Chapter 1287: A More Terrifying Enemy? More Terrifying Than the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance?

Wa'erduosi Star, garrison base.

Corax sat in the Command Center office, the Holographic Star Map before him displaying the real-time status of three garrison planets.

Wa'erduosi Star was green, Kalidusi Star was yellow, and Nuowa Star was green.

"The Archon of Kalidusi Star has postponed the meeting?" Corax asked.

Haliwusi nodded.

"Yes, my lord. The Di 73 Tuan sent a report; Moertakesi said he needs to 'wait two days'."

Corax smiled.

"Wait two days? Interesting."

Haliwusi asked.

"My lord, is he testing us?"

Corax nodded.

"Yes. He is testing our bottom line. He wants to know just how much we need this planet."

Haliwusi frowned.

"My lord, what should we do then?"

Corax thought for a moment.

"Tell the Di 73 Tuan, no rush. If he wants to wait, let him wait. But tell them, the garrison plan cannot be delayed.

If Moertakesi does not cooperate, we will proceed according to our own plan.

Patrols as usual, vigilance as usual, training as usual. Whether he cooperates or not, the things we are supposed to do will not be reduced by a single bit."

Haliwusi nodded.

"Understood."

Corax leaned back in his chair, looking at the star map.

"Moertakesi is a smart man. A smart man knows that testing is fine, but going too far is just asking for trouble. We are not in a hurry; he is the one who is."

"Yes, my lord."

Ashes Star Alliance Capital Star, Fenmie Star, Supreme Council Chamber.

Salmox sat in the main seat at the conference table, a thick stack of reports spread out before him.

His four eyes were bloodshot, and his dark red skin appeared even gloomier under the lights.

Since the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance garrison entered Wa'erduosi Star, Kalidusi Star, and Nuowa Star, he had been working continuously for seven full days.

At the other end of the table, the Supreme Archon of the Ashes Star Alliance, Xanos, leaned back in his chair with a gloomy expression.

"Three planets."

Xanos spoke.

"Three nails driven into our border. Salmox, how did you negotiate this in the first place?"

Salmox raised his head and looked at the Archon.

"Archon, given the situation at the time, we had no choice. Corax's people were assassinated on our turf, and the assassin has yet to be caught. If he turned hostile, what would we do?"

Xanos's fist clenched, then relaxed.

"I know. I know there was no choice. But three planets, three! Not one, not two, but three!"

He sat up straight abruptly.

"Do you know what the Archons on those planets are thinking right now? Sewiusi sends me reports every day, saying those Cadians are building bases, constructing gun emplacements, and conducting patrols right under his nose. That old fellow Weiliwusi is so scared he doesn't even dare to step out his door. And then there's Moertakesi..."

He paused and gave a cold laugh.

"Moertakesi isn't afraid, at least. He's calculating how to use those garrison troops to demand more resources and more power from us."

Salmox was silent for a second.

"Moertakesi is a smart man. A smart man knows that the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance garrison is both a threat and an opportunity."

Xanos looked at him.

"An opportunity? What kind of opportunity?"

Salmox said.

"The opportunity is that we can finally see clearly what those Humans really want. They want ore, we give them ore. They want security, we give them security. As long as they don't interfere with our internal affairs, we can endure it."

Xanos was silent for a long time.

"Endure it until when?"

Salmox shook his head.

"I don't know. But at least, endure it until we find another way."

Xanos stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, the sky of Fenmie Star burned with orange-red flames forever.

"Another way."

He said in a low voice.

"What other way? Fight? We can't win. Negotiate? We've already negotiated. Endure? How much longer must we endure?"

He turned around and looked at Salmox.

"Salmox, tell me, what would have happened if we hadn't agreed to the garrison in the first place?"

Salmox thought for a moment.

"Corax would have turned hostile. And then, they would have used a more intense method to make us agree."

Xanos asked.

"What method?"

Salmox said.

"Fleets. More fleets. More garrisons. Or, find a pretext to start a war directly."

Xanos fell into Silence.

Salmox continued.

"Archon, we have no choice. The cautionary tale of the Feng Qi Xing Alliance is right before our eyes. Although we consider ourselves stronger than the Fengqi, we are only stronger to a limited extent."

Xanos walked back to his seat and sat down.

"Therefore, we can only endure."

Salmox nodded.

"We can only endure."

Xanos leaned back against the chair.

"Salmox, sometimes I wonder, if we hadn't accepted those materials back then, would things be different?"

Salmox knew what he was talking about.

The mirror rift technology that the fool Valken of the Feng Qi Xing Alliance broadcasted to the entire Bode Star System before his death.

"No."

Salmox said.

"The Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance wants to fight us, not because of those materials, but because in their eyes, we are Aliens. In their eyes, an Alien is an Alien, regardless of whether those materials exist or not."

Xanos nodded.

"You are right. Therefore, we need those materials even more."

Salmox was stunned for a moment.

"Archon?"

Xanos looked at him.

"Salmox, you say we cannot defeat the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance, and I agree. But what if we had the things in those materials?"

Salmox's expression changed.

"Archon, have you forgotten what Viridius said? That thing cannot be touched."

Xanos shook his head.

"I have not forgotten. But I ask you, if one day the fleet of the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance truly arrives above Fenmie Star, what will we use to block them?"

Salmox fell into Silence.

Xanos continued.

"That fool Valken of the Feng Qi Xing Alliance was indeed a fool. But he did one thing right: he scattered those materials. Now, the entire Bode Star System has those materials. If we don't study them, others will. Canaan is studying them, Daikong is studying them, and those small factions are also studying them. Why shouldn't we?"

Salmox took a deep breath.

"Archon, Viridius said that the things in those materials will attract even more terrifying enemies."

Xanos looked at him.

"More terrifying enemies? More terrifying than the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance?"

Salmox did not answer.

Xanos stood up.

"Salmox, I need you to make a trip to the Canaan Star Alliance."

Salmox looked up.

"The Canaan Star Alliance?"

Xanos nodded.

"Yes. Go find Viridius and see what they are actually researching. If he is willing to share, we can also share. If he is hiding things..."

He paused.

"Then we will research it ourselves."