During the imperial council meeting, a holographic projection was playing a clip captured by a Dragonfly Drone for the audience.
The footage displayed a colonial exploration team from the Northern Continent, dispatched by Shangduohan, consisting of figures in medieval attire driving away tribesmen from the Southern Continent from their ancestral homes to establish a colonial outpost.
In the video, a middle-aged man from the Northern Continent, dressed in an exquisite and luxurious cloak, wielded something resembling a stick and cast a fireball with a swing of his arm, hitting a group of the Southern Continent's tribesmen not far away. This terrified the tribesmen, causing even the warriors with painted faces and obsidian weapons in their hands to hesitate in fear.
What followed was a group of soldiers garbed like medieval mercenaries, shouldering long flintlock guns, sporadically firing bullets at the tribesmen and wounding several.
After the holographic image was turned off, Bai Zhongqi, sitting in his chair with his hands clasped, said, "Both Iridium Star and Earth's fantasy works contain elements similar to magic. These are scenes we filmed on Emerald Sea Star, and their authenticity is beyond doubt. The only concern is the nature of the attack used by the individuals in the footage."
Nan Ma, who had recently been busy starting a company and was present at the imperial council meeting, laughed amid the general astonishment and said, "What's so strange about this?"
He rubbed his hands together, palm facing upward, and then a flame ignited in the center of his palm.
Bai Zhongqi was also startled and immediately said, "You mean to say, the person casting a spell like the Fireball Technique is actually a Star Warrior?"
Nan Ma extinguished the flame in his hand, unusually serious as he explained, "That's very likely. In records from several other planets, I've seen individuals who, not understanding Star Energy, mistook Star Warriors for Mages. From certain perspectives, Star Warriors and Mages do seem quite similar. However, unlike the esoteric nature of magic, Star Energy is a power that can be explained.
Essentially, a flame is composed of electrons bound by gas molecules that, when energized, become free electrons, a process known as thermal ionization, forming a high-temperature plasma. Of course, there are also excited gas molecules in flames.
Utilizing Star Energy, a Star Warrior can alter the properties of matter and objects. By exciting and ionizing a mass of air and then applying a directional and forceful push, they can create the effect we all just witnessed.
This is indeed a very basic ability among Star Warriors; judging by the power and effect, that 'Mage' from Emerald Sea Star was at the level of a Star Warrior apprentice at best. Moreover, I suspect that the wooden stick in his hand is likely a precious Star Energy amplifying material, meaning it contains a faint Star Energy that resonates with a Star Warrior's Star Energy.
With it, a Star Warrior's use of their abilities becomes much simpler."
After listening to Nan Ma, Bai Zhongqi nodded and said, "We have collected little information so far, but what we know indicates that although Mages on Emerald Sea Star are relatively few in number, there are at least a hundred of them."
Usually unfazed and lighthearted, Nan Ma finally changed color and exclaimed, "How is that possible? Star Warriors have always been rare; a planet with billions over a hundred years might not even produce one. How could this remote place suddenly have hundreds of Star Warriors at the same time?"
At this point, Xu Lanzhou's eyes sparkled, and she said to Bai Zhongqi, "Your Majesty, if these Mages from Emerald Sea Star are indeed Star Warriors as Master Nan Ma conjectures, even the lowest-level Star Warrior apprentices could bring immense benefits to the Empire.
Whether it's to further research Star Energy or to form a combat unit of Star Warriors in conjunction with the United Empire's most elite war machinery, the benefits would be immeasurable."
Regaining some composure, Nan Ma chuckled and said to Xu Lanzhou, "Commander Xu, your ambition is quite grand. In the thousands of years of civilizations we've encountered, none had the capacity to command Star Warriors as an army. If the United Empire can truly achieve this, it would be quite remarkable."
Bai Zhongqi, too, was deep in thought; though Star Warriors seemed out of place with Empire Warships and powerful technology, and were shrouded in mystery, if Iridium Star could control even a fraction of Star Energy power, it could develop technology more potent and perhaps even dominate the Galaxy.
Even as Xu Lanzhou suggested, if they could acquire a structured tactical unit of Star Warriors, their usefulness would be tremendous. Not only are these Star Warriors viable in war, but the use of Star Energy could enable them to be effective in various aspects.
A Star Warrior like Nan Ma can create diverse reactions; moving objects simply was nothing special, he could even act as a living fusion reactor, controlling highly unstable nuclear fusion reactions within a manageable range.
While Bai Zhongqi was still uncertain whether these "Mages" were truly Star Warriors or whether it was possible to recruit them to serve the Empire, it seemed necessary for Iridium Star to conduct a more thorough and comprehensive reconnaissance of Emerald Sea Star.
Bai Zhongqi decisively said, "Emerald Sea Star holds great significance for the Empire's current development. The information brought back by the Insight is still too scant, so I have decided to personally set out to Emerald Sea Star for deeper inspection. In addition, we will initiate preliminary colonization on the planet.
It's worth considering the construction of intensive farms primarily using Bionic Human labor on the eastern plains of Legendary Continent to start producing crops for the Empire. If necessary, we can also build a Spaceport and other orbital defense facilities in the orbit of Emerald Sea Star."
He added, "The development of Emerald Sea Star and that of Earth must proceed concurrently. Once the Star Alliance is formally established, we will move the populations of the Star Alliance to Emerald Sea Star, developing it into a complete colony."
Prime Minister Du Peng spoke up again, "Your Majesty, I suggest we release the news that we've discovered habitable planets in the Centauri Alpha Galaxy and are preparing for colonization, to Earth."
Bai Zhongqi's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "Indeed, that's a good move."
Previously, when the people of Iridium Star were promoting the Star Alliance plan, despite mentioning the affairs of cosmic development and colonization, merely Ruyi City and Lunar Palace City lacked significant appeal.
But Emerald Sea Star was entirely different; it was a place many Earthlings had dreamed and fantasized about, with vast lands, albeit slightly colder average temperatures and less diverse resources than Earth, but with the potential to be developed into a prosperous planet.
And for the Earthlings currently concerned about living space, that potential was immensely tempting!