Starting from the Planetary Governor

In such circumstances, on Holy Terra, the Supreme Council has convened time and again.

High Lords continuously exchange opinions, exchanging resources, seeing who you can contact, how many troops, how much materiel you can dispatch, and when they can arrive...

Actually, the force that can be assembled, at least on paper, is very massive and very powerful.

But the problem lies in the fact that these forces often need a long cycle to complete the assembly.

Some that can arrive quickly cannot be sent directly to the battlefield, otherwise wouldn't that just be like adding fuel to the fire, like Calabash Brothers saving Grandpa?

But if it takes a long time to assemble, who knows what the situation will be in the Spiderweb Domain by then? Who knows if by then the calamity will not be limited to just the Spiderweb Domain?

Under such circumstances, when another meeting of the High Lords began, Galaraldo entered.

Thirteen High Lords, sitting at the upper end, looked down scrutinizingly at Galaraldo.

Perhaps, in the future, Galaraldo might sit among them, but at least not yet.

Under this scrutinizing gaze, Galaraldo suppressed some unusual emotions in his heart and respectfully saluted the High Lords.

Then, he opened his mouth and said, "This time, I've come to report to the rulers of the Empire, the respected High Lords, about matters concerning the Eastern Cosmos Domain, the President of Dragonhawk Star Domain, Marshal of the Star Realm Army, the legit multiple-Star political entity 'Alliance', and Gu Hang's needs..."

"Okay, we already know what Gu Hang wants," the head of the Administrative Department interrupted Galaraldo impatiently, "but I have a question: What exactly is this so-called Alliance? Is it that if Holy Terra doesn't give Gu Hang the benefits he wants, he won't deploy troops? Is his loyalty to interests rather than to the Empire?"

This was a very serious accusation.

But Galaraldo was not the least bit panicked: "Of course not, nobody understands Gu Hang better than I do. He is an extremely loyal officer of the Empire and has been incredibly worried since the incident in Spiderweb Domain. Please do not doubt Gu Hang's stance; here in Holy Terra, Iron Armor is still quite far from reaching us; but his Alliance is directly under the brunt of Iron Armor's attack, it's just good luck that Humphrey Paolo, that traitor, hasn't expanded southward yet. The threat he faces is greater than any of us, and he wishes more than anyone to resolve the threat of Iron Armor quickly."

"Ha ha," another High Lord spoke up, "why Iron Armor Battle Group is so vigorously attacking west and north, but not south? Who knows if there's some unspeakable dirty agreement between them?"

This was an even deeper level of accusation.

But now, Galaraldo was no longer playing coy; he said, "I don't quite understand what you mean. It almost seems like you hope the Alliance stands with Humphrey Paolo? Imagine what would happen if that really occurred?"

"How dare you!" someone shouted at him.

Ou Juren, sitting at the top, also spoke up: "We all know Gu Hang's loyalty, this impossible scenario, Bochoya, you shouldn't scare everyone with it."

While it sounded like a mild reprimand to Galaraldo, in reality, the stance was quite clear—directly classifying Gu Hang as loyal.

What else then?

Galaraldo slightly toned down, saying: "Still, please esteemed High Lords understand, the Alliance is essentially the only force we can rely on right now, it has consolidated the Interstellar Warriors, the Navy Fleet, and the Star Realm Army, and has the direct support of hundreds of worlds. If permitted, the entire power of the Eastern Cosmos Domain can be integrated by the Alliance, and in the south of Tie Nu Shi, we would possess a potent sword."

"If you do not agree to the conditions of the Alliance, that certainly does not mean the Alliance will stand on the other side, it won't affect Gu Hang's loyalty. But we must also respect objective facts; if we do not support the Alliance, and do not allow Gu Hang to consolidate enough power, how can we expect him to confront the Iron Armor Battle Group?"

"Should the Alliance, like those forces previously sent to their doom in the Spiderweb Domain, also be sacrificially disposed, then turn a situation already leaking from two sides into crumbling on three fronts?"

"Please wake up, we need the Alliance, we need it to be a strong shield in the southern part of the Spiderweb Domain and, when necessary, turn into a sharp sword. The most appropriate thing to do on this basis is to fully support them, not to let the incident in Spiderweb Domain happen again."

"Regarding those doubts that say, Gu Hang won't move forward without benefits... that's a malicious interpretation. Isn't what Gu Hang is doing precisely what he should be? The Empire hasn't given him extra authorization, he is just the Commander of the Alliance, the leader of Dragonhawk Star Domain, what status or power does he have to interfere in the affairs of Menghe Star Domain? If he really did anything, wouldn't today's meeting have turned into a denunciation session against him?"

Towards the end, Galaraldo couldn't help but reveal a sarcastic sneer.

But this time, no one berated him.

The High Lords each had their own thoughts.

"Let's move into the voting phase," said Ou Juren, while simultaneously giving a meaningful glance to Galaraldo below him.

Galaraldo bowed and excused himself.

He wasn't yet a High Lord, and at this stage of voting and decision, he wasn't qualified to be present.

However, Galaraldo believed that a spot would open up for him above, in the near future.

...

"Gu Hang, you didn't see how I fiercely criticized them at the Supreme Council!" Galaraldo was boasting.

"Ha...ha...what was...the final...outcome?" Gu Hang's voice came through the Star Speech Communication, sounding very choppy.

Galaraldo paused, then answered Gu Hang's question: "The outcome was no issue. Although the votes were close, you now legally have the right to claim territories. Every planet you conquer can be incorporated under the Alliance's framework!"

"Then...thank you so...much, for relieving me of...my worries..."

Galaraldo couldn't help but ask: "What's going on over there? Why is it so choppy?"

"I...am on a Starship."

"?"

"The main force of the Alliance has entered the Menghe Star Sector, I am leading the team myself." As Gu Hang spoke, his signal finally improved a bit.

"Shouldn't I have just informed you of the results? What if the discussions at the Supreme Council hadn't passed, this..."

Gu Hang laughed: "What's there to fear? You took personal action, how could I not trust that you'd handle it?"

Galaraldo also smiled: "Then I wish you a triumphant victory!"

...

After finishing his communication with Galaraldo, Gu Hang continued handling his own affairs.

Regarding the Iron Armor War, Gu Hang had made a decision, he would definitely participate.

He couldn't possibly align with Iron Armor on either side.

It wasn't just about interests, nor was it merely about past grudges.

The most critical point was that Gu Hang never believed that Iron Armor would end up the victor.

No matter how substantial the hidden interests were, if ultimately they do not win, even if the process earns a lot, it's meaningless.

But he wouldn't attack the core area of the Spiderweb Domain just yet.

Now that the "Territorial Claim Act" was in place, Gu Hang planned to first capitalize on the influence that the Fury Flame Battle Group had spent years building in the Menghe Star Domain, to take a nutritious bite.

Inside the Menghe Star Domain, many planets were directly or indirectly providing support to Tie Nu Shi, that was a fact.

These supports must be entirely cut off!

Deploy the army, control the planets, audit accounts.

To eliminate influence, stationing Alliance troops was reasonable, right? It makes sense to dispatch officials for governance, right? Under the "Territorial Claim Act," incorporating into the Alliance framework also seemed perfectly logical!