Counterfeit Hero

A scholar meets a soldier, even logic becomes inexplicable, especially when there is none.

Sighing, Su Kezhou stood up to take his leave.

As he reached the door, he heard Fatty unexpectedly speak from behind.

”Teachers once taught about sticking together through thick and thin.”

Su Kezhou turned back, amused and somewhat helpless, observing Fatty’s face stuffed with his nostrils, resembling a bun. Suddenly he realized, this guy isn’t entirely unreasonable after all.

Just as he was about to speak, Fatty’s determined face turned somewhat fawning: ”Since everyone’s in the same boat, shouldn’t Chuckna consider giving us some supplies when they replenish their ammunition?”

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In the vast universe, a massive orange star rules its territory with its brilliance. Around it orbit dozens of planets, near and far, big and small, with their accompanying moons, satellites, meteorite belts. Together, they form this airspace, insignificant in the grand cosmos yet immense compared to the human warships navigating through.

Chuckna Fleet’s Dragon Spear and Curved Blade, arranged in spindle formation, sail silently in front and behind, threading through colossal planets.

The star’s light burns against the left flank of the steel giants, part angel, part demon. Mighty prows, menacing gun barrels, cold hulls and armored shells showcase the strength of these interstellar conquerors. Sixty warships glided past a vast yellow-brown planet, leaving trails of alluring blue ionic glow from their sterns.

The armor on the port side windows had completely sealed shut. Under the electronic shadowless lights of flagship ”Achilles” aboard the space carrier, countless Chuckna soldiers, donned in black uniforms, moved hurriedly back and forth. The corridors’ automatic doors opened and closed frequently, while ubiquitous broadcasts tirelessly urged an officer to head to the meeting room immediately. In front of the central control console, navigators, radar operators, communications officers, pilots busily maneuvered, sometimes sliding their chairs to handle the ceaseless commands and data on the control panel’s computer.

Above their heads, on the giant transparent radar display, all the planets in the star domain the fleet was traversing flashed, shrunk countless times, positioned accordingly. They ran along the virtual dotted trajectory lines on the screen, surrounded by dense numbers and letters indicating their mass, gravity zones, and identifiers.

The fleet was on the verge of entering the gravity jump channel of the Constant Star System.

On the command podium, Jonathan Wilkes, commander of the Chuckna Task Fleet, with a machine gun-like rapid voice, conversed with a nodding assistant, while the ”Achilles” ship captain and his deputy captain, engaged quietly with the main control pilot beside them, occasionally pointing at the navigation device.

Despite the busyness, in intervals, these male Chuckna officers intentionally or unintentionally cast their gaze towards several Fei Alliance officers on the other side of the command podium. Especially towards their eternally frost-cold expression female Major General—Carolina Maoni.

Everyone had heard of the events on Mars.

Though the specifics weren’t clear, some glimpses had allowed everyone to guess parts.

A Leray colonel, after six months on Mars, miraculously controlled Mars’s major forces. Through an unbelievable battle, he defeated a far more potent enemy, gaining control of the entire Mars Planet. All achieved by the Leray people themselves, without any Fei Alliance assistance—it was said even Longxing Association submitted in reports to the Military Department, admitting they played no decisive role throughout the process.

Under Suss’s nose, gaining control of Mars Free Channel for the Fei Alliance, this news exhilarated many. Especially with Chuckna poised to counterattack in Resk Star System, controlling the Mars Channel bore significant importance. Hence, the reason for the Feiyang female Major General’s presence.

To accommodate her and her subordinates, the Chuckna Fleet that originally advanced into the main channel had halted for several days in the Mayi Nebula. Yet clearly, this often stern-faced female Major General bore no gratitude for such. The soldiers of the Feiyang Republic were all insufferably arrogant.

Leray had its misfortunes. After enduring the Western Alliance’s siege for four bitter years, and reaching ground zero, it still faced defeat. Contributing massively to the Fei Alliance, only for a coup d’état to ruin. Current Leray, having lost its capital city, finds no favor within the Fei Alliance.

Everyone knows that Leray, desiring the restoration of its nation and to preserve its last remaining star domain, can merely stick obediently to the Fei Alliance, waiting for other nations to win the war.

Nations are like that, what could their colonel do?

Seizing Mars Free Port, eventually, they must hand it over to Feiyang. As humanity’s most dominant superpower, Feiyang is accustomed to such forceful annexations. In their eyes, Feiyang is the Fei Alliance, other nations merely subsidiaries, desired items are taken freely.

The officers felt fortunate not to be pitiful Leray people. However tyrannical the Feiyang Republic is, they still must negotiate with Chuckna. In terms of warfare, Chuckna had yet to regard anyone highly for centuries!

After a slight pause, the warship’s reactionary engines activated, entering jumping status, causing the entire carrier to slightly tremble.

Carolina, with a cold face, sat quietly in a high command podium’s wide egg-shaped space chair, observing the Mars situation analysis document from the Southeast Allied Army Command, disregarding the Chuckna officers’ glances.

Now, her thoughts entirely focused on the Leray colonel named Tian Xingjian.

This Leray fatty once openly defied orders during the Gazalin Mezrich Battle, liberating defenses, exposing the backs of six Feiyang Armored Divisions to the enemy. Again defying orders this time, on grounds of non-jurisdiction, refusing to hand over commanded troops. Indulging his subordinates in rampant looting and resources theft on Mars.

Why was such a scum appointed as Major-General of the Mars Front Army’s First Army?

Carolina icily considered Tian Xingjian’s photo displayed in the electronic file. Perhaps restructuring Mars, a place full of pirates, thieves, liars, and various scum, starting with this fatty might be a good beginning.

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. Here’s a portion, will continue writing, hopefully update again tonight. Requesting monthly votes.

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