Chapter 26: The War Ends

While the Empire and the Alliance were engaged in battle, no one noticed a sleek, streamlined spaceship taking off from the Alliance's capital planet. The ship was astonishingly fast, reaching the outskirts of the capital star system within a few hours before vanishing into hyperspace in a flash of light.

After splitting the captured ships between the Empire and the rebel forces, their attention turned to the distant capital planet. Independent Alliance General Parr, barely able to contain his excitement, led his fleet toward the space station!

He wanted to personally execute those damn councilors! He wanted to wipe out their families as well!

To everyone's surprise, the space station did not fire a single shot in defense. Instead, it launched white flare signals, and all the turrets turned away.

"Have these councilors surrendered after realizing their defeat is inevitable?" Parr wondered.

Empire and rebels transport ships slowly docked at the station's port, and countless armored marines swarmed out in powered armor, swiftly securing key strategic locations.

But it was too easy—there wasn't a single sign of resistance. The marines didn't even fire a single round. With no other choice, they advanced deeper into the space station.

Upon reaching the central hall, they finally understood why they hadn't encountered any opposition—there wasn't a single soul in sight. Instead, all the space station's staff and guards had gathered in the central hall, standing with their tentacles raised in surrender, their weapons scattered in the corners of the room. The only ones missing were the councilors!

Those cowards must have escaped to the capital planet and gone into hiding! Parr was furious. Finding twelve councilors among a population of five billion was like searching for a needle in a haystack. As for the facial recognition system? What a joke. It was these very councilors who had put those security measures in place. There was no way they hadn't left themselves an escape route!

"Commander, I know where the councilors went!" A weak voice suddenly spoke up. The speaker was a surrendered staff member, his voice so soft that, if not for the eerie silence in the hall, no one would have heard him.

"Speak! If you tell me, you will no longer be a prisoner—I will grant you amnesty!" Parr said excitedly.

"I work in logistics. The councilors secretly transported a large amount of supplies to a hidden location a day ago. They are most likely hiding there!" The man said as he respectfully handed a slip of paper with an address written on it to Parr.

Li Mingze, standing nearby, was surprised—who even used paper in this era?

After confirming the location, the group boarded their landing ships and flew toward the target site, escorted by a dark swarm of atmospheric fighters. These ships had been captured from the spaceport and were now being used by the Empire and rebel troops.

The secret base was located within a reservoir, but the water had already been drained, revealing a massive cavern beneath. From above, they could see a giant structure resembling a launch pad.

The landing ships hovered over the enormous opening as dozens of soldiers leaped out. Their jetpacks fired bursts of gas, gently lowering them to the cavern floor.

Their suspicions were correct—at the center of the cavern was a massive launch pad, surrounded by overturned transport vehicles.

Parr and Li Mingze entered the launch control center and accessed the system logs. They discovered that the councilors had fled with their families in an experimental ship half a day ago.

"They must have escaped to other member states!" Li Mingze speculated. In truth, he had no idea where those damn councilors had gone, but stirring conflict between the rebel and other member states was undoubtedly a good idea.

"Hmph! It doesn't matter where they run! If the other member states don't hand them over, I will attack them until they surrender!" Parr, blinded by his thirst for revenge, fell right into Li Mingze's trap.

With an angry flick of his tentacles, he boarded his warship and took off. The rebel had already seized control of three star systems, and Parr needed to direct further conquests. His ultimate goal? To unify the entire Alliance—then make the Sith Empire suffer!

Of course, Li Mingze, an avid reader of novels before his transmigration, despised protagonists who let their enemies escape, only for them to cause even bigger problems later. He had already prepared a plan to deal with the Independent Alliance; he was simply waiting for them to fall into his trap.

The War's Aftermath

The Empire's blitzkrieg against the Parker League lasted nearly a month before a brief period of peace was achieved.

The rebels and the Sith Empire signed a ceasefire and cooperation agreement on the former Alliance capital, now part of the Sith Empire's territory.

Under this agreement, the rebels ceded sixteen star systems—including the border planet—to the Sith Empire. Over the next six months, all former Alliance citizens and industrial facilities on these planets were to be relocated to the rebel's remaining three star systems. Additionally, the Empire would receive all mining revenues from the Independent Alliance's territory for four months.

In exchange, the Empire pledged full support for the rebel's war efforts, including fleet engagements, logistics, and shipbuilding—of course, at a price.

This peace agreement would later be known as "A Piece of Meat Discussing Its Fate with a Tiger."

Through this war, the Empire not only gained vast territories but also acquired valuable technological advancements by studying the wreckage of Alliance warships. As a result, Sith warships saw a significant increase in power.

Victory and Mourning

Three days later, on the Sith Empire's capital planet, Sith...

People flooded the streets, waving imperial flags and celebrating in euphoria. The entire planet was a sea of joy, reveling in the victory and the expansion of the Empire's borders.

Some radical young citizens even bared their chests to reveal tattoos of the Empire's insignia. Enthusiasm for military enlistment reached an all-time high.

But at that very moment, in the Empire's cemetery, the atmosphere was somber.

A procession of marines solemnly carried urns adorned with the Sith Empire's flag, passing by the central podium. The line of urn-bearers stretched as far as the eye could see.

According to reports, the war had cost the Empire 53 light cruisers, 8 destroyers, and 5 transport ships. A total of 16,321 soldiers had fallen.

Nearly twenty thousand Sith warriors had died in a foreign land. The sight of their ashes being laid to rest, the grief-stricken faces of their loved ones—it all deeply shook Li Mingze.

During combat, casualty numbers were just statistics to him. They meant nothing.

But now, seeing the soldiers' ashes being buried, witnessing the families mourning their lost loved ones—Li Mingze couldn't help but shed tears.

Yes, he cried.

At that moment, he understood—these fallen soldiers weren't just numbers. They represented families, lives lost forever.

But if you asked him whether he regretted it?

He would tell you—No.

Ask the parents and wives who had sent their loved ones to war—would they regret it?

They might hesitate, but in the end, their answer would also be No.

Because this was the price of a great empire's rise—the growing pains of an ascendant power.

A few days later, Li Mingze handed over the virus vaccine data to the rebel's. They quickly distributed it across their territory.

Not out of kindness, of course—if everyone died, who would be left to serve as slaves?

The vaccine became a valuable bargaining chip, allowing the rebel's to trade it with the remnants of the old Alliance for a large quantity of supplies.

For now, the entire star region entered a brief period of peace.