"Report!" A voice at the door made General Ross glance up. "Enter."
"General!" Vinia snapped to attention before Ross's desk.
Ross adjusted his glasses. "How'd it go?"
"General, as reported earlier, everything proceeded as planned," Vinia said.
Ross eyed him, chuckling. "What's that look? Got a gripe with me? Speak up—I'm not above criticism, so long as it's fair and reasoned."
Vinia froze. Dragged from a woman's bed mid-thrill, then yanked back from Sky Dragon's trail by a recall order, he felt like a puppet with no freedom. But say that to Ross? No way. "Commander, I've got no complaints," he managed.
"Oh? Your face says someone owes you money," Ross teased, voice softening before erupting like thunder. "Listen up, Major General Vinia! You're a soldier. Know what that means? A killing machine, ready for battle, with only two outcomes: kill or be killed. As a fleet commander, I don't want your sour mood infecting the troops. If you don't get it, I'll send you to the grunts to learn. A commander stays calm, handling any crisis. Your call isn't just about winning wars—it's about the lives of tens of thousands in your fleet."
Ross's outburst stunned Vinia. Hard to believe this refined man could roar like that. "Understood?" Ross's voice boomed.
Vinia thought, You preach calm but explode like a storm. Years of military habit kicked in. "Commander, I understand," he replied reflexively.
Satisfied, Ross nodded, his tone easing. "Get to it. Compile your findings and research report—I need it now."
"Yes, sir." Vinia saluted crisply, turned, and strode out.
As the door closed, Ross sank into his chair, removing his glasses with a sigh. Vinia was his prized successor—young, talented, with room to grow. That's why Ross, usually suave, chewed him out. He wanted Vinia honed. Ross was mostly pleased with Vinia's central system trip, save for minor slip-ups.
"Report!" Vinia's voice broke Ross's thoughts.
"Come in."
"Commander, the materials are ready," Vinia said, holding a stack of documents.
Ross stood, straightening his uniform. "Follow me to the Ministry." Vinia blinked. The Ministry wasn't a place for dime-a-dozen major generals like him—even clerks there were colonels. Ross clearly meant to bring him for a briefing. Only a commander like Ross, leading an elite legion, had that pull. His rank wasn't the empire's highest, but his talent and powerful family made him a force. Yet Ross's rise was his own, not just clan clout. Were it not for the empire's rule barring promotions without war merits, he'd likely be a marshal by now.
With nearly fifty years of peace, legion commanders were mostly sixty- or seventy-year-old generals. At fifty, Ross was in his prime, given Kangjia's 120-year lifespans.
"Problem?" Ross's eyes held deep concern.
"No, Commander," Vinia replied instinctively.
"Then let's go. Marshal Nixev's waiting at the Ministry," Ross said, walking.
Hearing the empire's top military ruler, Nixev, awaited him, Vinia tensed. If the usually idle marshal was active, every general would be there. Facing that crowd? Vinia's head spun.
Even prepared, the Ministry's grand meeting room two hours later shocked him. Ross, too, was caught off guard. Beyond Nixev, nearly every legion's general and admiral filled the 600 seats. By protocol, they'd salute until their arms gave out.
"You're Major General Vinia?" Nixev, seated at the center's highest spot, asked.
Vinia, scalp tingling, steadied himself, saluted, and replied, "Marshal, I am Vinia."
Nixev nodded, impressed. Recovering swiftly before such brass showed strong resolve. He'd watched Vinia from entry, noting his shift from unease to calm. The empire has successors. Glancing at Ross, Nixev saw the old, middle, and young aligned. "Come to the stage," he said warmly. "Share what you saw and scouted."
Presenting to this crowd? Vinia's heart leapt, but Nixev's gentle tone steadied him. Clutching his materials, he stepped to the central podium.
Vinia displayed his journey's footage on the room's massive four-sided screens via the podium's port. As the video rolled, he explained, generals listening raptly. The room was silent, and as time passed, Vinia relaxed, his briefing flowing smoothly, initial nerves gone.
When he finished, the room grew heavier, the air stifling. Vinia knew these generals felt as he had facing Sky Dragon's tech—speechless awe. Sky Dragon's advancements were Kangjia's kryptonite. In the vast cosmos, survival demanded raw power, and tech was its source.
Look at Sky Dragon's assaults on Pandora and Kamet. Against vastly superior tech, wars were lopsided. That's why Pandora couldn't hold twelve hours once Sky Dragon attacked.
"From Vinia's data and Pandora's intel, Sky Dragon's formidable, now stronger with Pandora System unified. Share your views—should we ally or oppose them?" Nixev prompted.
"I say we back Wushite Empire. We've spent years propping them up. Ditching them for Sky Dragon's rise would cost us dearly," a general said.
Another countered, "If we don't pull Sky Dragon to our side, our losses will be worse. Don't focus on short-term gains—think long-term. Sky Dragon may be rich or poor, but their tech outstrips ours, exactly what we need. We can't fight them directly—Vinia's data proves we'd lose. Dropping Wushite is urgent."
The first general, irked at being called shortsighted, snapped, "You're overthinking. Their tech's better, but wars hinge on people. Our manpower dwarfs theirs. Pandora's intel says they've got a few million ships. Even at ten-to-one, they can't match our billion-plus fleet.
"My theory's solid. If they had more ships, they wouldn't send just millions to conquer a system, especially with another strong system nearby. If we cower from their tech and ditch our hard-built ally for an unknown, we lose face. Who'd trust us after we abandon partners?"
Nixev, eyes closed, pondered silently. Many generals nodded at the first's words—retreating without a fight was unforgivable for hot-blooded soldiers.
The second general, acknowledging the first's points, stood. "I get your stance, but consider this: even with low population, Sky Dragon's millions of ships suggest over 10 billion people. With Pandora System, they'll gain more. Fielding 7 million more ships isn't hard. At ten-to-one, 10 million super warships aren't a simple ratio.
"Where's our edge? Some may scoff, but facts don't bend. Their tech wins."
"Even with Pandora's manpower, it takes time to field troops," an admiral interjected.
"True, that's their weakness. But Pandora's rebel armies, per our intel, were reorganized post-conquest. Six months' training, and they're battle-ready. We need four months to prep a war—hardly a win, likely a pyrrhic one. If enemies exploit our state, we'd fare no better than Pandora's emperor. That's why First Cosmos powers like us back Second Cosmos proxies covertly. One move risks everything—gains won't match losses. Allying Sky Dragon gives us a mighty partner," the second general argued.
The generals fell silent. Both made sense, but the second's realism hit harder. A strong ally trumped a weak pawn.
Ross spoke up. "Can we push Wushite to drop Pandora's emperor? If so, no rift with Sky Dragon—both sides covered." Most nodded, liking the plan.
"That's just groveling to Sky Dragon!" a lieutenant general blurted. Ross sighed at the idiot—face mattered less now.
Nixev, who'd listened with eyes shut, opened them. "Ross's idea is solid. Before Wushite and Sky Dragon clash, it's ideal, balancing our interests."
"Ross, handle it. Convey our stance to Wushite—they'll figure out the rest," Nixev ordered.
"Yes, sir." Ross saluted.
My shuttle landed at Yanhuang Star's Space Fortress factory orbital platform. Cohen and a scientist crew awaited. Stepping down, I spotted the orphanage director's son among them. After hugging Cohen and others, I grabbed his hand. "Settling in okay?"
"Majesty, all's great—no worries, just research," he said, sparking laughs. Cohen grinned. "Kid's sharp. He's with me now, and post-grad, I'll pull him to the Academy as my student."
"Nice," I said. "Just don't pass on your hobbies—our nation's saplings can't handle that." Cohen's infamous for tweaking his wife's chest, and he flushed.
"Hah, don't mock me. Unlike you, with your harem of all types, I stick to one scoop from the flood," Cohen shot back.
"Enough—show me your hyped Emperor," I urged, laughing.
Cohen bristled. "Hype? It's real!" At the site, the nearly finished fortress floating in space stunned us. Emperor, started with the second fortress, was still incomplete. Not only bigger—1.5 times the prior two—but packed with cutting-edge tech.
"See? No hype," Cohen smirked at my awe. "Impressive. What new tech's in it?" I asked.
"Hah, brace yourself. We upgraded the original base with fire, water, and earth ultimate defenses. Not absolute, but damn close, handling any scenario. The earth defense absorbs cosmic debris smaller than the fortress, forming a physical shield on its surface. Low-energy, multi-layered protection. It's a super-duper fortress!" Cohen gushed, piling on praise.
Staring at the massive structure, I asked, "Cohen, what's the crew setup?" It looked big enough for the whole Palace Guard Legion.
"Same as others, but armaments crew's 300,000."
"Hah, solid. I thought it was sized like the first two, or I'd have halted legion expansion. I'm taking them to war," I said. Housing the legion's three fleet legions and one reinforced armament legion—over 10 million—was no issue.
This beast took the empire's full might to craft. If I could, I'd give every legion a few—cosmic invincibility, hah.
On my fourth day at Yanhuang Star with Nizi, A-Hu messaged. "Boss, good news! We found the Earth-invading warship in South America's primal forests. Damn thing's a tiny mini-warship, max 20 crew, likely from that mystery nation tied to Wushite."
"Found the crew?" I asked.
A-Hu, sheepish, said, "Just corpses—no living. The commander wasn't there, probably gone before we arrived."
That soured my mood. A living alien, blending into Earth's crowds, was like finding a blade of grass in a forest.
"Bring the ship to Yanhuang Star for Cohen to study—see what's juicy. Also, tighten watch on Earth's other nations," I ordered A-Hu. A real hassle. If they stirred, we couldn't kill or fight them—we're from the same planet. Why'd the heavens split Earth's people by color? Rare in the cosmos, maybe why Earth's wars never end.
Cohen, hearing we nabbed a First Cosmos ship, shouted, "Hurry it here! Let's see who's tougher!" Science nut, but I dig it.
The empire's thriving, everything on track. Without this ship mess, I'd be thrilled. Thinking of Pandora's emperor makes my blood boil. Should've blasted their planets with a star cannon—none of this crap. Some cosmic rule bans killing civilians or destroying inhabited planets; only armies can be crushed.
Just a thought—I'd never slaughter innocents. I'm no WWII Japanese beast. Killing soldiers? Fine. Civilians? Off-limits. Principle. I could wipe Pandora's army, but not their people, no matter my rage.
Kangjia Empire Ministry
Nixev frowned at Ross across his desk. "They rejected our proposal?"
"Yes," Ross replied. His Wushite mission, carrying the Ministry's stance, flopped. They stonewalled, refusing to ditch Pandora's fugitive government, like they'd eaten dung and clamped shut.
Nixev mused, "Expected, just faster than I thought."
"You knew, Marshal?" Ross asked, caught off guard.
"Hah, you're focused on war, and your zone's elsewhere, so you miss some things. Since getting our tech, Wushite's been itching to slip our leash. Their recent high-tech gains fueled that, thinking they're close to us. They know we're stretched thin, so their fear's faded—natural. Pandora's arrival gave their decades-buried ambitions an outlet. They must've offered Wushite something big to defy us like this," Nixev explained.
Ross nodded, half-getting it. "What I don't get is, even if their tech matches ours, how do they think they'll beat Sky Dragon?"
Nixev smirked. "Not everyone's rational. Some chase the impossible—plenty do. Wars aren't won until the end."
"They're like gamblers, betting it all. If they lose, they'll never recover," Ross sighed, mourning years of empire effort.
"Hah, they're gamblers, just with bigger stakes. I want to know what Pandora offered to make them ignore us and back their fugitive government. Must be sweeter than our deal," Nixev said.
Ross caught on—the empire was done with Wushite. "Marshal, abandoning them could cost us big."
Nixev smiled like a sage. "Who says abandoning means loss? We might gain far more. A few more deals like this wouldn't hurt." Ross got it: ditch Wushite to win Sky Dragon's trust, gaining a powerful ally and upsetting First Cosmos' delicate balance.
Seeing Ross's understanding, Nixev added, "Intel says Wushite-Sky Dragon conflict's inevitable. We can warn Sky Dragon early, showing sincerity, even if it's minor. I want you to secretly visit Sky Dragon."
Ross felt a twinge of betrayal, but national fate left no room for sentiment. Meeting Nixev's firm gaze, he saluted and left.
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