Chapter 427: with translation of chapter title

The bus drove away from the airport.

Driving close to the ground through the streets of the metropolis, inside the bus, the information officer recruits who had finished listening to Shirley's lecture were already seated in their respective seats, observing the local scenery of Gusitewa through the one-way windows.

If only considering the ground-level districts, Gusitewa is quite similar to any colony, after all the metropolitan area is basically a steel jungle, with many massive skyscrapers and massive apartment buildings standing.

However, when the driver adjusted the bus's hover power and proceeded upward along a route without ground-level overpasses, merging into the congested aerial traffic lanes between buildings, and then continued ascending to reach the topmost aerial lane of the metropolis, the information officer recruits were finally able to overlook Gusitewa.

Looking south behind them, there is an excellent holiday destination with beaches and rainforests, while the west side of the metropolis is a concentration of high-tech, digital private enterprises, even electronic entertainment companies.

For example, right now they can see a large holographic screen in the high sky to the west, playing a promotional video titled 'The 42nd Electronic Communication Summit'.

As a colony with a diameter of about 18,000 kilometers, a population of 7.4 billion, and a colonial history exceeding seventy years, Gusitewa has a complete self-sufficient industrial chain.

Even if one day the star system where Gusitewa resides suddenly loses contact with Earth, the Solar System, and other colonies, and the star gates and rift space travel fail, Gusitewa would still retain a strong potential for self-development.

Of course, this 'one day' assumption is very unrealistic.

And the star system where Gusitewa is located is about 16,000 light-years from the Solar System; if placed on a planar star map for observation, Gusitewa lies at the 'lower left' of the Solar System, in the outskirts of the Redemption Star Zone (the zone overseen by Governor Kelakesi and the Dark Crow Guard), but it is not included under the jurisdiction of the Redemption Star Zone.

Nowadays, the diameter of humanity's domain in the main universe is already about 42,000 light-years.

Over the past century or so, the OriginalBody governors not only had to develop their respective star zones, but also had to gradually expand outward.

But this best way to earn merit makes those who often 'stay at home', strictly obeying orders to guard humanity's core celestial domain, especially the Solar System's Glory Iron Fist and Tutemos, very envious.

Although, according to their status, these two legions are theoretically the most trusted by the father, so they stay not far away, and once new equipment arrives, they are the first to be fully equipped, but long-term 'sitting on the cold bench' still leads to psychological imbalance in both legions.

To avoid this situation, Sui Bian will have Rog and Magnus, who understand their own legions best, select the most youthful and vigorous, simultaneously the most impatient battalions, to successively leave the core domain and go to the outskirts to fight alone.

Either cooperating with other legions to exterminate certain pirate aliens, or participating in small-scale expeditions in other star zones, relying on such military actions to earn merit and honor.

However, sometimes, if a battalion is 'released' by the OriginalBodies, and then relying solely on its own fleet and auxiliary forces, it wipes out an hostile alien species and occupies that alien species' star system, then that planet will belong to that battalion.

Therefore, by carefully observing the planar star map, one can see many gold-yellow patches representing the Glory Iron Fist, as well as the red-gold star fields and star systems of Tutemos, interspersed between the vast governed star zones.

And the star system where Gusitewa is located was seized eighty years ago from the remnants of the Covenant Empire who had established a base there, by the Tutemos 45th Battalion fleeing from the border fortress star zone.

Afterwards, Gusitewa came under the jurisdiction of the 45th Battalion, which had accumulated merits and conspicuous battle achievements; from then on, the 45th Battalion possessed a considerable degree of self-sufficiency and no longer needed to request everything from the legion.

But this 'self-sufficiency' refers to the manufacture and maintenance of batteries, ammunition, ground and aerial vehicles; as for warships and powered armor, the 45th Battalion can maintain them itself but cannot, and is not allowed to, construct them independently.

As for selecting suitable candidates for G-gland implantation surgery, and up to now the auxiliary forces' modification surgery, the 45th Battalion has the right to select appropriate personnel to send to the Luna Base on the Moon and Minos Island on Earth for training and modification, but it does not have the authority to independently carry out the modification surgery process.

Because this is a rule, from the legion's inception it was clarified that the powered armor for all levels of warships and TPS, CMC, etc., auxiliary forces' specifications are to be provided by the foundry star zone authorized and indicated by Sui Bian.

And items such as Thor's Hammer and Tau-Steel Armor, which only Astate can wield and use, as well as all models of Terminators, even Centurions and Titan mechs, are produced by the Solar System.

As for modification surgery…

The UEG and UNSC are responsible for openly issuing strict orders prohibiting private enterprises and organizations from conducting private research; once discovered, they will definitely receive the highest-level punishment measures.

In secret, the Red and White Queens of Umbrella, together with low-intelligence artificial intelligence, monitor the entire human domain, ensuring that no such reckless enterprises or organizations will launch 'super-soldier' projects and plans.

Such enterprises and organizations, put nicely, claim to be for advancing humanity; but put bluntly, most are simply for personal greed, preparing to rely on 'imitated' Astate to gain more power.

In the early period of humanity's interstellar era, Umbrella had not yet officially disclosed Astate; such enterprises and organizations sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain, attempting to create so-called enhanced humans, and then using their abundant capital to prepare to completely dominate a colony.

At the moment when these 'bamboo shoots' just sprouted and revealed their true nature, these enterprises and organizations were greeted with genuine Astate 'care' and 'attention'.

After all, in the biological and chemical fields, what halfway-born thing could compare to Umbrella with Sui Bian presiding over it? Moreover, Umbrella under Sui Bian's control has long placed its pattern and vision on humanity as a whole, leaving no room to brawl with a bunch of rotten fish and shrimp.

Thereafter, after a lengthy period of bloodshed, such enterprises and organizations were basically eradicated.

This is why Umbrella firmly controls the G-gland and the core technology of modification surgery within the Solar System.

It is not that Sui Bian excessively worries that his offspring will rebel; rather, it is to be safe, to prevent leakage—even if the chance of such a 'what-if' is minuscule, the cautious Sui Bian cannot afford to relax or be negligent.

As for the Tutemos 45th Battalion, placed in the history of humanity's entry into the interstellar era, it is absolutely a legendary existence.

One hundred twenty-three years ago, humanity's first contact and clash with the Covenant Empire erupted on the surface of Harvest Star and its star system.

At that time, having just taken office, Gabriel Angelo and others belonging to the Tutmos Reserve Combat Squad cooperated with the ship's crew led by Miranda Matias, relying on the sole Paris-class escort ship, the Punishment, which is only over five hundred meters long, to go against the Covenant Empire's vanguard fleet composed of a carrier nearly 4 kilometers long and two 1.4-kilometer cruisers. Just looking at the numbers, Gabriel and Miranda's side is at an absolute disadvantage.

However, war often cannot be judged or estimated by numbers alone.

Miranda relied on the speed advantage of the Paris-class to maneuver against the Covenant fleet, while Gabriel led his brothers in boarding the Covenant fleet's flagship.

Relying on being the first and last line of defense on Harvest Star, they burst forth with the courage and momentum of a fight to the death, fearless, and actually created a textbook-level victory of the few over the many.

It is worth mentioning that Shirley was also on Harvest Star back then, leading the local intelligence personnel to discover and excavate the relics of the Administrator civilization, and she was an old acquaintance of Gabriel, Miranda, and the others.

Since then, Gabriel and his brothers who participated in that battle directly gained eligibility for promotion to full members of the Legion, and together with all surviving personnel of the Punishment, they were transferred from the UNSC to the Tutmos Auxiliary Forces by the Red Queen due to their extraordinary courage and battle record.

This group of Astate and human soldiers who had experienced the Harvest Star battle served as the foundation; over time, they gradually developed and expanded, eventually evolving into today's Tutmos 45th Battalion.

Furthermore, because the 45th Battalion, under the leadership of Battalion Commander Gabriel Angelo, possesses a fearless, relentless combat style that disregards life and death, it has earned Magnus's appreciation, and thus received the name 'Blood Ravens' bestowed by the OriginalBody, hoping they would continue to employ superb strength and fearless tactics to crush any force daring to oppose humanity.

At this moment.

The bus had already traversed the most prosperous part of the metropolitan area via the aerial route, carrying Shirley and a group of intelligence rookie personnel, and was about to reach the outskirts where farms and pastures gather, as well as the Blood Ravens' dedicated starport located in the outskirts, and the Blood Ravens' base built on the surface.

What is most eye-catching is the Blood Ravens fleet undergoing routine maintenance, while also preparing to obtain living supplies by entering the atmosphere and docking above the dedicated starport.

Among them, the flagship is an improved Zeus-class with a length of 8 kilometers; its electromagnetic main gun can accelerate a 60-ton tungsten-iron projectile using a 4000-meter barrel in an extremely short time, and at maximum power it can launch the projectile at a speed reaching 55% of the speed of light.

From this, the electromagnetic acceleration gun can absolutely be considered humanity's 'point-breaks-surface' weapon, the best for piercing, penetrating, and destroying all enemy armor and shields, and at the same time it can be regarded as a typical representative of human weaponry.

Besides the improved Zeus-class whose appearance resembles a rhombic prism, the Blood Ravens fleet also has a 5-kilometer ship with excellent armor thickness and close-range air defense system, whose appearance resembles an enlarged, extended version of the Phoenix-class support vessel, but, to consider space utilization, no long-range artillery has been installed on this supply ship.

It has tremendous carrying capacity, with built-in construction and repair workshops, sufficient to provide supplies and support for the entire Blood Ravens fleet, and it also transports a large number of auxiliary forces as well as ground and aerial vehicles, which can greatly increase the Blood Ravens battalion's ability to plunder, occupy, and control a planet's surface.

The remaining vessels are a Steadfast-class escort frigate and a 3-kilometer-long ship with full-range long, medium, and short-range strike capability, whose appearance resembles that of a super-heavy cruiser like a shotgun.

The four vessels constitute the entirety of the Blood Ravens fleet; although they may seem few, their value lies in being elite, and moreover, the star system of Gusteva, including Gusteva itself, is under the jurisdiction of the Blood Ravens, which also means the Blood Ravens can mobilize and command the UNSC and military forces of the entire star system.

At this moment.

Watching the bus lower its altitude according to the air route guidance, finally exiting the high altitude and returning to the ground highway in the outskirts, and drawing ever closer to the base where the Blood Ravens fleet is docked, the feelings of all the intelligence rookie personnel became somewhat uneasy…

After all, before long these rookie soldiers who have just left their mothers' aprons will have to meet a Legion battalion commander, and moreover one who has undergone a second surgery and boasts glorious achievements, Gabriel Angelo—how could they not be nervous?

However, while the new recruits were envisioning the meeting scene and even rehearsing their words and actions in their minds, Shirley BoKen, seated by the window on the right side at the front of the bus, noticed that her dedicated phone was vibrating intensely.

?

Could there be another sudden anomaly? Shirley, who treats anomalies like everyday chores, frowned slightly as she pulled out her phone, thinking that the beautiful day had been disturbed again.

Never mind.

Shirley, who couldn't be bothered to dwell on it, eased her brow, unlocked the phone screen that was like a thin crystal slice, lightly touched the call reminder from her assistant with her index finger, then promptly lifted the phone to her ear and asked, "What's up?"

"BoKen supervisor..." came the female assistant's report from the other end of the phone: "Not long ago, we detected a spatial distortion reaction in the asteroid belt on the outskirts of the star system, and according to the real-time footage sent back by the unmanned patrol scout ship, we can confirm it is a small vortex Space Gate with a diameter of six kilometers, linking other parallel universes."

"Vortex Space Gate?" Shirley raised her left eyebrow lightly, showing no surprise or panic she had ever shown before.

In fact, even the female assistant considered the emergence of the vortex Space Gate to be an abnormal event that was as 'normal' as could be; Umbrella up and down, and even the UNSC side, had grown accustomed to it.

At present, the humans of the main universe are even more inclined to go to other universes to rescue their compatriots mired in dire straits, or to 'educate' and 'admonish' those who are not very honest, as well as those who have gone astray.

It can be said that, under Umbrella's guidance, the humans of the main universe are increasingly bearing the demeanor of 'galaxy masters,' unknowingly inheriting the mantle of the administrator civilization and also inheriting the notion of 'correcting' different universes and different galaxies...

However, the way the main universe humans manage the galaxy is relatively 'radical'.

"Yes, supervisor." At that moment, the female assistant continued her report: "We have already uploaded the information of the vortex Space Gate, awaiting the company's latest orders."

"What's the reaction from Camp Commander Angielos?" Shirley asked again.

Upon hearing that, the female assistant continued her report in a flat tone: "It is said that Camp Commander Angielos submitted an application to the Tutemo Legion and the company, hoping that the Blood Raven Battalion would temporarily take full responsibility for this Space Gate incident; if the situation on the other side of the Space Gate becomes too severe, then the Legion and the company will step in."

(End of chapter)