Chapter 576 Finale
On the three-dimensional projection, the space-time vortex shrank into a point as small as a needle tip, and then disappeared with a bang.
The bright blue planet, like a gem, hangs alone in the dark universe, emitting a gentle and dazzling glow.
The earth passed through the void star vortex.
"Oh~~~~" The excited and enthusiastic cheers came from afar like the tide. Old Hans, sitting in the dim light of the setting sun, almost merged with the plaster statue behind him, which Matthew specially asked a master to make to congratulate him in advance for becoming the greatest founding father in the history of the Interstellar Federation.
This glorious glory should have belonged to him...
The Star Guards and the Federal Army finally dispersed the crowds gathered outside the Speaker's Residence and the Federal Parliament. The double oak doors carved with sword-iris patterns slowly opened, and the cabinet members filed out of the smoke-filled and depressing meeting room. Old Hans and his son Matthew walked at the end.
"When-when-"
A dull bell rang behind him. Old Hans stopped and looked back at the floor-standing longcase clock that had been passed down from Norman Prisister, his great ancestor, when he served as the Speaker of the Interstellar Federation.
He watched the tiny particles of dust swirling in the rapidly dimming light, and his eyes became firm and deep again.
He still had the Fourth Quadrant Fleet, the Army, the Air Force, and the Guards of various galaxies, and the unbreakable oath sworn by that woman to never betray the Federation or her people.
As long as she remains loyal to the current federal system, even if he cannot become Speaker, can't their family produce another Speaker a hundred years later?
Old Hans firmly believed that the final victory would belong to them.
However, things did not go as smoothly as he expected.
On May 578, 5 of the Federation Star Calendar, the mother planet Earth returned to the Federation. At the same time, the commander-in-chief of the three armed forces who disappeared on a distant star several years ago also returned to the sight of the Federation citizens.
Public protests broke out in many places on the New Prime and Federation star systems, demanding that the Speaker and the Cabinet give a reasonable explanation for the Commander's accusations.
On the same day, New Prime declared martial law, and the Parliament passed the "State of Emergency Act" and the "Temporary Special Authorization Act", giving the Chief of Staff of the Galactic Military Staff, that is, the Speaker himself, the power to recruit and command the guards of various federal galaxies to cooperate with the Fourth Quadrant Fleet to defend the safety of New Prime.
However, the former Federation commander who regained control of the Third Quadrant Fleet and the Binary Star Fleet did not attack the new primary star. Instead, he stationed in the Eclipse Fortress, reorganized the Galactic Expeditionary Force and helped the citizens of Earth resume production and life.
In June, as the parliament was slow to respond to the commander-in-chief's accusations, protests intensified. Except for a few core star systems, all federal star systems refused to send guard troops to the new main star.
In July, Perseus and Auriga launched referendums one after another, announcing their formal withdrawal from the Interstellar Federation, which also set off a frenzy of referendums in various galaxies to withdraw from the Federation.
In late July, the Vice Speaker of the Interstellar Federation, the Joint Chief Administrative Officer, the Prime Minister of the Corona Australis System to which the new main star belongs, the Captain of the Speaker's Guard, and others secretly placed Speaker Hans under house arrest, demanding that he take responsibility for the current federal situation and resign.
In August, the Speaker finally agreed to make a public speech and resigned as the 8th Speaker of the Interstellar Federation.
On the day of the speech, the Galactic Expeditionary Force, which had completed its organization and reorganization, quietly passed the demoralized New Prime Star Defense Fleet and approached the New Prime Star like a ghost.
The mecha commandos destroyed the main defenses of the new planet at lightning speed, without encountering any significant resistance.
The Patronus space fortress slowly descended from the light clouds, and the entire Federal Parliament trembled in its huge shadow.
Ai Wanxin walked down the gangway surrounded by her sentinels. She looked up at the majestic white building that imitated the ancient Earth's Pantheon. Her clear and deep eyes flashed with a complex and indescribable light.
After a while, she withdrew her gaze, stepped onto the towering marble steps of the Senate, and returned to this center of power that controlled the entire Interstellar Federation.
In the empty lobby of the parliament, the smoke had not yet dissipated. The disarmed guards looked anxiously and fearfully at Ai Wanxin and the majestic, silent and solemn sentinels behind her.
They stopped in front of the door of the Codex Hall. It was here that the Parliament pronounced the Commander-in-Chief's guilt to the entire Federation after the mysterious Far Star War several years ago.
And the thing that contained the 100,000-page investigation report was the huge walnut box floating in their team now, wasn't it?
The soldiers of the Galactic Expeditionary Force who had occupied the Federal Parliament in advance stepped forward and opened the heavy and solemn door of the Codex Hall.
The blazing and dazzling white light poured out from the gap in the gradually widening gate, and Speaker Hans's face, which was so pale that it was almost colorless, appeared at the end of Ai Wanxin's sight.
Ai Wanxin walked slowly into the sunken semi-circular white hall on the deep red long-pile carpet with gold jacquard. The congressmen present were silent. Vice Speaker Hoffman suppressed the trembling in his heart and walked forward, but was blocked by Qiong.
He swallowed hard and said, "Commander-in-chief, why are you doing this? The Speaker is ready to make a resignation speech today. He will be responsible for everything, including the Far Star Wars."
Ai Wanxin turned his cold gaze towards Hoffman, which made his heart skip a beat. He didn't know why, but he always felt that the commander seemed to be slightly different from before...
"Really?" Ai Wanxin asked.
Old Hans, who was standing at the podium, sneered, his voice as hoarse as a bellows with a thousand holes in it: "Yes, I will take responsibility."
Jon couldn't help but said angrily, "You're responsible? Can the lives of so many soldiers of the Galactic Expeditionary Force be saved by just saying you're responsible?"
Old Hans glanced at Ai Wanxin and the sentry behind her with a subtle expression: "Aren't you alive and well?"
Qiao En wanted to curse again, but Ai Wanxin raised her hand to stop him.
"That's none of your business," she said calmly.
The walnut box floating in the air drifted forward and landed in front of Old Hans with a bang.
The lid of the box popped open, and light yellow papers densely printed with words flew out of the box and scattered all over the floor.
Old Hans' eyelids twitched suddenly, and Hoffman said hurriedly: "Commander-in-Chief, this matter has been investigated clearly. The previous investigators were prompted by the Speaker to disregard the truth and fabricate a false investigation report. I will also clarify it in my speech later."
"No." Ai Wanxin shook her head slightly, "Everything in this report is true."
"Roar—" The congressmen in the audience were in an uproar, but they heard Ai Wanxin continue, "It's just that the culprit of each incident is someone else."
"And my biggest mistake." She raised her eyes slightly and looked at the huge federal emblem shining with silver behind Old Hans, "was tolerating you to occupy this giant tree of the federation, devouring it like a wolf and a tiger, sucking its bones and marrow for too long."
Old Hans stared at Ai Wanxin gloomily: "What do you want? Don't forget that you once made an unbreakable oath that you would never betray the Federation!"
Ai Wanxin walked up to Old Hans and leaned over gently. Old Hans clenched his fists, trying his best to suppress his fear of retreating. He only heard a whisper like a sigh ringing in his ears.
"It doesn't matter if I tell you. I, who swore to protect the Federation forever, have been killed by you on a distant star."
Old Hans was startled and looked stiffly at Ai Wanxin who was nearby.
He wanted to expose her true face loudly, but found that he couldn't open his mouth.
Ai Wanxin looked at his face which turned from pale to purple in an instant, took two steps back, and said playfully: "I know what you are thinking. As long as the Federation survives, your Prisister family will eventually make a comeback, right?"
Old Hans' chest heaved up and down, and he fell to his knees, hunched over because of the suffocating pain in his heart. He pointed at Ai Wanxin with trembling fingers, but could not utter a word.
No one dared to step forward to help him, and no one cared.
Someone in the audience laughed flatteringly and said, "Commander-in-chief, Hans was the one who caused the tragedy of the Far Star War. Asking him to resign may not calm the anger of the citizens of the Federation. I propose that the Parliament vote to remove him from his post and hand him over to the Federal Court for investigation and trial."
"That's right. Publish the evidence of his crime as soon as possible to prevent the situation from spreading further."
"Do you still think that the Federation has fallen into its current situation only because of the Far Star War?"
Ai Wanxin turned around and swept her razor-sharp gaze across the congressmen below her.
"No, it's all of you who have turned your back on the people for too long."
"But you don't have to worry. When a rotten tree falls, new life will naturally be born from it."
She said slowly but firmly.
"Since the Interstellar Federation cannot satisfy you, then try the Empire."
(End of the article)
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Note: 1. This story is entirely fictional, and all settings are for dramatic conflicts and do not represent the author's position.
2. Some settings in the article have been simplified. For example, the constellations are actually a combination of celestial projections of stars from the perspective of the earth. The distance between stars in the same constellation may be very far. The names of the constellations are used for ease of expression, not the real structure of the universe.