CHAPTER 1541: CHAPTER 40: THREE YEARS OF CALM

A superluminal aircraft sped through the cold and silent space, its flank tracing a brilliant blue trajectory, and entered the massive Starport Space Station in the distance.

The silver-white steel structure, with countless flickering square lights on the surface of the space station, and its extended ’long arms’ like the hexagonal skeleton of a snowflake, docked and anchored the passing vessels.

This is the Anse Star Domain of the Eastern Star Region, located in the central area of the Eastern Star Region, economically prosperous.

"The aircraft has docked and is under inspection." A cold mechanical synthesized voice sounded in the hangar where the aircraft had parked.

One by one, small autonomous units flew past the aircraft, carrying various inspection instruments that scanned the surface of the aircraft and verified data.

"Inspection passed, please have the crew disembark in an orderly fashion." The synthesized voice echoed again in the empty hangar.

The aircraft’s door opened, and several personnel descended slowly on an elevator to undergo a new round of inspection.

About 20 minutes later, after completing all procedures, the group entered the interior of the Starport, where the corridor could accommodate 50 hover cars side by side. Through the high glass dome, one could see the massive blue residential planet.

The residential planet ’Anselena,’ the capital of the Anse Star Domain, is home to approximately 4 billion people. In the early Federation, it briefly served as the core of the Eastern Star Region until the Federation’s expansion reformed, abolishing the core planning of each star region, and instead, the Central Council entrusted the governance to each Starfield Governor.

Such a reform effectively changed the Federation’s political structure from a four-tier framework of Central Council---Star Region Core---Star Domain---Residential Planet, Space Station to a three-tier framework of Central Council---Star Domain---Residential Planet, greatly enhancing the Central Council’s control over each area and weakening the possibility of strong local factions forming.

Black uniforms fluttered slightly with each step, the edge revealing the inner side’s dark gray material, indicating that this was no simple coat but a specially-made protective coat, effectively resisting various laser beams and providing good protection against sharp weapons.

This group moved swiftly and vigilantly, quickly passing through the crowded corridors and into a tunnel on the other side of the Starport, then boarding the shuttlecraft descending to the residential planet ’Anselena.’

Soon, three shuttlecrafts entered the atmosphere and descended to that blue planet.

...

"You mean the Federal Center intends to completely eliminate our three factions." ’Purple Jinhua’ Otibelo stood with her back to the crowd in front of a large floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the city’s night scene outside.

"Yes, Lord Otibelo." A black short-haired intelligence officer respectfully replied.

"According to our informants in the Central Council, this matter has already been finalized, and Songstress Prin and the Star Son Alliance both agree."

"..."

"Understood." Otibelo dismissed them, and then the room had only her and another elder sitting in the corner.

Once the others had left, the elder opened his somewhat cloudy eyes, looking at the gray-black marble floor before him.

"I expected it to some extent, but I didn’t anticipate they’d act so quickly." His voice, like an aged beast, was hoarse with a hint of bloodiness.

"Prin is just like that, she wouldn’t waste an opportunity waiting unless forced by external forces to stop." Otibelo mentioned the songstress’s temperament.

"I’ve met her a few times, not long up, but I know her in bits." She turned, wearing a deep purple dress, walking slowly past the bar, pouring herself a glass of fragrant wine.

Swirling the liquid, she leaned against the wall, slightly tilting her head up, closing her eyes in contemplation.

"Although Prin’s strength is not weak, what worries me more is the Star Son Alliance; previously, we failed to block the envoy from the Central Star Domain due to the Star Son Alliance’s formidable intelligence, leaving us passive in various actions, losing many opportunities."

The transparent goblet touched her lips slightly, then tilted slowly, allowing the dark purple liquid to wet her lips slightly and flow into her throat, a cold and fiery sensation spreading from her chest throughout her body.

"The Children of the Stars have an almost unmatched advantage on the Aijieka Network, with their support, every faction faces a looming sword, daring not to act rashly." She put down the wine glass, continued to swirl it, then turned her head to look at the flashing neon outside the window.

"The intelligence advantage is too great. Combined with the Central Star Domain’s own military advantage, it is unstoppable, even the ’Jade Dragon’ of the united Southern Star Region is constrained, strictly confined within its region, unable to support us."

"Now, after the envoy’s division and the new expansion bill, the small factions of the Eastern Star Region are already scared; if we relax slightly, they will defect to the opposing camp." Otibelo described the current difficult situation.

"Don’t be too hasty." The elder’s aged voice sounded low, encouraging Otibelo not to be so disheartened.

"If the vast Federation could be so easily integrated, it wouldn’t have fallen to this situation." He paused for several seconds, continuing to speak.

"The Federal Center, internally, isn’t a unified block; it’s just currently intensely fierce." He believed that the alliance between the financial conglomerates of the Central Star Domain and the Star Son Alliance would eventually fracture.

"I’ve heard some members discuss your view, it’s just... we must survive until then."

Otibelo put down the wine glass, then walked again to the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing afar at the glittering colorful lights and the hazy city night scene in the distance.

...

After the Federal Center embraced the many star domains of the Eastern Star Region, it did not halt its steps; its power further extended to the various star domains of the Eastern Star Region, gradually consuming the territory of the three major alliances and expelling those entrenched local factions.

This aggressive advancement caused the members of the three major alliance factions to be fearful and tense, forcing them to unite again and resist with their remaining strength, with some fierce conflicts also occurring across the Eastern Star Region.

"An unexpected accident occurred in the Suocinla Star Domain on July 11th, where two fleets mistakenly fired upon each other due to identification errors"

"A protest involving a million people erupted on the White Mu residential planet, during which special police urgently dispatched mecha to suppress, resulting in 47 deaths and 239 injuries"

"The massive military-industrial enterprise ’Blazing Fire Yang Gang’ initiated a shareholder meeting, ultimately voting to accept an injection of capital from the ’Queen Bee Investment Group,’ diluting the original shareholders’ equity"

"Flight Ju-8927 temporarily suspended due to more than ten incidents occurring within three months"

"The newly developed ’Heavenly Mountain Class’ battleship jointly researched by the Central Star Domain ’Radiant Stars’ underwent a test maneuver with excellent performance, expected to further enhance the Federation’s main fleet strength once equipped"

"Stocks related to military-industrial enterprises rose significantly, with rapid growth in orders across the board and new warship development plans underway everywhere"

"’Purple Jinhua’ Otibelo, ’Feng Erguo’ Shui Yanqing, ’Red Stingray’ Luo Fenghua, the three songstresses held a joint performance in the Anse Star Domain, attracting a huge crowd"

"The ’Eastern Star Region Friendly Development Agreement’ was signed to maintain order and stability in the Eastern Star Region, preventing excessive incidents"

"’Hexia Tilan’ led a delegation to visit the Eastern Star Region, with the first stop being a meeting with songstress ’White Swan’ Audrey"

In April of the year 1275 of the Sixth Era, under the mediation of the songstress Hexia Tilan, the conflicts between the Eastern Star Region and the Central Star Domain temporarily eased, with all parties promising to control the situation and not intensify it further.

For the following three years, the Federation entered a relatively stable state, with all sides focusing on economic development and recovery, outwardly presenting a harmonious scene, but with tighter control over public speech, leading to different political inclinations manifesting in various regions of the Federation.