Chapter 24: The Split of the Parker League

"Commander! The Imperial fleet is advancing towards the capital star's orbit! If we don't take action... the capital's people will—" The radar officer hesitated, his face troubled, as he reported to his superior.

"We must not move! This is the enemy's scheme. They want to lure us into a decisive battle! We can't fall for it. As long as we hold out until reinforcements arrive, victory will be ours!" The commander replied calmly. Though the Parker League military had been decaying for years, there were still some elite officers capable of making sound decisions.

Even as the Imperial fleet slowly approached the capital star's orbit, the Alliance fleet remained unmoved, steadfastly maintaining formation and closely trailing the Imperial fleet's movements.

Aboard the Imperial Flagship

A smirk appeared on Li Mingze's lips. "Oh? You're not taking the bait? Then I'll just bombard you for real! Relay my orders—once our ships reach the capital star's orbit, initiate light orbital bombardment!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" The communications officer solemnly acknowledged the command and transmitted it to the entire Imperial fleet.

500 kilometers… 400 kilometers… 300 kilometers… The Alliance fleet still showed no signs of movement.

Inside a massive space station above the capital star, panic was setting in.

The Imperial fleet was getting closer and closer on the radar, but the Alliance's reinforcements remained motionless. The space station housed many defensive weapons, but the Imperial fleet was on the far side of the planet—well beyond their reach. They could do nothing but watch in frustration.

"Damn it! Who is commanding that fleet? Why haven't they launched an attack yet? Does he want to see nuclear weapons raining down on the capital's citizens?!" One Alliance senator slammed a tentacle onto the table and roared.

"Yes! His actions amount to treason! We must remove him!" Another senator quickly echoed.

The fleet commander in question had no political connections—he had risen from the ranks purely by merit. The Alliance military had promoted him rapidly to prevent the senators and their financial backers from infiltrating the chain of command.

But now, the senators saw an opportunity. They planned to use this crisis to seize direct control of the military before victory was secured.

The reason they were so confident in victory? The Speaker of the Alliance Parliament, Parker, had secretly struck a deal with the member states. Their fleets were already being discreetly mobilized, ready to converge and annihilate the Imperial fleet in the capital star system.

With triumph seemingly within reach, the senators were determined to sideline the military and claim all the spoils for themselves.

"You cannot do this! The enemy is in our capital's orbit, and you're discussing replacing the fleet commander with one of your own lackeys?! The military will never allow you parasites to control our forces!" A furious senior officer at the far end of the conference table slammed his hat down and turned to leave.

For years, the Alliance military high command had been losing control over their own forces. In this long era of peace, many officers and generals had been bought off by the senators and the corporations backing them. If not for a few key commanders still loyal to the military establishment, the entire armed forces would have already been under parliamentary control.

"General Parr, if the military secedes from the Parliament, it will not end well for you… or your family," a senator sneered as the departing general walked away.

"General Parr, who had just walked out of the conference room and boarded his flagship, received an anonymous video. In the video, his wife and children were brutally beheaded. His wife's tentacles, which had not yet stiffened, were still twitching, and dark green blood gushed out from the broken neck of his wife!

Tears welled up in his four eyes.

"AAAAAHHHHH! PARLIAMENT! I WILL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!" Parr clenched his tentacles into aball, while shaking with fury.

"General, you've had your outburst—now it's time for you to die."

A voice he knew all too well sounded in his ear—his most trusted aide.

Before Parr could react, a dagger shot toward his throat.

Just as he thought his life was about to end, a junior officer happened to walk into the hallway and instinctively tackled the attacker.

The aide crashed to the ground, and the dagger flew from his grasp, skidding across the floor.

Parr, finally snapping out of his shock, pulled out his sidearm without hesitation.

"The one thing I despise the most is betrayal. I'll be sure to send my regards to your family in kind," he said coldly before pulling the trigger.

The gunshot echoed through the hallway. The traitor's head was blown apart, splattering green blood across Parr's face—but he showed no emotion. He was disturbingly calm.

"Well done. From now on, you're my new aide," Parr said as he turned and walked toward the bridge, not even looking back.

The young officer, still kneeling on the floor, immediately nodded excitedly. "Thank you, General! Thank you, General!"

Aboard the Alliance Supreme Commander's Flagship

Parr exhaled heavily and slumped into his command chair, his mind racing.

"If the Parliament has no honor, then I will show them none in return!"

"Someone, get me a secure line to the Alliance First Fleet!"

He stood up and strode into his private office. The warship, now fully operational, roared out of the spaceport and headed toward the advancing Alliance First Fleet.

"Soldiers of the Alliance! You are the true heroes of this nation. You have silently defended our people, but the Parliament has been corrupted by corporate greed! They seek to enslave you and your families like cattle! … Now is the time for us to unite and overthrow this rotten Parliament!"

After delivering his impassioned speech, Parr cut off all external communications, isolating his fleet from the rest of the Alliance to ensure that no counter-messages could reach them.

As the Alliance's most elite and well-trained force, the First Fleet swiftly swore loyalty to Parr. Within moments, he had seized full control of their ships.

Aboard the Imperial Flagship

Li Mingze was reviewing his next move when a sudden call from the communications officer interrupted him.

"Your Majesty! The enemy fleet is requesting a communication channel!"

"Oh? Put it through—let's see what they have to say."

Static flickered across the command deck's main screen. After a moment, the image cleared, revealing a bald, battle-hardened general.

It was General Parr.