Chapter 1204: Last Resort

Saladin Family temporary residence, 8:47 PM.

Alan's testimony concluded at 6:00 PM, but subsequent media interviews, private exchanges with council members, and internal family briefings lasted for nearly two hours.

When he finally returned to the residence, Yingzhou had already arrived.

Yingzhou had returned an hour earlier than him.

He used this time to organize information collected from the streets, ports, and libraries, cross-referencing it with data from the Kalidusi intelligence network to form a relatively complete assessment of the front-line situation.

The two met in Alan's study.

The room's privacy shielding had long been activated.

Alan took off his officer's coat, threw it casually onto the back of a chair, and unbuttoned the top button of his collar.

He walked to the liquor cabinet and poured two glasses of water.

"Did the testimony go well?"

Yingzhou took the glass of water and asked.

"Beyond expectations."

Alan sat down on the sofa and rubbed his temples.

"Of the nine committee members, six explicitly expressed support for establishing a special investigation team, two reserved their opinions but did not oppose it, and only one—a confidant of Valken—tried to question my motives, but was suppressed by General Geke."

"Media reaction?"

"Explosive."

Alan took a large gulp of water.

"Lina's death, combined with the 'evidence of safety hazards' I presented, has made the Pure Eye project political poison.

At least three mainstream media outlets have already announced they will conduct in-depth investigations, and five council members have publicly called for a suspension of the project's funding.

Word came from Councilman Torres that Marcus has urgently convened his staff team; he clearly feels the pressure."

"Marcus's reaction is within expectations."

Yingzhou said.

"But what we need is not just to strike at Marcus, but to use this matter to pry open a larger power structure."

Alan nodded.

"That is exactly what General Geke means. After the testimony ended, he told me privately that Valken's power base is loosening. Consecutive defeats on the front line, internal corruption exposed, the voices of the peace faction growing louder... if there are one or two more major setbacks at this time, his position may not be secure."

"And what we must do is accelerate this process."

Yingzhou set down the water glass.

"I heard some news outside today, and combined with Kalidusi's intelligence, the situation is more urgent than we anticipated."

He pulled up a holographic projection showing the front-line situation map.

"The speed of Horus and Jaghatai's advance has plunged the Feng Qi Xing high command into panic."

Yingzhou pointed to several key nodes.

"At this rate, in six to eight weeks at most, the Xiuluosheng Fleet will be at the gates of the Capital Star. By then, it will be either total surrender or mutual destruction."

Alan looked at the map carefully, his three eyes scanning every data point in turn.

"Six to eight weeks... at least a month earlier than we estimated. This means Valken has even less time, and his choices will be even more extreme."

"That is exactly the problem."

Yingzhou pulled up another report.

"I have confirmed through several channels that Valken is indeed pushing the so-called 'Last Resort' plan."

Alan's body leaned forward slightly.

"The project from Lost's memory?"

"Yes."

Yingzhou nodded.

"But the new intelligence obtained today is more specific: Valken has also secretly sent Valken-related research proposals and partial results to at least three external forces."

"External forces?"

Alan frowned.

"You mean... forces outside the Fengqi Star Alliance?"

"More accurately, other players in the galaxy."

Yingzhou zoomed in on the star map, showing several spheres of influence around the Fengqi Star Alliance.

Canaan Star Alliance, Ash Star Alliance, Daikong Star Alliance...

"Is Valken insane?"

Alan said in a low voice.

"Handing these things over to them..."

"He is desperate. Conventional war is a guaranteed failure, internal power is unstable; he needs a card that can turn everything around. So he is betting on the outside, hoping some organization can achieve a breakthrough, and then he will... reclaim the results."

"But the risk is too great."

Alan stood up and paced the room.

"If the mirror rift goes out of control, it might not just be a military disaster, but..."

"A disaster on the level of reality. And one organization already has phased results."

Yingzhou finished his sentence.

"What exactly do you mean by phased results?"

Alan finally asked.

Yingzhou pulled up an encrypted intelligence file.

"There aren't many details, but there are a few keywords: 'Stable Anchor Point', 'Controllable Opening', and 'Low Energy Maintenance'."

"If this is true, it means they might already be able to open and maintain a passage for a mirror rift on a small scale and for a short duration."

"Where does the passage lead?"

"Unknown. Valken seems prepared to use this 'weapon' when the war situation is at its most critical."

Alan stopped walking.

"Is he going to gamble the entire Fengqi Star Alliance, or even the safety of reality on a larger scale, for a chance at negotiations?"

"Or, if negotiations fail, drag everyone down with him. Typical logic of the desperate: if I cannot live, then no one else shall."

Alan sat back down, crossing his hands over his knees.

"We need to adjust our plan. The originally scheduled steps to dismantle Valken through political means might be too slow."

"If Valken is truly prepared to use the mirror rift as a Last Resort, then we must completely strip him of his power and control or destroy that research before he acts."

Yingzhou spoke up.

"First step, we need to confirm which organization achieved these 'phased results', exactly how far their research has progressed, and to what extent Valken has collaborated with them."

"I can utilize my connections in the parliament."

Alan said.

"General Geke has contacts in the military intelligence system, and Councilor Torres can access abnormal capital flows regarding finance and resource allocation. If Valken is funding an external organization, there must be a trail of funds."

"Second step, we need to prepare for the worst-case scenario: if Valken suddenly activates the 'Last Resort', how do we stop it? How do we control the scene? How do we minimize the damage?"

"Beheading Valken will trigger political chaos."

"But chaos is better than a reality-wide disaster."

Alan looked back at him.

"Furthermore, if handled correctly, we can package Valken's death as an 'accident' or an 'internal coup', allowing General Geke or other relatively rational people to take over power."

"Alan, if you meet with Valken, kill Valken if you have the chance."

"Your Majesty, how do I approach him? Valken is surely heavily guarded now, especially during such a sensitive period."

"We can create an opportunity. For example, use the progress of the Pure Eye investigation to force Valken to respond publicly or attend a hearing. Or under political pressure, he might convene a high-level meeting... We need an occasion where he must appear, and where security is relatively predictable."

"A full parliamentary hearing?"

Alan pondered.

"That would require significant political thrust. But if there is another major defeat on the front lines, Valken, as Commander-in-Chief, might need to explain it to the parliament in person..."

Before the words were finished, Alan's private Communication Device suddenly vibrated.

It was an encrypted channel, priority: emergency.

Alan activated the communication, and the voice of Captain Ketuo came through.

"Major, just received news. The southeastern front... has collapsed. The Human fleet has broken through the 'last' line of defense. Commander-in-Chief Valken has already declared that the Capital Star is in a state of Level One combat readiness, and an emergency parliamentary meeting will be held in two hours."