Chapter 141 03.0140: "The Shadow Behind Horatio"

In the midst of the fierce battle, what Horatio didn't know was that a servo skull was recording his every move, from commanding to leading the battle.

Before Horatio and Farida boarded the ship, their guards were composed of elite personnel personally selected by Commodore Edward Peru.

At the same time, he also assigned them a task, which was to use the servo skull to record all the operations of the two people as an evaluation record of the key inspection subjects.

"What an impressive command, a counter-attack that can be written into textbooks. It would be great if all the candidate officers could be like him." Captain Sterling couldn't help but comment.

"Captain Sterling, please give us a detailed review."

"As a trainee officer, he not only did everything he was supposed to do, but he did it very well, and he was fully up to the standards of a commissioned officer.

Sir, I am not here to defend my decision to authorize him to command the warship. From what I know about his father and him, I can say...

The Cochran family is a natural model for the navy, worthy of Admiral Speyer's blood. He may even do something great when he is younger than Thomas. But how big is it..."

The captain raised his eyebrows: "Then I can't say for sure."

"So, do you know why I called him here so anxiously?" Brigadier General Peru took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly.

The captain shook his head: "I don't know, sir."

"Someone wants him dead, just like his father did."

"..." Captain Sterling showed an expression of disbelief in his eyes.

"Who? But didn't Chief Colonel Thomas... commit suicide?" the lieutenant asked in a low voice.

Thanks to the fact that the two command thrones were at very high altitudes and that cables were used for encrypted communications, this conversation was able to continue.

“It still needs to be investigated, but an adult has already discovered some clues, and I believe the truth will come out soon.

It was also that gentleman's intention to have Horatio aboard the Indefatigable immediately."

Lieutenant Sterling sensed a terrible sense of oppression from the captain's tone.

It is already dangerous to call a rookie to board a warship to join an uncertain void war, but it is safer for him to stay here than on the ground. So how much danger and conspiracy is hidden under the fig leaf of Abyss Port?

"When a tree grows to be in the spotlight, especially when it stands out among a forest of trees, all kinds of dark and twisted insects will crawl into its shade."

"I understand, sir."

The captain did not ask any more questions, as he knew very well that this was not something he could know with his military rank.

What he didn't know was that these videos would be sent as top secret information to the council composed of Inquisitors and senior officers of the Gothic Fleet.

"The fleet cannot let his father's tragedy happen to him again. This is the responsibility of the Fleet Safety Committee and the Fleet Military Intelligence Command." Commodore Peru frowned.

The lower deck of the No. 4 macro gun on the port side.

"Damn it, how can this candidate officer...how can he be so good at fighting!" The rebellious PDF officer muttered in disbelief.

"Support! Where is the support!" His sharp teeth bit his lower lip in surprise and anger: "Release the contract workers! Arm them!"

The remaining Blood Pact troops rushed desperately towards the bottom hold of the gun deck, as if everything could be reversed as long as they got there.

Horatio, sweating profusely, led the sailors to chase after them.

The reason is simple: there are simply too many regulated contract workers. Once they get out of control, it will directly affect the combat effectiveness of subsequent artillery batteries.

These men are essential laborers in naval warships.

They were not slaves who had been converted into mechanical servants, nor were they technical personnel like shipworkers who enjoyed the treatment of first-class sailors. They were simply contract workers signed with the Imperial Navy, a group of mortals who could not be more ordinary.

Many of the contract workers come from part of the tithe of the Ministry of the Interior, which is paid by various planets and allocated to the Imperial Navy. The sources of personnel are diverse, and they are divided into ordinary contract workers and controlled contract workers.

Controlled indentured laborers were mainly composed of criminals and bonded slaves. Their range of movement within the ship was quite limited, and their living quarters were even smaller than the forecastle. On weekdays, they either wore shackles and carried shells under the supervision of sailors, or engaged in some high-risk physical activities.

Even if they were not the scum of the earth, they were ruffians and scoundrels. Although the meals were based on the third-class sailor standard of ordinary sailors, due to discrimination and disgust towards criminals and gamblers, as well as the administrative difficulties caused by managing a large number of contract workers, their food generally could not fully meet their needs, and there were often all kinds of strange "supplements" in it.

The sources of ordinary contract workers are even wider. They are either vagrants or refugees who can't make ends meet and come to the Imperial Navy to make a living.

Or they are imperial civilians who go to warships to make a living and voluntarily join for service money.

There are also able-bodied men who are "forcibly conscripted" by the governors of certain worlds in order to satisfy the tithes of the Ministry of the Interior.

The forced conscription process was both ridiculous and pathetic.

Led by their officers, the sturdy planetary defense soldiers smashed the door with their rifle butts and dragged the husband and his wife away from the bed. Any resistance would be met with a stick. Sometimes, in order not to delay time, the couple was even carried away naked.

If, out of mercy, only one is dragged away, the remaining one will often collapse to the point of not caring about shame, and will scream, curse, and chase to the door with tears streaming down his face.

These forcibly conscripted men and those who joined through all other channels would first undergo disinfection and physical examinations before being sent to the navy's warships.

As ordinary people, they have no professional sailing skills and mainly do physical work for the Imperial Navy.

The Navy didn't make things difficult for these poor people.

In principle, ordinary contract workers are treated the same as ordinary sailors as third-class sailors.

The scope of activities is also much larger than that of regulated contract workers, and they have rest time.

But sailors always liked to make fun of these people, calling them "Landsman" to distinguish them and to show that their status as sailors was higher than theirs.

The armed sailors also looked down on them, thinking that they were just menial workers and not part of the Glorious Empire Navy. All contract workers should be given special precautions and vigilance.

However, ordinary contract workers with some special talents can make an exception and complete the remaining number of contracts as sailors.

This would increase their chances of survival during the remaining sailing years and make life more comfortable, so many people would try to learn some useful skills.

Each fleet has regulations that contract workers must complete a certain number of cruises to complete their contract and regain their freedom.

The Gothic Fleet was 12. This could take these people ten years, and only a few could survive that long.

Once a contractor reaches this number and survives.

If they were criminals, their crimes could be pardoned. If they were debtors, their debts could be forgiven.

If you are an ordinary contract worker, you can get a considerable salary.

This service fee is enough for them to buy a two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment in the lower part of Zhongchao after returning home and live a well-off life at the imperial level.

These benefits were the main reason for attracting imperial civilians to join the contract labor force.

You can also get a 'Certificate of Fulfillment of Imperial Navy Duties'.

With this certificate, he would be exempt from compulsory conscription for the rest of his life.

If you wish, you can also stay on the ship and become a formal sailor with this certificate.

If you are strong and loyal, you have a chance to become an armed sailor.

Many people chose to do so because even the lowest standard meal for third-class sailors in the navy was much better than their previous life.

These hard, tooth-gritting crackers and salty navy bacon are better than corpse starch anyway.

And the ale and grog tasted sweeter than the stinky purified water in the hive.

If the naval battle is won and the ship survives, the captain can give everyone an extra meal if he is happy.

In addition to the original ration of dehydrated or freeze-dried vegetables, some fresh vegetables or moss slices picked from the ship's hydroponic farm were also distributed.

Hard biscuits were replaced by bread made from mixed flours (wheat, oats, rye, barley) and fried in butter.

In addition, they will be given an extra piece of cheese, a few cigarettes and extra strong alcohol.

This is the treatment of third-class sailors, not to mention the treatment of second-class sailors and first-class sailors enjoyed by boarding team members.

Even the occasional black-headed white maggots found in food rations during long voyages are cleaner and more hygienic than the rotten food in the nest.

Horatio remembered reading in the log of a midshipman in the Royal Navy during the Age of Sail that the maggots tasted like calf's jelly, cool and refreshing.

In short, no matter how to describe it, he didn't want to eat maggots, and he now wanted to stop these remnants.

There are only indentured laborers below, and among them might be the pirates and void slave traders that Horatio captured last time.

A group of armed sailors lined up on the upper deck opened fire on the fleeing Blood Pact soldiers below, killing and injuring several people in one round.

About 400 men followed Horatio down, and other sailors were closing the circle down from nearby stairs.

"Everyone, pay attention! The enemy is coming!"

At the loud shout of the armed non-commissioned officer, the armed sailors on the lower gun deck quickly gathered together, and the shooters operating the multi-barrel lasers pointed their guns at the stairs behind them.

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(End of this chapter)