A Hot Potato

"Sir, the commander of the Xiluo Clan says they have suffered heavy losses and are requesting a retreat for rest and recuperation."

"Bullshit! They were hiding in the back during the charge, not only did they not contribute, but they also disrupted my formation! If they were the Meto Race, I would have killed them on the spot!" Upon hearing his Adjutant's report, the Meto commander was so angry that he cursed loudly on the bridge.

"So how should we respond to them?" After waiting quietly for his superior to vent for a while, the Adjutant asked in a low voice.

"Hmph, tell them to get lost, find somewhere to stay, and don't bother me." After venting his anger, the commander calmed down a bit. The Xiluo Clan was one of the strongest civilizations in the Locke Mutual Aid Society, as evidenced by the fact that their main warships were assigned to the central army.

However, he was also assigned about a hundred Xiluo Clan warships, supposedly to enhance his high-end combat capabilities. In reality, these were all noble sons of the Xiluo Clan sent here to gain experience.

Commander Xiluo was worried that something might have happened to them on the central battlefield. One or two wouldn't be a problem, but if there were more, he couldn't bear the responsibility. So he formed a separate unit around them and put them under his command.

Commander Meto couldn't really say anything about this, since not all of the Xiluo Clan were hiding and avoiding battle. Out of consideration, he assigned those guys to the middle of the battle line, a position where they were shielded by friendly forces in front and thus didn't have to face the Zerg fire directly.

If they wanted, they could fire a couple of shots; if not, they could stay put and accumulate military merits. It was a fairly safe position. But even so, those guys still felt it was dangerous and were now almost backing up behind the lines.

To be honest, although the Xiluo Clan has advanced technology, their numbers are too small, and their role in the entire border region is negligible. Commander Meto really doesn't think much of their fighting strength.

But the impact these guys have had is so bad that he can't really punish them, so he can only try to ignore it.

Unfortunately, Commander Meto's worst fears came true.

The Zerg are very powerful. On the flanks, with both sides locked in a stalemate, casualties continued to rise. In war, some losses are normal, and everyone was prepared for it. Moreover, with the commander of his own race's Meto fleet leading the charge, no one wanted to hold back.

But now a group of gilded youths who lack martial ethics have emerged, breaking a certain tacit understanding. Everyone sees that the Xiluo Clan has taken the lead in violating military orders and has not yet been punished, which makes other civilizations uneasy.

After all, everyone came here to help. I'm risking my life on the front lines, why should they just stand by and watch? The lives of the Xiluo Clan are precious, aren't our lives precious too?

As a result, some of them began to follow suit. Fleets from various races kept requesting to withdraw from the battle for various reasons.

This enraged Commander Meto so much that he nearly vomited blood. These civilizations were all of higher status than the Meto Race, and he really couldn't afford to offend them. In the end, he could only acquiesce to their actions.

But with their retreat, the vacated areas needed to be filled, and left with no other choice, Commander Meto had to use his own fleet to fill the gaps.

However, the Meto Race had only been off their Mother Planet for less than ten thousand years, and their foundation was not yet fully built. Even though they had been given a boost before the war, the combat level of their fleet was still somewhat behind that of other races.

Therefore, although the level of coordination improved because those at the forefront were all their own people, the overall decline in quality gradually changed the stalemate.

Throughout the battlefield, the central front was unstoppable. Led by the Telo Civilization warships, although they themselves suffered heavy losses, the opposing Zerg forces fared even worse. The Zerg's U-shaped formation was on the verge of being breached.

However, the forces on both flanks were forced to retreat by the Zerg, with a large group of more advanced warships retreating behind them, while the host civilization Meto Civilization, had already lost more than half of its fleet.

This situation caused Commander Meto's heart to bleed, and finally...

"Pfft..." Overwhelmed with anger, Commander Meto spat out a mouthful of blood mist and then fell heavily backward.

"Sir?"

"Sir!"

"..."

A gasp rang out, and the surrounding Meto Race rushed over...

Thus, the first high-ranking commander to suffer non-combat casualties emerged after the start of the war.

The Coalition Army Commander-in-Chief received the news quickly, and his face was so dark it could drip water. In fact, he had already noticed the decline on the flanks and sent a message to inquire about it.

But the feedback he received gave him a headache. Putting himself in her shoes, he realized he didn't have a good solution. In the end, he could only turn a blind eye and pretend he didn't know.

But who knew the bad news would come so quickly? Not long after, Commander Meto couldn't hold on any longer. What drove him even more insane was that the Meto Race said they couldn't find anyone who could command respect and take over the commander's position.

Are you treating him like an idiot? In wartime, you're telling me there's no one to replace him? Isn't this just like if the commander is gone, the deputy commander takes over? And if the deputy commander is gone, the highest-ranking officer takes his place? And so on, until the last person is gone?

This is clearly an excuse!

However, he quickly understood the Meto Race's predicament. They were putting on this grand show for what purpose, and it was even orchestrated by the commander himself, all to step down from that awkward position.

Their plan has succeeded, and in this wartime situation, even if accountability is to be pursued, it will have to wait until after the war. So, this awkward problem now falls on his shoulders: the two flanks cannot be without command, so who should take over this position?

The battlefield is ever-changing. Just as the Coalition Army commander was still considering his successor, the situation on the battlefield had already undergone tremendous changes.

Without the command of Commander Meto, and whether unintentionally or secretly instructed, the Meto fleet positioned at the front suddenly collapsed.

The retreat of numerous warships from the battlefield exposed the armies of other races that had previously been hiding in the rear. Forced to respond passively, the various races were also met with a barrage of criticism directed at Commander Meto.

But the news they received was that Commander Meto had collapsed, coughing up blood, and was still in critical condition. When they learned this, they were completely stunned.

Is this okay?

When they inquired who was in command, the Meto Race replied that they did not know and were awaiting instructions from their superiors. Consequently, the various tribes turned their accusations toward the Coalition Army commander.

However, this time their attitude was much better.

But now, the commander-in-chief of the Coalition Army is also troubled by this matter. He has privately consulted several qualified people, but they have all declined with various excuses.

Before the war started, everyone might have been vying for this position, but now it seems like a hot potato, so naturally everyone is avoiding it.

Thank you to reader 20200219223811792 for the 700 Qidian coins.