ALSACW – Chapter 129

Waste Star.

Waste Star wasn’t always called Waste Star. It once had a beautiful name, and behind that beautiful name lay an equally beautiful history. But all of that was forgotten as the planet itself fell into decay. The history it represented was too unbearable, so people simply referred to it by this crude, simple name.

Waste Star was one of the consequences of the Activation War. In its prime, this planet had been the fashion center of the Empire, and thus, it had gathered the largest population of females in the Federation. After the great differentiation that changed human history, it naturally became the main base for the alpha side in the Activation War.

Precisely because of its status as a main base, it suffered the most ferocious bombardment from the omega starships. Less than one-tenth of its buildings remained, and its ecosystem completely collapsed. Of course, it could have been restored, but restoration would have required an immense amount of funding. Furthermore, in the decades following the war, the planet was severely underpopulated, so the matter of restoration was indefinitely postponed.

Thus, Waste Star became a war memorial in another sense.

At this moment, the military cores of all three secondary genders—alpha, beta, and omega—were gathered on Waste Star. Two colossal starships loomed to one side of the crowd, making the fully armed soldiers look like a swarm of brown ants.

Their leaders were in conversation inside one of the starships. The three factions were clearly distinct. The breath of the great dragon of history slowly washed over everyone present, bringing with it a storm that stirred the very depths of their souls.

Something big was about to happen. Even the lowest-ranking soldiers could sense it.

A lieutenant from the Omega Legion looked worriedly toward the starship, a sense of unease slowly rising within her. She didn’t know what the people in charge were thinking, but the current situation clearly indicated a handover of the starships. Their comms had been blocked from sending external messages since they arrived on this planet. The Marshal must have known what a massive wave of opposition this news would trigger among omegas if it got out.

Everything had been moving in a positive direction, so why was the Marshal doing this? The starships were the omegas’ ultimate protection. Without them, omegas might have become the alphas’ playthings after the Activation War. Even as the Empire developed, alphas, with their physiological advantages and the winds of social change, had gained certain legal and political privileges. However, there was always a line that could not be crossed. Throughout the Empire, discrimination and suppression of omegas would always remain an undercurrent. They would never surface, and any occasional murmurs would be cloaked in the hypocritical guise of “it’s for your own good.”

Although this had the feel of boiling a frog in slowly warming water, it was still gentler than being disemboweled outright. Besides, who could say for certain that the frog couldn’t jump out before the water boiled?

But now, the Marshal was actively turning up the heat.

“Marshal Chu, we’ve been sitting here for six hours. There’s nothing to see on this Waste Star but broken rocks. I say we get down to business sooner rather than later.”

The speaker was a burly male alpha. He was tall and well-built, with thick, dark eyebrows and a hint of impatience in his eyes.

He had no idea what Her Majesty was thinking, insisting on giving a starship to the betas. Those guys had bigger appetites every year, clamoring for so-called “beta rights.” It was infuriating. Even if they used a starship to shut them up now, it probably wouldn’t last long. In the end, with both beta rights and omega rights movements surging, it was indeed overwhelming. But in his heart, he’d rather give the starship to the omegas than to those betas who were as bland as wood and had no scent. At least alphas and omegas were family, one way or another.

On the other side, a refined male beta also asked with a smile, “Marshal, do you still have any reservations about this matter?”

After saying this, the beta added a gentle hint, “But isn’t it a bit late for reservations, Marshal? Such a major move has surely alerted many people. We don’t have much room to maneuver.”

Chu Meng lifted her eyelids and looked at the two men, and at the many others in the cabin. A faint unease stirred in her heart. Chu Meng had experience with this kind of feeling. Once, during a campaign against space pirates, she had felt a similar intense unease. It was a strange phenomenon caused by the fusion of AO pheromones under a permanent mark. It wasn’t until she returned that she learned a supernova explosion had caused drastic changes in the magnetic field near the battlefield—changes severe enough to disable most of the starship’s advanced systems and risk a collision with an asteroid.

At that time, everyone in the Empire thought she wouldn’t make it back.

Including Gu Yun.

But fortunately, they had escaped that region during their pursuit. Apart from being unable to contact the outside world, they hadn’t suffered much damage.

This time, however, the unease Chu Meng felt was just as strong as it had been back then.

Chu Meng gently stroked the knuckle of her index finger, then said with a faint smile, “My apologies. I’m just a little reluctant to part with it.”

Before the betas, whose expressions had slightly changed, could say anything more, Chu Meng spoke up. “Then let’s begin the handover now.”

She glanced at the time. “Handing over a starship requires transferring many permissions, which will probably take seven or eight days. The camps on Waste Star should be set up by now. Let’s clear out and leave this place to the technicians.”

With that, Chu Meng stood up and was the first to leave the starship.

The male alpha who had spoken earlier puffed out his cheeks, a flicker of doubt in his mind. As Chu Meng’s rival for many years, he could tell she seemed a bit rushed.

The male alpha glanced at the group of betas, who couldn’t hide their delight, and let out a soft snort before following Chu Meng off the starship.

If Chu Meng was planning to stir up some trouble, that would be for the best.

Just then, Chu Meng, who had already stepped out of the starship, whispered to her adjutant, “Secure a three-square-meter signal zone for me.”

The adjutant’s pupils contracted slightly. He quickly lowered his head and replied in a respectful and normal tone, “Yes, Marshal.”

Chu Meng turned her head to look at the magnificent hull of the Gonggong. She stood on the black soil of Waste Star, where the air was a pale yellow, forcing people to rely on air purifiers to survive. Amidst this landscape of black and pale yellow, the giant vessel looked like a dormant beast.

A feeling of tension continued to emanate from her heart and her glands. Chu Meng turned and walked toward her camp.

It would take some time to set up the signal zone without anyone else noticing. Fortunately, as long as the permissions hadn’t been fully transferred, they still had room to back out.

But it required waiting, and it required verification.

Three days later, on the Imperial Capital Star.

Yun Chuji and Tang Jianxi disembarked at the A-District spaceport. For the past two days, they had lost all contact with the Omega Legion. Everything had shifted into a highly classified domain. The undercurrents beneath the great ship of the Empire had begun to churn.

The moment they landed, the AI keenly detected several figures tailing them. Neither Tang Jianxi nor Yun Chuji was surprised by this news. The Omega Legion’s unusual deployment had triggered strong reactions from both alphas and betas. The star-net was now rife with speculation about an impending war, and people were on edge.

As both close relatives of Marshal Chu Meng and important representatives of the omega rights faction, their sudden appearance in the heart of the Empire at this time was bound to make some people uneasy and vigilant.

Yun Chuji and Tang Jianxi paid no mind to these watchful eyes. They had more urgent matters to attend to.

However, Yun Chuji didn’t go to find Yun Xuan right away. First, she picked up a package. This package had arrived before them, as it had been sent from S-District on the Imperial Capital Star.

Tang Jianxi watched as Yun Chuji opened the package and put its contents into her bag. She knew what it was and had a faint idea of what Yun Chuji was planning.

After collecting the package, they still didn’t go to find Yun Xuan. Instead, they went to see someone else first.

…

Prince Emile sized up the AO couple who had a close relationship with his third sister. Considering the swirling rumors in the Empire these past few days, why would they come to him now? Could it be that the Omega Legion had taken an interest in him?

A thought stirred in Emile’s mind. He had been under immense pressure from Lucia recently. The fight for the throne, which had once seemed within his grasp, now felt impossibly distant. No one could tolerate such a fall, especially not an alpha like him.

However, before he could probe them, Yun Chuji spoke directly with a serious expression. “Your Highness, I hear you meet with the Empress every week. If possible, I hope you can help us arrange a meeting with Her Majesty.”

Emile frowned. If he remembered correctly, Tang Jianxi was from a core noble family. Yun Chuji had been a commoner, but after marrying Tang Jianxi, she had naturally ascended to the noble class. If they wanted to meet the Empress, they didn’t need to go through him.

Emile voiced his confusion. In response, Yun Chuji said, “Your Highness, war is coming. We don’t have much time.”

“War?” Emile let out a short laugh. “What could possibly make the Empire go to war now? The Empire just passed an omega protection law, you know.”

Emile understood now. These two were still on his third sister’s side. They were just trying to use the rumors to intimidate him and make him look foolish in front of his mother, the Empress. War?

There was no second Glory now!

“Your Highness, it’s not a war between omegas and alphas. It’s a war initiated by betas.” Yun Chuji saw his dismissiveness, leaned forward slightly, and stated in an extremely cold tone, “The Omega Legion is currently handing over a starship to the betas. As far as we know, the betas don’t want to trade a starship for peace. Their goal is to use lies to trade for war.”

Emile’s eyes widened as he stared at Yun Chuji. “Do you have proof?”

“No. But, Your Highness, are you willing to take that risk? I trust you could see from that birthday banquet that the destination of this starship is inextricably linked to the Third Princess.”

Yun Chuji left the rest unsaid.

Emile’s face flushed red, his young features contorted as he breathed heavily. He stared at the two anxious people before him for a long time before finally saying, “If you dare to deceive me, I will make you understand the meaning of the Hall family’s dignity.”