Chapter 723: Chapter 406, Phoenix Has No Secrets_2
What should I do next?
Ahzimuba’s eyes whirled, his mind raced through idea after idea—he needed to find the right reason, explanation, excuse, to get himself out of this situation.
But what to say?
He crafted one explanation after another while also instructing his driver to head for the capital.
The pirates’ returning spacecraft didn’t land in the city but headed elsewhere; if he returned, he wouldn’t have to worry about being shot on sight.
The Alliance Navy arrived faster than the Observatory had predicted; they were expected in four hours, but in less than three, the massive ships were already descending into orbit around Extinct Soil Star.
…
The orbit was so close that the ships’ silhouettes could be seen with the naked eye in clear weather from the surface.
Soon after, a message fell from the sky.
“This is a joint operation by the Tianma Fleet and the Alliance Escort Fleet, carrying out a mission to pursue pirates. We have conclusive evidence that a highly criminal Pirate Group has landed on the surface of Extinct Soil Star and suspect illegal relations between Extinct Soil Star and this Pirate Group.”
“We request a meeting with the Governor of Extinct Soil Star, Ahzimuba, and hope for the cooperation of the Extinct Soil Star government with the investigation.”
The words were polite—’request,’ ‘hope,’ as if they truly needed Ahzimuba’s approval.
But in reality, the Alliance didn’t wait for a response from Extinct Soil Star; dozens of landing spacecraft descended from the sky and headed straight for the capital city of Extinct Soil Star.
Ahzimuba, still considering his response, didn’t dare let out a peep. Forget responses; he promptly sent a message of ‘agreement’ and ‘willingness to cooperate’ to patch things up. Then he hurried to the suburban landing field.
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More than thirty landing ships came down; too many for the suburban field to accommodate. But they weren’t fussy, simply selecting several flat sandy areas nearby and setting down.
Immediately after, hundreds to thousands of soldiers disembarked from each ship. They bore the unified insignia of the Star Realm Army, as well as a Battle Group emblem. The former was a golden skull with wings, the latter a colossal bear embroiled in thunderstorms.
This Battle Group wasn’t as well-known as some of the more famous ones echoing throughout the universe, but after the end of the Korolya campaign and the spread of war reports, at least those around the Tianma Star Sector knew that this ‘Rage Bear’ named legion was even more elite than the Dragonhawk Legion.
Along with them came the roaring self-propelled artillery, tanks, armored vehicles, Windfalcon Fighters, and Qilin Fighters…
The sight made Ahzimuba’s heart pound with fear: Was this a force to capture pirates?
Descending from the ships, there was also a smaller but more elite group of individuals. Unlike the others, they bore no Star Realm insignia, only that of the Alliance—a five-pointed star nested between spread wings, encircled by a ring of steel stars. Each element had its meaning: the open wings were part of the Empire’s Sky Eagle; the star represented the Alliance; the surrounding sturdy steel star ring symbolized a solid, indestructible union.
Each of them wore at least an Exoskeleton Armor; some donned Powered Armor.
Leading them off one of the ships were fifty towering Interstellar Warriors clad in Powered Armor!
At first glance, Ahzimuba thought it was Nides and his cohorts returning, nearly mistaking them due to his blurry vision. But upon closer inspection, he knew they were different.
In demeanor, these men held themselves more proudly, heads held high, lacking the weatheredness of Nides and his group;
In equipment, they were all brand new, with shining red paint gleaming brightly, unlike Nides’s crew, who wore battle-scarred and somewhat battered Powered Armor.
In insignia, their chests bore the clear mark of the Empire’s winged skull; on their shoulders, a red and white image of the proud Phoenix, heads held aloft.
All these represented that they were true Imperial Angels, Interstellar Warriors who were widely respected within the Empire.
But it was only upon seeing them that Ahzimuba truly confirmed that Nides’s previous cohorts were likely traitorous Interstellar Warriors.
Moreover, he harbored an even deeper suspicion.
“`
The paint schemes of these Imperial Angels before me are… a bit too similar to those of Nides’s group from before, aren’t they?
Dominantly bright red, with white borders at the edges of different parts like the chest plate, shoulder guards, belt, and knees—Nides’s group seemed to sport the same look. Once the imperial emblem and battle group insignia were removed, the two were nearly identical.
Ahzimuba kept this suspicion in mind and quickly approached the leader, a figure in a Terminator Power Armor that stood taller than the average interstellar warrior.
“I am Ahzimuba, the Governor of Extinct Soil Star,” he introduced himself.
“Matins, Phoenix Battalion Leader. Where did those pirates go? I need their exact location,” the leader demanded.
“This… We don’t know either. They took off and then were driven back, disappearing into the horizon, possibly hiding in the desert…”
“Good, I got it. From now on, the Rage Bear Legion and Alliance Land Forces will temporarily take over all defense duties of Extinct Soil Star until all threats are eliminated. During this period, you must comply unconditionally with all our requests,” the leader declared.
“This…”
Ahzimuba found it hard to accept. This was his planet! Not Alliance turf!
Seeing his hesitation, Matins continued, “We now have evidence that suggests illicit cooperation between Extinct Soil Star and the Red Eye Pirate Group. Governor Ahzimuba, your suspicions have not been cleared.”
“That’s impossible!” Ahzimuba instinctively retorted, but he immediately realized that if Battalion Leader Matins made such a claim, there must be evidence, and no amount of sophistry would help.
He quickly softened his stance, “Commander Matins, there must be some misunderstanding. My family’s loyalty to the Empire has spanned eleven generations. We would never conspire with the Empire’s enemies! I will fully cooperate with your operations; I, too, wish to promptly exterminate those who once plundered Extinct Soil Star. But… after that, you should leave, right?”
“That depends on the investigation results,” Matins replied.
“Commander Matins, please forgive my bluntness, but… I’ve met Nides, the leader of those pirates. Perhaps there’s a secret within the Phoenix Battalion?”
His words carried a veiled threat.
It was a risky move, but he had to grasp at every opportunity, or if a crime was pinned on him, it would be too late.
Clearly, his words piqued Matins’s interest.
The Battle Group Leader, whose gaze had been wandering around, for the first time looked down and met Ahzimuba’s eyes.
It seemed promising; his words indeed had an effect…
Just as this thought occurred to him, his vision blurred suddenly, and he found it hard to breathe—he was being hoisted by the neck by Matins, held up like a little chick.
Matins stared into his eyes and stated, “The Phoenix has no secrets.”
Ahzimuba wanted to speak, but found he couldn’t. The pressure on his neck was increasing, and soon everything went black as he lost consciousness.
The loyal retainers of Governor Ahzimuba reacted as soon as their governor was hoisted up. They instinctively drew their weapons, aiming at Matins, but no one dared to fire.
How could they open fire? There were just a hundred or so armed personnel who had come to welcome these visitors from beyond the stars. But there were already tens of thousands debarking from the landing ships, with equipment a hundred times better, not to mention the interstellar warriors present.
All they could do was watch as their governor’s body was discarded to the side like a piece of torn fabric.
Matins paid no attention to these locals. He signaled to an officer on his side and ordered:
“Take full control of the city, isolate all Extinct Soil Star natives who participated in the battle or witnessed the ‘pirates.’”
Pausing, he added, “Don’t overlook any possible witnesses, and don’t let anyone leave the quarantine camps. This is for necessary screening; the Demon Hunters will be responsible for the interrogation and identification process.”
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