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Shi Lang and Tian got inside the vehicle and they returned to the base. The situation at the base was the same as it was when they had left. The two of them walked inside the control room in a beeline. The aura they radiated was very depressing and the Gamma could discern this at a glance.

Shi Lang came to stand in front of her and gave her a salute. Tian followed his actions in perfect sync. Gamma nodded to them as she sat in her commander chair and she asked, “What happened that made you so depressed?”

Shi Lang sighed and said, “Ma’am, the situation is not as easy as we thought it would be earlier.”

He paused and then described the scene at the native settlement as it was. Gamma turned her gaze to look at Tian and the latter nodded. She asked, “You mean to say they have people stronger than a seven-star Terran living among them?”

She was not very surprised to hear this, after all, the existence of such a strong civilization is not rare or uncommon. As we venture closer to the center of the milky way such species have become common.

Shi Lang nodded and said, “Also, you have heard their demands. What do you think we should do? If we did not show any credibility and the higher-ups decided to just make this planet, rubble, then it will be regretful.”

Gamma asked, “What do you mean?”

Shi Lang said, “We can learn a lot from them, you know that they all look like a mix between humans and animals. They have their uniqueness. If the higher-ups destroyed the planet, then we will just flame those rebel groups, such situations will happen even more.”

Gamma nodded at his words. The others also agreed, after all, these anti-Terran organizations surfaced after the government decided to destroy a planet. She said, “I will have the message relayed to the commander, and it will take a few days before they could make a decision but do not worry, I will submit all your views and suggestions in the report.”

Shi Lang nodded and Gamma said, “We will go back to our ship. The base will work just fine now. The soldiers have all been screened and given medication. The culprits are locked up and Hunk and Sharpnel will guard them in turns. The rest of the crew will stay on stand-by till the higher-ups make a decision.”

The people replied, “YES.”

Shi Lang and the rest of the crew walked out of the control room letting the frontier forces take control of the base. However, the holding cells were still kept off-limits. None of the soldiers put up any protest or opinion about this.

They were aware that if they were to guard the prisoners, they would be vulnerable, after all, the prisoners were people they all counted on as their brothers just a few hours ago.

…

Shi Lang, Tian, Carole, and Lullaby sat in the holding cabin while Gamma was resting in a small bunk-bed meant for the captain only. The atmosphere was very tense. Carole asked, “Ace, what do you think the higher-ups will do?”

The boy leaned back in his chair and said, “Depends on who the higher-up is.”

Carole asked, “What do you mean?”

Shi Lang said, “The federation is too big for the president to be bothered with decisions about a single planet. The council has its hands full with the movements of the fleets and the exploration of the new sectors. The ranking is too complex. Let us start from the lowest planetary unit ranks.

Reckon Brigade will have five thousand soldiers. They will scan the planets with life for potential threats. Then they will report to the infantry divisions with a force equivalent to three brigades. After the colony is established the division will move ahead.

A corp equal to two or more divisions will be responsible for maintaining order and surveillance in a solar system. A field Army or a fleet maintains order in one sector which has ten solar systems. How many people are there from high to low ranks do the report has to go through to get a decision?

If it was Commander of our division I would not have doubted but the frontier forces are a different case all over.”

Carole and Lullaby nodded at the explanation. Tian said, “How is this explanation related to her question?”

Shi Lang said, “I am getting to that.”

He paused and continued, “If the Corp leader decides that this planet will be detrimental for the future order, they will destroy it. Humans have always been afraid of what they do not understand. The strength of the natives and the new situations is similar to that. So if they all perceived this to be a threat then game over.

If the person decided to take our suggestions into account then well and good. However, all our effort is unrelated to them. So we cannot guess what they might do, without knowing what the higher-up was thinking.”

The two girls nodded and Tian said, “You still spouted unrelated non-sense.”

Shi Lang did not hold back this time and chuckled. The rest also chuckled. The boy had no way to tell them what the decision might be. However, the tension in the squad was getting to him, plus the way he tortured the culprit, it was making him go back to a monotonous state like when he returned from the camp.

He did not wish for that to happen and thus he decided to divert his mind. A whole day passed and they sat in the chairs. Suddenly, Gamma walked inside the holding cabin and said, “We have orders.”

Shi Lang and the rest stood up. Gamma said, “Brigadier Jun is being transported here. Along with an ambassador and an assault squad. After handing over the situation to them we are to head back.”

The boy was surprised and raised his hand. Gamma said, “Go ahead, Ace.”

Shi Lang asked, “Why are they sending an Ambassador? Is that not supposed to be done when they do not want a colony but a mutually beneficial planetary connection?”

Gamma nodded and said, “That is what they want. This place is a tactical stronghold to get hold of the comet mining.”

Shi Lang sighed, “The Military Business.”

Gamma nodded and then she left. Shi Lang and the rest sat down and the boy began to meditate. Turned out that the whole planet became a comet mining stronghold point for the civilization and that saved the natives from impending doom.

Tian and the ladies also did not talk much. The next day, they followed Gamma outside the ship when they found a special ship landing on the base spaceport. The size of the ship was twice theirs and it carried a group of stronger people.

An assault squad, all seven-star Terran, ten men team. If they sensed anyone attacking the base or the target of their security, they will act mercilessly. Brigadier Jun was wearing a green jumpsuit and his body was shackled. His face was dripping with shame and humility. Gamma asked the ambassador if they were going to hand him over, after all, the brigadier was also a victim.

The ambassador told her that they will clear the situation to the natives and the rest will depend upon them. Jun did not say a word from start to end as if he had lost his will to live. Well, this is what happens when a man is deprived of something he loved because of someone else. They despair and they give in to it.

Shi Lang and the rest had no obligation to stop or intervene with the procedure going on. It was not like the ambassador had no sympathy for Brigadier Jun. Although the investigation cleared his name from being a war criminal, his spirit could not be revived instantly. It will take a long time for the man to even stand up and accept the reality that the uniform he put on for so many years with so much passion that it was akin to a second skin to him was no longer there.

After the handover, Shi Lang and the rest departed from Carta-Shyn. Hunk asked, “Ace, what do you think of this mission?”

The boy did not reply instantly and thought. After some thought, he said, “I did not expect it to be such a thing. The significance of the mission lies in the internal rectification. I never thought that these dark organizations will be able to reach inside the frontier forces so deep. However, the mental growth from such a mission is also a good thing. I got to see that the Terran Civilization is not as invulnerable as it may seem back at the Federation.

In the academy, my principal used to say, ‘Only when you go at the front will you realize the price paid for your safety and freedom.’ I realized a little of that price just now.”