BATTLE FOR STARS

More than ten thousand starships arrived at Planet Muslai at the same time.

For the small interstellar spaceport, it was an unprecedented sight—and an overwhelming one.

Muslai had three orbital spaceports, which was already far more than most planets possessed. Even so, serving a fleet of ten thousand starships was still far beyond their capacity. Fortunately, in preparation for the upcoming campaign, enormous quantities of supplies had already been transported to the planet's surface in advance.

Countless small transport ships were now shuttling between the ground and orbit, carrying every kind of military supply to replenish the Tekara Fleet before its departure. According to the schedule, the final preparations would be completed within the next few days.

Missiles, space mines, high-explosive ordnance, and energy blocks were loaded aboard every starship, along with vast quantities of daily necessities.

Modern warfare consumed weapons at a rate unimaginable in earlier eras. Although supplying the Confederation fleet was considerably easier than supplying the Hill Empire, every captain still wanted as much ammunition and equipment loaded as possible.

No one knew how long the campaign would last.

And no one wanted to discover they were running short of weapons in the middle of a battle.

Yet while everyone else was occupied with preparations for the expedition, there were always people who found time to attend to personal matters.

Especially men and women who had not seen each other for a very long time.

Inside the presidential suite of a five-star hotel on Muslai, a naked man and woman were indulging in one of humanity's oldest pleasures.

The hotel was one of the few luxury establishments on the planet. After all, Muslai was merely a transit world. Few starship captains or wealthy travelers had reason to stay in high-end accommodations there.

Now, however, the entire hotel had been reserved by the military to host senior officials and delegates from the National Congress.

The Duir Republic was a one-party state.

It emphasized fairness and equality among all citizens. Basic healthcare, housing, retirement benefits, education, and numerous other social services were shared by the entire population.

The National Congress served as the highest state authority. Its representatives were elected by the people, and those representatives in turn elected the Standing Committee members and the Chairman responsible for governing the nation.

Under the effects of stimulants, the man had continued his exertions for a long time before finally relaxing with a roar of satisfaction.

Holding the woman tightly in his arms, his hands continued to wander across her body.

"That's enough for today. Let's rest. I can't take any more either," the beautiful and alluring woman whispered beside his ear.

She was exhausted as well.

"Hahaha..."

The man laughed contentedly.

"You'll be leaving in a few days. Who knows when we'll see each other again?"

"No matter how long it takes, I'll always be your woman."

Her answer pleased him immensely.

Another burst of laughter echoed throughout the suite.

"Good. When you return victorious, I'll make sure to spoil you properly."

"Mhm."

She answered softly.

Yet she wasn't nearly as confident as she sounded.

This time they would be facing the massive forces of the Hill Empire.

Victory.

It had been a very long time since that word had felt close to her.

If ordinary citizens of the Duir Republic had been present, they would have been shocked by the identities of the pair.

The man was Iijima Toshida, a member of the National Congress Standing Committee.

The woman was Vivian Lun, Fleet Commander of the Tekara Fleet, which would soon depart for the front.

Half an hour later, both had showered, dressed in formal attire, and left the suite.

They were heading to the rooftop restaurant for dinner.

The man stood one meter eighty-five tall. His square face and thick eyebrows gave him the appearance of a resolute statesman.

The woman was one meter seventy-eight tall. Although she wore the uniform of a Grand General, her graceful figure remained impossible to conceal. Her bright eyes and soft, elegant features projected both beauty and confidence. Shoulder-length hair, colored in alternating shades of violet and white, added a blend of youthful charm and mature allure.

At first glance, the man appeared to be nearing fifty years old.

Those who knew him, however, knew he was already over four hundred years old.

Vivian looked barely past her twenties, but she was actually over sixty.

In the Duir Republic, sixty was still considered young.

The two had been together for more than fifty years.

Among all of Iijima Toshida's lovers over the centuries, Vivian had remained by his side the longest.

He had adopted her when she was young.

He had sent her into the military.

And eventually, he had helped her rise to become a Fleet Commander.

Naturally, Vivian's own military talent could not be ignored.

But without Iijima's support and influence behind the scenes, everything would have remained nothing more than a dream.

As an eighth-rank state official, Iijima already had access to government-provided female android companions.

Yet no matter how lifelike an android became, it could never compare to a real woman.

And having a Fleet Commander as his lover brought him a unique sense of satisfaction every time.

That was one of the reasons he had never replaced her over all these years.

Iijima wore the standard National Congress uniform, styled somewhat like an old Zhongshan suit.

The golden necktie on his chest was particularly eye-catching.

It was the most important symbol of his status.

To many outsiders, the Duir Republic was a peculiar nation.

It preached fairness and equality, yet divided all citizens into nine distinct ranks according to their contributions to the state.

The First Rank consisted of the disabled, those with severe cognitive impairments, and certain special groups, including patients and criminals.

The Second Rank consisted of children, the elderly, and certain designated groups such as homosexuals, clones, transgender individuals, and modified humans.

The Third Rank included ordinary citizens.

The Fourth Rank consisted of team leaders and similar positions.

The Fifth Rank consisted of factory supervisors and equivalent officials.

The Sixth Rank consisted of regional managers and comparable administrators.

The Seventh Rank consisted of National Congress representatives and planetary administrators.

The Eighth Rank consisted of members of the National Congress Standing Committee.

The Ninth Rank belonged solely to the Chairman of the National Congress.

Gold was the identifying color of the Standing Committee, second only to the Chairman's purple.

Since the Duir Republic had only one Chairman, gold was, for all practical purposes, a symbol of supreme authority.

Of course, these classifications were not permanent.

A person's rank could rise or fall throughout life.

The entire purpose of the system was to encourage citizens to contribute more to the nation and climb into higher ranks as quickly as possible.

The higher your rank, the greater the material benefits and political privileges you could enjoy.

After all, the Duir Republic did not recognize private property.

It advocated equality and collective ownership of society's wealth.

However, while all property belonged to the state, citizens of different ranks were granted vastly different levels of access to national resources and privileges.

A simple example was accommodation.

A Third-Rank citizen could not request a room in a five-star hotel.

At minimum, Fifth Rank status was required.

As for a luxury suite like the one they had just occupied, it was generally reserved for those of Sixth Rank or above.

And this principle extended far beyond hotels.

Housing, education, and virtually every aspect of daily life were allocated according to rank.

A Seventh-Rank official would be assigned a detached villa complete with a swimming pool.

Meanwhile, a First-Rank citizen would typically receive a small apartment in a remote suburb—or perhaps a cramped basement unit within the city itself.