Marvel: The other side of the double-passing door is Devouring the Stars

Chapter 392 Seeking a Peaceful Solution

“However, this also has its advantages. We can move more freely without worrying about exposing company secrets,” Rowan analyzed. “And this identity is more easily accepted by both planets.”

The two went to the equipment department and received the special equipment needed for this mission. This included identification for disguise, communication devices, and some weapons and equipment suitable for low-tech civilizations.

“These weapons look very primitive,” Silvermoon said, picking up what appeared to be an ordinary laser gun, “but for us, having weapons or not doesn’t matter.”

“It’s mainly to maintain the credibility of our identity,” Rowan explained. “If we could defeat their army with our bare hands, it would only arouse suspicion.”

Next, the two went to the archives to study in detail the history, culture, and political structure of the two civilizations in the Tana system. This information was crucial for a successful diplomatic mission.

"The political system of Planet Tana I is a federal system, with a joint government composed of representatives from the seven continents," Silvermoon read from the documents. "Their culture places great emphasis on the ocean and trade."

“Tana II is a centralized system, governed by a strong government,” Rowan added. “Their culture reveres strength and conquest. This difference in political system may be one of the sources of conflict.”

"Have the two planets ever cooperated in the past?" Silvermoon continued flipping through the documents.

“Yes, about fifty years ago, they joined forces to resist the threat of an asteroid impact,” Rowan found the relevant records. “At that time, the two sides cooperated very well and even signed a friendship treaty.”

"What happened next? Why did the relationship deteriorate?" Silver Moon asked, puzzled.

"The information doesn't provide details, only mentioning that relations between the two planets have gradually become tense over the past decade," Rowan frowned. "This is another issue that requires on-site investigation."

It was soon afternoon, and the two met on the tarmac, preparing to board the reconnaissance ship bound for the Tana system. The ship looked ordinary on the outside, but it was actually equipped with a state-of-the-art stealth system and a faster-than-light engine.

"Are you ready?" Silvermoon gave the equipment a final check.

“Ready?” Rowan nodded. “Hopefully, this mission will be a success.”

“I have a feeling this won’t be a simple mediation mission,” Silvermoon said thoughtfully. “There are definitely complex circumstances behind it that we don’t yet know about.”

“No matter what, we must do our best,” Rowan said firmly. “It is our responsibility to protect both civilizations from destruction.”

After a week of interstellar travel, Rowan and Silvermoon's stealth reconnaissance ship finally arrived at the Tana system. Looking through the porthole, they could see the orange-yellow star emitting a gentle glow, with eight planets orbiting it in their respective orbits. The most striking of these were the two inhabited planets, one a deep blue like the sea, and the other a brownish-green.

“Tana I and Tana II are both within sight,” Silvermoon said, pointing to the two distant planets. “They look beautiful; it’s hard to imagine such a fierce conflict could occur between planets like these.”

“A beautiful exterior often masks a complex interior,” Rowan said, observing the star map. “We’ll proceed with our plan to approach Tana I and make initial contact.”

The captain of the reconnaissance ship, a seasoned veteran, carefully maneuvered the vessel to avoid the detection systems of the two planets. "According to the scans, a large number of military satellites and defense platforms have been deployed around Planet Tana I. It seems they are indeed preparing for war."

"What's the situation on Planet Tana II?" Rowan asked.

“It’s even more serious. Their entire fleet is assembling at the border, and energy readings indicate a large number of nuclear weapons are on standby,” the captain replied gravely. “Both sides are poised for war at any moment.”

Silvermoon frowned: "The tension is more severe than we anticipated. It seems this mediation mission will be quite difficult."

“Don’t jump to conclusions. We need to understand the situation on the ground,” Rowan calmly analyzed. “According to the plan, we’ll first contact the government of Planet Tana I to understand their position and demands.”

The reconnaissance ship approached Planet Tana 1 along the predetermined route. When the ship entered the planet's communication range, Rowan activated the communication system and sent a contact signal to the planet.

"This is a mediator from the Galactic Peace Organization. We are here to assist in resolving the current conflict in the Tana Galaxy and request a meeting with your government representatives."

Shortly after the signal was sent, a reply was received: "The Galactic Peace Organization? We have never heard of this organization. Please provide more identification."

Rowan was prepared and immediately sent out meticulously crafted identification documents and organizational information. These documents detailed the "Galactic Peace Organization's" aims, history, and authority, enough to convince a low-level civilization.

Approximately half an hour later, a reply arrived from Planet Tana I: "Welcome to the representatives of the Galactic Peace Organization. Our united government is willing to meet with you. Please land at the international airport in the capital, Seatop City, where we will send representatives to greet you."

“It seems the first step went smoothly,” Silvermoon breathed a sigh of relief. “At least they’re willing to accept our mediation.”

"This is just the beginning; the real challenges are yet to come," Rowan cautioned. "Remember, we must remain neutral and not be swayed by either side's rhetoric."

The reconnaissance ship landed at the international airport in Haituo City, following the directions. It was a modern city built on the coast, with towering buildings, but the architectural style clearly reflected the characteristics of maritime civilization, with many buildings adopting a wave-like design.

As soon as they disembarked from the spaceship, a group of officials in formal attire came to greet them. Leading them was a middle-aged man, tall and with a serious face, wearing a badge on his chest indicating his high-ranking official status.

“Welcome to Tana I. I am Foreign Minister Carlisle,” the man extended his hand. “Thank you to the Galactic Peace Organization for your concern regarding the conflict in our galaxy.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Minister Carlisle,” Rowan shook his hand. “I am Mediator Rowan, and this is my partner, Silvermoon. We have been assigned by the organization to help your star system resolve the current conflict.”

“That’s great, we desperately need outside help,” Carlisle said, a look of relief on his face. “The actions of Planet Tana II have reached an outrageous level; we simply cannot tolerate them.”

Silvermoon noticed the bias in Carlisle's words and exchanged a glance with Rowan. It seemed that Planet Tana I already considered them potential allies. "Minister, we are here to mediate impartially and need to hear both sides," Rowan tactfully expressed his neutrality, "but first, we do wish to understand your specific situation."

“Of course, of course,” Carlisle nodded quickly. “We have arranged a detailed briefing. Please come with me.”

The group traveled to the United Government Building in a government vehicle. Along the way, they could see the city's bustling scene, with a constant stream of vehicles on the streets and thriving shops and restaurants. However, the observant Rowan noticed some unusual things: mobilization orders were posted on many buildings, soldiers were patrolling the streets, and temporary air-raid shelters had been set up in the park.

"It seems the atmosphere of war is quite intense here," Silvermoon whispered to Rowan via internal communication.

“Indeed, beneath the surface of prosperity, one can sense an undercurrent of tension,” Rowan replied. “We need to delve deeper into the true situation.”

The United Government Building is a magnificent structure with a typical nautical design, featuring a blue and white exterior and a wave-shaped decoration on the top. Seven stone pillars stand in the plaza in front of the building, representing the unity of the seven continents.

In the building's conference room, Minister Carlisle arranged a detailed briefing. Attendees included officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, military representatives, heads of economic departments, and other important figures.

“First, let me introduce the basic situation of our planet to the two mediators,” Carlisle began, standing in front of a huge map. “Planet Tana I is primarily ocean-based, with seven continental islands scattered throughout. Our civilization’s development is centered on trade and maritime exploitation.”

The map shows that Tana I is indeed an ocean-type world, with land covering only 30% of the total area, but it is evenly distributed, forming seven relatively independent continental regions.

“Our political system is a federal system, with representatives from the seven continents forming a coalition government. Major decisions require democratic voting,” Carlyle continued. “While this system may not be the most efficient in terms of decision-making, it guarantees fairness and stability.”

The military representative, a general with a full beard, took over the conversation: "However, Tana II is a completely different system. They practice dictatorship, with all decisions made by the supreme leader alone, which leads to their belligerent tendencies."

"Please explain in detail the cause of this conflict," Rowan said, getting straight to the point.

Carlisle's expression immediately turned angry: "It all started with that asteroid discovered three months ago. According to the Tana System Peace Agreement signed fifty years ago between our two planets, that asteroid clearly belongs to our territory."

He pointed to a small dot on the star map: "This asteroid is located between the orbits of two planets, but according to the coordinates, it is closer to our planet's gravitational influence, and according to the terms of the agreement, it should be under our jurisdiction."

“But Tana II ignored the agreement and sent troops to forcibly occupy the asteroid,” added the Minister of Economy, a shrewd-looking woman. “Their actions were nothing short of banditry.”

Silvermoon carefully studied the document: "Could we see the original text of this agreement?"

“Of course,” Carlisle immediately had his assistant bring a copy of the agreement. “This agreement forms the basis for cooperation between the two planets, and Tana II’s current actions are a complete betrayal of it.”

Rowan took the agreement and read it carefully, finding it to be a very detailed boundary demarcation agreement. However, the clauses concerning the disputed asteroid were quite vague, leaving room for multiple interpretations.

“I noticed that the clauses in the agreement regarding the ownership of asteroids are not clearly defined,” Rowan pointed out the key issue, “which could be the root of the dispute.”

"Ambiguous?" Carlisle clearly disagreed. "The terms are very clear: based on gravitational range, the asteroid should belong to us."

"But if we calculate it according to the distance from the center point, the result may be different," Silvermoon also discovered the problem.

The military general said excitedly, "No matter how you explain it, when we discovered that asteroid, Tana 2 didn't raise any objections. It was only after they discovered the asteroid's value that they suddenly turned against us."

"Is the asteroid really that valuable?" Rowan asked.

The Minister of Economic Affairs presented an exploration report: "Based on our preliminary exploration, the asteroid contains a large amount of rare metals, especially titanium alloys and rare earth elements, with a value roughly equivalent to our planet's annual GDP."

“This is indeed a tremendous fortune,” Silvermoon admitted, “but is it worth waging war for it?”

“We never wanted to start a war,” Carlisle emphasized. “It was Tana II that used force first. While our exploration team was conducting normal operations on the asteroid, their warships suddenly appeared, not only driving away our personnel but also sinking two of our transport ships.”

The military general's face turned extremely grim: "That attack resulted in the deaths of thirty-seven of our personnel—a blatant massacre! We cannot let our heroes sacrifice themselves in vain!"

The atmosphere in the room grew heavy, and all the officials from Planet Tana I wore expressions of anger and hatred.

“We understand your anger,” Rowan tried to calm things down, “but violence will only escalate the conflict. The key now is to prevent a greater tragedy from occurring.”

“We have exercised considerable restraint,” Carlisle said bitterly. “Faced with the provocations from Tana II, our military has repeatedly demanded an immediate counterattack, but the United Government has been seeking a peaceful solution.”

"Then why is the situation so tense right now?" Silvermoon asked.

"Because Tana II has gone too far," the military general said angrily. "They not only occupied the asteroid, but also amassed a large army on the border, threatening a military strike against our capital."

"Furthermore," the Minister of Economy added, "they have also halted all trade and cut off all communication links between us, making it clear that they intend to completely sever ties."

Carlisle stood up and walked to the window, gazing into the distance. “We really don’t want war, Mediator. Our civilization is based on peaceful trade; war is a last resort for us. But if Tana II continues its aggressive course, we won’t stand idly by.”

"So, if we can facilitate peace talks, would you be willing to participate?" Rowan raised the key question.

(End of this chapter)