The Queen's enormous compound eyes stared for a long time at a huge, suspended screen of light. The screen no longer displayed biological data or star maps, but countless complex, pulsating points of light and lines—a kind of underlying mapping of the Zerg's unique mental network.
Alyssa's tentacles moved rapidly across the screen, her movements carrying a focus and...coldness that Jiang Chan had never seen before. Her massive body remained motionless, only the points of light in her compound eyes flickered wildly like high-speed computing chips.
Jiang Chan could only understand a little: Alyssa was cleaning up. She was searching, marking, and then—erasing—within the vast mental network. The points of light representing the remnants of Kazzak's forces were extinguished one by one, like stains erased by an eraser.
"Kazak... looking for him?" Jiang Chan approached and asked softly. She looked at the extinguished lights, her heart tightening.
Alyssa paused. Her enormous compound eyes turned toward Jiang Chan, a trace of ice melting within them. She emitted a low, weary hum, her tentacles pointing to a large, dim but stubbornly flickering red dot on the screen, then pointing towards the direction outside the insect hive.
The meaning is clear: Kazzak has escaped and cannot be found for the time being, but his henchmen left in his lair are being eliminated.
Jiang Chan nodded and didn't disturb her any further. She watched as Alyssa resumed her silent "cleaning" work, her heart filled with mixed emotions. This socially awkward, tech-savvy queen was being forced to wield the scepter she was least skilled at, displaying ruthless methods, all to protect the "peace" and "family" she had just come to understand.
Kazzak's remnants stirred up several small-scale disturbances, attempting to damage the nest's energy core or important biological breeding areas, but these were all quickly quelled. Alyssa's commands, issued through the mental network, were precise and efficient; the disturbances were like pebbles thrown into a deep pool, creating only ripples before disappearing without a trace.
After a brief period of turmoil, the hive quickly returned to order, even quieter than before—a quiet imbued with awe. All the Zerg sensed the shift in the Queen's will.
Finally, the glowing dots representing Kazzak's forces on the screen completely disappeared. Alyssa's tense body relaxed, letting out a long, weary hum. She turned off the screen, her compound eyes turning to Jiang Chan, who had been quietly by her side. The ice within them melted away completely, leaving only a deep sense of dependence.
“Jiang Chan…” Alyssa’s tentacles reached out and gently touched Jiang Chan’s hand. Her voice was a little dry, but she tried to be clear. “Kazak… go. The war… stop.”
Jiang Chan nodded vigorously, grabbing her tentacles: "Stop! Good! Peace!" She pointed outside the laboratory, then pointed to herself, "Shall we...go and tell...the people outside?"
Alyssa's compound eyes lit up, and she forcefully tapped the massive head: "Go!"
The moment the Human Federation's communication request was accepted, a massive holographic image was projected onto the center of the Zerg hive's main hall. It was a huge, brightly lit command center.
A dozen or so high-ranking human officials, dressed in crisp military uniforms, sat around a long table, their faces etched with shock, wariness, and disbelief. At the head of the group, a white-haired general, his eyes sharp as a hawk's, stared intently at the other end of the screen.
As Alyssa's massive body, covered in purplish-black armor, slowly entered the image's range, a collective gasp filled the command center. Several officers instinctively gripped their weapons. The white-haired general's expression instantly turned extremely grave.
"Queen Alyssa of the Zerg?" The general's voice came through the translator, cold and harsh, filled with immense doubt. "You said... a ceasefire?"
Alyssa was clearly extremely uncomfortable with this formal and hostile setting. Her tentacles curled uneasily, the light in her compound eyes flickered slightly, and her massive body even shifted slightly to the side, trying to hide herself in the shadows. She opened her mouth and emitted a few unintelligible buzzing sounds, appearing somewhat flustered.
Jiang Chan immediately stepped forward, standing at the very front of the image, half a step in front of Alyssa. She could feel the Queen's gaze on her back, carrying a sense of reassurance.
“General,” Jiang Chan’s voice was clear, trying to suppress her nervousness, “I am Lin Wei, a former prisoner of war from the Seventh Colony. The ceasefire is real. Her Majesty Queen Alyssa has ordered a halt to all military operations against humanity. The Zerg army is withdrawing.”
The command center was deathly silent. All eyes were fixed on Jiang Chan, filled with scrutiny and suspicion.
"Lin Wei?" The white-haired general narrowed his eyes, his sharp gaze almost piercing her. "How can you prove it? How can you prove this isn't a trap set by the Zerg? How can you prove you haven't been controlled?"
Jiang Chan took a deep breath, turned to the side, looked at the somewhat flustered Alyssa behind her, and reached out her hand. Alyssa immediately understood, and a smooth tentacle carefully stretched out and gently rested on Jiang Chan's hand, the movement even carrying a touch of intimate dependence.
“General, did you see that?” Jiang Chan held the cold tentacle and said to the image, “Her Majesty the Queen… she doesn’t actually like war. She’s a researcher who only likes studying cosmic life and keeping pets. The previous war was orchestrated by her adjutant, Kazzak. Now Kazzak has been deposed and expelled, and the war machine has stopped.”
In the footage, the officers exchanged glances and whispered among themselves. One young officer couldn't help but chuckle softly, "Pets? That's the reason for a ceasefire? Ridiculous!"
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