Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 62: Disappointment for All

Every Space Marine Chapter is a formidable force.

If fully staffed, they not only have a thousand of the finest warriors but also a fleet and well-equipped mortal auxiliary forces numbering in the hundreds of thousands, or even millions.

The Empire establishes one such Chapter after another to guard critical worlds and, when necessary, deploys them to key battlefields across the stars to make decisive contributions.

The Phoenix Battalion had atoned for its sins.

In theory, the Empire should support their reconstruction. Adding another Chapter like this could ensure the stability of one or even several sectors.

But the Empire did not do so.

Gu Hang couldn’t concern himself with the higher-level power struggles, but as Alicia had warned, the Phoenix Battalion undoubtedly carried troubles.

Alicia’s offer to intercept the Phoenix Battalion, even as a remnant, was fraught with complications. She wasn’t keen on doing so, as it would bring considerable trouble.

However, if Gu Hang, as the Planetary Governor, initiated the request, she could take the risk to help.

The fact that she was willing to go this far was quite commendable. Gu Hang knew she was acting out of goodwill.

Her assistance and her warnings were all well-intentioned.

It seems that this female captain, unknowingly, has already started to consider Gu Hang as an ally.

This is a very good sign.

However, Gu Hang still declined Alicia’s goodwill.

Why intercept these star warriors?

For now, Gu Hang has no intention of giving up this chain of activated events.

He is too tempted by that remnant battalion.

No matter how weak the Phoenix Battalion is now, it is still a battalion.

If he could get their service, sweeping across the entire Fury Owl Planet would become unimpeded.

Starships are powerful, but no matter how powerful, they can only bombard from the sky.

Alicia couldn’t possibly send troops to land combat. Even if she did, her marine squad wouldn’t be of much use.

Orbital bombardment is a strategic deterrent, a nuclear weapon that wouldn’t be used unless absolutely necessary.

As for mere intimidation… hasn’t Gu Hang been using it for the past month?

Otherwise, the Revival City government wouldn’t have been so ‘obedient,’ giving materials when asked and scrambling to investigate and explain the heretical cults.

Even Hodgson, the Alliance Council Head, has been compliant.

Just relying on the Governor’s title, how could it be enough? Every previous Governor had a title, but didn’t they all end up meeting their demise?

Defiance is just a low-level tactic.

Deceiving superiors, pretending to comply while in reality disobeying, accepting orders without executing them, concealing actual information… Without his own power, he could be fooled and think everything is under control.

Feeling cheerful and believing that the native leaders are all obedient and diligent, and that the progress of collecting imperial taxes is all going well.

He might even feel confident that the warehouse is full before the tax officer arrives, after several inspections reveal no problems, only to find out on the eve of tax collection that, oh no, the amount is insufficient.

Gu Hang doesn’t want such things to happen, and mere intimidation is not enough.

He needs real power on the ground, subordinates who are unquestionably loyal to him, and a reliable military force.

He must ensure that nobody can deceive him and that disobedience can be forcefully suppressed, and the suppression method cannot be as destructive as orbital bombardment.

Fury Owl Planet is already in a dire state.

Using ship cannons to bombard Revival City would truly make tax collection impossible.

The Phoenix Battalion represents this kind of conventional force.

With the help of the star warriors, Gu Hang could ensure that when he makes a judgment, the targeted individual will be killed, without having to resort to orbital bombardment to destroy an entire city.

However, when he actually saw the Phoenix Battalion, he was still taken aback.

…

A few hours later, he stood at the landing site, looking up at the sky…

That was the Burning Feather, a… well, it couldn’t be called a starship, just a spaceship.

It was too small.

When he first heard that the battalion planned to land their spaceship directly on the surface, Gu Hang was astonished, afraid there wouldn’t be enough space.

In his mind, even a frigate had a crew of thousands, and landing it on the ground would make it a colossal presence.

But now, seeing it, was this it?

It was only slightly larger than the transport ship responsible for ground communication on the Quintet.

Wasn’t it said to be a remnant battalion, but could it be so depleted that they didn’t even have a starship?

A star warrior battalion?

This is it?

Could it be an advance team?

The hatch opened, and Gu Hang first saw a figure far stronger and taller than an ordinary person, wearing power armor with a main color of bright red and white trim, holding a bolter, and stepping out of the spaceship hatch. His heavy steps each exuded an extremely imposing manner.

His power armor was not glamorous, with many places showing slight signs of wear and tear. But this only further symbolized him as a battle-hardened veteran, with countless humans, monsters, aliens, and traitors having died by his hands.

Underneath his bright red helmet, his cold gaze fixed on Gu Hang.

Gu Hang felt a chilling coldness.

Is this killing intent?

Fearful? Not really.

Instead, Gu Hang felt a bit excited.

Seeing a star warrior for the first time with his own eyes, Gu Hang felt that their reputation was well-deserved, indeed warriors whose formidable name was widely spread throughout the universe.

He watched one star warrior after another step out of the hatch, his expression growing increasingly satisfied.

Then, his satisfaction came to an abrupt halt.

Only seven people stepped out, with an empty space behind them.

Just seven?

No, seven people don’t make a battalion.

They don’t even form a tactical squad!

He knew this was a dying battalion, but… to be in such a dire state was a bit too much, wasn’t it?

Gu Hang felt a bit disappointed.

…

Salas Martins felt a bit disappointed.

He stepped out last in the team and saw the Governor who came to greet him.

He knew that was Gu Hang, the person he was supposed to meet, the one Chaplain Rizo had foreseen as the possible savior of the battalion.

On the way here, he had envisioned Fury Owl Planet as a prosperous planet or a developed foundry world.

The Governor here would have strong forces and be very friendly towards the battalion, willing to help rebuild…

But… things seemed different from what he had imagined.

The Governor in front of him looked too ordinary.

He was neither tall nor strong, and apart from being quite good-looking, he appeared just like an ordinary mortal.

Of course, Martins could sense a psionic reaction from this Governor, and it wasn’t weak, but that was only relative to ordinary mortals.

That level of psionic strength couldn’t pose a threat to him or any of his battle brothers.

Their power armor had certain anti-psionic effects, and their genetically modified bodies and strong mental will couldn’t be shaken by an ordinary psionic user.

Saying he could kill Gu Hang like crushing a chick might be an exaggeration, but like a strong man killing a wolf-dog, that would be more accurate.

Of course, comparing a mortal to a death angel is too harsh. The strength of a planetary governor doesn’t lie in his personal capabilities.

But…

Look at this planet?

Look at this… Martins didn’t know whether to describe it as a small town or a camp.

This Governor’s ruling center looked like this?