Starting from the Planetary Governor

Chapter 1411: Chapter 803: Fire and Ashes

By comparison, Rol DeLiu wasn’t his first choice.

However, thinking it over, DeLiu did have the advantage of being close to the front lines. He was indeed quite familiar with the northern border’s defense situation.

At the same time, this veteran’s resolute demeanor was indeed one of the factors that moved him.

Entrusting to him, was not out of the question.

Thinking of this, Gu Hang finally raised his head: “In seventy-two hours, you will receive a reinforcement list. This includes two Zhuge-class aircraft carriers, five battleships, one of which is Emperor-class, and twelve Holy Grail Level battleship cruisers. Besides that, the number of light carriers and cruisers also exceeds one hundred, along with an accompanying strike group.”

“This force was originally meant for the third expeditionary force of the Dark Side Expedition, but now it’s all given to you. Remember, I want the Tai Xing Three Star Region to become a monument of honor, not a hotbed for the Chaotic Evildoer to assault the Alliance.”

“I will follow your orders.”

…

standard Terra Days later, the Oath Star.

DeLiu stood on the observation deck of the battleship ’Liao Guang’, staring at the three-thousand-kilometer-long spearhead formation outside the window. This special mixed fleet, formed of 1,470 warships, was carving an attack route in the void with the flames from its engines.

The timing of their arrival was not bad.

The Oath Star had not been lost.

According to intelligence, the enemy’s main force was still three star sectors away.

The current issue with Oath Star was due to the intense chaos forces, leading to large-scale internal rebellion outbreaks.

If this was not properly resolved, then when the Chaos Great Enemy arrives, inside and outside collusion would become a major problem.

But now, those enemies were no longer a problem.

The Alliance had completely controlled the orbital system of Oath Star, the main fleet had arrived. With so many fleets in orbital support, along with the earlier batch of landing forces already down, this planet’s issues should be resolved swiftly.

This was a necessity.

For DeLiu, since he already made a military pledge in front of Gu Hang, then the Oath Star was his last line of defense. He was determined to make this his command center and share the fate of this planet.

Of course, the defense wasn’t limited to merely one Oath Star.

His fleet carried numerous Thunder Torch Towers.

Originally not intending to personally recover this area so quickly, there was no other choice now. They had to rapidly establish a solid defense line here to repel the enemy.

The staff officer, holding a data board, was reporting on content to save regarding this. In the star systems north of the Oath Star, the issues were much larger than the Oath Star and required heavy forces to resolve:

“…The first batch of landing troops have been loaded, including 300,000 Storm Corps, seven hundred Titans, and Knight Mechas…”

“Add the Burning City Destroyers.” DeLiu interrupted, “Bring plenty of thermite fuel and viral bombs.”

The staff officer’s pupils contracted—the Burning City Destroyers are extermination units specially designated for heavily polluted planets.

But when he saw DeLiu bring up the front-line reconnaissance images: a Nest Capital World with a pre-disaster population of over ten billion, mutating into a fleshy hive, and what flowed through pipes wasn’t sewage but rather thick, foul-smelling blood.

“Tell the boys,” DeLiu caressed the bridge railing, speaking softly, “There’s no need to consider post-war reconstruction this time.”

…

The recovery work on Oath Star and its surrounding area was relatively smooth. Before the Chaos Army’s arrival, this line of defense, composed of more than thirty worlds, was already complete.

Despite only having over thirty days, to resolve all issues on the planetary surface was an impossible task. However, it doesn’t matter, being able to initially construct a defense line and stand the enemy in battle is enough.

And from the first day of the Chaos Demon Army’s arrival, battle reports slammed into Rol DeLiu’s command center on Oath Star like so many snowflakes:

In the Battle of the Emperor Demon Strange Star Region, a Zhuge-class aircraft carrier released swarms of aircraft, successfully luring the Chaos Fleet into a minefield despite suffering an 89% loss rate. Two thousand fish charged with holy water exploded simultaneously, purifying an area of 0.3 light-seconds in diameter.

Although, this carrier was ultimately penetrated by countless beams of corruption and was destroyed, but the price paid was acceptable compared to the enemy’s losses.

…

On the Emperor Demon Strange VII planet, the Burning City Destroyers Third Group used thermite cannons to melt through the ground, perishing together with Chaos Traitors over a hundred times their number.

…

In a tunnel-like corridor surprise attack, an Alliance Glory Guard assault group parachuted into a Chaos supply station, finding that the so-called “ammunition” were infant embryos soaked in pus. Lieutenant Lin Mo slashed open the main console with a chain-saw sword before injecting an overload agent into his own artery—this was the only way to resist the mental contamination. The last image he transmitted showed the embryos humming the chorus of “Father’s Hymn.”

DeLiu chewing on a mental suppressor pellet annotated: “Posthumously award Lin Mo the Double Eagle Medal, send his genetic samples to the cloning center.”

…

“Commander! The Oasis Star System’s defenses have collapsed!”

The communication officer’s scream made DeLiu frown. On the holographic sandbox, the red tide representing the Chaos Fleet was engulfing the last three green blocks. That was the final pure land of the Emperor Demon Strange Star Region.

“Send the Fourth Fleet in.”

“But that’s the last reserve force protecting the home territory!”

“That is home territory now.”

DeLiu activated the backup electronic brain, pain made sparks fly from his mechanical arm. As forty-eight escort ships charged into the red tide, he thought of his daughter—currently serving as the confidential secretary at the Governor’s Mansion on Oasis Star.

By early next morning, he received a video from an encrypted channel: the Governor’s Mansion had been transformed into a flesh throne, his daughter nailed to the wall by proliferating tendrils, with a Chaos Spawn emerging from her chest and calling “Daddy” using her vocal cords. DeLiu silently backed up the data and labeled it as “Operational Reference Material No. 177”.

Month 3: The Desecrated Sacrament

“They’re learning!” The technical sergeant waved the analysis report in horror, “The Chaos Fleet starts mimicking our swarm tactics!”

DeLiu sneered. On the holographic screen, three corrupted carriers were releasing mutated drones. These monsters, covered in eyes and mouths, could precisely avoid electromagnetic traps. “Initiate the Blue Star Protocol.” He pressed the gene lock, “It’s time to give them a big meal.”

Twenty-four hours later, three hundred guided missiles loaded with Dyson Sphere fragments launched. These stellar remnants recovered from ancient battlefields transformed into the 30,000-degree high Holy Light upon contact with Subspace Energy. As the Chaos Fleet charged forward like moths to a flame, DeLiu hummed a military song in his command chair—lyrics he had just made up: “Burn, burn, the pups’ wedding…”

Month 4: Embers and Rebirth

When Gu Hang’s holographic image stepped into the command center, carrying stardust, DeLiu was injecting his 137th nutrient. Four months of intense warfare had covered his mechanical body with repair marks, like an old uniform full of patches.

“Casualty report.” The marshal tossed over a data chip, “The fleet lost 63%, the ground forces were reduced by 82%, and the Burning City Destroyers were entirely wiped out.”

“What does it amount to?” DeLiu didn’t take the chip.

Gu Hang waved to unfold the star map. The Scarlet Scar of the Tai Xing Three Star Region was fading, replaced by a defense network woven with blue-silver veins. At the intersections of those lights, hundreds of shattered worlds were casting monuments using Chaos Fleet wreckage—the bases inscribed with the names of the fallen, amongst them “Father” carved by Gu Zi Qiang’s daughter by her own hand.

“Seventy-two hours ago, the Oath Star Reconstruction Committee passed a new charter.” Gu Hang’s fingers slid across the holographic screen, “They’re cultivating crops using the remains of Chaos Spawns, with yields three times that of pre-war.”

Finally, DeLiu smiled. When the medical officer rushed in to save his failing heart, the old stubborn man said one last profanity—the exact same as the Unyielding’s captain said before dying.