"Report: Major Que discovered at coordinates E98, N10."
"Copy that. Supply ship notified to proceed for recovery immediately. Report on the Major's condition."
"The Major's vital signs are stable; no obvious external trauma. Protective suit indicates stable physiological functions."
"Copy. Supply ship has arrived. Commencing recovery procedures."
Countless noisy voices drifted into Que Tang’s ears, troubling her until she forced her eyes open against the darkness. She was surrounded by a group of personnel dressed in white robes.
"The Major is awake." A sharp-eyed staff member noticed and immediately alerted the others to bring over the diagnostic equipment.
"This is..." Que Tang asked hesitantly, her voice raspy, looking at the figures whose faces were obscured by surgical masks.
"This is an interstellar supply ship dispatched by the United Government Army. Major, do you have any recollection of the events before you lost consciousness?"
Que Tang knit her brows in pain. "I..." She closed her eyes, but she could remember nothing clearly. She only had a faint, lingering memory of something called... Little Mushroom? "I..."
The physiological monitoring equipment suddenly emitted a sharp, piercing alarm. The white-robed personnel fell into a panic.
"Blood pressure is dropping!"
"The Major's condition is unstable. Administer a sedative immediately!"
"I—" Que Tang snapped her eyes open, wanting to refuse, but before she could speak, the sedative flowed through the IV drip into her body. her eyelids drooped, and she sank into a deep sleep.
When Que Tang opened her eyes again, she was greeted by a sterile white ceiling. With great effort, she raised her hand to press the call button beside her. Someone entered almost immediately.
"Major, you're awake?" The newcomer was surprised and immediately came forward to check her vitals.
Shortly after the nurse arrived, a man in military uniform appeared in the hospital room. He identified himself as a military liaison named Moz Vatra. Under Que Tang’s puzzled gaze, he introduced himself and explained his purpose.
"So, I was found by a search and rescue team?" Que Tang questioned the man in the dark green uniform.
"Yes. During the previous Xenomorph ambush, no one expected a sneak attack to occur. Internal affairs is currently investigating the possibility of a classified intelligence leak."
"That doesn't sound like the kind of information that should be shared with a frontline combatant like me," Que Tang said, raising an eyebrow. "I don't understand what you high-ranking officials are up to this time, and..." She recalled his surname. "You're a noble, aren't you? I didn't expect to see a noble serving in the military."
"I am indeed from the Vatra family, but that is irrelevant to the current matter," the man explained solemnly. "Under normal circumstances, you would be right, but this time the issue is that the raid was a secret operation planned by our side. How the enemy was able to pinpoint our route and execute an immediate ambush... the implications are self-evident. The military does not wish to cause a panic; the United Government has only just achieved a semblance of stability after over a hundred years of upheaval. That is why I was sent to brief you, Major."
"So, you want me to be a silent hero?" Que Tang’s eyes were full of mockery. In that battle, many of her comrades who fought alongside her had perished in deep space, their bodies never to be recovered. And all because someone among humanity had leaked information? Not only had she failed to die alongside her loyal companions, but she had also luckily survived and even received a promotion to become a symbolic hero.
"Precisely. You have always enjoyed high prestige among the people and have served as the face of military recruitment. You are the most suitable person for this role. Following this incident, you have been promoted directly from Captain to Major—an exceptional advancement agreed upon by the entirety of the United Government."
"Fine. But I have one condition: I want to meet the families of every soldier who perished in this war."
"Major." Moz’s handsome, steady face darkened with a frown of displeasure.
"I understand it's impossible for the military to admit there's a mole in its ranks. But at the very least, I want to personally present the posthumous medals to the families of my fallen team members."
Moz remained silent for a moment. "I will report this to my superiors."
"Major Que Tang, who led the charge to block a Xenomorph ambush during a battle late last month, has finally been found on a junk planet near the space colonies. According to sources, the Major’s injuries are not severe, and her mecha was discovered near the crash site." The female news anchor went on to report Que Tang’s combat record since taking command of V-Squad.
Que Tang impatiently retracted the metallic screen, folding it into a ball and tossing it onto the sofa beside her. She felt as though she had forgotten something very important. Yet, it also felt as if she had forgotten nothing at all.
She was the leader of V-Squad, a special forces unit under the Earth United Government. Que Tang: birthplace, the colonies; parents, unknown; an orphan of mixed Eastern descent. After joining the military, she now held the rank of Major and piloted the AM-1954, a custom mecha known as the Valkyrie. Her synchronization rate was 98%, the highest in the military. She raised her left hand, looking at the strange brand on the inside of her wrist that she had possessed since birth: C2XY001. All of this was correct. So, what exactly had she forgotten?
United Government Headquarters—
"Excellency Vlataski, we have received word regarding Major Que. She was discharged this morning and has returned to V-Squad." After the Premier's meeting concluded, the secretary immediately caught up with Emily Vlataski as she exited the hall, reporting from behind her. The secretary’s eyes were full of admiration as they watched the woman’s straight back, clad in a white military uniform, her hair always styled in a meticulous, unchanging bun.
Born into a traditional military noble family, Emily had refused her family's arrangements and applied to the military academy on her own. Relying on her own efforts, she climbed the ranks of the political-warfare system to her current position as Colonel. Later, she was recruited by the current Premier into the United Government to serve as a spokesperson. To this day, she remained the highest-rated civil servant in terms of public prestige, and her reputation and seniority were the finest among noblewomen of her generation. To be the secretary for such a woman was the greatest honor of his life.
"Returned to V-Squad," she repeated flatly, her eyes fixed forward. "Arrange a car for me. And bring my cat." Though she didn't specify, the secretary, who had endured a year under her command, understood the instruction and immediately contacted the driver.
By the time she stepped out of the main entrance, the car was waiting. The secretary stepped forward to open the door. Once everyone was seated, the vehicle departed for its destination.
When Que Tang returned to her unit after being discharged, she was greeted by the enthusiastic cheers of her team. She showed her first smile in days, but that smile vanished when she saw an uninvited guest: the high-ranking military officer who had made the deal with her at the hospital, Moz Vatra.
"What are you doing here?" she asked sharply. She had always known the military presented a united front to the outside world, but she still found it hard to accept when it involved her own team.
"I have been reassigned to serve as the new Vice Captain of V-Squad," Moz Vatra replied, his expression unchanging.
Que Tang glared at him defiantly for a long while before letting out a cold snort. "Even if your rank is higher than anyone else here, once you're in V-Squad, you follow my orders. I won't go easy on you just because you were dropped in from above. And becoming Vice Captain won't be that easy—you'll have to beat them all into the dirt first. If the military sends some incompetent fool to drag me down, I don't know if I'll be lucky enough to be rescued a second time." Her words were laced with sarcasm. The military had sent this man—nominally to fill the Vice Captain vacancy, but in reality, he was likely there to monitor her.
She had intended to let him suffer a bit, but to her surprise, her team members all looked terrified. "There's no need, Captain. On his first day, the Vice Captain already beat us until we were black and blue, both in hand-to-hand combat and mecha simulations."
Que Tang looked surprised. "I didn't realize a noble could actually have real talent. Vatra, come and spar with me." She shed her jacket, revealing a graceful body packed with lean power.
However, Moz declined. "I was already defeated by you in front of everyone back at the academy. Over the years, I have studied your attack strategies extensively, and I must admit that you are indeed an insurmountable genius in every aspect." He offered a rare smile, which left the team members—who had suffered under his brutal training—utterly stunned. "But Captain, that isn't the point right now. Don't you want to see your mecha?"
At the mention of her mecha, Que Tang’s temper cooled. She followed the group to the maintenance hangar in the back. There stood her AM-1954, restored to perfect condition. She stepped forward joyfully, running her hand over the machine.
"After the mecha was recovered, the military immediately dispatched mecha engineers to overhaul it. They finally finished just in time for your discharge today," Moz explained, walking up beside her.
"...Regardless, I suppose I should say thank you for the life I have left. I'll make those Xenomorphs pay on the battlefield." Que Tang stroked the black mecha, her expression solemn. "And if you people turn out to be useless, I'll find that human traitor in my own way."
"I understand," Moz Vatra nodded. After spending the last few days with her team, he understood why this unit was hailed as the strongest force in the Alliance. It was because they trusted each other, loved each other, and worshipped Que Tang through and through. Every one of them was a fanatic fan of Que Tang, just like the civilians outside.
In truth, what he didn't say was that the military had originally intended to abandon her. According to reports from the support units sent afterward, aside from the soldiers who had already evacuated, every member of the vanguard who had stood to block the ambush had been wiped out. It was assumed Que Tang could not possibly be alive.
But the public had somehow caught wind of rumors—false claims that high-ranking military officials were corrupt and had intentionally called off the search to declare her dead because they feared her rising popularity. This had sparked intense public protests.
Initially, the military ignored these rumors. For them, finding the traitor who leaked the secrets was more important. But they hadn't expected the wave of protests to grow so fierce that even the Premier had to issue a public apology and order the military to conduct a comprehensive search. Even if they couldn't find a body, they were ordered to bring back wreckage.
Under pressure from both the civilian and political sectors, the military had no choice but to continue the search. To their shock, they found her on a nearby junk planet.
To survive a battle that was essentially a suicide mission—if she wasn't a child of the gods, who else was worthy of the title 'Valkyrie'?
Moz Vatra watched as Que Tang picked up a toolbox and climbed the ladder toward the mecha. He silently led the team out, leaving her alone to tend to her machine.
"Meow. Male Lead's favorability toward the Female Lead has increased by ten; currently at seventy," Little Mushroom said, looking up from Emily’s lap.
Vlataski stroked its head, her face calm as she watched the scenery fly past the window.
***
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Transmigrated as the Mary Sue: The Villainess's Revenge System | Chapter 71 | The Valkyrie's Return | Novela.app | Novela.app
