Limited Ambiguity Chapter 49

Chapter 49.1

Was it just Hodgkin?

The pro-peace faction led by Klimo were blinded by arrogance and self-importance. They sought to manipulate the rebels as pawns to safeguard the military’s privileged status, oblivious to the growing threat they have inadvertently nurtured.

In the wake of starship hijackings perpetrated by the space pirates, doubts regarding the authenticity of Lu Jun’s past military victories had arisen among countless Alliance civilians. Suspicions about the pro-war faction engaging in a relentless campaign of deception mounted, fueling the growing wave of public unrest.

In the face of death threats, the wealthy elites conspired together in fear, jointly pressuring for the recall of the Expeditionary Force to defend Leto.

Driven by personal agendas and disagreements with the government’s policies, low-level logistics officers on the capital star deliberately obstructed orders and failed to provide adequate support to the garrison commanders on Leto. These actions, along with the betrayal of ordinary citizens for various reasons, transformed them into pawns of the rebels.

Like threads, the actions and motivations of each individual eventually intertwined to form an intricate web that ensnared not only Leto but the entire Alliance.

Suddenly, Lu Fenghan was reminded of what the previous commander-in-chief of the Expeditionary Force had once said. No matter how the most skilled commanders could predict the impact of weather and environment and calculate the difference in troop strength between the two sides, they could never predict or calculate human nature. In this regard, no one could achieve omniscience, because human nature was too volatile.

“Understood,” Lu Fenghan’s tone was brisk, but he inquired further, “What about Klimo?”

“He’s under General Nie’s control. It’s said that he had secretly struck an agreement with the ‘Sage’ of the rebels. The Alliance will temporarily concede all planets and mining stars outside of York Star, and refrain from sending troops to reclaim them immediately. In return, the rebels will abstain from initiating large-scale warfare for the time being.”

Vincent couldn’t help but mutter through gritted teeth, “Fool!”

Lu Fenghan’s words dripped with sarcasm. “He’s a politician. Wheeling and dealing for personal gain is his forte. But the rebels aren’t just some pets waiting at his doorstep. Tossing a bone won’t make them sit and stay obediently.”

Vincent’s communication device chimed incessantly, leaving him with little time to elaborate with Lu Fenghan. Finally, he asked, “Commander, where are you now—”

“Heading to the starport.”

Vincent immediately guessed Lu Fenghan’s destination. “You go ahead. I’ll follow shortly.”

After the communication was cut off, the car fell into silence.

Xavier struggled to digest the onslaught of information.

Despite consisting of just a few sentences, they gave him an oddly surreal feeling.

One of the Alliance’s four-star generals had betrayed the Alliance, and another had secretly struck a deal with the rebels?

If anyone had told him this yesterday, he would have burst into laughter in mockery.

However, Lu Fenghan didn’t afford him any extra time. “What’s your plan?”

Finally realizing Lu Fenghan was addressing him, Xavier hesitated on how to address him and vaguely replied, “Will… there be a large-scale war afterward?”

As he spoke, his fingers smoothed out the wrinkles in his pants.

Lu Fenghan nodded. “Yes.”

“I want to go home once, although I’m not sure if I can… or maybe visit the school, and then enlist.” Xavier’s first half of the sentence was hesitant, but the last few words came out without a second thought.

Lu Fenghan simply cautioned, “You might die.”

“I know.” Xavier glanced out the window, his youthful face still showing traces of innocence. “But, with the Alliance in this state, it seems like someone has to do something.”

Confused yet determined, at just over twenty years of age, he glimpsed his path ahead and resolved to stride forward.

Lu Fenghan didn’t say much more, only asking, “Where do you want to go?”

“To the front lines!” Thinking that perhaps the Alliance was now nothing but “front lines” everywhere, Xavier added a few more words. “I want to go to the front lines of the Southern Cross Region, I want to join the Expeditionary Force!”

Lu Fenghan pondered for a moment before asking, “What’s your personal terminal number?”

Xavier cautiously recited a string of terminal numbers.

A few seconds later, his personal terminal pinged with a message. Opening it, he saw it was a letter of recommendation, signed by “Lu Fenghan.”

Xavier gasped for a breath of cool air!

Although he had speculated earlier, and the answer seemed obvious, nothing could compare to the intense surge of emotions when he actually saw this letter, and the three bold words written in iron ink!

For a moment, Xavier’s gaze towards Lu Fenghan practically sparkled.

After Xavier finished reading, Lu Fenghan spoke before he could, “We’re not far from the First Military Academy. Get off here.”

Xavier straightened up in an instant, hands resting on his thighs, his gaze bright and full of determination. “Yes!”

Lu Fenghan smirked and opened the car door.

As Xavier hurried out of the car, the black hovercar continued its journey towards the starport. Lu Fenghan glanced at Qi Yan, who was swiftly operating something on the virtual screen, his lips pressed tightly together.

His mind was filled with a multitude of thoughts at the same time.

How was Nie Huaiting’s injury now? How long would it take for him to come out of the treatment pod and take charge again? Would Klimo stir up more trouble? What was the current situation of the space battles near Leto? The rebels had come all the way from the front lines to the capital star, so what was happening on the front lines now…?

But all of this seemed to fade away in an instant, overshadowed by the stark reality of the imminent parting right before him.

Lu Fenghan remembered the thoughts he had entertained before, like bringing Little Delicate with him to the front lines, but now he would never do such a thing.

He had not grown conceited enough to believe that “the safest place is always by his side.” Even now, he wished Qi Yan to stay far away from him, far from the fires of war and danger, safe and sound, without a hint of trouble.

He had worried about many things—whether Qi Yan would eat properly without him, remember to wear slippers, remember to take an umbrella, whether he would be afraid of bitter medicine, whether the place he stayed would be hit by thunderstorms…

But when it came time to speak, not a single word could escape his lips.

It was as if speaking them aloud would immediately lead to their separation.

So, he remained silent as they headed towards the starport. He wished the road could shrink into oblivion while simultaneously hoping it would stretch on indefinitely.

It wasn’t until the buildings of the starport loomed into view, amidst the raging fires of war, that Lu Fenghan turned the control lever and headed towards the underground entrance of another military starport.

Qi Yan’s gaze shifted away from his personal terminal. “I just received a message. The people who came to pick me up have already arrived outside Leto. For safety reasons, they’ve opened a deactivated jump point. They’re on the other side of the wormhole now.”

Lu Fenghan replied shortly, “Hmm.”

The people picking up Qi Yan were cautious. With the chaos in Leto, it was impossible to determine whether any random person in the crowd was affiliated with the rebels. Therefore, the best approach was to minimize Qi Yan’s presence. The less attention he drew, the safer he would be.

This was the rational analysis, yet Lu Fenghan felt a sense of resistance.

He began to worry whether these people would be thorough enough, whether they would take good care of Qi Yan, whether they would—

In the end, he forcibly suppressed these thoughts with rationality.

The black hovercar entered the military starport through a secret route. Lu Fenghan brushed open the warehouse at the end, revealing a black microstarship before them.

The ship’s hull was as black as night, with sleek lines.

Boarding the starship, Lu Fenghan tossed the box containing the central control system architecture aside. He activated the driving system and, in the brief preheating interval of less than half a minute, he glanced down at Qi Yan sitting quietly beside him.

“Two years?”

Two words, abrupt and disconnected.

Qi Yan easily caught his train of thought and nodded. “Yes.”

“The time I’m away won’t count towards the two-year limit.”

“Hmm.”

Lu Fenghan pinched Qi Yan’s cheek.

He wanted to say, Wait for me to come back to you. By then, the rebels will be crippled and won’t be able to cause any more trouble. You can continue your studies at Turan, travel to Woz, or do whatever you want, wherever you want. I’ll be there for you, protecting you. You won’t have to be afraid of anything.”

But faced with the clear and serene depths of Qi Yan’s eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Promises were too fleeting, too frivolous. He shouldn’t say such words at a time like this.

Lu Fenghan lightly pinched Qi Yan’s cheek, then released it. His hand rested on the cold, hard metal control lever.

The contrast in temperatures even evoked a sense of loss deep within his heart.

One metal door after another rose before him, and the flight path appeared in his field of vision. The electronic voice announced, “Propulsion system preheating complete, 7, 6… 3, 2, 1—”

The final metal door opened, and the microstarship shot straight up along the track, piercing through the atmosphere at incredible speed, making everything on the ground shrink smaller and smaller.

Amidst the turbulence, Lu Fenghan glanced at Qi Yan once more, reaching out to flick his delicate earlobe.

Finally, he said, “Return to the Lagoon Nebula and wait for me, okay?”

He didn’t clarify, nor could he clarify, what he wanted Qi Yan to wait for. He even felt that his request was unreasonable and excessive.

What right did he have to ask Qi Yan to wait for him when he didn’t even know how long the war would last, was uncertain of the outcome, and couldn’t even guarantee his own survival?

Just because of a piece of paper?

Yet, without hesitation, Qi Yan nodded. “Okay.”

It was as if he understood all of Lu Fenghan’s unspoken words and emotions.

The noise of the starship’s continuous ascent filled his ears, yet Lu Fenghan strangely heard this word with exceptional clarity. Even Qi Yan’s lip movements and expressions at that moment could be perfectly replicated in his memory.

He gazed deeply at this young man before him, his throat tight with emotion, and finally, he forced a smile on his lips.

He thought, just because of this one word.

Even if he was about to die, he would snatch away the scythe of the Grim Reaper.

Just because of this one word.

A moment of silence ensued as they broke free from the gravitational pull of the capital star. They, along with the microstarship, drifted in space like specks of dust, inconspicuous.

Qi Yan’s personal terminal emitted a long “beep.” He visibly let out a sigh of relief and informed Lu Fenghan, “Pojun’s data core has been successfully mined. I’m transferring it to your personal terminal now.”

Lu Fenghan was taken aback. “What?”

Pojun… was for him?

At the same time, Lu Fenghan’s personal terminal on his wrist lit up, displaying “Reception progress: 1%.”

Qi Yan explained, his expression serious and solemn, “I will also protect you, in my own way.”

Handing Pojun over to you is my way of protecting you.

After a moment’s thought, Qi Yan added, “You must take good care of it.”

Lu Fenghan didn’t quite understand why Pojun needed to be taken care of, but he agreed readily. “I will, don’t worry.”

At that moment, a virtual screen rose from the control panel of the microstarship. Three seconds later, Nie Huaiting’s image appeared, looking visibly weak. Without his military uniform, her resembled an ordinary elderly citizen of Leto.

Lu Fenghan quickly surveyed the man. “Are you alright?”

Nie Huaiting sat beside the treatment pod, waving his hand dismissively. “Can’t die. Left the capital star?”

“Yes.”

“There’s been no contact from the front lines in the Southern Cross Region. The situation is unknown.”

Lu Fenghan remained composed. “Erich is there. Keeping things under control temporarily shouldn’t be an issue. Even if he hasn’t, I can regroup when I return.”

Nodding, Nie Huaiting seemed inclined to say a few more words. After listening, he paused for a moment. Then, with a rare paternal tone in his voice, he advised, “Stay safe on your journey.”

Lu Fenghan nodded in acknowledgment.

The microstarship veered away from the conflict zone, gradually moving further from Leto along a secret route not marked on the starmap, heading towards the target jump point.

It was precisely at this moment that the unexpected occurred.

Suddenly, the radar monitor lit up with a red alert, indicating a rapid approach of high-energy entity! Lu Fenghan immediately opened the protective shield, and the next second, the entire starship shook.

Qi Yan held onto his seat, steadying himself. “Are we being tracked?”

“The chances are slim. No one knows the central control system is in my hands, and I randomly selected this starship. The odds are one in ten. Being tracked is unlikely,” Lu Fenghan spoke quickly, maneuvering the starship deftly to evade the incoming second bomb. “It’s not the rebel’s style. It’s space pirates.”

He speculated, “It’s likely an accident. space pirates are like rabid dogs, biting at anyone they see. They probably happened upon us while on a mission and decided to take a bite when they saw us leaving Leto.”

As he spoke, the third and fourth bombs arrived in an instant. Lu Fenghan commanded, “Hold on tight!” Just as the words left his mouth, he manipulated the microstarship to execute a 270-degree arc rotation in space, narrowly avoiding the two attacks!

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