Marshal Uroji had first heard of Yu Lian, naturally, during the War God Festival that had changed so many people's fates. It might well have been the most famous War God Festival of the modern era.
So many figures destined to shape the world's fate in the years to come had stepped onto history's grand stage.
At the time, however, in the eyes of the Cherk general, that young Earthling warrior was merely a peerless hero and a psychic prodigy. Nothing more.
As for their first meeting, that had been during the "Glorious Mission" military exercises. General Uroji, then head of Cherk's military observer delegation, had been chatting amiably with representatives from various nations. At the banquet, of course, he had expressed his respect for Earth's Chosen Champion.
After all, to the Cherk, anyone who could make the evil Galactic Empire suffer was a friend of the Cherk.
Next came that legendary weapons launch.
The Alliance's "Miss Yulian" made a dazzling entrance, turning the Empire's Colossus weapons launch into something with an absurd, surrealist flavor.
Looking back now, Marshal Uroji still savored the expressions on the faces of the Imperial military's top brass as he would a fine drink.
Afterward came that scene of him, Alliance Admiral Akbar, and the young hero of the Commonwealth chatting, singing, and dancing at the launch. Marshal Uroji had even named an Imperial delicacy from Deerfield Star something like "Bombing the Celestial Realm."
Apparently, his young Earthling friend had taken the name back home, where it even earned a thumbs-up from Old Liu's House of the God of Food.
Generally speaking, friendships between straight-shooting men were easy enough to make. Have a drink together, shoot the breeze, and curse the Empire's devils, and you could more or less call yourselves drinking buddies.
Of course,