Luna piloted the fleet, circling to the very edge of the M36 cluster.
This location was less than 10 light-years away from the M36 cluster itself.
If Flaorse had deployed an interstellar monitoring device within the M36 cluster, it could potentially leverage even the particle-level distortions in the faint cosmic background radiation to ascertain the position of Luna's fleet.
Ten light-years represented immense distance.
Yet, it was not so far removed as to escape detection at that level of remoteness.
The strategic decision to choose this staging point was also to facilitate a comprehensive observation of the M36 cluster, ensuring they weren't blindsided by any hostile forces shadowing their approach.
Upon reaching this position, Luna contacted a stationary aircraft hovering near the entrance point.
This aerial vehicle functioned purely as a relay station.
Its crucial purpose was to transmit information originating from the Bmen star system back to the main fleet.
After all, Luna and her forces were now positioned effectively behind the enemy lines. Any messages they sought to receive from Bmen would inevitably be intercepted by the adversary first. This interception wasn't the primary issue; the real challenge lay in transmitting the data back?
An RP repeater could establish a necessary communication angle, effectively bypassing the main enemy fleet.
Luna contacted the RP repeater to pull Bmen's status data, but the RP repeater replied that it had been consistently attempting connection with Bmen without receiving any acknowledgement.
"CEO, it appears Bmen must have encountered severe complications."
The secretary handed the collected data to Luna, inquiring with a worried expression.
"What is our course of action now?"
"We lack substantial offensive power. If we cannot execute an effective encirclement, we risk being pulled into a protracted, bloody engagement."
"Even Bmen could potentially switch sides and become enemy reinforcements."
His anxieties were entirely reasonable.
In warfare, the absence of any tactical advantage exponentially increases the probability of defeat.
They would fail!
He wasn't the only one contemplating this grim reality; Luna surmised that many ship captains shared the exact same apprehension.
Anxiety was an inherent byproduct of the situation.
Luna's sole immediate task was to stabilize their morale and confidence.
"Stop overthinking things."
"I am not afraid; what is there to fear?"
"As long as you strictly adhere to my directives, victory in this war is assured."
Luna's unwavering composure remarkably soothed the secretary's existing unease.
He recalled numerous past instances.
Whenever the corporation faced insurmountable difficulties, the CEO would consistently step forward, and not a single time had she failed to deliver success.
At this moment, the CEO was precisely as she had always been, meaning the final outcome would undoubtedly mirror past successes.
After Luna finished speaking, she immediately began carefully examining the data the secretary had provided.
Skipping the complex calculations section, she went directly to the finalized results.
"The enemy fleet passed through this sector approximately 35 years ago."
Warships propel themselves via matter displacement, meaning their trajectories inevitably left behind numerous residual traces.
By analyzing these traces, one could deduce precisely when those warships had passed this coordinate.
According to the deduction:
The enemy was certainly transporting a large contingent of modified ships.
The general cruising speed of these modified ships should be around 70,000 km/s.
Using this figure to calculate, the enemy was, at most, 8.1 light-years ahead of them.
Void-class ships possessed a maximum speed of only 100,000 km/s. Only the void-class warship "Ghost," equipped with its quantum field engine, could surpass that threshold.
With a speed differential of 30,000 km/s, it would take 93 years to achieve a true catch-up in an ideal scenario.
This represented the most optimistic projection.
"Slower than I anticipated. I calculated they would have already covered 10 light-years, but they have only covered 8 light-years."
Theoretically, when Luna reached this point, the Flaorse fleet had just departed the M36 cluster, placing them 18 light-years away—meaning 77 years had elapsed in their timeline.
Based on their fleet's baseline velocity, they were projected to reach Bmen in roughly another decade.
Originating from the direction of Reddyham, the M36 cluster was actually slightly closer, while Bmen was a bit further out. Reddyham, after all, was situated within the original Obsidian Shield Star Nation.
And the M36 cluster originally belonged to the Rusty Star Nation.
Sheltondine was also within the original Rusty Star Nation's territory, as was their primary headquarters.
Therefore, in the triangular configuration formed by Bmen, the M36 cluster, and Reddyham, the position of the M36 cluster created an obtuse angle. Both Bmen and Reddyham formed acute angles relative to the line of travel, meaning Bmen was not at the obtuse angle, which would have positioned Reddyham closer to Bmen.
Regardless of the geopolitical specifics,
Flaorse's fleet speed was demonstrably slower than Luna had estimated.
Originally, she had projected the Flaorse fleet would arrive at Bmen 20 years after her arrival. Now, the calculation extended that interval by at least 80 years.
This timing did not align well with the concept of a swift, decisive lightning strike.
Luna immediately suspected this deviation was connected to Bmen's potential issue.
"The sole logical explanation for this result is that Bmen has already been neutralized, which is why they are proceeding without urgency."
This aligned perfectly with her prior deduction.
If Bmen was only 95% compromised before, the current evidence suggested a 100% capture.
"Then, should we proceed with the original plan?"
The secretary's heart quickened upon hearing Luna's assessment.
Luna shook her head once.
"We will implement some necessary adjustments."
"The reason the enemy's speed is deliberately reduced is clearly to wait for me. I am the central operational core of the Supernova Technology Corporation. As long as I am neutralized, their subsequent efforts to seize control of the entire Rusty Star Nation and Supernova Technology Corporation will become infinitely smoother."
"So, they can afford to expend resources stalling for time to deal with me."
"The distance calculations need re-verification. I even suspect the enemy's speed is slower than this projected margin, perhaps anticipating our flanking maneuver."
"All ship units are to enter immediate evasion state readiness at any moment."
"Notify the fleet to advance at full thrust, close the distance toward the enemy's rear flank, remain highly alert for any small screening units the enemy might deploy as a rear guard, and activate restricted-level energy detection grids."
"Restricted-level" signified a confined operational range.
Typically, detectors broadcast information outward, gathering and reflecting data from anything they encountered.
Restricted-level, conversely, rigorously confined the emitted information within a precisely defined, tight perimeter.
Forcing emitted information to abruptly curve back upon itself was certainly an extremely difficult technical feat.
But if the emitted information automatically collapsed after a certain distance, the problem would be elegantly solved.
The maximum detection range for Restricted-level was usually half the distance at which information naturally dissipated.
This threshold distance was typically 780 billion kilometers—less than one-tenth of a light-year.
It was, surprisingly, quite short.
This limitation was primarily due to the intrinsic characteristics of the void-class ship. For a conventional warship, this distance could generally be extended to between 0.5 and 0.7 light-years.
This technique was unconventional, rarely employed in direct combat engagement.
As Luna issued her command,
the fleet transitioned from a slow, sweeping circle to a full-speed advance.
Following the recent blackout state, Luna had received excessively little information, regardless of its nature.
She was effectively blind, relying solely on her seasoned experience as a baseline standard for judgment, aiming to perfectly preempt the enemy's strategy.
At this moment, Luna also began to focus intensely.
War could erupt at any second.
They currently considered themselves hunters, but it was entirely possible they had long since become the quarry.
...
There were exceedingly few instances where Luna's precise predictions proved erroneous.
After an 18-year pursuit, the Restricted-level energy detection grid finally registered a device signature. Before that device could even transmit a signal, a laser beam struck it.
"A 7-sensitivity-level device. Fortunately, we were utilizing the Restricted-level energy detection grid."
A captain within the fleet wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.
The Restricted-level energy detection grid not only possessed this specialized "Restricted-level" feature but also boasted a relatively high stealth rating in its own right. After all, it was engineered specifically for this niche purpose; additional features could not be layered on, only safety parameters.
"Sensitivity-level," this was a specialized technical term.
As the name implies, it refers to the degree of responsiveness to incoming signals.
It heavily tested the inherent quality of the machinery employed.
A standard 1-sensitivity-level device could be used on a planet to conduct a comprehensive planetary scan.
Monitoring equipment used in typical warfare often operates at 5-sensitivity-level—this was usually deemed sufficient.
7-sensitivity-level—this signaled something far from conventional.
Sensitivity-level did not actually correlate with detection range. Rather, it was an index for identifying anomalous signal sources. There were numerous categories of anomalous sources, perhaps ten or one hundred types. A 1-sensitivity-level device could detect 62 specific types, while 7-sensitivity-level could detect 9312 types.
Theoretically, for a signal to remain undetected, it had to fall outside these 9312 categorized types.
The outermost layer and primary detection methodology of the Restricted-level energy detection grid happened to fall outside the 7-sensitivity-level bracket; it belonged to the 8-sensitivity-level.
The incremental increase in sensitivity-level didn't just mean 10 types became 100 types. The newly included types of anomalous signal sources were exponentially harder to track, typically involving artificially generated, complex signals.
If a 1-sensitivity-level device cost only 100 Energy Credits to manufacture, then a 2-sensitivity-level device would exceed ten thousand Energy Credits, and a 3-sensitivity-level device would climb into the millions.
A 7-sensitivity-level device signified an investment in the tens of billions of Energy Credits.
And this was merely a small, ancillary detector unit.
Of course, the cost of the Restricted-level energy detection grid itself, which required 8-sensitivity-level detection capability to even register, had already reached hundreds of billions of Energy Credits. The research and development costs alone, let alone manufacturing, were astronomically high.
"Since the opponent is utilizing a 7-sensitivity-level detector here, Flaorse wouldn't be so frugal as to deploy just one."
"Everyone, maintain high alert."
Luna continued issuing commands.
She had maintained uninterrupted communication with all the captains throughout this period.
Even the slightest oversight on their part now could jeopardize everything they were attempting.
While the void-class warship could achieve evasion from the four fundamental forces, what if an attacker was already in close proximity when it initiated the evasion sequence?
...
Ship BI138.
It belonged to the 17th Void Fleet Squadron.
Due to the unpredictable nature of warfare, even though it was part of a squadron, there were no designated squadron leaders or Legion Commanders assigned to this level. The entire fleet remained subordinate directly to Luna.
At this moment, Tourmaline, acting upon Luna's orders, had all personnel aboard the ship elevate their alert status.
There were intentionally few soldiers stationed aboard a void-class ship.
The reason was that since void-class ships needed to enter an evasion state, accommodating more personnel meant consuming significantly more energy to facilitate these individuals entering that same evasive state.
For a tightly integrated structure like the void-class, the energy expenditure outweighed the benefit provided by a larger crew complement.
Each ship carried only 700 personnel, even though their maximum capacity stood at 1200. However, void-class ships did not always require a full complement complement for operation.
"All of you, pay attention! If there is any oversight on our part, you will be begging for death under enemy fire, and even that small mercy will be denied to you."
Tourmaline, as a female captain, felt she had been overly lenient with her soldiers during routine interactions.
These individuals were not reliably obedient during peacetime; she needed to implement stricter methodologies.
Not only to ensure proper discipline for the esteemed CEO, who might even take a liking to her professionalism...
Ahem.
Of course, the most crucial factor was the inherent cruelty of warfare. One misstep meant the abyss; there wouldn't even be the luxury of saying "one step wrong," because there would be no subsequent step possible.
The soldiers inside the ship each had specific operational duties.
Similar to ground troops who might simply deploy alongside their massive warship, void-class ships, which necessitated manual interface, required these soldiers to physically connect their processing units to the ship's DataNode to manage and interpret the complex data streams the vessel gathered.
For instance, if the ship mapped a star chart of its immediate surroundings, these soldiers were tasked with meticulously searching that chart for any residual enemy signatures.
This process was inherently complex and troublesome.
But who could be blamed for the void-class ship lacking a centralized main server?
In modern society, the main server was everything, almost representing omniscience and omnipotence.
A main server was essentially a small Boundary God; each one could be said to possess "divine power." It represented the pinnacle and most advanced crystallization of human Civilization's technology.
But such a structure was absent here.
This deficiency implied certain inherent vulnerabilities for void-class ships.
For instance, if the opponent launched a virus-type information attack, the void-class ship could very likely be compromised and controlled.
However, this wouldn't be an instantaneous affair.
Void-class ships possessed special defensive protocols, a unique system. To compromise it, one would at least need prior knowledge of the underlying operational logic of the void-class ship's system.
Tourmaline watched each soldier diligently begin their work under her strict supervision. She could finally relax slightly.
"Useless fellows, can't you just allow me to worry a little less?"
"You should realize you are participating in a legendary campaign. Simply surviving this engagement will become a dazzling achievement on your career record."
She was a fervent advocate for personal merit.
She intensely desired to be remembered by countless people, to become incredibly conspicuous and glorious.
Although in this era, females were not inferior to males—and there were even no clear physiological distinctions—perhaps due to deep-seated cultural influence, females were still frequently perceived by everyone as leaning towards emotionality and inherent weakness.
Being subjected to this perception every time felt deeply humiliating to her.
She was determined to shatter this ingrained stereotype.
Tourmaline walked past a soldier who had just attempted to disconnect to log the scanning results. Seeing the Captain beside him, he shuddered and immediately re-established the connection, continuing his duty.
At the same time, he noticed someone else nearby preparing to disconnect and quickly intercepted them.
"The Captain is still monitoring outside."
That person immediately halted their intention to retreat.
"Is anyone proficient in programming? Can you link the recording system here? I have absolutely no desire to abandon this post."
"I am willing to offer 100 Energy Credits."
"Let's discuss the terms again."
Although Tourmaline considered herself emotionally fragile, in the eyes of these soldiers, she was a genuine tyrant.
Not a nickname, but a literal description.
Tourmaline's professional history was exceptionally infamous. She was notorious for violent felonies in Star City, subsequently spending 2000 years in confinement. After a term of correctional labor, she was recruited into the military and slowly ascended to the rank of Captain.
None of the soldiers under her command had ever experienced a peaceful tenure.
This was because this superior officer deeply cherished direct combat.
She habitually led her troops to charge at the very forefront.
When they were first assigned to Tourmaline, they were filled with dread. Reality confirmed their fears, as Tourmaline's management style was tyrannical to a pathological degree.
From the moment they boarded the ship, they were ceaselessly processing all manner of information. Even if this data was fundamentally useless, they never received a moment of true rest.
If they dared to seek reprieve, they would receive Tourmaline's special "solicitude," being escorted to a private room for a "heart-to-heart" conversation.
A genuine, intensive discussion.
During these sessions, Tourmaline would present herself as extremely vulnerable, adopting the posture of weakness, hoping the soldiers would feel pity for her. She sought to manipulate the soldiers through her perceived fragility.
However, if, in a 10-hour conversation, the display of weakness constituted only 3 hours, while the remaining 7 hours involved extremely rigorous questioning, and she even occasionally physically struck soldiers who made errors?
In the estimation of all her soldiers, Tourmaline was unequivocally unhinged.
But no matter how much they lamented their fate, the military was the military. They could not change their superior; they could only endure.
Tourmaline, after driving the ship's personnel to immerse themselves in information analysis, returned to the control room. She instructed all operators to maintain maximum tension; any relaxation now could cost them their lives.
"Truly a collection of worrying individuals. If they aren't properly managed, they will certainly become complacent."
Tourmaline casually scanned everyone in the cockpit.
She wasn't muttering to herself; her voice carried loudly, and every person in the cockpit heard her clearly.
Instantly, the atmosphere became notably strained.
But Tourmaline paid it no mind. She casually reclined in her chair, flipping through analysis reports.
Until a transmission arrived.
It was an order from Luna.
"All vessels of BI General Squadron 13 are to approach AC General Squadron, enter a sluggish speed phase, and after fully accumulating energy, proceed with a second acceleration."
Ships could indeed undergo a second stage of acceleration.
For example, a vessel might achieve a maximum velocity of 100,000 km/s during its initial phase. After accumulating energy reserves again, it could then push further, reaching 200,000 km/s.
However, this remained purely theoretical.
How could a ship possibly manage to fully accumulate its energy reserves while simultaneously maintaining high-speed transit?
Modern ship acceleration required astronomical amounts of energy. While some dark energy and dark matter could be utilized for replenishment, the charging speed was actually incredibly slow. Perhaps 5% or less could be recovered over the course of 100 years.
After all, a ship's volume was inherently finite. It was impossible to install a high-output engine, an expansive energy storage compartment, and still maintain space for a substantial, efficient dark energy capture device and a dark energy conversion module.
Concurrently, the vessel also needed to reserve a certain energy quota for its weapon systems.
The operational principles for armed vessels and dedicated warships were fundamentally similar.
Prior to departure, energy was topped up to 100%. Acceleration consumed 100% of this total. For short-range maneuvers, only 50% was typically utilized; full speed was reserved.
Once acceleration was complete, all immediately available energy was depleted. The warship's internal machinery would then commence operation to slowly replenish power. After decades in transit, the weapon systems would recharge first, typically accumulating approximately 10%–20% of the warship's total energy capacity, depending on the vessel's primary function—be it speed-focused or firepower-centric.
This cycle was the established doctrine.
Although countless scholars had previously attempted to resolve the problem of in-flight energy replenishment for warships.
A successful resolution would not only upgrade the warship's combat effectiveness but also potentially allow for second and third accelerations, pushing the vessel close to near sub-light velocity.
This represented a highly promising academic endeavor.
However, the outcome was that this difficult challenge remained unsolved. Attaching an external energy storage unit would simply increase the warship's mass, and a heavier warship demands exponentially more energy to achieve the same velocity.
Currently, all warship energy storage compartments were reaching a critical ceiling. Increasing capacity further would only result in a slower vessel overall.
If a massive external energy production array were fitted, although greater energy could be accrued later, the initial acceleration phase would become significantly sluggish, and the second acceleration would still necessitate three to four hundred years. That represents a considerable span for interstellar travel.
And if one truly intended a journey exceeding a hundred light-years, why not simply employ a super-antimatter displacement device?
That technology could bypass the issue entirely by achieving direct light-speed travel.
Unsolvable by current methods.
But it was not entirely without a workaround.
This was precisely why Luna issued the command.
Within a fleet structure, if every single ship could generate just 1% of the required energy, then 100 ships could collectively provide full energy to one designated vessel, enabling that single ship to execute a second acceleration.
"It's the CEO's order! She directly selected our ship. Is this a sign of trust?"
"This is the CEO's affirmation of our capabilities. She must have noticed our efforts. Alright, crew!"
Tourmaline was overjoyed.
But the others in the cockpit turned ashen gray.
They understood exactly what Luna's order signified.
They would undergo a second acceleration and be deployed as the vanguard, tasked with clearing out any remaining enemy presence.
This was an exceptionally perilous mission.
Even the slightest error in execution meant the annihilation of the entire fleet.
What was there to be cheerful about?
At this moment, every soldier on the ship was likely cursing Luna's ancestors eight generations deep.
Though they might normally revere Luna, when faced with the prospect of certain death, Luna instantly became their greatest adversary in their minds.
However, the inner turmoil of these soldiers did not penetrate Tourmaline's elation.
"Why the long faces?"
"This is an honor! This is being recognized by the CEO! The CEO specifically gave us this directive!"
One soldier attempted to urge Tourmaline to calm down, pointing out that Luna had addressed the entire BI13 squadron, not just their solitary ship.
But regaining composure was clearly impossible. Tourmaline commanded all personnel to strictly adhere to orders, then badgered the information processing teams to take on extra workload, framing it as a prime opportunity to impress the CEO and secure promotions.
Everyone knew this was essentially a suicide mission; survival itself was uncertain.
"Perhaps it's because of that madwoman that we were chosen."
"How unlucky! Why were we assigned to her? I thought enduring a few centuries in service would be tolerable, but now we're being sent to our deaths on the front lines."
"I've had enough, but there's no escape."
"I just hope my pension makes it to my family!"
"If that crazy woman were in front of me right now, I'd surely punch her. Even if I faced court-martial, I'd still do it."
A cluster of soldiers quickly established a private communication channel and began chatting non-stop.
For them, this felt like a descent into nightmare.
Every one of them entertained the thought of deserting the battlefield.
Who willingly spills their blood for the Star Nation?
They enlisted purely to secure financial stability.
Yet, imagination and reality diverged sharply. They were selected, thrown into battle, designated as the vanguard, and assigned a commanding officer described as deranged. It was as if every conceivable misfortune had converged upon them.
They could only weep silently, accepting this harsh reality.
They absolutely wished to escape.
But who among them didn't harbor that desire?
Every soldier had a monitoring implant embedded in their body. Any attempt to flee would result in instantaneous death.
Although they hadn't experienced it firsthand, they had heard the veterans' accounts.
That specific kind of death involved no pain. The body decayed in a single moment, vanishing without a trace.
The commanding officer's attention would never linger on a deserter for a second. No one cared about the demise of a traitor. Once the war concluded, deserters wouldn't be marked by disgrace; they would be completely expunged. None of their records warranted retention; even from the Star Nation's largest data center, their history could not be traced, as if they had never existed.
Although some individuals might not care about such erasure, the impossibility of escape extinguished any burgeoning thoughts of flight in everyone's minds.
Unless someone simply broke under the pressure.
At this very moment, on this ship, every nerve was taut. They began obsessively tracking the passage of time.
Everyone was silently cursing their fate.
Until the ship initiated its second acceleration sequence.