October 31st.
In the Starship Troopers universe designated as "One Four," Earth's orbital space remained as bustling as ever.
Civilian and commercial cruisers and freighters constantly came and went. Some exited warp to enter Earth's gravitational range, while others engaged their warp drives to travel to distant colonies, spanning light-years or even further.
Meanwhile, the Moon Base, serving as the defensive core for "One Four's" Earth, was equally lively.
A newly formed expeditionary fleet consisting of over sixty escort transport ships, thirty destroyers and cruisers, numerous supply vessels, and a single carrier was departing the Moon Base's military port. The ships maintained a safe distance from the ring-shaped base, gathering on the sunlit side of the moon.
In many ways, the Federal Navy of the United Citizens Federation couldn't compete with the UNSC. However, in terms of fleet size, the Federation might edge out a slight advantage.
But when it came to ship quality and personnel training, the Federation lagged far behind.
The backbone of the Federation Fleet was its escort transport ships, which measured between 500 to 600 meters in length—comparable to the UNSC's Charon-class and Paris-class frigates.
However, these escort transports were fragile, akin to "paper tubes" that could be easily punctured.
In terms of hull strength, Charon and Paris-class frigates could withstand Covenant plasma weaponry and, when out of ammo and options, turn themselves into ramming vessels for suicide attacks.
In terms of firepower, even a single MAC cannon from a UNSC ship could obliterate a Federation escort transport.
The one area where Federation ships excelled was transport capacity.
An escort transport could carry an entire squadron of F-76 Lightning attack and bomber aircraft, over twenty DR-4 Viking transports, and a reinforced battalion of Mobile Infantry—roughly 1,000 soldiers.
This capacity didn't include crew, engineers, technicians, and logistics personnel.
By contrast, the UNSC's Charon and Paris-class ships carried fewer troops, but their Marines and ODST units could take on significantly larger numbers of Federation Mobile Infantry and emerge victorious.
The combat prowess of UNSC soldiers was among the best in any parallel universe, and their discipline was legendary. Even when facing Covenant forces several times their number, UNSC Marines and ODSTs often fought to the last man, buying civilians as much time as possible to evacuate.
Meanwhile, the Federation's Mobile Infantry—having seen little high-intensity combat since the Federation's formation—were like young recruits fresh out of school compared to the battle-hardened UNSC forces.
While the odds weren't zero, it would take a miracle for the Mobile Infantry to prevail in a head-to-head fight.
Things improved for the Federation near the end of the Human-Bug Wars, as Mobile Infantry were finally equipped en masse with powered armor and Marauder mechs, which allowed them to surpass UNSC soldiers in strength—at least numerically.
Even so, the Federation's power armor couldn't compete with the UNSC's Mjolnir, but the Federation made up for this with overwhelming quantity.
Destroyers and cruisers in the Federation fleet followed similar designs to the escort transports but featured thicker armor and more weaponry.
The Federation's carriers, almost a kilometer long, carried elite fighter squadrons and Mobile Infantry, serving as flagship units.
At this moment.
The newly formed expeditionary fleet, having left the port, was conducting final checks. Once supplies, weapons, and ammunition were confirmed ready, the fleet would initiate warp travel to the "southern" sector of the galaxy to the New Hope system.
Sixty days had passed since the Imperial forces, led by Simon "Ghost" Riley, took control of the New Hope Colony. This event had brought the Human Empire into the Federation's view.
The Federation could not tolerate the existence of another organized human power with a fully operational fleet in the galaxy.
Moreover, the Empire's AI units openly broadcast Imperial ideology to the Federation's citizens, challenging the Federation's social structure. In response, the Federation leadership assembled a fleet to eliminate this emerging Human Empire.
Aboard the Rodger Young, an escort transport on the fleet's periphery:
"Why the long face? Did your girlfriend dump you, or are you two just having a spat?"
Leon, wearing a Federation officer's uniform, placed his luggage in a storage locker and noticed Johnny Rico sitting alone at his bunk, staring blankly at a private screen. He approached and asked the question with a teasing tone.
The barracks housed not just Leon and Rico but also Dizzy Flores, Maggie Shaw, Ace Levy, and a dozen other new recruits from their platoon.
While the space was decent, with double bunks, it still felt cramped for the full platoon of forty soldiers.
But being aboard a ship bound for an expedition, the recruits had no room to complain. Even if they did, the Federation leadership wouldn't care.
In contrast, Navy personnel enjoyed much better accommodations.
Most pilots and crew members had double cabins, while senior pilots and officers had single luxury cabins with private bathrooms. It was common knowledge that some senior officers used their privileges to "recruit" new soldiers during voyages.
In the Federation, Mobile Infantry shared barracks, bathrooms, and showers regardless of gender.
"After all," as the saying went, "the Navy flies, and the Infantry dies."
For Mobile Infantry to advance in rank, they had to survive battles against the Bugs and rebels. Survival alone was the most difficult challenge.
Leon had earned his sergeant stripes by excelling during training, giving him command of two infantry squads. For now, this was the highest rank he could achieve as a new recruit.
Further promotions would require battlefield merit.
Johnny Rico, the "chosen one" of Starship Troopers, had also shown exceptional skill and physical ability, earning him the position of squad leader.
From his interactions, Leon quickly confirmed that Johnny Rico was indeed the "important target" mentioned by the Intelligence Department.
Based on intelligence and records provided by the Emperor's foresight, Rico would distinguish himself during the Human-Bug Wars, repeatedly leading small units of Mobile Infantry against swarms of Arachnid Bugs.
He would defend positions, cover evacuations, and rescue civilians. Any task assigned to Rico would be considered "as good as done" by the Federation.
Yet despite over a decade of heroic service, Rico would remain a colonel, while one of his subordinates would rise quickly through the ranks, eventually surpassing him and entering the Federation's leadership.
Leon considered Rico a valuable asset worth cultivating. He intended to bind Rico tightly to the Empire's cause, knowing that in the future, when humanity faced greater threats—like the Flood—Rico's talents would shine even brighter.
Seeing Rico's sudden shift in mood after receiving a message, Leon decided to strike up a conversation and build camaraderie.
Hearing Leon's question, Rico snapped out of his daze and forced a smile.
"No, it's just... she said that with the expedition coming up, she needed some space to think about our future. I didn't expect her to send a reply so soon."
"Oh?! Our squad leader got dumped?!"
Ace Levy, always quick to pick up on the word "dumped," joined the conversation immediately.
Noticing the message disc in Rico's hand, Ace snatched it and inserted it into the shared screen before Rico could protest.
Within moments, the barracks filled with recruits eager to watch the unfolding drama.
"Haha! Rico got dumped?"
"If even Rico gets dumped, then only Sergeant Kennedy can save our platoon's reputation!"
Everyone found it hard to believe that Rico and his pilot girlfriend, Carmen Ibanez, would break up. They seemed like the perfect couple.
And with the expedition looming, why would anyone choose this moment to end a relationship?
As the message played, Carmen appeared on the screen, her background showing the Earth's blue atmosphere and the assembling fleet. She smiled awkwardly before delivering her message, eventually ending the relationship.
The barracks fell silent.
Leon remained observant, noting the luxury of Carmen's private cabin and the details of her surroundings.
Dizzy Flores, secretly in love with Rico, couldn't hide her mixed emotions—anger at Carmen's timing but hope for a chance with Rico.
Once the message ended, Ace patted Rico on the shoulder.
"Women, huh? They break your heart and then want to stay friends."
Rico sighed. "I guess I deserved this."
Leon smirked and retorted, "No, you didn't. Let me spell it out for you—you've been played."
He gestured at the screen.
"Think, Rico. That message was recorded in an officer's cabin. Do you really think she got promoted that quickly?"
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