Him and their stars.

Chapter 2077 The Biggest Mistake
As is well known, military rank is not valuable to some extent in the Galactic Empire, especially for psykers. As long as one can reach the middle level of the third or fourth ring and serve diligently in the Imperial Army for more than twenty years, one can always retire with several general stars.

However, noble titles of first rank knight or higher are very difficult to obtain. Especially titles with a "prefix" are even more difficult to acquire.

This means that the land has been granted.

Moreover, he was a count, which was the lower limit of a "feudal lord".

Of course, although both were counts, he was different from the border lords of the frontier star sectors. The so-called "Moonrail Mountain" sounded like a place name from the heart of the empire, probably a developed "cultivated land" on some well-developed planet. Perhaps he would only have the right to receive a fief, while administration and security would still be under the bureaucratic management system of the Prime Minister's office.

...But this is still a fiefdom!
Isn't it the best thing to just get paid without having to worry about operation and management?
With our ancestors above us, can I now be considered to have truly revived our family business?

Sobek was so excited that he almost couldn't even smile. But before he lost his mind in his joy, he suddenly realized that something seemed amiss.

He immediately remembered that during the last review meeting that had just ended, the masked judge had said something nonsensical to him, such as "reviews are all opportunities." Could this be what he meant?
Sobek had barely conceived the thought when he saw Duchess Gerberian across from him display obvious apology: "In short, you have suffered during this time. Please forgive me. I have never doubted you personally, but from my perspective, everything must be done for the sake of justice. Now that the truth has been revealed, we can put aside all historical baggage and return to where we started."

"The very beginning?"

“Yes, I should have taken your advice more seriously during the Battle of Said and the Metamorphosis Project.” The Duchess then used a more intimate form of address: “Jaeger, if I had listened to you earlier, I wouldn’t be in such a sorry state.”

Sobek thought to himself, "I can't even remember giving you any advice before. Whose advice are you going to listen to?"
"Well, in short, thank you for your hard work during this time. Your Highness, my comrades have all said that it is precisely because of your trust and support that our march has been so smooth!"

"You're too kind, you're the real fleet admiral. I'm now serving as a temporary supervisor of the fleet, even though my worldly status is above yours, I still need your help! Brother Jaeger."

The two stared at each other, then simultaneously let out a professional "hahaha" laugh, just like they had back on the battlefield of Said.

Sobek now knows he's under investigation, and this guy might be one of the instigators, but what can he do? The duke, a member of the royal family, has apologized so humbly, of course he'll forgive him.

"In short, we are getting closer and closer to Shengyuan. When it comes time for battle, everyone, including myself, will be at your command. Just use me as a henchman," the Duke said.

Sobek bowed deeply, his face full of admiration and even reverence: "You are of noble character."

The two gazed at each other deeply once more, as if they were pouring out their hearts to each other and exchanging resolutions.

"Now, the Demon Dragon has reached the border of Shengyuan and is very close to Tianyu. We are His Majesty the Emperor's loyal warriors, and we are also the hope of billions of people in Tianyu! Brother Jaeger, you are the only nemesis that Demon Dragon acknowledges. You must be confident that you can defeat it, right?" The Duke stared intently at Sobek, full of expectation, as if he were looking at the most useful cannon fodder... no, the only savior.

Sobek now understood: the Earl of Lanshan's visit this month was not merely to appease him, but also to reward him for his service, and might even be a reward for his death in battle.

If he were to die in battle, the title could be passed on to his blood relatives. Naturally, this became an excellent propaganda template.

In the Galactic Empire, military merit can change one's destiny, whether it's upward mobility or the revival of one's family fortune. Jaeger Sobek naturally becomes one of the most prominent examples among these.

While the imperial family had a fundamental national policy guaranteeing "class mobility" for the Tirelo people, they always maintained a certain level of decorum, ensuring the status of the previous generations of nobles was secure.

But here's the problem: I, Lao Suo, don't even have a wife! Am I just going to die like this and let some distant relative who's practically unrelated to me benefit?
Thinking of this, he met the Duke's sorrowful gaze with a tone of generosity and determination: "How could I possibly be a match for Yu Lian? I can only do my utmost and die on the battlefield."

Gailian was also affected, her mood becoming somewhat low. She sighed, "Why did it have to come to this? Why did it have to come to this... Wait, you're exaggerating! With your abilities, even if you couldn't win, couldn't you at least run away?"

Sobek coughed slightly, then gave the captain a look and opened the military intelligence star map sent by the other party: "Now that our fleet has reached DF177, we should catch up with the Yu Lian fleet at Chenxiao Fort within 20 days, that is, before May 10th."

“At that time, we can form a pincer movement with Chenxiao Fortress, where the Prince Wei is located,” the Duchess said knowingly.

"Of course, that's assuming Chenxiao Fort doesn't fall," Sobek said casually.

"..." The Duke's expression was subtle.

Sobek then realized he had slipped up and blurted out his true thoughts, which Duke Gai had overheard. If the Duke were to take it seriously, he would certainly be accused of cursing an ally.

Fortunately, His Highness coughed slightly, almost deliberately, before confidently stating, "After all, that's the largest fortress in the entire empire. The Grand Marshal's Office mobilized a million elite garrison troops from all over the country, fully restoring its functions. The Court of Judgment, the Star Pavilion, and the Knights all have elites stationed in the fortress, and in addition, the fleet under the Prince of Wei's command is also elite. Theoretically, even if it encounters a large fleet of a thousand ships, it would be impossible for it to be breached. I remember during the last civil war, Chenxiao Fortress stood firm against the siege of the Five Kings' Alliance."

Duke Gerebean was referring, of course, to the past of the "Undying Dragon," Empress Iwenya. At that time, the Empress was not yet the Emperor, and she was marching towards the Celestial Realm from the Far Frontier.

At that time, a coalition of feudal lords led by five royal nobles also wanted to enter the capital ahead of schedule. Because these five men had all served as electors of the throne during the subsequent ten-year civil war, their army was referred to as the "Five Kings Coalition" in later history textbooks.

This mighty fleet, with a total strength of over five million soldiers and 1,700 warships, was held off by the isolated and helpless Chenxiao Fortress for a full three months.

This most majestic fortress of the empire thus became a wall of lamentation for the "rebels".

If they manage to capture the fortress, they won't be remembered in history books as "rebels."

In short, no matter what, even if the dragon fleet of only thirty-odd ships is incredibly powerful and brave, and even if it has the assistance of "ancient ghosts", it is impossible for it to conquer such a fortress in a short time.
"Yes, so I just mentioned it casually. Please forgive me, Your Highness, I was being frivolous." Sobek apologized sincerely, but after a moment of contemplation, he added, "However, we cannot guarantee that he will act according to the predetermined path. What if he suddenly turns around and attacks us? If he does, it will only be a fight to the death."

The Duke realized he couldn't guarantee that this wouldn't happen, and his face turned pale.

"This possibility cannot be ruled out. We need to be careful and vigilant."

The Sobyk fleet now has nearly two hundred warships, including special capital ships like the Libra and the Sword of Justice. Even with such a powerful force, the thought of their opponent being a fleet less than a fifth the size of their own sent chills down their spines.

This is nothing more than prey encountering its natural enemy. But when the generals of the Imperial Army face that dragon whose name cannot even be mentioned, aren't they all facing their natural enemy?

Jaeger Sobek said, "Your Highness, at that time, it will simply be a matter of fighting General Yu to the death to repay the Emperor's kindness. If I am killed in battle, please take care of my... subordinates."

He seemed completely unaware that there were very few people in the empire who dared to call the "indescribable demonic dragon" by its full name, and he was one of them.

Duke Gerebian looked at Sobek with satisfaction, which made the latter feel a little uneasy. He then asked, "Brother Jaeger, have you considered which path that indescribable dragon would choose if it wanted to bypass Chenxiao Fortress?"

Bypass Chenxiao Fortress? Sobek paused slightly, then subtly gave the captain a look.

Pegsey, who had been secretly observing from the side, redrawn the orbit on the star map in just three seconds and sent it over.

So it turns out that intelligent people are indeed capable of becoming primary color molecules! Sobek remarked to himself as he quickly scanned the contents of the star map, carefully choosing his words: "The Yu Lian fleet can certainly take a detour, and the routes between the Central Star Sector and Sheng Yuan are also well-connected. However, considering the movements of Marshal Betaway in the Xia Yi Star Gorge, if the enemy wants to enter the Central Star Sector before being blocked by us, they will naturally have to take the Tianyou Route."

Duke Gérène rested his chin on his palm, pondered for a moment, and nodded, saying, "Very well, that is indeed the only possibility. Since you've put it that way, it must make a lot of sense."

These words made Sobek's heart race again.

"Then, could you abandon the possibility of intercepting the Demon Dragon on Emperor's Avenue or Chenxiao Fortress, and directly join the entry into Tianyou Alley? If we can reach the Whirlwind Star System and set up defenses before May 7th, this encirclement might still succeed!"

Captain Pegsey had already marked the ground locations the Duke mentioned on the star map, and then reported through his headset: "It's feasible."

Sobek looked at the other party in surprise, feeling that such clear and precise star map operations and fleet deployments did not seem to be the work of this person at all.

Sure enough, Duke Gérard rubbed his hands awkwardly: "...This was actually the idea of ​​Admiral Tanlian, the acting chief of staff of the Grand Marshal's Office."

"...Admiral Renya Tannian?"

The Duke nodded: "They're all old comrades-in-arms. She won't harm you. If all goes well, it will be a great military achievement."

The most powerful agency in the Grand Marshal's Office was the Commanding Staff Office, which was equivalent to the General Staff Department. Its head was often concurrently held by the second or third-highest-ranking official in the Grand Marshal's Office, and often also held a position in the Privy Council. Previously, it was held by Field Marshal Betaway.

However, Marshal Bei was too eccentric in his role as chief of staff. Under his planning, the empire's most formidable enemy marched all the way to the Heavenly Realm. Out of the most basic sense of military honor of a veteran general, he resigned from his high-ranking position as chief of staff and personally led the army to besiege this demonic dragon.

Then, naturally, the dragon escaped the encirclement again. Marshal Bei himself was even beaten up by the swarm of insects, getting covered in dust and spraining his back several times.

Of course, that's not the point. The point is that the current Chief of Staff is being temporarily filled by the former Deputy Chief of Staff, Admiral Renya Tanlian.

This female general was, of course, a veteran with many military achievements, and also an old comrade-in-arms of Sobek from the Battle of Said.

Thinking about it, I do have quite a wide network of connections. No wonder the judge was being sarcastic before... Wait a minute, if he's an old comrade-in-arms, why would he want to harm me?

Sobek said with a wry smile, "So, I have to face his offensive alone?"

Didn't we agree that we would be flanked by Wei Wang from both sides?

Duke Guy quickly comforted him, "I know, I know, it's always you, but who told you to be his only acknowledged nemesis? Who told you to be the Flower of the Dawn, the Wolf of the Morning?"

"There's no fortress over there at the Whirlwind Galaxy Pass!"

“I understand, I understand. After all, it’s an important cargo hub with many warehouses and space stations. There are still quite a few defensive array turrets and landing pads, so they should still be usable. In any case, your fleet is much stronger than the King’s forces. It’s just a matter of dealing with a mere demonic dragon. Besides, you’re only asked to block it, not to destroy it.”

"I don't have any Titans! Not even Dreadnoughts. I can't exactly use the Libra and the Dragonship as Dreadnoughts, can I?"

“Use it, use it. Didn’t I already say, brother? Even if you treat me as a vanguard in the battle, it’s a blessing for me.”

"..."

"What's with that expression? I know that the battles I personally led have encountered some unexpected events, but I am still a high-level psionicist who is only one step away from becoming a demigod!"

"I had no such intention. It is my honor to stand shoulder to shoulder with you!"

The Duke added, "Furthermore, reinforcements from the Far Frontier are arriving soon. They are a frontier fleet led by General Gong Xiao. He's capable of defeating the Demon Dragon with these second-line troops; he's quite a capable general! He'd be a perfect partner for you!"

To reiterate, the Sobek fleet outnumbered Yu Lian's by six or seven times, yet one of them complained incessantly while the other offered words of comfort, neither of them perceiving any problem.

Captain Pegsey, who sensed something was wrong, simply buried his face behind his terminal, trying to blend in with the furniture.

Finally, Duke Geribian sighed: "You must understand, our primary task now is either to race against time or to stop that dragon in the Shengyuan Sector. Right now, we are the only hope that can seal this pass."

Sobek sighed resignedly, then shook his head and said, "But how can I possibly make it in time?"

“Perhaps we can give it a try,” Duke Garibane said. “We just received information that the Demon Dragon’s fleet is moving towards the Mingjin star system where the Skyfire Star Forge is located. This is very likely his biggest mistake in this battle!”