Chapter 1230: Fellow Countrymen

Five days later.

Vulkan's fleet arrived in orbit of Vas Corellia.

The warships of the Salamanders Legion deployed into attack formation in the starry sky.

Those crude defense platforms in orbit were destroyed by a single volley before they even had time to fire.

Maximus woke up with a start from his drunken dream and rushed to the window.

"No... impossible... how could they be here? There is nothing here..."

Before the words had faded, countless meteors descended from the sky.

Vulkan personally led ten thousand Salamanders Space Marines to carry out an orbital drop.

The target was aimed directly at those places where slaves were held.

When the first Salamanders Space Marine appeared at the entrance of the mine, the overseers were still reveling.

They didn't even have time to pick up their weapons before they were torn to pieces by the roar of Bolters.

Vulkan charged into the mine, the great hammer in his hand swinging and whipping up a bloody gale.

His Power Armor was stained with blood, but his eyes remained fixed on those dark mine entrances.

"Fellow countrymen!"

His voice spread throughout the entire mine via an amplifier.

"I am Vulkan, Primarch of the Salamanders Legion of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance! I have come to save you!"

In the mine, those slaves huddled in the darkness raised their heads, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"He... he called us fellow countrymen?"

The old man muttered.

"He said he came to save us?"

The young man stood up, tears blurring his vision.

Then, they began to rush outward.

Thousands of slaves poured out of the mine, kneeling before Vulkan, their faces covered in tears.

"Savior! You have finally come!"

Vulkan's eyes grew moist.

He walked up to those people and leaned down to help the old man at the front to his feet.

"I am late."

He turned and looked toward the luxurious villa.

"How many overseers are still there?"

A Salamanders Space Marine stepped forward.

"About two thousand Aliens, currently organizing resistance."

A flash of coldness crossed Vulkan's eyes.

"Kill them all. Leave none alive."

Inside the villa, Maximus slumped in his chair, his three eyes staring blankly at the firelight and screams outside the window.

His deputy rushed in, his face deathly pale.

"Manager! They have attacked! They are going to kill us all!"

Maximus stood up abruptly, rushed to the safe, and took out a treasured Energy Pistol.

"I... I will fight them to the death!"

He rushed out of the office and sprinted along the corridor.

But after running only three steps, a Salamanders Space Marine appeared before him.

Maximus let out a roar and raised his pistol.

The Salamander did not dodge, but simply raised his hand, grabbed his wrist, and gave it a light twist.

The sound of shattering bone echoed in the corridor.

The Energy Pistol fell to the ground.

Maximus fell to his knees, his three eyes filled with terror.

"Spare me... spare me... I can give you ore... give you money... give you anything..."

"Ore? Money? That is not what we want."

This Salamanders Space Marine grabbed Maximus by the hair and dragged him to the window, forcing him to watch the scene below with his own eyes.

Those Humans who had once been enslaved by him were being helped onto transport ships by the Salamanders Space Marines.

"See those people? That is what we want."

Maximus's three eyes widened, his lips trembling, wanting to say something, but no sound came out.

"Do you know, when Father heard there were Human slaves here, he advanced at full speed without a second thought. Do you know why?"

Maximus shook his head.

"Because to Father, every Human fellow countryman is worth saving. No matter where they are, no matter who enslaves them, no matter whether they have value. This is the Salamanders, this is the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance."

The Salamanders Space Marine let go, letting Maximus fall to the ground.

Maximus's lips finally made a sound.

"Please... please... spare me..."

"Too late."

The Chainsword descended.

Three hours later, all the overseers on Vas Corellia had been wiped out.

Vulkan watched those Human compatriots who were boarding the ships.

They stood in long lines, walking onto the transport ships one by one.

"Report," the Adjutant stepped forward.

"Speak."

"The Alien overseers have all been eliminated."

A trace of warmth flashed in Vulkan's eyes.

"Tell our compatriots that from this day forward, they are no longer slaves."

"Yes."

He took one last look at this planet.

Estra, the center of Faith for the Fengqi Star Alliance.

The entire planet was covered in temples of all sizes, dedicated to the Three-Eyed God of the Fengqi.

At the highest point on the holy mountain was the Sanyan Shendian, said to be the sacred ground where the deity descended to the mortal world, a place every Fengqi must visit at least once in their lifetime.

When the news of the surrender arrived, High Priest Amon Estra was presiding over a ritual inside the Sanyan Shendian.

"Surrender? Have those secular politicians forgotten the will of the God?"

He stood up, walked to the front of the statue, and spread his arms.

"The God once prophesied that when the Alien Race invaded, true Believers would be granted shelter. Those who betray their Faith will be abandoned by the God. Now, the prophecy has come to pass! Those politicians have surrendered, betraying their Faith, so they will be abandoned! And we, the true Believers, will receive the God's protection!"

The Priests looked at one another, their eyes flickering with complex light.

"High Priest, those Aliens have powerful fleets and invincible warriors... how are we to resist them?"

Amon laughed.

"Resist? We do not need to resist. We only need Faith. The God will protect us. The weapons of those Aliens will fail before the God."

"The warriors of those Aliens will kneel before the God. You wait and see; when that so-called 'Angel' arrives at Estra, he will discover that the true Angel is here."

He pointed to that massive statue of the Three-Eyed God.

"The Three-Eyed will protect us. As long as we remain steadfast in our Faith, the Alien Race cannot harm a single hair on our heads."

Believers swarmed toward the temples, praying day and night without ceasing.

They believed that as long as they were pious enough, the God would manifest and drive away those Aliens.

They believed that the weapons of those Aliens could not harm true Believers.

They believed that victory belonged to Estra, to the Sanyan Shendian, and to High Priest Amon.

Amon stood at the highest point of the temple and shouted to the hundreds of thousands of Believers below.

"Pray! Let the Three-Eyed see our piety! Let the Three-Eyed know that Estra will never submit!"

"Long live the Three-Eyed! Long live the Three-Eyed!"