Emerging from the Allied Forces headquarters in Alaska, Admiral Halberton gazed at the deathly silent cliffs before him.
He vividly remembered the countless times he had passed through these gates, always greeted by an expansive, endless plain.
But now...
Taking a few slow steps forward, a pile of gravel tumbled down the steep cliff with a clattering sound.
"East Asia, East Asia."
His eyes flickering with indescribable thoughts, Admiral Halberton looked out into the distance.
What met his gaze was an endless abyss.
"Heh heh heh..."
A bone-chilling fear spread throughout his body—this elder who had once been utterly loyal to the Allied Forces and the Atlantic Federation.
Halberton then closed his eyes, though no one could tell what was truly on his mind.
Before Admiral Halberton could sort through his thoughts, a helicopter approached, stirring up fierce winds as it flew toward him.
"Your Excellency?"
Noticing the insignia on the helicopter, his adjutant cautiously stepped forward.
"The East Asian Army has sent a helicopter. It must be here to receive you."
"Ah, I understand."
Opening his eyes, he straightened his Atlantic Federation Army uniform.
Halberton stared at the somewhat glaring military emblem of his old friends on the helicopter.
Once the helicopter stabilized, he strode forward and entered the cabin.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh..."
After this renowned strategist in the military settled in, the helicopter soared upward, heading straight for the Kunpeng.
"Is this the strength of the East Asian Army?"
As they drew closer to the massive aerial fleet in the sky, the sheer size of the East Asian Army's Kunpeng large aerial carrier.
Brought an increasingly intense sense of pressure upon Admiral Halberton.
Halberton was no stranger to massive battleships—but those were in space.
His own former Eighth Fleet of the Allied Forces.
Yet, witnessing for the first time within the gravity well a vessel as colossal as a space battleship, the Kunpeng.
Stirred a different kind of melancholy within his heart.
Unconsciously, Halberton clenched his fist inside the helicopter. There was a time when the entire Earth Sphere looked upon others.
With envious, longing eyes, standing on tiptoe to gaze at the equipment of their own Atlantic Federation Army.
So cautious they even feared their gaze might damage the gear.
And when had a general of the Atlantic Federation Army ever looked upon another's equipment with such eyes?
As the helicopter entered the hangar through the side door of the Kunpeng large aerial carrier.
Halberton forcibly suppressed his chaotic thoughts, composed his emotions, and pulled open the helicopter's side door.
Come to think of it, when he boarded the helicopter, no one had come to open the door for him.
So, when disembarking, he had to open it manually as well.
In the past, this would have been a blatant insult, but now Halberton felt no sense of humiliation at all.
After all, compared to the decision he had already made in his heart, this was nothing.
"Hahaha, General Zheng, at a time like this when manpower is tight, it would have been fine to pick me up a bit later."
Just after stepping off the helicopter, Halberton heard another voice nearby.
Right next to his helicopter, someone was disembarking from another one.
General Charle of the Eurasian Federation was jogging toward the renowned General Zheng of the East Asian Army, who had come to greet them.
In Halberton's line of sight, before General Charle could even reach General Zheng's position—
"Pathetic," Halberton couldn't help muttering under his breath.
Even before General Zheng, the distinguished representative of the East Asian Alliance, could extend his hand, General Charle had already thrust his out from a distance.
Seeing the other's obsequious posture, Halberton's recently composed mood grew agitated once more.
"Hello, General Charle. It's a pleasure to see you again."
General Zheng grasped the hand of General Charle, who stood before him with a bent back, unable to straighten up.
"My apologies. The battle has just concluded, and the honor guard wasn't prepared in time. The helicopters sent to receive you also lacked service personnel."
"No problem, no problem!"
Each "no problem" was uttered louder than the last.
Strictly speaking, General Charle's rank in the Eurasian Federation Army was no lower than that of General Zheng standing before him.
Yet, he had a knack for making outsiders perceive him as General Zheng's subordinate.
"The East Asian Army has just achieved such a glorious victory against the Coordinators on behalf of our Allied Forces."
"The brave and fearless soldiers of the East Asian Army deserve their rest."
"Moreover, tasks like clearing the battlefield and tending to the wounded—all require manpower, don't they?"
General Charle even took the initiative to justify the East Asian Army's actions, then added:
"When I return to the Eurasian Federation, I will definitely petition the council to commend the East Asian Army for their merits."
"At the Allied Forces military council, our Eurasian Federation will certainly support the East Asian Army."
With two emphatic "definitelys," General Charle made his stance glaringly obvious.
"Isn't that right, Admiral Halberton of the Atlantic Federation?"
Finally, he turned to Halberton, who had just approached, seeking his agreement.
"Hmm?" Halberton's face twitched at the question.
"Of course, although General Charle had a precedent of successful cooperation with the East Asian Army back at the Artemis Fortress,"
"My Eighth Fleet also coordinated seamlessly with the East Asian Army during the low-orbit campaign."
"In terms of shared history with the East Asian Army, our two forces are quite comparable."
"Ah, that's right—if we include the Archangel,"
"It's possible that the Atlantic Federation Army has collaborated with the East Asian Army for even longer."
Halberton, speaking with measured indifference, was hardly one to lose a war of words to someone like General Charle.
After this speech,
General Charle, who had never straightened his back, felt the flesh on his face tremble.
As the saying goes: when hitting, avoid the face; when criticizing, avoid sore spots.
The general public might not know the true situation at the Artemis Fortress.
Even the common soldiers in the army might believe the Allied Forces' official propaganda.
But you, esteemed Admiral Halberton, as a high-ranking officer within the military—
Could you possibly be unaware of the actual circumstances at the Artemis Fortress?
At the very least, General Charle refused to believe it.
In other words!
A flash of ferocity gleamed in the eyes of the stooped General Charle.
In his view, Halberton's deliberate reference to past events was meant to plant doubts in General Zheng's mind and cause trouble for him.
It was a reminder to General Zheng beside him: Your people at the Artemis Fortress had thoroughly outmaneuvered me, General Charle!
In that case, would I, General Charle, hold a grudge?
In that case, how would General Zheng view me, Charle?
"Speaking of which, such a major incident as the Allied Forces headquarters being attacked—even the East Asian Army across the sea has come to our aid with full strength."
"Yet your Atlantic Federation Army remains nowhere to be seen?"
"Isn't Alaska quite close to you all?"
"Or are you adhering to the principle of 'when allies are in trouble, our army remains as immovable as a mountain'?"
With a swift shift in his gaze, General Charle was no pushover either. He immediately posed a question that Halberton could not avoid.
Did you, Halberton, think you could use the self-destruction of Artemis to make a point? Did you take me, Charle, for a fool?
I simply refuse to engage on that matter. Dwelling on the past is pointless—let's talk about the present instead.
Moreover, I, General Charle, am a man of propriety.
Rest assured, I am not foolish enough to outright expose your Atlantic Federation's plan to use us as bait!
Nor will I reveal your intention to use the Cyclops System beneath the Allied Forces headquarters.
To send us all to the heavens.
Ah, correction—to send all of us to the heavens.
Including you, Admiral Halberton!
With an unmistakable look in his eyes, General Charle conveyed the message directly to Halberton.
He was absolutely certain that everyone present was a crafty old fox—no one was any less clever than the others.
What the Atlantic Federation was truly scheming was clear to all.
"General Zheng."
Faced with General Charle's attempt to turn the tables and provoke him, Halberton simply ignored the other man's remarks.
Instead, he turned to General Zheng, who had been sitting calmly as if watching a show—like two old dogs tearing into each other—and said:
"In light of the current situation at the Allied Forces headquarters, I hope the East Asian Army can allocate some troops to station here."
"As you know, due to the Coordinators' surprise attack, the original garrison forces of the headquarters have been almost completely wiped out."
"If the unyielding Coordinators launch another assault, it would be inappropriate to repeatedly trouble your forces to provide support."
"Of course, given that the area outside the Allied Forces headquarters is now in such a state, we will have to rely on your forces to take extra care in handling the garrison duties."
"Some troops? Outside the headquarters?"
A glint flashed in General Zheng's eyes.
"Yes, some troops, outside the headquarters."
As General Charle's jaw dropped wider and wider, Admiral Halberton nodded and stated without changing his expression:
"I am the defense commander of the headquarters, and I have the authority to make arrangements I deem appropriate."
"At this moment, I believe it is entirely reasonable to temporarily transfer the defense responsibilities of the Allied Forces headquarters to the East Asian Army."
"Aren't we all partners in the Allied Forces?"
"Yes, we are all partners in the Allied Forces."
Suddenly, as if spring had blossomed, General Zheng proactively extended both hands and firmly grasped Admiral Halberton's.
After shaking them vigorously, he said:
"I will immediately arrange for the East Asian Army to station in Alaska."
"Come, come, Chief of Staff Jiang, please assist in receiving our guests. We must ensure that our old friends..."
"…do not later accuse the East Asian Army of lacking in courtesy."
"Rest assured, I will warmly entertain our old friend, Admiral Halberton."
Signaling General Zheng to hurry off and attend to important matters, Chief of Staff Jiang indicated that he would handle things here.
The previously stern and official expression on Chief of Staff Jiang's face now blossomed into a beaming smile.
Stationing troops in Alaska was excellent news—the longer the stay, the better.
Once we have everything here sorted out and all strategic points fully occupied,
under the banner of defending against Coordinators, and with orders from your Atlantic Federation's own appointed garrison commander,
who can legally challenge us?
Not to mention that during this so-called Throat-Cutting Operation by the Coordinators, your Atlantic Federation insidiously even...
Glancing at General Charle beside him, who was staring intently at Halberton with an expression of utmost admiration.
The Eurasian Federation should now understand who to follow in the future, right?
In terms of strength, in terms of character.
What does the Atlantic Federation have to compare with our East Asian Alliance!
(End of Chapter)