Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 546

Chapter 544: The Direction with the Most Results

Wu Jiarong, on Angry Owl, was delighted to receive the message from General Gu. While she was eagerly preparing to construct the Retribution-class battleships, the Alliance’s military operations entered the next phase.

The two star regions south of the Proud Claw star field, captured by the Alliance, had not yet been completely absorbed.

In reality, this couldn’t be so easy. After all, the time was still short, the region was still on the front lines of the war, and it had once been enemy territory. These two star regions couldn’t easily accept Alliance rule.

The local factions wouldn’t easily accept complete Alliance rule.

This was different from the Alliance’s homeland.

There, the local factions on each planet lacked the resources to resist, and the Alliance had ample means to control them through various tactics, both gentle and harsh.

However, here, many of these gentle, political tactics were significantly less effective.

These local forces likely had deep historical ties to the Iron Rage Stone. Even if they temporarily yielded under military pressure, they inevitably harbored the fear that the Alliance would eventually be driven out, enduring humiliation and bearing the heavy burden.

Given these external circumstances and internal conflicts, the Alliance couldn’t complete internal integration in just a few months.

But… it would be enough.

A certain amount of industrial capacity could be tapped for the Alliance’s use.

Several planets in key transportation locations had undergone preliminary fortification.

Most worlds, relying on locally recruited soldiers and supplemented by a portion of the “Allied Forces” from the mainland, could achieve internal suppression and blockade of opposition forces.

At this point,

the Alliance’s main armies launched their offensive, continuing their advance northward.

This phase’s targets remained two sectors, totaling twenty-nine worlds.

The Fury Fleet remained elusive, harassing the Alliance’s main forces while avoiding direct confrontation.

This allowed the Alliance to relatively smoothly capture another twenty-nine worlds.

The Alliance once again adopted its previous cautious approach, halting its offensive and focusing on resolving the situation.

But this time, the Fury Fleet didn’t sit idly by.

They weren’t impatient. Instead, once the Alliance controlled four sectors within the Proud Claw Sector, totaling fifty worlds, they gained more avenues to raid Alliance-held territories.

After all, within the sector, sectors weren’t connected by just two worlds and a single interstellar tunnel, as was the case between Menghe and Proud Claw.

With at least a dozen routes into these four sectors, the Alliance couldn’t possibly deploy troops to defend them all.

This led to several battles that cost the Alliance dearly.

The Fury Fleet raided a previously captured planet orbiting a shipyard, destroying several warships under repair.

They also attacked a transport convoy, destroying not only the escort but also half the transports, resulting in the deaths of tens of millions of Alliance soldiers awaiting transport. The Fury Fleet then fled before the enraged Alliance fleet arrived.

They even sent reinforcements to Guangfeng, attempting to send a squadron inside Guangfeng’s orbital defenses. This would have bolstered Guangfeng’s defenses and provided the ability to launch offensive attacks. It would have also provided information and intelligence, strengthening the besieged planet’s ability to hold out and avoid a similar situation to that of Shangdong Star.

Fortunately, this attempt failed, and they were forced back by the Alliance fleet besieging Guangfeng.

Still, the impact was devastating.

Space combat within this solar system could be observed from the observatory on Guangfeng. Even though the Fury’s ships failed to successfully enter orbit and rendezvous with the local defenders, and even their attempts to establish communication were intercepted by the Alliance, their mere presence within the system provided a significant morale boost to the Guangfeng defenders.

The most immediate consequence was that the local defenders, who had initially softened their stance and were less steadfast in their refusal to communicate with Alliance diplomats, suddenly became withdrawn, completely refusing to engage with the Alliance. From outer space, a city on Earth could even be seen celebrating. Angered by this, the Alliance Navy fired a cannon—which, of course, was intercepted, only to help set off fireworks in the night sky.

The Alliance also sought ways to deal with the Fury Fleet,

but repeated ambushes and decoys ultimately proved ineffective.

In one such ambush, the Alliance fleet took a rather risky approach. After the ambush failed, six massive ships assembled and pursued the Fury Fleet.

The Retribution-class battleship in the Fury Fleet was slow, but the Alliance also had a Retribution-class ship lagging behind.

The pursuit and retreat saw both sides displaced by several star systems.

At this point, the Alliance fleet’s formation was somewhat stretched. The Inferno Nova lagged behind, struggling to advance; the Hippogriff managed to keep up, but since the enemy wouldn’t engage, their chances of joining the fray were slim; the four battlecruisers managed to catch up, but were unable to defeat them.

If this pursuit continues, it should yield results. The battlecruisers that catch up don’t need to fight tooth and nail; they can simply attack the smaller ships in the fleet, occasionally overtaking them, then surrounding and delaying them. This

emphasizes a strategy of harassing the enemy

while they retreat. If the enemy’s main battleships become frantic and attempt a desperate attack, the battlecruisers can choose to retreat,

preventing the enemy from catching up. Even if they choose not to retreat, they can hold out for a while, and the relatively faster Hippogriff will soon reach the battlefield.

If they hold out a little longer, the Fire Nova will also arrive. This scenario is certain to happen

if they pursue the enemy a little longer. However, in the end, Admiral Ye Lishia, commander-in-chief of the Alliance

‘s main fleet, ordered the pursuit to cease. They had already gone too far, out of Alliance control for several star systems.

In these unfamiliar star systems, every astral jump is a huge risk.

Even if astropaths can conduct reconnaissance on the enemy’s situation before crossing the astral plane, there are also ways to evade detection.

Risks are inherent.

Who knows if the next jump will be a thrilling pursuit, or if eight battleships are ambushed across the jump point?

The main fleets of the navy can’t afford to gamble. If

the army suffers heavy losses, they can always recruit more from the rear. Even if their training level isn’t up to par, a few guns can still hold up the army’s size, though the casualties will be even greater.

But warships are incredibly valuable, often taking years to build. Even producing them in large quantities takes time. If they were destroyed, they would be completely useless at that moment.

At this point, the Alliance’s main fleet withdrew as a precaution.

From these circumstances, many senior Alliance commanders sensed danger.

The larger the operation, the deeper into the enemy camp, the higher the risk.

Frankly, the Fury Fleet wasn’t strong enough, but their strategy of trading space for time, trading space for opportunity, was indeed working.

Under these circumstances, the Alliance held several military meetings.

Ultimately, Gu Hang made the final decision.

“At this point, we can’t say that the second phase of the war is over. Although we have gained control of twenty-nine worlds in two star sectors as expected, and once again consolidated our influence in the Proud Claw star field, the expanded scale of the battle has also revealed our slightly vulnerable underbelly. This second phase of the battle requires everyone to continue to be alert and deal with it well until we can definitely win.”

“In response to this situation, we need to change our thinking. From the past comprehensive control and comprehensive deployment, we will shift to control of key areas. For many planets, we can just keep ground control. Will Paulitus come to take these planets back? That would be meaningless. We will only take them back again, and there is also the risk of being caught in the process of the operation.”

“He won’t do such a thing. If he really does do something stupid, that would be a good thing.”

“Instead, we will prioritize defense on key worlds, such as crucial transportation routes, and worlds with significant industrial output or even shipbuilding capabilities. We will strengthen the fortification of these worlds. This will ensure that these worlds won’t be immediately lost in the event of an attack, allowing us to wait for reinforcements from our patrolling fleets. Our fleets will also escort our key transport convoys between sectors. By reducing the number of key worlds requiring construction and defense, transport ships won’t have to take as many risks traveling to different locations, and it will also facilitate escort missions by the main fleet during patrols.”

After explaining the defensive arrangements, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The Alliance currently controls nearly fifty worlds in the Proud Claw Sector. According to Gu Hang, they will abandon around thirty of them, focusing on defending less than twenty.

While abandoning these worlds doesn’t guarantee recapture by the Fury, abandoning thirty worlds, while a sound decision, is crucial. Since Governor Gu is personally present, this decision rests solely with Governor Gu, and no one else.

However, while the question of how to defend is a pressing one, it’s not crucial.

The Alliance ultimately holds the upper hand, so they can certainly defend themselves.

The most crucial issue remains the third phase of the war.

The Alliance must continue to advance. Otherwise, would they have assembled such a large force just to conquer fifty worlds in the Proud Claw Sector?

Clearly not.

The Alliance’s slowdown in the war effort, its cautious approach, has revived the political pressure that had been easing due to the Alliance’s military intervention.

It’s not as severe as before, but it’s steadily intensifying.

Under these circumstances, the Alliance’s war effort cannot be halted.

However, the stakes are rising as the war expands, and this is an undeniable fact.

What should be done next?

Continue this way?

It’s already been steady enough, what else needs to be done? But the more the war progresses, the more precarious the situation becomes.

Gu Hang, the Commander-in-Chief, will make the final decision.

Gu Hang had clearly given this some thought:

“First, we need to secure the second phase steadily, solidifying the defenses and fortification of key worlds. For the third phase, we’ll change our strategy. After two phases of offensives, we’ve established a firm foothold in the Proud Claw Star Region. We have a secure position and room to maneuver. From now on, we can take a few risks.”

“We don’t need to pursue control of entire star regions as before. Instead, we’ll adopt a focused offensive approach. The General Staff has established the next three key targets across the Proud Claw Star Region: Heyang VIII, Mentus II, and Aoya.”

Everyone was a little surprised.

The last two worlds were no problem, but Heyang VIII being one of the three major targets

was a bit strange.

Proud Fang, the capital world of the Proud Claws, makes it a logical target for attack.

Mentus II, a key hub world in the Mentus sector, lies in the heart of the Proud Claws. It boasts not only a large starport but, crucially, a rare network of eleven interstellar tunnels connecting to other worlds, making its position crucial on the star map and its capture immensely significant.

As for Heyang VIII… that’s a bit of an oddity.

It’s a feudal world, deeply controlled by the Alfonzonian Mechanicus. Hundreds of small feudal principalities and counties dot the planet, creating a highly fragmented and fragmented world. These small states are controlled by small knight families. Almost all possess various types of knight mechs and are ready to be summoned by the church.

When they gather, they become the “Third Order of Alfonzon.”

The planet boasts excellent natural conditions and excellent agricultural conditions. The feudal serfs not only support the knight families, but also have ample resources for a significant grain trade.

The main trading partner, or the object of tribute, is the Alfonzo Cult.

In addition, the planet has good mineral resources, and even three adamantium veins. Protected by the Knights, the Crusaders directly dispatched by the Mechanicus are stationed in these three mining areas for a long time.

Such a resource world that combines the “Knight World”, “Mineral World” and “Agricultural World” in one is the core interest of the Alfonzo Cult.

The Alfonzo Cult has always claimed that they are on the side of the Empire. No matter how ambiguous their attitude is, at least they have not raised the flag openly.

Logically speaking, Heyang VIII, as the core interest of Alfonzo, can be left alone.

Make this place one of the three key attack targets?

Governor Gu’s visit has a deeper meaning.

Gu Hang didn’t explain the reasoning behind this, but continued, “We don’t seek control of every planet along our offensive route. As long as a planet doesn’t have the conditions to allow enemy ships to hide, we’ll simply bypass those worlds and attack our three key targets. Once we conquer them, we can immediately declare we’ve conquered the Proud Claw Star Region. From this perspective, we’re the direction with the most achievements among the three war zones: South, West, and North!”

(End of Chapter)