Chapter 264: Hope
"Don't give up hope just yet."
While all the students were wallowing in their own misery and dread, Principal Farnes continued speaking in the same tone he had maintained throughout the speech.
It was like this information didn't even phase him.
"Those two Ancient class powerhouses at the top wouldn't leave their nest so easily, even if their hundred million strong fleet is wiped out by us."
Many of the students were confused by this.
Didn't the principal just say that they would?
Or were they mistaken?
But regardless of their opinions and confusion, Principal Farnes continued.
"You are all taking something for granted."
"We already know that we are no longer alone in this universe. Which the Red Demon race have made quite clear."
"But this also goes for the Red Demon race as well. With how ruthless and bloodthirsty they are, they are bound to have made quite a few enemies over the thousands of years since their own protection period finished."
"And we know of one such enemy race that is also in another neighbouring galaxy to the Red Demon race."
"They are called the Kree, and we only found this information out very recently."
'Wait, they found this out because of me?'
When Alex heard that last declaration by Principal Farnes, he was bewildered but also excited.
The only way the top brass could have found out about the Kree being an enemy of the Red Demon race as well was through his capture of one of their freighters, which had passed through quite a few hands before it ended up in the federation's.
It first belonged to a Kree merchant company, then the Blood Night pirates took it over after slaughtering the previous crew.
Then Alex took it over from the pirates, and finally the federation took it from him, for the very lucrative reward of his own ship and the growth type sword from Principal Farnes.
'If what the Principal is saying is true, then that means we might actually have a chance to survive this war!'
Alex was not wrong, and Principal Farnes soon explained why to the rest of the audience watching.
"The Kree are just as strong as the Red Demon race, we have learned."
"If the King and Queen of the Red Demon race choose to leave their post in the Andromeda galaxy to come and attack us, then the Kree leaders would immediately initiate an attack on the Red Demon race."
This news came as a massive relief to everyone involved, and even Principal Farnes, Admiral Olgierd etc. were relieved to bits when they pulled this information from the data banks on the Kree ship.
"However, we still have this war to win before we can celebrate."
But they were all quickly faced with a reality check as they were reminded that although they may be safe from the Ancient class powerhouses, they still had the hundreds of millions of warships and awakened Red Demons that had already started attacking human territory.
"That is where all of you come in."
'Here it comes.'
Alex knew where the direction of the speech was going to go next.
Conscription.
"We need all the manpower we can get to win this war, and with our military and other awakened stretched so thin across the galaxy, your help in this war is required."
Many of the students sighed as they had expected this sort of conscription from the day Zorath had shown his face and declared war on the human race.
But for those who weren't expecting this, particularly the weaker lot of the first years, second years etc, they immediately displayed their dissatisfaction.
"We didn't sign up for this!"
"You can't make us fight!"
"You're just sending us to our deaths!"
Many shouts and cries came from below the stage, but none of them irked Principal Farnes's ears.
"Everybody will be required to contribute. There are no exceptions."
"You didn't sign up for this? Go tell the Red Demon race that. Do you think they will care whether you signed up for this or not?"
"No, they wouldn't even give you a second look."
"All they see is another human to slaughter."
"Now tell me, did your mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters etc. sign up to be slaughtered mercilessly at their hands? No."
"That is why we must fight."
"That is why you WILL fight, whether you like it or not."
"For the sake of the human race, every one of you matters."
It seemed Principal Farnes was irked by those students' refusal to join the war, as he pressed down even harder on them, making them feel even more guilt for their selfish choice.
There were many students below whose whole families had already been slaughtered by the Red Demon fleet, and they weren't complaining.
In fact they were the ones most willing and ready to join the war effort.
These students looked down on those other cowards with disdain.
They were the types that would only care when it affected them directly.
But by that time, it would be too late to care.
If the Red Demons reached the core regions of the federation, then the human race would be over already.
"Anybody who still refuses to fight after knowing that, will be sent to the firing squads."
It was this final message by Principal Farnes that pushed the nail in the coffin for them though.
If the war hadn't affected them directly yet, then Principal Farnes would change that.
The threat of death if they didn't fight was as real as it got.
They all shut up when this was thrown in the mix.
"Moving on."
"You will all have the rest of today and the night to prepare yourselves, call your family members. Do whatever you want for all I care."
"Because tomorrow, you will all find out where your posting will be, and will all set off immediately."
"The Red Demons are encroaching further and further into our systems as we speak, so you are lucky we are even giving you the rest of the day to sort out your affairs with how time sensitive this whole war is."
With that, Principal Farnes ended his speech.
He had gotten his point across to the students.
Though he knew there might still be a few bold ones who think they can trick their way out of this war.
And they would be made an example of.
Just as Principal Farnes was about to disappear from the stage.
He felt someone trying to get his attention.
He looked off into the audience, and recognised immediately who it was.
'Alex.'
'What does he want that's so important right now…'
Principal Farnes questioned Alex internally, but he gave Alex the attention he wanted in the end.
After a few seconds, Alex and Mira found themselves teleported to a relatively normal looking office, with the only not normal thing being the view outside the window.
It was quite breath taking, to say the least.
Outside, they could see the whole of Capital Prime city!
From orbit…
This was Principal Farnes' personal office, away from the chaos of the university down below, and sitting constantly above Capital Prime city at all times.
While they were admiring the view, Principal Farnes appeared behind them.
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