Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high! Chapter 1085 - 737: Disheartened

Within minutes of the silvery-blue light washing over Jade Stone Star, the "Hammer of Morning Star's" purification strike, an effect exceeding all known understanding, fully manifested.

The biological signals of the Bug Race on the planet vanished from all detectors, including the deep subterranean energy conduit network, as if they had never been there.

The planet's geological structure remained intact, bearing only the physical marks left by the conflict.

Meanwhile, the main Bug Race fleet positioned outside the Aisera Star System apparently received the confirmation that their core node had been comprehensively "erased."

After a short period of disarray, as if their command structure had crumbled, the dozen or so colossal bio-ships, resembling living asteroids, began a slow yet synchronized withdrawal from engagement with the United Fleet of the Star Alliance. They retreated towards the star system's outskirts and then into the vastness of deep space.

This retreat was not a panicked flight but a calculated, strategic contraction. They left behind a battlefield littered with wreckage and drifting debris.

The United Fleet of the Star Alliance did not give chase.

They too had sustained grievous losses and required time to recuperate, assess the battle's outcome, and re-establish defenses against any potential resurgence by the Bug Race.

The crisis threatening the Aisera Star System was thus resolved, unexpectedly, for the time being.

With the Bug Race fleet's withdrawal, the allied command and the various participating teams commenced the process of consolidating battle gains, tallying casualties, and conducting initial mission debriefings.

The Star Alliance's evaluation committee swiftly formed a preliminary assessment of the eight participating squads' performance.

Squads from the Bauhinia Republic, Holy Silver Church Country, Flame Republic, and five others, despite facing varied challenges, either fundamentally achieved their designated critical objectives or secured significant tactical victories during the operation. Their scores, though differing, generally aligned with expectations without substantial contention.

However, the evaluation concerning the New Bauhinia Republic team ignited a heated debate.

One faction argued that the White Calamity Squad failed to independently eliminate or effectively guide allied strikes to destroy the "primary nest prototype" within the mission's stipulated timeframe. While their early efforts in civilian evacuation were substantial, the core mission's completion ultimately relied on the utilization of ancient technology aboard the "Old Bell" satellite, a method deviating considerably from the initial evaluation parameters. Furthermore, their activation of this relic was fraught with unpredictability and lacked replicability, thus failing to meet the Star Alliance's criteria for "assessable, verifiable" combat achievements. By established metrics, their mission in the second phase could even be deemed "incomplete" or "completed with substantial external assistance beyond the designated period."

After the grueling, high-intensity combat and the immense strain of activating the 'Hammer of Morning Star' to its fullest, a sense of mental exhaustion settled upon him.

Upon receiving Catherine's update, Bai E opened his eyes slowly. His gaze was serene and composed, yet a subtle current of understanding mixed with detachment flowed through him.

"Scoring... the Star Alliance's actions..." he murmured, a slight shake of his head accompanying his words.

The civilians trapped in shelters on Jade Stone Star, witnessing their own forces pull back...

The supposedly strategic 'big picture' thinking that pushed forward attack orders, risking planetary catastrophe before evacuation was complete...

The 'elite' units, fellow humans, who turned a deaf ear to pleas for evacuation assistance...

And now, the cold, calculated 'merit evaluations' that still took precedence amidst the chaos...

Is this the Star Alliance?

The foremost human confederation in the entire Milky Way?

It may possess formidable strength and serve the purpose of maintaining Order and repelling external adversaries.

However, at its core, individual lives, especially those of 'civilians,' are merely quantifiable variables—expendable, negotiable, or even disregarded—when weighed against 'strategy,' the 'big picture,' and 'scoring metrics.'

It felt more like a colossal bureaucratic and military apparatus, dominated by major powers, operating on self-interest and established protocols rather than the idealized image of a benevolent organization dedicated to safeguarding all humanity and neutralizing every threat.

Does aligning with such an entity truly hold any value?

Adhering to its directives, striving for its points, seeking its approval and standing...

And then what?

To become an indistinguishable cog in its immense machinery, only to watch it repeat similar 'big picture' decisions during the next crisis?

No, that was not the path he envisioned.

"Disregard their scoring and their judgments," Bai E instructed Catherine and the assembled team. "We acted according to our conscience, rescued whom we could, and vanquished the threats that required neutralization. That is sufficient. The Star Alliance's validation holds no particular importance for us anymore."

His voice, though even, radiated an unparalleled clarity and resolve.

His gaze drifted towards the vast, star-dusted expanse beyond the viewport, a realm teeming with unending mysteries and challenges.

"Henceforth, we will forge our own destiny, develop our haven according to our own principles, and confront our own perils. The Star Alliance... let it remain a distant concern."