The sleek starship, "Breaking Dawn," cruised gracefully through the cosmos, streaks of stardust cascading past its hull as it made its approach towards the planet Odeus. Onboard, Ethan stared out of the observation window, the planet's surface appeared serene from space, its lush green forests and shimmering blue oceans offering a sense of tranquility.
The past weeks had been nothing short of a whirlwind. What was supposed to be a peaceful retreat on planet Earth had quickly turned into a harrowing adventure.
As the "Breaking Dawn" neared the ninety-fifth fleet base orbiting Odeus, the usual sense of excitement that accompanied returning to duty was overshadowed by a lingering sense of uncertainty. Ethan had always prided himself on being a steady and dependable officer, but this recent encounter had shaken him to his core. With the partial discovery of the real identity of his parents, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was no longer the same person.
The intercom crackled to life. "Prepare for landing procedures," the calm voice of the Captain announced.
Exiting the spaceship, Ethan was greeted by familiar faces, fellow officers, and friends who had worried about his prolonged absence. He exchanged warm embraces and salutes, catching up with the latest news on Odeus. As he walked through the bustling corridors of the base, he felt a sense of belonging and purpose that only came with being a part of something bigger than oneself.
When Ethan finally reached Admiral Collins's office, he found the seasoned officer engrossed in data displayed on a holographic screen. Admiral Collins looked up, his eyes showing a mix of curiosity and relief at seeing Ethan return safely.
"Ethan, you're back," He said, standing to greet him. "I trust your vacation wasn't quite the respite you were hoping for?"
"No, sir," Ethan replied. He continued recounting what happened even though he knew Admiral Collins is aware.
"You did good Ethan because you defeated the Vortans twice and managed to click a seven years armistice, the top dogs are considering giving you a promotion. If it passes, there should be an official notice in the next few days!"
"Yes, Admiral!"
"Okay, that's all". He waves to dismiss Ethan.
"Oh, by the way, have a good chat with Chen Xue!" He teased with a grinning face.
After leaving the Admiral's office, Ethan returned to his office.
While sitting in his seat, Ethan thought of Chen Xue. Thinking of her, Ethan pressed the button on his desk.
"Adjutant Chen, come to my office".
Ethan nervously adjusted his tie as he waited for Chen Xue to arrive at his office. It had been a few weeks since they returned from their captivating tour around Earth's scenic spots, and he hadn't contacted her because of the series of events that ensued.
A few moments later, Chen Xue stepped in, a warm smile spreading across her face as she saw Ethan waiting. "Hi, Ethan. Sorry, I didn't mean to keep you waiting," she said, her voice gentle and reassuring.
"It's alright," Ethan replied, trying to hide his nervousness. "Please have a seat."
They settled down in chairs facing each other, the distance between them feeling strangely significant. Ethan cleared his throat, attempting to gather his thoughts. "Chen Xue, I wanted to talk to you about our tour," he began, his eyes meeting hers.
She nodded, her curiosity evident. "Yes, it was an amazing experience, wasn't it? I'm so grateful for the opportunity to see those beautiful places with you."
As they shared their emotions, the walls around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the genuine connection they had built. They talked about their experiences at each scenic spot, recalling the laughs, the awe-inspiring sights, and the heartfelt conversations they had shared. It was clear that their journey had deepened their bond in ways neither of them had anticipated.
Ethan reached for Chen Xue's hand, a tender gesture that spoke volumes about their newfound closeness.
"It's already time for dinner, wife, let's go to the dining hall together."
Lin Fan stood up and then carried Chen Xue, who was still in a daze after he reached for her hand, in a princess carry.
"Ah! Put me down!" she screamed in surprise.
"If you call me husband, maybe I'll consider it?"
"Who wants to call husband!"
"Then I will take you to the dining hall like this!"
After that, Ethan carried her and walked outside.
"Hus… husband… please put me down," she called out shyly.
"Good, alright let's go and eat!"
After Ethan put down Chen Xue, he took her hand and walked out together. She tried several times to break free but found that she couldn't, so she could only blush and let him hold her.
The officer's dining hall is in the building where Ethan's office is located. When Chen Xue walked into the dining hall holding hands with Ethan, she heard the sound of someone gasping. Her face immediately turned crimson red.
There are not many people eating in the dining hall, only about a dozen people. At first, they thought nothing when seeing Ethan and Chen Xue walking in together, but when they saw that they were two holding hands, they were shocked as if struck by lightning.
This is big news. The Federation Force is not opposed to dating, after all, it is needed during long-term voyages in space. Hence, the Federation Force has never forbidden to fall in love.
But these two people are both influential people. One is the youngest Lt. Commander and Fleet Commander in the Federation, and the other is the number 1 beauty of the Ninety-Fifth Fleet.
However, the two did not know that this scene was filmed and uploaded to the public forum on the cyberspace of the Ninety-Fifth Fleet.
What made it even more unexpected was that by coincidence, Admiral Collins at the moment was surfing through the public forum in the office.
Despite being the Fleet Admiral of the Ninety-Fifth Fleet, he has a rather unique habit. Every day he spends at least half an hour browsing through the base forums.
While browsing through, he stumbled upon a hot post at the top of the feed, the title was "Unbelievable Scene At The Dining Hall!"
Curious, Admiral Collins clicked to open the post.
What he saw was indeed shocking. The post had a video of Ethan and Chen Xue walking hand in hand. But that is not important. What's important was that in the video, Ethan was feeding a piece of meat to Chen Xue's mouth.
After a while, Admiral Collins busted out laughing and giving Ethan a thumbs-up. " This blockhead finally made his move".