Chapter 102: A Smile with Deep Meaning
[Upgrade complete!]
Feeling the suddenly surging psionic power, Gu Hang felt his confidence skyrocket!
He even thought about finding a Phoenix to spar with—not for anything else but just to test his current strength.
Of course, that was impossible.
He and the Phoenix Battalion were currently allies, but their relationship was not that close.
So, Gu Hang could only give up on the idea with some regret.
Speaking of the Phoenix Battalion, Gu Hang got along well with Battalion Leader Martins, but he wasn’t familiar with the rest.
Most of the Star Warriors looked unapproachable, making it hard to strike up a conversation.
Only Chaplain Rizo left a good impression on Gu Hang—a white-bearded old bald man with a kind look.
Though, it was a bit odd to use the word “kind” to describe an old warrior who had served for 400 years and undoubtedly stained his hands with countless blood.
Although Gu Hang hadn’t met him many times, every time he did, Rizo would always offer him a smile.
It always seemed like that old chaplain’s smile held a certain depth.
…
Martins felt that Chaplain Rizo’s gaze toward the Governor seemed a little off.
After receiving Governor Gu’s mission request, he accepted without much hesitation.
Ignoring Schneider’s request to join, he left that bald guy in the outer city to continue overseeing security at the grain distribution points across the area.
Naturally, Schneider was dissatisfied, but obedience was ingrained; he could only keep his frustration bottled up.
Then, Martins, along with two of his brothers and Chaplain Rizo, headed toward the inner city.
During the rendezvous and preparation before departure, he noticed the exchanged glances between Chaplain Rizo and the Governor, which piqued his curiosity.
As brothers in arms, there was no embarrassment; Martins straightforwardly voiced his curiosity.
Rizo simply gave him a smile as well, then said, “Didn’t we come to this world to seek the Governor’s help? We should show a bit of courtesy.”
“Uh…”
Hearing this, Martins was momentarily at a loss for words.
He had asked so sincerely, yet the old chaplain brushed him off?
Was there some secret he couldn’t share with him?
He wanted to ask more, but Rizo beat him to it, saying, “And why did you insist on coming personally this time instead of bringing Schneider? Because…”
As he spoke, the white-bearded bald old man gestured toward Sister Superior Gretel, who was not far away.
Martins felt flustered and asked, “What do you mean?”
“Hahaha!” Rizo laughed, patting Martins on the shoulder.
He had successfully changed the topic.
That slippery old man!
There was no time for more questions; the operation was about to begin.
Four Star Warriors, nine Battle Nuns, twenty-eight elite Marines, and the partial 2nd Battalion led by Pobov…
Though their numbers weren’t particularly large, this was the finest small tactical unit Gu Hang could currently assemble.
They boarded numerous military vehicles and headed toward the outer city.
These vehicles had been captured from the Alliance’s forces. The IR Iron Bull series produced by the Wasteland Society had just entered mass production, and there weren’t many yet; at most, they could form a convoy to transport synthetic starch from Weixing City to Revival City.
This so-called Weixing City was the initial camp. Recently, Gu Hang had given it an official name. The name had a double meaning, serving both as Revival City’s satellite town and as “defender of Revival’s achievements.”
Though the IR Iron Bulls weren’t yet available, the regular military vehicles sufficed.
The Battle Nuns managed just fine, but the massive figures of the four Star Warriors struggled to fit into the canopy-covered vehicles, which also tested the vehicles’ load capacity.
Despite the discomfort, it was necessary.
This operation was a decapitation strike that needed to be swift and precise, catching the enemy off-guard. If a group of giant soldiers in blood-red armor charged down the streets toward their target, it would undoubtedly draw attention. Just revealing themselves like that could lead to their target escaping.
So, they had to hide in the vehicles.
As for whether the movement of military vehicles might draw attention… there was indeed a risk. However, with the recent frequency of military operations around Revival City, the narrow streets of the outer city were now often bustling with military traffic, making it a regular sight.
In any case, traveling in vehicles was still more discreet than moving openly.
And as for Martins’ thoughts… no! Definitely not!
As for the Battle Nuns, Martins noticed they weren’t boarding.
He recalled the initial plan—they would be air-dropped directly onto the battlefield.
Why couldn’t the Star Warriors do the same?
Because they were too heavy; the aircraft couldn’t support them… The Battle Nuns’ power armor was much lighter.
Just thinking about it annoyed Martins.
What kind of lousy planet didn’t even have a single aircraft capable of carrying them!
They were in standard tactical power armor—not vanguard-type, let alone terminator-type.
Not even that was possible? What a failure!
…
Sitting in the cramped space relative to his size, Martins waited somewhat sullenly in the vehicle until it stopped.
They seemed to have reached their destination.
At this moment, a message came through his helmet’s radio, stating they were in position.
Martins ordered the team to disembark, form up, and surround the target location.
He took command.
This was natural for Martins, who was used to this role. On any battlefield, Star Warriors always held the most crucial tactical positions. Especially when cooperating with other Imperial forces, they naturally assumed the lead and took command.
However, Gu Hang had reservations about this.
Letting Martins lead made perfect tactical sense. With over two hundred years of combat experience and his status as a battalion leader, he was more than qualified to handle small-scale battles skillfully, something that Gu Hang, who lacked formal military training, couldn’t match.
Yet, this situation allowed Star Warriors to build silent authority within the ranks. When soldiers became accustomed to taking orders directly from the Star Warriors, where did that leave the Governor’s authority?
While Martins himself likely had no intentions of asserting influence, simply acting naturally, Gu Hang was not pleased with this situation.
On some planets beyond the homeworld, planetary rulers often became mere caretakers for the battalions stationed there after prolonged deployments, a progression that happened gradually.
While they weren’t close to such a scenario, Gu Hang saw no harm in preemptive caution.
Not wanting the Phoenix Battalion, especially one he hadn’t fully integrated, to hold too much sway over his own subordinates, he transmitted a new command.
“Battalion Leader Martins, please launch the attack directly; we cannot wait for the encirclement to fully form, as the enemy might use that time to flee.”
Martins paused, feeling a bit of surprise.
He recalled Chaplain Rizo’s smile but ultimately said nothing further, responding with an affirmative before signaling his three brothers to begin.
Once he disembarked, Martins glanced skyward.
The gloomy sky had begun to rain, with the wind picking up in strength.