Fifteen lightyears away from Eternity Galaxy that night, eight space fortresses were floating silently in space in a fan shape. In every space fortress, the mercenaries in their black uniforms were having fun together, either gambling or playing games.
Apparently, the few female mercenaries were making love with the strong men in their own closed dorm.
In the center fortress, Patrick Lewis was drinking hot tea in the commander's resting room.
The Captains of each warship were standing in front of him with smiles on their faces. One of them said, "My Lord, you are the smartest person, getting a planet without a fight."
Patrick put down the cup and said flatly. "I didn't get the position of Security Director for this. And how can you be so sure that we took advantage of them this time?"
The men were confused, but he didn't explain. He turned to Harvey McAdams, "Where is Harrison Gates?"
Harvey smiled. "He figured it out that we plotted against him and locked himself in his room."
Patrick also smiled. "Give him a warship after he calms down. He should lead the troop after fooling around for such a long time."
The captains went back to their own ships after discussing the plan of setting up Planet Freedom. Only the center ship would stay. The others flew away in their own space fortress. They were free and could have fun for the following three months.
Then Harvey said, "Bruce Green is back."
"Okay," Patrick said without looking up. "Let the little kitten come to stay with me tonight."
Harvey was a little surprised to hear this.
Following Patrick for many years, Harvey had never seen him with a woman. Harvey had taken it for granted when he had taken Emerald's virginity by force because it had been a punishment.
It was said that Patrick was once a little mercenary before he became the Chief Commander of the mercenaries and had a range of three thousand lightyears under his control. One could easily imagine how hard this process would have been.
Sometimes, Patrick said, "Emerald is like the younger me," which made Harvey understand why he had given her a chance and trained her.
But today, his boss said that he wanted the little kitten to stay with him.
"She didn't come back with Bruce," Harvey said abruptly.
Patrick finally looked up.
"Do I need to find her?"
Patrick said slowly. "No. If she wants freedom so badly, then let her be free for a few more months."
"Do you want me to find another woman for you?"
"No."
When the mercenaries indulged themselves in the spree, the land of humans was still quiet and peaceful.
The map of the alliance of humans hadn't changed since the President and Patrick had made the agreement. The five planets were still a union, and the space defense was still protecting them.
A month later, the news that the tough mercenaries had declared loyalty to the alliance uplifted the human spirit. The President had received them and lent Freedom City to them so that the troops could stay. The alliance became much stronger with the mercenaries.
The government and army of Freedom City evacuated quietly from Planet Freedom one morning. The rich people paid to go with the army while the poor stayed.
Kenzo Lane, the Security Director of Planet Hope, was promoted as the Mayor of Freedom City. His military police also went with him and became the local garrison.
In the outbreak of the larva, the alliance had found 134 infesters in total, who were infected by the people coming back from Moon Sally. At last, they had all been killed secretly. The Zerg paid a huge amount of gold and even transferred the mining rights of two moons in their territory, which sent humans wild with joy. From that moment, the friendship between humans and the Zerg became stronger, but Emerald felt startled when she read the news in the Phoenix.
Finally, she just sighed, put down the newspaper, dressed up in her spacesuit, and walked to the deck.
"Wild Kitten." She heard the order of the new captain of the air force, "Take these rookies outside for a walk."
"Yes, sir." She looked at the newcomers of the Air Force. "Follow me."
The Cheetah was floating in space under her control. She watched quietly as the newcomers stumbled into space while her thoughts were flying far, far away.
She had chosen to come back here.
She didn't hate him or fear him. Sometimes, she even thought about him and about that day when he, sick as a ghost, held her during the nuclear radiation and saved her life.
But she told herself to be reasonable, that he was not a good guy, and staying with him was too dangerous, and she shouldn't have any relationship with him.
Her goal was the Earth. She had to find it. Find her parents and her home.
There was one thought deep inside her, which she didn't want to admit, that drove her away.
Even if she would meet Patrick Lewis in the future or she couldn't get away from him eventually, she hoped that she could face him as an equal playing field and free will instead of his pet or toy or one of the things he didn't even care about.
****
Six months later.
A cheetah had turned off the power and anchored quietly behind an asteroid. It seemed like a tiny bump on the surface of the planet.
Robert, a tall, strong, and handsome foxy and experienced mercenary in his late 20s, had been a criminal on death row in Peace City. After he escaped from prison, he joined the mercenary and was now more unfocused and aggressive than before, sitting in the pilot seat of the Cheetah, staring and smiling at a target on the radar.
The young man in the co-pilot seat was named Bruck. With an honest face and agile moves, he had joined the mercenary less than two years ago. Worried, he asked. "Lieutenant, can we really get a big fish this way?"
Robert answered intensely. "Not just big fish, but extremely big fish! The air force of the alliance is all cowards. They wouldn't dare say anything even when they were robbed by us a dozen times. What difference can they make?"
Bruck agreed with him.
Suddenly, Robert's eyes lit up. "There they come!"