Counterfeit Hero

”Leray is caught in between...” Hamilton said, ”For Leray, this war is inevitable. For three hundred years, we’ve been tied to the Fei Alliance, but today, even this grand ship of the Fei Alliance can’t be relied upon.”

With a bitter smile, Hamilton continued, ”From the beginning, this war to me was a deadlock. It’s also fate’s mockery of my rise to the pinnacle of life, becoming the President!”

Carlo whispered, ”It’s not your fault!”

”It’s not my fault,” Hamilton said heavily, ”Yet, I must bear responsibility. It was I, personally sending Leray’s youth to the battlefield! Nearly thirty million dead! Thirty million!”

In the deathly silence, Hamilton sighed deeply, ”If Suss, Jiepeng, and Desic cannot break through the Leray Channel, they will continue fighting. Until the day they break through! Originally, I counted on Chuckna to share some pressure, but they would rather sacrifice a star system than intervene prematurely. If I’m a madman, then their President is terrifyingly calm!”

”Even though the Feiyang Republic has fully engaged in the war, we are already out of time.” Hamilton’s gaze fell on the ceiling, his voice distant and ethereal, ”I never counted on the Saleria Federation, nor on the Feiyang Republic. Leray is too small. To survive this war, we must make the most brutal choices.”

”So, you’ve reassigned your possible successor Vice President and the prestigious Admiral Bernadotte, established the Seed Forces. Indulged a coup,” Carlo said painfully, ”letting us survive under the treaty with Brody and the Western Alliance... even if it costs your life!”

”I succeeded, didn’t I?” Hamilton laughed, ”I’ve been captured, Brody’s coup puts him in power, the Western Alliance will have no suspicions. Meanwhile, Flavio can form a government-in-exile in Chuckna, continuing to ride the ship of the Fei Alliance. This time, the Fei Alliance must pay for the war.”

”I don’t understand...” Carlo said, ”How did you circumvent General Mihailovich? How did you manage all this without him?”

”I, of course, had accomplices,” Hamilton smiled slightly, ”Want to know who?”

”Who?”

”Snyder and Brown.” Hamilton’s eyes sparkled with tears as he smiled.

”Madmen...” Carlo’s lips trembled, ”Those two madmen!”

”I miss them, you know.” Hamilton lifted his head, ”Before that battle, the fleet’s elite had already been massively transferred to the Seed Forces and the Newton Star System’s local fleets. Our Space Forces were already shorthanded, and they fought that battle with many recruits who only had experience piloting civilian ships.”

”You’re all mad. If people find out,” Carlo trembled as he spoke, ”you’ll be shamed forever!”

”Leray is a small country!” Hamilton shook his head, ”In this grand war of the century, we can only choose our way. Coldhearted or mad, at least we have successfully shaped the current situation. The open Leray Channel will become Sobel’s reason to deploy Suss and Jiepeng. Only when the war in the Karsdon Star River reaches a fever pitch will Chuckna and these Fei Alliance countries exert their full effort. And then, we have our chance!”

”The Seed Forces are our last hope. We can no longer disperse our strength in the Leray Central Star Domain,” Hamilton tidied his messy hair, ”We also cannot let Leray fall into internal turmoil and endless warfare, nor continue following the Fei Alliance’s lead. After Bermuda fell, the Leray Central Star Domain became a bleeding wound on Leray. If we don’t take decisive action, eventually our Newton Star System and Galileo Star System will be dragged down as well. Now, even if Suss and Jiepeng want to attack the Newton Star System, they must consider the situation in the Karsdon Star River. Feiyang and Chuckna can no longer make excuses. To avoid criticism from allies and maintain morale, they must take responsibility for the Southeast Star Domain!”

”If we can give Leray a breather, keep our place in the Fei Alliance without further bloodshed, and, when our four-year war ultimately fails, leave behind a seed of hope...” Hamilton pronounced each word slowly, ”Any sacrifice would be worth it! My ideal is to be an excellent politician! I’ve been the President, it was once the pinnacle of my life. And now, I believe my achievements after death will surpass that moment at the inauguration!”

Carlo was silent. He stared at the man before him, whose eyes shone with a fanatic light, as his mind went blank.

This is the politics of Leray... This is the politician of Leray!

As he left, he heard Hamilton’s final words.

”Thank you for all you have done for Leray.”

Carlo stopped, turned his head.

Hamilton was smiling, ”Please tell General Mihailovich, I only sacrifice my life, but he needs to sacrifice his reputation, for that, I’m very sorry.”

*****************************************************************

”Do you hate him?”

As Carlo and Hamilton were conversing, in Mihailovich’s cell, a Major General sat cross-legged in front of Mihailovich.

”How could I hate him? We are partners,” Mihailovich laughed with tears, ”My only regret is, after working with him for so long, I still haven’t seen through him. That son of a bitch, he deceived me, and now he wants me to surrender.”

”You’re not a politician...” the Major General said, ”Brody also needs your prestige to help stabilize the military and restrain Hansford. And Leray also needs to stop bleeding. Our gamble on the future requires your protection.”

”Everyone was deceived by him...” Mihailovich seemed not to hear the Major General’s words, muttering, ”Me, Russell, Flavio, Bernadotte... he doesn’t care about anything now, leaving us to pay for his madness with a lifetime.”

”He’s a politician,” the Major General said, ”For Leray, his choice wasn’t wrong.”

”No...” Mihailovich cried out hoarsely, ”He’s a damned cunning politician. A bastard who schemes against friends! He’ll go to hell!”

In the silence, tears welled out of the old General’s eyes.

In a daze, he saw again that spirited Hamilton on the lawn outside the Presidential Palace.

”...I will dedicate my life, my soul, my everything to Leray. Serve the Federation with all my fervor.”

Amid the thunderous cheers, he was smiling.

”I love Leray, I love you all!”

.

’求月票求月票,距离前十不过两百多票.大家帮忙啊!!’

.(To be continued. To know what happens next, please log on to www.qidian.com, more chapters available, support the author, support legitimate reading!)