A great many people had gathered in the square. Nearly four thousand of them, all well-dressed merchants from the Upper Hive.
They were deeply frightened, voicing the fear in their hearts to family and friends.
When Stinger appeared before them, everyone stopped talking and looked at him as though they had seen hope.
"As you all know, the First Legion have become rebels." Stinger spoke helplessly. "The rebels are no weak fighters, and we will have a hard time defeating them. But we will spare no effort to ensure that all of you can take refuge on Talon II."
As he spoke, Stinger glanced at his servant.
The servant narrowed his eyes and nodded with a smile. "The transports are ready."
"Did you hear that? Hurry and follow him to the transports." Stinger clapped his hands and shouted at the crowd. "Don't just stand around here. You're only the first batch of refugees—there are many more behind you. The faster you move, the more people in this Hive City can be saved!"
"Follow me." The servant smiled and turned around.
No one hesitated now. Everyone hurried after the servant with their families in tow. As they passed Stinger, some even knelt to thank him.
At least in their eyes, Stinger was a good man. He and his troops from Talon II were evacuating civilians, making him far better than the Governor, who had vanished without a trace long ago.
The servant led everyone down a broad road to another open area. Many transports were parked there, their hatches already open and waiting for everyone to board.
With the situation so urgent, no one wondered why the hatches were open while the transports' engines remained off, leaving them standing there cold and still.
One transport after another was gradually filled. Once