ca-book Chapter 803 Sephira
Chapter 803 Sephira
Chapter 803 Sephira
Because they graduated early, the Blade Team couldn't attend the school's graduation ceremony. After returning to Calida, they stayed for about three weeks before setting off again.
On the helipad outside the Solar Storm Gate, Fu Qinghai bid farewell to his friends and boarded a Lambda-class shuttle specifically designed to transport him, embarking on a new journey.
……
Inside the shuttle's cockpit, two pilots were setting the navigation path in preparation for the hyperspace jump. One of the pilots couldn't help but glance back at Fu Qinghai, who was sitting in the crew cabin, rapidly turning the pages of a book.
She noticed his gaze.
Fu Qinghai looked up at the other person.
"Oh, you're reading a book."
The pilot smiled somewhat awkwardly.
"Yes, to kill time."
Fu Qinghai nodded and continued reading.
"The Binary Language of Robots"
This is the thick book that Fu Qinghai is currently reading.
Due to cost constraints, many robots do not have complex language modules installed, but are only equipped with simple binary language speakers. For example, the "beep beep beep" sound emitted by R2-D2 is a kind of robot binary language. People who know robot binary language can understand what it says.
This thick and heavy book contains many robot languages. Fu Qinghai smuggled this book from the library in Calida to pass the time on his journey, just as he had used the short time he spent traveling to Fondo to learn the Hutt language.
The pilot in the cockpit recalled Fu Qinghai's face and felt that it looked familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before. After a moment, he finally remembered—this young and handsome major looked very similar to the model in the recruitment poster!
……
Inner ring area.
The Polis Galaxy, Sephira.
It's another humid and hot jungle planet.
Sephira is a very important planet in the Milky Way because a special product produced on this planet affects all aspects of the galaxy's medical industry.
This special product is called "Bakta".
Thousands of years ago, the Fratix people, the indigenous inhabitants of Sefira, made a significant medical discovery: mixing a plant called "Araj" with a bacterium called "Kavam" could create a translucent gel that promoted rapid cell regeneration—the original "Bakta." However, this gel was extremely prone to spoilage. Later, they added Bakta to a solution called "Ambori," and with the aid of a circulation device, it could maintain its biological activity for a long time, eventually forming the Bakta box we commonly see today.
Bhakta revolutionized the medical industry in the galaxy.
The Bakta box can treat almost all external injuries, including cuts, burns, frostbite, lacerations, and penetrating wounds. It can heal connective tissues such as skin, muscles, bones, and tendons and ligaments, with a fast healing speed and no scarring. It has particular value in military strategic applications.
After the invention of the Bakta Box, human companies quickly entered the field, profiting by distributing Bakta Boxes throughout the galaxy. After fierce commercial competition, two large medical giants emerged, Zaltin and Sukfula, who crushed the Flatix's own trading companies and virtually monopolized the distribution rights of the Bakta Box.
After the Galactic Empire was established, the two medical giants quickly colluded with the Imperial government, guaranteeing the supply of Bakta boxes to the Imperial army at low prices in exchange for the Imperial army directly dispatching troops to forcibly shut down small Bakta distributors who might disrupt pricing. At this point, Zaltin and Sukfra completely monopolized and controlled the pricing, production, and market share of Bakta boxes, forming a de facto cartel.
OPEC of the Milky Way's Bactria.
The raw materials for bacta have certain unique characteristics. Araj plants and kavam bacteria can only grow in the special climate of Sefira and are easily contaminated by other bacteria, which means that bacta ingredients can still only be produced in Sefira at present.
The two medical giants contracted out the cultivation industry to smaller, more localized businesses and farmers, namely the Fratix people on Sefira, while they themselves were responsible for the more profitable aspects such as research and development, synthesis, sales, and service.
The Fratix, the original inventors of the bakta box, were thus reduced to suppliers of raw materials for the bakta industry chain. All sales channels were controlled by the two major medical giants, who no longer had the right to participate in the negotiation of production and prices.
The above is all the information Fu Qinghai had about this planet before arriving in Sephira.
……
Sephira, a military base of an empire.
The shuttle slowly landed on the tarmac.
Fu Qinghai strode down the stairs carrying his suitcase.
"Attention! Salute!"
With a loud shout, the two rows of assault troops and army soldiers who had been waiting immediately gripped their weapons and stood at attention, their heels striking the side of their other boots with a neat clang.
Fu Qinghai glanced at them indifferently, then continued walking briskly while raising his hand in return, displaying an air of great authority that made the imperial soldiers feel he was unfathomable.
"Take a break."
Fu Qinghai passed by two rows of soldiers and said indifferently.
The officer in charge of calling for salutes jogged up to meet him, quickly following beside Fu Qinghai and eagerly extending his hand:
"Let me help you with your suitcase, sir."
"No need, I can do it myself."
Fu Qinghai waved his hand and coldly refused.
He was worried that the lieutenant might dislocate his shoulder.
"Okay, I'll take you to the dormitory."
The adjutant immediately came to his side and led him.
……
"The appearance of the Fratix is somewhat similar to that of the Krik, both being insect-like alien races covered by exoskeletons. The difference is that the Krik have four hands and two feet while the Fratix have two hands and two feet. In addition, there are some other morphological differences, such as the Fratix having fingers and toes."
Fu Qinghai and his adjutant walked slowly along the edge of the military base's perimeter wall. In the distance stretched rolling mountains and dense forests. As they walked, the lieutenant pointed them out to him:
"The Fratix are covered in fine hairs that secrete a chemical called drin. This chemical can change the color of their carapace as an expression of emotion, an ability that is part of their language. The Fratix use a basic language, but they rely heavily on touch in social interactions because it is the most reliable sensory ability for them. This tradition often makes other races uncomfortable and leads to misunderstandings."
Fu Qinghai has been parachuted in to become the highest military commander of the imperial military base on the planet Sephira, and the young man next to him is his current adjutant, Lieutenant Jasha.
Imperial military bases are highly standardized. The structure and facilities of this military base in Sephira are almost identical to those in Sereno. The only difference is that this military base does not have as many personnel as Sereno.
Sephira is located in the inner ring, sandwiched between the colonial and expansion zones. It's not as chaotic as the outer ring, but it's not as stable as the deep core either. However, the Bakta Crate is such a crucial strategic resource that, theoretically, even with a fleet, the Empire should have deployed sufficient ground troops to ensure its smooth operation and prevent any unforeseen events.
The Imperial military base on the planet Sephira has a small number of Imperial soldiers, and there is only one real reason for this—the two major medical giants on the planet, Zaltin and Sukfula, employ a large number of corporate soldiers to be stationed on this planet.
Fu Qinghai first encountered corporate soldiers in the American TV series "Andor," where the supporting character, Hillary, led corporate soldiers from a mining company in pursuit of Andor. These corporate soldiers wore dark blue breastplates similar to those worn by army soldiers, not as sophisticated as the fully enclosed armor of stormtroopers, but still offering more protection than completely unarmored bandits and pirates.
The Galactic Empire allows corporations to form their own armed security forces. These corporate soldiers are generally less well-equipped and skilled than the Imperial regular army, but they are cheap, numerous, and have the advantage of being readily available. The two medical giants possess a large number of corporate soldiers, thus reducing the number of Imperial ground troops stationed there.
It is said that these two companies have deployed a large number of combat robots and security robots in addition to their corporate soldiers.
Fu Qinghai paced back and forth on the top of the wall with his hands behind his back, having already figured out the general situation.
He also guessed why he had been sent here, although his superior had not contacted him yet.
"Come on, tell me now."
Fu Qinghai turned to look at his adjutant:
What's wrong with my ex?
“Uh… Colonel Gonselin, he…”
After hesitating for a moment, the adjutant finally said:
"Died in an attack orchestrated by insurgents."
"Rebels? Locals?"
Fu Qinghai then asked.
"Yes, they call themselves 'Ashen,' which is a Flatix word that roughly translates to 'black claws' in Basic, so we usually call them 'Black Claws,' a group of terrorists active on Sephira."
The adjutant began to explain.
The actions of the two healthcare giants exacerbated the divisions within the Fratix community and led to the formation of insurgent groups. Like all societies, there are moderates and radicals; some Fratix advocated for reform, while others resorted to terrorism, ranging from kidnapping and murdering company employees to poisoning valuable company merchandise.
Black Talon is the most notorious organization.
The Vladimir people typically had grayish-green armor and angular spikes along the midsection of their arms, traditional weapons used in ancient battles. Some Vladimir people further sharpened these spikes and painted their entire bodies black, symbolizing the exploitation and oppression suffered by ordinary Vladimir Bakta laborers.
This was the initial prototype of the Talon organization.
According to the information his adjutant gave him.
The most infamous incident involving Talon was the "Bakta Crate Contamination." A year earlier, Talon used stolen company funds to bribe Governor Kyle Ransom of the Imperial Sector. Through him, terrorists obtained a batch of Bakta crates destined for Coruscant and contaminated them with an unusually drug-resistant strain of virus that causes allergies to Bakta.
The contamination plan was a resounding success; nearly two million soldiers and civilians on Coruscant were infected before the Bakta crates were returned. The Empire was furious, but merely ordered the two major medical companies to strengthen oversight and protect the transport routes. Kyle Ransen was wanted by the Empire, went into hiding, and was hailed as a hero by many Vladislav nationalists.
I glanced at the setting sun disappearing behind the distant mountains.
Fu Qinghai turned and went back to his office.
……
Imperial military base, commander's office.
Fu Qinghai sat in his tidy, empty office, patiently reviewing information about the planet Saifira.
"Sefila, diameter: 10221 km, day length: 21 standard hours, year length: 479 standard days, population: 1.17 million, 72% of whom are Vladislavs and 28% are humans."
Fu Qinghai silently recited the basic data.
Apart from the orbital garrison, the commanders of Imperial military bases are usually army officers. Depending on the size of the garrison, the ranks range from colonel to lieutenant general. Fu Qinghai's rank is army major, so in principle, he is not qualified to serve as the highest military commander of an Imperial military base.
He had been promoted and appointed without regard to precedent.
Fu Qinghai was well aware of this.
The purpose of his exceptional promotion was also quite simple.
Make sure there are no more problems with Bakta's supply.
Night gradually enveloped the entire military base. Apart from a few on-duty guards, most of the soldiers had returned to their dormitories to rest. Fu Qinghai patiently sat in his office waiting until the indicator light on the holographic projector on his desk finally came on.
Fu Qinghai raised his hand and pressed the projector button.
A blue projection flashed and appeared.
"Major Aoyama."
The half-body figure in the projection spoke.
"Reporting to you, sir."
Fu Qinghai raised his hand in salute and said.
This was a middle-aged man with a fat head and big ears and brown hair. His expression was serious, but his eyes revealed weariness and distraction. He had obviously just come from a drinking party. His wet beard was still stained with what looked like cream and alcohol. His gray governor's uniform was stretched taut by his fat body.
With his short, stubby fingers, he laboriously unbuttoned the stand-up collar, releasing the three layers of fat that had accumulated on his neck, which swayed precariously. He then unbuttoned the front of his uniform, exposing his thick, hairy chest to the air, allowing him to finally relax and let out a long sigh of relief.
Imperial Governor Zoto Papinus.
Fu Qinghai's current direct supervisor.
“They told me that you are a very capable young man, and I have also looked at your information, which is very good.”
Governor Papinus said calmly.
"Thank you for the compliment, sir."
Fu Qinghai nodded neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"Listen, kid."
Governor Papinus's projection glanced left and right, then leaned forward. His unfocused gaze sharpened slightly, fixing on Fu Qinghai. He raised a short, chubby finger, pointed at him, and said earnestly, word by word:
“I’m not good at long-winded speeches, and I don’t like to talk nonsense. Let me make this clear: my only requirement for sending you to Sephira is to ensure that there are no problems with the supply of Bakta boxes and to ensure that those damn green bugs stop causing any more trouble. Do you understand?”
“Many people are eyeing my position, but I can assure you, Major, if there’s a problem with Bakta’s supply, I’ll kill you before His Majesty holds me accountable. I’ll make sure you regret it, understand?”
"Understood, sir."
Fu Qinghai answered firmly.
There were no extra pleasantries or farewells.
The holographic projection immediately went out.
Fu Qinghai sat quietly in his office.
He arrived at the military base in Sefira this afternoon and waited until evening before finally meeting his direct superior, Governor Zoto Papinus, for the first time.
I wonder what kind of person this boss is.
Fu Qinghai already had a general idea of what was going on.
…………
1. I forgot to mention, the full version is in the group. I can't find the previous ones because the group was bombed several times. Currently, there is only one chapter.
(End of this chapter)