The marines in their full combat gear rushed towards Swain and the officers of the 46th Punitive Regiment
"Commodore Gima, order your marines to search every nook and cranny of this Palace for any stain of further corruption," said Swain as he made his way towards the throne inside the Hall.
"You have heard the Governor, I want you to gather every evidence of this corruption!" Gima shouted at the Marines.
"Aye, Sir!" shouted the marines and started the sweep of the Governor's Palace from room to room.
Swain slowly lowered his body into the Governor's Throne and prepared for the sudden influx of information. His senses were assaulted by the giant amount of information gathered inside the throne. The Palace was a secret information-gathering device, and nothing that happened in the E1Z1 Excursion Zone could escape its sophisticated sensory arrays.
The last thousand years were neatly chronicled and stored in the data banks of the Palace. As the information flowed into Swain, he understood that a simple cleaning wouldn't be enough in this Excursion Zone. Colonel Vlastimir and Commodore Gima were standing before the throne while the three captains stood on the side of the Hall.
"What is the situation of the 46th Punitive Regiment and the fleet? Why haven't you reported the changes in the zone to the Metropolis Proper on Nantong?" Swain pinned the question to the Colonel.
"The 46th Punitive Regiment is fully operational and is currently 99 percent staffed. We have just finished a campaign against a non-human race, which was hiding in the outer skirts of the Excursion Zone. I have reported in every standard week ever since my appointment in the Excursion Zone." Vlastimir answered while bowing lightly towards the throne. "We have refrained from any type of conflict against the vassals of the Cultivation Union as per the order of the previous governor."
"The naval elements supported the 46th Punitive Regiments and currently are restocking ammo and other lost resources. I also reported everything to the Naval Attache in Nantong however, they never acknowledged my reports," said Gima and followed Vlastimir into a light bow. The other captains also followed their Commodore in this gesture.
Swain looked at them one by one. Colonel Vlastimir was a typical soldier from the Vastivors Sector. His uniform was cleaned neatly, and his head was shaved completely. His white skin was mixed with some yellow traces but his eyes were the unrelenting black of the Vastivors flag. Swain knew that this man committed an unapproved genocide on a planet that was on the verge of rebelling against the Imperial Order. He was loyal to a fault to the Imperial Ideal and the Emperor's Will.
Commodore Gima was a more practical and less fanatical believer of the Imperial Ideal. His numerous disobedience of orders led this talented man to this, Creator forsook, corner of space. He was somebody from Nagatori, a Sector ruled by the Nagatori Drives. The forces he commanded would be able to rival a normal fleet, not for the absence of a Capital ship.
His second-in-command and strategy advisor, Captain Yoshimura was a useless romantic according to her files. She would be a strategic advisor to the main fleet of the Nagatori Sector, if not for her brainless notion of following her beloved to his exile. Swain would probably kill that incompetent fool who let her leave the Central Zone of the Empire.
Sub-commander Loke Wulff was somebody who would be the cruelest dog of Swain in this land. A cruel and calculating hunter, Loke was commander of an A-rank submarine, during the Second Scribe War. However, after the war, the Admiral of the fleet demoted him for being too heartless.
Captain Riette Suring and Captain Alan Adamec were low-rank Imperial Citizens before enlisting into the Imperial Navy. Before long both of them started climbing the ranks of the Navy, and because they were promoted always at the same time, a bond was formed between them. Ultimately, their commanding officer couldn't take their night outs and sent them together to support the 46th Punitive Regiment.
"So your higher-ups at Nangtong had left you in the dark more or less?" asked Swain. After seeing the leaders nod, he continued. "So you have been crushing minor non-human races and maintaining the status quo in this area?"
"Basically, yes, Governor de Peck. Without orders, we didn't try and battle with the three main sects as they have powerful backing and even 3 Beings behind them. We are just stage 8 and stage 7 experts, so even a stage 4 Being could wipe us out." pleaded Commodore Gina. "But if you order just us now, we will definitely carry out a purge as you command."
Swain used his shriveled-up right hand to scratch his face, unsure how to commence with the purge that this lawless corner of space needed. The Emperor wanted him not to be the initiator but the responder and teach these bastards what the Empire Proper had in store for them.
"I will command my remaining forces in the Central Territory to make their way towards here and will send a secret communication to the Region Command on Theriom Primer to the Regular Army and the Fleet Admiral stationed there," said Swain. "Then I will need to think of a reason to start the purge, but it can't be us that started the conflict with the vassals of the Cultivator Union."
He then looked up at the Empire's Cross which started its process of breaking the will of the captive. Then he looked at the small child nailed to the cross and had an idea.
"Return to your ships, gentleman and please invite the representatives of the Four Institutes to the Governor's Palace before long. And make sure to not let anybody enter the Palace."
"Understood, sir." saluted the men.
"And Commodore Gima, if Beigns appear then you are allowed to fire the Nagatori Diveces that you are hiding on your ship."
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"Welcome Elder Tiang Sung. What can we thank for your arrival?" asked the Sect Master of the Lesser Sword Sect.
"Thank you for welcoming me. I'm here as the new Governor didn't appreciate the kindness of my sect's Founder and the other Leaders of the Steadfast Alliance and continued his way here. As there is some disturbance in the Main Council of the Cultivation Union, the Leaders can't leave, so I was sent here to make sure that our interests aren't hurt."
"A new Governor arrived just today?" asked one of the disciples from the side. "Then we are in trouble."
"What are talking about, Zhu Gengxin?" asked the Sect Master. "You even try to confuse that illustrious elder."
Zhu Gengxin looked at the sect master of his and then the elder, and said softly.
"My brothers and the cultivators from the other two sects went to the old Governor's Palace to kill the devil Tingfeng. Maybe they could have met some misfortune if the new Governor is as visionless as Elder Tiang Sung described."
"Who went there exactly?" asked Elder Tiang Sung exasperated.
"The two young masters of the Odd Art Sect and the Grand Saber Sect and numerous members of my and their faction. Of course, they also dragged the devil Tingfeng who the Sect Uncle helped us capture."
"They are dead." said the elder suddenly. "I could feel the other two sects hurrying this way. For the Imperials the Governor's Palace should be a place of worship toward their Emperor. My Founder said that this Governor is loyal to their Emperor with all of his mind and would definitely execute all none Imperials entering that place."
"What should we do?" asked Sect Master. "The other sects won't let this stand as Zhu Gengxin didn't enter just his followers lead the others into their doom. They might demand to give up little Gengxin for the common good."
"I will resolve this." said the Elder grimly. "Just call back all of the members of the sect so that no more would be lost to that madman."