The Great Khan of the marauders had died just like that, in the silent star river of the Abyss Nebula. Under the laws of the marauder tribes in the Galactic Core, it was about time to elect a new Great Khan.
Queen Tomitaili had a younger brother, as I recalled. He was also a descendant of the Masegtai royal family.
In theory, the Eroans were the strongest and most technologically advanced race in the Galactic Core, giving them a natural advantage in the election for Great Khan. But having a little boy as their candidate was a major drawback.
Marauders were, after all, a nomadic people, and they expected their leaders to be strong.
...But then again, how many intact marauder tribes could possibly be left in the Galactic Core now? The natural environment there was an objective constraint. Having lost most of their fighting forces, their young and able-bodied people, and their best ships, they were at risk of functional extinction at any moment.
A tragedy for both civilization and species. And all of it stemmed from a failed expedition?
Yu Lian looked at the Eroan queen, who was still standing, at her heroic death, and found himself thinking this for the first time. To his surprise, he felt not the slightest stir of emotion at the tragic scene.
He exchanged a glance with Feifei, then stood in silence for half a minute out of courtesy. Afterward, she said, "You have a lot of questions you want to ask, don't you?"
Yu Lian nodded.
"But you can't be bothered to ask."
Yu Lian nodded again, then clarified, "It's not that I can't be bothered. I just think asking would make things complicated."
"Isn't that the same thing?" Feifei was momentarily exasperated.
"Either way, you'll tell me when the time