"I understand," Osenia nodded.
She didn't ask why they had to go to these lengths.
She knew the reason; it was a matter of legitimacy.
No matter what, the Alliance still wasn't a Star Domain Governnt. It was already against the rules to pay taxes directly to a higher authority bypassing the Star Domain Governnt, and keeping the Imperial Tax for themselves would be even more out of line. However, after the taxes were paid, having the Space Domain Governnt redistribute them as special funding was a relatively better approach.
Before ending the communication, Osenia said to Gu Hang, "Governor, this cannot be a long-term solution. Furyfla has caused us too much trouble with things like this. I look forward to the day you beco the true master of Dragonhawk."
"Very soon."
...
As Osenia said, the Imperial Tax was not the first problem Furyfla sought to create.
Over the past two years, they had used similar tactics to cause nurous troubles for the Alliance.
The simplest was sending Star Zone Leaders and Planetary Governors to occupied territories in the na of the Star Domain Governnt.
Every ti soone was sent, Gu Hang detained them.
As supre commander, they would issue orders to the Alliance Army.
Every order was ignored.
Other asures, like cutting off trade, were routine.
Furyfla Battle Group clearly knew these acts would have no results.
But each ti the Alliance detained or expelled an official from the Star Domain Governnt, or ignored an order from the Star Domain Governnt, they provided Furyfla with an argunt, an excuse.
They made use of these to vigorously denounce Gu Hang's overbearing behavior, to attack the Alliance as separatists, labeling them as traitors.
This wasn't said for Gu Hang's benefit, but aid at the surrounding star domains, the Space Domain Governnt, and up to the Central Empire.
How could the Alliance handle this?
Such accusations couldn't stand unchallenged, leaving them only to refute.
Of course, re refutation wouldn't suffice. Any explanation was still a defensive move.
The Alliance also relentlessly criticized the Fury Fla Battle Group for hijacking the Star Domain Governnt, harbouring malicious intentions, and being traitors to the Empire.
Insulting others is easy enough, isn't it?
Then there was another infuriating affair: claiming battle honors from the Iron Teeth War.
Theoretically, since the Iron Teeth War took place in the Dragonhawk Star Domain, the victory report detailing the conduct and outco of the war should be submitted by the Star Domain Governnt. This process decided who, which military forces, had played a larger role in the war, and specifically what their contributions were.
This determined not just issues of honor but how the Empire's rewards would be allocated.
Funding for planetary reconstruction and replenishing military losses were matters of practical benefit.
For Gu Hang, an even more crucial matter was asserting his indisputable rit in the war, aiming to obtain the legitimate standing of the Dragonhawk Star Domain Governnt.
The various troubles Furyfla caused were essentially leveraging the naturally legal title of the Star Domain Governnt. The key to resolving these issues was to beco the spokesperson for legitimacy.
But since Gu Hang already clashed with Furyfla, how could he expect them to speak well of him?
Submitting victory reports through the Star Domain Governnt to the higher authorities would likely render the Alliance invisible.
Gu Hang profoundly understood that victory and the fruits of victory were two different things. It was possible to win a war and end up with nothing.
He had to fight for that right to speak.
His war report, like the Imperial Tax, bypassed the Star Domain Governnt and was sent directly to higher authority.
However, the efficiency of the Empire was dreadfully slow.
A year ago, Gu Hang had contacted Galaraldo to ask about the conclusion of the Dragonhawk Star Domain war. At that ti, Galaraldo told him that the relevant information had not yet reached the Imperial Military Departnt!
Gu Hang had no choice but to inquire with the Space Domain Governnt, and Chairman Zuo said he had already sent it.
What a ss.
Now, no one knew where this victory report was stuck.
But reportedly, this was normal.
For Holy Terra, the Eastern Cosmos Domain... is a rather remote place. Here, a star-field-level war had unfolded, its scale was only so-so. In the entire universe, within the Imperial Territory, wars of a similar scale were exaggerated if one said they happened every day—they were happening several tis a day!
Wait patiently.
But all things considered, with the attention of big shots like Zuo Zhaofeng and Galaraldo, efficiency would inevitably be a bit faster than usual.
And so, the wait continued until now.
Gu Hang couldn't very well keep pushing.
He just had to keep waiting.
And if the final result he waited for turned out to be unsatisfactory, he also had so backup plans in readiness.
Hopefully, they would not be needed.
...
Gu Hang had not yet received a response to the war report when an old acquaintance arrived first.
It was Lois.
The Alliance border troops at Capital Star, after receiving instructions from Governor Gu, naturally had to drive away the Tax Fleet led by Lois.
They denied the Tax Fleet's docking request, the Navy was closing in, and they warned this Dragonhawk Tax Fleet that if they forced their way through the Capital Star System's jump point, it would be considered an act of war.
But the Tax Fleet didn't leave.
Lois made a request for a personal communication with Gu Hang.
Gu Hang thought this high official from the Star Domain Governnt was going to try to persuade him of sothing.
After all, Gu Hang could guess why the Fury Fla Battle Group had made Lois the tax official—it was because of the so-called "grace of knowing" that Lois had toward him.
Of course, they knew it was impossible to collect money from Gu Hang, and it was also about irritating Gu Hang.
Moreover, the nature of the Imperial Tax was worse than anything else. They were just waiting to use the issue Gu Hang brushed off to keep nitpicking.
In theory, after being expelled by the Alliance, Lois should have already obtained what she needed and should have left.
What is there to talk about?
However, once they really connected, Gu Hang realized that he was wrong.
"Gu Hang, please save the Star Domain Governnt," Lois said as her first sentence.
"Save the Star Domain Governnt?" Gu Hang replied, "How? Can the Star Domain Governnt admit that you've been coerced by the Fury Fla Battle Group?"
"Of course! That's the truth!"
Gu Hang gave no direct response but continued to ask, "So, does the Star Domain Governnt want to give a secret order to expel the Fury Fla Battle Group with troops?"
"If you need it, of course!"
"Very well, please issue the secret order," Gu Hang said with a smile.
But his heart was ice-cold.
Even with the so-called secret order, he couldn't possibly send troops westward to fight a civil war.
This move was just like every other ti the Fury Fla Battle Group annoyed him; with this secret order, Gu Hang could openly declare, "Look at what the Fury Fla Battle Group has put the Star Domain Governnt through."
But Lois didn't give him that secret order.
She said, "I don't want to go back to Yunluo Star."
"Oh?" It was at this point that Gu Hang truly beca interested.
"If I go back, it would be aningless. I would just continue to be a puppet for the Fury Fla Battle Group; they've never thought about leaving the Star Domain Governnt, Tan Jiuyi's wishful thinking is just a dream!"
"I want to restructure the Star Domain Governnt in the Eastern Star Domain, or at least restructure the structure of the Star Domain Administration Departnt. Gu Hang... will you support ?"
Gu Hang's tone ward up: "Of course! We're old friends, I will certainly support you fully! The actions of the Fury Fla Battle Group are just too excessive; the Star Domain Governnt needs people like you, Director Lois, to stand up, expose them, and independently take on the responsibilities that the Star Domain Governnt should bear! If you wish, then stay. The Alliance will provide you with all the help you need."
"Believe , Director Lois, you have made the most correct choice!"
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