Fugitives

The officers looked at their governor, who had instantly switched from a fearful advocate of surrender to a passionate proponent of war, and couldn't help but wear expressions of admiration.

"It's rare for His Excellency the Governor to be so understanding. I'm truly moved," Eleanor said, gripping the governor's plump hand and shaking it. "However, my subordinate forces are insufficient. May I request unified command over the Governor's Mansion Guard as well?"

You want to poach even this little bit of my territory? The Governor nodded, his heart aching.

"Also, if it's not too much trouble, could I have command of the City Shield Command, the drone positions, and the planetary cannon?"

"This, this, the rest can be discussed, but the planetary cannon..."

"Second Lieutenant Crus, speak! Why are you here? Did you desert your post? Did you steal public property!"

"I've thought about it! The city's largest fortress cannon is a vital national asset. Legally, it should be managed by the Governor's Mansion and the City Council, but these are extraordinary times. I will write a written order for the central control room to obey your command."

"Furthermore, with only 3,000 men, we're spread too thin to even man the outer watchtowers. I hope you can recruit at least 10,000 temporary militiamen in the name of the Governor's Mansion, place them under the command of the Security Force Headquarters, and open the armories to distribute weapons to them. Oh, right, recruiting militia requires a settlement allowance. As a poor soldier, I simply don't have the means."

The implication was clear: the Governor's Mansion's finances would have to foot the bill. If the Governor's Mansion couldn't manage the accounts, perhaps His Excellency the Governor could provide personal subsidies. Governor Yamadera roared in fury, "You, don't push your luck!"

"Crus, you parasite! A mere second lieutenant daring to be so arrogant! Speak! Are you colluding with others behind the scenes?"

"Fine, fine, I'll give you everything, everything!"

"Then thank you for your strong support, Your Excellency! On behalf of the 700,000 citizens and 3,000 soldiers, I thank you!" Eleanor smiled, a smile that was both radiant and chilling. Then she drew her pistol and decisively shot Second Lieutenant Crus through the forehead. His screams abruptly ceased.

The Governor looked at the dead Crus, his eyes wide with disbelief, then at Eleanor. He gritted his teeth, "You, you are very... good..." He himself didn't know if his words held more relief or resentment. He merely left a resentful, yet ultimately useless, glare and departed with a mournful air.

The officers were struck dumb with fear. As Crus's body was dragged away, a chill ran down their spines. Yet, they knew that if they didn't follow this woman's orders, they might be next. Thinking about it more carefully, the fact that this madwoman used a pistol instead of a vulcan cannon on her mech to kill Crus was already showing them some consideration. Perhaps, if they were being honest, communication was still possible?

And so, the taut string of fear snapped with an even greater fear and Stockholm Syndrome, followed by a kind of desperate fanaticism.

"The million Sandfolk outside are nothing but a million pigs! Rest assured, Commander! We will return with the heads of those barbarian chieftains to make necklaces for you!" Major Sanga declared, patting his chest as he assured Eleanor.

"Yes, Commander, we are strong and our three armies are devoted!"

"Let's fight, Commander!"

"Let's fight!"

"Very well, gentlemen. But we cannot fight yet! To achieve total victory, we must endure for now and await the opportune moment. First, continue to monitor the enemy, and second, expedite the recruitment of militia. Everything, I entrust to you."

The officers marched off with high spirits. As Eleanor watched them go, she suddenly chuckled, "Uncle Louis, I bet these men's enthusiasm will last at most three days."

"That's not short. My master said that an hour can decide the outcome of a battle."

"Yes, so we can only hope the reinforcements we've requested arrive."

Major Dorset subtly rolled his eyes, but Eleanor caught it and said irritably, "I'm not talking about Yuri or the scattered troops returning from the outer outposts. I'm talking about the outer ring..."

"I didn't say anything! Young lady."

Eleanor "tsk"ed and began to nervously play with her braid again.

"Also, compared to the guards at the outer outposts, the refugees rushing here are even more worrying!"

Eleanor Bonaparte fell silent for a moment, patted her head, and let out a sigh of headache for the first time.

Yes, the Blue Star Commonwealth had about 700,000 citizens on New Yumeng Star, with over 600,000 living in Tulon. The rest were concentrated in a few fortified towns, plantations, and mining areas. Coupled with the fortress-like outposts that monitored and protected the transportation network, this formed the foundation of the Commonwealth's rule on the planet—sound familiar?

The fortified small outposts had heavy weapons, mercenaries, and armed rioters, so they weren't afraid of ordinary Sandfolk attacks. However, their scale was limited. Once the Sandfolk gathered a large army and also obtained weapons (from who knows where), these outposts would become quite dangerous. Some stubborn individuals who refused to abandon the property they had worked their lives to build chose to hold their ground; others would instinctively flee with their families to what they considered the safest place, Tulon.

But the problem was, the Sandfolk army was gathering too quickly—in reality, it wasn't them who were fast, but the intelligence department of the security forces who were too slow to react. It was unknown how many refugees were trapped outside the city, their fates uncertain.

Now, a group of over 300 refugees, after nearly a week of arduous travel, were getting closer and closer to Tulon Port, and their spirits had relaxed considerably.

Wang Yougui, the plantation owner, stuck his head out of the window of the driver's cabin of a large vehicle. "Little Kai, are our trucks and draft animals alright?"

"My name is Kelvin... Never mind, boss. Don't worry, we're almost at Tulon." The reply came from a cowboy in his thirties, a long rifle slung on his back and a pistol at his hip. He rode a genetically modified sand-horse, keeping pace with the convoy with ease, showing no signs of fatigue.

On New Yumeng, plantations often spanned thousands of acres. Besides spice farms, there were vast tracts of artificially cultivated grasslands for grazing, naturally requiring cowboys. These men, in addition to tending livestock and working the land for their employers, also served as bodyguards. On average, each of them had killed more than one Sandfolk.

When they first fled their plantations, they were a bit uneasy. But as their neighbors and townsfolk banded together, their numbers growing, they gradually relaxed.

Now, with twenty vehicles of various sizes, over fifty pack animals, and more than two hundred firearms, they didn't feel that ordinary Sandfolk horse gangs posed a threat.

However, Wang Yougui possessed the life experience of an elder. "The closer we get to our destination, the more cautious we must be. I've felt uneasy lately. All that's left is the spice in the truck. I need to sell it to recoup some of my losses."

"Don't worry, Councillor Jiang said he would persuade the merchants to buy our goods at a favorable price. You won't suffer too much. Once the Sandfolk retreat, we can go home and start again..." Then my job and wages will be secured.

"Little Dongzi? I watched that kid grow up. Don't I know what he's like? He's told few truths since he was little, and he's gotten more arrogant as he's gotten older! He thinks he's something else just because he's read a few books. I don't trust him..."

The cowboy Kelvin listened absentmindedly, his eyes occasionally drifting to a certain truck behind them.

Wang Yougui said irritably, "And that young widow has a child with her!"

"I, I know..." I'm just a stray dog whose wife and son died of illness, and whose job is gone. No one should look down on anyone else.

"She's also a university student. She wouldn't be interested in a killer like you."

"This, this doesn't matter. Last time I brought her food, she smiled at me and even gave me a book to read." The cowboy couldn't understand the literary novel, but he felt it must be the budding of true love. His wife and son had died of illness, he had lost his job, and had to come to the colony to work as a cowboy. It had been five or six years now, and it was time to start a new life.

"Forget it, none of them are reliable. I'll go discuss it with that young lady from the Alliance." The old farmer shook his head irritably, but felt it was too embarrassing to grovel to someone young enough to be his granddaughter. He became conflicted, leaning back in his chair with his eyes rolled up.

His gaze naturally shifted upward, and then he froze. Behind the mountain range in front, a group of Sandfolk riding swift dragons revealed themselves, then let out excited screams.

Cowboy Kelvin naturally noticed the anomaly. He quickly rode his horse back, shouting as he galloped, "Someone's coming! Old people, women, and children, don't get out of the car! Men, grab your guns, get ready to fight! Miss Mar, please don't get out of the car, make sure Little Lina is safe!"

In the passenger car, a delicate and elegant woman met the cowboy's gaze through the window. In that fleeting moment, a thousand words passed between them. She hugged her little daughter tightly and silently prayed to the Spirit of the Universe.

Cowboy Kelvin continued to gallop, heading towards the largest RV in the center of the convoy: "Mr. Steyn, Mr. Steyn, there's an enemy attack!"

"I see it," mercenary Ash Steyn calmly stood up on the roof of the vehicle, steadily inserting a magazine into his large pistol.

He was a man around twenty-five years old, with a stern face, dark skin, and a strong, agile build like a black panther, possessing bronze-colored short hair and a pair of topaz-colored eyes. To an alien, he would naturally appear to be human, but an Earthling would know at a glance that he was not from Earth.

He was a mercenary and adventurer from the Free Star River Alliance, and currently, the bodyguard of Councilor Jiang Yudong.

And his employer, now peeking his head out fearfully from inside the vehicle, asked in a small voice, "Uh, Ash, enemies are coming, are we...?"

"Don't worry, Mr. Councilor, if it's just those Sandfolk riding giant lizards and wielding crude guns and bows, even ten thousand more would come and I could still protect your safety." Ash Steyn's lips curled into a careless yet devilishly charming smile.

"Oh, that's good then..." The councilor relaxed. Although he didn't quite like the other's greasy and frivolous attitude, he still trusted his professional abilities.

"Of course, if the Sandfolk had Tanks, then I wouldn't be able to do anything, hahahaha... Damn it, they actually have Tanks!"

Damn it, why are you imitating me?

Councilor Jiang Yudong was suddenly filled with grief and indignation.