Otaku Translation: Carrying the Bases of Starcraft C144

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Chapter 144: The Battle of Apalus (Part 1)

"Beat them? Those walking tanks, those soot-covered brutes? Each one heavier than a military jeep and more ferocious than a main battle tank? Beating them would be nothing short of miraculous. Everyone knows that just a few dozen of these Marauders utterly crushed the government’s elite Sea Falcon Commandos without breaking a sweat. Fighting them? Even if we doubled our numbers, we wouldn’t stand a chance."

The soldiers’ faces darkened as they stared at the twelve motionless Marauders in the corner, their imposing presence radiating an aura of invincibility.

"What did he mean... what does that guy mean?" Adelaide muttered under his breath. Gradually, a glimmer of surprise and hope lit up his eyes. "Could it be... could he be postponing his northern campaign to help us again?"

"With his abilities, sneaking in might be easy for him," one of the aides nearby whispered. "But once exposed, how will they escape with the Brave Bastion sealed shut and armored divisions rushing back to reinforce?"

Several officers exchanged knowing glances, their expressions tinged with both excitement and concern. This enigmatic figure, whose capabilities seemed almost supernatural, was finally stepping into the fray. They could already imagine the chaos Aldrich’s forces would face when news of unrest in the northwest reached him. But... how would Tang Fang and his team get out alive?

This immense debt of gratitude weighed heavily on them. No matter the cost, they vowed to find a way to save him—if it came to that.

"You’re really going to help them?" Arroz asked gravely as they left the meeting hall and headed toward the command building.

Tang Fang nodded. "Yes."

The soldiers gathered in that hall were no different from Montgomery, Grant, or any of the others who had sacrificed so much—men with crystalline sweat, burning blood, and shining tears. How could he stand idly by and watch them march to their deaths when he had the power to intervene? He wasn’t heartless; like those who fought for ideals, his veins coursed with boiling passion.

A series of joint cracks echoed as Housen rubbed his hands together, his face lighting up with glee. "Sabotage? Mischief? I love it!"

In truth, there was another motive simmering in Tang Fang’s mind—one that might have been the primary reason behind his decision to assist Adelaide and the others. The blueprints for the Earth Knight powered armor unlocked Engineering Bay and Bunker, while classified data from Kabuto Airbase’s satellite communication tower revealed orbital command centers and missile turrets. What secrets lay hidden within Krotan’s largest military-industrial complex? Would infiltrating it unlock new Terran structures? With time on their side, why not venture into the northwest?

---

Later that afternoon, as Tang Fang prepared to depart, sunlight streamed through towering windows into the opulent governor's office on the second floor of Falkbys Palace in Rheinstadt, Miluo Plateau. A handwoven carpet bathed in golden light stretched across the floor, pristine and immaculate. Behind an equally spotless desk sat a high-backed swivel chair, currently facing away from the door and toward the panoramic window.

Seated in the chair was a tall, lean man in his fifties, his skin pale and smooth, his fingers adorned with a sapphire ring that sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight. Nestled in his lap was a pure white cat, flawless and serene.

Knock, knock, knock...

Without a word, the man flicked his fingers, and the door creaked open. An elderly officer, rigid as a bamboo pole despite his age, stepped inside. He saluted crisply before placing a PDA onto the desk.

"Governor, per your orders, the Apalus military-industrial base has been placed under strict lockdown. Defense systems are active, security robots deployed. Here is the layout of the entire facility and its surrounding defenses for your review."

The chair rotated slowly, revealing Aldrich Jackson, Governor of Planet Krotan, First-Class Viscount, and Cain Rudolf’s right-hand man. His weary face turned toward Bartlett Joeyce, the Chief of Staff of Krotan’s Defense Forces, standing solemnly on the other side of the desk.

"Bartlett, relax. I’m not a tiger—I won’t bite," Aldrich said with a smile that clashed horribly with the bright daylight, resembling an owl caught unawares in broad daylight, sending shivers down anyone’s spine.

Bartlett swallowed hard. This man was anything but gentle or polite. Once upon a time, Bartlett wouldn’t have felt such unease, but since the war against the Garcia Resistance began, Aldrich’s ruthless efficiency and cold-blooded tactics had left most generals in the military trembling.

Aldrich loomed over everyone like a colossal mountain. Everyone remembered the fate of the unfortunate deputy chief of staff, executed simply for voicing doubts and grumbling privately. A scholar? Ha! At this moment, Aldrich was far crueler than any officer in Krotan’s defense force—like the cat nestled in his lap, named Avril, which appeared docile until provoked, at which point it bared claws sharper than steel.

"Where are the five armored divisions of the Third Corps?" Aldrich asked calmly, stroking Avril.

The white cat licked his slender, neatly manicured fingers, yawned, and resumed napping.

"The liaison reported half an hour ago. They’ve crossed the source of the Sunaru River. In two days at most, they’ll enter the plains flanking the river, encircling the insurgents in southern and northern Sunaru."

"Good." Aldrich nodded slightly. "Order the 108th, 208th, and 308th Divisions of the First Corps to keep a close eye on the garrison at Droznyr Naval Port. The First and Third Fleets of the Southern Sea must continue pressuring the northern sea routes connecting Karst and Droznyr Ports. Also, instruct the Oceanic Defense Headquarters and the missile defense command centers along Odin’s northern coast to monitor Thor Continent closely and prepare for potential missile strikes."

"Yes, sir." Bartlett bowed slightly and turned to leave. Just then, Aldrich’s lips curled into a disarming grin, like clouds parting after rain. "Didn’t I say you don’t need to be so tense?"

As the voice reached Bartlett’s ears, he involuntarily shuddered. Only after hearing Aldrich’s reassurance did he relax, murmuring affirmations as he hastened out of the room.

Click—the door closed softly. Moments later, the chair swiveled back to its original position. Aldrich gazed out the window, seemingly murmuring to himself—or perhaps to Avril. "Am I really that terrifying?"

"Meow." Avril lazily groomed her ear fur before closing her eyes again, contentedly basking in the morning sun.

As for her cryptic response, no one could claim to understand.

---

Sixteen hours later, dawn had yet to break, but the horizon was already painted with streaks of light. The northwest region of Odin Continent, shielded by the towering peaks of the Hight and Termont mountain ranges, formed a vast desert spanning a million square kilometers. Within this barren expanse sprawled the Apalus military-industrial complex, segmented into countless production modules organized like a spiderweb.

Here stood mechanical research institutes, advanced energy labs, electronics development centers, assembly lines for powered armor, factories for military vehicles, mineral smelting plants, and more. Covering 400,000 square kilometers, the facility was surrounded by a massive wall known as the “Brave Bastion,” located 100 kilometers beyond the perimeter fence.

Anti-aircraft missile systems, anti-aircraft gun clusters, quantum radar arrays, railguns, rapid-fire turrets, laser weapons, smart mines, and machine-gun bunkers crisscrossed the landscape, forming a dense web of firepower isolating the dormant industrial zone from the outside world. These defenses were designed to repel ground troops, aircraft, and small-to-medium warships. For larger threats like destroyers or light cruisers, the eight large orbital cannons at the base’s core would make short work of them. As for battleships and carriers—well, let them figure out how to overcome the planet’s gravity first.

Due to the extensive defensive line of the Brave Bastion and decades of peace on Planet Krotan, the number of security personnel at the base had always been minimal. Now, fearing insurgent attacks, the 606th Division of the Third Corps stationed two brigades and all direct-division forces along the perimeter, while the remaining four brigades were dispersed among nearby cities to suppress possible labor uprisings.

To the rank-and-file soldiers, the military brass, and even Aldrich himself, the Brave Bastion was an impenetrable fortress—a “perfect barrier.” Not even Sulru Empire’s expeditionary fleet could breach it without suffering catastrophic losses.

When misfortune strikes, even drinking water can lodge between your teeth, and a fart might make you tumble. Such was life, and Tang Fang couldn’t help but muse that God must be a cosmic prankster. Though bad luck wasn’t necessarily divine intervention—especially now, when the calamity about to befall the enemy fell squarely under his jurisdiction.

After sixteen relentless hours of marching, Tang Fang and his team finally crossed the Hight Mountains and approached the Brave Bastion. Signaling Arroz to park the armored vehicle by the roadside, Tang Fang—who’d disguised himself to conceal his identity—hopped out, surveyed the area with binoculars, nodded subtly, and slipped back into the passenger seat. Arroz pressed the accelerator, and the truck crawled forward.

On the horizon, the Brave Bastion loomed ever larger, its machine-gun bunkers, various turrets, anti-aircraft missile silos, and radar antennas dotting the buffer zones alongside the road. As they neared the gate, the checkpoint’s glass windows reflected dazzling colors in the early morning light. Tang Fang licked his dry lips and glanced at Housen beside him.

"It’s time for some serious action."

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