PFC Chapter 809 Space Cossacks
Chapter 809 Space Cossacks
Chapter 809 Space Cossacks
"grown ups."
Fu Qinghai walked through the crowd and stood in front of Tajin.
“I know you, Major Aoyama.”
Tajin looked Fu Qinghai up and down and said:
"Your operations in Sereno and Sefira were outstanding, and your name has been mentioned multiple times in the New Vision's reports."
"It is my honor to impress you."
Fu Qinghai could only say politely.
The surrounding guests were also sizing up Fu Qinghai, wanting to see what was so special about this young officer who had been praised by Tajin alone, including Estol, who also looked on with curiosity.
There are different kinds of senior sector governors. The Galactic Empire has twenty senior sector governors, but only one: Wilhuff Tarkin. Other senior sector governors only govern certain important sectors, such as the Lota and Quarter sectors, and are not much different from ordinary sector governors. In the Star Wars canon universe, Tarkin's jurisdiction covered the entire Outer Rim region, demonstrating his immense power.
The Galactic Empire is a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by Palpatine. Power is not strictly determined by rank, but by the closeness or distance of one's relationship with the emperor.
Theoretically, Tarkin was just one of the twenty senior sector governors, but in reality, his power far exceeded that of the other senior sector governors because the Emperor trusted him greatly.
The Galactic Empire has a prime minister position, with the Prime Minister being the Chagrian Mas Ameda, but this prime minister is merely a figurehead, with far less power than Tarkin.
The three pillars of the Galactic Empire, second only to the Emperor:
Tarkin, Vida, Throng.
Tarkin focused on domestic affairs, Thrawn on military matters, and Vader was primarily responsible for supernatural and surreal Force affairs.
Tarkin seemed about to say something, but after glancing at the curious looks on the faces of the people around him, he changed his mind and said:
"Gentlemen, I'd like to speak with Major Aoyama privately."
He gave the host of the banquet, Estor, an apologetic look, and Estor waved his hand to indicate that it was no problem. Then Tarkin walked straight out of the crowd, and people made way for him. Fu Qinghai followed closely behind Tarkin.
The two arrived at a quiet arcade, which happened to be the same arcade where Fu Qinghai and Tong En had been talking privately. Coincidentally, Tong En, who had finished tidying up, came out of the restroom and turned around to see Qingshan and Tajin standing in the arcade.
“Uh, Lord Tarkin…”
Tong En greeted them somewhat haltingly.
Tarkin gave her a strange look. He didn't recognize the woman and guessed she was probably the wife of some official. He wondered why she was so nervous and nodded slightly in response.
Tong En lifted her skirt, lowered her head, and quickly left.
"In a sense..."
Tajin turned to Fu Qinghai and said:
"The Clone Wars are not over. Or rather, for an empire that must constantly expand to maintain its vitality, war will never end—it's just that the form of war has changed. Many people don't realize this. Our enemies no longer fight us openly and honestly as they used to. They've gone into hiding, hiding among the common people."
Fu Qinghai did not rush to express his agreement or agreement, but instead showed a listening posture that indicated he was willing to hear more details.
Tarkin smiled with satisfaction and continued:
"And you, Major Aoyama, I have reviewed your resume and noticed that you are very well adapted to this new form of warfare. You are very good at finding out the enemy hiding among the civilians, a skill that many of our commanders lack."
"There's an element of luck involved, sir."
Fu Qinghai also made a frank and modest remark.
"Luck is also a part of strength."
Tarkin ignored these polite formalities:
"However, whether it is the Abyss of Sereno or the Flatix of Sefila, these alien races are merely a minor ailment to the Empire. The real problem... well, it can't be called a problem, but it is one that deserves our attention. It lies within ourselves."
Fu Qinghai thought to himself, “The way of saying it is “within ourselves” is full of anthropocentrism.”
Fu Qinghai was still waiting for Tarkin to reveal what the internal problems of humanity were, but Tarkin suddenly changed his tone and said:
“I can tell from your style of action that you are someone who likes to take the initiative. Your superiors transferred you to Sephira to ensure that the production of Bakta Boxes would no longer have problems. Any normal commander would have strengthened monitoring and defense, but you chose to risk your life to take down those Flatix terrorists.”
Tarkin's words carried a hint of criticism.
“Building more walls is useless if the enemy is allowed to live outside the gates—this is what a philosopher from my hometown said. I agree with this military philosophy: proactive offense is always better than passive defense. So I chose to take the initiative. I admit that this move was very risky, but I succeeded. Sefira will never be harassed by terrorists again.”
Fu Qinghai explained his ideas to Tajin.
"Building more walls won't help if the enemy is allowed to live outside the gates"—this was actually said by Sigismund, the Sigismund in the Warhammer 40K universe. This statement was also the original intention of the Black Sword Saint in launching the Eternal Crusade.
Of course, Fu Qinghai was not a commander with a blindly aggressive tactical style. Offense and defense were both his tactical options. The real reason he chose to take the risk was that the requirement to "ensure that there are no more problems in the production of the Bakta box" was a matter of seeking no merit but avoiding mistakes. If he did well, there would be no credit, but if problems occurred, he would be held accountable.
If Fu Qinghai wanted to advance quickly within the imperial bureaucracy, he couldn't stay on the planet Sephira indefinitely to "ensure that there would be no more problems with the production of the Bakta Box." No matter how well he did that job, it wouldn't demonstrate his abilities. Therefore, he chose to take the initiative and eliminate the terrorist organization once and for all.
“If the enemy is allowed to live outside the gate, building more walls will be useless… Hmm, that’s very well said.”
A glint of light flashed in Tajin's eyes.
This statement inexplicably aligns with his advocacy of expansionism and may be used as a memorable quote in his next speech.
“But I have a question. I am also an Eliad, so how come I have never heard of this phrase before?”
Tajin turned to Fu Qinghai and asked curiously.
Damn, I almost forgot about this relationship...
Fu Qinghai silently reminded himself.
Luxem gave him a fake identity: the second son of an ordinary dockworker family from Eliadou in the outer ring area. So, strictly speaking, he and Tarkin were from the same hometown.
"I saw it in an old book."
Fu Qinghai said somewhat embarrassedly:
"I've forgotten exactly who said it."
Tarkin did not delve into the matter further, but instead returned to the main topic:
"As I just said, the real problem lies within humanity itself. Since you've also admitted that you're someone who likes to take the initiative, I'd like to ask you if you're willing to embrace a new challenge?"
Tarkin wants to send me to serve in a new place?
Fu Qinghai understood what Tajin was trying to say.
"What specific problems within humanity are you referring to?"
Fu Qinghai did not rush to agree but asked cautiously.
"The Mandalorian."
Tajin uttered a familiar word softly.
"His Majesty intends to completely control the Mandalorian space and turn it into the Mandalorian sector under the Empire's rule. Although one clan leader is currently willing to submit to us, the attitudes of the other clans are still unclear, which is a rather thorny problem we are facing. You must understand that the Mandalorians are not like the Abyss or the Flatix; even if all these alien races were combined, they would not be as powerful as the Mandalorians."
It's like a pillow being delivered just when you're about to fall asleep...
Fu Qinghai was secretly delighted upon hearing this.
"So what do you mean?"
Fu Qinghai continued to inquire cautiously on the surface.
"His Majesty will appoint Gar Saxon as the first governor of Mandalorian, but the strength of the Saxon clan alone is not enough to win the sincere allegiance of the other clans of Mandalorian."
Tajin gave Fu Qinghai a deep look:
“I wish to send you as the Imperial military representative to assist Gar Saxon and his Saxon clan in dealing with the Mandalorian affairs. This is a challenge; as I said before, the Mandalorians are not as easy to deal with as the Abyssians and the Flatix. Are you confident in completing this mission, Major?”
"I will do my best, sir."
Fu Qinghai said in a serious and firm tone.
"Very good, don't let me down."
Tarkin patted him on the shoulder with satisfaction.
…………
Sephira, an imperial military base.
Fu Qinghai sat upright at his desk.
On the table was a flat safe. Fu Qinghai inserted his combination lock into the safe, and after verification, the lock popped open. He opened the lid, and inside lay a brand-new set of military rank insignia and combination lock, as well as a transfer order.
Fu Qinghai first unfolded the transfer order, the contents of which were quite simple: he was required to immediately proceed to Mandalo to assume his post, and it was signed by the Imperial Supreme Command. Fu Qinghai then glanced at his rank insignia; he had been promoted to Colonel in the Imperial Army.
Colonel is the pinnacle of field-grade officers. The next step up is general. All told, Fu Qinghai has only been out of school for less than a month. This speed of promotion is so fast that even describing it as a rocket might be an understatement.
"Well……"
Fu Qinghai adjusted the back of his chair, leaned back, and put his feet up on the desk. He thought to himself that it would be nice to have a female secretary with him at this moment, and maybe he could also open a bottle of good wine.
Fu Qinghai knew why he had been promoted so quickly. His previous achievements were only one of the reasons. The more important reason was that Tarkin sent him as the representative of the Imperial military in Mandalo to provide support to the new governor. Therefore, his rank would be interpreted. If he was only a major, it would seem that the Empire's support for the Saxon clan was insufficient, or that the Empire did not value the Saxon clan.
For example, suppose you are a highly capable salesperson, and the company plans to put you in charge of negotiating with a major client. However, if you participate in the negotiation as an ordinary employee, the major client may feel that you are not capable of making the final decision. On the other hand, the actual manager may not be as capable as you. So the company temporarily promotes you to the position of vice president, giving the client the feeling that you can make decisions and have a lot of say.
Therefore, Tajin promoted Fu Qinghai to colonel.
This is the real reason why Fu Qinghai was promoted so quickly.
Some might think that promoting a military academy graduate directly to the rank of colonel is somewhat frivolous, but on the contrary, in the power circles of most countries, such promotions are the norm in the operation of power.
Peter Hegses, a mere infantry platoon leader, was promoted to Secretary of Defense, and countless others followed suit, exposing the very logic of power to the public.
If you don't have the authority to break with convention and promote others, and if each of your subordinates is promoted step by step according to their abilities, seniority, and contributions, why would others stick close to you and cling to your coattails?
Sometimes, opportunity truly trumps effort. Fu Qinghai had been scheming about how to get involved in Mandalorian affairs, but unexpectedly, he bumped into Tarkin at a birthday party, and his goal was achieved. Tarkin was obviously too busy to wait for Fu Qinghai at the party; this arrangement was probably just a spur-of-the-moment idea of his, but it just so happened to suit Fu Qinghai's wishes.
However, there are also costs associated with exceptional promotions.
Fu Qinghai put his hands behind his head and thought to himself:
From that time on, I was considered one of Tarkin's people.
The internal political struggles and infighting within the empire were extremely fierce, as this was the result of the emperor's tacit approval and indulgence. Although Tarkin was extremely powerful, he was not without political enemies. As far as Fu Qinghai knew, at least Darth Vader was at odds with Tarkin.
Fu Qinghai turned on the ultrasonic transceiver on the table, entered a code for an encrypted communication frequency band, and waited for the connection to be established.
"Beep, beep, beep... buzz buzz."
The communication was successfully established, but no one spoke.
"Tarkin may conduct a background check on me."
Fu Qinghai cut to the chase and said to the person on the other end of the communication channel:
"Is the identity you arranged for me secure?"
"You mean your family in Eliadu?"
A deep, altered voice came from the other end of the line, created by a voice changer.
"Yes."
"Don't worry, they're dead. They died in a fire caused by a chemical explosion. You are safe."
The strange voice on the other end of the communication said calmly.
Damn, so it turns out I'm still an orphan?
"Then I'm all set."
Fu Qinghai hung up the call immediately after speaking.
Almost the very next second after he hung up the call.
"Ding dong."
The doorbell rang in the commander's office.
"Please come in."
Fu Qinghai put his feet down on the table.
"Sir, the shuttle is ready."
His adjutant walked in and spoke.
…………
"Diligence, honor, and wildness shape the soul of the Mandalorian."
—Keynote speech by Vilnau Toipt.
……
Outer ring area, Mandalorian.
Fu Qinghai looked down at the white planet through the shuttle's porthole. The shuttle passed through sparse clouds and could see the off-white desert covering the land, as well as huge gray bowls overturned in the white desert.
Fu Qinghai maintained his habit of reading during his travels. On the way here, he used a holographic reader to finish reading "Collected Papers on the Archaeology and History of the Milky Way" published by Brentell College, and learned about the history of the Mandalorians in detail.
The concept of the "Mandalorians" originally originated from the Toon, an alien race that originated in Coruscant in ancient times. This alien race revered strength and preferred to fight in armor. Humans in the Star Wars canon universe also originated in Coruscant. About seven thousand years ago, the Toon and humans lost the struggle for Coruscant and were forced to migrate, eventually settling in the Outer Rim and settling on the planet Mandalorian.
The Toon people worship war itself as a deity and wage "holy wars" against the surrounding areas of Mandalorian under the pretext of religious belief. They conquer and occupy many other alien and human planets. In the process of conquest and plunder, their technology has continued to develop, and they have also absorbed many non-Toon races into their ranks.
For thousands of years, the Taun people have been extinct, but their spirit of worshipping force and war has been passed down and is known as the "Mandalorian Creed." The race that adheres to this ideology and way of life is the "Mandalorian." Ironically, it was humans who drove the Taun people out of Coruscant, yet today the Mandalorian are almost an entire human civilization.
Genetic research confirms that many ethnic groups in the real world are religious groups rather than ethnic groups based on bloodline. For example, the Jewish people and the Han Chinese are both religious groups. However, calling the Mandalorians a religious group is somewhat of a stretch, because the so-called "Mandalor Creed" is not enough to constitute a clear religious belief or traditional culture. The Mandalorians are more like a special warrior class and a way of life.
Compared to Jews, the Mandalorians are more like Cossacks. Cossacks were not an ethnic group, but a group of people who followed a specific way of life, a special class within the Slavic peoples. Like the Cossacks, the Mandalorians revered military force. With the exception of a very small number of other ethnic groups, the Mandalorians can also be seen as a group of people within humanity who follow a unique way of life.
The Lambda-class shuttle continued its descent.
The giant gray bowl below is getting bigger and bigger.
These overturned gray bowls in the desert are actually the domes of Mandalorian cities. The Mandalorians used these hemispherical gray domes to cover the entire city, mainly to block sand and dust, and incidentally to collect some solar energy.
It is said that when the Taun people first discovered and occupied this planet, and named it "Mandalor" after their supreme leader, Mandalor was a forest planet with a suitable climate, but now it has become a desert planet.
The cause of all this was the "Mandalorian Elimination Operation" launched by the Galactic Republic seven hundred years ago. The Galactic Republic wanted to restore order to the Outer Ring, and the Mandalorians were the biggest obstacle. So, under the command of the Jedi Order, the Galactic Republic defeated the Mandalorians and sent a fleet to bombard the planet Mandalorian, causing severe damage to the planet's ecology, turning lush forests into desolate and barren deserts.
At first glance, it might seem like the Galactic Republic is quite inhumane, but once you truly understand the history of the Mandalorians, you'll realize that before being whitewashed by American TV shows, the Mandalorians were definitely a permanent villainous force in the galaxy. Throughout the thousands of years of Mandalorian history, as long as they weren't engaged in civil war, they were always waging wars abroad. They conquered, occupied, plundered, and slaughtered countless planets, and it's no wonder their home planet was bombed into a desert.
The greatest achievement of the Galactic Republic's "Operation Mandalorian Elimination" was not turning Mandalorian planet into a barren desert, but rather plunging the Mandalorians into renewed division. They split into the "New Mandalorians," who wished to follow a peaceful way of life; the "Orthodox Mandalorians," who wanted to continue their warrior traditions; and the "Old Mandalorians," who had no political aspirations and simply wanted to live peacefully. These factions fought fiercely against each other.
The orthodox Mandalorians further split into a more extreme and radical terrorist organization—the Deathguard.
In short, during the entire Clone Wars, the Old Galactic Republic and the Independent System Confederation were engaged in fierce warfare, while the Mandalorians, belonging to the Neutral System Council, were also engaged in fierce civil war. During this period, various forces, including the Sith, Jedi, and the Old Republic, were introduced. With one side rising and another falling, the situation was extremely chaotic, ultimately turning the Mandalorian space into the mess it is today.
Fu Qinghai is going to clean up this mess.
"We are about to land, sir."
The pilot in the cockpit spoke.
Fu Qinghai's thoughts were interrupted. He looked up at the window and saw the huge black and gray hemispherical dome, made up of countless hexagonal panels, right in front of him.
Sendari, the capital of Mandalo.
…………