Leticia extended her finger and tapped lightly on the void above the console.
The signal marked as [Priority: Lowest] was instantly magnified, occupying the center of the entire holographic star map.
The origin of the signal was Griffin IV, a dim mining planet almost forgotten in the Imperial star charts.
Its emblem was an ugly, crudely drawn griffin that looked devoid of any aesthetic appeal.
The distress communication was like a candle in the wind, intermittent.
"...Riot... mining area out of control... heretic... blasphemous runes..."
"...Third and fifth tunnels have fallen... defense forces... heavy losses..."
"...Requesting support... any... any passing Imperial fleet... in the name of the Emperor..."
The voice was filled with static and despair, finally cutting off completely amidst a harsh burst of electronic noise.
The bridge was silent.
Fogremia scrutinized the intelligence. Within her perfect purple eyes, a flood of data was reflected, and her superhuman Primarch brain completed the assessment in an instant.
She turned slightly to face Leticia, her posture elegant, yet her words carried an indisputable professionalism and calmness.
"Big Sister, my conclusion is to abandon this target."
Her voice was crisp, like the clinking of ice cubes.
"An insignificant mining planet, its highest armed force is nothing more than an under-strength Planetary Defense Force regiment. The so-called riot, judging by the dissipation scale of the energy signal, is at most a disturbance caused by low-level Cultists."
Fogremia's fingers swept through the air, calling up several alternative plans.
"The time cost is too high, and the return is completely unknown. If we intervene, from Subspace jump to the end of the battle, it will take at least three standard Terra days. In that time, we could plan a perfect ambush against a lone Chaos raider ship."
"The returns from that would be far higher than saving a mining star that is about to be scrapped."
Her analysis was impeccable.
This was a pure, cold, military decision pursuing maximum efficiency.
However, Leticia just listened quietly, then slowly shook her head.
"Fogremia, your tactical thinking is perfect."
Leticia walked to her side, but her gaze did not look at those alternative plans, instead falling back onto the dim star point of Griffin IV.
"But you have overlooked that we are no longer the Emperors Children Legion; we are... the Genesis Sisterhood."
"Our greatest enemy is not the Cultists before us, but those eyes lurking in the sea of stars. Those from the Eye of Terror, and those from Holy Terra."
Fogremia's brows furrowed slightly, and she looked at Leticia with confusion.
"Precisely because it is 'insignificant', precisely because its 'returns are unknown', it is perfect." The corners of Leticia's mouth curled into an arc that made Fogremia feel curious.
"There will be no powerful demons here, no Chaos Space Marine, and certainly no big shots from the Inquisition lying in wait. This place is just like..." Leticia searched for the words in her mind, "...a forgotten place, the most suitable for beginners like us to level up."
"'Beginner'... 'Level up'?" Fogremia repeated this unfamiliar phrase, a flash of confusion crossing her purple eyes.
"I mean that our new troops need a real battle to hone their skills, and I need an absolutely safe environment to test how many 'Warband Points' we can earn." Leticia explained, "This is the best proving ground."
This was the first disagreement between the two at a strategic level.
Fogremia's logic was the logic of a Primarch, a logic that pursued extreme efficiency and glory.
While Leticia's logic carried a kind of shrewdness and caution like a player from her past life, the logic of "safely farming" and "steady development."
"I understand, Big Sister." Although Fogremia still thought this did not conform to the "perfect" military aesthetic, she chose to obey. "But I still reserve my opinion. Wasting precious time on these... small fry is a blasphemy."
"Perhaps." Leticia was noncommittal.
Just then, a timid, almost inaudible voice sounded beside them.
"Um..."
Leticia and Fogremia turned their heads at the same time to look at the source of the voice.
Terrania had been standing quietly to the side, her small hand tightly gripping the corner of Leticia's clothing, like a student listening carefully but afraid to speak.
At this moment, she mustered all her courage, extended a slender finger, and pointed at the crude griffin emblem on the holographic screen.
In her golden eyes, the starry sky was reflected, but it seemed as if she had pierced through the barriers of time and space to see something deeper.
"There..."
Her small face was a bit pale, and her voice carried a trace of trembling.
"I feel... crying."
"Very sad... very sad crying. It's like many children are crying in the darkness."
The air on the bridge seemed to freeze in that instant.
The confusion on Fogremia's face instantly turned into astonishment. She looked at Terrania, then back at the screen; her powerful Primarch perception could detect nothing but data.
Crying? Children?
What kind of intelligence is this?
But Leticia's body gave a sudden jolt.
She crouched down, looking directly into Terrania's golden eyes, which were so pure they contained not a trace of impurity.
She knew better than anyone that Terrania's intuition, stemming from the Emperor's soul, was an oracle that transcended all logical analysis and was closest to the "Truth."
"Children's crying?" Leticia's voice became incredibly gentle.
"Yes." Terrania nodded heavily, her eyes slightly reddening, "They are very scared, very cold."
Enough.
That is enough.
Leticia stood up; all previous strategic considerations and cost-benefit analyses became unimportant in this moment.
She turned to face the main console, her voice regaining the decisiveness and firmness of a leader, allowing no room for refutation.
"Final decision: we go there."
"Fogremia."
"Present, Big Sister." Fogremia replied immediately, putting away all personal emotions and entering combat status.
"I need you to formulate at least three tactical plans before we arrive at Griffin IV. Including forced aerial drop, covert infiltration, and... a total war plan for the worst-case scenario."
"Understood." The flames of tactical planning ignited in Fogremia's eyes; her pride as a Phoenix would not allow her to have any flaws at the execution level.
"Terrania." Leticia turned back and reached out to the Blonde Girl.
"Yes!" Terrania immediately placed her small hand into Leticia's warm palm.
"Stay by my side." Leticia gripped her tightly, "Your feelings are very important to us."
"Okay!" For the first time, a radiance mixed with joy and nervousness bloomed on Terrania's face because her words had been accepted.
The three of them each performed their duties.
One made the final decision, one was responsible for tactical execution, and one provided inspiration and direction.
A highly efficient, tacitly understanding, and even perfect command team began to take shape at this moment.
"genesis, adjust course." Leticia gave the final order, "Target, Griffin IV system. Enter Subspace travel."
"Understood, my Master."
A gentle electronic voice responded.
The holy ship traced a graceful arc through the void, and the space around the hull began to distort, presenting magnificent and dangerous colors.
With a slight tremor, the genesis plunged into the surging waves of the Subspace.
On the bridge, Fogremia was already immersed in tactical planning, with countless troop simulations and firepower configuration plans flashing through her mind.
While operating the control panel at high speed, without turning her head, she asked in a seemingly casual tone:
"Big Sister."
"Hm?" Leticia was stroking Terrania's blonde hair, soothing her anxiety about entering the Subspace for the first time.
"You seem to..." Fogremia paused for a moment, appearing to be weighing her words.
"Trust the Princess's intuition very much?"
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