Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 838

Chapter 833, a good start

Many were willing to join Taishichen on the Spark, and those who attended the meeting at the Steel Flame Furnace ultimately signed the document.

The core reason for their willingness to sign, and their eventual “unity,” was, of course, the changing circumstances.

In the past, before the collapse of the Empire’s unified local government system, inherent conflicts existed among the various factions.

At least the order of the Empire kept these conflicts contained and prevented them from easily erupting.

But after the Cataclysm, the isolation of the islands brought about immense disasters, not only leading to crises such as xenos, Chaos, cults, and rebellion, but also rendering the cosmic and star-domain governments virtually dysfunctional. These local governments had either ceased to exist in name only after decades of turmoil, or had evolved into single, localized forces, losing control over other forces within their jurisdictions—a situation that was more common.

For example, in the Moon-Watching Star Region, while the star-domain government had indeed survived, it had even emerged from its isolation and established connections with approximately fifty surrounding worlds.

However, they were not the most powerful faction in the Moon-Watching Star Region.

Although the Forge World of Steel Flame only controlled twenty or thirty surrounding worlds, its power, both in terms of output and military might, surpassed that of the fifty worlds of the Segmental Government combined. Furthermore, the two original Chapters of the Moon-Moon Segment, after their defeat against the Orks in Omgeria, the remaining two hundred or so warriors were all resting in the Forge of Steel Flame and, to a certain extent, under the control of the Mechanicum—otherwise, their weapons and equipment would have been lost.

Mercenary Queen Tristan started out as a private force. Her father’s generation had been space pirates, and after her successor, while her pirate group was flourishing, she felt it was not going to last and decided to accept the amnesty. At the same time, she understood that surrendering her armed forces after the amnesty would only serve as a prey to others. Therefore, she used every possible means to maintain her military power, transforming her pirate group into a mercenary group, surviving by providing military protection to planets and Imperial caravans. She also obtained a merchant license and started her own business. Occasionally, her troops would still perform their traditional duties, as long as they avoided detection.

After the Cataclysm, she seized upon

the chaos, seized control of twenty or thirty surrounding worlds, declared herself king, and engaged in a war with various factions. The Ecclesiarchy also had a headquarters in the Moon-Watching Star Region. As a shrine world, Komer quickly established connections with over seventy surrounding worlds through devout prayer after the Cataclysm. The planetary governors of these worlds were already devoted followers of the Ecclesiarchy. After the catastrophe, they maintained their faith, completely obeying the Ecclesiarchy’s commands, whether for planetary resources or military forces. Komer also commanded a detachment of elite combat nuns.

Each family had its own strengths, as well as its own conflicts and frictions. After the official rule of the Empire collapsed, they all sought to protect themselves while also considering whether they could exploit the chaos to expand their ambitions. Furthermore, they simultaneously faced internal Chaos rebellions and external alien challenges… Under these circumstances, they conveniently missed the opportunity to assist the Ohmgeria Sector and curb the rise of the Greenskins.

Back then, they were preoccupied with power struggles, territorial expansion, and dealing with internal and external challenges, leaving them with no time to address the problems of neighboring sectors, simply because the threats hadn’t yet reached them.

Now, the external environment has dramatically changed. Everyone knows what happened in Ohmgeria. Let’s not even talk about what will happen after the Insect-Beast War ends, but even now, the insects and beasts escaping from the three interstellar tunnel exits, No. 7, No. 8, and No. 9, in the Moon-Watching Sector, are already putting them under direct pressure.

Internal challenges and conflicts are trivial in a situation where everything seems to be doomed. This is

especially true with the arrival of the Alliance.

Even though they were merely a vanguard, the forces at Taishichen’s disposal were already more formidable than any of the other factions individually.

Not to mention, they have an entire alliance behind them.

Their only hope of tackling the deadly threat posed by the insects and beasts, and the massive, catastrophic bomb threatening to destroy everyone nearby, Omgeria, lies in the alliance.

They can’t rely on central Terra, on the other side of the Scarlet Scar, can they?

Under these circumstances, they already possess the realistic foundation for unity and solidarity.

Otherwise, could Taishichen, through mere threats at a meeting, force the Komerians to surrender their sacred Holy Energy Crystals? Could he force the greedy merchants to abandon their trade routes and fleets? Could he force the Steel Flame Furnace to serve as the front line of the war effort?

Impossible.

Such things wouldn’t be surrendered unless it was absolutely necessary.

Of course, that doesn’t mean Taishichen’s work was ineffective.

The arrival of the vanguard he led was a major opportunity to unite the Moon-Watching Star Region.

Without his arrival, perhaps the Moon-Watching people would eventually unite, but it would likely take months or even years, leaving plenty of room for wrangling and wasting time. By then, half of the Moon-Watching Star Region might already be engulfed in war, rendering everything meaningless.

Furthermore, Taishichen’s own words and actions, as well as his interactions with various mortal factions, were quite tactful.

He differed from the typical Space Marine image, especially from the Blood Sharks, who treated mortals as non-humans. He was the polar opposite

. Just as the gene-seed of the Angels of Death seemed to innately incline people to keep secrets and form cliques, the Dragon King’s Spears, as a descendant of the Dragon Legion, were like their parent and brother factions, showing a friendly attitude towards mortals.

Taishichen’s attitude toward these various mortal factions was not harsh. After the initial meeting, which was somewhat warning, Taishichen met with many people privately. His gentle demeanor calmed the anxious parties.

His gentleness was significant, effectively uniting the various factions.

The first batch of troops and resources arrived quickly.

And during this process, Taishichen and his vanguard were not waiting in vain. He spearheaded the chapter’s warriors, leading the Alliance’s elite troops in the initial counterattack, a triumphant start.

This victory instantly alleviated the Steel Flame Furnace’s crisis.

Taishichen’s vanguard forces pierced through the Ork forces that had spilled over into the Moon-Watching Sector, invading dozens of worlds, and recaptured Mingmu Star, the location of Exit 7.

This planet was a node, connecting Exit 7 to the Moon-Watching Sector and the Ohm-Geria Sector, on the Moon-Watching side. Once a fortress world, it now lay in ruins. The Orks had nearly demolished the human fortress, leaving only a few scattered, disorganized human forces lingering.

Taishichen’s arrival saved them, and he, along with the elite vanguard troops, anchored them like a nail firmly on Mingmu Star.

Their counterattack naturally attracted the surrounding greenskins to return and siege. Meanwhile, the orc army overflowing from Omgeria naturally targeted Mingmu Star first.

This situation was exactly what Taishichen had hoped for.

“Come on, all the pressures from all sides! I’ll shoulder them all.”

By blocking the entrances through which the Orks were pouring into the Moon-Watching Star Region and attracting those already within, the pressure elsewhere would naturally be significantly reduced. This would

, on the one hand, alleviate the pressure on the planets invaded by the Greenskins, and on the other, provide the Moon-Watching Legion with an opportunity to annihilate the Orks and reclaim lost territory.

The so-called Moon-Watching Legion, of course, was the combined forces of the various indigenous factions within the Moon-Watching Star Region.

Tai Shichen was truly putting himself in the game, fully trusting these local forces to fight effectively and fulfill their mission.

However, while this trust was certainly true, he wasn’t about to leave the Moon-Watching natives to fight on their own. That would be like putting his own Chapter, the Expeditionary Vanguard, and the entire Forward Universe into the hands of a group of people who were ultimately untrustworthy.

The risk was too high.

While the majority of the Moon-Mocking Legion’s combat power was naturally comprised of local forces, Taishichen retained his Fourth Company Captain, Riccardo Lazio, as the Legion’s temporary commander. He was accompanied by his entire Third Company, plus the two hundred or so remnants of two Chapters defeated in the Ork War a few years prior.

These Space Marines had already been nearly accepted as their own by the Steel Forge, but how could Space Marines be easily recruited? With the Alliance’s arrival, the Dragon King’s Spears arrived in full force, all Space Marines, and they naturally accepted the offer.

Especially after in-depth conversations with Riccardo, the remnants of the two Chapters, having learned about the Alliance’s strategy for each Chapter, sparked hope for a resurgence. If they relied solely on themselves, each Chapter would be reduced to a few hundred men, practically on the verge of annihilation.

Perhaps only the Alliance could quickly restore their strength.

Although they themselves found it incredible, the Alliance had numerous similar cases to draw upon, and they couldn’t help but believe it.

Ultimately, their priority now was to closely cooperate with Ricardo, Captain of the Dragon King’s Spears’ Third Company, and to supervise, and even personally participate in, the annihilation of the invading Ork forces.

This military operation, which had been ongoing for two months, could essentially be declared a preliminary victory for the human side.

The most brutal battle, of course, took place on Bright Eye Star. For two months, the flames of war engulfed this planet without a break. Here, the Alliance vanguard stood firm, facing the vast numbers of Greenskins and repelling them.

Especially in the rear, the success of the Greenskin campaign significantly reduced the pressure on Bright Eye Star.

While Ork armies continued to emerge from the other side, at least Bright Eye Star was no longer under attack from multiple fronts, and its logistics fleet had largely recovered. The Steel Flame Furnace’s engineering team arrived on this world, working tirelessly to repair and rebuild the planet’s defenses.

The main force of the Moon-Watching Legion also gradually arrived at Mingmu Star, replacing the Alliance forces that had fought fiercely for two months.

Taishichen had completed the first, and most difficult, step in his so-called “unbreakable defense line.”

The Moon-Watching Star Region was the most affected by the spillover effects of the Insect-Beast War, and Exit Seven was under the greatest pressure. Now that Exit Seven had been preliminarily blocked, with the biggest challenge now resolved, the rest would become much easier.

Ricardo continued to lead the Moon-Watching Legion, and Taishichen left two companies with them to oversee the defense of the entire Moon-Watching Star Region. Ricardo would then apply his experience from the successful capture of Exit Seven to gradually address Exits Eight and Nine. These

shouldn’t be a major problem, as the warfare at Exits Eight and Nine was far less brutal than at Exit Seven. The Orc population was relatively small, with only three or five worlds infested on each, making blocking them a minor issue.

Taishichen himself led the main vanguard force toward the neighboring Yanjiu Star Region.

In the Rock Nine Star Region, there are two exits connecting to Ohmgeria: exits 5 and 6.

After securing the Rock Nine Star Region, Tai Shichen still has three more star regions to explore.

He will visit each of the five star regions surrounding Ohmgeria.

Including the Ohmgeria star region itself, there are six star regions in total, essentially covering most of the Forward Universe. This universe only has nine star regions.

His time is tight, and the task is immense.

In fact, it can be said that resolving the insect-beast problem in Ohmgeria will essentially complete the Alliance’s recovery of the entire Forward Universe.

According to Tai Shichen’s strategy, they aim to establish a united front across the five star regions. Conquering the insect-beast war will also signify the Alliance’s complete restoration of this united front, making it impossible for them to break away from the Dark Side Control Committee’s system.

As for the remaining three star regions in this universe, they are no longer a major concern.

Winning the Insect-Beast War would naturally give the expeditionary force immense legitimacy, allowing them to reclaim the remaining three star regions. They likely wouldn’t even need to wage war; they could simply issue a decree. They

wouldn’t even need to win. As long as the expeditionary force demonstrated their commitment to resolving the major issue of Omgeria, they would be able to gain the support of the entire universe during the war.

All the expeditionary force would then have to do was deliver the Lightning Torch to various worlds and then find a way to unite their power. In the future, they would become members of the Dark Side Control Committee, or even the Alliance.

As long as the Alliance could win the Insect-Beast War…

(End of Chapter)