Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 954

Chapter 945, Strategic Direction

Robert and Gu Hang both understood each other’s arguments, recognizing their respective validity and value.

The importance of both Comoros and Holy Terra was undeniable.

However, they soon shared new perspectives.

Holy Terra and Comoros weren’t mutually exclusive strategic priorities.

The key point lay in Admiral Xiong Lei’s earlier statement to Robert: the Alliance’s contribution would be less than one percent.

This single statement spoke volumes.

Would Robert’s Terra Expeditionary Force be necessary to conquer all of Comoros?

No. Just

how strong was the Terra Expeditionary Force?

Two thousand warships, how strong was that compared to the Alliance’s?

The smallest of the Alliance’s five fronts, the Northern Front, boasted over five thousand warships, deployed in defense of the “Iron Wall” south of the Scarlet Scar.

The Terra Expeditionary Force’s 2,000 warships, when combined with the largest Southern Expeditionary Force, would likely be equivalent to the main fleet—or even slightly smaller. While the main fleet is the largest of the Southern Front’s fleets, for the sake of expeditionary efficiency, there are at least ten other detachments, each with as few as fifty or sixty, and as many as five or six hundred, warships. The Southern Front’s fleet could total over ten thousand warships.

The Alliance’s total warship count could reach over forty thousand,

and this number is growing rapidly. Perhaps in a few years or even a decade, a fleet the size of the Terra Expeditionary Force could emerge.

Even naval fleets, which require time to build one ship at a time, are capable of reaching this size, not to mention land forces, which can be built much more quickly.

The biggest constraint limiting the Alliance’s deployment to Comoros is its ability to project troops.

If the Alliance cannot conquer Comoros, or if it takes a very long time, then the presence or absence of Robert’s Terra Expeditionary Force will have little impact on the outcome.

“However…” Gu Hang also said, “The Terra Expeditionary Force will still have to hold out here for a while.”

Robert understood what Gu Hang meant.

The Alliance’s forces had to be sent to Comoros bit by bit.

Even after the new large-scale Veil Spirit Gate was built, the delivery capacity doubled, but it would still take a long time.

Before that, humanity had to at least maintain control of the Rose Queen Port.

If the Terra Expeditionary Force left now, the remaining Alliance forces might not be able to withstand the counterattack of the Dark Eldar.

Robert could accept this.

He could lead his troops to fight for a while in Comoros for humanity.

What’s more, he couldn’t leave now even if he wanted to.

This brings us to the second topic – the attack in the direction of Holy Terra.

The Veil Spirit Gate can be opened to any place in the real universe, which is theoretically correct.

However, there’s a prerequisite—a gate must exist at the location in the real universe.

For example, the seven gates currently open at Queen Rose Harbor correspond to Dark Eldar strongholds in Alliance-controlled areas, captured by human forces in a surprise attack. The large-scale gate to be constructed will also require transporting materials through the Veil Gates into the real universe, then selecting a convenient landing site and constructing a new gate before it can be used.

For the Dark Eldar themselves, if they want to venture into unfamiliar star regions, they must sail through the nearest Veil Gate, then use conventional navigation methods, whether through astral tunnels or Warp travel, to reach the target area. They then need to find a location to construct a gate, allowing for convenient travel.

Simply put, even if teleportation is possible, a teleportation point is required.

And if the Terran Expeditionary Force is to be quickly transported to Holy Terra, a Veil Gate must be established on Holy Terra. This meant that at least several ships, carrying the materials needed to build the Veil Gate, would have to reach Holy Terra.

Alternatively, a pre-existing Veil Gate would be necessary.

Gu Hang and Robert discussed both options for the expeditionary force’s arrival on Terra, deciding on a dual approach.

Regarding the former, they would need to capture and seize some of the Veil Gate’s construction equipment and materials—Cawl was already leading the team in developing the relevant technology, but it was unclear how long it would take for them to achieve the technical mastery and achieve independent production. Once they

had the necessary equipment, they would need to transport it to the real universe and then, as quickly as possible, deliver it to the Western Expeditionary Force.

The Western Expeditionary Force would then organize a vanguard fleet, carrying the necessary equipment and risking the journey across the two cosmic realms—the areas in between were unconquered, meaning they lacked the protection of the Thunder Torch Tower. They would have to rely on their own strength to bring the Veil Gate’s equipment as close to Holy Terra as possible and complete its construction.

However, the danger might not be that great—if they were to collapse midway, they could simply build a Spirit Gate somewhere, rather than lose the entire fleet and its equipment during the voyage. They could then directly resupply from Comoros. This involved not only logistics but also replenishing manpower and ships.

Once resupplied, they could dismantle the Veil Spirit Gate and set off anew.

The feasibility is reasonable, but there’s a single problem:

it would take quite a while. It’s unclear when a new Veil Spirit Gate system could be acquired.

Once this issue is resolved, the journey from the Veil Spirit Gate, now controlled by the Alliance, to the Western Front would likely take over a year.

Putting aside the dangers of the Western Front assembling a vanguard fleet to Holy Terra, the timeline alone is completely unpredictable. Before the Age of Cataclysm, this journey could take over half a year. And now, with battles being fought in between and repeated jumps without the protection of the Thunder Torch, there’s a chance they might get lost. Even if they don’t get completely lost, a single mistake could cause the entire fleet to wander in the Astral Tunnel for half a year before emerging…

These are all uncontrollable risks.

Exactly when we can reach Holy Terra, that’s really only known to the Emperor.

The entire process will take at least two to three years, and at most an unknown number of years, before the Terra Expeditionary Force can set out again.

This was obviously something Robert was reluctant to accept.

But at least, this is a path that can be controlled independently, and everything is in the hands of humanity.

With this path, the initiative is in place.

In contrast, finding a ready-made Veil Spirit Gate means that humanity no longer has the initiative.

This was one of the peace terms proposed by the Dark Eldar.

(End of Chapter)