Chapter 142

  Billions of stars shone with billions of rays. The vast and profound space was shrouded in deep darkness, and the light seemed so weak.

  Endless night, boundless void, unimaginable cold... All of this has not abandoned humanity, but rather ignored human existence. The universe is vast, but in the eyes of humans, it has become a mere stone's throw away, because the universe has long been familiar to humans and has been incorporated into a range that can be traversed with ease.

  Humans have divided the universe into fragmented areas, dividing habitable and uninhabitable regions, navigable and unnavigable regions; while those most hopeless people - professional soldiers, divide all space and star clusters into enemy-dominated areas and our dominated areas, areas that should be occupied and areas worth defending, or easily occupied areas and hard-to-occupy areas.

  These spaces and star clusters originally had no names, and humans, being small, used their own language to distinguish them.

  This strip of space is called the "Isharal Corridor", a narrow and hidden tunnel that runs through the treacherous parts of the galaxy.

  An Imperial standard battleship is navigating through this corridor, destination: Iselorn Fortress. Soon, it was discovered by the patrol warship of the Allied Iselorn garrison fleet, who ordered the battleship to stop as if facing a great enemy, and the Imperial battleship also stopped and sent out communication: "This ship has been ordered to deliver important documents, please notify your superior officer."

  At first glance, many people would not think that Yang Weili is a top-notch important figure in the alliance army. Even when he wears his military uniform, he still doesn't have an ounce of a soldier's demeanor.

  He is not a dignified and prudent old-fashioned gentleman, nor a muscular and sturdy man, nor a calm and handsome scholar or a pale-faced and clean-cut young master.

  He was exactly at the age of maturity, but his appearance looked about two or three years younger. Black hair, black eyes, medium build, although not handsome, but not that kind of rare handsome man either.

  His most impressive place is not the outside of his skull, but the brain inside. The sound of the bell rang out lightly.

  "Commander! I am Greenhill!"

  The beautiful female officer with golden brown hair and light brown eyes, who has been Yang's deputy since last year, spoke from the screen of the TV phone.

  "I'm busy now! What's up?"

  Yang's tone seemed indifferent.

  "A warship from the Imperial Army has sent an envoy with an important document for the Commander's review!"

  "Is that so?"

  Yang was not surprised and remained calm. After a pause, he put down the chess piece and stood up, then walked out of the room. Two hours later, Yang ordered all cadres to gather in the conference room.

  When the Imperial Army dominated this fortress, it was a place for the fort commander and the resident fleet commander to discuss and consult. At that time, meetings often ended in fierce disputes and verbal sparring matches, so the atmosphere of conflict became a tradition in this conference room.

  Fortress Affairs Supervision - Lieutenant General Aleks Kaidren.

  Fortress Defense Commander - Lieutenant General Walter Schreiber

  Deputy Commander of the Fleet - Major General Fisher.

  Chief of Staff - Major General Mulei

  Deputy Chief of Staff - Lieutenant General Pateychuk

  Senior Lieutenant - Philetrya Grenchill

  In addition, there were Captain Neilson of the battleship Ulysses and Lieutenant Commander Yada.

  Yang glanced around the room at the assembled officers, then began to speak. His serious tone was not his usual style, and his voice still sounded like he was chatting with friends over drinks.

  "I suppose you all know by now! The Imperial Navy has sent the battleship Brocken as an envoy, bringing a rather interesting message - they want both the Empire and the Alliance to exchange over 30 million prisoners of war!"

  As the conversation in the conference room came to an end, Yang reported the situation to Hainielsen and proposed that he would personally return to the Ministry of War to explain the situation.

  The fleet of four million warships, consisting of the Reinhard Fleet, the Fahrenheit Fleet, and two other fleets brought from Odin, was in a gravity parking orbit around the planet. Reinhard himself sat in the conference room with his chief of staff, General Gustav von Schtukart, as well as Admiral R?ntgen, commander of the battleship squadron, General Karl, commander of the land troops, and Lieutenant General Dalk, commander of the assault group, among others. They were discussing a message from Reinhard von Lohengramm, Duke of Rozenkraum and Commander-in-Chief of the Space Fleet, regarding an exchange of prisoners in the capital planet of Odin.

  "Here we go again, Excellency. It seems the Duke of Reuentahl is about to have a falling out with those two big shots," said Lieutenant General Gustav von Schreiber.

  "I think it's about time." Viscount Carl Dick intervened with a sentence, "Do you want to open a disk and bet on when they will officially start fighting?"

  "It's just a matter of months now, neither side can hold on any longer. However, if the Empire were to have an internal war, the Alliance would be a crucial factor, and they would also have to make their move! But... why rush? Let the blond-haired one play for now, whether he succeeds or fails, the Empire's internal war is inevitable. We should take this opportunity to stir up some trouble as well." Fafnir said with his usual languid tone.

  "Several shipyards in nearby galaxies have been occupied, but the scale is completely incomparable to those in the northern and capital regions of the Empire. If expanded, it would take at least a year, and we are also facing difficulties in filling the gaps in technical personnel and production workers." Logistics Department's Midamaia Lieutenant General began reporting, "Our smuggling channels have been reduced due to the situation on the Alliance side, but our loans from Fesha have been increasing steadily. Now, half of our monthly smuggling income has to be used to pay interest on the loan."

  "It's all right, it will be settled soon. In short, everyone go and reorganize your own troops first. Kill the useless trash directly, within three months, I want to see three elite fleets!"

  The Imperial fleet within the Chiyohiza star system immediately began exercises and training activities after the meeting, with many officers dying for various reasons. However, the combat effectiveness of the entire fleet has increased significantly, and morale is also high - star pirates and criminal groups have disappeared. Many people in the surrounding star systems have gone missing or died.

  "I'm going to Odin for a trip, it seems I'll have to attend the exchange ceremony in some capacity. After all, that fool is my uncle." General Shuttkar Hau said goodbye to Marshal Favniel.

  The prisoner exchange was not carried out between the "two governments" because the two governments each claimed to be the only orthodox authority in human society, did not recognize the existence of the other side, and had no intention of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries.

  If this situation were a personal matter, people would have to be fed up with their stubbornness and ignorance. But from the perspective of the state, people will tolerate such evil in the name of authority and dignity.

  On February 19, a prisoner exchange ceremony was held at the Isherlen fortress. Military representatives from both sides attended and exchanged lists with each other before signing certificates.

  "The Imperial Galactic Army and the Free Planets Alliance Army, based on humanitarian and military principles, have decided to release each other's detained personnel and guarantee to faithfully execute this with honor."

  February 19, Imperial Year 488: Ziegfried Gyunei, General of the Galactic Empire

  With a sparkling smile, Jillafeier said to Yang after signing: "Formal ceremonies may be necessary, but they also make one feel like it's a foolish thing, Director Yang."

  "I feel the same way!"

  Yang observed Julian Mintz. Yang was considered young, but Julian was even younger, only twenty-one years old. The ruby-red hair, the pleasant blue eyes, and the tall figure made him a handsome and outstanding beauty, one of the few top generals in the Galactic Empire, and even the women of Iserlohn admired him. In the Battle of Amritsar, Yang had directly clashed with him and knew he was Reinhard's confidant, but Yang found it difficult to feel dislike for this young man.

  Jill Firth seemed to have a similar feeling towards Yang, and when they parted ways, their handshake was firm.

  A man in a general's uniform behind him snorted and turned to look at the highest-ranking prisoner of this exchange - General Shutekho, commander of the fortress.

  The two Schutzstaffel generals looked at each other, the older one who had been stripped of his rank lowered his head.

  Undercurrents of the alliance surge.

  The replenishment and reorganization of the fleet showed some interesting signs. The Second and Sixth Fleets were successively reorganized, and Generals Karl and Nguyen Van Sau were promoted to Fleet Commanders. These two fleets were also formed into "small fleets" with a scale of 7,000 ships. However, the reorganization work of the damaged returning fleet was carried out very slowly. The Fifth, Tenth, and Twelfth Fleets had not been restored for a long time, while the Thirteenth Fleet was sent to the Iserlohn Fortress early on. Ulanov and Polutin were temporarily idle, after all, their fleets still had some time before they could recover their combat effectiveness. Many young and unfamiliar faces were placed in new or vacant positions one after another, while many old and steady military officers took responsibility for the defeat and were asked to retire or be put on inactive duty.

  In the empire.

  Former Emperor Friedrich IV lived an extremely decadent life, and since his death, the ruling class of the Galactic Empire has been in a state of constant turmoil.

  First, the five-year-old child heir Albrecht was crowned as the new emperor by Siegfried von Westerburg. Although he was a direct grandson of Frederick IV, after his accession, he immediately aroused the anger and jealousy of two major nobles.

  The two great nobles were Duke Otto von Braunschweig and Marquess Wilhelm von Lichtenheim. They had married the two daughters of the late Emperor Friedrich IV and each had a daughter by them, whom they sought to place on the throne as Empress in order that they might themselves become Regent and dominate the Empire.

  When their ambitions were shattered, they joined forces to take down a common enemy and vowed revenge. Their enemies were the young Emperor Elwes Yushéf II, as well as the two powerful ministers who supported him from behind the scenes: 76-year-old Imperial Chancellor Klaus Litverad Duke and 20-year-old Reinhard von Lohengramm Marquis.

  The ruling class of the Galactic Empire split into two factions: one was the pro-monarchist faction, with Reinhard von Lohengramm and Siegfried Kircheis as its core; the other was the anti-monarchist faction, led by Ovlesser and Lang.

  Many officials who were worried about the future of the empire and also concerned about their own safety hoped to maintain a neutral stance, but the increasingly precarious situation made it impossible for them to stay out of the matter.

  Which side should they rely on to survive? Which side is legitimate and reasonable? Or, which side has a higher chance of winning?... All these are testing their judgment and insight.

  Reinhard repeatedly provoked the nobles' nerves, causing them to fall into a blind and furious rage with no chance of winning. Their hysterical actions were exactly what Reinhard had hoped for. He applied these tactics with the same enthusiasm as a young boy chasing after beautiful butterflies. Some of the nobles, however, were not completely brainless and promptly defected to Reinhard's side, among them being Count Marldorf.

  What's more interesting is that some of the lower-key and lower-ranking nobles directly pledged their allegiance to Count Rudolf of Fafnir in the Chihouisha star system.

  "Our little blond friend is still suffering from his old illness, being too impatient. He could have spent a few years gradually devouring those nobles - only if he wanted to establish his own dynasty, this impulsive move would be able to sweep away the old nobility and make room for his new nobility." Favoniel muttered to himself. "Gustav! How boring! After being promoted to Earl and Imperial Marshal, there's not even a chance to visit brothels anymore!!! It's really too empty!!! One of life's greatest pleasures is gone. I've lost my motivation!"

  "Same here!" another bad response said.

  "Have the nobles united?"

  "I was just about to report to you, the 'Lipautat' alliance has been formed. The Duke and Marquis have both extended an olive branch to Count Fafnir - that's you - and requested your participation..."

  "What fools! What's the point of this grand alliance? Forming pacts in the capital where the enemy has the military advantage? We'll be wiped out in no time!" Fafnir said to his subordinates, despite knowing that the high nobles would definitely escape successfully.

  The nobles opposed to the Marquis of R?nnekleiv and Duke of L?rdal, flocked to the forest of Lippstadt where the villa of Count Oddvin Bragge was located, under the pretext of an auction of ancient paintings and a garden party. In the underground hall, a patriotic signature campaign against the autocratic politics of Marquis R?nnekleiv and Duke of L?rdal was secretly taking place.

  This movement is commonly known as the "Lipid State Treaty", and the noble military organization established by the treaty is called the "Lipid State Noble Union Army". There are 3,740 participating nobles, regular army and private exclusive soldiers, with a total force of 25.6 million.

  The leader of the alliance is Duke Otto von Bückeburg and the deputy leader is Marquess Wilhelm von Liechtenberg.

  A document signed by nearly 400 nobles, with a fierce tone, attacked Litvinov and Rozenkrantz. Moreover, it was also declared that the sacred mission of defending the House of Habsburg had been entrusted to the traditional noble class of the "chosen people". Odin protects us! The victory of justice belongs to us!" This is the end of the text of the alliance.

  The nobles gathered in the "Lippschütz Alliance" had to organize the complex military systems, a unified command center, a unified strategic concept, and a unified logistics system to counter the war genius Reinhard.

  In terms of sequence, it is necessary to first decide on the commander-in-chief of the actual combat troops, and then have him decide on the formation and deployment of the troops.

  At first, Duke Brownback intended to take personal command of the actual fighting forces. However, Marquis Liddelheim advocated that the commander-in-chief should be a military expert. I suggested that Admiral Melquartz, who was outstanding in achievements and prestige, should take the post of commander-in-chief. Isn't it too risky for you, the leader of the alliance, to personally go to the front line? They initially excluded Marshal Favniel, who had not yet signed the treaty, and also because of their distrust of this guy.

  The intention of Richter Hemm was clear, he just wanted to avoid the establishment of a transcendent merit by Duke Brunswick, but in terms of form, his claim was correct, so Brunswick had no choice but to adopt his opinion. The words of Admiral Merkatz... "Other nobles also expressed their unanimous approval, so Duke Brunswick had to temporarily suppress his inner thoughts and prove himself as a magnanimous person. He politely invited Merkatz to his mansion and sincerely asked him to take the position of actual commander-in-chief of the United Nobility Army.

  "Please come and take command, Field Marshal Rudolf von Favini." These were the words of Generaloberst Melchior von Merckatz.

  "That Rudolf 'Draken' von Fafnir?! He's just a lucky rogue! He's not one of our noble blue-blooded family! He's only slightly better than that blond upstart. It would be better to invite Melkaz Thorne instead. Admiral, take a look at those young nobles, do you have confidence in being able to persuade them? They've sworn to kill anyone who doesn't cooperate and offer them as sacrifices to Odin, they're not afraid of anything, I know they can back up their words. At that time, even I, the Alliance leader, might not be able to stop them, don't say I didn't warn you, persisting will bring no benefits for you, they like to use young girls as sacrifices, I heard you have a very young little girl in your household..."

  Merkel finally gave in.

  Reinhardt launched a massive manhunt, capturing many of the lowlifes who had been booked in advance, but the two biggest lowlifes managed to escape from Odin.

  The dukes and marquises gathered with other nobles in the fortress of "Eagle's Nest", when a notice arrived.

  "Has Count Rudolf of Fafnir also joined the alliance? Good! Now we have an additional 40,000 troops!" No matter how much he dislikes Fafnir in private, on the surface he still has to loudly welcome this guy's joining...