The 'Council' was a superconsciousness formed by the fusion of the souls of more than twenty thousand Yonad citizens. Her power was immense and without a fixed form, and the unprecedentedly powerful soul energy roamed the planetary fortress we were on all year round. The Council we met today was not her true form — it was invisible. What we saw was a communication terminal the Council formed to facilitate communication with us, and the image it adopted was just one of the twenty thousand Yonad citizens who sacrificed themselves back then.
The Yonad people, a race I had never heard of, looked very similar to humans, which was evident from the Council's image. However, they possessed spiritual power and knowledge of the soul that far surpassed humans. Before the cataclysm, the special consciousness known as the 'Council' existed in Yonad society. 'It' was created through the sacrifice of the elites of Yonad society, and it only existed for one purpose — to rule the Yonad civilization and seek the welfare of its own people. Even after the cataclysm, this mission remained unchanged and deepened. The Council's responsibility rose from seeking the interests of the Yonad civilization to seeking a path of survival for the entire Alliance Fleet, while also serving the entire Alliance Fleet at the same time.
Therefore, when faced with the suggestion from the leaders of the New Empire, even if the Council, through its own logic, determined that the suggestion was more beneficial than detrimental to the collective, she still chose to let as many members of the Alliance Fleet judge the value of the information themselves, all so that they could plan the collective's future without fail. Of course, it would take some time, but Sandora and I had no complaints. Compared to the sufferings the refugees had suffered in the past, any wait was acceptable.
During this period of time, I also tried to chat with the "Parliament", but it wasn't easy. She didn't seem to be a true life form. Her logic jumped back and forth between the emotional and the rational. Depending on the question she was currently considering, she could switch between several different logical methods to answer my questions within a dozen or so seconds. It gave me the feeling that I was talking to a schizophrenic but logical person. I had to carefully analyze every word she said to the point where there was only subject-verb-object left. Only then could I understand if she was seriously answering me or if she was just trying to brush me off out of boredom …
I felt that talking to the 'Council' was more tiring than talking to Fina (the Queen of Robotics). Although the Queen of Robotics was once an emotionally rigid thinking machine, at least her rigidity was fixed. Three nos were three nos. You could understand her with a template, but when talking to the 'Council', you would have to have a schizophrenic heart. She would be 'three nos' one moment, normal the next, passionate the next …
But fortunately, at least the Council did not reject us too much. She was willing to answer my questions, and during our conversation, I gained some understanding of the other secrets of the Fourth Alliance Fleet.
The Ghost Fleet, or rather, the Fourth Alliance Fleet, their chief commander was the last Council of the Runade civilization. This seemed strange at first. The Runade civilization was not at the top of the Alliance Fleet, and with their entire race wiped out, they did not stand at the pinnacle of power. Their last starship was heavily damaged while escaping from the pursuit of the Fallen Apostle. It could be said that this wonderful civilization had nothing left, but they had become the core ruler of the entire Alliance Fleet. This was of course puzzling. They did not have technology, power, or resources. What right did the Runade Council have to rule such a huge fleet?
One of the reasons was the 'Council's' super commanding ability. Their special life form allowed them to merge into the planetary fortress in the form of a soul, and at the same time, form a mysterious connection with every spaceship in the Alliance Fleet. This racial power allowed them to use their own power to imitate the Empire's glorious starship drive method (soul drive) and fleet command link. These two things were extremely important to the Fourth Alliance Fleet, which was pieced together by a motley crew, so the Council became an important leader of the fleet. Another reason was the Runade race's inconceivable ideology of 'high-level sacrifice'. A Council was an absolutely indispensable role in the Runade society, but to produce a Council required tens of thousands of Runade people to sacrifice their souls, at the cost of wiping out their individual consciousness. In the eyes of ordinary races, this was basically an unimaginable act, but the Runade themselves regarded it as a matter of course. They had no concept of individuality … The Runade people believed that the collective interest was the only benefit.
They did not care how much sacrifice they had to make, only how much the collective could advance because of their sacrifice. In the Runade society, it was very common for some people to sacrifice their lives to fuse into an 'individual' that was more useful to the collective. Some even suspected that the entire Runade race was a single creature, and every single one of them was just a cell in this gigantic creature. The only problem was that these cells were a little far from each other …
This strange concept of race made me associate it with an ant colony. You have to say, it was indeed very similar: they were both creatures with collective intelligence.
However, although their understanding of individuality was a little strange, the Runade people's values towards other races were normal. They just did not think that there was such a thing as an 'individual' in their own race, but it did not mean that they thought that other races should be the same.
It was precisely because of these two reasons that the Council became the supreme commander of the Allied Fleet. To be fair, other than this living Lei Feng, you would not be able to find another fleet commander who was so qualified and noble that he could throw the Sage of Confucius by a dozen streets — even though the word 'noble' did not seem to exist in Runade culture.
"I say, when can you guys finish voting?"
Shallow Shallow seemed to be a little impatient. After waiting for a while, seeing that the Council had no intention of responding, she muttered gloomily. As she muttered, she looked at me with a probing gaze and whispered, "Ah Jun, do you want me to fast-forward them?"
I: "…"
Can your superpower really be used like this?
However, compared to the impatient Shallow Shallow, everyone here was calm and collected. I gave her an extremely difficult Rubik's Cube and let her play with it while Sandora and I patiently waited for the refugees to digest the shocking news that had just been broadcasted.
About ten minutes later, the Council, who had lowered their heads in silence for a long time, finally looked up as if they had been plugged in. "We can accept your message and choose to believe it, but the citizens of the fleet would like to know how you are going to settle us. Although the Void is scary, to us, living next to the Empire is also a stressful thing. "
Of course, I had thought of this a long time ago. The refugees of the Void could not be settled like the refugees of the previous worlds. Their fear of the Imperial Army had spread over many generations. Countless generations had been taught that the Empire was a scourge. I was willing to bet that the third-grade textbooks of the refugees of the Void had 'Down with the Xiling Empire' written on them. Under such circumstances, it was already a miracle that the refugees of the Void could accept the new Empire's settlement proposal.
The main reason why they could accept my and Sandora's invitation was that the New Empire and the Fallen Apostles had split apart. The culprit who had destroyed their homeland was someone else, and the New Empire and their enemy were merely of the same race origin. The other reason was that there was a real threat: the Fallen Apostles were active in the Void again, and their area of activity had expanded from the area of the old Empire to such a vast area. The refugees of the Void happened to be in the new area of activity of the enemy. If they did not accept the protection of the New Empire, then they might enter the territory of the Fallen Apostles. The history of ancient times would repeat itself. To the refugees of that period of history, it was even more terrifying than living next to the New Empire.
However, the most obvious thing was that it was impossible for them to stay near the shadow space temporarily — Mercury Lamp still did not dare to enter the Bubble Room.
"What requests do you have? I will try my best to fulfill them. " Sandora asked. It was rare for her to use such a regressive method to discuss matters with ordinary civilizations. Normally, she was a swift and decisive queen in front of outsiders. Orders, execution. That was her way of speaking. But now, she was willing to let the refugees of the Void make a request, and she would do it herself — the reason was self-explanatory.
The Parliament's way of speaking was also quite direct. "Live in peace, have a home, and it would be best if you do not see the Empire's fleet."
Their words put Sandora and I in an awkward position.
"Actually, you are already in the territory of the New Empire, but you are stuck in the passage to our macro world." I spread my hands at the Parliament. "I believe you know that a few days ago, there were spaceships that fell behind and barged into some of the interworld passages that were manned. They even caused a traffic accident. That was how we noticed the 'Specter Ship'."
The Parliament nodded. "Those incidents caused the fleet to panic because the spaceships sent back information that they were being obstructed by the Imperial Army. The Allied Fleet is severely underpopulated, and many of the spaceships are barely under control. But because it is almost impossible to replenish resources in the void, we could only carry these old spaceships with us in case of emergency. Who would have thought that when they gradually fell behind, they would encounter you … Hmm, you mentioned the macro world just now. What is that? "
The macro world was a special product of the New Empire. The Old Empire did not have such a thing, so the Parliament was curious about the new term I mentioned.
No matter what, I was the one who built it, so I proudly explained to the Parliament what the 'macro world network' was. The Parliament listened very seriously, and it was obvious that they were very interested.
"The macro world, a normal race that exists as free citizens, and the Empire's frigates that do not interfere with the development of the world. It is such an incredible thing. I dare not imagine that you would do such a thing. It is completely different from the past.
If it is possible, perhaps this is the most suitable way for us to settle down. "
"You mean, you are willing to join the network as a member of the macro world?" I was surprised. "Don't you not accept anything from the Empire?"
The Parliament's reply was very straightforward. "It is fine as long as we don't see them often."
"…"
Can I assume that the main reason why you are not willing to come into contact with the Empire is because you are afraid of scaring the children? So it is fine as long as you do not see the Imperial Army. As the saying goes, out of sight, out of mind?
"That is a good idea." Sandora smiled and nodded. "You are definitely not willing to directly settle down in a world directly under the jurisdiction of the Empire, but continuing to drift in the void is not a long-term solution. I can open up a blank universe for you, and the entire Allied Fleet can settle down there. Of course, according to your needs, this blank universe will have sufficient resources. Of course, this blank universe will definitely be under the Empire's control. An autonomous territory like the macro world is a form of control that is acceptable to both sides. You will only need to maintain contact with the Empire through the Space Administration. What do you think of this arrangement? "
The Parliament nodded. "Perfect. The Parliament is also looking forward to the moment when we can peacefully interact with the citizens of other worlds. It has been many years since we have spoken to other civilizations."
Hearing that, I felt a pang in my heart. The days of wandering were not easy. Because we did not know when the Fallen Apostle would come after us, they did not even dare to stop at the worlds they passed by. Perhaps the current generation of these exiles had completely forgotten the concept of docking. Just like the natives of the ruined worlds, the peaceful life on their home planet had become a myth that no one could verify …
"Then, it's settled, right?" Seeing that Sandora and the Parliament had come to an agreement, Shallow Shallow hurriedly threw the Rubik's Cube in her hand to the side and rushed over. "Do we need to sign a rental agreement or something? For such a big matter, there should be some procedures or something, right? "
Look, this is the magnanimity of our Empire's matriarch. Such a huge universe is going to be given away, and she is actually thinking according to the landlord's logic …
In the end, we came to an agreement with the exiled fleet. The Empire will provide a blank universe for them to live in, and the exiled fleet will completely withdraw from the void, returning peace to the macro world network. As for the blank universe, it will not be directly under the jurisdiction of the Empire. It will be handed over to the exiled fleet as a completely autonomous world, and we will integrate it into the macro world system through the Space Administration. This way, the exiled fleet will have a stable home and can end their days of wandering. They can also happily continue their peaceful days of not seeing the Empire's soldiers …
The one who led us out of the building where the Parliament was located was still the tall female officer from before. Unlike the cold and vigilant attitude she had when she first led us in, she looked at us with a curious gaze. Of course, aside from curiosity, there was also a great deal of caution. The people of the Empire had been a scourge to them all their lives, and now that they had suddenly become friendly with them, it was not that easy to accept.
"For the exiled fleet to accept the new Empire after being tortured to such a state by the Fallen Apostles, it is really unbelievable," I whispered into Sandora's ear. "This should be considered as a blood feud, right?"
The one who replied to me was not Sandora, but my elder sister who had heard my words. She wore a calm smile on her face, as though she had already thought it through. "They have been wandering for countless generations, and the hatred from the destruction of their home has long been erased by the passing of generations. Now, other than the few immortal lifeforms in the fleet, it is hard to say how many of these wanderers still hold a grudge against the Fallen Apostles. Their opposition towards the Shiring Apostles is more out of fear than enmity. This is the deciding factor for them to accept the new Empire. Also, who doesn't want to have a stable home? "
After exiting the majestic building, we returned to the landing platform from before. Later on, we would take the transport plane provided by the exiled fleet and return to the surface of the planet. The shuttle from the Empire Admiral had already docked outside the planetary fortress. To avoid causing chaos, Sandora did not allow more Empire warships to approach the exiled fleet. Instead, she only ordered them to send some shuttles and frigates.
The metallic sky of the planetary fortress was still dark. Lights that resembled fireflies darted back and forth in the enclosed space, forming countless strange and dazzling lines. This piece of land that was wrapped in heavy armor probably reflected the strongest desire of the first generation of people who had built it: a sense of security.
Now, their desire had finally been fulfilled, but it was achieved through the hands of the Empire that had destroyed everything. 'Dramatic'. Sometimes, only these three words could describe everything.
"Everything looks peaceful. I thought I could see a carnival or something like a loudspeaker broadcast."
Shallow Shallow suddenly leaped into the air and looked down at the ground. She only came back down after being dazzled by the dazzling lights, and spoke with slight regret.
"It's better than the entire planet protesting together." The elder sister smiled. "I heard that this planetary fortress was originally an administrative planet of the Toberu tribe. After the calamity, the Toberu tribe resisted for three years before they were defeated. Before they were defeated, they exhausted all their resources and covered every surviving home planet with thick armor before pushing it into the void. That was how the exiled fleet could last until today. Now, the 'Parliament' is a parasite on the home planet of the Toberu people. She is like a river that swims across the entire planet. That is why she understands every single person on the planet. The Parliament probably knew that the exiled fleet no longer had the determination to seek revenge, so they accepted our suggestion. "
"They were a very powerful civilization. It's a pity that the Fallen Apostle destroyed everything." Sandora sighed.
Everyone sighed along with her.
At that moment, I heard a series of orderly and hurried footsteps. Then, a clear female voice that seemed to be emitting sparks rang. "Sir! Armored Scorpion Leader Vega has returned! "
I glanced over and saw that Vega had led her people, along with other heroic soldiers and scouts, to the landing platform. It was obvious that they were let in by the exiled guards. Sister Scorpion had perfectly executed a mission that she was not happy about, which was to not draw her sword and slash anyone under any circumstances. I noticed that her expression was still somewhat gloomy. She must have been feeling rather sullen after being scanned by the enemy for a long time. The Ravens, on the other hand, were still laughing and teasing the honest Leader Bee. Even the simple-minded Ravens knew that it was best not to provoke the Armored Scorpion. The latter had a belly full of nuclear fuel waiting to be detonated.
"Alright, alright. Don't pull a long face." I felt that Vega, this iron-blooded sister, had the temperament of a spoiled little girl. I couldn't help but pat her arm. She was more than two meters tall in her combat form, so I couldn't reach her any higher. "Actually …"
Before I could finish my sentence, another set of footsteps came from behind me. I turned around and saw that it was the young soldier duo that I had spent some time with: Jin and Tolulu.
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