Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 704

Chapter 702: Building Relationships

between Gu Hang and the Alliance. The favors he had built during this war were invaluable.

Of course, expecting these favors to side with Holy Terra when the time came to rebel was impossible. They would still come to quell the rebellion when the time came.

Favors were most effective before the outbreak of war.

To be frank, Gu Hang did not want to truly antagonize Holy Terra, and neither did Terra. However, there was a sharp conflict between the Alliance’s expansion and Holy Terra’s sense of security.

Those so-called favors were meant to mediate and ease the situation.

However, if they were simply favors, they were a bit too loose.

Favors, like things, would gradually dissipate over time.

Gu Hang needed to build a stronger and more cohesive bond while they still existed.

The cleanup of the Zerg War continued, but as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Gu Hang no longer cared.

Occasionally signing reports and appearing at military meetings was enough, but the rest of the time was spent building relationships, making deals, and signing agreements.

Of particular importance were those signed with the various Space Marine Chapters.

Generally speaking, these were “Military Mutual Assistance Agreements.”

However, the specific nature of the targeted Chapters dictated different agreements.

For the Phoenix and the “Yellow Spring Gulls” (a reskin of the Shadow Chapter), which Gu Hang was about to introduce, they were completely controlled by the Alliance, from equipment to personnel to leadership. They were then given a homeworld and settled there normally, without the need for any special agreements.

The situation was slightly different for the New World Torch and the Fury.

While they were also completely controlled by the Alliance, they still had the “Atonement Crusade” attached to them.

For these two Chapters, Gu Hang planned to sign an “Atonement Agreement” with them, stating that the Alliance would have enough wars for them to participate in, and that they would then spend the next century atonement.

The so-called “sufficient wars” were not entirely fictitious, but rather a legitimate concept. Within the five star regions that Gu Hang considered his domain, there were three clear threats at the sector level: pest control in the Alfonzo and Nepeta sectors, eliminating the disabled insect swarms; recolonization of planets in the Princess sector that hadn’t been affected by the Extermination Order; and recolonization of areas in the northern Dragonhawk sector where the remaining Orks from the Iron Teeth War hadn’t been cleared…

all of which would require war.

Furthermore, in addition to these three significant sector-level threats, pirate threats existed in the Menghe and Proud Claw sectors. With a scale of four thousand worlds across five sectors, the Alliance would also promote reforms within its structure, and the pace would have to be rapid. This would certainly require more than the meticulous operations of the past, when the territories were smaller. It was natural for groups whose interests were harmed on this planet to stir up trouble.

Many social unrest couldn’t be resolved by force; after all, one couldn’t just kill everyone. However, in this era, within the Alliance, this argument didn’t quite apply.

As long as the rebellion doesn’t spread to dozens or even hundreds of worlds, and if it’s just a planetary rebellion, the Alliance can truly exterminate and overthrow the enemy.

These rebellions are enough to call in the Chapters of the Penitentiary Crusade.

In short, they’ll be on “expedition” within the Alliance’s five sectors, ensuring they have no shortage of battles to fight.

The Empire’s demands for the Chapters sentenced to the Penitentiary Crusade are no supplies or resources, and they must unconditionally accept Imperial call-ups for war during the crusade period.

The Alliance can exploit this loophole. If

the Empire won’t provide resources or supplies, I will;

if they unconditionally accept the call-ups, then I’ll summon them constantly, and the Chapter will be constantly engaged in battle. Other factions would have to

wait until the Penitentiary Crusade has finished its current battle, right? If it were another Penitentiary Crusade, this loophole wouldn’t work. Imperial officials, especially the faction that sentenced the Chapter to the Penitentiary Crusade, won’t tolerate your complacency. Any sly behavior is disloyalty and incorrigibility, and more severe penalties are likely to follow.

But with the Alliance, they have nothing to fear.

Who sentenced these two chapters to a Penal Expedition?

Gu Hang.

Who was the overseer?

Gu Hang again.

After their botched existence, who would punish them? They’d have to get through the Alliance first.

Who would do such a thing?

Probably no one would dare do such a thing, except to deliberately spite the Alliance.

The Dragon King’s Spears were also sentenced to a Penal Expedition, but their “crime” was less severe, only fifteen years. Unlike the Fury Flame and the New World Torch, the Dragon King’s Spears weren’t completely controlled by the Alliance.

The Blood Sharks were in a similar situation.

However, both chapters harbored ambitions to join the Alliance.

The Blood Sharks wanted to end their precarious existence in the Dark Outlands and desired a homeworld to end their long wanderings. The Dragon King’s Spears lost their homeworld after being sentenced to the Penal Expedition, but fifteen years later, they no longer wanted to wander and wanted to regain their homeworld—their homeworld was in the Nepeta Sector.

The Alliance could provide all of this.

Even if it’s not possible politically, they could certainly be given a tax-free homeworld. However, a single planet alone can hardly support an entire Chapter, unless it’s exceptionally wealthy and developed. Most Chapters assigned to average planets are tasked with expanding their influence, using military force to protect the region or even the entire region in exchange for resources. The Alliance

could allocate a planet’s entire output to a Chapter, and the Alliance government would help manage it, ensuring a higher output than if they managed it on their own. While the planet would pay Imperial taxes, the Alliance could afford this tax.

In addition to the output of the homeworld, the Alliance would also provide a significant amount of resources based on the Chapter’s participation in Alliance battles and contributions.

The Alliance has everything a Chapter desires.

This could be called a “Chapter Military and Economic Mutual Assistance Agreement.”

Of course, compared to the Fury and New World Torch, which the Alliance already controls, they do have greater independence. In theory, they would be able to refuse the Alliance’s call to arms, and even if they did, they would have the right to act independently during the battle.

While they possessed a certain degree of autonomy, they also lost the unconditional support of the Alliance. The support they needed could only be obtained through concrete military achievements within the framework of the treaty.

This was certainly not as abundant as the resources obtained by Phoenix, Yellow Spring Gull, New World Torch, and Fury Flame.

Even the replacements—the highly qualified, high-success-rate gene-seed implantation candidates provided by the Alliance, who these two chapters had already experienced firsthand—required merit.

This was actually Gu Hang’s idea… not quite a conspiracy, but a clever one.

If they were forced to accept personnel, they might suspect something was fishy and feel uneasy; but if they had to exchange them, that would be much more reassuring.

Both chapters actually had a number of new recruits from the Alliance. These recruits had served within the two chapters for a few months, while some had already served for over a year or two. Their performance was evident to the veterans within the chapters. They

were loyal, brave, and possessed exceptional potential. It wasn’t even potential

; they were practically on par with veterans. They had never encountered such a caliber of recruits before, and they had to believe that the Alliance possessed a unique skill in selecting and cultivating elite personnel.

Of course, these recruits from the Alliance had a minor flaw: they were particularly friendly to the Alliance.

But wasn’t that normal?

Compared to their strengths, this disadvantage was nothing.

Gu Hang hoped they would share this sentiment.

In the future, as time went on and the Chapter included more members from the Alliance, the Chapter would naturally be more inclined to side with the Alliance.

Even without Alliance battle-brothers reaching high positions, the benefits of the pact itself, combined with the plight of the four Chapters completely controlled by the Alliance, would likely draw them to full Alliance membership.

Even without that, Gu Hang was satisfied with the existing framework of the pact.

This was the situation for the six Chapters siding with the Alliance.

Gu Hang also considered those Chapters that had no ties to the Alliance after the war.

The Black Crusaders, Phoenix, and Ortopis were of primary importance.

Gu Hang had detailed discussions with the leaders of all three, and each signed a “Joint Defense Agreement for the Princess Star Region and the Spider Web Space Region.”

This defense agreement wasn’t particularly binding; it simply stated that the areas mentioned in the agreement might pose a long-term threat in the future. For example, the remaining rebels in the Iron Armor, the infected, the disabled Zerg, and the potential for new Zerg species to emerge from the Void Black Hole in the future…

Gu Hang invited each Chapter to send a certain number of personnel to jointly defend the area. A

small number of personnel is not necessary; a symbolic three or five, or even just one observer, will suffice.

All expenses will be covered by the Alliance.

Of course, the Alliance doesn’t need to contribute any actual effort. Currently, the situation in the Spider Web Universe is easily handled by the Alliance alone. This agreement aims to maintain constant contact with these Chapters, fostering a shared goal and facilitating frequent communication and even business.

For each Chapter, this region is where they have fought and shed blood. Leaving someone behind to see if the area is truly stable in the future would also safeguard their own achievements.

Furthermore, maintaining communication with the Alliance never hurts. Those who favor the Alliance can engage in more exchanges; those wary of it can also use this opportunity to place a member to observe its developments.

Gu Hang isn’t afraid of the latter either.

The three Chapters that Gu Hang had focused on targeting essentially all agreed to leave behind observation teams.

Some of the other Chapters either agreed or said they would consult with their Chapter leaders before returning to give a response.

Gu Hang had high hopes for them.

The Infinite and Bat Chapters, for example, were two of the first Chapters to be established. They each sent companies to participate in this war. If they were willing to maintain long-term communication with the Alliance, that would be a good thing.

The other, more common Chapters that participated in the war had relatively modest influence.

But after all, they were numerous!

On both the Western and Northern Fronts, the number of Space Marine Chapters participating from various locations probably exceeded twenty.

Even if even half of them could establish long-term ties with the Alliance, that would be a considerable force, and Gu Hang wasn’t at all disappointed.

The same was true for the Order of the Heretic and the Order of the Antipathetic, two of the three most important factions within the Inquisition.

The Alliance brought them together to establish a “Joint Supervision and Defense Agreement,” hoping they would dispatch a branch to monitor internal corruption and alien corruption within the Spider Web Universe.

Again, the Alliance would provide the funding, and they could contribute the manpower, or not. As long as this branch was established, Gu Hang’s goal would have been achieved.

Neither party had agreed yet, but judging by the fact that their representatives were both High Inquisitors, holding significant positions within their respective systems, their personal attitudes were positive.

This suggests a positive outlook for the future.

Gu Hang didn’t have a specific plan for the Astra Militarum and Navy forces arriving from various locations. After all, they didn’t have the strong independence of the Space Marine Chapters and were more heavily governed by the Ministry of Military Affairs and the Imperial Astra Militarum and Imperial Navy headquarters.

However, donations were an option.

Gu Hang could donate military equipment and supplies to these armies under the guise of donations and establish connections.

Through these individuals, he could influence some high-ranking commanders in the Astra Militarum and Imperial Navy.

As for the southern, northern, and western frontiers, there are local forces coming from various star regions and cosmic domains, such as the Imperial Chamber of Commerce’s armed fleet, which makes it easier to deal with them.

Direct commercial trade will also create very close ties.

With this arrangement, through this war, the alliance has established connections with many forces in the northern and eastern borders of the empire.

Before this, even if Gu Hang wanted to send money, he might not have had the opportunity to do so.

(End of this chapter)