Chapter 1056: Chapter 577
Youwin had silently reassessed the Alliance’s strength in his mind.
They could no longer be underestimated.
He had to consider how to handle future relations with the Alliance moving forward.
Since the Blood Sharks had accepted the summons to participate in this rebellion incited by the Iron Armor Battle Group, seeking vengeance for a defeat dealt by the Iron Armor one hundred and thirty years ago, it was evident they would need to cooperate with the Alliance for quite some time.
This counter-insurgency war did not appear to be something that would conclude in the short term.
Governor Gu Hang, a powerful psychic and the ruler of the Alliance who should not be taken lightly, as well as the Southern Theater Command General of the counter-insurgency war, was clearly someone Youwin would have to deal with regularly for the foreseeable future.
As the Battle Group Leader of the Blood Sharks, Youwin naturally had to handle this relationship carefully.
Preoccupied with his own thoughts, Youwin, together with the Phoenix and the Alliance Army, completed the task of taking over the entire battleship.
The Alliance promoted policies of accepting and even treating prisoners humanely; Interstellar Warriors led the way, Battle Nuns provided support, and the Glory Guards served as the main force, repeatedly thwarting attempts by diehard Alfonso loyalists on the ship to sabotage it before their demise.
Ultimately, the Retribution-class Battleship came fully under the Alliance’s control.
Crews, along with a complete command system, boarded the vessel and began debugging operations.
Soon, the Retribution-class Battleship, which had once belonged to the Alfonso Fleet, was operational again.
However, now it belonged to the Alliance.
Following convention, the Alliance named the massive warship “Iron Horse,” after a Star Sector within the Dragonhawk Star Domain.
Its condition was less than ideal; the previous space battle had caused some damage, and the boarding operations conducted by the Blood Sharks, the Phoenix, and the Alliance Army had inflicted additional harm from within.
Alliance engineers and accompanying Technical Priests from the Mingyang Sect were already conducting a comprehensive inspection of the ship’s various systems.
For now, the situation appeared optimistic.
The Iron Horse would not require a full-scale overhaul at the shipyard, at the very least.
Taking it to a well-equipped starport and spending a few months on repairs should be enough to restore its full combat capabilities.
At this point, the mission of the Interstellar Warriors was considered fully complete.
Youwin was preparing to lead his battle brothers back to his flagship, the “Ghost Evil Shark.” But just then, he spotted a warrior in crimson Terminator armor approaching him.
Youwin recognized him.
His name was Kalduce, a captain in the Phoenix Battle Group and the commander of the three hundred Phoenixes who had been operating on the ship.
This fierce-looking Interstellar Warrior had left a strong impression on Youwin. He tended to instinctively assess others’ strength relative to his own based on their performance. In his opinion, this Kalduce was slightly weaker than himself but comparable to the Blood Sharks’ own Company Captain.
That was impressive.
Some leaders of lesser-known and mediocre battle groups might not even possess such strength.
Criticism directed specifically at the Torch of New Dawn.
However, the Phoenix captain’s expression was not pleasant. His gaze toward Youwin carried a hint of hostility.
Why?
Youwin quickly understood: they bore no particular grudge against the Phoenix, but the Phoenix certainly harbored animosity toward them.
During the great Bauhinia Rebellion one hundred and thirty years ago, although their primary target was the Bauhinia Battle Group, they had also killed a fair number of Phoenixes in the process.
Yet he felt no guilt or remorse for this.
Back then, they had been at war. The Phoenix had been officially labeled as traitors by the Empire, so the Blood Sharks’ role in eliminating them as part of the counter-insurgency was justified and a matter of duty. On the battlefield, it is a matter of life and death—there are no two ways about it.
If the Phoenix still bore a grudge, they should direct it at those who had branded them as traitors of the Empire, not at him.
Even in terms of blood vendettas, the number of Phoenixes killed by the Blood Sharks was surely fewer than those killed by the Furyflame and Iron Armor groups.
Regardless, if the Phoenix insisted on harboring animosity toward them, there was nothing more to say. If things escalated and Governor Gu Hang, due to his closer ties with the Phoenix, made unequivocal choices that left no room for compromise, then it could only be regrettably declared that they would become enemies.
With that in mind, Youwin calmly stepped forward to meet Kalduce.
Kalduce examined him from head to toe, his expression remaining sour, even letting out a cold snort through his nose.
But in the end, he refrained from any rash actions and gruffly said:
“The Governor invites you to meet him.”
…
Youwin wasted no time; without hesitation, he boarded a shuttle and made his way to the Alliance aircraft carrier “Eagle Horse,” where Governor Gu Hang was located, to meet him in person.
Gu Hang was nothing like Kalduce, who only had a sour face.
He welcomed Commander Youwin with a warm smile and a pleasant demeanor. A simple tea service for the two of them was placed on the table by attendants, and Gu Hang invited Commander Youwin to have a taste.
Youwin remained impassive, even showing slight discomfort with the setting, the ceremony, and the small talk coming from Gu Hang.
To be honest, Youwin had no experience handling such situations. He was neither skilled at them nor fond of them.
Gu Hang quickly noticed this.
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