Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 563

Chapter 561, I have no choice

The Fury Fleet is like a flock of sheep, eager to reach Wuqi Star. The Blood Sharks don’t care much about the general direction, but they use extreme intimidation when it comes to route selection. Whenever the Fury Fleet’s intended direction doesn’t suit the Blood Sharks’ preferences, they’ll appear, attacking, blocking the Fury Fleet’s path and forcing them to go the other way.

Being herded like sheep is certainly a terrible feeling.

He’s tried to change the situation, but… it’s difficult.

Ignoring the intimidation and forcing their way?

That’s not intimidation; the Blood Sharks will actually attack.

The question then becomes: Is the Blood Sharks applying extreme pressure?

Should they hold their ground? Does the Fury Fleet intend to fight to the bitter end?

Clearly not.

If Paulitus had the courage and the willingness to fight, he wouldn’t be in this situation.

Couldn’t they have fought along the Shangdong-Guangfeng line? The planets there are so well-defended.

Couldn’t he attack the three key worlds of the Proud Claw Sector: Mentus II, Proud Fang, and Heyang VIII? The former was a core transportation hub, the center housed the sector capital, and the latter was the Mechanicus’ territory. All were well-defended and strategically important.

He had abandoned them when the Alliance attacked them, so how could he make the decision to fight to the death now?

But amidst a profound sense of unease, his anxiety was palpable.

He began to doubt the validity of his decisions.

He even, in a rare move, discussed the issue with Wang Mengsong, who had always disagreed with him.

“You want to discuss this with me?” Wang Mengsong smiled wistfully. “With a loser like me who lost his Chapter flagship?”

Ever since the destruction of the Torchlight battle barge, Wang Mengsong had changed. He was no longer as flamboyant, no longer opposing Paulitus on every issue.

He became taciturn, focused on the affairs of the Chapter itself. He acquiesced to Paulitus’s unified command, and from then on, he followed every order Paulitus sent him without compromise.

Beyond that, however, he lacked any further initiative.

Paulitus managed to maintain a calm demeanor: “You are a loser, indeed. But you haven’t lost everything yet. You still have seven hundred men, and a fleet without a flagship. And I, too, am a loser. I led the rout of the Proud Claw Star Region, led a failed war, and destroyed your flagship. And soon, both of us will lose everything together.”

Wang Mengsong was silent for a moment, then spoke with difficulty: “Didn’t you convince Alfonzo’s crew of oilmen? They’ve promised to expedite and rescue us?”

“Yes,” Paulitus said, “but I’m not sure we can hold out until then. I can’t fathom the Alliance fleet’s movements, and I don’t know what they’re up to.” Paulitus

always said this in the past.

Every time Wang Mengsong heard Paulitus describe the Alliance as a formidable, insurmountable foe, he’d felt genuinely annoyed and angry.

But now he no longer felt that way.

While he’d been taught by the Blood Shark, why had it suddenly appeared? In the vast universe, could such a coincidence exist?

It was unlikely.

He could imagine that this was the work of Gu Hang from the Alliance.

After a moment’s reflection, Wang Mengsong could only offer a wry smile and his own answer: “I can’t guess either.”

“So are we still going to retreat like this?” Paulitus’ voice finally tinged with confusion.

Wang Mengsong took a breath and shook his head: “I don’t know, I really don’t know… In the past, I looked down on you for retreating again and again, thinking that if you can fight this battle, you can also fight that battle. Although the probability of winning is limited, how can you fight a war only when you are 100% sure? There are always risks.” “

Obviously this time, taking the initiative to attack, ambush, and encircle the three alliance battlecruisers with superior forces is the battle with the highest probability, the greatest certainty, and the greatest reward. I was excited at the time, thinking that I finally didn’t have to be a turtle and could fight a good battle. I even laughed at you in my heart, and you had to wait for this opportunity to take action.”

“But it was this proactive attack that led to the bitter fruit we are facing today.”

“For some time now, I can’t help but think that if we were facing a more complete and more powerful alliance main fleet before this, and we really had to fight a battle according to my ideas, I’m afraid we would lose even more miserably and more thoroughly?”

“Now, although the situation is very bad, at least we still have a glimmer of hope to survive.”

Having said this, Wang Mengsong sighed.

He stood up and patted Paulitus on the shoulder.

This action was unlikely to happen in their previous relationship.

When their relationship was at its worst, it was as hostile as fire and water. But in the current situation, Wang Mengsong couldn’t help but want to do it.

“You are the commander-in-chief, I will listen to you.”

After saying this, he turned and left.

He believed that Paulitus could understand the meaning behind this sentence: I can’t do it, you can do it.

Paulitus sat there motionless, and after a long while, he let out a bitter laugh.

I can’t do it either…

He always felt that he was really terrible.

In the past, he never thought that he would become a chapter master. In his opinion, Captain Erso was wise and brave. He was not only the best warrior in the entire chapter, but also a leader. Under his leadership, the Chapter grew ever more prosperous, reaching nearly 3,000 warriors at its peak, firmly placing it second in the Iron Rage Stone Triangle.

First Captain Cao Boyang was also exceptional, the Chapter’s second-in-command, capable of leading a charge.

There were also many other elites with titles like Captain and Champion…

but they were all dead.

When did the Chapter’s misfortune begin?

It was during their journey to the Dragonhawk Sector and their encounter with the Alliance.

They had originally thought they would simply fight a group of greenskin aliens and expand their influence in the Dragonhawk Sector, much like they had done in the Menghe Sector.

However, they hadn’t expected the greenskins to prove their strength beyond their wildest dreams. They hadn’t expected the Phoenix Chapter, their old enemy, which should have been practically wiped out, to regain its former glory. And they hadn’t imagined that a place like the Dragonhawk Sector would give rise to such a freak a entity as the Alliance!

The once-powerful Chapter lost hundreds of its battle-brothers in the war. In that nightmarish, bloody battle, it suddenly lost its leader and countless of its elite.

Only he, who thought he was of average talent, was forced to take over the regiment.

Since then, he has been trembling with fear and treading on thin ice.

The nightmares brought by the Alliance and the Phoenix lingered in his mind, becoming a deep shadow that never dissipated.

When the fighting between the two sides resumed, this time evolving from the previous Cold War and political conflict into an all-out war, he never dared to underestimate the Alliance.

Every decision he made was so cautious and careful, and he was even willing to be questioned by his colleagues.

Even this proactive attack, he had discussed it many times with the think tank and many staff officers, and cautiously believed that the probability of success was really high, so he came out to fight.

But why, they clearly regarded the Alliance as so powerful and treated it so carefully, but why did the situation still lead to this?

He fell into deep confusion.

He couldn’t see where the road was going.

(End of this chapter)