Admiral Akbar wasn't human. He was a Monmari, a humanoid amphibious race slightly shorter than humans, with an average height of less than 1.6 meters. At just over 170 centimeters, Admiral Akbar was already a big, brawny giant by his people's standards.
When the short, stocky man stepped onto the stage and stood beside the tall, elegant King Vellent, he really did look like an alien servant accompanying a noble prince.
But everyone present except the Empire and its "allies" turned their hopeful gazes toward the short Monmari, as if he alone carried the hopes of the entire galaxy.
Admiral Akbar had spent his life in the military, and he didn't seem very comfortable being the focus of so many eyes. He raised his webbed hand to rub his bald head, then grinned with an honest, simple warmth. His bulging goldfish eyes looked especially bright.
"The future is not alone. Only then can the universe be in balance. Wouldn't you agree, Your Highness?"
King Vellent hid his gloomy gaze beneath a smile and nodded. "Yes. I'm grateful that Your Excellency is willing to share in the joy of our success. It's just..."
His tone remained calm, but Feifei, down below, could already hear a hint of wavering.
In the front row of the observation platform, King Sorein, Marshal Este, and the other high-ranking Imperial military officials had lost their smiles entirely. With their intelligence, they had of course guessed what was coming.
Admiral Akbar, meanwhile, leisurely glanced at his oversized watch, still wearing that genial smile. "Looks like it's time. Your Highness, could you give NOB News One a shot?"
King Vellent made no move, but King Sorein, seated below, had already nodded to the technician hiding in the shadows in the distance.
And so, the large screen behind them