194: Chapter 194 Chromium's Plan

Inside the Governor's Mansion at the top of the capital Hive City on Mobius Prime.

Governor Cromwell was buried deep in the large leather sofa.

In less than half a month, this once arrogant ruler of the star system had visibly wasted away.

His eye sockets were sunken, and his hair, once meticulously groomed, had become disheveled.

Even though the Spark Alliance army, which had been at the gates and ready to storm the Governor's Mansion just a few days ago, had been urgently recalled due to a sudden geological disaster and a Tyranid invasion.

This had given Governor Cromwell a few days of respite.

But this did not make him feel relieved; instead, it made him feel even more like he was sitting on pins and needles.

The reason was simple.

The operation of political power is essentially a magic show of bluffing.

Once the people who had been trampled underfoot realized that the masters riding on their heads were actually weak and vulnerable.

Then, things would become very interesting.

During the brief and humiliating defense of the Hive City a few days ago.

The Spark Alliance fleet had completely paralyzed almost all of the Defense Force's anti-air fire nets in less than an hour.

Without the protection of anti-air defenses, the Governor's prized heavy artillery positions and armored divisions were practically sitting ducks in front of those absurdly fast fighter jets!

The Alliance's firepower could be poured down onto the heads of the Defense Force without any restraint.

It could be said that from the moment the first missile landed, the will of the Defense Force had already collapsed.

In just two hours, the first line of defense was flattened.

Just as the Alliance army was preparing to take the capital in one fell swoop, they voluntarily withdrew due to the sudden outbreak of the Tyranid swarm crisis.

Although Governor Cromwell immediately sent people to strictly seal off the news afterwards, attempting to whitewash the situation.

But how could there be a wall in this world that doesn't let air through?

Not many days later.

In space, the tragic scenes of the Alliance's fleet, pieced together from scrap metal, clashing head-on with the terrifying alien flesh warships.

Were still observed from a distance by some daring black market smugglers, who quickly brought the news back to the surface.

Once this news spread, it instantly caused an uproar in the eight Hive Cities!

In the Empire's basic education, fighting aliens and expanding human living space is the highest righteous cause that even a three-year-old child can understand!

The Spark Alliance, for the sake of all humanity in the star system, didn't even eat the meat already in their mouths, but turned around to fight the Tyranids to the death in the starry sky!

Comparing this righteous spirit of sacrifice with the cowardly appearance of Governor Cromwell, who had been hiding in the fortress and didn't even dare to send a single ship to support.

It was simply shocking!

For a time.

Whether it was the nobles who usually held their heads high or the gangsters hanging out in the sewers.

Except for those bottom-tier slave laborers whose brains were already numb and who were still struggling on the poverty line.

Almost everyone sneered at the Governor's Mansion.

Governor Cromwell's ruling authority was completely swept away.

At this moment.

Governor Cromwell stared blankly at the crystal chandelier on the ceiling, his chapped lips moving slightly, as if he were neurotically muttering something.

However, there was no one else in the empty office to respond to him.

Just then.

A deafening roar of noise suddenly erupted outside.

The huge cheers and the sound of metal clanging even penetrated the thick soundproof walls; it was truly a clamor!

Governor Cromwell was startled and sprang up from the sofa like a frightened rabbit.

"What happened?! What happened?!"

Governor Cromwell screamed hysterically,

"Did those barbarians from the Alliance fight back?! Or did the rebel army from the lower levels break in?!"

His shouting was completely drowned out by the noise outside.

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Urgent knocking on the door sounded.

Governor Cromwell took a deep breath, forcibly straightened his somewhat messy hem, and tried to maintain the last bit of his dignity as Governor.

"Enter."

The heavy oak door was pushed open.

The old butler ran in, drenched in sweat, stumbling as he moved.

"Governor!"

The old butler couldn't even catch his breath, his voice trembling,

"The news outside... the news outside has spread! They won! The Spark Alliance won!"

"Their fleet blew up the Tyranid hive ship from the inside! Now they are chasing and exterminating the remaining Tyranid stragglers everywhere!"

Hearing this news.

On Governor Cromwell's ashen face, shock and astonishment that could not be concealed spread instantly.

As the star system Governor, he had of course seen descriptions of the Tyranids in the Empire's high-level classified archives.

Every few years, reports of some unlucky star system being devoured into a dead star by these monsters would be placed on his desk.

That was an unstoppable cosmic catastrophe!

But now, this mud-legged Alliance that appeared out of nowhere had actually blown up the Tyranid mother ship with those modified ships made of scrap metal?!

Even if it was just a vanguard fleet, this was absolutely a great feat enough to shock the entire sector!

Governor Cromwell stood there, his expression changing unpredictably.

But soon, the shrewdness belonging to a politician took the high ground again.

His complexion miraculously became a bit more rosy.

"Winning is good... winning is good!"

Governor Cromwell clasped his hands behind his back and began to pace quickly around the office,

"Since they could beat the vanguard fleet, it means that when the main force of the Tyranids descends later, we are not completely without a chance to survive!"

Although the Spark Alliance had a grudge against him.

But these personal grievances, in the face of an alien catastrophe that could treat everyone as rations, could all be temporarily set aside.

As long as one can survive, everything is negotiable!

Governor Cromwell stopped abruptly and turned to look at the old butler:

"Where are the rebel forces of the poor led by Elena now?"

The old butler was stunned and quickly answered: "In the fourth Hive City. They took advantage of our defensive line shrinking and have now completely controlled the lower and middle levels of the fourth Hive City. Because they have received the joining of many veterans, the rebel army's strength has increased a lot."

A glint of light flashed in Governor Cromwell's eyes.

"Contact the undercover agents lurking there immediately!"

Governor Cromwell ordered coldly,

"Make them find a way to incite Elena! Make her lead the troops to attack the capital!"

"This..." the old butler was full of confusion.

"Let them attack!" Governor Cromwell said coldly,

"If the defense line is tight, remember to mobilize the troops from the center. Intentionally expose a flaw and let them into the city!"

The old butler swallowed and asked cautiously: "What do you mean?"

Governor Cromwell chuckled.

"I hardened my heart before and banished Elena from the family in the city-wide broadcast for the sake of this risky move today!"

Governor Cromwell analyzed the cold political logic,

"Do you think the Spark Alliance will rest after fighting the Tyranids? Wrong! It won't be long before they finish resting, and they will definitely turn their guns again and come back to attack the capital!"

"Instead of having them break the city and hang me on a street lamp then, it's better for me to take the initiative and give this Governor position to Elena now!"

"If Elena can take the entire Mobius Prime as a token of allegiance and voluntarily announce her joining the Spark Alliance, this will be an immeasurable and rich political asset for her! Even if that lord of the Alliance is arrogant, it is absolutely impossible for him to exterminate a girl who voluntarily surrendered and has considerable prestige among both the high and low levels!"

"With this amulet, Elena won't suffer, and you, as an old subject, should do your best to assist her then and help her gain a foothold in the political infighting of the new government. With my sister's brain, it won't take long for her to adapt to the power game."

The old butler's scalp tingled as he listened.

Only then did he understand that the Governor was using the control of the entire Mobius to exchange for a long-term meal ticket for the family to survive in the new dynasty!

"Then... what about those hardliners and collateral relatives in the family?" the old butler asked.

A trace of cruel murderous intent flashed in Governor Cromwell's eyes.

"Since we want to cut ties, we must cut them clean!"

Governor Cromwell said without hesitation,

"Elena is soft-hearted and can't bear to hear others beg for mercy. At that time, we must absolutely not let those useless wastes who fail more than they succeed go to her to seek shelter; this will drag down her political future!"

"If they dare to force their way in... you secretly send out those lunatics in the family dungeon and kill them all! Leave no one behind!"

"And!"

Governor Cromwell stared at the old butler,

"Sort out the core sacred relics in the family treasury! Use them as bargaining chips to negotiate with the high officials of the Alliance. If there is an opportunity... try to arrange a marriage between Elena and the high-level officials within the Alliance!"

Looking at the man before him who could calculate even his own relatives and himself without hesitation for the sake of the family's continuation, the old butler lowered his head deeply.

"Yes, sir."

The old butler exited the room and gently closed the door.

Governor Cromwell seemed to have drained all his strength.

He slumped weakly back into the sofa that symbolized the highest power, still muttering to himself, as if praying or cursing.

...

On the other side.

Mobius, Adeptus Arbites fortress.

Outside the thick bulletproof glass window, the entire Hive City was reveling in the victory.

Marshal Miller of the Adeptus Arbites sector was standing before the window, holding a thick Imperial cigar in his hand.

"Marshal!"

A subordinate investigator pushed the door open and ran in excitedly, "Latest battle report from the front line! The Spark Alliance really won! The Tyranid mother ship was blown up by them!"

Marshal Miller's fingers holding the cigar tightened slightly, directly deforming the fine tobacco leaves.

But in front of his subordinate.

His cold, scarred face still showed no emotional fluctuation, appearing quite disdainful instead.

"Making a fuss."

Marshal Miller exhaled a puff of thick smoke and said indifferently,

"I said long ago, these lunatics who can fight Warp demons, dealing with a few alien bugs, winning is only a matter of time."

The subordinate smiled awkwardly and did not respond.

But in his heart, he was muttering frantically:

"Give me a break! I don't know who it was a few days ago who saw the bugs appear and turned pale with fright. The first thing he did was order, even if it meant sacrificing all the Psykers in the prison, to send a distress signal to the sector headquarters at all costs!"

Seemingly to cover up the awkwardness, the subordinate quickly reported another matter.

"By the way, sir, I just received a top-secret urgent telegram from the local Arbiter on the agricultural planet Ceres."

The subordinate reported,

"That Arbiter stated that during the ground defense battle, he witnessed with his own eyes the Spark Alliance troops using a kind of blasphemous Flesh Mecha to resist the swarm! Those monsters look exactly like products of heretical technology!"

"He is now applying for [Inter-system Independent Investigation Rights], requesting your approval to conduct a comprehensive review of the sources of those weapons of the Spark Alliance!"

Marshal Miller raised an eyebrow upon hearing this report.

He was currently secretly rejoicing that the star system had been temporarily saved.

At this juncture, anyone who provokes that living Yama holding heavy troops must have water in their brain!

Marshal Miller waved his hand impatiently:

"Tell him not to meddle! Tell that idiot to manage his agricultural tithe! He doesn't need to worry about other messy things! If he dares to investigate without permission, I will remove him from his post!"

"Yes!" The subordinate immediately acknowledged the order and withdrew.

As the office door was closed.

Marshal Miller, who had been keeping a straight face.

Finally couldn't hold it anymore.

He looked at the fireworks outside the window, his shoulders began to tremble slightly, and then he laughed out loud unscrupulously!

He laughed for a good while before wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes and stopping.

"Good! Very good!"

Marshal Miller took a deep breath.

Having solved that deadly vanguard fleet, this precarious star system had finally gained a precious moment of respite.

Next.

That young warlord, carrying the unparalleled military prestige of defeating the swarm, taking over the entire Mobius in the process was already a certainty.

"I hope that guy doesn't let me down. Hurry up and integrate these scattered forces. The true main force of the Hive will not give us too much time."

Marshal Miller calculated secretly in his heart.

At the same time, a meaningful smile curled up at the corners of his mouth.

I wonder if that guy is satisfied with the big gift I had someone send him before the war started?

That so-called big gift, recorded in the parchment scroll, was not any weapon blueprints or coordinates at all.

It was a detailed [Mobius Star System High-Level Intelligence Network] that Marshal Miller had compiled by utilizing all the undercover lines of the Adeptus Arbites!