Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 496

Chapter 494, The enemy is in Terra!

Banquet after banquet, meeting after meeting, socializing under the guise of art and music…

During his final month on Holy Terra, Gu Hang diligently expanded his network.

Honestly, he didn’t enjoy it.

But he tried to integrate himself, using their tactics to secure everything he could for his alliance.

But the more he did, the more disappointed Gu Hang became with the highest echelons of the Human Empire.

This trip to Terra had given Gu Hang a deeper understanding of the heart of the Human Empire. He had interacted with everyone from the highest echelons, the High Lords, to the lowest executive officials. Were there any among

them with bright ideals and lofty visions?

Yes, there were.

But they were a minority.

Bartering for personal gain, petty maneuvers, and a life of drunkenness and debauchery… these were the predominant scenes Gu Hang witnessed.

Even when it came to serious matters, Gu Hang saw them as superficial and out of touch with reality, serving no purpose for the nation or the people as a whole.

It was a good thing he hadn’t reached the point of being both civil and military. The first two words might be true, but the “martial” part wasn’t quite as “playful” as the “playful” part, which was his only consolation.

Before Gu Hang left, Gallardo’s battle for the position of Minister of Military Affairs had concluded.

He had won, but not completely.

He had won in that he had indeed achieved his desired position, becoming Minister of Military Affairs, the highest administrative official in one of the Empire’s four most important departments.

Under the Imperial system, theoretically, there was only one person above him, the Imperial Prime Minister.

But that was only in theory. In reality, not to mention his recent appointment and lack of firm control, the Empire was plagued by numerous factions operating independently of the government.

Furthermore, the reason he hadn’t completely won was that he hadn’t secured a seat on the Supreme Council.

The Ministry of Military Affairs losing the position of High Lord was a rare occurrence in Imperial history. After all, if the four departments were truly divided into upper and lower levels, the Ministry of Military Affairs would be in second place, hoping for first place. It’s true that none of the four departments always had a High Lord seat, and sometimes none at all. But when they did, they usually had a Minister of Military Affairs. It was rare to see the other three departments all have prime ministers, but the Ministry of Military Affairs didn’t.

Honestly, this had a significant impact on Gallardo’s control of the Ministry of Military Affairs, causing some dissatisfaction and anxiety among his subordinates.

But he didn’t really care.

In his own words, “Over the years, I’ve been promoted so rapidly, and inevitably offended quite a few people, especially those whose positions I’ve usurped or whose paths have been blocked. However, this problem will be greatly alleviated once I become Prime Minister. If I weren’t high enough, they’d be jealous and resentful of me; but if I’m high enough that they can only look up to me, they’ll only flatter me.”

“I don’t mind a little resentment, but if I were afraid of this, I’d have long ago chosen to bide my time.”

“But you, when you return, be careful. Whether it’s the Fury of Flame or the Iron Armor, who might make a big move soon, neither of them will be easy to deal with. Don’t let us down, but don’t push yourself too hard. If all else fails, even at the most difficult and hopeless point, remember to always stay alive. With me here, no matter how great the difficulties, I’ll ensure you’ll rise again!”

This was Gallardo’s final words to Gu Hang before he left.

…

Looking at Holy Terra shrinking and receding in his sight, Gu Hang withdrew his gaze and turned to the boundless sea of stars before him.

The events on Terra were over, and he had begun his journey home.

It had been a year since he left the Alliance, and the journey back would take almost another year. Two years in total was already quite a long time.

For a leader, being away from the very core of his ruling group for

an extended period was certainly not a good thing. However, as a member of the Empire, a force that had grown under its wing, Gu Hang had to come to Terra no matter what.

The benefits and troubles of this trip aside, he needed to give these Terran masters a clear understanding of who he was, the way he wanted to be understood.

That way, when they thought of the Alliance, they wouldn’t just think of a rising power on the eastern border of the Empire, wielding immense military and political power. Instead, they would think of Gu Hang as a leader, his role in Imperial politics, a person connected to Holy Terra, part of a rising political faction. One of

them.

If things ever reached a dangerous, yet unavoidable, point in the future, the connections he had built on Terra might prove useful.

Furthermore, the alliance system he had built over the past twenty years should still be trustworthy and not entirely dependent on his presence, allowing it to function relatively smoothly on its own. His biggest problem without the Core was still about public opinion, not political matters.

Two years was already a very tight deadline. For this reason, he dared not waste any more time on Holy Terra. After resolving the issue, he hurriedly embarked on his journey home.

He hoped that everything would be alright upon his return.

…

Eastern Space Region, Dragonhawk Sector, Snowhawk Sector.

Casimir Erso, Chapter Master of the Fury Chapter, was speaking with his ally, Humphrey Paul, Chapter Master of the Ironclad, far away in the Princess Sector.

But Erso’s expression was far from joyful.

Paul had instructed him to retreat, abandon the Dragonhawk Sector, and take his Chapter, now bolstered to approximately 1,600 men, back to the Menghe Sector north of the Dragonhawk Sector, and then return to the Princess Sector.

Paul had clearly explained the reason for this.

He knew what had happened on Holy Terra. When he informed Erso of this, he understood why they had to withdraw their forces.

Because war was coming.

Because the Imperium could no longer accommodate them.

To be honest, after realizing this, Erso was somewhat bewildered and initially found it difficult to accept.

He had led the Fury Chapter for over a hundred years, always siding with the Ironclad, committing many heinous acts.

Yet, each act was done under the guise of loyalty to the emperor and patriotism.

Deceiving others is certainly important, but perhaps deceiving oneself is even more important.

From birth, one believes in the Emperor; becoming a Space Marine, one inherits the Emperor’s genes. In daily life, besides training, prayer is the most common thing; in battle, the most common slogan shouted is “For the Emperor!”

Who could have imagined that one day one would become a traitor?

“No, we are not traitors.” Paul seemed to be able to see through his heart, “How much have we paid for this empire? We have fought for a hundred years in the ‘Void Black Hole’ area of the Princess Star Domain, and countless Iron Armors and Fury Flames have sacrificed their lives for this; your regiment has fought against the green-skinned orcs in the Dragon Eagle Star Domain in the past few years, and countless sacrifices have been made. Everyone says that it was Gu Hang who finally killed Titus, but who can deny Fury’s contribution on the front battlefield? Without your resistance on the front battlefield, the entire Dragon Eagle Star Domain would have fallen long ago. How could it be the turn of Gu Hang to steal the final fruits of victory?”

“But how has the Empire treated us? Suspicion, vigilance, suppression… Have they ever decreased in the past hundred years? The blood we shed is justified in the eyes of the people on Holy Terra; but the supplies we should obtain for the war are like cutting their flesh in their eyes!”

“We might have been able to cling to illusions in the past, but Norberto is dead now. The Imperial Center no longer listens to a word we say, and we no longer have anything to say to those idle bureaucrats on Holy Terra. We have dedicated our lives to the Imperium, as we always have and will always do. However, we used to believe the Imperium’s greatest crisis came from external enemies, be they aliens or demons. But now we must wake up. The Imperium’s greatest crisis lies not elsewhere, but within! From Holy Terra!”

“The enemy is at our heart. As angels of the Emperor, loyal defenders of the Imperium, we must destroy this greatest enemy!”

Paul’s words were so powerful that they made Erso’s blood boil!

This resolved his biggest concern: being a traitor.

But according to this explanation, they were not traitors!

Although he could vaguely sense that this explanation was not entirely tenable, he was willing to believe it.

The most important factor in whether a statement is credible is the listener’s willingness to believe it.

If someone is willing to believe, even the most absurd lies can be deceived.

Erso was a man who readily believed this statement.

In fact, Paul had already figured out many of the implications of his words without him having to explain them.

Conquering Terra and seizing the throne was the ultimate goal of saving the Empire, but it wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight. Their immediate task was to defend their base, strike down those forces bewitched by Holy Terra, and continuously expand their base during the war, ultimately amassing sufficient strength to conquer Holy Terra.

That wouldn’t be achieved overnight.

However, after believing this and overcoming his resistance to further war, another question arose that concerned him deeply:

“Then why withdraw from the Dragonhawk Sector? Why can’t we make the south, the Dragonhawk Sector, or even the entire Eastern Universe our primary offensive, or at least a secondary target?”

“Because we don’t have enough strength,” Paul patiently advised. “I understand what you’re thinking. Fury has invested heavily in the Dragonhawk Sector. It would be very unfortunate to withdraw just like that.”

Erso remained silent, for it was the truth.

“But we have to consider the overall situation. The Void Black Hole still needs troops to defend it, and if we focus on the offensive, we have discussed and unanimously agreed that it would be more advantageous to operate in the entire Spider Web Star Region, which we have been operating for many years. But there are also many challenges. We need as many troops as possible to seize the initiative and expand our strength as much as possible before Holy Terra’s preparations are complete. Within the Spider Web Star Region, right next to us, there are six warbands with less clear attitudes, and many forces that may not be willing to stand with us.”

“We must use an indisputable, devastating, and shocking victory, sweeping across as many places as possible like a gust of wind sweeping away fallen leaves. A vast and irresistible victory is very necessary as a good start. Compared with the forces controlled by Holy Terra, we are ultimately weaker; our advantage is that we have a strong advantage in local areas.”

“We must leverage these advantages and use such a victory to deter all wavering people and sweep as many of them as possible to our side.”

“Our window of opportunity is short. To create that kind of devastating momentum, we must mobilize every possible force. Therefore, I need you, more than ever.”

“Do you understand?”

Paul’s persuasion was heartfelt.

After listening, Erso sighed.

“Alright, Paul, I understand your point, and I agree with your plan. I will withdraw my Chapter as soon as possible. I still have a hundred Battle-Brothers in the Alliance’s hands. I’ll negotiate a prisoner exchange with them, and then we’ll withdraw.”

“Yes, as soon as possible.”

…

At this moment, the Alliance had also learned of the political changes on Holy Terra.

Gu Hang had informed them.

While the many changes on Terra were merely news far from Alliance officials, they actually had a very direct impact on the situation in the Dragonhawk Segmentum, and they were clearly felt there.

The most direct manifestation was the withdrawal of the Silver Inquisition.

It had been a full year since they arrived in the Alliance’s controlled territory.

During this time, they had caused considerable trouble for the Alliance.

The Alliance’s many intelligence departments also used all their tricks to fight with these inquisitors.

The confrontation can be roughly divided into two levels: the open side and the dark side.

The dark side is actually easier to deal with.

The Silver Tribunal sent out many spies to quietly enter the areas controlled by the Alliance, especially the many worlds in the Pegasus region, which is the core ruling area, to spy on intelligence and even fabricate evidence. Of

course, these released spies will not inform the Alliance, otherwise nothing will be found.

But this is exactly what the Alliance wants.

If you don’t say it, that’s perfect.

They are all illegal identities, so the Alliance’s intelligence department will directly take action.

They are all enemy spies and subversive elements. They will be dealt with as soon as they are caught, and they must be dealt with quickly and severely.

The inquisitors of the Silver Tribunal often have no time to react or rescue people. Those spies have either been executed or disappeared.

(End of this chapter)