Apu genuinely did not believe that he had fallen into one of the Alliance's "serial scams."
But when he discovered that he was already aboard a starship, surrounded by more than two hundred fellow prisoners, he finally relaxed completely.
Some of the other prisoners were too badly injured and had no choice but to lie in Nutrient Cabins, yet they still poked their heads out to join the discussion.
After more than three hours of noisy chatter, the hatch opened and a frosty-faced man entered. He was the one with the bearing of a soldier.
He spoke coldly. "You're all Imperial soldiers. Don't turn this place into a marketplace... Pick five representatives!"
"Report!" someone inside a Nutrient Cabin called out. "What are we picking five representatives for?"
"To consolidate the information," the man replied coldly. "To see how many of you still dare to keep fighting."
"I can't fight anymore," the person in the Nutrient Cabin stated bluntly. "Let me recover first. Can you send me back to the Empire?"
"You will address me as sir!" the man continued. "Most of you will be sent back to the Empire, but we will continue fighting."
"Pick five representatives. We need to understand the situation!"
"Report!" a Rank A spoke up. "Sir says you'll send us back to the Empire, and you also want intelligence... May I ask how we should address you?"
"Heh," another Rank A sneered. "This is the renowned Lord Zhenshan Fort. Are you all blind?"
"Holy shit..." A collective gasp swept through the starship.
Everyone knew that Lord Zhenshan Fort was a legend in the military. He had gone from a military traitor to a distinguished guest of the military! It was the perfect template for a protagonist's comeback, except the protagonist also had an enormous force backing