Chapter 561: The March
The Interstellar Confederation’s official self-definition is that of an open, free, and loosely organized alliance. Members are free to join, leave, and act as they please, with no coercion whatsoever.
Moreover, because it is a loose organization, there are no strict requirements for its members. For example, the exchange of Ji Race points for technology is entirely optional—take it or leave it.
In normal times, the Interstellar Confederation indeed operates this way. However, in reality, the fact that the confederation’s territory has only one enemy—the Swarm—shows that the so-called freedom to come and go is a complete farce. Those who refused to join have long since vanished into the annals of history.
As for the loose organization with no hard requirements, that’s nothing but a joke. If it were truly so, the frontline forces against the Swarm wouldn’t include any factions other than the Ji Race and the inner-ring civilizations.
Of the mid- and outer-ring civilizations currently stationed at the frontline, aside from the Rashudia Race—whose thought processes are, to put it mildly, unconventional—none are truly here of their own volition. The rest have been “volunteered” against their will.
Out of over a hundred civilizations, only one is genuinely willing. It’s a bit heartbreaking to think about, but it also highlights just how rare and precious this willingness is.
As a result, the Rashudia Race has received unimaginable support from the shadowy powers behind the scenes.
All protests and reports from the frontline regarding the Rashudia Race’s abuse of authority and coercion of allies have been suppressed by a terrifying, unknown force.
The outer-ring races made a fuss about this for a long time, but in the end, there was no response. It was as if the quantum entanglement in their communication devices had suddenly stopped working, and information was confined to the small area around the frontline base. Everyone seemed cut off from the outside world.