The Governor's office was an ornate room with green walls, illuminated by a narrow lamp, and the two men sat across the table from each other.
"How is the overall situation?"
Stryker asked, shaking the grit out of his cropped hair.
"We have so many problems. The workers know something big is going on, they just don't know what it is, and middle management is pretty much the same."
"What do you say about Navy patrols?"
Although Stryker had no illusions, he still asked one more question.
"I sent this out a long time ago."
Adisak said, reaching for a small box.
"Like everyone else, we are having issues with our equipment and now the communications unit at the main site is down."
Stryker knew what he was holding. It was an information pod, a military liaison that kept copies of messages safe.
"You better tell me what you know."
The colonel of Catachan said very seriously, so Adisak picked up the box.
"Sent six days ago by a small Navy frigate from outside the system. It was finally deciphered last night. It's the only communication we've gotten from it, and it's clearly not for us - it's for the squadron. A full-band broadcast from other ships. This content was relayed by another spacecraft operating in a very distant place. Because it bears the mark of an astropath, the real starting point of this order must be further away. ... We estimate that the original version was actually sent out more than two months ago, but that's just a guess."
Stryker frowned, he probably guessed what it was.
"There won't be any Navy visits, Colonel."
Adisak looked dejected as he spoke.
"This is a large-scale assembly order, coming from the navy's sector command, requiring all fleets to be withdrawn from lower-level sectors. Somewhere outside, there is a huge battle group that is drawing away all local forces of the navy. , heading to far away places…and talking about it in the past tense, past tense!”
Stryker savored the words.
"So there's something planned going on."
"Maybe, but I haven't heard of any big battles recently, and there's no news from the transports... They're dead silent."
Suddenly, Stryker's brows jumped, and he thought of Ken.
"Has the Navy been misled by some force?"
This possibility startled the Governor.
"How much power does it take to mislead the navy of a sector? And what is their purpose?"
Stryker frowned and thought for a while, then said uncertainly:
"Maybe... it's us?"
"Then you should listen to the Astropath Director."
Adisak then pressed a button, and a small screen appeared on the table.
There was a woman on the screen, a poor creature with red eyes and an impossibly old age, with a psyker certification seal hanging around her skinny neck.
"We've seen lights in the sky."
The Astropath director's voice trembled with weakness, and her lips could barely move, as if she might die at any moment.
"That's not what everyone thinks is normal. Something weird happened. It shouldn't happen."
Stryker grew impatient whenever he thought about anything related to psychic powers.
"Speak clearly, man."
"In the subspace, Colonel...it's like a crack has appeared, but I can't see the end of it. It's dragging across in front of us, like...a storm cloud that could erupt at any time."
"What impact will it have?"
"I have no idea."
The Astropath looked miserable.
"But I can't sleep. It's been a week. You must be having the same problem, right?"
Yes, they all are.
This was what made Stryker restless and unable to concentrate, and he hadn't slept well in a week.
The Governor sat forward and locked his fingers tightly together.
"The situation is very unclear now, the equipment is broken, rumors are flying, and we need to stay united even more."
He then swallowed.
"There are a few of us who have a big task. Colonel, what advice can you give me now?"
Stryker was silent at first, blinking frequently.
After about ten seconds, he spoke.
"We have been transmitting standard distress signals on the military channel, but the fact is that no one will come to help us, so we simply declare a curfew in Attica, stop all kinds of operations, build temporary fortifications, protect large equipment, and let I stationed my soldiers at key locations and armed all my staff and workers, including the hundreds of explorer fortresses - we had enough equipment, and a lot of it was still in containers and unopened."
In fact, the Governor had this plan, but he was worried that it would cause panic, at least at first.
But he knew that Stryker was right.
"Besides, if it really comes to that."
Colonel Stryker said slowly:
"If something really bad happens, there's one more thing, Governor."
Adisak knew what he meant and was horrified.
Stryker stared closely at the Governor. Once the planet entered war, as the supreme commander of the local Astra Militarum, he could do a lot.
"When I accepted the appointment, I was told that if you can protect it, protect it. If you can't protect it, destroy it all. Turn this place into scorched earth and leave nothing to the enemy."
Adisak smiled bitterly.
"I hope we don't get to this point yet."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a rapid knock on the door, and then an officer broke in.
"Sir, something happened! There are abnormal fluctuations in the subspace nodes! We detected the signal of the galaxy patrol fleet, but there is only one gunship, and it has been issuing danger warnings!"
An air of despair suddenly filled the room, far exceeding the normal level of alertness to danger.
The Governor even felt like screaming.
The thing I was most worried about happened still -
"are you sure?"
Stryker stood up and asked:
"OK! The signal fed back by the gunboat was only a short sentence."
"What?"
"The enemy has arrived!"
Stryker took a deep breath and forgot to glance at the Governor who was almost slumped in his chair.
"Calling all officers immediately, activating all defense facilities, opening the weapons depot, and distributing guns to all those who can move... I hope the Emperor can find time to bless us."
Just when the Paiji Star began to mobilize urgently, a gunboat numbered 587 was sailing hard in the void, its engine was extremely hot.
This is not a ship that can sail in subspace, and its engine core is not equipped with a large number of shields like those big ships. There is no navigator on it, and there are not many weapons. It can only be drawn from the defense force of the Death Star. Fifty-two armed guards were on high alert.
It was armed with six small assault cannons and an ancient laser cannon placed under a bulge in the main cockpit.
Captain Covar never had much confidence in the gun, as it had only been used twice in over a decade.
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