In the Circle Hall of the National Assembly. More than 10 rows of ring-shaped seats in the Senate and House of Representatives of the states of the Le Ray Federation were packed.

The atmosphere was silent and oppressive. In the silence, all eyes were cast on the podium in the center of the rotunda.

Hamilton stood on the podium and described it as haggard. The hands on the table unconsciously swelled because of the exertion. He was trying to stand up straight—and he would not allow himself to be weak at this most critical juncture for Lelei.

This is an important consultation. As president, he had to tell Congress about the importance of the bill to Le Ray. Halfway through the speech, he had to persevere, albeit exhausting.

"Now that it's started!" Hamilton raised his head, and his voice echoed through the collegial hall: "We're going to keep going!" This war, imposed on us by the enemy, we have no choice! If we are to maintain our independence, to preserve our glory, to defend our freedom, to raise the flag of Le Ray every morning, as usual, then we must resist to the end! ”

"Whatever! ......" Hamilton clenched his fists and slammed it, and his resolute and hard facial muscles shook slightly: "No enemy can conquer us!" Even if one day, the enemy storms the Leray Central Star Field and occupies this place, we will not fail! Through the bill in front of you, we will have the power to fight them throughout the universe! ”

"We've lost the Bermuda Starfield! Millions of soldiers, sacrificed there. The assembly of the Desik Empire has been completed, and the Seuss Empire has come to Salga! Jeppen has already written Rodbia in his hands. Countless warships and armored units are flowing into the Bermuda system. ”

"We must plan ahead!" Hamilton looked around at the contemplative councillors. Earnestly: "I know. All of you here are acutely aware of the current situation. Even, we can predict that this is a war that the Federation cannot win! ”

The parliamentarians were silent. This is Hamilton. It was the first time to say such a thing in front of everyone. Although this was a private consultation. But. To say such things on such an occasion is enough to show how bad the situation is.

"We are facing the five enemy nations of the Western Covenant. Desik, Jeppen, Seuss. There is also the combined fleet of Binarte and Naga, stationed in Desik. For three years. We are in Galileo, in Newton. More than 27 million soldiers died in Bermuda! Hamilton's voice trembled: "The money we have spent on this war has exceeded thirteen trillion ledollars. ”

"The federal government, to be exact, is on the verge of bankruptcy." Hamilton's lips trembled.

Become the president of this country. It was once his proudest achievement. He dreamed. Preserve the glory and freedom of this country, and make this democratic country more prosperous. However, a war destroyed his dreams.

Keep your head down and stare at the countertop for a long time. Hamilton finally got his emotions under control. He loves the country and he loves his career. But. All of this has become a nightmare by now.

"Intelligence suggests......" Hamilton looked up: "Desik Empire." will be within a month. Launch a massive attack on my central star field and the Gacharin Minor Pyrenees system at the same time. This time. Under the direct leadership of its royal family. They've done their best. ”

"Salga federally withdrew. Leray has been cornered. Now, the Souss Empire is on the border with Salga. Always ready to jump across borders. Attack them. They do not get the benefits of withdrawing from the war, on the contrary, they swallow the bitter fruit. ”

"This is a lesson from the past!" Hamilton's tone was heavy: "As the president of the Union, I should take all the responsibility for leading this country to where it is today. I don't want to fight, but Leray in the middle of the cracks is like a boat sailing in the middle of strong winds and waves, and there is no choice! No matter which way I turn the rudder. What awaits us is destruction. ”

"Let's pass this bill and let us lay down a small board before the big waves come." Hamilton stared ahead: "The team we built with the last of our strength. It will be the seed of the Leray Federation, when our land is occupied, when the fleets of the West Row crowd into the Lere Passage. The Levet Federation, which has been forced into exile, will have a force that will continue to fight. ”

Hamilton finished speaking. In silence, he silently left the Congressional Chamber. Everything that needs to be done has been done, and now is the time to choose.

Of the senators and deputies of the 35 continents of the Federation, not a single one spoke. They just watched the proposal in silence before their eyes.

This is a huge proposal. Including a reserve fund and an almost insane budget for arms procurement.

It's a will!

"Vote now!" The Speaker, who presided over the deliberations, gently struck the hammer: "Distinguished Mr. Parliamentarians, do you have anything to say?" ”

"I'm going to say ......" After a brief silence, a tall, middle-aged congressman stood up and pressed the pass button on the voting machine: "I don't want to leave our property to the aggressors - I don't want to keep a penny!"

"That's right......" a gray-haired MP stood up and pressed the pass button with the same firmness: "Unfortunately, we can't leave the debt." If they can leave a huge debt, perhaps, they will be less interested in this land. ”

In a burst of laughter, the proposal was unanimously approved.

At the same time that the final bill was passed by the Lereg Congress, in the hall of the Salga Federal Congress, it was a different scene.

"You are betraying the country!"

Tolstoy, bearded like an old lion, dressed in his decorated general's uniform, strode into the majestic and magnificent hall of the Federal Assembly of Salga.

Under his angry gaze, the councilors, who were still huddled together in a group of arguments, quickly dodged a passageway.

In this country, there are many people who don't know them. There are very few people who do not know Tolstoy.

"Do you really think that weak concessions will allow us to avoid this war?" The old man was already trembling with anger: "Look at it with your eyes wide open! Look at the Souss fleets on our borders and look at their guns! ”

Although, I know, it's a terrible decision, but. I thought you were doing your duty, and you represented the people of the federal states. The people do not want to fight, and this is beyond reproach. We also need to put our forces on the border to fend off the threat of the Souss Empire. ”

"But! I never imagined that after this, you would actually use the Blue Stone Star by asking the Suss Empire to use it as a forward base for them to attack the Lelei Federation! Tolstoy roared angrily: "What is the difference between this and surrendering to the Western Covenant?" You're pushing Salga to the brink of desperation! ”

"Isn't it just for them to requisition a planet as a base for advancement?" One parliamentarian whispered: "It's better than letting the whole country be dragged down by the war." In our current situation, we simply can't fight at all. ”

"Fart!" The old man's ears did not fail with age, he was as sharp as a hound: "You idiots who see the wind and rudder the ground! You look forward to it. What to gain from the hands of Siyo? I tell you, you will get nothing but the hard lesson! ”

"They're like a bunch of vampires!" Tolstoy looked away with disdain from the cringing face of the councillor, looked around, and exclaimed: "They will cling to us, sucking our blood out in our compromises again and again!" They first asked us to open up the airspace and let them borrow the way, and now they ask us to lease the forward base, what's next? ”

"Next. They will ask for our resources, and they will ask for our production to cooperate. They will use all kinds of excuses to contradict us, and then make us make concessions and compensation! Tolstoy's voice almost roared: "And what we paid in order to get all this bullying turned out to be the price of betrayal!" ”

"Will Fimeng definitely lose?" The old man's gaze was like a knife: "When the Filipino Alliance wins the war, what kind of situation are we in as a traitorous country and a defeated country?" Have you thought about it? Even if the West wins the war, what do we have to gain? In addition to oppression and partition, do you think those insatiable empires will share the victory with you? ”

"From Fiji to Western Covenant. What we are facing. The same war! The Lelei people have been fighting for three years, and their losses are ten times and a hundred times greater than ours! But they understand better than us that there is no way out and no choice in this war. No lust, no rebirth! ”

There was a dead silence in the halls of Congress.

Dodge in pieces. With a numb gaze, Tolstoy left.

"I won't let you get away with it! I'm not going to let them get away with it! The old man's words were loud as he left.

A moment later, a group of equally indignant councillors spat hard, followed the old man, and walked out of the lifeless halls of the Congress. They were all staunch opponents of the Lend-Lease bill, and now, they are too lazy to quarrel with those MPs. That's an insult to one's own intelligence.

"What does he want to do?" The capitulation legislators who remained looked at each other.

"Bluff!" Speaker Sever, who had been hiding behind the rostrum, took care of his clothes very unnaturally, and in annoyance, he added: "Alarmist! ”

************************************

The Redbeard Pirate Base has been renamed a bandit base. Of course, this is the name used internally, and externally, it still exists as the Redbeard Pirates.

More than 600 Le Lei destroyer soldiers, and nearly 1,000 pirates, have been broken up, regrouped, and trained day and night.

For Leray fighters, military training is commonplace. But for a group of lazy pirates, it was miserable. Even the most elite pirates can be a bit overwhelmed. However, Tian Xingjian didn't care about this, he wanted to gather combat strength in the shortest possible time.

Running, fighting, shooting, battleship maintenance, post drills, simulated battles. All kinds of training programs are arranged by fat people. He's going to use this training to occupy all the pirates' energy. Let their tired minds, just

White.

Tired as dogs, how long has it been since these lazy and numb pirates have tasted it......

"Be a pirate! It's not about killing people, robbing things, drinking and gambling every day. You are tarnishing the glorious profession of pirates! If you want to be looked down upon, you have to make people fearful, and the whole free world will crawl at your feet! ”

Run next to the training team and watch the hundreds of pirates interspersed among the Lelei warriors. The fat man roared loudly.

"Nest in this womanless, gloomy world, eat and wait for death. This is the life of a pirate? No! This is the life of a poor worm. Pirates, who should be respected, should live in villas with sea views, should enjoy more refined cuisine and the most expensive and best wine, the most beautiful women than the nobles! ”

The pirates heard these words countless times a day, and they could recite them almost word for word. But. Every time they listen to it, they have a different feeling. This change in feeling changes with their dwindling distractions.

"Follow behind Lao Tzu's ass. One day, if your training program surpasses mine, then you don't have to train anymore! I will take you to become the most powerful person in the world! Enjoy everything you've never enjoyed before! ”

No one doubted his words.

Just look at the regimental commander who controls all his life, and the big and small leaders, and then look at the silent and obedient Lelei soldiers beside him, and look at the battleship in the dock. The pirates understood, as long as the madman could tell. You can do it.

"Pirates! It's an outlaw! "The fat man on the playground is trying his best to tease the pirates all the time. Use all means to bring these pirates. Stirring up the spirit and spirit, and stirring out the murderous spirit: "This is our biggest capital!" If you want to earn respect, you have to give your life! ”

All the pirates are biting.

They are the Wanderers of the Universe. They have no family and no future.

They gasped for breath, crushed their hot lungs, and dragged their sore, heavy legs so that they would not be left behind—because of fear, because of the future, because of the contemptuous eyes of the Lelei soldiers, and because of this lonely group, there was no way back.

"Do you feel tired of you? That shows you're alive! The fat man stuck to the side of the group, and as he ran, he yelled at the pale pirate on the very side, "Except for playing with women." In addition to drinking and gambling money, let me see what you really do! ”

The fat man's roar continued.

The entire base was enveloped in the roar of machines and the sound of chaotic footsteps. Dense gunfire, hoarse commands, and his frantic roar.

The camera pulled from the fat man to a panoramic view of the training ground.

Helen sighed in dismay. Although I don't want to admit it. However, whenever she saw the current base, she always had a feeling of tears in her eyes.

In the depths of this universe, far from the corner of Leray. The fat man was struggling with every minute and every second.

Yes, he incited everyone, struggling desperately.

Helen couldn't figure out what was supporting the snarling fat man in the camera. Changing to himself, perhaps, he had already given up when he was ambushed by the Western fleet.

Even if he was lucky enough to make it to this pirate base alive, he was already desperate when he heard the news of the Salga's withdrawal from the war. Everyone knows what it means for the stormy Lelei Federation to lose Salga to support each other at this moment.

Who cares about the outcome of the war, the result is already doomed!

If you make your own choice, you will either take a desperate gamble to return to Lere, or you will be an ostrich in this pirate base. Bury your brain in the sand and wait for the dust to settle.

However, this fat man is different.

He was almost stubbornly paranoid in his efforts.

His figure appeared in docks, harbors and warships, as well as in conference rooms and command rooms. He stayed up all night working on plans with the newly formed staff and discussing space mechs and battleship design modifications with mechanics and engineers in the logistics department.

Even if he stayed up all night, he showed up on time every day on the training ground to train with the fighters. In a few days, he had twisted the lazy and numb pirates and the sturdy obedient Terralei warriors into one force. The pirates were still afraid of him, but Helen could clearly feel the fusion between the pirates and the Lelei soldiers—a spiritual one.

The numb pirates began to care about the eyes of the Lelei soldiers, and they began to use their actions to earn the respect of others. They begin to realize that they are no longer the outcasts who are being beaten and scolded by any big and small bosses, and wander alone in the universe.

In silence, they became more and more sophisticated.

It's been less than three days since the first attack of this newly formed team.