Chapter 232 - Attack

Huo Ling is the weakest in Huo Jinghua's faction, and is just starting his life in the military. He is also the apple of the eye of Huo Jinghua, Gerard Jackson, Lewis Johnson and Harry Walter. Such a promising young man dying is utterly regrettable. And it just so happens he is in the military. There are many ways to make a soldier die, and one of them is through an intentional accident.

Rayver Quinn immediately departed and located Huo Ling to save him. However, it was too late. Marquis Jin's faction actually had already caught Huo Ling in their hands, with the help of Su Rong, the one who deeply hated Huo Ling. 

When he flew to planet XTV1, Huo Ling's mech has already exploded, and Huo Ling had self-exploded, bringing down with him the planet's Zerg queen. He left in regret, and concealed his mech when he saw Huo Jinghua's, Gerard Jackson's, Lewis Johnson's, and Harry Walter's troops are coming. He his in an asteroid and waited for them to disappear before he returned to the empire and investigated Su Rong.

After he captured Su Rong, he found out that Su Rong had always hated Huo Ling.. They were classmates, and when they were in college, the girl he fell in love with fell in love with Huo Ling. He thought Huo Ling stole her from him, and so he hated him. He even hated him more when Huo Ling rejected the girl. When they were in the military, as cadets, he envied Huo Ling for Huo Ling is very popular. Huo Ling also always exceeds in every area he does.

If it's just this, it is too petty. Su Rong's hatred to Huo Ling reached its peak when the girl he fell in love with reappeared and chased Huo Ling again. However, Huo Ling rejected her again. To make the matters worse, Huo Ling's arranged marriage was public announced. Huo Ling was getting married politically.

Su Rong felt Huo Ling cheated the poor girl, and the worst thing happened. Su Rong met with the girl and the girl cried to him, complaining that she isn't worthy of Huo Ling. Then, in front of Su Rong's eyes, she jumped off of the bridge.

Su Rong sincerely loved her, yet Huo Ling rejected her. And so, his hatred brewed in his heart over the years. He felt more hatred as he heard the news of Huo Ling's achievements. Thus, when he was approached by Marquis Jin, he agreed for both of them to harm Huo Ling.

Marquis Jin had Su Rong close the Star Gate for Huo Ling while he had someone planted a Hoobite Rock and made Huo Ling hallucinate, thinking he lost control of his mech. It was him who was making a mess of his mech, not anyone. While he was under a hallucination, his mind was in and out of a sane state.

And so, when he finally was in a sane state, he can only manage to tell Huo Jinghua that someone wanted to kill him before he committed suicide to end himself.

…

Rayver Quinn sighed as he reached the place where Huo Ling died along with the planet Zerg queen. He carefully placed down the bouquet of white flowers on the ground before he uttered a silent prayer. "I'm sorry I failed to save you, caused your stepfather, everyone, a heartbreak." He said as he took out a piece of one of the pieces of the Hoobite Rock that he took away the day Huo Ling died. He didn't have Jiang Ce, or any scientist with him as he departed in haste to save Huo Ling, thus he couldn't identify what rock was it that indirectly caused the death of Huo Ling. "You're the one who don't deserve the most to die." He added.

"And you do?" someone asked behind him.

"I don't know." Rayver Quinn honestly answered.

"I do." Mary Jackson said as she stopped beside him. "You don't feel like killing me? No one would know. I piloted a small starship my own." She told him.

Rayver Quinn sighed and slowly turned to her. "I'll treat this as I didn't hear anything." He said and left her. "I'll have someone send you back." He added and then left.

Mary Jackson bitterly smiled and looked at the bouquet of flowers Rayver Quinn left. "Look how despicable I am." She said and closed her eyes. She's more despicable than Rayver Quinn.

Rayver Quinn had wanted to mourn Huo Ling, a life he failed to save. He mourned during Huo Ling's funeral day, yet he felt it wasn't enough. He can't mourn Huo Ling in this planet before, since Huo Jinghua and the others were still finding clues. It was only now that he can, now that Huo Jinghua and the others found out the truth about Huo Ling's death.

"Prepare to depart!" Rayver Quinn told the soldiers as he boarded the starship. He's going back to arrest Marquis Jin, the root of this all.

"Sir!" suddenly, someone shouted. "Someone sent a message that the Alliance's troops are going towards the empire!"

Rayver Quinn's pupils shrank. "Immediately prepare! The Royal Princess is still here – ugh!" he grunted when the back of their starship suddenly exploded!

"We're under attack! Those Alliance bastards! So despicable!" the soldiers cursed as they fired back to the starships that suddenly appeared out of thin air. They were actually in a stealth mode!

"Sir! We've found a rock in the control room!" someone reported.

"Immediately discard it! It's the enemy!" Rayver Quinn yelled. "I'll go fetch the Royal Princess! You hold the fort!" he said and activated his mech to fly back to Mary Jackson and save her.

"An attack?!" a running Mary Jackson asked as she looked at the blazing fire afar, stunned.

Rayver Quin's lips were pressed into a thin line as he coldly looked at their blazing starship. "Report!" he spoke to their communication line.

"Sir! Fortunately, there's only one starship attacking us! We can handle this!" his subordinates answered.

"These bastards think that they can kill us with just this because they sneak attacked us. Watch the might of the empire, you bastards!" one of them can't help but say.

Rayver Quinn who heard it. "…" when had his soldiers become this unruly? "Attack!" he yelled. "Attack with all you might! Cover me when I save the Royal Princess!" he told them before he shot a mech that hid and it exploded!

"Yes!" they answered.

No one asked unnecessary questions like why is Mary Jackson, Her Highness the Royal Princess, is there. They have already noticed it, and covertly observed her. They thought she was here to visit her son's 'grave'. However, they were surprised to find out she went here to also look for Rayver Quinn.

They don't know how she knew Rayver Quinn was here, since Rayver Quinn's schedule, nor the schedule of any high-ranking military officer, like Huo Jinghua, Lewis Johnson, Gerard Jackson, and most importantly, Harry Walter, is highly confidential. Their schedule is a military secret.

Since they fight for the empire, as well as for the people and their life, naturally, killing people is inevitable. Thus, it is not a surprise to have someone kill them as a revenge. Also, they are indispensable to the country, thus their life is very important. They are the backbones of the empire.

They don't dare to have crooked thoughts that Mary Jackson is cheating Huo Jinghua with Rayver Quinn, nor Rayver Quinn seduced Mary Jackson. The heck, it is an open secret to them – Rayver Quinn's trusted subordinates, that their boss is deeply in love to Huo Jinghua! Mary Jackson is her rival! How can Rayver Quinn seduce her, much less cheat with her?!

Also, they could see Her Highness the Royal Princess is also deeply in love with Huo Jinghua. How can the rivals in love cheat with each other?! And so, it is a mystery why would Mary Jackson appear her. She didn't come here to kill Rayver Quinn, right, because she found out Rayver Quinn covets her husband?

Rayver Quinn naturally is unaware of the thoughts of his subordinates. He flew at a very fast speed to the direction of the place where Huo Ling died since he knew Mary Jackson was still grieving for Huo Ling.

When he finally saw her, his mech immediately grabbed her before she could react and shoved her inside before flying to the sky. Only a second passed and the place where she had just stood was shot! The ground was burnt and smoked, and a deep pit can be seen.

Mary Jackson didn't have time to complain how rudely she was treated by Rayver Quinn and sucked a cold breath when she saw what happened. A mech was hiding, in a camouflage, and tried to kill her! A chill ran down her spine and she shivered. She retreated in a corner inside Rayver Quinn's mech, not daring breathing a word.

Rayver Quinn saw her, but acted like he didn't see her horrified expression.