Chapter 243: Farming Merits! Acting Governor! Assessment Complete! Expedition!
On Distant Star, at the operational base hidden within the primordial forest, two Storm Eagle gunships slowly ascended into the sky.
After switching to stealth mode, the flight formation vanished from radar and detection devices entirely.
Ever since Reed had taken Dr. Halsey from Reach, Jack Wells, who remained behind, had been leading the remaining squad members in continued concealment, awaiting further orders.
And now, those orders had finally arrived!
Inside the cabin of a Storm Eagle gunship.
[Attention all personnel!]
From Prosperity Star's headquarters, Morgan Blackhand was issuing commands to the elite vanguard team through a faster-than-light comms device:
[I now require you to head to New Alexandria and capture all terminal devices of the Smart AI, Shiver.This is a matter of utmost importance. You must act quickly and decisively.]
[Should you become bogged down in prolonged combat, you'll find yourselves isolated and without support. But this is our only shot—once missed, it won't come again.]
[Are you ready?!]
With time, location, and personnel all in place, the only thing left to do was execute. That was how the vanguard always operated.
"Yes!"
Upon receiving their confirmed response, Morgan Blackhand simply replied, "May you all return victorious."
The holographic display then dissolved, and calm returned to the gunship cabin.
Jack Wells, seated near the cockpit, continued to review the mission list and key objectives on his tactical helmet display.
This mission was a strike against ONI Headquarters—the Olympic Tower in New Alexandria. With internal forces stretched thin, they were to seize control of Smart AI Shiver.
The entire military presence on Reach had been mobilized. Heavily armed forces were now sweeping both the surface and orbital space, scouring for suspicious personnel and aircraft.
Only the defenses around Olympic Tower were noticeably thin—giving Jack and his team their golden opportunity.
However, the mastermind behind this operation wasn't Morgan Blackhand—but none other than Dr. Catherine Halsey, who had just defected to the Megacorp.
Not long ago, Halsey—after being abducted aboard the Endless—had agreed to join the Megacorp as one of their own.
There was no tedious back-and-forth in the negotiation. Once the Megacorp laid out its core info and what the new boss was offering, Halsey didn't bother with dramatic bargaining—she simply nodded in agreement.
And why not? Loyalists like Goro Takemura—who remained stuck as an ops supervisor under Arasaka for life—were few and far between.
The Megacorp's R&D Division was the only department on par with Market Expansion. They even had their own megastructure.
The [Science Nexus] megastructure was the heart of the R&D Division.
For overworked corporate drones, the Megacorp offered world-class offices, cutting-edge labs, independent research projects, performance bonuses, room and board, a slew of social benefits, and potential access to top-tier management.
Why wait to jump ship?
The penny-pinching old men at UNSC couldn't even manage a clone project without complaints—how hard is it to throw more funding at it first?
As her first act of loyalty after defecting, Halsey orchestrated this entire assault.
She marked the precise locations of all the confidential data and terminal devices related to Smart AI Shiver stored in the Olympic Tower.
Backstabbing her old employer might seem unethical, but in the face of "progress," the UNSC wasn't even worth mentioning.
Before long, the two Storm Eagles carrying fifty Astartes warriors each were soaring over New Alexandria.
As the UNSC's ground HQ, the Olympic Tower's external defenses were solid.
Plainclothes agents disguised as civilians and merchants patrolled nearby, while armed UNSC special forces maintained overwatch from strategic vantage points.
But these were conventional troops. The heavier armored units had already been deployed elsewhere, leaving the defenses weaker than usual.
Still, no one—from the UNSC's higher-ups to the local residents—ever expected a rebel assault on Olympic Tower. After all, the area was under constant surveillance.
The moment the Smart AI spotted suspicious activity, it would immediately lock on and dispatch snipers to eliminate the intruders.
However, before entering New Alexandria, Jack had already ordered the use of an ICE intrusion protocol to temporarily suppress Shiver's AI systems.
It would only work for ten minutes—but that was more than enough to breach the tower!
BOOM—!!
With two precision-guided micro-shells blasting open gaping holes in the tower's shell, the Astartes warriors stormed in.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!!
Mercilessly, the Astartes gunned down any armed personnel who dared to stand in their way.
Ordinary, panicked office workers were completely ignored as the warriors charged directly toward their objectives.
Three minutes after breaching the tower, Shiver managed to break free of the ICE protocol, sounding alarms and requesting backup.
But it was too late.
The Astartes had already reached the tower's core. After smashing through alloy riot barriers, they swiftly extracted all data and terminal devices linked to Smart AI Shiver.
The entire operation was completed in under 20 minutes—just as Halsey had anticipated. By the time the Storm Eagles departed New Alexandria…
…the late-arriving UNSC main force found only chaos: panicked crowds, a devastated secure data vault, and an empty AI terminal room.
They couldn't believe that the rebels—only 30 hours after kidnapping Halsey—had the audacity to march in and steal Shiver.
It was the equivalent of crapping on UNSC's head.
But no amount of anger or fear could change the fact: the Megacorp had infiltrated the UNSC so deeply, it was practically a sieve.
The moment Shiver was captured, a matrix program was forced into her system—integrating her into the Megacorp.
At the same time, as Jack's mission on Reach concluded perfectly, the expedition fleet over on Prosperity Star officially launched.
Led by the Endless Night as its flagship, the fleet consisted of three Endless-class carriers, twelve RCS-class armored cruisers, and twenty Hyperion-class battleships—all entering slipspace together.
This time, the roster was formidable: Morgan Blackhand was overall commander, David's team formed the vanguard, and they'd even pulled Reed and other elite warriors from the Vanguard Team.
Now, deep in the shimmering, distorted currents of slipspace, the expeditionary fleet raced toward Shield World 0459—hundreds of light-years away.
Inside the ships, in the designated training areas, thousands of Astartes warriors continued their daily training regimen.
Although the voyage would take over a month, the ships were equipped with cryo chambers to conserve resources and minimize downtime for the troops.
But the warriors of the "Iron Hands" Astartes legion weren't fond of cryo-sleep.
After undergoing neural node implantation, they no longer required prolonged sleep to recover from fatigue or restore stamina.
On one of the upper walkways inside the flagship, Catherine Halsey silently observed the Astartes in training, thoughtfully recording notes.
These towering, powerful warriors might provide inspiration for her upcoming Spartan modification project.
Just as Li Ang suspected, Halsey understood that while the Astartes were undeniably strong, their sheer size made them far too conspicuous in any crowd.
In high-security environments, stealth assassinations would be impossible.
They were perfect for frontal assaults and brute-force breakthroughs.
But silent infiltration and clean assassinations? That would require a new class of gene-enhanced warriors—smaller, but just as strong.
Looks like I'll need to start preparing for the Spartan warrior modification program as soon as possible, Halsey resolved internally.
This project—originally meant for the UNSC's Phase II Orion initiative—was now her tribute to the Megacorp.
She felt no shame or discomfort in that decision. If the UNSC had retained the program, Halsey would've received far less than what the Megacorp now offered.
Good things belonged to the capable.
Under the UNSC, Spartans were deployed to suppress colonial uprisings—essentially butchers, killing overburdened civilians during internal conflicts.
But under the Megacorp, they could become warriors of conquest—fighting for honor, for humanity's future.
As the creator of the Spartans, Halsey believed she had the right to choose a better future for them.
For now, however, she was aboard the Endless Night, working with Niccolò on developing the Scorpion-Tail virus and collaborating with Alt on Smart AI research.
The Megacorp's biotech division still needed a steady hand back at HQ, so Francis had stayed behind while Niccolò joined Halsey for the Shield World expedition.
Once the mission was complete, Halsey would formally establish her own research division to focus fully on Spartan enhancement.
She couldn't deny it—being able to stay and work for such a powerful civilization was genuinely exciting.
Beyond top-tier colleagues and professional-grade tech, the Megacorp's biotech was truly cutting-edge.
Within the genetic library of the Pacific Rim Precursors, there were numerous dazzling samples.
Halsey could even use these alien genes to engineer more stable "auxiliary organs," reducing the cost of creating Spartan Phase II warriors.
It was similar to the gene organ grafts used by the Astartes. As long as the process could be made stable and reliable, mass production of Spartans might become reality!
In short, Halsey was determined to bring Spartan costs down!
As she stood deep in thought, envisioning this bright future, the expedition's commander—Morgan Blackhand—walked up beside her.
"Dr. Halsey, I hope you're getting used to working aboard a starship."
With hands behind his back, Morgan smiled kindly at the young newcomer. "It's not easy traveling alongside us gruff old men. If anything gives you trouble, just say the word."
"Not at all," Halsey replied with a pleasant smile. "The working conditions here are excellent—I've had no trouble adjusting."
Indeed, joining this expedition wasn't hardship—it was a golden opportunity arranged by Li Ang to help her "farm merit"!
In short, Halsey was here to earn prestige—so Li Ang could soon promote her and establish a Spartan R&D division in her name.
---
Every assignment from a superior has its own purpose—even if it appears redundant at first glance, a closer look often reveals its extraordinary significance.
For a corporate employee to be promoted in a way that commands respect, flashy or even superficial achievements and performance records are often necessary.
It doesn't matter how inflated they are—as long as they look impressive and can silence doubters, they've done their job!
It's the same principle as Zhuge Liang assigning Ma Su to guard Jieting. The real goal was to help one of his own rack up military merits to make promotions easier.
As long as Halsey doesn't self-sabotage, her promotion to department head is basically guaranteed.
LA Megacorp has been expanding for nearly 40 or 50 years now, and its internal factions are numerous. Veteran and new employees alike are spread across different departments and hold various positions.
But whether you're new or experienced, performance and qualifications always come first!
It's important to understand—V is not a veteran of LA Megacorp. He joined midway, yet relied on his talent and ability to rise to the position of Development Division Director.
He's even a strong contender to become Li Ang first-ever Interstellar Governor.
That's precisely because his achievements and experience command genuine respect. The same goes for David Martinez—his extensive combat record is the real deal.
That's why he was entrusted with independently leading a Pioneer Strike Force across the multiverse, receiving treatment comparable to V's from a decade ago.
So, as long as you stand out and demonstrate your unique value to leadership—
Even as a relatively inexperienced "newcomer," the higher-ups will go out of their way to fabricate polished, eye-catching accomplishments for you.
"Dr. Halsey, this combat mission won't be difficult for us. You just focus on your lab work."
"I guarantee you won't be in any danger."
Like Li Ang , Morgan Blackhand has always valued the talent within his ranks.
"Understood, Commander Morgan. Then I'll leave it to you."
Halsey smiled. Since Boss Li Ang had given her this opportunity, of course she had to hold onto it tight.
After one last glance at the hyperspace scenery outside the porthole, she took a compact internal rail shuttle back to the front section of the ship, returning to the experimental lab to continue assisting Niccolò with the Scorpialion virus development.
…
At that moment, inside a private office at the headquarters of the Multiverse Base, Li Ang had just wrapped up some personal matters. Dressed in loose pajamas and sipping cold coffee brought by Lucy, he was in a video call with V.
[Boss, after more than a month of military suppression, the situation on Latou is now stable,] V's voice echoed through the office.
Ever since V arrived in the Latou system with his forces, he had implemented a series of punitive measures according to the pre-planned counterinsurgency strategy.
However, several unexpected developments still occurred.
For instance, there were collusions between Latou's rebels and other members of the LA Megacorp Trade Circle.
It turned out that internal betrayal wasn't limited to just one or two forces. Some members of the trade circle had been deliberately stirring unrest on others' planets—
All to exploit the chaos and seize control over rival factions' internal affairs.
In short, some traitorous factions were trying to carve out their own empires by undermining LA Megacorp from within!
In response, V followed the leads all the way up the chain and uncovered the true masterminds behind the uprising—capturing them along with the rebels and transporting them to Ideal City to stand trial under the conglomerate's authority.
"Well done."
After V's detailed report, Li Ang had gained a full understanding of the Latou Rebellion.
Truth be told, Li Ang had originally only expected V to complete a basic counterinsurgency mission—nothing more than a small addition to his record of merits.
What surprised Li Ang was how thoroughly V uprooted the conspiracy, unmasking every last puppet master behind the scenes!
With such outstanding tactical acumen, political awareness, and disciplined humility, V was practically tailor-made to serve as acting Interstellar Governor.
Keep in mind—the rebellion didn't just erupt in V's universe, 003 Edge of Tomorrow.
In Universes 001 spectre and 002 Pacific Rim, there had also been minor uprisings.
Though these were suppressed and resolved as well, the reports submitted by Maine and Johnny Silverhand were nowhere near as meticulous as V's.
Clearly, those two just weren't cut out for the role.
This evaluation for acting Interstellar Governor made one thing clear: at best, Maine could serve as a personal bodyguard. Li Ang was already considering assigning him to command the Imperial Guard.
He'd just stay close like Xu Chu, the famed bodyguard of ancient times.
As for Johnny Silverhand… sure, he could talk a big game and put on a good show. He'd make a decent motivational speaker. But when it came to politics—he was hopeless.
The kind of guy who scores negative points in both theory and execution.
Even letting Arasaka Yorinobu take on the governor role would be more sensible than handing it to him.
So Johnny's future would be limited to deputy commander of the elite Pioneer Force—a third-string leader at best.
But V? In four words: A future without limits.
Of course, he still needed more challenges and tempering. The journey from warrior to true executor would be a long one.
After V finished his full report, Li Ang calmly nodded and gave his next set of instructions:
"You'll continue serving as acting Interstellar Governor of Universe 003, overseeing all trade operations for LA Megacorp. Once Universe 004 is stabilized, we'll decide on the next step."
[Yes, Boss.]
While many within the conglomerate were greedy for the governor's seat, V wasn't particularly interested.
He knew very well that a post this crucial wouldn't be permanently entrusted to anyone lightly. Even as Interstellar Governor, he'd only be a placeholder for the time being.
So, the best course of action was to diligently fulfill his current duties. As for titles or rewards—those were the boss's concern.
It wasn't his place to ask for them.
And if anyone thought they could use the position of Interstellar Governor as a stepping stone to secede from LA Megacorp, V was certain of one thing—
No one could outplay Li Ang.
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