The final days before departure were filled with a chaotic sense of urgency.
The downside of holding a high position was the inability to simply leave whenever one pleased. No matter how impatient Sakedi and Gela were, they had to first settle the affairs at hand.
The habitat sectors of the Grey Wings operated under an efficient model; minor adjustments to details would not disrupt the normal functioning of the territories under Clark’s command. However, the newly annexed planets were a different story. Their original structures had been utterly shattered, and they were being forcibly pivoted toward an entirely different trajectory.
In the early stages of the Grey Wings taking control, various incidents of slaughter and oppression occurred frequently. Female Zerg of the Core genetic grade exploited low-to-mid-level females, who in turn directed their rage and violence toward the males and larvae.
Sakedi’s experience as a human taught him that discipline that could not be strictly enforced was no better than waste paper. Especially when dealing with a species like the Zerg, who followed only the strong, they needed to be deterred by the consequences of crossing boundaries before they could instinctively learn to obey the rules.
Gentle education cannot reform every species; more often than not, an absolute disparity in power is the true beginning of peace. A ruler must never succumb to endless mercy and concession, yet they must also not indulge in slaughter for their own selfish desires.
Taming—yes, he had to use that somewhat barbaric and primitive word—required a precise hand on the reins. The first step to eradicating conflict was not the acquisition of morality, but the establishment of strict law.
All the small Information Nests in the annexed regions were linked to the Great Information Nest, which greatly facilitated the males’ ability to manage information.
In contrast, the territories of the Pedipalp Species brought a wealth of good news. These habitat planets were indeed affluent—but only in the sense of data-driven resource abundance, which did not mean the Zerg living there enjoyed any related benefits.
The fact that the Tide-Destroying Angon had been built atop an Akashic Rift was already surprising enough to Sakedi. However, during the subsequent inventory, the Grey Wings unexpectedly discovered another hidden rift, one containing massive reserves of energy stones.
This major discovery left Sakedi and Clark flush with resources. Now, they could afford to maintain not just one starship, but an entire fleet without issue. The pollution that humans avoided like the plague was a trivial matter to the Zerg; as long as the rift did not collapse and the tide did not surge directly, they could mine to their hearts' content.
With the example of the Energy Star as a precedent, this development could be described as smooth. Sakedi allocated personnel and began building an entire refining industry chain on-site. The last time Clark had sent Grey Wing technicians to Ja for construction, he had to do so stealthily to avoid Krish’s eyes and withstand a barrage of impeachments. Now, they needed no concealment; they simply built.
Among the Grey Wings transferred there, several had been responsible for expansion projects on the Energy Star. Doing the same task again felt familiar and practiced, no longer requiring them to grope in the dark.
The males under Gela were also gradually finding their footing, moving from their initial panic at traveling far from home to becoming accustomed to it. A few Broad-Wings remained in their home sectors to handle construction. Having joined recently, they hadn't learned enough yet, so setting up the local Information Nests took considerable effort and even required remote guidance.
When those nests were finally connected, Kara was so happy his tail swung three hundred and sixty degrees, spinning like a tiny windmill.
"I... don't... believe it!"
The male, whose command of the Common Tongue was still poor, looked somewhat dazed, as if he hadn't expected success after so many failures. Their lives in their old territory during this half-cycle had not been smooth; in fact, they had been difficult. If the Grey Wings hadn't dispatched the Armed Species to garrison every newly annexed planet to maintain basic security, Zerg like Kara would have faced constant death threats.
But the direct-line troops led by Kleiman were ruthless enough. They were far more willing than Sakedi to follow the principle of "if they don't listen, kill them all." If the Mad Dog Squad hadn't been muzzled, they would have been even more brutal. All provocations were treated as rebellion, and all challenges were suppressed swiftly.
Sakedi, a Core Species who had lived two lives, never thought he would one day have to play the "good cop" in a game of good cop, bad cop. The glory of "fighting if you don't submit" shone across the Zerg lands. One of the Grey Wings' creeds was not just to fight, but to fight until the opponent was wiped out.
"Regulations are established because every Zerg included under them needs to follow a set process."
The white male Zerg spoke softly to the deep grey female. The good news was that the latter finally stopped bristling his scales when facing Gela; the desensitization training had yielded significant results. Sakedi would clarify the reasons for the boundaries that must not be crossed in a stern manner, while Gela would slowly provide further explanations. This combination provided a balance of tension and relaxation.
"Management is different from war. Eliminating all dissenters is easy—as a direct-line Zerg, you are very powerful, and all your Armed Species subordinates are powerful enough to crush any dispute. But we cannot do that forever."
Gela did not lecture him with obscure theories. He simply pulled the deep grey female down to sit and slowly showed him the construction achievements of the past half-cycle.
"All small Information Nests are connected. We are building a new internal ring network. Deep-space communication now covers the entire third and fourth quadrants, allowing intelligence and information to flow rapidly."
"This is the planet where you and Sa once hunted down the Xenobeasts. Now, Kara and the others have provided protection for the local males, allowing many Zerg who were waiting for death to survive."
"Once the three Core genetic races merge, after several generations, the same or similar blood will flow through all of us—just as the Zerg once originated from the same source around the Queen, indistinguishable from one another."
There was a smile in his pale eyes—a heartfelt smile born from liberation after long-standing fear and oppression.
"You have already done very, very well. Self-restraint requires far more courage than indulging one's nature."
The Zerg did not practice "encouragement-based education." Most larvae had to learn survival skills as quickly as possible after birth and were thrown into hunting as soon as they reached sub-adulthood. To date, Gela had met only a handful of Zerg who cared about a small family atmosphere; the rest were mostly heartless bastards. Someone like Krish would even throw his own direct offspring to the enemy to act as a shield.
This also meant that most adult Grey Wing females had zero tolerance for praise. Encountering heartfelt compliments made them feel as if they had drunk bootleg liquor.
"Mm."
The Armed Species leader responded in a low voice, his powerful tail sweeping against the floor with a soft rustle. Though he was a reliable adult Zerg, he still couldn't withstand the "sugar-coated bullets" of flattery.
"Aren't you the captain of my exclusive praise support squad?"
The Core Species leaning against the door laughed. Sakedi walked too silently, and standing downwind, even Kleiman’s auditory system and scent glands hadn't captured his presence immediately.
Startled, the Armed Species leader’s scales bristled instantly.
"You're finished!"
Gela jumped up quickly and dove into his partner's open arms, sniffing him while his slender, scaled tail wagged rhythmically.
"I'm finished."
Sakedi kissed him without hesitation, then smilingly released the male after holding him for a moment. "So I ran all the way here, wanting to listen to Teacher Gela’s lecture."
"Do you accept transfer students, Teacher?"
*Whoosh.*
His pure white partner flushed instantly.
Sakedi was a natural mischief-maker. He unobtrusively hooked his tail around Gela’s wagging tail-tip, his hand still stroking the other’s wings.
"Teach me too, praise me too, little Teacher."
A bad man, a bad cat. In short, he was just too wicked.
What left Gela even more speechless was that his hyperactive spiritual power could sense the Armed Species Zerg sitting nearby emitting an aura of sudden realization. Kleiman was frantically taking mental notes with an "I see" attitude, though his cold face showed no change in expression.
Fortunately, before the male could burn up from shame, Sakedi reined in his playful demeanor.
"I won't tease you anymore. I came to ask if the travel list has been finalized."
He gently patted his partner's back, his golden-brown eyes turning toward the tail-wagging brother who was belatedly hesitating about whether to slip away. "The humans have replied. We will unlock the River of Time ports as soon as possible and shut down all security protocols. We set off within one cycle."
This was a massive undertaking. Realigning and restarting the ports to set the path within human territory was unprecedented. The unique nature of the meeting dictated that both sides follow principles of extreme caution; even their probing was subtle and conservative.
"The list is with me."
The male, having calmed down, entered work mode. He gestured for his partner to sit and pulled up the display screen of the information connector. "I have reviewed all the Grey Wings listed for screening. There are no issues. Kleiman has already removed any members who might harbor slight resistance or have personality issues."
"Next, I will further assist him in finalizing the arrangements for the Armed Species staying behind on the annexed planets and the Grey Wing habitats, dividing temporary administrative authority."
"And..." At this point, Gela couldn't help but glance at the deep grey female, his tone hesitant. "Do I need to add Kleiman to the list?"
The Armed Species leader’s tail was sweeping so fast it was nearly creating sparks; the frequency made it impossible to ignore. The direct-line Zerg was primly suppressing all buzzing, and though his face didn't show it, his heart was waving a giant, colorful banner:
*Take me with you! Take me with you! Take me with you!*
In previous meetings, Sakedi and Clark had both leaned toward leaving Kleiman on the Core Planet. At that time, it hadn't been confirmed if the humans were willing to unlock unrestricted use of the River of Time. With the two highest leaders heading to a distant sector, the habitat indeed needed a high-ranking officer who could maintain order—someone with a tough attitude and strong personal power on standby.
But once the port was unlocked, that concern vanished. One could only say that technology benefited humanity... and Zerg society. The light of physics, as fickle as Schrödinger’s cat, shone upon the land.
"Regarding that matter..." Sakedi was laughing loudly in his mind, but his expression was grave.
The Armed Species leader, who lacked the power of telepathy, sat bolt upright. That thumping tail wagged again.
The wicked Core Species didn't bat an eye. "I need to think about it carefully. After all, it is a major matter. Adding a traveler at the last minute means changing all the previous arrangements."
He lied through his teeth, sighing hypocritically. "Besides, Kleiman looks like he isn't interested in this sort of thing at all. He probably doesn't like this kind of field duty."
"He never participates in the sign-up phase."
"I am interested!"
Standing up with a start, the deep grey female finally grew anxious.
"I am interested!"
"I want to go!"
***
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 潮汐中安贡 | Tide-Destroying Angon | Name of a specific Zerg structure or vessel. |
| 阿卡夏裂隙 | Akashic Rift | A spatial anomaly or resource-rich rift. |
| 阔翅 | Broad-Wings | A specific type or tribe of Zerg. |
| 卡拉 | Kara | A male Zerg character. |
| 疯狗小队 | Mad Dog Squad | A nickname for a specific aggressive unit of Armed Species. |
| 象限区 | Quadrant | A spatial division of the galaxy. |
| 异兽种 | Xenobeasts | A non-Zerg hostile species. |
| 蜂鸣 | Buzzing | A sound/vibration Zerg make, often related to emotion or communication. |
