Can Ci Pin - - - Chapter 109

Chapter 109 – Commander, We Can’t Hold Out

“Yelvich admitted that he was working with the pirates so he committed suicide to atone for his sins? Right, the location of the Hummingbird Fortress is strategically awkward, and Yelvich’s attitude about protecting the Union from the AUS after the Glory Troops took over Wolto was also quite questionable. So? Today Yelvich was acting strange, tomorrow will be Chief Woolf’s turn, and I might be next after them.” Ankur smiled as he carefully blew on his hot tea and nodded towards his advising team behind him. “Ignore all these trivial matters in the Union, you all can continue.”

“General, the AUS deployed a few hundred heavy mechs today and are ready to charge into the Eighth Galaxy. Should we also make our move now?”

“Don’t rush it, it won’t be that easy. Do you know how many heavy mechs the Union sent out when they were forcing Lin Jingheng to disarm the Silver Fortress?” Ankur lowered his head and buried himself in various data collected from previous battles. “Keep an eye out for a little longer, I’m afraid the AUS might need to dispatch another hundred heavy mechs. If Lin Jingheng was that easy of an opponent, I’d already be out on the battlefield right now…by the way, does anyone know where he got those heavy mechs from? Was he just disguising as a pig before?”

“We haven’t been able to plant a reliable spy in the Eighth Galaxy yet, but according to credible sources, he found them on the battlefield.”

“Nonsense, have you not seen what model the AUS fleets use? Is it the same model as these?” Ankur interrupted, “Lin Jingheng sure built a powerful force outside the Union these years behind our back, no wonder he decided to hide in the Eighth Galaxy.”

“General,” another advisor added, “please don’t forget to pay attention to the Eighth Galaxy relocating its people.”

Ankur’s expression stiffened a little: “Talk to me.”

“Lin Jingheng suddenly ordered all residents near the frontlines to take refuge and even moved all supply stations. According to our analysis, he might be attempting to build a chain of military command posts there…”

“Is he bored out of his mind?” Ankur grew frustrated and once again interrupted this intelligence idiot. He felt like he only summoned these “intelligence advisors” from the Seventh Galaxy for the sake of showing off his own brilliance. “Lin Jingheng’s advantage right now is his mobility with a very condensed fleet. His current strategy is using offense as defense with his significantly smaller navy, so what’s the point of building large military posts? You think he’s as stupid as you are?”

The advising team didn’t dare speak up anymore.

The entire meeting room was dead silent for a short while. Ankur ignored everyone else as his gaze fell onto the table, and after a short moment, he suddenly asked: “Did everyone retreat?”

“Yeah.”

Ankur suddenly remembered something and stood up abruptly: “Why the hell didn’t you guys tell me earlier, prepare the navy!”

He was complaining about how difficult it was to deal with Lin Jingheng earlier and wanted to wait for another hundred mechs from the AUS; this sudden change in attitude confused all the subordinates in the room.

His personal guard quickly walked up to him baffled: “General, didn’t you say…”

“It’ll be too late if we don’t act now,” Ankur said gravely, “can’t you tell? Lin Jingheng can’t hold up anymore so now he’s planning on blowing up all the transfer portals to physically isolate the Eighth Galaxy!”

Lin Jingheng stayed at the frontlines personally to watch the battlefield and the migration of the residents. Because the AUS had been desperately dispatching troops from other galaxies, both sides had been exchanging fire for over ten days.

The frontlines were still okay; as long as there were enough missiles, Turan wouldn’t die that easily. It was sending the residents off into refuge that took up most of his energy.

To lower the risk of an attack, they needed to separate the residents into many groups onto different mechs. Yet Lin Jingheng didn’t have that many hands to help nor did he have the time to take things slowly; if he wanted speed and to fill mechs and starships with people, he wouldn’t have time to keep an eye out for them. He wouldn’t be able to guarantee that no accidents would happen along the way, and the cost of one accident could be thousands of lives; this wasn’t something Lin Jingheng nor the Prime Minister could shoulder responsibility for.

He’d thought for decades that he was powerful and capable, only to realize now that protecting was a much harder task than destroying; it would require at least ten of him to accomplish.

Lin Jingheng barely slept over the span of ten days.

Lu Bixing had just finished helping a group of residents settle and was notified that the last group was already on their way, so he took the opportunity to sneak into the frontline command post.

He discussed with the Prime Minister and his cabinet Planetary Planning in the Galaxy while he was on his way.

“Regardless if we end up closing off the Eighth Galaxy or not, condensing the population is still necessary,” Lu Bixing said. “First of all, it would cut down the cost of galactic transportation; second, it would promote urbanization on more planets. Most places in the Eighth Galaxy are sparsely populated so at least we don’t have the problem of running out of natural resources within the next century, and once the population grows we can then expand residential areas.”

“I understand this is the best option,” Prime Minister Edward sighed. “But…I still wish we won’t end up in a situation where we must close off the Eighth Galaxy.”

It was quite ironic that the new Eighth Galaxy government was built on the belief in the Pledge of Freedom, yet they were now ready to betray the Union.

People understood that this was the most logical thing to do, but it was difficult to accept it emotionally. It was like an angry girlfriend that still couldn’t cut ties with her exes after many unhappy breakups.

The truth was Lin Jingheng himself was also quite reluctant, but he didn’t say anything because it was Lu Bixing’s suggestion.

Lu Bixing always had a feeling that Lin actually loved the Union, even if this love was deep and contradictory beneath that coldness and hatred. He still loved the Union even if it hurt him deeply.

At the core of his complicated and conflicting soul, some things were from the Union that he couldn’t cut off.

Lu Bixing nodded at the guard at the entrance, scanned the genetic lock and walked directly into the command post. His footsteps stopped right at the door as he saw the scene inside–Lin Jingheng had two different telecom clouds over his ears, one side connected to Turan and the other side connected to the refugees. It was a rare moment of silence from both sides so the commander had taken this opportunity for a quick nap.

His posture remained upright as if he was still on0call; Lu Bixing couldn’t imagine anyone else being able to sleep like that. It was as if the commander simply blinked once and kept his eyelids closed even before he could relax the rest of his body as his consciousness fell into deep slumber.

Zhanlu stood beside the commander in his human form and noticed Lu Bixing walk in.

Lu Bixing put a finger up to his mouth to keep Zhanlu quiet before the AI could speak.

Zhanlu thought about it for a second, then returned to his robotic arm form and hung himself behind Lin Jingheng’s chair.

Lu Bixing spoke to him soundlessly with his lips: “Are you out of batteries again?”

Zhanlu opened up his robotic palm as two rows of small green text appeared above his hand: “My battery is sufficient. According to research, when a couple is together, the presence of any third party individual or even a shape of a person would make both parties uncomfortable.”

“It doesn’t matter what you turn into,” Lu Bixing typed out a line of text from his personal device towards Zhanlu and even changed the text color to match Zhanlu’s green, “your presence is impossible to ignore, you’re way more eager to join in your master’s life than a house pet.”

Zhanlu’s green text corrected him: “I am not ‘joining in’, I am simply observing and recording.”

Lu Bixing took off his shoes at the door in order to not make a sound as he walked in and snuck in front of Lin Jingheng. He carefully kneeled down before the commander and looked up at him.

The commander had one hand resting on his knee; Lu Bixing’s heart itched as he looked at those long fingers and wanted to touch his hand, but stopped himself as he didn’t want to wake Lin Jingheng up. He put a hand up awkwardly in mid air pondering what to do before he gently placed it on top of the commander’s.

The robotic arm on the chair moved forward slightly as Zhanlu stared curiously, trying to decipher this strange act: “Is this some sort of special magnetic force field? I’m sorry, I wasn’t able to detect it.”

“……I’m not using the force here.” Lu Bixing timidly pulled his hand back. “Aren’t couples supposed to be sticking together everyday, sharing the same drink together with two straws, and wasting time doing all these useless things together? I’ve only said three lines to him these last few weeks, one was ‘expected to complete on time’, another one was ‘we’re safe’, and the only line that was important was ‘I miss you’. That’s not even fifteen words total.”

The robotic arm responded: “Due to the signal disruption, we weren’t able to receive the last message here.”

Lu Bixing: “……”

If the Eighth Galaxy got locked up, this small galaxy would perhaps become an Arcadia outside of the Union. The blown-up transfer portals could be rebuilt from old maps, but it might take at least a century to fully repair the tunnels. They could leave an underground tunnel for the Silver Ten and give up the rest; with only one entrance, even if the enemies found them, it would be difficult to make a full invasion into the galaxy.

Would the Eighth Galaxy still be inferior to the mess that was the Union a whole century from now?

Lu Bixing was willing to do anything if it meant that he could live a life where he could wake up to see Lin Jingheng every morning.

At this time, a sound suddenly called from one side of his headphones: “Commander!”

Lin Jingheng woke up immdiately but caught Lu Bixing’s gaze the moment he opened his eyes and was dumbstruck. It was rare to see such an expression on his face, and with his quick reaction, Lu Bixing captured this photo with his personal device. As Lin Jingheng was about to reach over and grab him, Lu Bixing jumped up and backed off two meters as he held up that 3D photo proudly on his wrist: “I’m going to build a 3D model with this when I get back.”

Zhanlu: “Headmaster Lu, according to the Civil Law of the Union, building a 3D model from unsolicited photos is punishable as sexual harassment.”

Lin Jingheng didn’t know how to respond and could only lift up a slight smile from the corner of his lips. Then as he recalled how Lu Bixing had gone out to the frontlines without telling him, he pulled the smile back and forcefully lowered his eyebrows as he shot a displeased glance at Lu Bixing.

He answered the communication as if he hadn’t been sleeping earlier and asked Turan: “What is it?”

“The AUS is deploying more troops, we’re estimating another hundred heavy mechs from the energy level.”

Lin Jingheng pressed the bridge of his nose in frustration, the AUS’s love for him was way too heavy: “Don’t face them head on, try and make a few rounds outside the fleet. Once those civilians are fully settled, I’ll send you some backups…”

“Commander,” this time was from the escorts for the civilians on the other line, “the Seventh Galaxy Militia are suddenly on the move. It looks like they’re planning on sailing in front of the escort starships.”

Lin Jingheng closed his eyes and said: “Send out a ‘passing permit’.”

A ‘passing permit’ was actually a special kind of light signal that could be sent out in space to surrounding starships and mechs that had all the information of its passengers and itinerary. Any spacecraft that sent out this signal were spacecraft carrying unarmed civilians, and according to the intergalactic laws of the universe, nobody was allowed to attack any spacecraft that showed their passing permit.

Of course, this was a rule created based on mutual respect, so pirates wouldn’t care. However, as the Central Militia of the Seventh Galaxy, they had to have some reserves.

“General.” On the other side, one of Ankur’s soldiers said, “it seems like they’re sending out a civilian passing permit signal.”

Ankur was slightly shocked: “This is the first time I’ve ever seen Lin Jingheng take a step down.”

Even if underhand methods of any nature in war were common, everyone had their own style of strategizing on the field. Some people were brutal and ruthless even when they try to stay under the radar.

“His friend outside the Union sent him military supplies, but why didn’t they also send him some soldiers?” Ankur said as he held up his hand to gesture the fleet into the transfer portal. The fleet sailed in like a current and landed on the route of refuge as they pulled up their cannons in silence. The Eighth Galaxy escort was forced to stop as the escorting mechs surrounded the starship filled with unarmed civilians.

“General, we can’t attack unarmed civilians according to law.”

Ankur asked back: “Did I order you all to fire?”

“Commander,” Turan spoke into Lin Jingheng’s ear on the left side, “the AUS is currently making their way towards the public terminal, have the escorts retreated already?”

“Commander, Ankur blocked the terminal and refused our communication request, what should we do?”

“Keep the AUS busy for a while, the escort fleet is still on their way so we can’t let them onto the public terminal.” Lin Jingheng said to Turan.

Turan didn’t have enough troops under her, as a good half of them had joined on the escort side. She bit her lips and said: “Understood–but Commander, tell them to hurry up, I can only hold the AUS for another half hour at max or I’m a goner.”

Lu Bixing asked: “What kind of person is this General Ankur?”

Lin Jingheng stood up and clipped Zhanlu onto his arm: “He doesn’t seem like someone that would keep a hidden agenda. He’s expressive with his emotions and sometimes a little vulgar, but he was quite popular among Lu Xin’s old subordinates. He was once a Vice Admiral for Lu Xin with an impressive history, and was eventually sent out by the late Commander to gain some frontline experience so that he could return in a few years to the Military Council as a top general…”

Yet Lu Xin himself never made it to see his subordinate return.

“Hm,” Lu Bixing nodded. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell how sincere someone is to someone else. You can’t tell if they are truly exchanging their hearts or playing games for their own benefit.”

People often fell for stereotypes; they would believe people that were hard to get along with, the ones that were a bit more vulgar or isolated were ‘true friends’ that wouldn’t backstab anyone.

Lin Jingheng: “Prepare a mech–and send another communication request to Ankur, I want to talk to him.”

“Lin Jingheng.” Ankur scanned the communication request quickly during the short stalemate as he rubbed his hands and spoke as if he was mumbling to himself, “sometimes you will think this world is truly unfair. We were all flesh and body on the frontlines, but whether or not you came from the Black Orchid Academy or an orphanage will determine how you were treated–and even within the Academy, the one honorary graduate every year was automatically given a military title upon graduation. You were guaranteed to be at least a lieutenant colonel. And for the students of that year, the person that got this honor was determined the first year they entered the academy. This Commander Lin’s starting line was the goal line of other people, yet he still managed to choose a path like this in the end…haha, it’s not like any average Joe like us could understand what he’s thinking anyway. I have nothing to say to him.”

The request was once again rejected.

Inside the transporting starship, this was most of the passengers’ first time traveling in space. These people that hadn’t grown up in the cradle of Eden spent most of their lives struggling to live, and at least one-fourth of them grew up with some sort of trauma from the past. Despite being in a starship that was much more comfortable than a mech, the silent space environment still amplified anxiety and fear among the people.

As the stalemate dragged on, the atmosphere inside the starship also began to grow dire. Someone broke down first and started crying; while the medical capsules on the side quickly reacted to it, the sense of fear and helplessness had already triggered a chain reaction among the crowd.

At the same time, seeing the AUS fleet closing in towards the public terminal, Turan was forced to take action. However, it wasn’t the best time to act–public terminals were much easier to navigate and had a lot less transfer portals, making it difficult for guerilla troops to move around in. Turan could only force her way in front of the AUS fleet to physically block from the terminals and fired a missile at them.

The AUS fleet quickly dispersed as they could now see the true colors of their enemies and physically surrounded the Eighth Galaxy fleet with their heavy mechs. They blocked off all the transfer portals nearby and closed in the entire Eighth Galaxy fleet in the center.

“My friends,” Turan said inside the communication channel, “our mission today isn’t to annihilate them, we…”

The AUS fired waves of particle cannons at them before she could finish.

Turan: “Scumbags–move it!”

The Eighth Galaxy forces were pushed back over 20 kilometers out under the violent wave of enemy fire.

“Captain, check the map.”

Turan took in a deep breath; the next transfer portal was half a sailing day away, but if they closed in any further they would expose the civilian starship and escort team under the heavy mech’s radar range.

“Did they get stuck in some space-time distortion? Why the hell haven’t they left yet!?”

The Eighth Galaxy forces had no choice and could only confront the enemy head-on. Both sides opened fire in a heated battle as the lights on the communication channel began to disappear one by one—each light dot that disappeared indicating a mech that had fallen.

The alarm inside the mech indicating shield damage pierced through Turan’s head: “Shut up!”

Suddenly, the AUS fleet seemed to have noticed their enemy was protecting something and split their fleet in half. The main fleet continued to fire at Turan while another 30 mechs sailed around the Eighth Galaxy forces towards the transfer portal ahead.

“Commander, we can’t hold up anymore!”

Ankur rejected Lin Jingheng’s third communication request. He refused to talk and refused to open fire as if he was determined to continue this stalemate.

Lin Jingheng; “Open fire with a missle, force your way through!”

“Commander, if we fire first, our passing permit will be nullified…”

Lin Jingheng ignored him and sent out the order with an expressionless face. The mechs shielding the starship suddenly changed their formation.

Ankur let out a relieved smile and said: “See what I said? That Lin Jingheng pretending to pull out that humanitarian peace card on us, prepare…”

His personal guard stood up suddenly: “General, you need to take a look at this.”

Ankur: “I’ll check lat…”

“It’s from the Union, all the central militia forces have responded, they’re looking for you!”

Ankur froze up.