Him and their stars.

Chapter 2224 A Universe of Equality for the Sake of Primary Colors
Claire Belmont's fingertips brushed against the cold composite material handle, feeling the slight warmth emanating from the energy conduit. A strange sense of security filled his heart, and he gradually felt the power within him.

The deep hum of the bulkhead, the faint smell of lubricant and sweat in the air, the silent and focused sounds of the soldiers around me checking their equipment... it all felt so real.

It's far more real than the glitz and glamour of his lavish banquets, nightclubs, and rowing tracks.

It's even more real than the vibrant and sensual performances of his girl group.

At this moment, he was filled with a sense of mission. At this moment, he, who had always been caught between progress and depravity, was now filled with fervent passion.

He looked up, staring at the burly Lumina man beside him. The man was clumsily putting on a hundred-eyed giant armor.

“We’re not going to rescue the princess,” he heard the Lumina man say.

“Yes, we’re just going to kick the Imperial Lord’s ass.” A young Earth woman responded to the Lumina people with a smile.

That's "Tai'a," the third-generation chief of the Spirit Research Association, whose real name is Bai Ziqi.

Her emblem machine bears a general's star, but she herself is nothing like a soldier; she is the typical psionic war maniac that Belmont has seen many times before.

However, this is not surprising. Krell Belmont was a general before his tactical retirement.

The Lumina man, slightly flustered, stretched out his large hand and patted the carapace on his head: "I am a citizen of the Community, I obtained a degree from the Alliance, but I was also hunted down by the Alliance. I escaped the Alliance and was even offered amnesty by the Empire, but now I have to cooperate with the Alliance to attack the Empire. My life as a Lumina fitter is quite interesting."

“I’m amazing too. Everyone here is amazing.” Another young human opened the hilt of his lightsaber and inserted another energy crystal.

He didn't seem like a military officer; he was more like a free mercenary from a ravaged starry sea. Of course, adding an extra crystal to the hilt of his lightsaber wasn't exactly standard practice; it probably meant he was preparing for a desperate burst of damage.

His name is Ash Stern, a former Bracer and currently one of the League's most wanted criminals.

Of course, like his old friend Lumina, he also received the Empire's offer of amnesty.

“If we submit now, we can become imperial nobles, right?” Ash asked.

“Of course,” Tai’a laughed. “If you offer me up, you might even be able to inherit the title. That way you’ll know that, currently, the psionicist who has killed the most Astral Knights, besides my junior uncle, must be me.”

Ash nodded, then pointed at Krell: "Wouldn't it be even more conspicuous if we offered this young master up?"

“That’s how it is. After all, I’m a retired soldier of the Alliance. If I’m really captured by the Empire, I might end up being treated like a spy… Now that things have come to this, if you have any grievances, you can use my dog’s head as a sacrifice!” Krell revealed a maniacal grin and even gestured with his hand to show his neck.

“I will.” The former Bracer responded with an equal sneer: “Not now, of course, and in a different way.”

Thus, Belmont, who had just been full of progressive ideas, suddenly realized that he seemed to still be a member of the decadent ruling class. However, he was not ashamed but proud, and he held his head high: "This is what I sincerely look forward to. And before that, I will die in glory."

"Death in battle?"

"To die in battle. To fight to the last bullet, to the last sword, and then to take my own life." Krell opened his coat, indicating that five or six lightsabers were hanging on his belt.

Everyone looked at each other, pondered for a moment, and then suddenly clapped and cheered.

"Die in battle! Commit suicide and return to heaven!" Miss Tai'a cheered loudly.

“Very well, all fourteen members of the Alliance are bastards and should be tied to lampposts and hanged, but I admit that you, Krell, are the least bastard one.” Ash gave a thumbs up in a serious tone.

Despite being on a battlefield, the tense atmosphere, thick with the smell of blood, was surprisingly cheerful.

It wasn't until someone gave a short warning: "The security door ahead has been breached."

It was a burly man wearing an unremarkable homemade mecha suit. Judging by his appearance, he was over four meters tall, and the thick helmet covered his head and face, making him look like a towering steel behemoth.

The voice emanating from beneath the helmet was quite steady, yet faintly carried a hint of electronic resonance: "In the forward compartment, there appears to be another reinforced company of grenadiers."

The atmosphere inside the cabin instantly and seamlessly shifted from relaxed to tense. Of course, it was merely tense, not tense.

The elite of the Lumina Legion, the veterans of the New Shenzhou Brigade, and the battle-hardened survivors selected from the Primal Stars began a final check of their equipment, exchanging determined glances.

They all volunteered for this near-suicide mission; everyone was ready to die and would choose to fight to the death.

At this moment, the Lumina man finally finished adjusting his mech and carefully hung the two Vulcan cannons on his shoulder armor. He raised his head, and his dark eyes, which had once only reflected the flames of the Red Maple Factory's blast furnace, now flickered with a calm firelight.

“That’s the gist of it. We’re three routes away from our target, and at most two regiments of Wolflings and ten Legionnaires can intercept us. We have two hours to break through the enemy lines, take the colossus away, and finally retreat safely before the Imperial reinforcements return.” He told everyone.

The tone wasn't enthusiastic at all, it was like calmly telling his running group members, "Once we finish circling this lake, that's considered a half marathon."

But in reality, for these veterans, that's enough.

The mecha giant issued another notification from beneath its mask: "As originally planned, the new Independence will begin its warp drive in 20 minutes."

His words had barely faded when the heavy, sealed alloy door emitted a creaking, groaning sound and began to slowly rise. However, before it was even halfway up, a violent explosion from the outside created an immense sense of pressure on the thick armored door, as scorching air currents and metal fragments swept in!

Outside the gate, the lights of the Imperial Armored Grenadiers' mechs flickered on and off, forming a cold patch of light behind the thick smoke and dust, while the whirring of electromagnetic rifles instantly tore through the air!
"For the equal galaxy of primary colors!" The battle cry of the raiders rang out simultaneously.

With a maniacal laugh, Krell Belmont charged out of the passage first, braving the bursts of energy beams.

His force field shield deployed a robust energy barrier, deflecting the scorching projectiles. He flicked his wrist, and the warhammer, studded with spikes and a duckbill blade, crashed into the enemy ranks and exploded.

In a single instant, a squad of armored grenadiers and more than five foot fire support platforms were annihilated.

Belmont is a "guardian," a hardcore iron man who wields a warhammer; otherwise, he wouldn't have so easily adapted to the peaceful life of the working people in Tulonchang, who were busy with mortar and screw-tightening.

As for the lightsabers he carried, they were originally secondary weapons, meant for self-inflicted wounds in critical moments.

Behind him, his comrades' guns and cannons began to roar.

The metallic storm surged into the smoke and dust, bursting into blood among the Imperial stormtroopers.

The fierce battle broke out again in the metal passageway of the half-built Elathel Fortress.

...In fact, in the four hours prior, five battles of this magnitude had already taken place. This group of no more than 300 men, after sneaking onto the fortress aboard an envoy ship, launched a blatant surprise attack. They caught the Imperial defenders off guard and used the partitions and doors in the ship's cabins and passageways to try to dismantle the enemy's numerical advantage.

The raid went very smoothly. Although their numbers were small, they were all battle-hardened, well-equipped elites, and they were led by a powerful psychic. They were unstoppable in their advance, and before long they had advanced from the public trading port to the vicinity of the military shipyard.

By this point, even the most oblivious Imperial Army would understand their objective.

"This is outrageous! These mere Femo natives, the Empire gave them the opportunity to be human, yet they want to devour their master?"

"No need to think about it anymore! They're clearly after the 'Emperor's Scepter'!"

"But how could that be? That's not scientific! Mere Femo bandits, mere Femo bandits like wild dogs!"

It's understandable that the Imperial garrison was so astonished. In their eyes, the vast Femo Starfield had hundreds or even thousands of well-known forces, but none of them were worthy of mention.

For the Imperial conquerors, the only obstacle preventing them from dominating this vast expanse of space was the Alliance merchants on the other side. Even the occasional raiding remnants that ventured to Femor to hunt were far more prestigious than the local warlords and gangs.

But now, these stray dogs, who don't even have a master, actually dare to bite the Dragon King?
"What's going on? Why were they allowed to board the fortress? Who let them in? Where's the ship? Where did it come from?"

"It's an envoy ship from the Kingdom of Ketai! They said they were going to Huaxu for resupply."

"Why are there enemies on the envoy ship of the Kingdom of Ketai? Where are the Ketai people? What did the Ketai people say? They want the King of Ketai, yes, the one called the Protector of the Nation, to get over here and kneel under the dragon flag to apologize!"

"Um, um... the entire Crimson Mane Royal Family of the Kete Kingdom has been wiped out. There is no king now. It seems there are a dozen or so Protector Dukes and Grand Generals across the country, and they are even preparing to establish a republic."

"Isn't it a huge joke to have a republic in a country with lords and nobles?"

"Inform Marshal Ester! Request that Your Excellency send a large army back to reinforce!"

"Battle has broken out at the front, and the surrounding capital ships are rushing to provide support."

"The Alliance...the Alliance has opened fire on us?"

"How novel! The alliance has been firing all along. We've been fighting back too. But this time it's on a much larger scale!"

"So, did we actually go to war with the Alliance?"

"Well, let's open it then. After all, neither of us has closed our embassies, right?"

"How novel! The Community's embassies were still standing before we took over Earth. And during the Seventh Galactic War, both sides' embassies were still open."

"Ask around, where are the reinforcements from the surrounding area?"

"Commodore Erwin's working fleet is in the neighboring system and is initiating a jump. Commodore Henibo's garrison fleet has also sent a report, and it should take no more than an hour."

"That's good. Tell the garrison troops that as long as they hold firm, there's always a way! Also, bring back the assault team stationed at Istar base!"

"Then came Major General Hilger's patrol fleet, and... six hours later. He responded that he was still waiting for Marshal Ester's approval."

"Wait... The Erwin fleet has been ambushed! The Erwin fleet reports that they were attacked by the Titan! They were attacked by the Nature's Emblem!"

In short, the fortress's command was in an increasingly difficult situation, probably because the assault teams rushed directly to the naval port without attacking the command post.

Many high-ranking officers had already approved the mechs to fill the gaps, but they knew they might not even be able to reach the scene before the enemy breached the naval port. At this point, everything was up to fate.

"Why do all the fortresses that are only half-built always end up in trouble?"

"Yes, after the war with Earthlings broke out, all the fortresses under construction were destroyed!"

"From now on, will we have to offer some young boys and girls as sacrifices to the spirit of the universe before we start any construction projects?"

Almost at the same moment, on the edge of the remote dust belt of this galaxy, a silent ripple spread through space.

The Flamewing Dragon, so majestic it seemed to have consumed too much growth essence, possessed the physique of an ancient dragon even though it was still in its youth. Like Bicephrus, a natural protagonist among dragons, it quietly shone in the starry sky.

It possesses the physical characteristics of a reptile, yet its posture is dignified and imposing. Its body is slender, with a wingspan of nearly a hundred meters, resembling two gleaming blades. Its long and agile tail is like a whip capable of shattering a meteor with a single blow, but at the end, it has forked barbs, like the spikes of a meteor hammer, or like parallel tail fins.

The scales were a bright and vibrant red, but the gaps between each scale shimmered with golden light, as if flowing with molten gold.

You certainly won't find such a magnificent Flamewing Dragon in the Dragon Garden of the Galactic Empire.

However, his body was shrouded in a thin layer of light, as if he were hidden within the barrier of dimensions and space, like a ghost floating in the void, thus safely isolating himself from all the imperial surveillance arrays.

Sitting atop the dragon's back, Yu Lian was naturally very satisfied. After such a long period of training and cooperation, Bisefeleus had mastered at least half of Ancalagan's spatial manipulation skills.

Of course, the most important thing is the infusion of spiritual energy from his own perfected demigod status. With one person, one dragon, and one robot, they can travel day and night without rest for a long time.

So, in just one week, they crossed the Abyss Nebula and arrived at the Republic of Bakvi.

Internal strife has also broken out in the empire's satellite states. This is likely because, in the war against Earthlings, their losses were second only to the Ketai, yet they gained little spoils, accumulating considerable resentment. Or perhaps it's because Marshal Ikenroga's stationed fleet is being reduced in size, and even he himself has returned to the Celestial Realm. In any case, with so much resentment and the loss of external pressure, unrest is to be expected.

Yu Lian ignored it and continued running and stopping, relying on the spatial folds he had calculated (with Xiao Hui's help).

This time, they even took less than a week to cross the territories of all the Imperial satellite states on the far-off "north" side and enter the Femo star system.

Half of this vast expanse of space has been nominally annexed by the empire, and several newly appointed border lords have even begun to settle and develop it. However, given the current turbulent situation, their initial development efforts are highly likely to be wasted.

Speaking of which, the late emperor, who has already vanished into thin air, could have carved out a fiefdom for himself here, which is said to be a natural star system rich in resources and with beautiful scenery.

Yu Lian really wanted to go and see it, but he was only tempted for three minutes before choosing to head towards the Elisser Fortress.

So, on the last day of early July, he arrived at this important star system located in the central region of Femo as scheduled. Then, the first thing he saw when he opened the door was the Allied Forces attacking the Empire.

(End of this chapter)