, Miss Hood, I'll leave her in your care. The Navy Department has dispatched Guards to escort you."
Then he looked at the girl, whose eyes were still red and swollen but whose gaze was resolute, and said in a comforting tone, "The accident is still under investigation, and Sacred Will will be towed back to Abyss Port. Everything is still inconclusive, please do not give up hope…"
Farida said nothing, only saluted solemnly.
Commodore Peru sighed, looked at Horatio, and continued, "Don't forget, tomorrow."
Horatio nodded.
[Tomorrow, to see the Inquisitor.]
"Let's go." The Commodore patted Horatio's shoulder and sighed deeply.
Several senior Foremen blew long, sharp whistles, and the Voidsmen-at-Arms, standing in two rows, presented arms for the Captain's disembarkation.
—
"Mr. Horatio, Miss Hood is in your care." Stepping out of the Naval Officer-only void elevator at the Starport, Commodore Peru did not forget to remind Horatio.
"You can rest assured, Commodore, I will ensure her safe return home," Horatio said.
"Also, don't forget about tomorrow."
"I certainly won't."
He then helped the still somewhat dazed Farida towards the Hood Family's private vehicle.
Four void-blue escort shuttles flanked the private vehicle, each filled with fully armed Guards.
The hovercar was automatically driven by its Machine Spirit. Horatio and Farida sat in the back, the only two young people in the car.
As the hovercar slowly ascended, Farida sat upright, looking out the window at the bustling, medieval Gothic and post-modern cityscape of Abyss Port at night.
It was already midnight. This long and difficult day was finally over.
"Are you feeling better now?" Horatio sat beside her, taking his saber from its shoulder strap and placing it across his lap, ensuring the blade and hilt did not dig into her.
"Mm." Farida's reply was very curt.
So curt it was almost excessive, leaving Horatio unsure how to start a conversation.
"Miss Hood, think positively. You saw the Fleet Command Throne; it's so tall and has bulletproof and fragmentation-resistant structures.
The explosion might not have harmed Navy Lieutenant General Hood; he might just be trapped by the debris. Perhaps after clearing the debris from the lower-level Combat Intelligence Command Center tomorrow, he'll be found."
Although Farida remained silent, her breathing was even, and her emerald eyes, gazing at the city outside, did not blink, appearing to be deep in thought.
Horatio also fell silent. As the stimulant wore off, his eyelids felt like they were weighted with lead, and after his nap in Farida's bedroom, he felt even more tired than if he hadn't slept.
All he wanted now was to lie on a soft bed and get a good night's sleep.
—
Gothic Sector Navy Department.
Lord Admiral Venuska Katalia was alone in her Navy Department office, reviewing Horatio's performance throughout the naval battle.
She had first obtained these top-secret recordings. As the current head of the Gothic Fleet, she felt it necessary for the future of the fleet to personally assess the professional and occupational competence of this descendant of a legendary Captain.
Her sharp gaze scrutinized his every movement, and her keen ears caught every command Horatio issued, and the timing of those commands.
She watched the young man from beginning to end, from his command in the gun emplacements, to anti-boarding operations, to rescuing the ammunition bay crisis, and then to blockade interception and encirclement and annihilation.
Although Horatio only went to the gun emplacements and had no experience in other departments.
However, as part of comprehensive combat command, the Macro cannon emplacements were precisely the best way to test a Midshipman's psychological quality, professional knowledge, correct judgment, adaptability, and accountability.
This was also why every Midshipman, before taking the Naval Lieutenant exam, had to participate in a naval battle in the Macro cannon array.
Many people started in safer rear departments in the core zone, but Horatio was directly assigned to the gun deck by Commodore Peru, which clearly implied a cross-level assessment.
On the desk in front of the Lord Admiral, there was a long, consecrated parchment.
The Lord Admiral herself was writing something on the parchment as she watched.
Under the candlelight, the title could be vaguely discerned: "Recommendation for Horatio Kirkland, Midshipman of the Gothic Fleet, to be Granted Commissioned Officer Qualification Without Examination."
The long parchment listed Horatio's military academy academic performance, exercise assessments, and combat experience from various aspects, and included his military academy transcript and a leather bag for the videotapes.
It also mentioned his importance as a descendant of Spire to fleet morale and the public opinion of Abyss Port Anchorage.
Three names were already signed on this paper.
They were the direct superior officer: Lord Captain Pringle Sterling.
The commanding Captain: Commodore Edward Peru, Captain of the Doomsday-class battlecruiser Unyielding.
The responsible officer of the Gothic Fleet Military Intelligence Headquarters: Alexander Hood.
The blank spaces still awaited at least three senior Captains, and her own signature, as the Gothic Fleet's Supreme Commander.
She was considering recommending this legendary descendant for a nomination.
And this letter of recommendation would determine whether Horatio could directly obtain an Imperial Navy Officer commission without examination.
If successful, he would be the only Imperial Navy Officer in the Gothic Fleet in the 41st millennium to receive a commission without examination, signed by the Supreme Commander.
But before that, Horatio had to first gain the approval of at least three senior Captains.
—
Alexander Hood's official residence.
The hovercar slowly descended onto the helipad behind Farida's residence.
Several shuttles also landed nearby.
The Guards inside were sent by the Navy Department to reinforce the defense of Navy Lieutenant General Hood's official residence.
They were equipped with heavy weapons, even autocannons.
Outside the official residence gate, two deep black Leman Russ Tanks belonging to the Imperial Department of Legal Affairs stood guard.
They were not only there to protect Miss Hood's safety but also served as surveillance.
On the sky garden platform, where many Imperial high-ranking officials resided, there was a patrol every 500 meters.
The Spire area had already begun martial law and a curfew, prohibiting anyone from being on the streets late at night. Violators would be immediately arrested or shot on sight.
Citizens and nobles did not know what had happened, nor why there was a sudden curfew.
In fact, when the news of Navy Lieutenant General Hood's assassination reached the Gothic Sector Ministry of Internal Affairs, it drew high attention from the Minister of Internal Affairs and the entire Gothic Fleet.
Today, if a Navy Lieutenant General could be assassinated, who could guarantee that tomorrow it wouldn't be anyone in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or even the Minister of Internal Affairs himself?
The Minister himself, in his pajamas, called relevant department heads.
Especially Jim Hank, Minister of the Administrative Affairs Department, who was specifically responsible for handling such situations, and his senior staffer Sir Humphrey, and Chief Secretary Bernard, all to his official residence for a meeting to discuss.
Ultimately, the entire message was still, through a masterful deception, first suppressed within the upper echelons of the Sector Imperial Government, 'selectively reported,' and as much as possible, only good news was reported.
This was not only because Navy Lieutenant General Hood's life or death was still unknown, making it difficult to report.
More importantly, several Inquisition Inquisitors would soon arrive at Abyss Port to conduct investigations.
If the matter were reported rashly, the Imperial bureaucrats would only get into trouble.
On this point, their interests aligned with the Imperial Navy.
After all, the Imperial Navy was an independent branch under the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Bound by interests, the Imperial bureaucrats could not escape responsibility. Their official positions had turned them into ants tied to a single string.
Therefore, the entire incident was swiftly and timely pruned by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, like trimming flowers, with unimaginable efficiency overnight.
The Imperial Documentary Court in Abyss Port worked through the night; hundreds of Scribes were confined within the Documentary Court, discussing how to write the publicly releasable portion of the news release.
They would be confined there until the investigation concluded, ensuring that those privy to the entire matter were controlled within a suitable area.
Actual human lives and the pain of the victims' families were, at this moment, processed in a data-driven, formulaic, and theoretical manner.
Just as Sir Humphrey, the senior staffer, said in his final remark at the Minister's residence meeting:
"The populace only needs to accept the 'facts,' but we Imperial bureaucrats have a lot to consider."