Chapter Seven: The Eden of the Exiles

The chief of staff projected a map of the Five-Star Pass on the desktop projector, speaking in a tone reminiscent of an old scholar recounting ancient tales, leaving both those familiar and unfamiliar with this segment of history feeling overwhelmed.

Twenty-two years ago, the current governor of the border of the Kingdom of Visakos, Mike Adam, who is also our employer this time, found himself in a predicament due to domestic political struggles. His fleet was besieged on the side of the Kingdom of Saint George. In a desperate bid, he led his troops through the star gate and occupied two of the five stars—New Belfast and New Dublin—using them as a base to resist the ruling faction within the country. Considering the threats posed by other warlord factions domestically, he did not raise the banner of independence but continued to control these two planets in the name of the Kingdom of Visakos. The ruling warlords within the kingdom did not pursue him, possibly fearing that such an action would provoke the Great Han Empire on the other side of Jiayumen. However, the actual response from the Empire was quite interesting.

I see... So what about the last colonized star of the Five-Star Sector? A certain officer suddenly recalled this question

What benefits does this bring to the Duke of Dingyuan? Gradually, some of the officers began to understand.

A few people remained silent; after all, one cannot simply reject the commander’s operational arrangements due to personal feelings.

The Red Spider Legion consists of only 30 ground combat squadrons and 10 crew teams. Establishing a higher command system would be meaningless beyond affecting unified command. As a result, every tactical meeting is crowded with over 40 people, and once discussions begin, it becomes a chaotic mess.

If it is said to suppress guerrillas, how should we define the intensity of combat? The regular army of the rebels is relatively straightforward, but the majority of the rest are militias. When they take up arms, they are soldiers, and when they take off their uniforms, they are civilians. If we use methods meant for dealing with regular armies against them, will we face protests from the local government and human rights organizations? Liliya's question is sharp and very realistic. This is the first time Zhang Songlan has seen her speak so much.

"Is there any difference between autonomy and semi-autonomy for you squadron commanders?" The old commander looked at Zhang Songlan with great interest

Firstly, the newly appointed Marquis of Zhenyuan, Abraham, would be very grateful for the assistance of Yang Xinluo. His compatriot sister, Trosha, was married to Yang Xinluo's second son, Yang Xuan, as a cover and bargaining chip in this scheme. Their child was even bestowed with Abraham's own name, which indicates a considerable goodwill towards the Duke of Dingyuan's household. Secondly, the pressure of border defense that originally belonged to the Duke of Dingyuan's household has been transferred to the Duke of Zhenyuan's household, resulting in significant savings in military expenses. This is particularly notable as the trade tariffs between Wuxing Pass and the territory of the Duke of Zhenyuan have not only remained unchanged but have actually increased, highlighting the strategic acumen of Yang Xinluo.

What is the problem? Upon seeing someone with a troubled expression, the former leader knew it was time for him to speak.

This operational contract is autonomous, and this corps will have full responsibility for suppressing all actions in New Belfast. Therefore, you are entirely free to arrange operations according to your own will. As long as you can gain a greater advantage, you may offer suggestions to the command, ignore, or even violate my orders. However, if your cleverness leads to a defeat in the battle, be careful that I will stuff you into a torpedo tube and send you into outer space" The old commander glared fiercely at Zhang Songlan as he warned.

The next battlefield for the red spider is right here

Understood. Liliya did not show any personal emotions in response to the cold-blooded answer from the old leader, merely nodding to indicate her understanding

Unbeknownst to him, Young Master Nahe had joyfully gathered all his forces from his residence to march on Wuxing Pass. However, upon his triumphant return to reclaim his territory and ascend to the throne, he discovered that a heavily armed force from the Dingyuan Marquisate was waiting for him behind Jiayumen. This strategy was originally devised to uproot the Second Young Master's influence from within the territory of the Zhenyuan Marquisate, ensuring the smooth ascension of the First Young Master. Since the old marquis had never made any public commitments, the Second Young Master, having believed the rumors, could only retreat in frustration to his newly occupied territories of New Loulan and New Gaochang, becoming a solitary emperor stranded overseas.

May I ask whether the contract signed by the combat corps this time is autonomous or semi-autonomous? Zhang Songlan's question is more technical in nature

May I ask ... ... this time the person who raised their hand is Zhang Songlan

The old leader did not expect that the one asking the question was not those former guerrilla fighters, but rather this newcomer who had just graduated from military academy

The principle of the Legion is that anyone who attempts to harm us is an enemy, including armed civilians. I believe General McAdam would agree with our perspective. As for the media and human rights organizations, to be frank, our Legion has been blamed for the massacre of civilians several times. As the saying goes, when debts are many, one need not worry about lice; remember that self-defense must be our top priority. The old commander rested his hands on the bridge of his nose, speaking darkly. As for the media and human rights organizations, to be frank, our Legion has been blamed for the massacre of civilians several times. As the saying goes, when debts are many, one need not worry about lice; remember that self-defense must be our top priority. The old commander rested his hands on the bridge of his nose, speaking darkly.

I understand. The old leader nodded and stood up from his seat

Everyone has probably already heard the news from the Chief of Staff; this time our battlefield is set at Wuxing Pass, and the employer is General McAdam, the governor of the border of the Visakos Kingdom. The battlefield is quite complex, and the Chief of Staff will explain the details to you.

People referred to that legendary battle as the "Battle of Eden." The conflict between the Northern and Southern armies resulted in the sinking of hundreds of thousands of starships, even creating a small asteroid belt composed of the wreckage of warships in the galaxy. More than a thousand years later, the indomitable souls who fought and perished for their beliefs still drift in space. After the brutal battle ended inconclusively, this galaxy became the dividing point between two ideologies, with the Great Han Empire in the north of Virgo Major and the Anti-Imperialist Alliance in the south, which have long been in a standoff at both ends of the Wuxing Pass, thus earning the name "Wuxing Pass," a name imbued with military significance.

I would like to discuss this, so please wait until I finish speaking! The chief of staff loudly reprimanded the captains who were already whispering to each other to attract their attention. Originally, the situation at Wuxing Pass is common knowledge for anyone with a bit of education. Considering that there are not many educated individuals among you, I will first provide a general introduction to the history and current situation of Wuxing Pass.

Of course. Zhang Songlan smiled and said, "The consequences of refusing the officer and refusing the officer's superior are vastly different. I need to refer to your response to determine my course of action"

Behind Jiayumen lies the Longzhou star system, governed by the Duke of Dingyuan. Contrary to expectations, the Duke did not mobilize his forces; his nobleman, Yang Xinluo, was more inclined towards political maneuvering than warfare. At that time, within the Zhenyuan Duke's residence, only a few star systems away from Longzhou, a power struggle over succession was underway. The old duke, Tara, wished to appoint his eldest son, Abraham, as the duke but faced formidable opposition from his second wife and the influential forces backing his second son, Nake. Yang Xinluo proposed a strategy to Tara: to appoint Nake as a general and have him lead his subordinates to attack the Wuxing Pass. He privately assured those around him that if Nake succeeded in his mission, the dukedom would be granted to him. Yang Xinluo also instructed the garrison commander of Longzhou to allow Nake's troops passage. The longstanding friendship between the Dingyuan and Zhenyuan families, combined with the cleverness of this plan, led Duke Tara to adopt it.

--- Flagship Arachne of the Red Spider Legion · Tactical Conference Room ---

Except for New Hetian, the remaining four planets have all been forcibly occupied. The local underground resistance has been rising and falling, suppressing the situation for twenty years without success. There are also conspiracy theorists who claim that this is the result of support from the Harlanders behind the scenes; however, this is merely speculation without concrete evidence or literature. Almost every year, dozens of large guerrilla groups roam freely across the four planets, dispersing a significant portion of the garrison's forces. For some unknown reason, this year, the guerrilla activities on the two planets controlled by General McAdam have been particularly severe, with even some local garrison troops rebelling and joining the guerrillas. Our mission is to carry out a thorough suppression of the New Belfast guerrillas. Having seen that no one had any further questions, the Chief of Staff finally turned the topic to the main point.

The benefits are certainly significant. The subordinate's humble inquiry pleased the chief of staff, and he became even more cheerful as he spoke of ancient times

It is said that there is a plan to suppress the guerrilla forces, and several captains displayed rather unpleasant expressions—after all, they themselves came from the ranks of the guerrillas. Although they could not make a living and turned to become mercenaries, it is likely that they would not feel good about taking action against their former comrades who once pursued freedom and liberation.

This is the current situation map of the Wuxing Pass. There are a total of three fixed star gates: the 'Jiayumen' leads to the territory of the Imperial Dingyuan Marquis, the 'Shengqiaozhi Gate' leads to the interior of the Visakasi Kingdom, and the 'Huohuan Gate' is the only star gate for entering and exiting the Free Harlan Federation. Years ago, the Anti-Imperialist Alliance Joint Army fought the Eden Battle here against the grand army under Emperor Yang. After the war, both sides agreed to maintain the five colonial stars of Wuxing Pass as a free and independent buffer trade zone. Over a thousand years have passed, and the five colonial stars and their behind-the-scenes masters have changed several times, but the real change occurred twenty-two years ago.

The terms "autonomous" and "semi-autonomous" specifically refer to a type of arrangement concerning mercenary groups. An autonomous contract means that the group will have complete command over its subordinate forces, and as long as the established tasks assigned by the employer are completed, the means to achieve them are irrelevant. However, the employer will not provide supplies or support for the group, which can be considered as participating in combat in the capacity of allied forces. A semi-autonomous contract, on the other hand, indicates that the group operates under the unified command of the employer, with supplies and combat tasks provided by the employer in real-time. The group has limited autonomy but retains the right to refuse unreasonable or beyond-capacity tasks, effectively acting as a temporarily integrated part of the allied forces.

"Is there anyone else with questions?" The former leader was very pleased with Liliya's response and then looked up to ask the others.

The reprimand from the chief of staff made the captains, who came from humble beginnings, blush with embarrassment, and they quickly quieted down, adopting the demeanor of obedient students eager to learn. The chief of staff's term "uneducated" was specifically directed at them.

The Wuxing Guan Star System, as the name suggests, possesses five mature colonized planets. The star of this system is a middle-aged yellow dwarf (similar to the Sun), and there are a total of seven planets in the entire system. The distribution of the star, planet types, and planetary orbits is nearly ideal, and it also harbors abundant hydrogen fuel and metallic minerals. This system is considered one of the most suitable for human habitation and development within the entire Virgo Cluster—so much so that at one point, it was even named "Eden," the paradise of God. However, what truly brought fame to this bountiful system was not its resources, but rather that it became the battlefield for the largest interstellar battle in human history.

That planet has been protected by the Harlan Free Federation's military. The Fire River Gate is the only passage for the Harlan Free Federation to the external universe, and they require a trade and military stronghold. Due to the Harlan people's democratic beliefs, they did not dissolve the autonomous government of the New Hetian planet but instead dispatched a fleet to garrison the controlled airspace of that planet to ensure the normal flow of trade, to which the New Hetian government seemingly had no objections, the chief of staff explained

I have a question! The awkward silence was broken by a clear female voice; it was Lilia

Oh... the team officials suddenly realized

Speak. With Lilia's previous experience, Zhang Songlan would ask questions in a way that wouldn't make the old leader feel out of place

Zhang Songlan responded calmly, showing no signs of being frightened at all