Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 125
“Your Excellency, the situation is critical. Please retreat to the underground bunker for now!” The chief of staff was constantly wiping the sweat from his forehead. Despite the cool weather, his military uniform was soaked with sweat. “You can still command the battle from there. Once Commodore Spencer’s fleet arrives, we can turn the tide!”
The governor sighed and waved his hand, closing the floating screen. “I suppose that’s the only option.” He got up wearily, as if he had aged ten years overnight, his back hunched. As he stepped outside, the guards immediately surrounded him with heightened alertness.
Leaving the soundproofed command room, the roar of cannons, sharp explosions, and the low hum of fighter jets flying overhead flooded the governor’s ears. He felt dizzy and had to lean on the captain of the guard’s hand to steady himself, allowing the tall young man to lead him forward.
On the west side of the governor’s mansion, there was an elevator reserved for the governor, which led directly to the underground shelter. It could only be operated by entering a password. The governor, too weak to input the password himself, recited a series of numbers for the guard captain to enter on his behalf. The captain approached the elevator, entered the governor’s password on the touch screen, and pressed the confirm button. The number above the elevator door lit up, displaying “1”.
The numbers changed slowly, taking a long time to reach “2”, then “3”, and finally, after what seemed like ages, it arrived at the current floor, “6”.
Ding—
The elevator doors slowly opened, but before the governor could breathe a sigh of relief, a gunshot rang out. The captain of the guard, standing in front of the doors, fell straight back, his eyes wide in shock, as if he had seen something unbelievable. A dark red stain slowly spread across his chest.
The guards raised their guns but hesitated to shoot, for standing in the elevator was a man holding a gun, with the barrel pointed directly at the governor.
“Who are you?” the vice-captain croaked.
The man pointed to the silver-embroidered eagle insignia on his chest. He was wearing an Empire military uniform, indicating he was an Empire soldier.
A chill ran down the vice-captain’s spine. Had the Empire forces already infiltrated the governor’s mansion? Why hadn’t any of his colleagues outside sent word? “How did you get in here?” he asked again.
“I saw an elevator and just came up.” The man nodded towards the ceiling. The vice-captain, fearing a trick, quickly glanced up—the elevator’s top had been completely removed, apparently how the man had entered.
“Which one of you is the governor?” the man asked.
The vice-captain stepped back a few paces, positioning himself in front of the governor, instinctively protecting him. But this movement inadvertently revealed the answer to the man’s question.
“You,” the man tilted his head slightly, “move aside.”
The vice-captain’s palms were slick with sweat, making it difficult to hold onto his gun. He tried to maintain a calm facade, sneering, “Don’t bother with tricks. My comrades just informed me that you’re the only one who infiltrated the governor’s mansion. Do you really think you can take on all of us alone?”
The man suddenly averted his gaze, and the vice-captain, thinking he was about to act, tensed up, ready for a fight. But the man remained motionless. After a moment, the vice-captain realized that the man was seriously considering the question.
The result of that consideration was that the man drew another gun. Now he held a gun in each hand, both aimed at the vice-captain’s head, and even past him, at the governor he was protecting.
“…What difference does an extra gun make!” the vice-captain blustered, though fear gnawed at him.
Behind him, the governor began coughing—probably an old ailment flaring up. He coughed as he pushed the vice-captain aside, exposing half of his face, and stared at the man emerging from the elevator. “Are you here to force me to surrender?”
“I’m glad you’re so perceptive.”
“What if I refuse?”
The man uttered a single word. “Die.”
The governor’s body swayed as if it might collapse. “Even if you kill me, Sword Bow’s resistance won’t stop.”
“I know,” the man replied nonchalantly. “If you die, command will pass to your deputy, and if he dies, it will pass to the next in line. We have a list, and I can go down the list, killing each one until I find someone willing to surrender.”
These words sent a chill through everyone present, especially the governor. He had betrayed Her Majesty the Queen and joined Duke Winnet’s faction for the promising future and the space to showcase his talents that the Duke had promised. That day had not yet come—how could he die now?
The man seemed to see through his weakness and smiled triumphantly. “Allow me to convey Admiral Darius Bayes’s message, which is also a decree from Her Highness the Princess: Anyone who surrenders will be forgiven for past actions, and after the war, merits will be rewarded.”
The governor’s heart pounded. Did this mean he still had a chance? He could try to use the dozens of guards here to block this murderous man and make his escape, but what were the odds of surviving? Would he live long enough to step onto the glorious path the Duke had promised? He didn’t dare take that risk. He didn’t have the courage to gamble everything and lose.
“I surrender,” the governor said. He shook his head and instructed the chief of staff who had always been by his side, “Surrender. Spread the word.” He also nodded to the guards, signaling them to lower their weapons.
The man lowered his guns as well. “Admiral Bayes has a plan that requires your assistance. You might want to get in touch with him.”
The governor, utterly defeated, replied, “I will.”
The gunfire and explosions outside ceased. After a few echoing blasts, everything fell silent—an eerie quiet that settled over the entire planet.
The man backed into the elevator. “Someone else will come to handle the formalities. I’ll take my leave.”
“Wait!” the governor called out. “Can I ask for your name?”
“Joshua Planck,” the man replied as the elevator doors closed.
Two hours later, Commodore Spencer’s fleet arrived in the Sword Bow system, only to be met by a combined assault from Bayes’s fleet and the forces of Sword Bow’s three planets. Defeated, they surrendered. Thus, the Battle of Sword Bow came to an end.
Shortly after the Sword Bow system’s surrender, the Redstone system also voluntarily surrendered, and Bayes’s fleet took control.
On April 7th, Princess Alveira led the main Royal Fleet to Sword Bow A, where Admiral Bayes and the governor of the Sword Bow system personally went to the spaceport to welcome them.
The Lady of the Night landed at the planetary spaceport, right next to the Sword of the Queen. As the hatch opened, the first to leap out were a cat and a dog. These two unusual guests immediately darted into the crowd of people lined up to greet the arrivals and disappeared. Only then did the princess, supported by guards, step out of the ship. Accompanying her were Empire military leaders, headed by Casper Shannon. In the previous battle in the Mist Harbor system, they had fought valiantly, successfully driving back the Grisofin and Chast fleets, dealing a heavy blow to the rebels.
Now, they set foot on the land of Sword Bow A, where they would temporarily rest and regroup their forces before heading to the Damoni system for a decisive battle with the rebel main fleet.
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