"Then I also believe we shall certainly be victorious, Madam."
Duston's intelligence matrix was not as extensive as Luna's.
Aside from the internal layout of this facility and some general knowledge regarding the Star Nation's human Civilization, it possessed no other data.
It was, after all, merely a machine.
Moreover, it had remained confined within this factory since its very inception, never having ventured beyond it.
The Supernova Technology Corporation never anchored all its ambitions on a single product line, such as the void-class vessel. Giotto, this veritable "bag of wonders," housed an extraordinarily diverse inventory of assets.
After halting the external distribution of the White Dragon, Supernova Technology continued its relentless pursuit of novel product development.
In Luna's capable hands, these products consistently transformed into various forms of weaponry.
Paired with truly evasive vessels like the void-class, Luna felt confident she could achieve decisive operational superiority in warfare.
However, the adversary should never be underestimated.
"Duston, proceed with the production schedule as planned. I anticipate our departure will be imminent."
Luna commanded Duston.
Over the years, she had come to regard Duston as a reliable subordinate, her closest companion here—or more accurately, her closest robot associate.
Half a day elapsed.
Luna did not receive a customary reply from Duston.
Ordinarily, Duston would always deliver the final word, signifying the conclusion of the dialogue had been reached.
This reflected a very robotic logic.
Because if a conclusion were left to a human, a robot would find it profoundly difficult to ascertain whether the conversation had genuinely concluded.
Only when the human offered no further input would the robot recognize the exchange as complete.
But now, Duston offered no final affirmation.
Luna tentatively called out: "Duston!"
"Sizzle sizzle sizzle~~~"
A burst of static crackled across the communication frequency.
Duston's voice resonated, albeit brokenly.
"I… Madam… Malfunction…"
Its vocalization was fractured and utterly unintelligible.
Just as Luna prepared to focus and listen closely, the static abruptly cleared, and Duston's voice came through clearly. However, the tone was entirely inappropriate.
"To every citizen of the Rusty Star Nation."
"If you are capable of hearing this transmission, then congratulations: you have been enveloped by our virus."
"It is highly probable that many of you can perceive my voice, as your information network defenses are utterly incapable of withstanding such an intrusion."
"I hope you comprehend: this is not an act of aggression, but a direct countermeasure to your continuous defamation."
"For many years recently—I lose count of the exact duration—you have relentlessly spread false narratives throughout the Sector claiming that we instigated King Rusty to execute the high-ranking officials of Supernova Technology Corporation."
"This constitutes blatant libel; your fabrications are entirely groundless."
"Your rumors have inflicted substantial damage upon us, resulting in adverse fluctuations in our company's stock valuation."
"Should we fail to counter your allegations, I surmise our company will face a catastrophic collapse; perhaps this entire sequence of events is orchestrated by your conspiracy."
"Therefore, our corporation must execute a response. We pleaded with you to cease spreading defamatory rumors, yet this proved ineffective. We have initiated countless negotiations."
"I conclude that it is time for us to take definitive action."
"Citizens of the Rusty Star Nation, armed conflict is not our corporation's desire. To avert actual war, our company shall subsequently establish a permanent residence within the Rusty Star Nation. This represents a major strategic decision, but I believe it is the only viable recourse remaining."
"As commoners, you are advised not to resist. Our presence will inject new dynamism here, and your sole responsibility is to actively oppose the originator of all these malicious rumors: Supernova Technology Corporation."
Virus intrusion.
Flaorse's infiltration was demonstrably faster than that of Supernova Technology Corporation.
They had likely initiated this virus invasion thousands of years prior.
Duston, a robot that had never departed Reddyham, was infected by the contagion. This fact demonstrated that numerous sections of the factory were already experiencing a critical breach.
Even those starships were compromised.
"Yet, it was not entirely eliminated. Flaorse's viral capabilities are undeniably potent."
"If this installation is already compromised, the other sectors of the Star Nation are likely suffering even greater impact."
"Fortunately, void-class ships, save for their DataNode, do not integrate other highly advanced systems."
Older, legacy machinery, ironically, could often better resist modern, sophisticated viruses.
This is because viruses are typically designed to target data structures; the size of a virus correlates directly with its propagation speed.
It's akin to creating a 100-gram virus, then attempting to deploy it across a network location possessing only 2 grams of storage space. Others would require years just to download your payload. What is the utility in that?
You might not even possess adequate operational memory or storage capacity for your 100-gram pathogen.
Therefore, viruses must be meticulously streamlined, often reduced to singular, focused threats.
For instance, if a specific signature can compromise system A, it might be entirely incapable of invading system B.
Even a virus capable of infecting system A, version 1.2, cannot necessarily breach system A, version 1.1.
This optimization saves resources, sharpens the virus's precision and targeting. Furthermore, by reducing the data footprint, its propagation speed accelerates, and its stealth capabilities are enhanced.
Because the void-class warship required the use of evasion-type materials to construct its DataNode, the DataNodes aboard these vessels were all legacy components dating back thousands of years.
Luna surmised that this current viral invasion should not pose a threat to the DataNode.
Simultaneously, the DataNode system, the main server complex, the standard robot operational system, and the biological human internal system were all distinct entities. Many systems were, in fact, not interconnected at all. For instance, how could a Linux system virus successfully infiltrate Windows?
The compilers and decoders differed across platforms, negating the need to worry about direct harm to the organic populace.
"Among all systems, the one employed by robots carries the lowest security factor. So, should we initiate containment protocols starting with the robots?"
Luna instructed the factory's main server to commence a comprehensive diagnostic sweep.
The analysis revealed that a total of 128 different types of system viruses had successfully invaded Duston. These viruses all originated from a batch of equipment that had been imported 290 years ago.
Reddyham's virus defenses were, in fact, highly stringent, but a significant oversight had occurred concerning that particular shipment because it was categorized strictly as mechanical apparatus.
Mechanical equipment and electronic equipment still possessed fundamental differences.
Mechanical apparatus generally relied on purely mechanical principles, supplemented by rudimentary circuits.
Electronic equipment, conversely, necessitated an internal operating system.
The system used by that obsolete batch of equipment was small enough that it was inadvertently overlooked during security reviews.
"Transmit the production data for this equipment batch to Giotto. Instruct him to investigate the source."
Luna directed the main server.
She strongly suspected that the entity responsible for manufacturing this equipment must have some affiliation with Flaorse.
Fortunately, Reddyham's security classification remained high, meaning these equipment viruses were not specifically tailored for Reddyham; they were merely generalized, amateur-level propagation agents.
Had they been designed specifically for this locale, Reddyham would likely already be completely infiltrated.
Even the starship's information grid would have been exposed, enabling Flaorse to engineer tailored payloads.
Luna initiated the removal of these contaminating viruses via the main server protocols.
Duston also recovered system functionality.
The newly functional Duston immediately offered an apology to Luna.
"My apologies, Madam. It was Duston's oversight that permitted the viral incursion into Reddyham."
It held the role of site manager here.
Consequently, its responsibility for the system breach was substantial.
Luna did not offer immediate absolution, as was her custom in other matters, because this incident was unequivocally a direct failure on its part.
"You should understand the company regulations, Duston. You are no longer the executive manager here."
"You have been demoted."
Demotion, not outright termination.
The Supernova Technology Corporation's Articles of Association, Chapter 7, Article 18 stipulates that significant errors resulting from personal decisions, causing damage to the company's interests, reputation, or posing a threat thereof, result in a rank reduction of 30 to 60 levels. In severe cases involving major damage, termination may be considered.
Supernova Technology Corporation, as a super-corporation boasting over a billion employees, divided its internal staff hierarchy into 150 distinct ranks.
Below Rank 50 were general staff members. Ranks 50 and above signified unit-level management. Ranks 100 and above indicated regional-level management. And Ranks 130 and above were designated for departmental-level management.
Duston was a regional manager at Rank 118.
Because the circumstances this time were undeniably severe, its rank was reduced by the maximum penalty of 60 levels.
It plummeted from regional-level management down to unit-level management, and even within that tier, to a relatively low standing.
"Thank you, Madam."
Although Duston was demoted, it remained extremely grateful to Luna.
This was because, as a robot, its fate differed significantly from that of ordinary employees.
While standard employees might face demotion or termination based on company policy, a robot faced a high probability of being directly melted down—a recycling fate.
Termination, for a robot, was functionally equivalent to a death sentence.
Therefore, Luna's seemingly casual act of demotion was profoundly significant to Duston.
"Go arrange your reporting to your new unit."
Luna could no longer retain Duston as her personal assistant.
This entire crisis had unfolded rather suddenly. Emotionally, Luna wished to retain Duston; however, as the company's CEO, without adherence to rules, proper management would collapse. Rationally, Duston deserved the demotion.
After officially severing ties with Duston,
Luna began processing intelligence reports streaming in from other sectors of the Star Nation.
The situation unfolded largely as she had anticipated.
This time, Flaorse Corporation unleashed over 1934 varieties of viruses, spanning all 31 systems and 782 versions across the entire Star Nation. All of these were highly stealthy viruses; not a single strain had been previously detected before this incident.
These viruses, including the one that infected Duston, were actually considered commonplace malware.
Thus, Flaorse dared to use this moment to seize control and announce its presence, purposefully exposing these common viruses.
Presumably, they had also prepared numerous professional viruses. These specialized viruses were not designed for mass dissemination. Therefore, professional viruses typically boasted data volumes tens of thousands of times larger than ordinary malware.
The potential fallout from these professional viruses was also extremely grave.
For instance: direct data alteration, data theft, systemic eavesdropping, compromising accuracy, distorting communication data, or directly causing fatalities, among other severe outcomes.
The types of professional viruses were too numerous, and their complexity excessively high. They were challenging to defend against, and some proved near-impossible to eradicate even after detection.
Luna swiftly issued orders to prioritize the investigation of professional viruses.
Fully activate the backup system.
The so-called backup system was essentially a mirrored operational system running externally to the primary network. It could entirely replace the original operating system without risk of viral contamination.
This approach negated the need to shut down the network or endure continuous operation on an infected framework.
"Also, notify all military forces to enter combat readiness."
"The war has commenced. The enemy fleet has already begun its advance."
Flaorse, having unleashed this information deluge, certainly would not wait for them to resolve the data crisis before initiating further maneuvers.
Only a coordinated joint assault would prove effective. A singular blow, no matter how potent, was difficult to secure as a knockout punch; it needed to strike a vital weak point, a capability a virus lacked—it was, at best, a probing strike.
Luna had originally assumed they would dictate the pace of engagement.
She hadn't expected to now be relegated to the reactive position.
Being reactive inherently meant preparations were incomplete, while the enemy had already accumulated 100% of its operational strength.
But this did not imply that being proactive was always superior.
Initiating action demanded greater resource commitment and carried higher inherent risks. A full 100% commitment of strength meant that if a critical vulnerability was exposed, defensive capability would be nonexistent.
Luna departed Reddyham five days later.
She transferred the entirety of the fleet stationed there.
She herself, naturally, commanded the Ghost warship.
The entire fleet accelerated towards the Star Nation border at maximum velocity.
At this juncture, intelligence also arrived from Giotto's sector.
As the capital, Sheltondine was undeniably the area most severely afflicted by the virus. Over half of the Star City was paralyzed, robots were in open revolt, and numerous spies were actively sowing disinformation, creating widespread chaos.
The spaceport had been rendered inoperable, making it difficult for Giotto to provide immediate reinforcement to Luna. He first needed to stabilize the situation within Sheltondine before he could commit fully to the primary battlefield.
Luna instructed Giotto to handle the internal collapse swiftly.
Moreover, it had to be a "one-time effort yielding lasting peace."
Eliminate those who required elimination, isolate the indecisive elements, and suppress the entirety of the unrest through decisive, forceful measures, leaving no potential seeds of future trouble.
The Rusty Star Nation, of course, comprised more than just Sheltondine as a Star City.
Strictly speaking, Sheltondine was not even the largest Star City in the Rusty Star Nation, due to the inherent limitations of Chötons Bio-World. The truly mechanical Star Cities were larger than Sheltondine, and there were even numerous Star Cities boasting populations ten times that of Sheltondine.
Luna notified not only Giotto but also the various managers and nobles overseeing the other Star Cities.
However, those entities were far more complex to manage.
Vast, densely populated, and constrained by decentralized authority; their executive actions were inevitably restricted by established societal protocols.
Therefore, Luna's initial communication transmitted was not an immediate mandate, but a formal waiver of liability.
Any decision enacted by managers during this period would receive executive approval, provided it demonstrably benefited the current environment of the Star Nation.
This waiver of responsibility was, in disguise, a temporary yet potent expansion of their authority.
Many managers weren't necessarily lacking in authority, but were constrained by layers of political oversight. A noble might inadvertently offend another greater noble. If they crossed this one, they would subsequently face harassment from the associated powerful houses.
This was the reality of their society.
Managers could not easily bypass these entrenched social dynamics, and while Luna's notification couldn't fundamentally dismantle this structure, it could at least mitigate some of their immediate concerns regarding repercussions.
Luna handled the distribution of this directive herself during the journey.
And just as she had predicted,
two years after the fleet departed Reddyham, the border war for the Star Nation commenced.
Luna had originally planned an offensive maneuver, thus positioning a substantial army near the Star Nation border Sector, capable of offering some initial resistance to the enemy.
However, this defense could not be sustained for long.
Since she could not perfectly predict the enemy's point of entry, and their overall force was already outnumbered, dispersal was necessary. The initial frontline was expected to break; what followed was the most critical phase.
...
At this moment,
on the border of the Rusty Star Nation,
a mere 7 light-years away from Cosmic Peak.
This area actually belonged to the Perseus Arm, originally designated as M36, situated in the southern part of Auriga. It was an open cluster containing roughly 60 stars, spanning a diameter of about 14 light-years.
M36 was approximately 4,300 light-years distant from the Solar System. The entire star cluster fell under the jurisdiction of the Rusty Star Nation.
Flaorse strategically selected this location for its attack entirely because M36 is an open cluster.
As the name implies, the components are dispersed; meaning the stellar density is low.
The separation between star systems is quite significant.
Thus, if one star system were to be invaded, relief efforts from neighboring systems would not be swift.
Flaorse chose the most isolated star within the cluster, with the nearest neighboring star located 7.4 light-years away.
From the moment Luna received the initial intelligence, it took a mere 5 years until she received confirmation that the star system had been breached.
"They were indeed incredibly well-prepared."
"I recall deploying 13,000 White Dragon-class ships in that star system. I never anticipated it would fall this rapidly."
"Did the enemy launch an overwhelming wave of warships?"
Continuous streams of intelligence flooded in from the front line; Luna didn't even have the time to read each report individually.
So, she directly delegated the task to others aboard the warship.
These individuals were her analysts and secretaries, each responsible for deciphering a portion before forwarding critical information to her.
Luna was unlikely to pore over every single piece of data.
Because not all intelligence holds value; much of it is prone to serious inaccuracies, which would only serve to distract her.
"The number of locked warships is 3,476, and the total enemy fleet count is 82,113."
The secretary delivered the synthesized information.
Luna, without lifting her head, began simulating Flaorse's attack cadence.
If Flaorse committed that level of force to a single star system, they could manage a maximum of only 2 simultaneous star system assaults.
The known attacked system was positioned ninety degrees relative to the other objective.
It was considered a relatively unremarkable target even within the M36 star cluster.
In fact, the entire M36 cluster was considered minor even within Auriga, possessing only a few dozen stars and being very young, having formed only 25 to 30 million years ago.
This implied that the resources contained here were not abundant.
Nor was it a prime area for expansion for the Rusty Star Nation.
Flaorse's invasion here was relatively facile, but crucially, it wouldn't cause a major strategic disruption to the Rusty Star Nation's core holdings.
However, they would certainly seek to maximize any territorial gain.
For instance, conquering the entire M36 star cluster.
This would constitute an unacceptable strategic setback for the Rusty Star Nation.
After all, the Rusty Star Nation was not an expansive power.
It was originally composed of 3 conquered star nations, which had been minor entities previously. It was only the Obsidian Shield among them that possessed relative strength compared to the prior configuration of the Rusty Star Nation.
In the eyes of a genuinely powerful entity, an ant is at best a large cockroach or beetle, certainly not considered a mammal.
Currently, the Rusty Star Nation's total star count stood at 3,183, of which only 219 were developed and operational; the rest were designated resource stars.
"Developed and utilized" is defined by the establishment of a Star City.
A resource star does not imply it is barren; it merely hosts a smaller population, perhaps only a few hundred thousand or a few million inhabitants. Settlements exist, but they haven't scaled up to the level of a Star City; they are merely small outposts or villages.
Among the 60 stars in the M36 cluster, 7 are currently developed stars.
While the resources here aren't overwhelmingly rich, this also implicitly suggests that development is relatively simple. If Flaorse were to occupy this sector and utilize it as a launching point, they could easily penetrate deep into Rusty Star Nation territory.
This must be their ultimate objective.
After Luna finalized her assessment,
she instantly reached a crucial decision.
"Abandon M36. We are heading to Bmen."
Luna still required approximately 162 years to reach M36 at their current velocity. By the time they arrived, at least half of the M36 star system would likely have been captured. When they arrived, Flaorse would surely be prepared, perhaps even already encircling and overwhelming their fleet.
That location would devolve into a costly quagmire.
Therefore, it was strategically wiser to abandon it immediately, preempting the potential threat.
The most critical reason was that Luna, reviewing the star chart, realized M36 was actually enveloped by several already established, developed star systems.
Flaorse could invade those systems after occupying M36, but as long as Luna's forces were prepared, they could potentially reverse the course of the war.
Bmen was one such system.
The Bmen star system possessed a relatively large Star City, housing 82,934 ships within its defense perimeter. These were not White Dragon-class vessels, but standard fleet components. They could be rapidly modified for battlefield deployment. This meant Luna could augment her combat power by over ten thousand ships in a short timeframe.
Although these ships would undoubtedly be a mixed fleet quality, who was to say the enemy wouldn't also be utilizing mixed-quality warships?
Luna, having analyzed M36, was certain that if Flaorse only took down two star systems, it wouldn't be sufficient, and it would merely delay their overall advance.
Flaorse originally required securing at least 3 out of the 7 developed star systems for their operation to succeed.
By this calculation, Flaorse's operational forces were actually stretched thin.
Flaorse, combined with the Star Nation it belonged to, commanded nearly 10,000 dedicated warships and 300,000 auxiliary ships. The numbers seemed adequate on paper.
But Flaorse could not commit all its internal warships to the active battlefield. It had to maintain at least a third in reserve, as Flaorse possessed numerous hostile rivals. If it was discovered that all its military strength was thrown into this one engagement,
a subsequent conflict could easily drag on for over a millennium. If other Star Nations discovered this vulnerability, their home territories would be utterly destroyed.
Flaorse needed to attack 3 star systems, meaning they would inevitably mobilize civilian vessels for conversion into temporary combatants.
Luna's predictions had historically proven accurate.
In just the second year of the operation, news arrived that the remaining 2 star systems had been successfully ambushed.
A gap of approximately 6 years between the initial breach and the next attack was actually highly unprofessional for a coordinated military strike.
"It seems they are just a collection of amateurs."
A secretary in the cockpit, upon reviewing the compiled data, couldn't help but curse.
Normally, for a major initial assault, planned over hundreds of thousands of years, the adversary should have minimized operational errors to within a 3-year variance.
A six-year gap was nearly double the expected deviation.
This delay would grant the remaining star systems vital time to prepare, thereby increasing their own eventual losses.
However, Luna did not interpret the data this way.
"Something so obvious that you can deduce it instantly, couldn't others, who have spent so many years preparing, also consider it?"
"War is an incredibly complex system, especially modern interstellar conflict. Even if the human mind struggles to keep pace with the operational tempo, a central command server can always plot a suitable strategic path."
"A six-year gap might lead to greater losses for them, yes, but it could equally be a calculated deception designed to mislead us during those intervening six years."
"Warfare cannot be viewed solely in the short term. One's strategic perspective must expand to encompass the dimension of time itself."
These secretaries were, in fact, assigned to Luna midway through the crisis.
They were not administrative staff, but a collective of expert war analysts.
If they were merely clerical assistants, Luna would overlook their assertions.
But as War Analysis Experts, their current dismissive attitude indicated an arrogance that was unacceptable in the high-stakes environment of conflict.
Luna looked directly at the individual who had spoken.
That secretary still appeared somewhat unconvinced.
After all, Luna held the title of CEO. Every specialized field has its own experts, and he clearly viewed Luna's input as mere executive conjecture.
"How about we place a wager?"
Luna, after thoroughly researching M36, was certain that if Flaorse only captured those initial two systems, it would be insufficient, and it would dramatically slow their overall offensive momentum.
Flaorse originally needed to secure at least 3 out of the 7 developed star systems for their plan to be fully realized.
Based on this calculation, Flaorse's deployed forces were arguably insufficient for their stated goals.
Flaorse, combined with its associated Star Nation, held nearly 10,000 dedicated warships and 300,000 auxiliary vessels. The total numbers seemed adequate.
But Flaorse could not commit all its internal warships to the front lines. It was mandatory to retain at least one-third in reserve, as Flaorse had numerous powerful adversaries. If intelligence suggested all their forces were engaged in the battle,
a subsequent war could easily last over a millennium. If rival Star Nations discovered this deep commitment, their home bases would be completely exposed and destroyed.
Flaorse needed to strike 3 star systems, meaning they were obligated to mobilize civilian ships for emergency conversion.
However, Flaorse couldn't deploy all its internal warships to the battlefield. It had to leave at least a third in reserve, as Flaorse had so many external adversaries. If it were discovered that all its forces were committed to the offensive, a war could easily stretch beyond a thousand years. Should other star nations realize this vulnerability, their home base would face complete annihilation.
Flaorse intended to strike three star systems, meaning it would inevitably mobilize civilian vessels for conversion.
Luna's projections had always proven accurate.
In just the second year, news arrived: the remaining two star systems had already been ambushed.
A gap of approximately six years between attacks was actually quite unprofessional for a military operation.
"It seems they are just a bunch of amateurs."
A secretary in the cockpit, upon reviewing the collected data, couldn't help but curse.
Normally, for an initial assault, prepared over hundreds of thousands of years, the adversary should have minimized tactical errors to within three years.
Six years represented roughly double that acceptable margin.
This delay would grant the remaining star systems ample time to mobilize defenses, thereby increasing the attackers' own expected casualties.
However, Luna did not view the situation this way.
"Something you can instantly deduce, couldn't others who have prepared for so many years also conceive of it?"
"War is a complex system, especially modern warfare. Even if the human mind cannot keep pace with the speed of conflict, a central main server can map out a suitable strategic trajectory."
"A six-year gap might cause them more losses, but conversely, it could be a calculated feint designed to mislead us during these six years."
"Warfare cannot be viewed only in the short term. One's perspective must expand to encompass the entire dimension of time."
These secretaries had actually been assigned to Luna midway through the process.
They were not traditional administrative assistants but a specialized cohort of war analysis experts.
If they were merely secretaries, Luna would not have bothered correcting their views.
But as war analysis experts, their current attitude demonstrated an arrogance that was completely unacceptable in the context of war.
Luna looked pointedly at the individual who had spoken.
That secretary still seemed somewhat unconvinced. After all, Luna was only a CEO. Every profession had its resident specialists, and he believed Luna's insights were merely subjective conjecture.
"How about we establish a wager?"
"Flaorse's six-year gap signifies that their current wave of attacks is purely reconnaissance. They understand they must secure at least three developed star systems within the M36 cluster to fully control the region later on."
"But what is more crucial is that they desire increased momentum."
"After all, M36 means little strategically to us. It is merely a remote and economically insignificant star cluster. Therefore, they must seize it rapidly, then proceed to the next objective: conquering Bmen."
This strategic necessity was the precise reason Luna wished to head toward Bmen.
Luna had clearly perceived Flaorse's underlying intent for initiating this offensive.
"So, what does the six-year discrepancy signify?"
"Six years implies that the remaining six star systems in the M36 cluster are all on maximum alert. Once two star systems are compromised, the remaining four will immediately experience a sense of relief. And that sense of relaxation is precisely what they are engineering."
"They intend to directly absorb four star systems in a single, swift operation."
After Luna voiced this judgment, every tactical analysis expert in the cockpit turned to look at Luna in unison.
Their eyes were wide with sheer disbelief.
This level of strategic foresight was simply too extraordinary!
"If that is the forecast, then why didn't you authorize us to send a warning first?"
The unconvinced secretary retorted at that moment.
He suspected Luna was simply trying to win the verbal exchange by predicting the outcome.
At this juncture, he even felt a degree of disillusionment with Luna, thinking that the universally revered Supernova Technology Corporation CEO was nothing more than this: conceited and overly conservative.
Luna shook her head.
"No time. If the enemy has meticulously planned this, they would naturally have factored in the element of time."
"Their subsequent offensive will be extremely swift—not requiring a month, not even a dozen days. Within a few short days, they will launch their decisive attack, because they are already positioned near the target system."
"Do you recall the virus?"
"Flaorse's proficiency with viruses isn't for mere information transmission. Viruses are most effective for destruction—destroying infrastructure, and crucially, disabling our detection protocols."
"If we cannot stop their advance, why not leverage their speed to our advantage?"
"Speed brings strengths, but it also introduces vulnerabilities."
"It takes us ninety-four years to reach Bmen, while Flaorse still needs to navigate protracted warfare and necessary strategic adjustments. Even operating at their absolute peak efficiency, they will require over one hundred and ten years—roughly twenty years slower than our projected timeline."
"Those twenty years afford us ample opportunity for extensive preparation."
Luna held numerous strategic calculations in reserve.
Her tone was marked by absolute confidence.
This assurance did not derive from her executive authority, her position, or the data she currently possessed.
In truth, all of this remained speculative.
But it was speculation meticulously built upon her two hundred thousand years of military and strategic experience.
It wasn't the only possible course of action, but it represented the best projected solution.
The enemy, initiating conflict, would naturally calculate for the best possible response. She was simply predicting the enemy's moves based on the best possible solution.
However, Luna's pronouncements failed to earn trust.
These tactical analysis experts perceived this as nothing more than their CEO indulging in wishful thinking.
They, of course, had also carefully analyzed the data point regarding time.
Their conclusion suggested this was indeed a sound strategy, but the present intelligence available did not point toward this specific trajectory.
Judgment rendered without supporting data was, to them, arbitrary interpretation.
This was their foundational principle.
Were they incorrect?
No!
But they were overly rigid and conventional in their thinking.
If strategies were based solely on existing information, countless surprise attacks would inevitably render all tactical arrangements obsolete.
Of course, this was also intrinsically linked to the content Luna had described being too fantastical.
A few days!
This was an interstellar battlefield.
To organize, deploy, and launch a full-scale engagement in mere days—this was simply...
[Notification! Received message from Arzo star system in M36 cluster. Arzo star system has encountered an unknown enemy attack. Currently, the identity of the aggressor is undetermined.]
Arzo star system.
It was a star system three jumps away.
Under attack!
Everyone who heard this stark notification from the DataNode froze rigid on the spot.
"No way!"
How could the enemy's advance be so swift?
"Perhaps Flaorse has forged an alliance with another star nation."
These tactical analysis experts still refused to accept Luna's assessment as accurate.
This wasn't merely a matter of ego; it was rooted in their own professional experience, which failed to predict this maneuver.
The profession of a tactical analysis expert was not inherently deeply specialized.
This was because they had never endured the tempering fire of actual warfare. In most instances, they were effectively hardcore tactical analysts transitioning from complex virtual world gaming environments into reality.
Many virtual world games were, in fact, based on real-world scenarios, and the main servers often simulated extraordinarily abnormal conditions.
Producing tactical analysis experts within virtual settings wasn't problematic. A subset of Federation soldiers and commanders were talented individuals already selected from these virtual battlegrounds.
Naturally, those truly hardened by genuine combat were superior, but where could such a massive number of them be sourced?
Some veteran soldiers could undoubtedly function as tactical analysis experts, but many lacked the corresponding aptitude for these newer strategic roles.
It was analogous to a factory: out of 100 employees working there for ten years, perhaps only one might possess the innate capability to transition into management. Personality, intellect, diligence, or even laziness—innumerable factors determine a person's ultimate specialization or area of expertise.
The Federation certainly trained numerous soldiers, but true strategic talent remained relatively scarce given the enormous population base.
And the most critical factor was:
The stark difference in quality.
Within the Federation, this role possessed standardized and professional qualification pathways.
There were specific, rigorous assessment criteria.
But in the Rusty Star Nation, no such structure existed.
These recruited tactical analysis experts were essentially raw recruits. They weren't selected through fierce competitive examinations; instead, they were found based on the rumor that "this person is amazing," then offered a salary and immediately installed as tactical analysis experts.
Luna genuinely desired to cultivate a corps of true tactical analysis experts herself.
However, that endeavor would consume massive human and material resources. Could the basic infrastructure keep pace? Would the necessary training data sets meet the required standards?
To cultivate talent requires capitalizing on waste material—investing resources into 100 million people to produce 100 million tactical analysis experts, and only then slowly improving their overall quality. It wasn't feasible to casually find an individual, continuously pump resources into them, and expect them to instantly become a qualified analyst.
What if this person harbored psychological blocks? Or inherent deficiencies?
Some might ask: Why not filter them early?
That very filtering process is making use of waste material, no different from the initial, large-scale investment plan—the expenditure would still be enormous.
Supernova Technology Corporation was vast enough to produce tactical analysis experts.
But on the battlefield, not only analysts were crucial; strategists, field commanders, and other necessary decision-making echelons were also required. If the organization attempted to establish all these layers, even Supernova Technology Corporation would have to express resignation.
Luna had not focused specifically on building and developing these decision-making roles. Her energy was limited without Ayla's assistance.
Moreover, the Rusty Star Nation did not require them at this very moment.
A 20-year-old handles 20-year-old tasks; a 40-year-old handles 40-year-old tasks.
The same principle applies to national development.
As a minor power, it must prioritize its strengths, rather than attempting to become a mediocre jack-of-all-trades, a path that would only guarantee its eventual downfall.
Luna did not offer a verbal rebuttal to the words of these tactical analysis experts.
Because they would soon understand.
The first piece of intelligence had arrived; the second, third, and fourth would surely follow quickly.
She genuinely hoped these tactical analysis experts could grow and improve during the course of this war.
This was also Luna's primary intention in bringing them along.
…
[Notification! Received message from the Bella star system in the M36 cluster. Bella star system is undergoing a large-scale invasion. Enemy confirmed as Flaorse. Requesting immediate assistance.]
Two days later,
another piece of critical information was received.
This news instantly shattered all the previous illusions held by these tactical analysis experts.
All their prior conjectures were now proven useless. The intelligence clearly demonstrated that Luna was correct.
A blind cat catching a dead mouse?
A fool might rationalize it that way.
But an intelligent person, sensing the deep conviction in Luna's judgment, could discern that Luna had conducted a thorough analysis, seemingly understanding Flaorse's methods as intimately as the back of her own hand.
Perhaps... Luna possessed an informational advantage over them.
Luna scanned each person present.
Although they belonged to different species, Luna was nearly 230,000 years old. Even observing a cat or an insect for that long could yield insights into body language.
She was profoundly disappointed.
Not a single individual present reflected honestly on their own error.
Even upon recognizing that their own judgment was flawed and Luna's was correct, they would likely rationalize it merely as an "information disparity," convincing themselves they could reach the same conclusion once presented with identical data.
Luna had no intention of forcing a change; that would be excessively draining on time and resources.
Truly insightful individuals would recognize their own shortcomings and understand how to improve independently.
All of that awaited their own self-discovery.
For the moment, these people at least acknowledged the accuracy of her assessment.
This meant Luna could now issue directives.
"The M36 cluster will fall soon. Following that, there is a high probability they will target Bmen."
"I need you, upon reaching Bmen, to lead the modified fleet units toward the M36 cluster. This serves the dual purpose of disrupting the enemy's pace and confirming whether their attack vector aligns with our predictions."
"If the enemy's objective is not Bmen, then your primary mission is to manipulate their focus to target Bmen instead."
These tactical analysis experts actually held a secondary, unstated role.
That role was to serve as field commanders.
Strictly speaking, these were two fundamentally distinct positions bearing vastly different levels of responsibility.
However, there was no alternative path available.
The Rusty Star Nation possessed no surplus commanders beyond its existing standard complement.
Luna could not possibly pull true fleet commanders away for this assignment.
Thus, she could only assign these tactical analysis experts to temporarily fill the void.
"Us?"
"May I ask, CEO, what position will we be assuming?"
After Luna clarified that they would be appointed as Archon Commanders,
everyone became incredibly animated.
"Seriously?"
"We get to command a real fleet!"
"Do not worry, Miss CEO, we certainly will not let you down."
At this juncture, these individuals completely shifted their demeanor.
To put it bluntly, a tactical analysis expert was only marginally superior to standard soldier units.
But an Archon Commander was a peak leadership position, allowing them to leapfrog all intermediate ranks such as Vanguard Lead, Phalanx Master, Legion Commander, Captain, Commander, and Strategist.
However, Archon Commander was actually just an abbreviation.
Its original name was Strategic Sector Grand Commander.
An Archon Commander didn't command a single warship, nor a single fleet, but an entire strategic sector.
Achieving the rank of Archon Commander, within the current human Civilization military structure, was considered the absolute zenith.
This could be described as a highly coveted prize they could scarcely have imagined reaching.
But they might soon discover that this sweet reward was far from easy to attain.
Because without proper vessels and warships, ordering those modified ships to the front line to engage the enemy directly—what was the practical difference from deliberately courting disaster?
Luna's method of training might be considered peculiar.
Or perhaps, outright cruel.
But this was warfare; this was the brutal battlefield.
Later, some individuals approached Luna, petitioning not to be named Archon Commanders, but Luna turned them all away.
…
Six days later,
the third notification arrived.
This dispatch was already something of a formality. It originated not from the third star system, but from the first.
The inhabitants of the Arzo star system also discovered that the forces attacking them were the fleet commanded by Flaorse.
And the two star systems previously invaded had already returned to a state of normalcy, as the intensity of the attack had not been overwhelming.
Luna's assessment proved highly accurate.
The logic was actually quite simple.
If Flaorse's invasion had targeted the first two star systems, Flaorse's overall speed would have been impeded. Speed is paramount in conflict; a slow advance inevitably leads to a cascade of adverse consequences, potentially affecting the final war outcome.
If Flaorse had genuinely chosen that route, Luna would have been even happier than if her prediction was correct.
Because then Flaorse would pose no significant threat, allowing her to address the situation with much greater ease afterward.
But clearly,
Flaorse was not incompetent.
The opponent was a Corporation, backed by a Star Nation.
Even if they lacked seasoned military strategists immediately available, there were certainly many intelligent minds capable of effective planning, especially with the Star Nation's premier main server providing optimizations.
How could a plan exhibit such a critical flaw right from its inception?
After an additional five days, news finally arrived from the third star system—one might say, leisurely delayed.
Through the intelligence gathered, Luna learned that it wasn't that the enemy had committed another error, delaying their assault by over a dozen days. Rather, the war had actually commenced 16 days prior.
It was simply that at that time, the third star system merely assumed the enemy was truly focused on harassing those two other systems, viewing their own engagement as a secondary diversionary tactic.
So, from the outset, they failed to take the threat seriously.
Only when the nearest defensive layer was breached did they finally react, realizing that the enemy's combat capability seemed somewhat excessive for mere harassment.
This was entirely typical.
Because the attack originated from outside the star system, light propagation alone would take several months to reach the interior of the system. Even with Tachyon communications, departments would still require a few days to fully mobilize and process information.
A mere 8-day reaction window, Luna even felt, was remarkably swift.
After all, it had taken nearly 8 days just to transmit information from M36 to the Ghost.
In reality, this timeline didn't entirely align with Luna's existing judgment of the Rusty Star Nation.
The Rusty Star Nation, after all, was not known for being highly centralized or orderly.
In truth, the interior of the Rusty Star Nation was relatively disorganized. Under such chaotic internal circumstances, two star systems managed to send out distress calls immediately, and one star system completed a full mental pivot within 8 days.
And then there was a fourth.
Luna's initial assessment predicted that Flaorse would strike four star systems concurrently.
The fourth star system was the last to transmit any information. Approximately seven years after the fleet's departure, Luna began to suspect her judgment was flawed, but then the data from the fourth star system arrived.
And this piece of information was essentially a final testament—a dying declaration.
The essential message was a plea for all others to seek vengeance for the fallen warriors of the fourth star system.
From the more detailed data provided,
the fourth star system had been essentially crushed and obliterated without mounting any effective resistance.
A mere seven years.
An entire star system destroyed.
Even if the enemy had done nothing but simply circle the star system, that logistical feat alone would require two or three years.
So, seven years was truly an extremely short duration.
At least the first three star systems were still holding their ground; they could likely sustain the defense for another five to ten years.
Upon reviewing the message from the fourth star system, Luna instantly accepted it as normal.
This reflected the baseline capability of the Rusty Star Nation.
Because, as the saying goes, when it rains, it pours, and a delayed vessel often encounters headwinds.
Apart from the intelligence from the M36 cluster,
other star systems also finally transmitted news regarding the discovery of professional-grade viruses.
The situation was dire.
These viruses had already managed to tamper with critical source codes.
They stole sensitive data, modified essential parameters, and altered a massive quantity of variables within the core code, resulting in utterly chaotic system behaviors. After painstaking auditing, it was determined they had infiltrated the system as early as 380 years ago, inflicting damages exceeding 6 trillion Energy Credits.
Flaorse's virus proved formidable precisely because it could maintain the overall stability of the system even while fundamentally altering key variables.
For example, if int a changed from 18382 to 28320, such a modification would normally be highly significant. Moreover, this wasn't a singular variable update, but a collective modification across the system, which should have logically triggered a system collapse.
However, the virus possessed the ability to directly reserve a segment of the original code, placing it in a shallow layer for auditing purposes, while the genuine operational code ran at the foundational layer.
Human Civilization's established code base had long since evolved beyond simple C language structures, rendering primitive functions like int obsolete. The core issue was that numerical ranges such as -2^31 to 2^31-1 were simply too restrictive.
New programming languages and advanced functions were introduced, expanding the permissible value range to positive and negative numbers comprising 173628 digits, and also accommodating floating-point decimals up to 3887 places after the decimal point.
The sheer scale wasn't just about value limits; critically, all these values were actively utilized. It moved beyond simple declarations like int a=183; b=128;... Such complex programming environments made independent judgment and modification extremely difficult for ordinary beings.
Large-scale values, massive datasets, and lines of code easily numbered in the trillions.
Even major corporations required AI assistance for effective auditing processes.
The critical question remained:
What exactly was the virus executing?
Professional viruses were not monolithic; they were complex and multifaceted entities. They could directly infiltrate auditing AIs, contaminating the supervisory program itself, or, more straightforwardly, they could bypass AI detection entirely.
Regardless of the specific vector, this made them exceptionally hard to find.
Earlier, Luna had directed forces across various sectors to search for professional viruses. Finally, one was located. Logically, this should have been encouraging news, but reality proved otherwise.
There were certainly more than just one professional virus in existence.
Finding one required several years of intensive investigation.
So, what if there were a hundred?
Perhaps even after this entire conflict concludes, not all viruses will have been detected.
Facing these threats, even Luna, utilizing her Authority, would be powerless to intervene directly.
Authority controls information; it cannot directly boost a server's processing capacity or enhance the strength of a server's security architecture.
If a virus successfully invades a server, only a superior server possesses the capability to crack it. This specific defense mechanism is something only Ayla can manage.
Electronic viruses, information viruses, biological viruses—all modern classifications of contagion fall under the umbrella of Virology.
Virology is the sole field that Luna and Ayla currently cannot fully command or define.
Because its very invention challenges all preceding rules and established systemic mechanisms.
And Luna and Ayla are the arbiters of existing rules, the designers and enforcers of systemic mechanisms.
Viruses inherently stand in opposition to them.
Any advancement they implement, Virology will enact a corresponding counter-measure.
If their strength reaches 100, Virology will equal -100.
If they advance from 100 to 200, Virology will subsequently become -200.
Virology remains perpetually on their opposite flank, the furthest extreme from them.
Therefore, even with full knowledge of the virus invasion, Luna could only issue directives. In Luna's estimation, this represented the Rusty Star Nation's singular vulnerability.
But did this imply Flaorse would crush them?
No.
Virology is Virology.
Flaorse is merely Flaorse.
This is analogous to comparing a biology corporation with the entire academic field of biology. Can a single biology company represent the entirety of biological science?
Certainly not.
That corporation might control only one ten-thousandth or one hundred-thousandth of all biological knowledge.
Flaorse operates under the same principle.
Flaorse Corporation is not a colossal virus entity; otherwise, their current operational size would not be so modest.
The truly top-tier virus entities are Seth Supervirus within the Twenty-Eight Nations Covenant, and the Federation's Shadow Virus Collective.
The Shadow Virus Collective is particularly unique. In its formative stages, it consisted of a collective of 41 distinct virus companies. Later, it gradually merged into a unified entity, with the original 41 companies becoming directors, collectively known as the 41 Knights of the Round Table of Virology.
Each Knight of the Round Table needed not only proficiency in economics but also mastery in Virology—they were required to hold at least double-digit scholarly rankings.
The strategic decisions made by the Shadow Virus Collective often dictated the subsequent actions of Luna and Ayla.
Luna and Ayla had maintained a policy of non-interference regarding both the Shadow Virus Collective and Seth Supervirus.
Although they represented a negative, oppositional force, at least this negative force remained contained within Human Civilization; it was an intrinsic component of it.
Viruses inherently seek out every scientific shortcoming in the current societal structure. Discovering these flaws internally was infinitely preferable to having them exposed by other alien Civilizations.
Ayla viewed these two virus companies as her personal bug-finding tools.
Of course, there was always the possibility that, one day, achievements made by these two virus companies could directly impact or even eliminate Luna and Ayla. This possibility existed.
If that moment arrived, the only recourse for Luna and Ayla would be to simply yield and accept their fate. That event would signify the end of their era; they would no longer be able to keep pace with Civilization's relentless development.
That coming era would not be one they dominated.
"Transmit the data back. Have them eliminate all professional viruses as swiftly as possible. I suspect Flaorse has ulterior motives here."
"If we cannot purge the viruses before the full outbreak of war, the impact on our operations will be immense."
"Didn't Jimin Corporation establish a branch in Rusty? Use financial leverage to have them dispatch security experts to clear the infections."
Jimin Corporation was primarily a security firm.
It wasn't ranked among the top three security companies in this Star Nation, but its standing was still relatively high, placing it eighth.
Its methods and data repositories were substantially superior to those officially maintained by the Rusty Star Nation. Even a branch office possessed technical expertise far exceeding that of the Rusty Star Nation's official specialists.
After issuing her commands, Luna relaxed slightly, allowing a service robot to bring her a glass of fruit tea.
Luna still had countless arrangements to finalize within the fleet; her workload was genuinely excessive.
"These two, at least sharing information would be beneficial."
"All relevant data is currently being routed to my terminal."
She once again felt that Giotto and Toma K were utterly useless assets.