The capital of the alliance is Star Fulin Hillman.

As the top leaders of the alliance, Tommy and Corinthian have been unusually irritable in recent days, and they thought that Locke's return could relieve their pressure, but they didn't expect the pressure to get bigger and bigger. Of course, this is not because Locke is not doing well, but because the Mandate of Heaven Sect, which he thought was just a small fight, gradually leaked his fangs, leaving the entire Agron Star Zone completely out of control.

The Alliance was not without additional personnel, and the Second Space Fleet arrived in the Agron Sector almost entirely, but it still couldn't do anything. The ground forces in Aglan have suffered heavy losses, and the Coalition GIs, who have always been accustomed to high-profile involvement in various incidents, have neglected the importance of concealment. Dressed in Union uniforms, armed with state-of-the-art firearms, and wearing sunglasses, Alliance GIs often swaggered on the city streets of the Ereng Star District, greeting them not with the welcome of the people, but with cold guns from nowhere. The soldiers of the Alliance never imagined that a dying old woman on the street would pull out two pistols from the basket of groceries and shoot at them desperately, nor did they expect that the flower girl would die with them with the bomb. But Agron has not completely fallen, and even in the midst of the crisis, there are still ordinary people who want to live a normal life. The presence of this group of people has made it impossible for the Coalition to conduct large-scale military operations, and it is equally impossible to distinguish these ordinary people from the fanatics of the Manifest Destiny Sect.

Locke was writing something in Tommy's office at this time, and Tommy knew that he must have a new idea and was working on a plan. Tommy felt a little strange to Locke now, and his son he had always been proud of had become a little strange after returning from Bootkamp. At first, Tommy thought it was the arrogant Locke who was in a mood because of the results of the competition, but slowly he found that this was not the case at all. Locke, who was originally loving and kind, became a little radical, and his way of dealing with people and things began to change. A few days ago, Locke had proposed a plan to Tommy, about the handling of the Agron incident. Tommy was shocked into a cold sweat after seeing this plan, cold, ruthless is Tommy's interpretation of this plan. Locke didn't know what was affected by it, but he actually believed in the so-called chaotic times to reinvent the code, and wanted to deal an indiscriminate blow to everyone in Egren. Locke explains that it is the courage of a strong man to break his wrist, and if he does not sacrifice the interests of some people, it will only make Agren's form more severe. The proposal was rejected by Tommy and was not even brought to parliament for discussion. Tommy found Locke for a long talk after this incident, and finally understood the reason why Locke had these changes, and that Morning Star, under that harmless face of humans and animals, there would be such a decisive heart.

Although Tommy has a lot of opinions about Morningstar's opinion, after all, Locke's idea was not formulated by Morningstar himself, and there is also the possibility that Locke misinterpreted Morningstar's meaning, so Tommy did not restrict Locke and Morningstar's continued communication. At this moment, Tommy is very glad that he has made this decision. Because two days ago Locke received another message from Morning Star.

Seven years ago, Tommy and Corinthia were ordinary politicians in the Alliance's Flynn Hillman Star District, and although they had a certain degree of popularity, they had no idea that they could one day become the top leaders of the Alliance. At the time, he was working for the Alliance's intelligence service, so he had been exposed to many secrets of the external blockade, including the murder of Earl Luke. According to the investigation report sent at the time, Tommy and Corinthia realized that there was something wrong with this matter, but the follow-up investigation was suppressed by their immediate boss at the time. Thinking about it now, it should have been the Heavenly Mandate Sect at that time, and his immediate boss at that time should have been the person controlled by the Heavenly Mandate Sect, and in order to ensure that the secret was not leaked, he risked being exposed and forcibly intervened in this matter. Tommy felt very remorseful when he thought of this, if he had been more determined and braver at that time, and maybe he could have discovered the layout of the Mandate of Heaven Sect earlier, the situation today would not have become so difficult to control.

"Father, this is my interpretation of the reports coming back from the Agron Sector, and I've found a few things that are easy to overlook, take a look." Locke's words interrupted Tommy's musings, and Tommy read the document very carefully.

This document is an ordinary interrogation report, which is very detailed, from the capture of the captive, to the interrogation process, to the analysis of the interrogation agency, it can be said that it has done everything in detail. Krok still found problems in this document that others had overlooked.

There are places on the document that are marked with a pen, and there is a piece of paper that shows the extension of these notes, and Tommy compares them, and he finds that the problems pointed out by Locke are worthy of attention. The first is the Haiwenxing incident, in which the captives confessed that Haiwenxing Time was a conspiracy planned and executed by the Heavenly Mandate Sect in order to experiment with the effect of the evolved version of the "Dead Plague" virus. This captive was supposed to be a high-ranking member of the Mandate of Heaven Sect, and he even knew something about Duke Luke's murder seven years ago. This made Tommy interested in Morningstar's abilities, how did a mere warrior of the Republic get the news about Luke's murder? Another suspicion was that the captives had taken something very important to them.

Tommy had seen a detailed report of Havenstar's evacuation operation, and in addition to the large and small battles with the insects, there seemed to be a decapitation operation related to Morning Star. There was no record of this battle, and Morning Star did not belong to the Alliance, so the front-line commander at the time, Shiraishi, had no way to get Morning Star to bring a field recorder, and all the details of that battle were just guesses. However, the captive's confession can show that Morning Star and the woman from the Republic won this battle, and obtained a very important thing from the target, which is of great significance to the Mandate of Heaven Sect, and there was a scene in the final of the Mecha Competition.

"It's really a success, Xiao He, a failure, Xiao He, this kid Morning Star, although he has helped us a lot, but he is really a troublemaker, it seems that the sudden outbreak of this Heavenly Mandate Sect is all because of this kid." Tommy shook his head and smiled wryly, not knowing whether to praise or reprimand Morningstar.

Locke got up from the couch next to him and said, "Father, I don't think it's his fault, we should look for problems in ourselves." Why didn't the Manifest Destiny choose the Republic and the Empire, but instead chose us as the base camp for their rebellion? Have you thought about it? ”

Looking at Locke with a serious face, Tommy was very satisfied, how could he not know the reason for this? But at the moment, Tommy wanted to hear Locke's insights.

"Tell me about it."

Locke cleared his throat and said: "The empire is a hall of Vestock's words, although there are many contradictions in the country, but once it comes to national interests, Vystock will definitely stand up, and the top-down pressure will make the empire quickly transfer domestic contradictions and unite with the outside world." And you also know the folk customs of the Empire, those people like muscles more than brains, and the destiny theory of the Mandate of Heaven is not attractive to the people of the Empire. Therefore, the Empire is not a breeding ground for the ideals of the Manifest Destiny Sect. The Republic has been a hard bone since the time of the home planet, Earth. Although on the surface, there are many forces in the republic, there are many hills, and even among the people there are many discords, but these are, as the people of the republic say, internal contradictions. As soon as they are threatened from the outside, the people of the Republic will abandon their prejudices and quickly twist into a rope to unite with the outside world. If the Mandate of Heaven Sect chooses the Republic, it may be able to develop well in a short period of time, but once the matter is revealed, it will be hit by the Republic's endless blows. Therefore, the republic is not the best option either. It's ...... us."

Tommy saw that Locke was about to speak, and knew that what he was going to say would not be too good, but Tommy still wanted to hear it.

"Go on."

"You know our polity, because that's how you got to where you are today. The reason why those plutocrats support you is because you must have promised them that you will repay them once you are where you are today. Since ancient times, businessmen have pursued profits, and there is nothing wrong with this, but it is precisely because of the pursuit of profits that those chaebol stalls must be very large, just like the current Agron, there must also be their interests. Although I have not witnessed it with my own eyes, I think your decisions will be influenced by these people more or less than my father, who will not think about the safety of the people of Agren at all, nor the stability of the country, they will only care about their own interests. You rejected my proposal earlier, probably because you were afraid that that kind of thunderous means would affect the interests of the supporters behind you and cause them to give up their support for you, right? Locke expressed his inner thoughts in one breath, and then quietly looked at his father, waiting for his reply.

Tommy and Locke looked at each other for a long time, and finally sighed and said, "Son, do you know me?" ”

Locke pondered for a moment, nodded slightly, and said, "I can't guarantee that my opinion of you is correct, but I deserve to know the word." ”

"Ten years ago, I was an ordinary employee of the intelligence service, and although I always dreamed of going further, I never imagined that I could be in such a position as the supreme leader of the alliance. It was they who discovered me, discovered my potential and gave me great support, which allowed me to quickly rise to the top in just a few years, and finally got to where I am today. And as you said, I promise them many benefits and conveniences. After I got to this position, I made a lot of convenience for the chaebols who supported me on the basis of ensuring the interests of the people as much as possible, which also made them a lot of money, and the investment in me got the expected return, which means that I can still win the next general election, and I can still sit in this position and realize my ideals. After a slight pause, Tommy continued: "I have read your proposal very carefully, although it is a little cold, but I have to say that it is the most effective means at the moment, but the result of this will be to the detriment of the interests of my supporters. As you know, the Agron Star Zone is a resource star zone, and although the output is not as good as before, it can still be said to be lucrative. The people of the Mandate of Heaven are very smart, and they did not touch the interests of the chaebols, because they knew that this would make these chaebols ruined, and they would encourage me to deal a cruel blow to the Mandate of Heaven Sect. It is precisely for this reason that the chaebols behind me mistakenly believe that the Mandate of Heaven Sect has scruples about them, so they are dissatisfied with the decision I made to strike a full-scale blow. But they have been blinded by their immediate interests, and doing so is tantamount to quenching their thirst, once the Mandate of Heaven Sect grows bigger, then their interests in Agron will not only suffer, but face complete destruction. Even if I know very well what is at stake, if I do what you propose, my political career will come to an end. The people will turn their noses up at me, the media will criticize me, and the chaebols will lose confidence in me. Do you want to see that kind of me who fails? ”

Locke understands his father's concerns, but as a human being, he will inevitably be comfortable with desire, the difference is only in the price of recognition. Although Tommy's words are a little selfish, they are understandable, after all, people who have come this far, once they encounter failure, they will never be able to get ahead, and how many people can take such a risk? Locke turned around and poured a glass of wine and handed it to Locke, pondered for a moment and said, "Father, I'm not you, so I can't influence your thoughts, but there are some things I still have to say." Although the root cause of the Agron chaos is the Mandate of Heaven Sect, those rich and unkind chaebols and nobles are indeed the accelerant of this chaos, and if it were not for their misdeeds, Agron would not have become a breeding ground for the Mandate of Heaven Sect. Father, you have your own political ideals, and you don't want to give up just like that, I can understand that, but I also have my own beliefs. The people need heroes to step up, and I am willing to be this hero, no matter what it takes. ”

Locke's words made Tommy's heart full of emotion, his son has not lacked faith since he was a child, and he has become more and more insightful as he grows up, and the acquaintance with Morning Star has given Locke the courage to give it a go, whether this courage is good or bad is still difficult to comment, but this hero's belief is commendable at all times. Sighing softly, Tommy turned to look directly at Locke and asked, "Do you know what effect this will have on you?" Have you thought it through? ”

Locke's eyes were firm, and he nodded vigorously without hesitation.

"Then you go and write your own life and create your own legend! My son! ”

A straight posture and a standard military salute are Locke's assurances to Tommy, as well as his reply to Morningstar.

"Father, I will start as an ordinary soldier, and I will not let you down." Locke's tone was firm, then softened, and he continued, "There's one more thing I want you to think about. ”

Tommy didn't speak, and motioned with his eyes for Locke to continue.

"This matter has to do with the Morning Star. My thought was that we could lower our posture and give Morningstar the Ranger badge again, and his help to the Alliance was worth it. Maybe one day, we need his help too. Locke's words were simple, but Tommy could hear the meaning.

"I'll think about it, and now, I'd like to be on my own for a while."

……

Locke is gone, and Tommy, who is standing in front of the office window, looks at Locke's back as he fades away, and his heart is full of mixed feelings. I don't know when we can meet again, and it is unknown whether we will even have the opportunity to meet again. Locke is going to a real battlefield, not a arena, where there is no mercy, no emotion, only blood and carnage. Whether it will become a nameless dry bone in the yellow sand, or return with the title of hero, it is unknown.

Tommy sat in front of the window for a long time, until Locke's figure disappeared. His wife's call rang an hour later, and Tommy didn't dare to face his wife's complaints, so he let the call ring all the time. The secretary outside the door was worried that Tommy would have an accident, so he rushed into the office, and saw Tommy just standing quietly in front of the window and relieved himself, but was about to leave but was stopped by Tommy.

"Do you think Morningstar is worth it for us to renew the Ranger badge for him? I want to listen to the truth, and don't prevaricate me with the useless words of the dignity of the Alliance. ”

The secretary couldn't guess the reason why Tommy asked, and after thinking about it, he chose to tell his thoughts truthfully: "It's worth it!" Although he had been disrespectful to the alliance before, it was also for a reason, and I think that our previous approach was ungentlemanly, or even wrong, and if it were me, I would probably have made the same choice as Morningstar. ”

After the secretary said this, he felt that his clothes were soaked with sweat, and he lowered his head and waited for Tommy's reprimand, but what he heard was not what he expected.

"Then you can arrange for a reliable man to go to It Greenson and make up for this Ranger Medal for Morningstar. It's best to find the one he discarded last time. ”

The secretary retired to arrange this, and before leaving, he looked at Tommy's figure, and he looked a little old.

……

On the troop carrier of the Alliance Ereng Expeditionary Force's support force, Locke sat quietly in an inconspicuous corner, and his long flowing blond hair had now turned into a head, which made Locke a little less creamy and a little more resolute. The road ahead was confused and there was no direction, but Locke still took the first step firmly.

Itgleeson, the morning star walking in the starlight suddenly raised his head, and a star in the night was gradually brightening, and the light emitted was becoming more and more dazzling, and a touch of uneasiness appeared in the morning star's heart.

"The prosperity must decline, and the extremes of things must be reversed." Morningstar looked thoughtfully at the bright star, and a moment later connected to Catherine's communication. Catherine's voice was still tinged with excitement in the communication, and the occasional coquettish smile came from Quinn.

"Morningstar, what are you still looking for me to do at this late hour, does Sister Quinn let you go to Norin's side from time to time? I don't have a bed for you to sleep in, I'm going to sleep with Sister Quinn at night. ”

A wicked smile appeared on Morningstar's face, and he replied, "Then you come here, I heard that the bed in Norin is relatively large, and five people should be able to sleep." ”

"Bad look, let's say, what's the matter with me looking for me so late?" Catherine's cheeks flushed with shame from Morning Star's words, and she hurriedly changed the subject.

"I want all the news about Locke, the sooner the better!"