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Chapter 174 167 Practice Ship
The Star Alliance Universe Army Dragon Spring Escort Ship, the seventh vessel of the Tai'a Class, is also currently assigned to the Star Alliance Military Academy as a training ship for cadets.
The training ships of the Universe Army are not quite the same as those of the naval forces of Earth's nations, which typically repurpose decommissioned ships or build them specifically for training. However, the Universe Army's training ships are in fact regular warships that can return to the main fleet at any time to participate in combat.
The Star Alliance Military Academy is training a large number of officers for the Universe Army, all of whom need a venue for hands-on practice. Merely relying on tedious theoretical learning and the Deep Sleep Learning System's virtual reality are certainly no substitute for the hands-on operation of a warship.
After about three months of study, the best cadets had passed the selection process and boarded several training ships, which included various types of spaceships, not just warships. The warships comprised four vessels, including the Flying Bear Cruiser and Spear Thrower Anti-Air Escort Ship from the original R19 Fleet, as well as two newly commissioned Tai'a Class Frigates.
Sang Jishi, an instructor at the academy with a broad face and a full beard, braced himself against the back of the captain's chair and bellowed, "Remember this, aboard this ship, I am your captain, and my orders are supreme. You must execute them with one hundred and twenty percent effort!"
Taschwe, who was sitting in the bridge acting as the look-out officer, laughed and said, "Captain, your orders are supreme, but what about the Supreme Command then?"
Sang Jishi's face darkened as he replied, "Taschwe, are you asking for it again? It seems like you're itching for another round of space surfing."
This time, Taschwe turned pale. Although he was an outstanding student who didn't much like to obey rules, his repeated violations of discipline had led to punishment. On the first day of boarding the ship for training, Sang Jishi had severely tormented the mixed-race pilot using "space surfing."
Space surfing entailed placing a person inside a can-like life support pod with an oxygen supply, usually stripped down to just underwear, then attaching this large can outside the spaceship and dragging it along during slow cruising.
This ungraceful method of punishment was a holdover exclusive to the Iridium Star Fleet, intended specifically for troublemakers. Being in a life support pod without artificial gravity meant the punished had to float around in a microgravity environment.
Samoa Star, in administrative terms, belonged to the Empire's Administrative Star but unlike Moon Pond Star and other such administrative planets, it enjoyed a more independent and higher political status, as a loyal territory of the United Empire of Iridium Star.
The United Empire was thus named because this powerful nation was formed from the unification of the Iridium Star people and other races loyal to Chancellor Bai Zhongqi.
The people of Samoa Star were not counted among the Iridium Star population and were considered a separately listed imperial subject race. Relative to others, their numbers were few, and the Moon Pond Star people, who were completely dependent on Iridium Star, did not receive as much attention as the Samoa Star people.
Although the environment of Samoa Star was harsh, it boasted a population of three billion, flourishing with the support of Iridium Star technology. The people of Samoa Star had a far superior adaptability to harsh environments than the Iridium Star people, and historically, they were exposed to warrior education.
This was not of the Spartan variety but instead a comprehensive education in strategy, martial prowess, and bravery. This made the people of Samoa Star an indispensable part of the Iridium Star military forces.
In terms of pride, the Iridium Star people were actually much more modest, whereas the individuals from Samoa Star held themselves in high regard, recognizing others only if they earned their respect, looking down on those who did not.
Now, Sang Jishi was no different; he expected to train the academy's students into outstanding war experts like those from Samoa Star, but their performance fell short of his expectations.
Sang Jishi continued to broadcast to all the crew of the entire ship, "Alright, I don't want to mince words, the planet you're about to set foot on is a place you believe you know well, but in reality, you don't know the first thing about it. Even with the best weaponry and all sorts of theoretical knowledge, such an environment can be deadly.
I will not comfort you, because perhaps when we return, we might be carrying the corpses of several comrades. In the ruthless universe, this is normal, and you must get used to it. But what I want to say is, only a fully prepared Universe Army warrior can step onto the battlefield unharmed and tread the path home safely."
Sang Jishi, despite his best effort, couldn't hide his concern as he added, "I hope that the darn kids and girls I've taught will all be able to return home."