NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 735 The Good & Bad news
Chapter 735 The Good & Bad news
Once he sensed that the tension had reached a peak, he continued, “As a result, conflict erupted between the two sides... and by the end of the day, we achieved victory,” as he was saying that, he could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from those who had feared they were losing the fight.
He paused his speech as a short video played behind him. It began with Xalthar demanding the emperor’s surrender, then shifted to the opening shots fired at the massive ship. The footage showed breaching forces making their way into the vessel, capturing it meter by meter until every section was under control. The video concluded with footage of the recovery process, where captured aliens were being collected and sent back to their ship. As the video ended, the feed returned to focusing on Aron.
“With that, I have both good and bad news to deliver,” he said, pausing for emphasis. “The good news is that we won the initial contact and captured the majority of the enemy alive, allowing us to extract valuable information and gain leverage for potential retaliation.” He let the news hang in the air, aware that the audience remained cautious, reluctant to fully embrace it with the bad news looming.
“As for the bad news, during the fight, the leader of the enemy forces contacted their home, the Astral Conclave, and deceived them into believing we possess a highly desirable resource—and that we have a significant quantity of it. He convinced them to come to his rescue in exchange for our coordinates. Given their access to Wormhole technology, which they can use at a steep cost, they will be here within two weeks at most, bringing with them a level of forces unlike any we’ve ever faced or imagined before.”
He took a deep breath, determined not to let panic take hold among those on Earth. “But not everything is bad. The knowledge we’ve gained, combined with their expected arrival time, gives us ample opportunity—not only to avoid being caught off guard but also to prepare adequately. We can take the necessary steps to minimize any potential damage to our solar system.”
As he spoke, the visual backdrop shifted to display footage of fleets mobilizing across various locations. Ships were seen moving into position, reinforcing the reality of his words and demonstrating the empire's readiness for the impending conflict.
The sheer number of ships in the fleet sent chills down the spines of everyone watching; the vessels seemed almost endless. Many citizens were astonished, unaware that their empire had amassed such a formidable fleet. A map of the solar system materialized behind him, highlighting the locations of the ships and revealing that nearly every entry point into the solar system was covered by forces ready to respond. This comprehensive display of power reassured the viewers that they were not defenseless against any incoming threats.
However, the majority of the forces were concentrated in one area where the foreign ship still lingered. Although the fleets were positioned several light-minutes apart, they formed a tight cluster. Additional ships were en route to ensure that a vast region was fortified in layers, allowing them to respond swiftly. This way, if one area were breached, they could prevent the enemy from exploiting the gap to enter the solar system.
“As you can see, we are doing everything within our power to ensure they don’t succeed. Our plans focus not only on stopping them but also on preventing any future attacks after they regroup. If everything unfolds as we envision, they could potentially become the gatekeepers, connecting us to other civilizations in this part of our galaxy—if not the entire galaxy. But for now, that's merely a hope we’ll entertain once we’ve dealt with the immediate obstacle before us.”
“There are some among you who speculated that I might be escaping. Unfortunately, I must disappoint you; I have no plans to flee. This is merely a speed bump on the road to a bright future for our empire, and it would be foolish of me to run away at such a critical moment.
To ensure we can focus on the challenges ahead, we’ve already issued orders for a retreat from the outer reaches of the solar system, directing all ships to return to the inner territories to avoid unnecessary losses.
Rest assured, there will be no significant interruptions to your lives. The war will be broadcast for all to witness, though there will be a slight delay to prevent giving enemy forces any tactical advantage should they breach our communication systems.
Additionally, if we determine that we cannot stop the enemy, our focus will shift from defense to buying time for our military forces on Mars to reach Earth and begin evacuating everyone. In such a scenario, we would migrate to Proxima Centauri while our military fights to buy us time, even if it means fighting to the last man. Though this may seem unlikely at the moment, I assure you we are fully prepared for such a worst-case outcome.”
Thank you all for listening. I wish you a peaceful day—one of many that lie ahead. Now, I’d like to open the floor for any questions you may have.”
For the next thirty minutes, reporters posed their questions, and he responded calmly, providing evidence that was displayed behind him to support his answers, before concluding his address.
After concluding his address, the live stream flickered to life, showcasing various areas around the solar system. This allowed those curious about the unfolding conflict to observe in real time, with many of the viewers being Proximians. They felt a mix of worry and helplessness, unable to intervene directly in the situation. Meanwhile, their military personnel had been called back to active duty at a moment’s notice, which heightened the Proximians' curiosity. They were yet unaware that their forces would soon be piloting their robots in response to any breaches that might occur following the initial assaults.
The empire seamlessly shifted into a war footing, mobilizing resources and rallying the populace. Everyone was preparing, hoping, and praying for what was poised to be their most formidable challenge since surviving the Cambrian filter of life.