123: You mean, we not only have reinforcements, but also superiors?

(First chapter posted first)

(Going to be busy with the Party membership application form later)

(Will definitely post three chapters today)

...

The speed of the Alien Fleet was indeed as Woot said, abnormally fast.

In just a fleeting moment, those thin lines disappeared from the field of view.

Subsequently, a communication request appeared on the screen; it was sent by the Imperial Navy Warships that had just engaged the aliens.

After Xi Hai connected, a voice mixed with heavy static came through:

"Greetings... Bang! Bang bang!"

"We sincerely—bang!—thank your side for the support,"

"We are... *cough cough*, this Commander, please wait a moment for me,"

"In the name of the lord of ten thousand changes! Die! Alien!"

"Splat!"

What the hell is that noise?

Is this person actually fighting hand-to-hand with aliens while on the call?

Definitely, right?

The visual feed was synchronized, and those battered Warships of the Cosmic Army appeared before everyone on the Bridge of the storm:

The outer armor had obvious color differences, and many areas showed clear deformation of the secondary keel. Some breaches and bullet holes weren't even patched, just exposed rawly.

Of course, the most conspicuous thing was the pile of barnacle-like Boarding Craft stuck on almost every Warship—presumably, the fighting sounds in the communication were because of these little things.

At this moment, the other side of the communication had descended into chaos. Xi Hai rubbed his forehead and said:

"Have Gunnar lead a team to support the friendly forces."

...

After receiving support, the Marine Corps on those Imperial Navy Warships immediately seized the opportunity and launched a fierce counterattack.

With inside and outside cooperation, in less than an hour, the aliens that had boarded the friendly Warships were completely cleared out.

The communication from the other side finally returned to normal.

"Cough cough... Thank you again for your support, Commander."

"The remnants of the First Mobile Fleet under the 9-89 Border Legion of the Imperial Navy report to you!"

"I am Colonel Oran, currently acting as the highest Commander of this fleet."

Listening to the voice, it was still the same person who was fighting aliens hand-to-hand while talking, just a bit more exhausted.

Remnants?

He seemed to remember Kelaifu saying that the Imperial Navy had stationed a Border Legion at Tianjin Seat V89 a few hundred years ago.

It was just because this place wasn't the core area of the Empire, so the further it went, the less anyone cared. Later, even the supplies and military funds allocated here were embezzled by more than half, and it was unknown who received what was sent, or who took it.

So for convenience, that border fleet was directly assigned to him.

Could it be this one?

He asked:

"What is the current status of your 89 Border Legion?"

The other side immediately complained bitterly:

"Commander, we have really suffered!"

"No one has cared about us for over a hundred years!"

"The superiors above the Legion all ran away, and requests for help were never responded to,"

"After the entire Legion was 'integrated' again, there were only 19 mobile fleets left,"

"And... there were originally 9 heavy industrial star systems that could barely maintain the operation of the Legion,"

"But ever since a group of aliens popped up from nowhere three years ago, 8 of the 9 heavy industrial star systems have been lost one after another,"

"Now, let alone launching new ships, we don't even have a place for major repairs of old ships."

Listening to the almost tearful words from the other side, Xi Hai slightly muttered to himself,

This... no wonder the ships were broken like that—

No, that's not the point.

That Colonel just said nine industrial star systems lost eight?

Lost! Eight! Systems!

Damn it! So that "recapture" Kelaifu said halfway and suddenly changed was what he meant!

Well, it's fine, he had a premonition about this kind of thing long ago.

With the Pathfinder base, his demand for local indigenous industrial bases wasn't very high, but the fleet in front of him was more attractive to him.

So, after thinking for a while, Xi Hai said:

"I am Grand Duke Chu Xiluo, concurrently serving as the Supreme Director of the Imperial Navy in Tianjin Seat V89 and the Regional Governor,"

"The entire Tianjin Seat V89 has been classified as my fief,"

"Your Legion has now been assigned to me and is under my command. The transfer order has been transmitted to you,"

"Now, take me to your Legion headquarters."

Upon hearing Xi Hai's words, the other side seemed to freeze, and there was no reply for a long time. Just when he was puzzled and preparing to ask again, noisy sounds suddenly came from the background over there:

"bu hao! The Captain was so excited it fainted!"

"Quick! CPR!"

"Captain, you can't die!"

"Wait, the Captain seems to have woken up,"

"Don't any of you come over!!!! I'm fine!!!!"

"Finally, someone is taking care of us!!!!"

Subsequently, an extremely excited voice came through—

"Supreme Director, our headquarters is stationed in the hidden works outside the Kuiper Belt of Tianjin Seat V89.05,"

"It is the only remaining industrial star system."

"We will immediately arrange... no, I will take you there right now!"

Ten minutes later—

Colonel Oran was brought to the storm by a Shuttle.

When seeing the Colonel for the first time, Xi Hai could tell how scarce the supplies of this fleet were—

A Colonel who was also the Commander of a mobile fleet had a sallow complexion and was skin and bones. The black Imperial Navy officer uniform on the Colonel was clearly ill-fitting, and even the colors of the stars on the epaulets were different.

Looking closely, there was a bloodstain on the clothes that couldn't be washed off, as well as several pieces of patched fabric.

However, when the Colonel walked in front of Xi Hai, stood at attention with a "pop," and gave an incomparably standard military salute, it displayed incomparable vitality:

The thin body stood straight, and a pair of eyes, though bulging, were bright and piercing. The Colonel did not look old, but the temperament was already very mature—

"Supreme Director, Colonel of the 9-89 Border Legion, Oran, reporting to you!"

Xi Hai nodded,

"We are now going to the No. 5 star system here (Tianjin Seat V89.05). After arriving, you are responsible for leading the way to your station."

"Yes!"

...

...

Tens of thousands of years ago, when humanity was at the peak of its golden age,

During this period, the great pioneers almost conquered the void, turning that bizarre and motley world into a territory belonging exclusively to humanity.

And the turbulence of time and space kept the dirty and stupid aliens out of it—

It was supposed to be like that.

But at this moment, an exception appeared:

In the violent void, several small ellipsoidal bubbles floated, just like small boats floating on the surface of giant waves,

And within those small bubbles, there were wrapped Warships with strange shapes—at a glance, one could tell they were creations of an alien civilization.

And the tools those ugly aliens relied on were several small white cubes hanging at the stern of the Warships,

On them, one could faintly see an emblem of four hands clasped together—that was the symbol of the "Star Sea Republic" that ruled during the third era of humanity.