Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 981

Chapter 972, Things About the Moon

The Moon is humanity’s home planet and the only satellite of Holy Terra, naturally playing a significant role.

It serves as a natural transit port, home to several cutting-edge technological factories, and also serves as Holy Terra’s largest natural external fortress, a naval port.

Robert had a purpose for heading to the Moon first.

If possible, he didn’t want to challenge the people of Holy Terra too much, especially with the current chaos there.

His reconnaissance force was met with warning shots upon approaching.

The reconnaissance ships tactfully avoided getting too close.

On the one hand, it was dangerous. If they approached too close, Holy Terra’s orbital defenses would be too powerful, and they would likely be easily shot down. Close reconnaissance was pointless.

On the other hand, it was Robert’s order not to provoke Holy Terra.

Terra was in turmoil. Even from the distant observations of the reconnaissance ships, they could see that all sides were engaged in incessant fighting. At this moment, it’s impossible to distinguish the exact number of warring factions, their respective stances, who are the loyalists and who are the corrupted traitors. Rashly joining the chaos of Holy Terra could easily lead to mistakes.

The Moon, on the other hand, presents a prime target.

Attacking the Moon would certainly be a provocative act against Holy Terra, but there’s also a war going on there. Even though the images sent back by the reconnaissance fleet were blurry due to their distance, Robert could keenly perceive and deduce that the war

on the Moon seemed inconsistent with that on Terra. More precisely, Robert believed that the various waves of people fighting and clashing on the Moon weren’t completely subordinate to those fighting on Earth. Holy Terra, in its chaos, lacked sufficient control over the current situation on the Moon.

Robert’s well-targeted message reached the Moon and received a response.

It was from the ‘Moon Guard Legion.’

They claimed a rebellion had broken out on the Moon, and that a group of Imperial Army Soldiers had launched a surprise attack. Under the guise of aiding the rebellion, some Imperial Marines launched artillery fire on the Solar Legion’s troops, and the Marines landed. Overall, their numbers were smaller than the Solar Legion’s “rebels,” but they were still support.

However, the Moon Guards soon sensed something was amiss.

The Marines, under the guise of assistance, were being asked to surrender crucial defense points.

Initially accommodating, the Moon Guards finally felt the need to relinquish their offer, but when they realized it was wrong,

they completely refused. This led to another wave of enemies.

Fortunately, the Navy didn’t fully participate in the battle. Many of the Navy’s vessels seemed confused and hesitant, unsure of what to do. All three sides remained neutral—not attacking the Solar Legion’s army, not attacking their own Marines, and not attacking the Moon Guards themselves.

This brought some relief to the Moon Guards—at least they still had their own warships, orbital defense systems, and powerful fortresses to garrison. A standoff with the “rebel” navy would suffice; at least control of the orbit wouldn’t be completely lost.

Currently, four factions were in lunar orbit. Aside from the neutral Imperial Navy fleet, which comprised half of the fleet, the Moon Guard fleet, the fleet transporting the army, and a portion of the Imperial Navy participating in the battle were engaged in a fierce battle.

However, the naval battles, especially the struggle for orbit, were relatively restrained.

After all, the Imperial Navy’s main force didn’t seem to be completely leaning towards one side. With them as a ballast, the naval battles in lunar orbit were relatively peaceful.

But on the surface, there was no such ballast.

The three factions were practically mad at each other. They

were all human forces, and a fight like this was truly unsightly.

However, this was Robert’s opportunity.

He acted decisively and affirmed the Moon Guard’s stance.

It wasn’t that he trusted them because they had replied to his message, but rather that, logically, they were the most trustworthy.

This specially organized unit’s name clearly reveals their mission: they are the Moon’s defenders.

The Moon’s defenders, defending the Moon—isn’t that their duty?

Conversely, whether it was the Imperial Army that entered the Moon and attacked the Moon Guard, under the guise of support, or the Marines who, despite refusing to cooperate, demanded the Moon Guard hand over a crucial stronghold, or the Marines who attacked the Moon Guard… no matter how many justifiable explanations and excuses they offered, they couldn’t mask the fact:

they were fighting where they shouldn’t have been.

Even after the Moon Guard responded, the Marines followed suit, claiming they were there to quell a rebellion and support the Moon Guard, only to be unprovokedly attacked by the Moon Guard. They invited Robert’s troops to enter their positions on the Moon.

However, Robert didn’t believe them.

He dispatched a vanguard.

Without hesitation, he deployed his most elite force—the Honor Guard of the Infinite Legion, the Ever-Victorious Army!

At least three hundred Space Marines, led by fifty Ever-Victorious Marines and supplemented by a number of elite mortal commandos, quickly penetrated the Moon via their ships.

The Crusade fleet provided cover, and the Regent’s orders intimidated the neutral Imperial Navy, forcing them to remain neutral and refrain from any rash action. Some participating Marines and orbital defense batteries seized by the Solar Legion attempted to intercept them, but were rescued by Lunar Guard ships.

Upon landing, the Ever-Victorious Marines’ captain presented the Regent

‘s directive. He demanded that all forces on the Moon cease fire, remain in place, and submit to the Regent’s command.

Any units that disobeyed and continued to fight would be considered traitors and face devastating consequences.

Both the Marines and the Lunar Guard ceased their attacks and obediently accepted the order.

Although they harbored significant concerns about the Infinite Legion’s sudden arrival and Robert’s resurrection, they were reluctant to surrender their weapons and positions. But at least, a ceasefire was completely in the interests of the loyalists.

However, the soldiers of the Solar Legion, who were the largest group on the planet, ignored the warning and launched an even more violent attack.

The Infinite Legion’s Space Marines were unyielding. They first labeled the Solar Legion’s invading forces traitors, then authorized several Marines and Moon Guard units to join them in a fierce assault on the Astra Militarum.

During the battle, the Infinite Legion’s soldiers relayed real-time updates back to the Son of God’s flagship.

Reports from the front lines revealed that the Solar Legion’s soldiers were indeed traitors—their red eyes, howling as they charged, and their inhuman appearances suggested they had been corrupted by Chaos and lost their minds. So far

, the Moon Guard and Marines’ accounts were consistent and quite credible.

The battle raged for several days, and the rebels were effectively suppressed.

Even as the ground battle raged, Robert remained vigilant.

Matters needed to be resolved one by one. The greatest force in the lunar situation was, in fact, the largest naval force, which had remained inactive.

Robert believed they were entirely worth pursuing.

Although they appeared confused and did nothing to improve the situation, their inaction, in such a chaotic situation, only served to further prove their loyalty.

It was typical of them to be completely clueless and incomprehensible, not knowing what was happening, who to trust, and with completely conflicting opinions within their ranks… These numerous factors combined to render them unable to make any decisions at the moment.

But if someone could gain their trust with a strong and undisputed attitude, especially if this person possessed immense prestige once their identity was confirmed, what would the outcome be?

This chaotic, leaderless fleet could be immediately manipulated!

While there were undoubtedly many problems within the fleet, the corruption of Chaos was omnipresent, and no one knew if it existed here.

However, as long as it hadn’t erupted immediately, it was a force that could be utilized in such a critical situation.

The stable fighting situation on the lunar surface also bolstered Robert’s credibility.

In particular, the valiant fighting of the numerous Infinite Legion warriors significantly confirmed Robert’s identity.

Who could command such unwavering loyalty from the Infinite Legion?

Only Robert, their genetic father, the Son of God.

Finally, after numerous rounds of negotiations, eight major generals, four lieutenant generals, and three admirals agreed to represent the entire fleet and meet with Robert.

As Robert anticipated, the fleet was divided, with no single leader capable of overseeing all and making comprehensive decisions. A meeting with so many would be necessary.

But this was exactly what he wanted.

He readily agreed to the meeting, even if, as a show of sincerity, he could only reach a neutral landing platform on the lunar surface with a small escort. He was willing to take the risk.

The cleared landing platform area was outside the expeditionary force’s control, allowing the admirals’ forces to land first and control the surrounding area, as a gesture of good faith.

But Robert wasn’t exactly reckless. A significant number of lunar troops had already moved to a nearby location under the guise of combat. The entire expeditionary fleet was also ready for battle.

While he doubted these admirals could cause any trouble, he ensured he had sufficient forces, from orbital forces to ground forces, ready to intervene if anything went wrong.

The entire meeting went smoothly at first.

The admirals truly harbored no ill intentions. Upon seeing the Son of God’s imposing figure and resolute yet gentle face, they immediately conjured up images of the Son of God from mythology, from the canon of the state religion, and from Imperial history. This

juxtaposition of the two images immediately led most of the admirals to kneel in reverence.

The remainder, who remained silent, were largely unconvinced.

This fusion of myth, religion, and history, juxtaposed with the real person before them, was so shocking it instantly captivated everyone.

They all understood that the fundamental cause of their fleet’s predicament, and the broader plight of Holy Terra, lay in the lack of a core figure capable of uniting everyone and engendering a willing struggle.

Now, this natural pillar had arrived.

Robert wasn’t particularly surprised by the outcome. He had already prepared his speech. He patted each general on the shoulder and waved to the officers, guards, and soldiers they brought with them. He wore a smile, every inch of his expression carefully calculated. He understood exactly how to inspire everyone as a leader.

At that moment, the situation seemed perfect.

The Imperial Navy, the largest force in lunar orbit and the previously neutral Imperial Navy, had completely sided with Robert.

On the ground, the Moon Guard and Marines appeared loyal, following his orders and joining his forces in attacking the Army soldiers, who were clearly tainted by some kind of Warp mind control.

Whether Chaos cultists or corrupted Imperial soldiers, they were being pushed back.

At this rate, the Moon would soon be reclaimed.

And then, he would have a stable base. Whether it was cleaning up the possible Chaos corruption within their own team, or using this base as a core to gradually plot against Holy Terra, they had taken a very firm first step.

However, an accident suddenly occurred at this time.

First, a troop on the front line urgently sent back intelligence that they had seen the corrupted soldiers of the Solar Legion, led by a group of Chaos Wizards, constructing some kind of sacrificial array. There was

no need for Robert’s orders, as the front-line troops naturally made destroying the Chaos array, whose target was unknown, their top priority.

But just when the operation was about to succeed, a unit of the Marines who were attacking with them suddenly turned against them.

Among these Marines who turned against them, many extremely powerful masters suddenly emerged. Some soldiers even turned into demons!

No, it’s better to say that they were demons in disguise than to say that they turned into demons.

They stole the sacrificial array!

(End of this chapter)