Chapter 1 Kevin

Kevin, an expert in human research on alien civilizations, knew that he had to use both soft and hard tactics when dealing with orcs. He smiled and said, "Oh, is that so? Then there's really nothing we can do. The contract we signed with the Seventh Art Federation is a mortgage agreement. You also know that Kepler's current reserves simply can't afford it. But the contract takes effect when the ship arrives at Kepler. If it's destroyed halfway, it doesn't count as the contract being completed." As he spoke, Kevin displayed a virtual stellar purchase contract.

"Governor, Kepler has always abided by the rules of the Star River Alliance. Since this transaction doesn't comply with Massa's port regulations, there's nothing we can do," Kevin said helplessly.

"Oh, Officer Bachaer, our negotiation process has been recorded. I'll pass this on to the Seventh Art Federation. As for the rest, I'll have to trouble you to communicate with them." Kevin's expression was relaxed. Romero showed no emotion. The two turned and left without hesitation. Just as they were about to reach the door, Bachaer finally couldn't help but say, "Wait..."

Romero slowly turned around, his eyes sharp. "Vice Palace Bachaer, are you wasting my time?"

"Lord Romero, look, you've come all this way. Don't try to fool me. This batch of ships is very important to you. Even if the Seventh Art comes looking for me, I'll give the same answer. Rules are rules."

"Then you can slowly explain to the Cthulhu family. I heard they have bad tempers. I wonder if they have a way to deal with a vice officer like you." Kevin smiled. "Governor, we can save this money and switch to another one."

Bachaer didn't know if the other party was bluffing, but he didn't know the inside story of the deal. He could easily manipulate humans, but if he really angered the Celestial Nobles, he could be replaced at any time, and then he would be nothing. Besides, if they broke up, no one would benefit. "Haha, Governor, Mr. Kevin, please sit, please sit. Our Massa Stargate is an important transit station, and there will inevitably be opportunities for cooperation in the future. Letting you come here is mainly to make friends, get to know each other, and facilitate cooperation in the future." Bachaer immediately put on a smiling face. "You also know my difficulties. This matter has already been registered, so you have to let me explain it properly. If you just take it away like this, it won't be easy."

"We don't have any money, but this time the merchant ship brought a ton of K23 raw ore, which is also Kepler's most valuable material," Kevin said. "In addition, there are some specialties we have for friends, all of which are"

"Some high-year, top-quality wines, originally intended for Hellavis."

When Bachaer heard this, his eyebrows immediately turned upward with a smile, and then he quickly restrained himself. "Well, I think there must be some misunderstanding in this matter. Massa Spaceport has always been warm and hospitable. Those five damaged spaceships are in Zone D86. After you pay the fine, you can get them back."

Kevin smiled brightly, his enthusiasm like fire. "Lord Bachaer is really wise and just. We like good friends the most. We'll cooperate more in the future." Having dealt with orcs for a long time, he knew one thing very well: orcs only care about profit. As long as there are benefits, they will do anything. The other party was just trying to get as much as they could. Kevin felt that it was impossible to take the spaceship away without bleeding.

It was necessary to lower their heads, mainly to get things done. This batch of spaceships must not go wrong. It was crucial to Kepler and the Tianyang System. This was also the first batch of advanced spaceships that humans had truly obtained.

Of course, they had to pretend not to care.

When he saw boxes and boxes of beautifully packaged fake wine, the orc was overjoyed. He even opened a bottle himself and drank it on the spot. The orcs were the first to discover human wine, but since the Sea People intervened, they couldn't afford it. This had really suffocated the orcs. Looking at the boxes of treasures, the ore was not important at all. While Bachaer was drinking, he praised them. Romero and Kevin were still worried that the other party would play tricks. They carefully checked the handover at the port. The Mechanical Clan was responsible for transportation.

"Why is the spaceship's program still in restricted mode?" Kevin asked.

"After the spaceship arrives at Kepler, the person in charge of Kepler's Stargate will activate it," the Mechanical Clan replied. "Please complete the receipt on the contract."

Romero looked at Kevin, and Kevin nodded. There was nothing wrong with the spaceship. They thought that De Fandis would give them a batch of castrated versions. During this kind of spaceship transaction, the spaceship was still the same ship, but the attack system was downgraded or even completely stripped. But he roughly looked at it and saw that the weapons and equipment were all there, which was a bit unexpected. As for the current system restrictions, it didn't matter. They would take Kepler to find the Star Alliance to solve it. This was also a common practice in Star Alliance transactions, mainly to prevent pirates. Even if it was plundered, they still couldn't use it without cracking it.

The two sides successfully handed over, and the Mechanical Clan also completed its mission. Watching the five damaged spaceships being loaded onto the transport ship, Romero and Kevin breathed a sigh of relief, unable to hide the joy in their hearts. Celestial weapons were important, but advanced spaceships were even more important. This was the key to protecting Kepler.

"Governor, the spaceship has been loaded. Shall we set off immediately?" Audora said. He was also one of the Insectoids who survived from that year and was also Romero's deputy. After the Kepler battle, plus more than a year of dealing with orcs and pirates, there were not many Insectoids left. Their all-weather combat capabilities and flexibility could cope with the Star River's armor system, giving humans time to develop new mechas. It could be said that Romero's Insectoids made great contributions to Kepler's ability to maintain a good order.

Now, as they gradually understood the situation of the Star River Alliance, Kepler also began to purchase Celestial weapons, but they were all of very poor quality, and they couldn't withstand fierce battles at all. Li Wu's batch of new Celestial weapons solved the urgent need.

The spaceship left Massa Spaceport. Romero and Kevin stood on the deck, watching the prosperous space city gradually fall behind them. "Kevin, is this going a little too smoothly?"

Kevin stroked his chin. "A little. The orcs are a bit greedy. Plus, we don't have a good relationship, so it's normal for them to try to trip us up and make a profit. But I just feel like something's wrong."

Using the Seventh Art and forged contracts to scare the other party was a set strategy, and the other party's reaction was also right, but it was too right. It felt like they were cooperating with their plan a little too much.

"No matter what, we got the spaceship. Let's get back to Kepler as soon as possible." Romero nodded, emptying the ore and loading it into the G800's warehouse. Romero's Insectoid guard was still further inspecting the spaceship. Given their relationship with the orcs, it was not impossible for the other party to plant a bomb or something.

But after checking, there was nothing unusual. It would be too obvious to plant a bomb here. The Star Alliance had mediated many times. The orcs were not really brainless enough to blatantly bomb a governor appointed by the Star Alliance.

As the spaceship left the Massa space city's star field, everyone's mood gradually improved. After having children, Romero didn't really like leaving Kepler anymore. Life had hope, and it became more enjoyable. Now everything was developing in a good direction. Li Ge opened a door for humans in the Ozir Empire. The other Apocalypse Warriors in various places were also gradually adapting to the Anthem and the Celestial order. Given humans about ten years, they would definitely be able to gain a firm foothold in the Star Alliance. Moreover, the Celestial reincarnation technology had now been mastered. Both the Solar System and Kepler had it. People like Chao Qinglong and Maxis opened that gene lock by improving their strength. The gene technology could also be used to passively open it. After opening it, basically more than 50% of them could allow their bodies to better adapt to changes in gravity, forming a wonderful cellular self-regulation ability.

Currently, this technology was also being promoted in an orderly manner in the Solar System and Kepler. It was not being widely popularized. On the one hand, it needed time to test it. On the other hand, most people actually didn't need it. It was mainly aimed at space marines. The lack of adaptation to gravity severely limited their combat effectiveness.

Everything was developing in a good direction.

But not long after, a red alert appeared on the spaceship's screen. Strong spatial fluctuations appeared on the star chart. This meant that a spaceship was making a space jump.

Romero and Kevin and others immediately became vigilant. Not long after, a red dot appeared, followed by one red dot after another appearing on the space radar.

The Dawn, the spaceship Romero and the others were on, was currently Kepler's largest and most advanced. It was modified on the basis of a merchant ship and equipped with human firepower. Although it was a bit of a mishmash, the spaceship's engine and energy shield were very good.

At this time, in the nearby star field, one pirate ship after another jumped out of warp flight. These spaceships obviously had a very clear target, which was Romero's Dawn.

The red dots on the radar were increasing, and they were rapidly moving in their direction. Romero's pupils contracted, and Kevin's expression also became tense. How could there be pirates in this area?

"It seems like they're coming for us." Romero said in a deep voice, "Spaceship, enter warp flight and try to break free with all your strength!"

The Dawn began to accelerate and enter warp space. The spaceship flew at full speed, but the pirate ships behind them were still chasing closely. Soon, they also entered warp space, locked onto the Dawn, and continued to pursue. Obviously, they had their coordinates, and it was very likely that a positioning device had been placed on the spaceship. They still underestimated the orcs' determination. Using the ring-shaped spaceship as bait to lure Romero away from Kepler was a request that Romero could not refuse. This batch of spaceships was too important. The orcs were waiting for the spaceship to complete the handover so that it would have nothing to do with the Seventh Art Federation. What they were afraid of was not humans at all. The contract between the two sides had been completed, and the rest was to fully pursue and kill Romero. As for whether they were real pirates or fake pirates, it didn't matter anymore.

There were probably hundreds of spaceships on the other side, a mixed bag of all kinds, including Celestial ring-shaped spaceships, Ghost Clan shuttle-shaped spaceships, and orc spaceships. Although it looked chaotic, the pursuit was quite organized, and they were all attack spaceships with considerable speed. The fastest ring-shaped spaceship was already about to catch up with them.

Kevin immediately broke out in a cold sweat. They still had the侥幸 that the orcs wouldn't be so bold on such a Star River Alliance route. They were bigger than they imagined, and they even waited specifically for the spaceship to be handed over. What was even more critical was that these spaceships couldn't be started at all right now. They needed to arrive at Kepler and pass the Star Alliance's inspection before they could be used.