Chapter 445: Ch
Territorial expansion was something everyone desired, even in this age.
Then there was the technology and equipment exchange that the Federation would provide at a cost, along with countless other benefits. All of it together was more than enough to leave them genuinely excited.
As for the Tier 2 and Tier 1 states, they were practically letting out deep sighs of relief.
They had finally found a potential solution to one of their greatest problems through the concept of Federal Army stationing.
They knew the condition of their own militaries and the state of their internal territories better than anyone. If the chaos continued unchecked, it would only become more harmful in the long run.
But they had been helpless almost always. They simply didn’t possess pockets deep enough to recruit and maintain enough personnel to patrol their countless star systems, safeguard trade routes, eliminate pirate strongholds, and protect ordinary citizens throughout their territories.
Even when they did deploy their own forces, their subpar equipment often meant they still failed against those damned pirates.
But now, they believed allowing the Federal Army to be stationed within their territories wouldn’t be such a bad idea. It would certainly cost them money, but in exchange they would no longer have to constantly worry about the internal security of their territories, the safety of trade routes, merchants, or even the common people living under their rule.
The benefits were simply immense.
After all, every single one of their factions possessed resources or industries of tremendous value, yet they had never been able to fully exploit that potential because of the constant internal chaos.
Perhaps, with the Federation’s help, they could finally tap into that long-lost potential.
These were the considerations of the weaker powers, who didn’t mind allowing an army that was technically outside their direct control to be stationed within their own territories because the benefits were simply that great.
Besides, it wasn’t as though they would have no say whatsoever in those future Federal Armies. After all, they would become member states of the Federation and would therefore possess both a stake and a voice within it.
Not a large one, they knew.
Being realists, they understood they couldn’t possibly expect to hold too much influence. Even if they did have a stake, it would likely be a modest one—similar to that of a high-ranking management official within a large company, if one were to use such an analogy.
But that alone was enough for them.
The discussions continued, and everyone gradually became satisfied with the answers Kallus provided.
Before long, once the formal ceremony and its protocols had concluded, they all moved to another conference room, where they delved much deeper into the structure of the Universal Stellar Federation.
They asked about countless core matters, ranging from the Federal Merit system and the various ways one could earn merit, to the level of technology that would be available for exchange and the conditions required to obtain it.
Being intelligent leaders, they all understood that something as precious as higher-tier technology would never be handed over simply because one belonged to the organization.
There would undoubtedly be numerous safeguards in place against theft, espionage, betrayal, and other similar incidents whereby one member state might betray another for something of greater value.
Such things were extremely common throughout the galaxy—and even across the wider universe.
Therefore, they already knew there would be many conditions, restrictions, and security measures in place.
Then there was the matter of their stake and influence within the Federation itself.
What would its ruling structure look like?
How would decisions be made?
Who would hold the highest authority?
After all, everyone had ambitions, and everyone wanted as much influence and power in their own hands as possible. They might not possess much of either within the Federation for now, but they all hoped that one day they would rise high enough to become part of its ruling leadership, wielding greater authority than anyone else.
Kallus patiently answered every one of their questions without showing even the slightest hint of impatience. His calm and methodical explanations earned him several more points of respect from every person seated around the table.
At one point, however, Kallus had to pause.
Red Empress had just entered the room.
A trace of unmistakable excitement was visible on her face as she walked directly toward him and leaned over to whisper something into his ear.
She could have easily conveyed the message telepathically, but she deliberately chose not to. Instead, she opted for this approach, knowing it would naturally arouse the curiosity of everyone present.
The moment Kallus heard her words, the smile on his face widened considerably as he shared in her excitement.
Naturally, he knew exactly what Red Empress was trying to accomplish, and he willingly played along with her little act.
Sure enough, the change in Kallus’ expression didn’t escape anyone’s notice.
Unable to suppress the curiosity welling up inside her any longer, Valoria was the first to speak.
"What happened, Imperial Emperor Kallus?" she asked politely. "Whatever could make someone like you show such excitement must surely be something astonishing, no?"
A gentle smile rested upon her face as she continued,
"If you’re willing to share it with us, we would be delighted to hear it as well... so that we may share in your excitement."
Those were the very words everyone else wanted to ask, but Valoria voiced them on their behalf.
Immediately, she received appreciative glances from many of those present before all eyes turned toward Kallus, eagerly awaiting his answer.
"Of course, I have no problem with that," Kallus said with a smile.
"Hmm... why explain it..."
Just as he was about to speak and share the news, he suddenly paused, as if thinking of something.
"I might as well show it to you first, then explain it afterward. That way, it will be much easier and far more convenient."
Those words only made everyone even more interested. They all straightened in their seats, while some even rubbed their eyes, waiting for the show to begin.
Kallus gave Red Empress a glance.
Without the slightest delay, she manipulated the holographic equipment surrounding the conference room. Moments later, a massive projection appeared before everyone, and a pre-recorded video began to play.
The scene displayed an empty asteroid star system containing a dual red dwarf star arrangement.
Within the system, there was one region where the asteroid density was significantly lower than everywhere else. The rest of the system was packed with countless asteroids, making the cleared region appear rather unusual to many of those watching. Judging from the surrounding signs, they could immediately tell that the area had been artificially created.
At the center of the cleared space stood a massive man-made structure covered in an obsidian-like metallic luster. Even the surrounding space could be seen constantly cracking apart before repairing itself over and over again.
At that moment, the previously silent Kallus finally spoke.
"The star system you’re currently looking at is a desolate system located within the boundaries of the Mana Storm and my Sol Region territories."
"The structure you see was constructed by a small fleet of Orc pilots and engineers possessing the capability to assemble a one-time-use Star Wormhole Control Gate."
"It was being prepared to allow a fleet of more than one hundred thousand Tier 2 and Tier 3 warships to bypass the Mana Storm and gain direct access to my territories."
"The attacking force was formed jointly by the Star Empire, the Alchemy Association, the Orc Clans, and another ten..."
Kallus paused briefly before correcting himself. "No... eight Tier 3 powers."
"They intended to launch a surprise attack."
The moment those words were spoken, everyone around the room sucked in a deep breath.
The moment those words were spoken, everyone around the room sucked in a deep breath.
Several people even broke into cold sweats.
For a brief moment, many instinctively imagined themselves being the target of such an invasion. If those fleets managed to break through the Celestial Void Empire’s defenses and enter this region...
...what chance would their own nations possibly have?
Fortunately, they quickly calmed themselves as they replayed Kallus’ words in their minds. He clearly knew about the surprise attack beforehand.
That meant there was no surprise from his perspective. Instead, it was the opposing forces that remained completely in the dark.
As the recording continued, the perspective shifted beyond the star system itself. Floating throughout the outer reaches of the system was an armada of terrifying proportions.
Although it hadn’t formed a perfect encirclement, the fleets had positioned themselves around nearly every approach into the system.
Among them floated two horrifying metal celestial bodies resembling small artificial planets, each possessing a diameter of well over two thousand kilometers.
Surrounding those colossal constructs were tens of thousands of warships. As for their technological level. No one could say for certain. Peak Tier 3? No...
They instinctively rejected that thought. Surely they were even stronger.
