Chapter Fifteen: The Galactic United Front Department

Chapter Fifteen: The Galactic United Front Department

The journey was fraught with tension but ultimately safe; Liu Shaoyu’s fleet finally returned to the space station from which they had departed. The port was as bustling as ever, teeming with the constant flow of ships and travelers.

“The space station has received your docking request. Please prepare your engines for guidance,” came the reply to their docking request.

The fleet docked at various ports, each ship finding its berth. As soon as Liu Shaoyu and his party disembarked, they were met by a group of cloned soldiers.

“Greetings. The chairman requests your presence after you disembark. Miss Wang is invited as well,” one of the clone soldiers said politely. From his voice, Liu Shaoyu couldn’t tell if this was the same soldier from before, but he responded all the same.

“Very well. Xu Meng, you and the others head to the rest area; I’ll join you later.” Turning to Xu Meng behind him, Liu Shaoyu gave his instructions, then addressed the clone soldier, “Lead the way.”

Liu Shaoyu and Wang Yuyan followed the clone soldier back to the large chamber atop the space station. It was the same room as before, but this time, Liu Shaoyu felt neither the confusion nor the anxiety that had haunted his previous visit.

As last time, the two were left to ride the elevator up alone when they reached its doors.

“After this mission, are you planning to return?” Liu Shaoyu asked Wang Yuyan in the elevator.

She was silent for a moment, then answered ambiguously, “Not necessarily. There’s still nearly a month left of leave on the other side, so there’s no rush.”

He wanted to ask more, but the elevator had already reached the top floor. Liu Shaoyu had to swallow his questions and step into the room. It was unchanged, save for two additional figures in military uniforms, familiar to Liu Shaoyu from his time in the service—blue uniforms belonging to the United Front Department.

Unlike the Federal Military Department, which was established after contact among the major powers of the Milky Way, the Galactic United Front Department had been born out of the realization that an independent organization—jointly operated by the empires—was needed to handle intergovernmental affairs: trade, monetary policy, crime suppression, and more. The earliest iteration of this organization had taken shape decades ago; now, throughout the universe, such organizations proliferated, all under the central leadership of an entity known as the Universal Unified Cooperation Command, or Universal Integration Department for short.

The Integration Department, as it was known, was founded in an age when the various cosmic powers had only just begun to establish mutual ties. Relations were tense for many reasons, so the Department’s primary aim was to ease the fragile bonds among them and lay the groundwork for peacefully resolving disputes.

In this respect, the Integration Department had succeeded; for centuries, peace had prevailed among the powers. Many times, when relations teetered on the brink of war, it was the Department’s efforts that brokered compromise.

The Integration Department comprised numerous branches, each responsible for a different aspect of interstellar relations. The Commercial Assessment Division oversaw trade agreements and regulations, while the United Front Department supervised security in space—these were the largest and most influential bodies.

For most space travelers, these two departments were the only faces of the Integration Department they would ever encounter. To many, the United Front Department was the true heart of the organization.

Internally, the Department was highly democratic, with each power enjoying equal representation. The Milky Way’s powers had initially resisted Earth’s Federation joining the Integration Department, but ultimately conceded.

In its early days, the Department’s impact was limited, but as interstellar trade flourished, its authority grew steadily. This expansion drew the scrutiny of the cosmic powers, with many becoming increasingly wary of the Department’s tendency to impose its regional governance onto internal matters of individual powers.

This development was rooted in the Department’s own evolution. No longer just a neutral forum for negotiations, it had become an independent body with its own regulations—more importantly, one both willing and able to enforce them.

The ever-expanding Integration Department had become an organization that showed no favoritism toward any race. The only real control the powers retained was financial support, but even this was waning, as revenue from customs, confiscated contraband, licenses, and other sources steadily increased.

No power had yet considered halting this trend, for the Department’s work had been exemplary, with no signs of abuse. Still, many feared that this might one day change.

The Galactic United Front Department, as a branch of the Universal Unified Cooperation Command, was its military arm and the most formidable fighting force in the universe, beholden to none.

Its primary duty was the pursuit of high-profile criminals, for which it often employed bounty groups from across the cosmos. The United Front Department handled the licensing and legal matters of these groups, though in special circumstances, powers would bypass the Integration Department to hunt fugitives directly.

Likewise, the most notorious criminals were marked by the Department as fair game for all.

The Department’s other responsibilities included assisting customs officials in patrolling high-incident areas. Their ships were outfitted with the best surveillance equipment and, being incorruptible, lent great support to customs patrols.

They also oversaw security for inter-power summits, lent ships to other Integration Department divisions, and helped enforce the law during major criminal or similar events.

For such cases, the Department frequently deployed its Special Mobile Unit—one of the most ruthless and efficient armed forces, notorious for their ferocity and effectiveness. They typically appeared in hostage situations or when assaulting heavily armed pirate strongholds.

However, the Department’s authority was geographically limited, which greatly constrained their operations.

Yet in recent years, their power on space stations and planets had grown, making their fight against organized crime more effective. Although they had become more efficient in frontier regions, they still needed to expand their bases in the farther reaches.

The reach of the United Front Department—and indeed the entire Integration Department—varied greatly by power and even by region within a power, as local governments and magnates fiercely resisted their presence for various reasons.

Liu Shaoyu was not surprised to see them here, as bounty groups maintained close ties with the United Front Department—indeed, the relationship was practically one of subordination.

When Liu Shaoyu and Wang Yuyan entered, Master Wang gestured for them to sit and began to introduce the two officers from the Department.

“These two are Monsanto and Feiyou Jialie, from the Galactic United Front Department,” Master Wang said, introducing the officers to Liu Shaoyu and Wang Yuyan respectively.

The officers nodded in acknowledgment at Liu Shaoyu as he entered.

Monsanto appeared the older of the two; Feiyou Jialie, standing to the right, seemed about Liu Shaoyu’s age.

“Please, have a seat. There are some matters we need to discuss with you,” Master Wang said, waving them to the chairs arrayed before his desk. Liu Shaoyu and Wang Yuyan sat down in turn.

Once they were seated, Master Wang spoke, “You both should be familiar with the recent conflict between the Federation and the Fengtower System.”

Liu Shaoyu and Wang Yuyan nodded in unison, thinking, Familiar is an understatement.

“This conflict has now been reported to the Integration Department. These two are representatives from the United Front Department, and our own system’s special envoys,” Master Wang reiterated.

“The situation has escalated to the point where it can no longer be avoided. Initially, the Milky Way’s leadership wanted us to resolve it ourselves. But recently, Fengtower’s insectoids have begun attacking trade convoys belonging to other powers. This was reported to the Commercial Assessment Division, which requested the Integration Department’s mediation. However, the Fengtower Empress, for various reasons, has always refused any association with the Integration Department, and the Department’s own envoy was attacked. The Galactic United Front Department has now received orders to join forces with the Milky Way’s powers to resolve this conflict,” Master Wang explained in one breath.

Liu Shaoyu pondered this. The Fengtower System’s unique makeup and the singular nature of its insectoid species had long made its neighbors envious. Early on, the Integration Department had attempted contact, but the Empress saw no need for outside relations. As resources grew scarce, more eyes turned toward Fengtower. The United Front Department had never managed significant infiltration; their early attempts had been disastrous. Fengtower’s actions disrupted galactic trade, and with multiple factors converging, the Integration Department and the Milky Way’s powers had finally resolved to end this drawn-out stalemate.

There were, of course, further complexities. The Federation’s struggle against Fengtower had drained its resources; years of war had stalled the Federation’s development, leaving it short on funds and supplies, and making continued support for the war effort increasingly difficult. Thus, this news was bittersweet.

The Federation had gained the upper hand, though it was possible the Fengtower side was not yet fighting at full strength. The Empress’s arrogance was legendary across the universe. A greater offensive might provoke all-out retaliation from her.

At that moment, Feiyou Jialie, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke: “We are here on behalf of the Galactic United Front Department to discuss cooperation with your bounty group. We hope the Cyclops Bounty Group can fully support this operation.”

Seeing Feiyou Jialie speak, Master Wang added, “We’ve already had some preliminary discussions before your return, and spoken with the Federal Military. We hope you will represent us,” he said to Liu Shaoyu.

Master Wang’s gaze finally settled on Liu Shaoyu, who was taken aback. Noting his reaction, Master Wang continued, “Given your military background, and the fact that a bounty group can only assemble fleets by mission—unlike the military, there’s no direct authority over internal fleets. The United Front Department’s SALA will join you to rendezvous with the Federal forces. Feiyou Jialie will provide further details at that time.”

Liu Shaoyu felt a flicker of uncertainty. He was no longer the officer of the Seventh Fleet, and operations against these alien foes would surely involve the Seventh Army. He wondered if...

Just as he was growing anxious, Master Wang added, “As for your concerns, your young friend should be taking care of them. The Federation may see some changes in the next few days—keep an eye out. Once this is resolved, it should cease to be a problem.” It was as though Master Wang had read Liu Shaoyu’s mind.

The uncanny accuracy of Master Wang’s words shocked Liu Shaoyu, but even more shocking was the information about Wang Weifu. Liu Shaoyu had some inkling of what he was up to, but the scale of it made him uneasy.

Despite all that had happened, Liu Shaoyu still saw Wang Weifu as the boy who had always followed behind him, copying his homework—a friend he was used to shielding from the wind and rain. Now, suddenly, this friend was the one shielding him. The reversal of their roles left Liu Shaoyu’s heart in turmoil.

The struggle with the insectoids was but a small chapter in the larger story. Far greater events lay ahead, and so the Fengtower crisis would soon pass, ushering the novel into its next, grander arc.