After seven Earth hours, the Abrodi approached the debris belt near the star loop area, paying the price of severe damage to four regular engines.
It began to slowly enter the asteroid belt, using the cover of the asteroids to shield its massive body, then rotating around Tianhe II along with the asteroid belt, ceasing all energy fluctuations, like a true giant rock.
A winged ship detached from the Abrodi and flew out of the asteroid area.
The most significant feature of this type of ship is that, like a spacecraft, it also has the ability to travel faster than light. However, its speed, distance, and cargo capacity are greatly limited, and it lacks combat power. It is usually used as an escape ship on large starships and as a smuggling vessel in civilian circles.
The buzzing-wing ship, after circling a large arc in space, headed straight for Tianhe II. The ship was piloted by a young man with black hair named Wang Yile, formerly a junior lieutenant on the Red Rain and later the flying officer of the Abrodi, now one of Reno's chosen members of the infiltration team.
He was chosen because he was the only one on the Abrodi who had been to Tianhe II before. His parents had once done business here, and Wang Yile had accompanied them to Sahato, so he was somewhat familiar with the place.
Additionally, he had the ability of energy acceleration, which could greatly increase the starting speed and flight performance of engines. However, currently, it could only be applied to flying cars. For large ships like starships, his energy acceleration might not be effective, but it could still be useful during escape.
Under Wang Yile's piloting, the winged ship rapidly approached Tianhe II in space.
The ship soon received a communication request from Tianhe II.
Wang Yile answered it, and a slightly tanned man appeared on the viewport, supporting his chin with his arm, his eyes dull, speaking mechanically and stiffly:
"This is Manhattan Spaceport. I am the pilot Bob. Please report your name, origin, purpose of arrival, and open for inspection."
"Received. We are merchants from Ximai Star, here to purchase some magnetized crystals," Wang Yile replied.
"Please open your terminal. I need to scan your information."
Wang Yile had already opened the ship's personal terminal.
The information on the terminal was forged by a virus and technically flawless, but due to the distance, the virus could not modify the opponent's database.
Indeed, after checking the data, Mr. Bob shook his head, "Sorry, I can't find your corresponding information here."
Wang Yile quickly explained, "I just registered on Ximai Star recently. I think the information here may not have been synchronized yet, after all, there is a difference of three thousand light-years between the two places."
The universe is vast, and the data in each star region cannot be guaranteed to keep up with the times, which is common.
Even now, the universal wanted order for the Abrodi hasn't been circulated to the entire human-occupied area, requiring lengthy calculations in years.
"Even if that's the case, I'm sorry, I can't let you in," Mr. Bob shook his head "dutifully."
Wang Yile made a helpless gesture, and a golden-haired beauty appeared on the screen instead, speaking with tenderness, "Oh, Mr. Bob, we've come a long way. Can you bear to let us go back empty-handed like this? Actually, you know we're not bad people, right? Why not be kind enough to let us through? We would be grateful for your kindness!"
Watching the pitiful face on the screen, Mr. Bob felt a surge of sympathy at that moment, especially for the people on this ship. He nodded and said, "Yes, I believe you, but it's just the rules, and I have no way around them."
"But no one will check, right? As long as you say it's okay, then it's okay. You are in charge here." The woman on the screen continued to plead pitifully. Her moving words seemed to have a magical effect, and Mr. Bob couldn't help but nod, saying, "Okay, agreed to let you through."
He pressed the clearance button.
At the moment he agreed to let them through, the golden-haired woman slumped weakly in her seat, foaming at the mouth almost fainting.
"Damn it, this long-distance use of abilities consumes too much energy for me. Who said there are no limits to the mind?" The woman cursed angrily. Her name was Camellia, and her ability was enchantment, meaning that whatever she said could make people believe it to some extent. The specific effect depends on the content of the enchantment. Generally, the more reasonable and persuasive, the easier it is for people to believe. Conversely, if you say the sun is square or that starships run on boiling water, it's not that people can't believe it, but it requires much more energy to convince them, and the duration is short. In fact, with Camellia's current level, she still couldn't do that.
That's why even with Camellia, the Free Heart still needed virus-made fake credentials.
But even Camellia herself hadn't expected that long-distance enchanting would consume so much energy, and just a few words had almost caused her to collapse.
"Well done, Camellia. You can rest now." Reno, sitting in the back row, patted her encouragingly.
The buzzing ship whizzed towards the spaceport and, after entering the port, docked at a pier under the guidance of a tugboat.
Reno, Claire, Nora, Teck, Wang Yile, Camellia, Ike Kane, and Bell Modi successively disembarked from the ship, along with two more Free Heart warriors.
One is a girl with white hair and azure eyes named Nava. She is skilled in shapeshifting and can transform into other people. However, she doesn't have the blue skin like Mystique, nor can she maintain her form for long periods - shapeshifting consumes a lot of energy, and currently, Nava can only maintain her form for three minutes.
The other is a fourteen-year-old girl named Marsha Fells, the youngest warrior of the Free Heart. She is not from the Abrodi, but rather one of the survivors rescued from a merchant ship attacked by the Yark insect race when the Abrodi encountered it accidentally while fleeing. Her parents died on the ship. It was then that the Yark insect race also joined in the pursuit of the Abrodi. Fortunately, the two pursuing forces were not allies, which gave the Abrodi a chance to escape...
If it weren't for the artifact experiment, Marsha's normal trajectory might have been to be adopted by a family upon returning to Earth until she reached adulthood. But the artifact experiment knows no bounds, so when Reno rescued everyone, Marsha also became one of the members of the Abrodi.
Her ability is telepathy.
A very powerful ability.
Since they need to infiltrate human society, the most suitable warriors are those with psychic abilities, like Camellia and Marsha. In addition, Reno is the commander, Claire is the doctor, Nora is stealthy in darkness, Virus is the hacker, Bell Modi is in charge of ship maintenance. Before Palma arrived, ship maintenance was his responsibility. Basically, everyone has their role, but perhaps Teck isn't quite suitable.
Honestly, his abilities aren't really suitable for the current situation, but Teck insisted on going - staying on the starship was just too boring. Considering that infiltrating human society doesn't mean there's no possibility of combat, Reno finally agreed to his request.
Reno said to Teck, "In the event of a battle, you are responsible for protecting everyone and leaving last. As long as you have this resolve, you can come along."
Teck agreed with a solemn expression.
This made him look like he was about to make a generous sacrifice as he walked out of the ship.
For this, Camellia had to remind him that it wasn't time for farewells yet, so he should relax.
A guide hovercar arrived next to them. The ten people got on the hovercar, and under its guidance, they quickly arrived at the platform, completed the departure procedures, and then took the space elevator.
Half an hour later, they appeared in Sahato Base City.
Sahato is not a tourist city, but it has its own unique scenery.
Due to the canopy overhead, Sahato Base City is not filled with skyscrapers like Earth's cities, it's not a steel jungle.
To ensure the city's environmental self-sufficiency and establish a comprehensive recycling system, Sahato Base City has extensive green spaces.
In the city, there are not only large green areas but also lakes and small mountains. They blend with the buildings full of futuristic technology, creating a harmonious picture of technology and nature.
Bridges made primarily of high-energy fiber membranes and pipelines fill the base city, automated flying cars are everywhere, and domestic robots pick mushrooms in nearby forests.
In terms of technological level, this small base city is much more advanced than Earth.
It's no wonder; Earth has always attracted tourists with its retro and natural appeal.
Due to limited space, the land here is not as wasted as on Earth, and the ground has not turned into a place for vagrants and ruffians. Commercial buildings line the roads, and vending robots courteously wave to passersby.
"Finally, we're here." Teck grinned as he looked around. "So, what's next?"
"Camellia, can you still use your enchantment?" Reno asked.
"At least after a day of rest."
"Then let's find a hotel to stay first. Yile, you and Modi contact the local ship repair yard to see if you can get the parts needed for the Abrodi. Also, find some local merchants to sell the bonds and Yuga crystals with Camellia tomorrow."
"Understood, boss." Yile, Modi, and others agreed and left first. Reno then led everyone to find a hotel to settle in.
The hotel had beautiful scenery, with a small forest behind it and a lake not far away, which would be beneficial for escape.
As soon as they entered the room, Reno ordered, "Virus, immediately infiltrate the local network. We need to know the defense situation here."