Chapter 22
The Divin forces ceased their combat actions. However, there was one ship that hadn't grasped the situation—Gilbert's.
'Why are you stopping?! Fight, keep fighting! At this rate, we'll—!'
"You're the last one left, Gilbert Jane."
'You monster—!'
Standing in the vacuum of space without a suit and acting like it was nothing. Thinking that maybe it was fair to call him a monster, Kait turned the Queen Bee around.
While deflecting the clearly aimed energy blasts targeting Kait's exposed body, he accelerated with the intent to ram the bow into the enemy. At the moment of engagement, he fired several steel plates—namely, the Worker Bees—but the attack craft carrying Gilbert flew about unfazed.
It was clearly faster than a large ship. Kait thought that a head-on collision with a Worker Bee would sink it in one blow, but the enemy seemed to understand that too and zigzagged around. Most of the Worker Bees were dodged, and even when they hit, they only grazed the hull and failed to deliver a critical blow.
Emotion was warning him from inside to come back quickly, but he had no intention of doing so just yet. It was better to gain combat experience now, in preparation for the day he'd set out across the sea of stars.
As for Gilbert, it seemed he had no means of attack beyond the energy blasts. He kept moving to avoid being targeted, all while firing them meaninglessly and tasting the futility of it all.
'Damn you, you damn monster—!'
"Gilbert Jane. Are you familiar with the ecology of bees?"
Several clashes occurred as he fired Worker Bees. The Queen Bee remained unscathed, while Gilbert's attack craft had taken multiple hits, though none were fatal.
His eyes had grown quite accustomed to the battle. It was probably time to end this. He didn't want to keep Ritimiele and the others from the Federation waiting any longer.
"Deploy."
All Worker Bees not forming the pedestal were detached from the Queen Bee.
Using the steel plates lodged in Gilbert's attack craft as markers, Kait sent the Worker Bees to pursue from all directions.
'What the!?'
Unless one had eyes capable of seeing in all directions simultaneously, it was impossible to dodge everything. The attack craft moved erratically, but as more Worker Bees embedded themselves in the hull, its movements gradually slowed.
Before long, the swarm of Worker Bees completely enveloped the attack craft, and it came to a halt.
"Well then."
'Eek.'
Just one more strike. That would finish it.
"Gilbert Jane. At the very least, you're not the kind of Earthling who should be allowed to join the Federation."
'W-Wait! Please, wait. I admit it. I've done bad things. I have no intention of joining this Federation or whatever. Just exile me and let me go.'
Those were Gilbert's words. Facing defeat, he had started playing whatever cards he could to survive.
The way he begged for his life without hesitation made him seem either shameless or incredibly tenacious.
"Very well. I'll exile you from here. ...Go."
'Thank you. I appreciate it. ...Wait, what's this?'
But Kait had no intention of letting Gilbert go free from this place. He had the Worker Bees surround the craft and then sent it away from this space. The destination had already been set.
He assumed the attack craft had some kind of teleportation device installed. Otherwise, Gilbert wouldn't have asked to be exiled. He was probably planning to pretend to be exiled and then teleport back to Earth. That wouldn't be allowed.
"Now then, it's over. Emotion, please contact Ritimiele."
'Before that, get back inside the ship already!'
Clearly at her limit, Emotion's angry voice echoed from below.
***
The disarmed Divin ship was to be returned to Earth for the time being.
Ritimiele was explaining the situation to the Earthlings who had been taken off the ship and those who had been left behind.
"The Federation has brought the artificial satellite Abakia here. All Earthlings will be housed there, and after appropriate procedures, they will be sent to the Federation."
While not as human-like as the Divin, Ritimiele's appearance was still familiar enough to Earthlings. Rebecca standing beside her also helped put people at ease.
The Earthlings who had been taken hostage and those left behind were unaware that the Divin had tried to sell them off.
Having been dropped off on the surface without knowing the truth, they were understandably anxious.
Telling them about the Divin's misdeeds wouldn't matter if they didn't believe it. By having Rebecca introduce Ritimiele, the narrative shifted to the Federation protecting Earthlings from the second wave onward. They hoped that by rescuing the Earthlings who had likely been sold off, the truth would gradually come to light.
Kait's current role was to monitor the Divin who had been separated from the ship. He confined them in a building and watched the outside from a window.
A Divin who introduced themselves as Pikrashkaa looked up at him and asked,
"What will happen to us?"
"Who knows? I'm still not very familiar with Federation law myself."
"You abducted Federation citizens and tried to sell them to a non-Federation civilization. That's a serious crime."
"No way...! If it was before Earth joined the Federation, we should be exempt!"
Emotion answered in Kait's place, and Pikrashkaa's face turned pale.
It sounded like a selfish excuse, but judgment on that matter should be left to someone more familiar with Federation law than Kait.
That said, giving up on the Earthlings who had been taken earlier was not an option. If they could be rescued legally, that would be ideal. If not, Kait would consider turning the Queen Bee into a pirate ship.
"Hey, say something!"
"The person who'll make that decision should be arriving soon. ...Look."
The footsteps they had been hearing stopped, and the door opened. Ritimiele, having finished explaining things to the Earthlings, entered the room with Rebecca.
"Kait, Third-Class Citizen (Enec Lagif). Thank you for your work."
"Third-Class Citizen," the Divin murmured in surprise.
Apparently, even when the Divin were part of the Federation, none of them had ever achieved the status of Third-Class Citizen. The way they looked at him visibly changed.
"Thank you, Ritimiele."
"No need for thanks. Once Earth joined the Federation, you all became our kin. Helping you is our responsibility."
That includes those who were taken earlier as well.
As Ritimiele said this, her fur turned red, and every single Divin lowered their heads in defeat.
***
Gilbert was panicking.
No matter what equipment he touched, nothing responded. The steel plates had completely sealed off the hull, so he couldn't see where he was going.
He had confirmed that the attack craft had a teleportation device. He had planned to return to Earth once things cooled down after his exile.
"Damn it!"
He had underestimated him, thinking he was just some kid around Rebecca's age.
Feeling the growing danger to his life along his spine, he frantically fiddled with the equipment, trying to find a way to survive.
"Where the hell am I going!?"
He knew he was flying—straight ahead. But having lost all sense of direction and time, Gilbert had no idea where he was or how long he'd been flying.
He tried to fire an energy blast, ready to die if necessary, but there was no response. Was he just going to keep flying until he starved?
"Is anyone there!?"
A tug. It felt like someone had grabbed the ship.
He hoped it was rescue, but the pulling only grew stronger.
Maybe some alien like the Divin was trying to hijack the ship. If he was going to be enslaved by aliens, he decided he'd use his usual silver tongue to ensure his survival.
It would be fine. As long as he lived, he could rise again. He had done it before, and he'd do it again—he told himself.
"Hey, listen! I'm Gilbert. Who are you?"
No response. But the force on the ship was increasing. Maybe it was the kind that didn't communicate with words.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, the steel plate in front of him peeled away. He could see beyond the monitor.
He looked around, but there was nothing like an arm grabbing the ship. Maybe it wasn't aliens after all? Yet more and more steel plates kept peeling away.
It seemed they had reached a place beyond that man's influence. Eagerly, he touched the controls—but still no response. Something was wrong.
Then he noticed—the peeled steel plates weren't drifting away. They floated just beyond the monitor, maintaining a fixed distance from the ship.
"What is this, what's—"
The words didn't come. As the opposite monitor came back online, an overwhelming red flooded his vision.
"Gah!?"
The brightness seemed to adjust quickly, but the pain in his eyes was intense. Tears streamed down as he blinked. The pulling force grew stronger. Rubbing his eyes, he looked at the monitor.
"The... sun...?"
He had seen it in photos or something before. A blazing sphere of light. The center of the solar system. A star.
The sun was getting closer and closer.
"No—no way—"
Acceleration. At this rate, he'd be swallowed up.
Or maybe crushed or melted first.
His scream of refusal never even became a voice.
Gilbert's coffin was swallowed by the sun.
***
"A-Am I alive?"
He thought he had died, been crushed.
But somehow, he was still alive. Looking outside, he saw something like a membrane covering the ship.
The steel plates were glowing. Thin green lights connected them, working hard to keep the sun's effects at bay. A barrier, perhaps. Maybe that man hadn't intended to kill him after all.
"Ah... yeah... I'm alive."
Relief. He felt a weariness like he had aged five or ten years and collapsed to the floor.
No matter where he looked—red, red, red. Alone in a world ruled by flames and light.
He touched the controls. Still no response.
"How do I get out of here? ...No, is it even possible to get out?"
How long would the barrier last? Would he starve to death here first, or would the barrier collapse under the pressure? No help would come. He was inside a star.
A sudden thought flashed through him. Had that man planned this all along? Not knowing how long the barrier would hold, he was left to wait for an uncertain end, trapped in fear and helpless despair.
"No."
A voice, stripped of all intelligence, escaped from Gilbert's mouth.
"No, help me! I don't want this, someone, please!"
He thought he saw smoke rising from the steel plates. No—maybe the green light had just gotten dimmer.
He frantically operated the equipment again. He slammed it with such force that he bled, but the alien ship didn't budge.
"Ah, ahh! No, don't burn out yet!"
Clinging to the monitor, he begged from the depths of his soul. Praying to a god whose existence he couldn't even confirm.
And amid all that, the one thing that was absolutely certain was that Gilbert Jane's life was about to end.