Counterfeit Hero

Douglas smiled slightly and left the somewhat talkative cheerful soldier.

Only after Douglas’s figure disappeared outside the automatic door of the cabin, did the mechanic soldier Owen retract his admiring gaze and speed up his work.

Although Douglas appeared very composed, just now, the mechanic soldier heard a shocking news from the faint sound coming from Douglas’s communicator — two Elephant-class Royal Fleets of the Binart Empire had already appeared within only two jump points from the Longbow Star System in public information. That was the outer warning line where the Nineteen Group Fleet had deployed reconnaissance ships.

The mechanic soldier’s heartbeat was accelerating.

Two Elephant-class Royal Fleets, that’s the scale of six A-class fleets! Undoubtedly, this means a desperate blood battle!

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The fleet continued forward in silence.

Fatty stood by the arc railing protruding from the central control platform, looking at the deep universe outside the bridge window, feeling a mix of emotions.

Haphazardly joined the military, haphazardly involved in war, haphazardly became a hero of the Leray Federation, and ended up drifting in Mars Free World. It seemed he would forever struggle in such a haphazard way throughout the war. The Federation was already fragmented, and the Western Alliance remained strong and untouched, the future of the war still unpredictable, and his dream of becoming a prodigy, an unparalleled little tyrant, seemed indefinitely far away.

Tears welled up in his eyes........When would this life ever end? If this continues, the little tyrant will turn into an old lecher. The difference in that imagery is vast!

”What are you thinking?” Behind him, Fang Xiang’s gentle whisper came.

Fatty turned his head. Before him stood the stunningly beautiful Saleria Major General, her eyes still red, appearing exceptionally delicate. She, who had been suppressing her emotions all along, finally let her tears flow unchecked upon returning to the Longbow Star System and standing again in the airspace where Tolstoy had perished.

”Nothing,” Fatty replied with a simple smile, turning back with his eyes on the window, becoming deep and resolute as if contemplating the fate of humanity’s future.

”You planned this long ago, didn’t you?” Fang Xiang bit her lip. Every time she saw Fatty with this face of worrying about the country and its people, she found it amusing. This guy, really didn’t resemble a hero of the Leray Federation, even serious, he seemed quite farcical.

”What?” Fatty, baffled by Fang Xiang’s sudden question, seemed somewhat guilty; his resolute expression suddenly lost confidence, his smile turned somewhat stiff.

”Coming here like this.” Fang Xiang took a step forward, standing alongside Fatty, her hand resting on the railing, and softly said: ”To pay tribute to General Tolstoy in this way.”

”Since we had to pass through here, so......” Fatty said half a sentence nonchalantly and then fell silent. For some reason, he didn’t want to continue on this topic.

However, his intentions were thwarted. Fang Xiang, gazing at him, gently sighed and softly said: ”Actually....... I also know that our emotions along the way are somewhat off.”

Fatty met Fang Xiang’s eyes in surprise. In those clear and captivating eyes, he saw only gratitude.

”Thank you.......” Fang Xiang turned away from Fatty’s gaze, looking at the starry sky outside the window, murmuring: ”Returning to Saleria has been far too sudden for all of us. We never expected to come back in such a short time. The closer we got to our homeland, closer to this starry sky where we had countless times galloped, the more panic-stricken and enraged we became. This emotion spread among all the Salerian officers and soldiers. I have felt it, even in myself. If I saw the Western Alliance’s battleships in front of me, I would definitely attack in the most furious way.......

”And now...” Fang Xiang smiled brightly: ”I have calmed down a great deal. In the starry sky where we initially fought, it was the tears and General Tolstoy’s gaze that calmed us. We understood that this is a grueling war, and we must press forward with difficulty. Even though we still bear the stigma of traitors, and although we harbor much anger, all irrational acts are only harming the comrades beside us.”

Fatty scratched his head, which was shaved down to just two millimeters of hair, not knowing what to say for a moment.

The biggest reason for paying tribute to Tolstoy was, of course, his respect for the unyielding old Salerian general, but deep down, there was also the intention of winning people’s hearts and controlling the restless psyche of Salerian officers. As a psychologist, he understood better than anyone the cohesive and comforting effect this tribute had on the entire fleet.

Fatty was not quite a qualified commander; he had no experience leading a large army. He even took a long time to prepare himself to lead a team.

And to become a leader, winning hearts, quietly controlling the team, driving soldiers to fight, and shouting about faith and freedom, these shameless things must be done. This made Fatty quite pained. He always felt he was not shameless enough, nor was his skin thick enough.

For instance, right now, his expression was quite awkward......on the surface, at least.

”I’ve seen the battle plan.” Fang Xiang seemed to know what this ”keenly aware of what’s called shame” Fatty was thinking, changing the topic: ”According to the external information obtained from the reconnaissance ships, General Douglas carried out a successful raid. Now, the entire Blue Stone Star is under the control of the Feiyang Fleet, and the three jump points of the Longbow Star Domain are certainly in the hands of the Feiyang Fleet, so as long as the Hidden Blade Fleet can enter the Longbow Star System, safety can be assured. What we need to do now is figure out how to ensure the Hidden Blade Fleet can quietly pass through the Bermuda Jump Point and the three public star systems between it and the Longbow Star System.”