Chapter 1123: The Condition is That Fengqi Still Has a History to Speak Of

On the holographic platform, Olaf's communication request lit up.

Sele'en connected, and the old general's image appeared in the center of the Bridge.

"Colonel Sele'en, the Oathkeeper fleet has reached its designated position, 1.2 light-years from the Ningjing Huilang Kongjian Zhan; one short-range jump is all it takes to arrive."

Olaf's three eyes appeared exceptionally sharp.

Sele'en stood at attention and saluted.

"Admiral, we will begin the operation tomorrow. On your end..."

"Proceed as planned. Once you have secured the situation, I will speak with Guilliman personally."

Olaf paused for a moment.

"Sele'en, I must ask one more time: do you and your subordinates fully understand the consequences of this operation? Even if successful, you will be branded as traitors by the Council. Your names will be erased from military records, and your families may be implicated."

Sele'en did not hesitate.

"My wife passed away from illness five years ago, and I have no offspring. My parents and brothers have all died in battle. 80% of the crew on the Dark Tooth have similar backgrounds.

We are all people who have had everything taken away by war. We have nothing left to lose, Admiral."

Olaf was silent for a long time, then nodded slowly.

"Then, may Three Eyes watch over you. For the true future of the Fengqi Star Alliance."

The communication ended.

Kaierte spoke up suddenly.

"Captain, I have one more question."

"Speak."

"If we succeed in forcing a peace with the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance, what then? The Council will not accept an agreement reached through a coup. The possibility of civil war..."

Sele'en turned to look at the starry sky outside the observation window and said in a calm tone.

"Then there will be civil war. If the Council would rather continue to sell out Feng Qi Xing than face reality, then they are not fit to rule this Star Alliance.

Admiral Olaf and the Oathkeeper are already prepared to take over the government."

All three of Kaierte's eyes widened.

"You mean... a military coup?"

"No, a national salvation government."

Sele'en corrected.

"At a time of civilizational survival, one must sometimes take extraordinary measures. History will judge whether we are right or wrong, but that is on the condition that the Fengqi Star Alliance still has a history to speak of."

Ningjing Huilang Kongjian Zhan, Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance temporary command post.

Guilliman stood before the Holographic Star Map, hands behind his back.

On the map, the purple region representing the Fengqi Star Alliance was being eroded from multiple directions by the blue of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance.

Donatus reported.

"Negotiation progress is in line with expectations; Kalaier's team is using classic stalling tactics, consuming time with detailed issues."

Guilliman did not turn around.

"And their new proposal?"

"Superficial concessions, substantive delay. They agree to discuss cultural and educational integration but demand a ten-year transition period; they are willing to consider military transparency but demand 'reciprocity,' meaning we also open an equal number of military facilities for them to inspect."

The corners of Guilliman's mouth lifted slightly.

"Clever. He knows we will not agree to reciprocal inspections, so this 'concession' is actually meaningless."

"Should we expose it?"

"No, play along with him."

Guilliman turned to say to Donatus.

"Magnus warned me to pay attention to the abnormal movements of the Fengqi Frigate fleet.

If the pro-war faction within Fengqi is truly planning something, we need to make the negotiations look 'smooth'."

Donatus frowned.

"You think they will attack the space station? During diplomatic negotiations? That would be absolute madness."

"A desperate civilization will commit desperate acts."

Guilliman walked to the data terminal and pulled up the file on the Dark Tooth.

"Sele'en, Fengqi Navy Colonel, border war veteran, six members of his family died in battle. Someone with this background will not easily accept a compromise peace."

"Should we strengthen security?"

"No need. There are 30 Ultramarines inside the space station, and the external fleet is on standby. But more importantly..."

Guilliman paused, then continued.

"I need to know what they are actually planning. Magnus is using psychic scans on the Frigate fleet, but the other side has anti-psychic shielding, which is not standard Fengqi equipment."

Donatus pulled up a set of data.

"I recall that some intelligence from the Tramir mentioned that Admiral Olaf of Fengqi has recently sold off quite a few assets. Perhaps it is related to this."

Guilliman nodded.

"If this Olaf is truly involved, then this is not an impulsive act by a few officers, but an organized military rebellion."

The communication light lit up, and the rough voice of Company Commander Kenlai came through.

"Lord Guilliman, abnormal energy fluctuations detected on the perimeter of the space station. Very faint, but they do not match background radiation patterns."

"Coordinates?"

"Marked. About five hundred meters from the main docking bay, near the backup energy conduits."

Guilliman and Donatus exchanged a look.

"Dispatch a reconnaissance squad, handle it discreetly."

Guilliman ordered.

"If it is a special forces infiltration by Fengqi, do not alert them. I want to see what they are actually trying to do."

"Do we need to notify the Fengqi delegation?"

Donatus asked.

"Not for now. Kalaier might be unaware, or... he is cooperating."

Guilliman's gaze became profound.

"Politics is never black and white, Mr. Minister. Sometimes your enemies and your allies stand on the same front, while your subordinates might be plotting betrayal."

Ningjing Huilang Kongjian Zhan observation deck.

Kalaier stood alone before the massive observation window.

Outside the window was a cloud of ionized gas stretching for light-years, appearing in brilliant shades of purple and blue under the illumination of starlight.

Kalaier thought of his daughter Aixiya.

She had just turned twelve this year and possessed a Third Eye as bright as her mother's.

During their last communication, she excitedly talked about a science project at school regarding the formation and evolution of nebulae.

"Daddy, the teacher said some nebulae are left behind after stars die, while others are cradles for the birth of new stars. Isn't it amazing that death and rebirth exist together?"

Kalaier nodded with a smile at the time, but his heart felt as if it were being gripped by something.

If the negotiations failed, if the war continued, would Ailixiya still have the chance to study nebulae?

Or would she spend her youth in the shadow of war, just like his generation?

"A beautiful view, isn't it?"

Kalaier turned around abruptly.

Guilliman had appeared at the entrance of the observation deck at some point, his tall frame nearly filling the entire doorway.

Kalaier nodded in response.

"Archon Guilliman, I did not expect you to come here as well."

"I come here for a moment of meditation at this time every day."

Guilliman walked to the side of the observation window and stood shoulder to shoulder with Kalaier.

"The void makes one clear-headed. No matter how intense the disputes are, on the scale of the stars, they are insignificantly trivial."

Kalaier chose his words carefully.

"Indeed. It reminds me of an ancient Fengqi proverb: 'Only by looking up at the starry sky does one realize how small the troubles of the mortal world are.'"