Suicidal attack?
If Luna had glimpsed into the secretary's thoughts, she would probably have laughed.
Because he had guessed correctly.
Luna herself was employing a high-risk, near-suicidal tactic. Just as Binom's calculations suggested, she absolutely intended to intercept the enemy fleet right here.
The longer this engagement dragged on, the more disadvantageous the situation would become for them.
Once the Winunder fleet reached Bmen, the war could essentially be declared concluded.
Luna's initial objective to seize Bmen was based on the accurate prediction that the enemy would certainly capture Bmen; this location was the decisive strategic point.
The enemy could not simply remain stationed in the M36 star cluster, because M36 lacked the crucial advantage of being deep within the core territory of the Rusty Star Nation. If they waited for the virus outbreak to stabilize, and the M36 star cluster was held in check by the Bmen fleet, then in just a few decades or a century, the microbial issue might be resolved. At that point, the enemy would find themselves unable to advance or retreat.
Therefore, the pivot point of this entire campaign rested on Bmen.
Luna understood this.
Binom and Duming also grasped this reality.
Of course, even securing Bmen didn't guarantee ultimate victory. This was also why the Winunder fleet had deliberately slowed its advance; only by completely crushing Luna and the fleet under her command would this war result in a 100% assured victory.
They had long known through internal intelligence that Luna was leading an evasion fleet, which was precisely why they had been waiting in position.
Duming was confident he could dismantle the evasion fleet formed by the White Dragon.
But he never anticipated that Luna was commanding updated void-class evasion ships; their capabilities allowed for true, undetectable stealth.
This was Luna's current reliance.
But it was certainly not her winning factor, because regardless of whether they were void-class ships or the Ghost warship, their primary weapon systems were insufficiently powerful, and their defenses were critically weak—a fatal vulnerability.
Consequently, once the enemy reacted effectively, it would result in an absolutely terrifying, crushing defeat.
...
Winunder fleet flagship.
At Binom's urgent direction, the warship's primary weapon systems finally activated. What felt like an eternity had actually been less than half an hour.
Yet, upon observing the countless scattered wreckage in the cosmos, Binom's heart sank to rock bottom.
That single enemy ship encountered earlier had annihilated over 2,000 of their warships in a short duration. Although most were only severely damaged, they had lost all combat functionality and were indistinguishable from being completely destroyed.
And this time, the number of enemy ships that arrived was clearly greater.
Far too many ships had been lost without offering any meaningful resistance.
"Activate blanket fire mode! Main cannons adjust to burst-fire mode!"
Binom commanded.
At this moment, the warship's firepower instantly erupted.
A warship is fundamentally superior.
Its destructive output was dozens of times greater than that of a standard vessel.
Artillery shells tore through void-class ships one after another.
The main cannons, boasting terrifying 500-meter diameter muzzles, though not firing at maximum capacity, unleashed dazzling laser beams akin to exploding stars. Every target struck was instantly vaporized.
When a momentary breach was forced open in the enemy formation,
Binom spotted the Ghost warship carrying Luna.
It was glaringly conspicuous.
"Full power attack on that warship."
"Luna must be aboard. If we destroy Luna, there might still be a sliver of a chance to turn things around."
The main computer locked onto the Ghost warship.
But the Ghost warship's speed was excessive, and it constantly evaded the Winunder fleet's warship units. It flew along the very edge of the entire battlefield, darting from the front of the fleet to the rear in an instant.
It proved extremely difficult for the warship Binom occupied to execute a full rotation. At high velocity, forcing an object to pivot in place was technically challenging, as it required not only initiating the rotation but also precisely controlling it to avoid over-rotation or continuous, uncontrolled spinning.
"Notify the other warships. Lock onto that target. We must take down that warship."
Binom was burning with anxiety, but he was severely constrained by physics.
This was actual war, not a casual game; he would not exploit system glitches. Therefore, he couldn't possibly maneuver through the layers of surrounding obstacles to secure a clear shot at the Ghost.
The encouraging news was.
Following the initial engagement of the warships, all the other support ships and standard warships finally reacted and began their counterattack.
The enemy force, which originally numbered 20,000 ships, had now lost nearly half its strength.
The pace of this large-scale engagement was simply too rapid.
It was estimated that the entire conflict would conclude in under an hour.
Although the combined number of vessels on both sides exceeded 230,000, this was still considered merely a minor engagement in the grand scheme.
In the central battlefield theater between the Twenty-Eight Nations Covenant and the Federation, hundreds of thousands of ships were lost almost daily, along with hundreds or thousands of warships. Looking at the entire theater of operations, the total number of vessels destroyed daily reached nearly 1.5 million. This was a daily statistic, and this larger war had been raging for over ten thousand years.
That massive campaign consumed resources beyond imagination.
"All ships disperse to the periphery, encircling the enemy vessels in the center."
With the standard ships engaged in combat, the warships would gain the tactical freedom they needed.
"How many warships remain operational now?"
After the enemy appearance, their primary focus would undoubtedly have been targeting their unprepared warships.
This time, they had deployed 6,172 warships. In the previous M36 Star Cluster Campaign, they lost 412, so 5,760 should have remained.
But the main computer's response struck Binom like lightning.
[1,729 remaining]
Over 4,000 warships destroyed. This represented nearly half of their star nation's core combat capability.
The losses could only be described as catastrophic.
More critically, with their remaining strength, even if they managed to eliminate Luna and destroy her fleet, blockading the Rusty Star Nation effectively with the aid of the virus would become incredibly challenging.
The Rusty Star Nation could then adapt civilian vessels for combat roles. If the subsequent war dragged on too long, it would inevitably invite the predatory attention of other surrounding star nations, presenting an extremely dangerous scenario.
Their current combat capability could be described as hovering precariously on a dangerous precipice.
"Damn it!"
Binom rarely allowed himself to curse aloud.
The core issue was that the void-class ships had penetrated deep into their formation, rendering many of their super-range weapons completely ineffective in such close quarters. It was akin to being forced into melee combat. Originally, they wielded long spears; at a distance of 2 meters, they could dispatch anyone they met, their spears moving with serpentine grace.
But the enemy, of all things, closed the gap to within 1 meter. At this proximity, the long spears became a significant hindrance, compelling them to discard those primary weapons.
Ironically, the enemy, upon closing the distance, already carried a short dagger, whereas Binom's side still needed precious seconds to sheath their spears and draw their own daggers for a counterattack. This asymmetry was infuriating to the extreme.
Fortunately, they still maintained an overwhelming numerical superiority.
The daggers they subsequently drew were also incredibly sharp, while the enemy's daggers appeared rough and crudely fashioned.
Another 10 minutes elapsed.
The count of Supernova Technology Corporation's void-class ships dropped below 5,000. The process of complete annihilation had unequivocally begun.
On the Ghost, Luna, after maintaining profound silence for dozens of minutes, spoke again.
"Charge! Trading one warship for another is a profitable exchange."
The secretary beside her was now visibly on the verge of tears. Previously, he had envisioned outright victory in the war. No one had ever prepared him for the reality that they were marching directly toward their deaths.
He had assumed Luna held victory secured in her hands, but was this the promised strategy?
"CEO, Miss, perhaps we can escape in fighters. The catapults can launch fighters at speeds exceeding 200,000 km per second."
He suggested weakly.
But Luna shook her head: "If I do not perish here, how will the enemy ever feel truly secure?"
"The first act of the performance is concluded. The second act has just commenced."
...
The Ghost warship lunged directly towards an enemy warship.
It continuously launched its weaponry.
But due to the inherent characteristics of evasion-type warships, its available energy reserves were critically low, basically drawing only dark energy instantaneously from the surrounding vacuum.
Given that it was named a vacuum, the attainable amount of dark energy was naturally minimal.
Previously, the Ghost had deliberately orbited and rotated, attempting its best to absorb greater quantities of dark energy. But in less than an hour, no matter its inherent capacity, the absorbed volume was extremely limited. It could only effectively harass unshielded warships and standard vessels.
At this juncture, all ships and warships in the Winunder fleet had already activated their defensive shields. The dark energy weapons fired by the Ghost now resembled dazzling fireworks—spectacular, yet utterly devoid of destructive power.
"A mantis attempting to halt a chariot!"
Binom found the sight ridiculous as he watched the Ghost, instead of retreating, charge directly towards their command vessel.
He personally operated the cannon, locked onto the high-speed Ghost, and pressed the firing stud.
The Ghost was instantly vaporized by the concentrated energy beam, torn into two distinct halves.
Subsequently, the remaining void-class ships were completely annihilated within the next 10 minutes.
Binom ordered one of his vessels to lock onto the Ghost's wreckage.
"Locate Luna. If alive, we see the person; if deceased, we recover the remains!"
After dozens of minutes of painstaking searching, a crew member finally located the lifeless form of Luna in a narrow escape compartment.
"She seemed to have been attempting an escape but didn't manage it in time." The soldier brought Luna's body before Binom. Nearly half of her physique had been incinerated.
Binom commanded an immediate DNA analysis of Luna's recovered data, confirming the identity matched the known Luna, with no clone genetic markers present.
Clones possess specific genetic markers, acting as an equivalent tag. This is comparable to how copied files automatically get a "_1" appended at the end. While optional, most deploy this tag. Moreover, this specific gene is immutable; it is fundamental to their core genetics. A clone wishing to alter it would essentially have to terminate its own existence.
This marker served as a crucial verification method. Clone proliferation was exceedingly common on the Star Nation side, as they deliberately ensured clones did not possess the same rights as naturally born citizens.
"Perhaps it's an unmarked clone."
"Otherwise, I find it genuinely hard to believe that someone like Luna would choose to die here."
Although there was no definitive data proving the deceased Luna was a fabrication, Binom still maintained his suspicion that this dead Luna was merely a decoy.
Gazing at the robust, deceased human body, he ordered it incinerated.
From the very outset, Binom was certain this Luna was not the genuine article.
But eliminating this Luna still held inherent value.
Luna's clone maintained almost the identical power level and intelligence as the original Luna. Destroying her duplicate at least meant they had successfully secured this entire sector.
"The real Luna must be at the Supernova Technology Corporation headquarters. She is likely occupied dealing with the internal virus crisis."
"We must now proceed at maximum velocity toward Bmen. After we reorganize, we will launch the assault on the Supernova Technology Corporation headquarters."
"No matter how desperately they struggle, it will ultimately be futile. Once Bmen is secured, the final victory will inevitably belong to us."
Although the path ahead was significantly more arduous, their probability of success would not dip below 50%. The virus remained the central pivot of this entire conflict.
Binom immediately initiated a new phase of strategic planning.
They would establish a direct ship manufacturing line on Bmen to rapidly replenish some of their fleet losses.
Bmen originally possessed a collection of civilian vessels that could also be repurposed to restore a portion of their combat capability.
...
Over four years passed.
A soldier reminded Binom of the ongoing logistics: "The escort fleet from Bmen has arrived. It comprises 44,000 modified vessels."
This was a substantial number, but because they were modified, their collective combat strength was equivalent to only about 10,000 standard military ships.
In truth, had the Winunder fleet not deliberately decelerated their initial advance, they should have rendezvoused with this escort much sooner.
These escort vessels were also tasked with intercepting the fleet led by Luna—that had been Duming's contingency plan.
If the progression had adhered precisely to Duming's prediction, victory would indeed have been secured by now. But unfortunately, the enemy was far from foolish.
Binom only recalled the existence of this specific fleet upon hearing the soldier's report.
"Inform them to alter course. We will rendezvous very shortly."
He issued this brief command and then returned to his deep, solitary contemplation.
Everyone around him perceived Binom as utterly exhausted, having rested not even for a moment.
But for Binom, this intense level of contemplation had long since evolved into an ingrained habit. He could not cease; stopping meant the potential collapse of the Xenian race, which could precipitate thousands of years of renewed suppression and exploitation.
He had to secure this victory. This single victory carried too much weight for him. He could use this war to fundamentally elevate the Xenian race into a truly great species.
Thus, thirteen years later.
The main Winunder fleet finally caught up with the previously arrived fleet of modified ships from Bmen.
Gazing upon the patchwork, hastily repaired vessels, the soldiers in the Winunder fleet were immediately filled with contempt, and naturally, even greater arrogance. They represented the true, core military strength.
...
Bmen star system.
There was only one Star City here, also named Bmen.
The Rusty Star Nation had not yet achieved the level of extravagance necessary to construct multiple Star Cities within a single star system.
In Bmen Star City's central plaza—a vast circular expanse measuring approximately 100 million square meters—stood a gigantic, cross-shaped metal frame. Secured atop this cross, thick chains bound a single, immense figure.
It was a Gargleblast. Its insectoid body now appeared incredibly withered and desiccated, utterly lacking its former corpulent appearance.
Its entire frame hung limply, its consciousness long since hazy and indistinct.
It emitted a faint, rasping sound.
Upon listening carefully, it was discovered to be nothing more than endless curses.
"Luna, you damned fiend!"
"You are incapable of waging war. Flaorse is immensely powerful. You will surely perish before I do."
It mumbled incessantly.
A mother, gently guiding her child, walked past directly below. The mother pointed up at the chained creature and explained, "This is the former head of our royal family. Not only did it seek to plunder the Supernova Technology Corporation that gave us such good lives, but it also betrayed our star nation, allowing other star nations to attack us."
"It is a profound disgrace, but fortunately, CEO Miss saw through its treachery. Otherwise, our Bmen would have been occupied by invaders."
"You must study diligently, and later work for Supernova Technology Corporation. That is a marvelous place, teeming with miracles."
The bound Gargleblast, upon hearing this clear display of transformed public opinion, was consumed by furious rage.
"Bah! It was Supernova Technology Corporation that plundered the Rusty Star Nation, you traitors! Have you forgotten who led you to establish a star nation here, who provided you a safe harbor?"
"It was our royal family!"
The mother seemed not to hear its words, directly leaving with her child, not looking back.
This utter disregard filled it with even greater hatred.
Until a soldier flew up to it, holding a syringe.
"This is your nutrient solution for today."
"Now, CEO Miss has already led the fleet to greet Flaorse, right?"
"Cartierac, what do you imagine the Flaorse dignitaries will look like? Like CEO Miss whom you saw among the crowd before, filled with sheer panic?"
The soldier chuckled awkwardly, filled with mockery.
If Bmen was the crucial nexus, and Binom had discerned that fact, how could Luna possibly fail to see it?
At the very beginning of the war, she had already resolved to reach Bmen.
Luna would never entrust such a critical location to a group of young individuals who had only experienced simulated combat within games.
They were incapable of handling anything substantial.
Of course, Luna had not anticipated that Bmen had already been infiltrated and occupied; she was not omniscient.
She simply intended to establish control over the broader battlefield. After this contingent of forces neutralized the modified ships, they could, at least, form a credible combat presence.
It simply coincided with this reality unfolding.
Although the royalty retained the ability to manipulate Bmen through their long-standing influence and established methods, Bmen was, ultimately, still a Star City belonging to the Rusty Star Nation. And as long as it remained under the Rusty Star Nation, Luna was the undisputed supreme ruler, possessing absolute authority.
When the royalty appeared, intending to seize all the combat analysis experts, the constraints on those experts vanished the very moment the royalty prepared to depart.
Luna stepped forward and directly apprehended the royal figure. Then, Luna commenced issuing sweeping arrangements.
She didn't even know the name of this specific royal individual from start to finish, because he was not deemed worthy of entering Luna's notice or memory.
This, precisely, was what enraged the royalty, who was chained to the cross-shaped frame, the most.
He witnessed Luna's gaze sweep right past him.
Those eyes never paused upon him for even a single second.
He had been suspended here for decades.
Not only was the individual injecting his nutrient solution sustaining his life, but he himself was forcing his own will to persevere, because he desperately awaited the arrival of the Flaorse fleet.
That was the deepest core of his resolve.
He believed wholeheartedly in victory.
...
At this moment.
The Winunder fleet was now merely 2 light-years distant from Bmen.
Their entire voyage, from the M36 star cluster to Bmen, spanned a total of 44 light-years. This distance was not considered exceptionally long within the border region, characterized by very low star density.
This voyage had been exceptionally taxing for them. A journey that should have been completed within 180 years had now consumed 214 years. Although their strategic objective was eventually reached, they had incurred tremendous losses.
Seeing the modified ships gradually closing the distance, Binom's mood improved substantially.
He requested a direct communication with the Archon Commander of the modified ship contingent.
A strange, restless face materialized on the virtual screen before him.
"Greetings, Commander. I am Bubetta."
Binom glanced at this Waterfolk, feeling a subtle flicker of aversion.
Although Waterfolk could now sustain themselves outside of water, they still harbored a strong preference for aquatic environments. They were particularly interested in the emergence of new species like the Xenians.
Far too many Xenians had suffered at their hands.
Binom's former "owner" for a period was a Waterfolk; the experience had been quite unsettling.
"You dispatched 44,000 vessels. How many ships remain operational on Bmen?"
He needed the precise figures. As long as the count exceeded 50,000, it would constitute good news.
"There are over 31,000 remaining, Commander!"
"Our Bmen serves as a major foreign trade hub for the Rusty Star Nation. We possess numerous vessels here. Apart from the 31,000 awaiting modification, there are also 16,000 smaller, private vessels."
Upon hearing this answer, Binom's heart soared with relief.
Combined, that amounted to nearly 47,000 vessels.
While confronting Luna, they had lost over 4,000 warships and more than 120,000 standard ships. Some of those standard vessels could still be salvaged and repaired. Adding these more than 90,000 modified vessels meant their overall ship losses were almost negligible in the grand scheme.
This, one could argue, allowed him to exhale a massive sigh of relief.
"Transmit word back. We still require 10 years to reach Bmen. Order the simultaneous modification of all available vessels, including those private ships."
Military ships, civilian ships, and private ships—these represented three distinct classifications.
Military ships possessed substantial energy cores and more than 10 to 20 turrets and main cannons.
Civilian ships frequently lacked main cannons, sometimes even any turrets, and their energy compartments were smaller, housing only 40% to 50% the capacity of military ships.
Private ships were generally smaller in scale, featuring larger interior volumes, often equipped with recreational amenities.
These differences paralleled warships, fishing trawlers, and luxury yachts. Their top speeds might not vary drastically, but their internal structural resilience differed immensely.
Modifying a fishing trawler into a warship was relatively simple because fishing trawlers were inherently basic; they primarily required additional armament. However, yachts were densely packed with elaborate internal fittings, necessitating extensive dismantling. Even after clearing the interiors, they might not be perfectly suited, and material differences also played a role.
Although everyone's top sustained speed might be similar, military ships needed to endure extremely rapid acceleration profiles, whereas private and civilian ships lacked this demanding requirement. They all accelerated slowly; private ships especially, typically accelerating only 5-10 km per second, with the entire acceleration sequence consuming several hours.
In interstellar warfare, a delay of a few hours during startup was not a critical vulnerability. However, this sluggish acceleration often led to material weakening and absolutely prevented civilian and private ships from using rapid speed adjustments to evade incoming enemy ordnance during active combat.
Of course, the most significant disparity lay within the DataNodes.
This represented the largest inherent cost. Military ship DataNodes were intrinsically engineered for the battlefield; they were optimized only for processing combat data, and the efficiency of information reception and transmission in combat scenarios was paramount. Military DataNodes came with integrated high-frequency communication capabilities, whereas ordinary civilian and private ships relied solely on basic electromagnetic communication, which suffered from low transmission speeds—a wholly unacceptable limitation in war.
Therefore, even with modifications, civilian ships remained fundamentally distinct from military ships.
The only component that was truly salvageable and adequate was likely the weapon system.
This was the primary reason military personnel aboard military ships viewed modified vessels with disdain; in their estimation, those were merely organized suicide squads.
However, having something was undeniably superior to having nothing.
At the very least, it provided Binom with an additional maneuvering piece on his strategic board.
After severing communications, Binom was already refining his updated offensive strategy.
Meanwhile, externally, the spatial distance separating the Winunder fleet and the fleet of modified ships continued to shrink.
The soldiers aboard the Winunder fleet had already commenced some "friendly" taunting. The inherent stress of continuous warfare demanded an outlet, and since these approaching modified ships represented a perceived lower rung, a good verbal dressing-down was deemed appropriate.
"Reserve soldiers, look at the shabby metal shells you're wearing. Are those baby diapers? Did you arrive here needing to be nursed?"
"Shhh~ A pretty lady! We just survived a major engagement, won't one of you come and offer proper consolation?"
Venturing suppressed emotions onto weaker subordinates was considered entirely normal behavior within this command structure.
The Federation mandated virtual world therapy for all soldiers post-engagement, but this was a Star Nation; such extensive resources were unavailable.
In response to these provocations, the soldiers aboard the modified ships offered only sparse replies.
In the background of the comms channel, those soldiers maintained intensely serious expressions, their gazes fixed firmly on a singular point, as if suspended in expectation.
Waiting for what, exactly?
They were moments away from flying parallel to the entire Winunder fleet!