nebula story

Fern's face was a little gloomy: "But the federal people didn't grab the olive branch I threw away." Finally he couldn't bear the anger and gloom anymore, he gritted his teeth, "They don't even want to hand over a small low-level prisoner of war. !"

His Majesty's expression was also a bit regretful and helpless: "Yes... I like that child Chesu very much too. If possible, I must bring him back."

Recalling the fleeting meeting at the military parade, he saw a picture of Fern standing side by side with his young partner. Fern had such a bright look in his eyes, and that young man's face with a shy smile was also so fresh. moving.

"I will, no matter what, I will pick him up." There was no expression, and the tone of the imperial crown prince was also indifferent, but it made his father feel a little startled.

However, why are the federal people unwilling to release such a simple and low-status prisoner of war?His Majesty the Emperor had an extremely disturbing association in his mind.

"Fern, promise me one thing."

"Father, please tell me." Fern gently held his hand respectfully, and Fern's face softened.

"In case...that child has any misfortune." Not daring to say the worst result, His Majesty looked at his son with a worried face, "For example, if there is a disability—this is very common on the battlefield—promise Me, you must be calm, don't be blinded by anger and hatred."

There was no immediate answer, and Fern's face twisted for a moment.

"Okay, father, I promise you." He whispered, holding his father's hand suddenly a little tight, "You are right, life is more important than anything else."

Yes, who wouldn't be terrified to see the depressed brother Lance who never showed a warm smile again?So he will never tolerate that kind of thing happening to him, never!

Facing his father's eyes that seemed to see through something, Fern suppressed the sudden fear in his heart, and forced a smile on his handsome face: "What's the disability? As long as he lives, our empire can't afford him." lifetime?"

The skinny hand touched Fern's head pitifully, and His Majesty the Emperor sighed in his heart.Outsiders can only see his strength and sternness as the eldest son of the royal family, but as a father, he can always capture his occasionally soft and powerless heart.

"Fern, thank you for your hard work." His Majesty the Emperor said again, suddenly coughing violently, and the redness on his face rapidly expanded.

Waving his hand to stop Fern, he didn't let Fern call the medical officer: "I'm only 27 or [-] years old, and I'm about to take over the burden on my shoulders. It's really embarrassing for you..."

Looking at his father sadly, Fern had tears in his eyes: "Father, I don't think it's hard."

"Yeah, Fern is a capable kid." His Majesty the Emperor smiled slightly, patted him on the shoulder reluctantly, his eyes were a little slack, "Even these years, I have been lazy a lot, Fern, you and Ao Teng Marshal together... helped me share a lot of hard work."

When he heard Ao Teng's name, Fern's face froze slightly and he didn't speak.

"Fern... I feel like I'm going to see an old friend soon." His Majesty the Emperor muttered in a trance, his eyes piercing Fern's face in front of him, and he didn't know where he stopped, "I'm only in my 50s, Many old friends are still healthy and healthy, only Ao Teng... walked in front of me."

Sighing softly, there was gentle pain on his face: "This liar... He clearly said that he would always stand by my side and be loyal to the royal family for the rest of his life."

"Father..." Fern looked at him and said slowly, "Marshal Auteng has not broken his oath to you."

Staring at Fern in a daze, His Majesty the Emperor stared at him with difficulty, and finally whispered the question that had been lingering in his heart for a long time.

"Fern, Otten...is he really guilty?"

With a sudden shock in his heart, Fern froze.It turns out that the seemingly confused father who doesn't care about anything actually understands better than anyone else!

Stabilizing his mind, he stood up solemnly, pressed his right hand on his left chest, and solemnly swore to his father with the most sacred etiquette of the royal family: "Your Majesty, I assure you with the dignity of the Cromwell surname, Marshal Otten's Death, compared to fairness and justice, is inevitable. And his crimes cannot be forgiven."

Looking at his son's persistent and serious face with regret, His Majesty the Emperor sighed faintly.

"Okay, Fern, I believe you." There was a bleak smile on his face, "This way I can rest assured. When I went to see that guy Aoten... I didn't want to apologize to him because of you."

Feeling a pang in his heart, Fern choked up slightly: "Father, please get better. Marshal Auteng must also... hope to see His Majesty the Emperor, whom he loyally assisted, live a long life."

Shaking his head with a smile, the red and excited patches on His Majesty's cheek gradually faded.

"Fern... take good care of your brothers and sisters, as well as the people of the empire." The effect of the morphine injection gradually passed, and the great pain hit. The gentle Emperor tried his best to show his last smile, " I want to rest."

……

More than three hours later.Various palaces in the Shenguang Imperial Palace slowly wafted the sad music of national mourning.

In the spring of the 12th year of the imperial calendar, the current emperor Kent Cromwell died of illness, and the whole country mourned.

Three days later, the eldest son of the emperor, Fern Cromwell, succeeded to the throne.

At the same time, Old Marshal Green was the only one left on the Fisher planet to stand alone on the front line, and a large-scale plain battle with the Federation Army took place. Anta plain.

Across many galaxies and long lead clouds, in the temporary communication room of the palace, Lance and Fern sat silently in the room, closely watching the latest battle situation of Fisher star transmitted by the satellite.

The green mark has turned into a dazzling dark red, and the vast land of the Anta Plain has once again become the location occupied by the federal army.

This plain is not really an important military stronghold, the most troublesome thing is the large area of ​​rare mineral deposits and energy crystal mines below.In the final analysis, what the Federation and the Empire are arguing about is the increasingly tense energy crystal mines on Fisher Planet. No matter how many military fortresses they occupy, what is the point if they cannot dig out enough resources?

Knowing this well, the two princes thought anxiously, and did not speak for a while, until there was a light knock on the door.

The head of the guard, Wood, pushed open the door. Behind him, Wesley, the head of the secret investigation department of the Imperial Intelligence Agency, quietly entered.

After bowing respectfully to Fern, the plain-looking middle-aged man said, "Your Majesty, the Federation has the latest news from our intelligence department."

Slowly raising his eyes, the young emperor who had just succeeded to the throne nodded: "Speak."

As if the air in the room suddenly became a little colder, the head of the guard, Wood, felt a little heavy.He knew better than anyone else who this middle-aged man would bring about.

Yes, since the news of the appearance of the Federation's new two-person mecha a few days ago, the new emperor, His Majesty Fern, has no expression on his face. At the first moment, he secretly summoned a man who has won his trust. Intelligence Secretary Wesley.

"Your Majesty, after the battle on Planet Fisher the day before yesterday, several federal pilots who were captured had been escorted back to the capital as quickly as possible. It was shipped back and disassembled." The voice remained unchanged, and Minister Wesley reported unhurriedly.

His Majesty Fern's face remained as indifferent as before when he didn't answer.

"According to the unanimous statement of several federal prisoners, the young mechanic who appeared in the pre-war training of the latest federal two-person mecha..." Finally, there was some ups and downs in his voice, and the head of the intelligence agency sighed in his heart, "from Judging from his appearance and demeanor, he should be your former partner, Lieutenant Chesu."

Lance listened in a daze, without speaking.Almost unable to bear it, he quietly looked at the emperor brother who still had no expression, the current emperor Fern.

"And judging from the dismantling of the new federal mecha, some of the core technologies are also highly overlapped with our secret technology, and the twin engines developed by the federation itself have been added, so in terms of power, it is slightly better than the imperial mecha. "Wesley, Minister of the Intelligence Agency, pondered for a while, "Your Majesty, according to the analysis of the research and development department of the Royal Academy of Engineering, the new federal mecha must have used the core secrets from the imperial mecha, and... all of these secrets are in Chesu. It was within the Lieutenant's original understanding."

Finally raising his head coldly, His Majesty Fern's brows slowly raised.Looking closely at Minister Wesley, his sharp gaze was like a dagger out of its scabbard: "Speak directly, the Royal Academy of Engineering and your conclusion."

Although he had already made a conclusion in his mind, Wesley still felt a tremendous pressure all of a sudden. After gathering his mind, he insisted on expressing his opinion: "In view of the above evidence, we have every reason to believe that your exclusive partner Lieutenant Chesu, after persisting in his initial refusal to confess, still... finally made a gesture of surrender."

The head of the guard, Wood, opened his mouth blankly, and Lance sat there without saying a word, suddenly feeling a little drained all over his body.There are no outsiders in the room, a suffocating atmosphere, with a cold chill.

After a long time, His Majesty the new Emperor Fern said softly: "Surrender, this kind of thing..."

He paused expressionlessly, and he didn't say any more.

Everyone waited with bated breath, and the room was silent.Finally, the uneasy Lance tried to speak: "Your Majesty..."

Looking sideways at him, Fern said lightly, "Speak."

Lance lowered his eyes sadly: "Maybe there is some kind of misunderstanding. The previous information also shows that the Federation has never created a new type of mecha. Chesu... also managed to escape from prison. He should, should have been It's right to fight."

Looking at him with disapproval, Minister Wesley said softly: "We showed the photos of Lieutenant Chesu to the federal prisoners of war, and they collectively identified them. In any case, Lieutenant Chesu personally participated in the training of the federal sergeants. — as it used to be in the Empire."

Closing his mouth, Lance finally stopped retorting.

"However, we also have enough reasons to believe that Lieutenant Chesu's choice is not loyal enough, but it is also..." Looking quietly at His Majesty Fern's calm face, Minister Wesley recalled how many times he had communicated with him through the interstellar space in the past. During the call on the line, His Majesty the New Emperor once showed his irritability and anxiety, "According to the confession of the federal prisoners of war, Lieutenant Chesu was obviously in poor health when he trained them."

His Majesty Fern, who had always been as calm as a rock, finally showed the first trace of undetectable vibration today.Raising his eyes, he fixed his deep eyes on the courtier in front of him.

"What's wrong?"

"There doesn't seem to be any scars on the outside, but...the complexion is very bad." Minister Wesley was not very sure. After all, this is an inference without evidence, and it is not accurate. "It is said that once during a lecture, he once showed a very He looked uncomfortable, and then suddenly passed out. Then, a military doctor appeared immediately and gave him first aid."

After pondering for a while, he added: "So I think the federal people must have known in advance that Lieutenant Chesu's health is very bad, and this bad condition is most likely because Lieutenant Chesu has undergone too many tortures."

Standing up suddenly, Lance couldn't help the anger and pain on his handsome face: "Yes! Chesu is not someone who will surrender easily, he must have been tortured by the federal people, and he was forced to surrender when he couldn't persist !"

Looking at him speechlessly, after a long while, the new monarch of Planet Rencel turned his head to Wesley and asked softly, "Is there anything else?"

Thinking back, the head of the investigation department on the opposite side hesitated a bit: "There is one more point. According to the memories of the prisoners who received Lieutenant Chesu's training, he only used eight fingers for maintenance and control. Your Majesty, Lieutenant Chesu and you You don't have this habit when you fight with your partner?"

With his eyes narrowed slightly, Fern seemed to be caught in some distant but clear memories.

"No, his hand speed...is very fast, and he always uses all ten fingers together." He said lightly.

Shaking his head in pain, Lance tightly held the pure gold pen in his hand: "Brother Emperor, Chesu's hand must have been injured."

Still not saying anything immediately, Fern looked at his imperial brother across the long table.

Seeing the calm in those blue eyes, Lance's heart suddenly sank.Some kind of bad memory floated up from the bottom of his heart, flooding his restless heart.