CHAPTER 209: CH 205 THE DEBATE

The others didn’t hesitate. One by one, they nodded in agreement. Elira was right—and more importantly, none of them wanted to give even the slightest edge to a fellow Grand Admiral. That much was clear.

Grand Admiral Alexander was the first to speak up, his tone thoughtful but pointed.

"Now that you’ve said that—and you’re absolutely right—surely you have a solution in mind, don’t you?" He looked at Elira directly. "One that satisfies everyone... including you and Grand Admiral Ezra."

He paused, glancing at the red-marked systems on the map.

"After all, those key star systems—Minotaur Prime and the other high-priority targets—will fall into the hands of some of us. That’s our objective. But like you said, we won’t reach a consensus any time soon, not without conflict."

He folded his arms.

"And if we keep dragging this out, we risk disappointing Imperial Commander Kallus. So, Grand Admiral Elira—what are your thoughts?"

Elira nodded at Alexander’s question. "It’s nothing far-fetched," she said. "In fact, it’s quite simple."

"We divide the Minotaur Clan’s territory not by the number of star systems, but by merit value. That way, even if someone is assigned a high-priority system—where they can earn a large amount of merit points—others can make up for it by taking on multiple mid or low-priority systems as their targets."

She gestured toward the projected map.

"Out of the 50 star systems, 14 are high-priority targets, 26 are mid-level, and the remaining 10 are low-priority. While we can’t know the exact merit value each mission will yield—since many variables emerge in war—we can use the priority tiers to set a baseline."

"Here’s the framework we’ve been provided by the Red Empress," she continued, her tone steady and directive. "I’ll just repeat it:

High-priority systems offer up to 1,000 merit points, depending on how successfully and efficiently the mission is executed—this includes minimal damage to habitable planets and resource-rich worlds, as well as fulfillment of key strategic objectives.

Mid-priority systems can yield up to 500 merit points, with the same evaluation criteria: the quality of execution and how thoroughly objectives are achieved can raise or lower the final score. Low-priority systems are worth up to 100 merit points each, again subject to adjustment based on performance and objective completion."

"Through this framework, we can decide and evenly distribute targets among the seven of us while keeping the playing field fair for everyone," Elora said as she looked around. Everyone had a face that clearly said, We understand where you’re going with this.

"And with the current framework," she continued, "we don’t even need to fight over any star systems. We can simply divide the targets based on the number of merit points they offer—and that way, everyone would be satisfied, right?"

This way, you all won’t need to argue for hours and still not reach a consensus, right? After all, who wants to miss out on practically free gains?".

"Indeed, you’re right, Grand Admiral Elira," said Grand Admiral Benjamin, nodding as he spoke. "This method of yours is both effective and simple. It saves us from wasting time arguing and allows us to move forward logically, just as you said."

The others—Grand Admirals Ryn, Kael, Varyn, and even Ezra—voiced their agreement, one after another.

Then Grand Admiral Alexander raised a hand to speak.

"It’s a well-crafted solution, no doubt," he began, "but there’s one thing—well, not a problem exactly, more of a clarification I think we need."

He brought up a data projection beside the map and continued:

"Based on my calculations, the total merit points available across this entire campaign amount to approximately 28,000. That breaks down to 14,000 from the high-priority targets, 13,000 from the mid-tier systems, and 1,000 from the low-priority ones."

He looked around the room.

"So, if we’re distributing this evenly, each of us should be aiming to earn around 4,000 merit points. But here’s the catch—how do we plan to assign those points fairly?"

He pointed his figures on the star map ahead, shifting the focus everyone there.

"Some of us will need to claim more star systems than others to reach that number, especially if we’re assigned lower-value targets. That means more logistics, more distance to cover, making it more time consuming . So while the merit value may balance out on paper, the operational burden won’t be equal."

He folded his arms, his tone was direction as was the meaning behind the words that was both clear and direct.

"So I ask: how do we plan to account for that? What’s the plan to keep that part fair?"

What you said does make sense, Admiral Alexander," Ezra replied, turning to face him with his arms crossed. "Your logic is sound—but let’s be honest, we can’t expect everything to be handed to us easily, can we?"

He glanced around the room, then looked to Elira before continuing.

"Everyone here wants merit points—but they’re not going to come without effort. That’s the whole point. Fairness? That’s a luxury, not a guarantee. Some of us will have to work harder to earn the same result, but that’s just part of the job."

His voice was calm but firm, with the weight of realism.

"Still, if it’s fairness we’re chasing, I’ll offer this: I’ll take on all the low-priority targets myself. Let my First Fleet handle that burden."

He walked over to the map and tapped several systems, highlighting them in sequence.

"My proposal is this: I’ll take on two high-priority systems, two mid-grade systems, and all ten of the low-priority ones. That totals roughly 4,000 merit points—same as the rest of you."

He brought up a separate chart he had prepared.

"As for the rest of you, I’ve organized a fair distribution. Each of your fleets can take two high-priority systems and four mid-level ones. That way, the point values stay balanced, and the operational workload is more evenly spread."

Ezra stepped back and looked at the others.

"So—what do you all think?"

Ezra wasn’t acting foolishly by volunteering for the heavier load—far from it. It was a calculated move on his part. He was taking control of the room, cutting through the indecision and egos that had already stalled their progress in forming a war plan.

A war plan they hadn’t even begun to draft yet. If he hadn’t stepped in when he did, they would’ve wasted even more time—and they would have, had the discussion continued.

Someone had to push them forward. And he was the one who did.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

Ezra knew some of the others were jealous of him. They didn’t say it, but he could feel it. After all, he was the first among them to lead an independent operation—one in which he had commanded all six of them under his direct leadership. That victory had quietly elevated his status, even if their ranks were technically equal.

And that quiet bitterness? It was there. Not malicious. Not dangerous. But it was still something that he had to be a bit thoughtful about.

By giving up the chance to capture more high-priority systems—where the Minotaur Clan’s senior leaders and valuable assets were likely to be—he was, in effect, limiting his potential to earn massive merit. But he too was reluctant to do that; after all, he also wanted to gather as many merit points as he could.

But that was the point—sometimes, to give is to gain. While he might be earning fewer additional merit points than the others, he was also gaining something he could use in the future... like the favor of the six Grand Admirals. After all, what he was doing was essentially giving them the opportunity to perform better.

After all, it’s not like this would be the only battle the Void Fleet would fight—there would be many more in the future, and plenty of opportunities to earn merit then. For now, he already had more merit points than his fellow Grand Admirals and was clearly in the lead.

And while he could widen the gap even further... he knew that, for now, earning the goodwill of his fellow Grand Admirals was far more important. It was a kind of currency—rare and incredibly valuable.

Ezra knew that, in the long run, it would make all the difference for everything he was working toward.

This was an investment that would yield far greater returns in the future, for Ezra was sure there would come a time when he might need their help with something.

Meanwhile, the others were a bit taken aback by what Ezra had just said—including Grand Admiral Elira herself. They all understood how many merit points he was willingly giving up by doing this. After all, what could those low-level star systems possibly offer that was worth anything?

It puzzled them. Doesn’t he want more merit? But they knew that couldn’t be true—not when those merit points were directly tied to a future posting that would place someone above all Grand Admirals and just below the Imperial Family.

And yet, they also understood—Ezra was giving up the spotlight he already had... and handing it to them, just to earn their goodwill.