General Hamilton Marshall was born in the year 7109, currently 140 years old.
As a central figure at Alpha Academy, General Marshall led a remarkable life.
He himself was a graduate of Alpha Academy. At the age of 26, General Marshall graduated from the academy with excellent grades and joined the military as a second lieutenant.
In 7140, he participated in the Battle of Bigma Star, where he performed remarkably and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant and captain of a strike team. The following year, he led the strike team to raid enemy territory, gaining widespread fame.
In 7152, Hamilton Marshall was ordered to South Anelber Star, where he served as a lieutenant commander of a light cruiser. While en route, they encountered enemy forces three times their size. Marshall remained calm under pressure and led his warship to a brilliant counterattack, destroying two enemy warships and capturing one.
In 7168, Colonel Marshall commanded his starship in the Battle of Depton, sinking four enemy starships and capturing three.
The following year, Marshall had a son, at the age of 59, a reasonable age considering the extended reproductive years of the time.
In 7187, the Lamia rebellion broke out, launching an attack on the Rasher Fortress. Facing forces seven times their own, Major General Marshall skillfully maneuvered his troops, holding out until reinforcements arrived and securing the fortress.
In 7209, Marshall, now a retired general celebrating his hundredth birthday, announced his retirement and declared his candidacy for the Star Sector Council on the same year of his retirement. Riding on his heroism, he successfully entered politics. However, he resigned in disgrace five years later due to the Tumen Incident. He was a successful general but a failed politician.
In 7215, General Marshall was invited to become the dean of Alpha Military Academy, a position he held until today.
In his thirty years as head of the academy, Alpha Academy flourished, becoming one of the most outstanding academies in nearly a century, producing a large number of outstanding military personnel for the federation.
Many of them have become pillars of the military, such as General Hannibal of the Seventh Fleet, General Brisbane of the Blood Fortress, General Haggis of the Federal Expeditionary Army, and many others, all products of his teachings.
A hero in war, a failure in politics, Marshall finally found his second glory at Alpha Academy, becoming the soul of the institution.
However, in 7236, General Marshall faced the greatest blow of his life—his son and daughter-in-law died in the Battle of Lacmert.
It was a war against the divine race, with humanity gradually gaining the upper hand after two hundred years of warfare. They grew arrogant and believed they could win, leading to the Battle of Lacmert.
It was the largest defeat since the Battle of Lunbron Star, less than twenty years ago. Countless brave soldiers died in the starry sky, and the pain caused by it still lingered in the federation.
This war took Claire and Nora's parents, as well as countless others, and shattered the federation's dream of ultimately defeating the divine race. The advantage built on the blood of countless heroes was wiped out in one battle, plunging the war back into a stalemate.
This blow nearly broke General Marshall.
After all, he was old.
For five thousand years, human technological advancement had progressed rapidly, but progress in life sciences had been slow. Humans had ventured beyond Earth and the solar system, but while their strides in exploration multiplied, the progress of life only doubled; two hundred years was almost the limit of human lifespan.
Nevertheless, he continued to work tirelessly, never slackening, and eventually weathered through those difficult times.
No one expected him to announce his retirement at this time.
General Marshall's retirement was a regret for many.
His thirty years of leadership had deeply imprinted Alpha Academy with his unique style.
Resilient, brave, wise, and never giving up!
Marshall was like the soul of the academy, influencing generations of people within the institution.
But now, the soul was leaving, leaving many, especially the students of the Naval Command Department, feeling reluctant.
Upon receiving news of his retirement, some students even cried.
To commend the outstanding contributions of the former dean, the academy held a grand farewell banquet on the day of his departure. Some outstanding students, especially those from the Naval Command Department, were invited to attend.
General Marshall unsurprisingly became the focus of the evening, surrounded by the crowd throughout the banquet. The old general had spent his whole life in a constant state of being surrounded or breaking free from encirclements. Finally, one day, he no longer had to worry about breaking free but could fully enjoy the blessings bestowed upon him by others.
Yet, apart from him, another person attracted everyone's attention.
He was a middle-aged man with a mustache, his suit impeccably pressed with not a wrinkle in sight, and his hair slicked back with a gleam. He always wore a smile on his face, making him very approachable.
"Who's that?" Sperfield asked Reno.
"Aleksandr Kortman, our new dean," Reno replied.
Li Zonghan stepped forward and added, "The farewell party for the old dean is also the welcome party for the new dean, a standard farewell and welcome event."
"Hey, buddy, your tone doesn't sound very comfortable. You seem to dislike the new dean?" Little Guy came over to ask Li Zonghan.
Li Zonghan sneered, "That's because you don't know who our new dean is."
"So you know him?" The students became interested and crowded around, drawing the attention of Claire and Nora, who looked over in their direction.
Li Zonghan gave a disdainful glance at the middle-aged man before lowering his voice and saying, "Aleksandr Kortman is not a military man. He has never fought a day in his life."
"What did you say?" Everyone was surprised.
Ma Lianer Philipo Bol exclaimed, "Is this a joke? This is a military academy, and the dean isn't a military man?"
"Hey, Ma Lianer, keep your voice down." Handsome Hank looked a little nervous, glanced at a distance, habitually flicked his hair, and then said, "How did a non-military person become the dean?"
Li Zonghan replied, "This was arranged by the academy committee. Over the past thirty years, General Marshall has trained countless outstanding military personnel for the federation, but also brought some trouble to the academy. The committee believes that the military academy needs not only a dean who understands military skills but also one who understands politics and the bigger picture, one who knows how to compromise and consider the future of the academy. So they brought in this Kortman... He's a senator, a genuine politician."
"Unbelievable." Everyone sighed in frustration.
The leader of an organization, like its soul, directly determines the characteristics and virtues of that organization.
Nobody knew what having a politician lead the military academy would result in.
Reno thought it would take a long time to see the differences, but he didn't expect changes to come so quickly.
That evening, as the farewell party was drawing to a close, Marshall and Kortman were invited to speak on stage, with Marshall speaking first.