In just 2 weeks, several developments unfolded.
Mingna had initially assumed that following her direct order, the personnel would comply without question.
No one was truly naive; they understood the ramifications of defying military protocol.
Yet, there were indeed fools who incited a wave of insubordination within the army; the soldiers actively resisted the directive.
Mingna understood perfectly that the maneuvering behind this defiance came from the leadership echelon; they were unwilling to embrace the associated risks.
One major contributing factor was that her personal authority was significantly less established than Luna's.
These figures were deliberately testing her limits, hoping Mingna would ultimately yield.
But for Mingna, these were merely the opening acts. Her stance would remain absolute.
She issued a single, decisive statement: "Any soldier who resists can earn full pardon, provided they unmask the true instigator of this incident."
Those within the fleet openly mocked Mingna's perceived leniency.
However, on the very next day, Mingna bypassed diplomacy entirely, immediately ordering the arrest of several Captains, then reassigned all troops serving under those Captains into a specialized task force.
Words, after all, were just a pretense.
Mingna did not actually require anyone to step forward and betray their peers; she merely needed the belief that someone had already done so.
Once that vital gap of trust was shattered, those who had been ridiculing her would suddenly find themselves under immense internal pressure. The dissenters would inevitably turn inward, beginning to hunt for these alleged "informants." Their focus would thus be diverted away from Mingna herself.
Their strategy, it must be noted, was quite viciously calculated.
No matter how Mingna chose to react, the situation was engineered to eventually culminate in open conflict between her and the general soldiery.
But Mingna used that single sentence to resolve the entire predicament, skillfully transforming the inevitable conflict between herself and the soldiers into a conflict between an unknown source and the soldiers themselves.
Effortlessly, she established a crucial equilibrium.
Contradiction and conflict are inherently woven into the fabric of military life, especially when facing life-or-death scenarios. Therefore, soldiers often exhibited varying levels of deference toward punitive actions—some cared, while others merely scoffed.
Mingna had navigated countless similar predicaments; her response to such maneuvering was long past second nature.
The fleet launched.
All squadrons proceeded toward the 0283 Passage according to Mingna's finalized deployment plan.
After traversing approximately 1 light-year, the main fleet began to segment into three distinct sub-fleets.
...
24 years later.
The three sub-fleets arrived simultaneously across all designated route segments within the 0283 Passage.
Mingna overheard soldiers aboard the warship offering silent prayers to avoid engaging the enemy, yet she knew this would certainly not happen as they wished.
She possessed intelligence regarding the enemy. After all, this was the Rusty Star Nation. The Supernova Technology Corporation maintained sensor arrays in numerous deep space sectors. Through these detectors, she had confirmed that the enemy force would reach their current coordinates in approximately 31 years.
Neither a vast span nor a negligible amount of time.
Mingna took no visible action.
She chose to wait.
But the pressure on the soldiers intensified.
This was because, at this juncture, no one possessed full knowledge of Mingna's specific strategic outline.
No one could confidently vouch for Mingna's guaranteed success.
In their collective memory, there was no clear record of Mingna successfully commanding a major victory.
They could vaguely recall the circumstances of her ascension to the rank of Strategos, but the visual details remained hazy.
This ambiguity was perhaps one of the sources fueling the lingering distrust.
However, Mingna remained unconcerned with these minutiae.
She reflected that 31 years passed in a mere blink.
In the distance, she observed the enemy fleet closing in on them at a maximum velocity of 74,000 km per second.
"Execute Phase One!"
The majority of the Rusty Star Nation fleet comprised White Dragon class vessels, which were inherently designed as evasion-type ships. These evasion-types also possessed a degree of cloaking capability in a battlefield environment.
The enemy would not easily detect them on a large, aggregated scale.
They needed to fully leverage the advantage inherent to evasion-type vessels.
"Only the first fleet deploys. Engage the enemy. There is no need to close the distance drastically; focus entirely on sustained harassment!"
"Your mission is straightforward: lure out one enemy squadron to engage you."
Mingna's comprehensive plan remained somewhat opaque to every warship and unit.
However, few dared to violate orders at this critical juncture.
Not only because they were now officially engaged in wartime, but also because Mingna's articulated objective provided substantial operational flexibility, which they found acceptable.
The first fleet was minimal, consisting of only 4,615 standard ships, plus 26 dedicated warships.
They aggressively advanced toward the enemy, who fielded over 20,000 vessels, and initiated long-range bombardment.
Attack followed attack, relentlessly bombarding the opposing force.
The soldiers and officers of the Winunder fleet were taken aback.
After all, their primary method of observation relied upon light-speed data. Often, the moment they detected the enemy, the enemy's incoming fire had already arrived.
Fortunately, in this instance, it proved to be a false alarm.
The enemy's assault was targeted precisely at their misaligned optical projection decoy.
Laser beams struck the decoy, but nothing transpired; the energy rays simply passed harmlessly through the projection and shot into the distance.
"What is happening?"
This time, it was the officers of the first fleet who were astonished.
They were absolutely certain they had achieved impact on the enemy force, yet there was zero discernible effect. Could the enemy have activated its defensive countermeasures already?
But defensive countermeasures are designed to intercept lasers; they do not permit energy beams to pass straight through unimpeded.
Mingna had extensive experience in numerous virtual worlds generated by Hyperdimensional Space. In those simulations, countless occurrences defied conventional physics. She had encountered this precise phenomenon before.
She quickly transmitted a notification to the first fleet: "Do not be deceived by the light signature. Recalibrate your observation parameters."
The first fleet, after switching their optical detection systems to gravitational tracking, quickly pinpointed the enemy's genuine location.
But at that precise moment, the enemy's retaliatory strike arrived.
The distance between the two forces was only 0.4 light-years. The high command of the Winunder fleet also recognized that at this proximity, it was unrealistic for their Displacement equipment to successfully deceive the enemy, so they immediately initiated their counterattack.
The incoming barrage was exceptionally swift because Binom's continuous video loop kept all fleet weaponry in a primed, standby readiness state.
...
Winunder fleet command center.
"I never imagined the officer's prediction would prove so accurate; the enemy truly arrived."
"If it weren't for the officer's foresight, many of us would likely be deceased by now."
They all broke out in a cold sweat.
Those who had dismissed the officer's warnings decades prior now felt a measure of shame mixed with relief.
The main computer transmitted analytical data.
[The enemy force totals 26 warships and 4,615 support vessels. The warships are conventional types. Among the 4,615 ships, 4,051 are White Dragon class warships.]
"With such a meager contingent, they dare to challenge us? They are simply begging for destruction!"
Upon hearing that the Rusty Star Nation possessed only this small contingent, the officers collectively exhaled in relief.
"Do not be fooled by the enemy."
"They are masters of deception."
Following the previous deception and this current engagement, these officers had learned to exercise greater caution.
Never underestimate your opponent.
"Understood. Maintain high alert. Treat the enemy as if they possess ten thousand ships."
This advisory proposal immediately received unanimous approval from all officers. One had to remember that their fleet contained numerous valuable assets, necessitating extreme prudence.
"Guard the fleet's interior diligently; we must not allow the enemy's novel vessels to ambush us again. Let's observe their true intentions on the exterior perimeter."
These personnel maintained an extreme level of vigilance.
The Rusty Star Nation fleet, however, showed no intent to close the distance. They maintained their long-range bombardments from a standoff of 0.3 to 0.4 light-years. This distance was genuinely vast for conventional interstellar warfare engagements.
Most interstellar battles occur within a range of 100 to 500 AU, which translates to about 13 to 66 light-hours. A distance of 0.3 light-years is equivalent to 2,628 light-hours—far exceeding that typical engagement band.
This immense range wasn't just about spatial separation; it dictated the arrival time of every single projectile.
At 0.3 light-years away, achieving accurate targeting was incredibly difficult. Only blanket saturation fire stood a chance, relying purely on fortune.
This situation presented a major headache for those aboard the Winunder fleet.
Because their formation was densely packed, they were constantly taking hits. Although protected by defensive shields, their nerves were perpetually frayed.
Conversely, since the enemy maintained a dispersed posture, the Winunder fleet couldn't land meaningful hits across such a vast separation.
This imbalance bred profound frustration.
Crucially, this persistent harassment continued for a staggering eighteen years.
As time ground on, eventually, a single vessel succumbed to a direct hit from a main cannon. As that ship detonated, the faces of some personnel within the Winunder fleet instantly darkened.
Their personal assets were aboard those vessels.
"I can't bear this anymore. I formally request permission to lead a detachment to harass the enemy fleet."
"With this level of sustained bombardment, it will inevitably result in quantifiable losses for us."
It wasn't just private property at stake; the ships themselves were finite.
Vessels could not withstand numerous impacts from an enemy warship's main cannon. Furthermore, as they expended energy resisting the opponent's conventional laser cannons, the ships' overall energy reserves were depleted, making them significantly more vulnerable to destruction by the main cannons.
This was merely the prologue; they were certain to lose more ships later.
Action was mandatory.
However, the Winunder fleet officers, adhering strictly to their doctrine of extreme caution, remained largely unmoved.
"Request denied. The enemy's current posture is clearly designed to flush out the impulsive elements. They are attempting to lure you rash individuals out for a decisive elimination."
"Endure a while longer. I have already notified the garrison stationed at the M36 star cluster. They are en route to provide reinforcement."
Perseverance was the mandate.
As long as they maintained their tight concentration, the enemy's current firepower, they believed, posed no existential threat.
Was that truly the case?
After enduring two decades of continuous bombardment, the Winunder fleet's sensors gradually detected an anomaly: they seemed to have drifted into a high-concentration particle zone.
In a typical deep space environment, one might find only 10 to 40 electrons per cubic meter—extremely sparse.
But in their current location, the electron count per cubic meter had skyrocketed to seventeen million, mixed with various other exotic particles. This was unusual, as they detected no accompanying gamma radiation.
As they continued their advance, the particle density only surged higher. They were quickly approaching a high-energy environment.
If this were unexplored territory, encountering bizarre universal phenomena might be considered normal.
But this was the 0283 Passage.
This region was known to be thoroughly mapped and mature.
No prior record mentioned such an event occurring here.
And they had traversed this area before.
At this precise moment, the high command of the Winunder fleet, in near-unison, recognized the enemy's underlying strategy.
"Could artificial particles be seeded within this natural field?"
"What exactly is their objective?"
"This is absurd! What else could they possibly want besides attacking us?"
"Disperse! We must scatter! We cannot remain so densely packed!"
The fleet rapidly descended into panic—a panic born from confrontation with unknown weaponry.
This terror was not unfounded, because the arrangement of these concentrated particles was profoundly strange. Though spread over a massive area, they were meticulously organized, fixed at distinct points in space.
The Winunder fleet's speculation proved correct.
This was indeed a form of weaponry.
However, it was not a conventional explosive or kinetic weapon. It exploited specific physical properties and lacked broad, catastrophic destructive power, yet it possessed the capability to destabilize perfect matter.
In contemporary engineering, ships and warships extensively utilized perfect matter—a substance characterized by its precisely ordered, meticulously fused components requiring extreme manufacturing precision.
This intricate substance formed not the external hull or the main propulsion cores, but rather the energy matrix of the ships and warships.
How did these vessels store and manage immense energy?
Naturally, energy could not exist in a loose, disordered state.
Every molecule was required to be neatly aligned, allowing for zero entropic disorder.
The Winunder fleet now observed these perfectly ordered particles seemingly anchored at fixed spatial points, maintaining their stability without external force.
When perfect matter collided with these structured substances, utilizing the Pauli Exclusion Principle, the flawless integrity of the perfect matter would be compromised.
This interaction wouldn't cause massive damage initially, as the energy storage devices themselves could measure and contain the resulting volatile energy spikes.
The existence of this weapon type seemed inherently useless.
Because this technology wasn't something carried by the Rusty Star Nation fleet itself; it was derived from Mingna's specific modifications.
Warships possess numerous built-in functions. One such function is particle anchoring—locking particles at a specific locus to prevent movement.
Its standard purpose was energy stabilization. Before massive energy was discharged from a muzzle, it would inevitably accumulate and compress within the firing mechanism; particle anchoring was a key component of that compression technology.
And Mingna had deployed this principle onto the battlefield. These anchored particles weren't fixed by external energy; rather, they formed a self-sustaining system stabilizing them throughout space.
Energy fluctuations within every Winunder vessel were instantly detected by the main computer.
At this moment, every soldier and officer aboard the Winunder ships and warships received the identical system message:
[Energy system encountered interference; repair complete."]
Although the message claimed "repair complete," it offered little reassurance to these soldiers and officers, who were already suspicious and paranoid.
Dispersion proceeded inevitably.
The once tightly packed fleet spread out. Within a few days, the furthest distance separating any two ships had expanded to 10 AU.
This separation was already significant. At this juncture, the first fleet initiated action, moving toward the perimeter of the dispersed fleet and launching a fierce assault.
This represented a relatively close-quarters engagement.
The separation between the opposing forces was now only 240 AU.
The soldiers and officers aboard the Winunder vessels, who had been enduring harassment, felt that their moment of reckoning had arrived.
Next, they were certain to face a catastrophic offensive from the enemy.
But once they actually entered active combat, they discovered that the intensity of the attacks from the Rusty Star Nation fleet was several quantifiable levels lower than they had anticipated.
"Report, enemy firepower seems insufficient!"
"The enemy truly only intends to harass us. We lost 268 ships this time."
A few days after scattering, the Winunder fleet also exited the high-energy zone, and subsequently, the enemy force began to withdraw from their proximity.
A voice resonated in everyone's minds: "Is that all?"
The high command of the Winunder fleet was finally provoked into rage.
Harassed for two decades by such a meager fleet, how much valuable materiel had they already sacrificed?
If they failed to decisively deal with this opponent now, they were certain to incur even greater losses in the future.
The extreme caution they had practiced initially seemed to fracture at this moment.
...
Fourth Fleet flagship.
St. Anthony.
This vessel served as Mingna's primary command ship. It possessed an appearance virtually indistinguishable from an ordinary, sleek, bullet-shaped warship.
The Rusty Star Nation, being a minor stellar power, did not yet possess the advanced capability to engineer radically exotic warship designs.
[Analysis complete. Enemy fleet dispersion has increased by 270%. Based on their vessel movement trajectory, it is assessed that they also intend to dispatch a separate contingent for engagement.]
The main computer's analysis was transmitted directly into Mingna's ear.
A smile touched Mingna's lips as well.
"There is no such thing as an immovable defense in existence; even mental defenses are subject to the same principle."
"Their absolute vigilance, something Luna established, can itself become the key to unlocking their downfall."
If the enemy had maintained their clustered formation, Mingna admitted she would have been effectively powerless against them.
She commanded only one fleet. Although the opponent wasn't the entire Winunder fleet, they still vastly outnumbered her in total vessels and significantly outnumbered her in dedicated warships.
A direct, head-on confrontation would not favor them. Moreover, the enemy would be highly reluctant to initiate such a clash.
The M36 star cluster was drawing closer. The enemy intended to stall, waiting for reinforcements to arrive. At that point, Mingna's contingent would be forced to retreat without achieving any tangible military gains.
Therefore, Mingna had to force a separation.
In the context of battles where the weak overcome the strong, this usually manifests in small-scale engagements where a smaller force confronts a fraction of a larger one. If one side commands 100,000 against an enemy of 1 million, by dividing the enemy into 20 detachments of 50,000 each, and then engaging one 50,000-strong group at a time, even 10 million could be slowly eroded.
"Next, the special operations unit must make its entrance."
Mingna had not forgotten about her elite special forces detachment, which she established immediately following prior operational mistakes.
She had always factored in the need for a dedicated sacrificial unit within her original strategic schema.
By leveraging the internal dissent among the ship and warship soldiers against her authority, she could achieve two objectives with one swift action: eliminate a segment of the resistant population to send a chilling message to the rest.
And now was the designated moment for this suicide squad to execute their role.
...
Winunder fleet headquarters.
Even though it was confirmed that the enemy force was genuinely small, numbering only slightly over 4,000 vessels.
Their current strength theoretically allowed them to overwhelm the opponent.
However, a segment of the command staff still harbored excessive caution, insisting on maintaining vigilance regardless. They were now nearing the return point to the M36 star cluster, where matters could presumably be discussed safely.
But for another faction among them, this situation presented a clear path to achieving battlefield glory!
They had continuously endured setbacks on the front lines before. While they had destroyed some enemy ships, overall, they had sustained disproportionate losses and forfeited the opportunity for decisive engagement. It could be fairly termed a disastrous defeat.
Forget military accolades; simply avoiding a court-martial was considered a major blessing.
But now, the enemy was present. With the opposition confirmed as inferior in strength, retreating in ignominy now felt utterly unacceptable to these officers.
The disagreement was not severe enough to cause the entire fleet to fracture.
The officers convened to formulate a compromise: divide the fleet into two main segments—one to engage the enemy, and the other to continue the cautious retreat deeper into the Passage.
The safe buffer zone between these two separated groups was stipulated at 2,000 AU. If this distance were exceeded, they were mandated to cease further separation and immediately return to the established proximity, thereby preventing the enemy from employing a "lure the tiger out of its mountain" maneuver.
If the enemy persisted in harassing them from 0.2 light-years away, as before, they agreed to simply ignore it.
This compromise was met with general satisfaction.
Exactly one year after this agreement was formalized, the enemy's assault returned. They observed an enemy contingent of nearly 1,000 ships aggressively closing the distance.
"The opponent appears to presume we are incapable of moving beyond our clustered formation."
The officers of the Ynun Star Nation fleet, having devised a new plan, no longer felt the same degree of lingering resentment.
"Wait for them to close within 500 AU, then activate core stealth protocols."
Core stealth was identified as a crucial supplementary technology to the Displacement equipment.
The Displacement equipment functioned by optically projecting an object from point A to point B; this was essentially a form of optical cloaking.
Core stealth, conversely, operated as a form of gravitational concealment.
Everyone understood that the center of mass defined the gravitational nexus of any system. For instance, in a multi-star system, the system's center of mass would not lie within a single star.
The Solar System itself exhibited this principle; the center of mass is near the Sun's surface, and the Sun orbits this common point. The center of mass represents the absolute gravitational center of a system.
But generally, the center of mass isn't a point of concentrated mass; it's simply the gravitational pivot forcing multiple bodies to revolve around a single locus.
Based on this principle, an individual within the Ynun Star Nation proposed a radical new theory:
Could an entire star system be mathematically treated as a single singularity, allowing its core mass-point to encapsulate the defining qualities of the whole?
This concept was termed Core Concealment, or the Technique of Quality Relocation.
This technique transferred the collective mass-quality signature of all standard units within a connected system onto a single designated point.
This technique, too, had been influenced by Displacement technology.
The Displacement equipment relied on Optical Displacement technology. Standard Optical Displacement managed a foreground-background relationship—for example, a person standing before a lens lifting a building in the background, making it appear in the photograph as if the person held up the structure.
The advanced version of Optical Displacement, however, utilized particles on an infinitely macroscopic scale to act as a sophisticated prism.
The original ship doesn't vanish; it remains exposed to all surrounding spatial rays. The effect is simply that the observable viewing angle narrows significantly.
An object can be perceived from any direction, but if placed inside a closed box, sight is restricted to the box's aperture.
If a prism is inserted at this aperture, the direction from which the object inside the box is viewed becomes the two visible faces of the prism. When observed from those two faces, the object, originally deep inside the box, appears positioned near the sharp corner, even though no new physical container exists.
Currently, one could immediately recognize this as simple light refraction. But what if the 'box' itself vanished?
You would see only one face of the prism. You wouldn't realize it was a prism; you'd simply perceive a flat pane of glass. The observer would then logically conclude the object resides behind the "glass."
The Displacement equipment is a considerably macroscopic device, which explains its immense energy draw, leading Duming to deactivate it at a critical juncture previously.
If that is optical deception, then Core Concealment is deception at the mass-level.
The physical mass actually remains in its original spatial location.
But the technique functions by binding a region into a singular composite entity.
If three independent objects occupy a defined space, their gravitational fields should register as three distinct depressions. But when these three independent objects are gravitationally linked, a depression begins to manifest precisely in the center of those three fields.
Although the mass of the three independent objects stays tethered to them, the resulting central depression does appear, even if it isn't massive. At this juncture, employing corresponding equipment to precisely warp the spacetime generated by the three entities allows the central depression to become the sole perceptible gravitational source, effectively misleading enemy detectors.
Core Concealment combined with Displacement equipment grants the ability to "perfectly" transfer a real object to a new coordinate.
Because this also involves macro-scale engineering, the energy consumption is terrifyingly high, preventing long-term maintenance.
But in close-quarters engagements, this technology is exceptionally valuable.
It doesn't need to fool the enemy for long; even a day or a few hours of misdirection suffice.
They watched as the enemy force proceeded directly into the 500 AU range without any discernible deceleration.
Without further hesitation, Core Concealment was activated.
The entire fleet began dispersing simultaneously at this moment.
After the optically undetectable elements scattered, they also became gravitationally indistinct against the background noise.
...
Aboard the advancing suicide squad vessels.
Every officer and soldier felt an indescribable dread surging within them at that instant, yet superficially, they rapidly manipulated their ships forward.
Even their spoken reports sounded detached: "Enemy fleet signature appears distorted; they are attempting evasion."
"Begin maneuvering to encircle and determine the enemy's precise coordinates."
"All weapons operational, ready to fire at command."
"Launch Particle Matrix to eliminate enemy trace signatures."
At the spearhead of the approaching formation, a dark blue shield materialized. It spanned 400 AU wide and approximately 180 AU high, pressing toward the enemy like a colossal azure wall.
The Particle Matrix, more accurately termed the Light Particle Matrix.
This device adheres to the surface of matter upon contact, specifically utilized to detect targets that have vanished from optical sight.
This was a standard countermeasure employed in close-range engagements.
The Light Particle Matrix rapidly closed on the enemy force. The enemy, predictably, did not permit such a device to approach. They initiated aggressive counter-fire, unleashing torrents of energy rays that began tearing apart the Light Particle Matrix, which, in turn, exposed the positions of several enemy vessels.
On the suicide squad ships, all personnel processed this incoming data with astonishing efficiency.
"Locking on to the coordinates of 738 hostile units. They appear to be scattering. Confirming this is a defensive dispersion tactic. Shall we press the assault?"
"Our directive is to perish conspicuously; we must not die so meaninglessly. We need to pass the opponent's line of fire, allowing them the opportunity to destroy us."
As these words were spoken, everyone's facial expression remained unusually composed.
Because their very bodies no longer belonged to them.
Mingna utilized the ship's DataNode to exert control over the consciousnesses of these soldiers and officers.
These soldiers, those who dared to resist her authority, would naturally never volunteer to become a suicide squad. Therefore, the so-called suicide squad mission was designed to force them to experience death while their core consciousness remained intact—a brutal form of demonstration.
Under normal protocol, their memories would have been directly erased, and fabricated new memories instilled.
However, Mingna lacked the luxury of such time. Her method was simple and savage, serving more as a distinct form of retribution, intended to make an unmistakable public example.
The fleet continued its calculated advance.
They had closed to within 300 AU of the enemy's projected engagement zone.
At the fleet's speed of 100,000 km per second, this separation meant contact would be established in just five days.
"The Weaver system activated."
Someone within the fleet initiated the sequence.
From the ship's ventral bays, several solid cannon shells were launched. These projectiles traveled at extreme velocity before disintegrating approximately four million kilometers ahead of the fleet, scattering numerous diminutive aircraft.
These small aircraft accelerated toward the enemy at an even higher velocity. The swiftest among them already surpassed 200,000 km per second.
This implied that by the time the enemy visually registered their presence, they had already covered two-thirds of the intervening distance.
For a target situated 1 light-year away, when observing the initial contact, the enemy would actually already be merely 0.3 light-years from the observer.
This was the tactical advantage afforded by ultra-high-speed deployment.
The small aircraft were termed Weavers. They operated at variable speeds and maintained communication via electromagnetic force. Weavers were designed to be exceedingly small. Upon contact with an enemy's energy shield, they utilized electromagnetic force to instantly link the entire swarm into a single, rigid composite structure.
Leveraging mechanical advantage, akin to twisting a colossal screw, they could directly fracture the energy shield.
This represented a low-cost, highly effective method for neutralizing enemy defensive barriers. This technique was also applicable for direct hull penetration.
As the Weavers flew forward, the suicide squad also closed the distance, approaching within 200 AU of the enemy force.
And at that precise moment.
The enemy's signature gradually became clear on the gravitational detectors.
"Lock onto the enemy's coordinates. Determine the distance: 387 AU, further out than predicted."
Under normal calculations, they should have been within 300 AU, but the actual reading was 387 AU. This margin of error was unacceptable.
Normally, such an anomaly would trigger an immediate withdrawal, but this was a designated suicide squadron.
"Maintain direct approach. We must at least engage the enemy within 150 AU for any meaningful interaction."
Just as this critical decision was being finalized, the forward Weavers encountered an unforeseen impediment.
They were largely shot down, seemingly impacting some form of localized force field.
This was the most perilous element of interstellar combat: enemy actions were usually silent. Even the most basic laser weaponry could only be confirmed once it successfully impacted the target.
"The enemy appears to have discharged some kind of weapon targeting us; it just made contact with the Weavers."
"Activate drill-shaped shields. Initiate a direct breakthrough maneuver."
Approximately eight hours later.
The suicide squad observed a new phenomenon in the distance.
The Weavers appeared to activate their mechanical advantage sequence.
It seemed they had successfully ensnared something substantial.
The only condition under which Weavers could engage the mechanical advantage sequence was upon touching a massive object.
"Investigate the area; search for any hidden ambush warships in that vector."
Gravitational detectors precisely analyzed that specific location, scanning for about an hour without detecting any findings.
"Report: No enemy ships detected..."
"Beep beep beep!!"
Before the report could conclude, a section of damaged metallic wreckage abruptly materialized in that region.
Every vessel in the Winunder fleet issued a simultaneous alarm: "Enemy inbound! Enemy approaching! Within 60 AU! Within 60 AU!"
Though their primary detectors remained blank, they could not dismiss the tangible evidence appearing before them.
On an interstellar battlefield, such circumstantial evidence carries extreme weight.
It mirrors the appraisal of an antique: accuracy isn't determined by a slight positive identification; rather, any inaccuracy unequivocally marks it as a forgery.
In the context of interstellar conflict, if a suspicious spatial anomaly manifests, one must proceed under the absolute assumption that the enemy is lurking there.
All ships executed an immediate reversal.
But it was already too late.
A massive volley of laser fire erupted, and dedicated warships activated their silent systems.
Following a high-frequency vibration coursing through the suicide squad ships—as if being swept by an ultrasonic wave—the energy equipment, propulsion cores, and computational processors of hundreds of ships across the entire fleet were instantly silenced. Tiny electrical discharges destroyed all communication links.
The energy shields protecting the suicide squad vessels shattered instantaneously. Their hulls lay completely exposed to the enemy's laser weaponry, instantly engulfed and struck.
Countless ships disintegrated in space, and the soldiers and officers within were reduced to ashes by the intense radiation.
...
Inside the Winunder fleet, all soldiers erupted in cheers.
Their elation was beyond words.
The prolonged bitterness spanning over a century was wiped clean in this single moment.
This marked their first, and perhaps only, unequivocally clear victory.
"I never imagined the enemy would fall for that so easily. It seems their research on us remains quite limited."
"Previous engagements were all due to the officer's excessive overconfidence. In reality, our strength utterly dwarfs the Rusty Star Nation."
"The enemy's primary objective is clearly harassment. They must be desperate to resolve the virus issue, so they are trying to decelerate our advance."
"I suspected this long ago. Otherwise, the enemy wouldn't have left so many valuable assets behind near Bmen. If it were me, even if I couldn't secure them, I would annihilate them rather than leave them for the foe. They are merely attempting to buy time."
Everyone looked toward the officer who voiced these sentiments.
Quite the case of hindsight bias.
They had all agreed to act discreetly, yet this speaker was remarkably blunt, weren't they!
However, in the aftermath of victory, the specifics no longer mattered.
"Let's go; it's time to celebrate with a drink."
The entire crew was ready to begin singing and reveling.
But the Commander immediately suppressed such behavior.
"The enemy has not been completely eradicated. Our victory this time only accounts for 73 vessels. Given their unique nature, this doesn't even represent the first engagement we've had with their main body."
"Our adversary still commands nearly 500 ships. Underestimating them will only result in even more devastating losses."
"Their sole purpose here is to impede us, inflate our attrition rate, and shatter our collective morale."
"Therefore, we must be even more cautious moving forward. At the very least… true celebration is reserved for the moment we secure their total annihilation."
These words unveiled the Commander's profound ambition.
In minor stellar powers like Rusty and Ynun, a Commander was already considered part of the high echelon.
And above them sat the Strategos, like Mingna.
The Ynun Star Nation possessed one additional rank above the Rusty Star Nation, which was the Chief Officer.
For a Commander, successfully returning with a decisive victory—one that could rewrite the current narrative of the war—offered a direct path to promotion to Strategos.
This was deemed a significant leap, akin to achieving a "dragon transformation."
In this star nation, due to the absence of lifespan restrictions, power structures remained static unless the ruling authority suffered a fatal accident or committed severe ideological errors. They remained in their posts perpetually.
This phenomenon was known as class solidification.
And most stellar nations employed a specific mechanism to resolve the class conflicts generated by this solidification.
That mechanism was war.
Why does the Twenty-Eight Nations Covenant continue its conflict with the Federation? Class struggle forms a core reason.
For stellar nations that avoided external war, they inevitably resembled the Rusty Star Nation and the Ynun Star Nation, characterized by the dominance of an extremely large Corporation.
The promotion and elimination structure within Corporations tends to alleviate these deep-seated conflicts to a degree. Hence, the necessity of super-Corporations like Supernova Technology Corporation and Flaorse is, in some respects, an unavoidable consequence of social engineering.
The Commander's pronouncements also stirred deep currents within the hearts of the soldiers and officers.
For beings with extended lifespans, the pursuit of pure emotion often outweighed the desire for mere rank or proving oneself.
The preceding conflict had dragged their spirits down to rock bottom. This newfound victory, however, ignited a palpable sense of exhilaration.
It was akin to reading a compelling novel: if the reader derives genuine excitement from the plot, they will eagerly continue turning the pages.
Reality, however, differs from mere entertainment.
Failure meant immediate death.
Yet, the peculiar magic of reality is that surprisingly few individuals are actually paralyzed by the fear of death.
Are they truly unafraid?
No!
Rather, too many people in reality choose to actively ignore fear.
"Excellent. We must annihilate the enemy in one decisive blow. The enemy still has no understanding of the methods we are employing. They will return, and that moment will mark their ultimate destruction."
Suddenly.
On every screen across the Winunder fleet, Binom's voice began to broadcast.
"The enemy understands how to exploit human frailties to formulate tactics. There is no room for reliance on sheer luck. This is the core principle for securing victory in this war."
"Remember this: One: The Displacement equipment must be activated. Even if it consumes slightly more energy, it must remain online at all times."
"Two: Deploy scout vessels ahead of the main fleet for reconnaissance, covering an angle of no less than 45 degrees, extending at least 1 light-year out."
"Three,..."
However, at this moment, everyone quietly engaged the mute function.
No one desired to heed the words of a defeated adversary.
...
Fourth Fleet flagship.
St. Anthony.
Mingna had just concluded receiving the detailed report from the suicide squad. She began re-collating certain data sets.
"This time, the losses sustained by the special operations unit were not solely due to our audacity, but rather the enemy's proactive decision to engage us."
"Based on the gathered intel, the enemy forces should be arriving here now."
She summoned several Commanders.
She unfurled a physical paper map.
"This vector accounts for over 90% of the enemy fleet's calculated mass, yet this starkly contradicts the readings observed by the suicide squad."
"I hypothesize this is one of their deception protocols; they are actively shifting mass signatures toward this coordinate."
The Commanders were visibly surprised by Mingna's insightful deduction. They had also reviewed the data and had been ceaselessly speculating on the nature of the enemy's current manipulation technology.
However, Mingna appeared profoundly confident in her assertion regarding the enemy's method.
In truth, had they known where Mingna had patiently awaited this moment for tens of thousands of years, they would likely not have been so surprised by her certainty.
The chaos inherent to Hyperdimensional Space was infinitely more complex and terrifying than anyone could possibly imagine.
It was populated with every conceivable form of known and unknown technology, and even indescribable entities such as the Divine.
As Divine beings, they were not currently operating at their full capacity within Hyperdimensional Space.
They were, in fact, vastly more potent.
Each Divine could even be said to be the sovereign ruler of a specific universe.
Some Divines had even managed to extinguish universes in higher-level realms.
Therefore, every Divine inherently disliked visiting the real world; it forced them back into their original, limited forms.
But just as a third-grade student excels in their current environment, returning to elementary school is enough to dominate. Their superior knowledge and accumulated experience rendered them essentially invincible in that setting.
"How do we detect them?" a Commander inquired.
Mingna regarded him once more.
His question struck her as slightly odd.
"Why would we need to detect them?"
"What we intend to achieve is their utter destruction, not mere detection."
The Commander opened his mouth; he was about to articulate that destruction necessitates prior detection.
However, Mingna would not tolerate such needless pedantry and pressed on: "Their mass is located somewhere, which logically implies they must reside within this general proximity."
"The current estimated radius is approximately 250 AU."
"We only need to accurately predict the enemy's deployment point; that is sufficient. We do not need to engage in speculative guesswork."
"Otherwise, what was the purpose of executing all those preliminary maneuvers?"
The primal impulse within her—the beast—was fully awakened.
Mingna was certain that the enemy's greed had completely consumed them. They deeply yearned for a victory that would finally allow them to seize the upper hand.
Consequently.
The moment her fleet revealed itself, the enemy would undoubtedly focus their entire might upon engaging them directly.
Hearing Mingna's assessment, the Commanders finally understood their required next steps.
The first fleet now returned to the engagement zone, resuming their long-range harassment of the Winunder fleet.
It feigned a reluctance to close the distance, maintaining a constant, irritating circuit around the periphery.
Then, the entire fleet bifurcated into two segments. One section wheeled around to the front of the Winunder formation. This movement capitalized on their superior speed advantage; the enemy's velocity topped out at 70,000 km per second, whereas theirs could achieve 100,000 km per second.
The circling fleet immediately activated its evasion protocols.
At extreme distances, the White Dragon's evasion status remained highly effective.
...
Winunder fleet command center.
At this juncture, the entire crew's attention was seized by the flanking maneuver.
"What is the protocol now?"
"The enemy maintains constant long-range harassment. We absolutely cannot risk dispersal to charge them down."
"We are unable to land effective strikes."
"The prior losses will certainly make them exercise greater restraint."
"We must devise a method to lure the opponent into a closer range."
"But how?"
Everyone engaged in rapid debate regarding countermeasures.
The Commander waited until the discussion reached a fever pitch before stepping forward.
He summoned the high command to an urgent session. This Commander belonged to the Stonecolor species, but he possessed distinct evolutionary traits, notably a body covered in protective scales and significantly increased stature.
The original Stonecolor species resembled a hairless mole rat, typically bearing gem-like crystalline armor plates upon its back. This drastic modification made him look somewhat akin to a stout Godzilla figure.
The Commander's designation was something akin to N'daba, a name deemed difficult and laborious to recall.
Although he deeply desired promotion to Strategos, he keenly understood that a single misstep could plunge him into the same chasm of failure that consumed Binom.
Furthermore, his standing was nowhere near as influential as Binom's had been. A mistake would result in complete demotion, reducing him to an ordinary citizen, liable to be murdered by rivals and discarded ignominiously.
He spoke, successfully calming the current dispute.
"There is no need for such overt aggression."
"I comprehend your desire to achieve battlefield merit, but if we charge in recklessly, we will certainly fall into the enemy's intended trap."
His pronouncement somewhat sobered the numerous Captains.
However, some Captains remained unwilling to forfeit this perceived opportunity. The enemy contingent was numerically small.
"Then how should we assault the enemy? Are we simply going to endure continuous harassment?"
"Do you not also desire to secure a victory?"
N'daba remained deliberately noncommittal.
He craved victory, but not at the cost of undue personal risk.
"This is not the moment for us to act with undue urgency. Why has the enemy deployed a fleet?"
"Their sole purpose is to halt our progress, deplete our resources through harassment, and erode our collective confidence."
"And currently, our military record remains intact and strong. It is their turn to feel the pressure; their mission has not yet been successfully executed."
"Therefore, we must simply wait. They will inevitably organize another close-quarters assault."
To attain the rank of Commander, N'daba possessed undeniable talent.
He would not allow himself to be blinded by the prospect of easy victory. Every decision he made had to benefit his own standing while minimizing inherent risk.
Mingna's strategy, while brilliant, was not as flawless as Luna's initial constructs.
This was because their current strategic positions were functionally reversed.
Just as N'daba reasoned, it was Mingna who was genuinely pressed for time now.
"What if the enemy chooses to remain this cautious?" a Captain pressed, still eager to launch an active offensive. In his estimation, this presented an excellent chance that might never recur.
N'daba recognized that many Captains had not yet fully relinquished their adrenaline-fueled ambition.
They had heard his words, yet they staunchly believed their own tactical assessments were sound, and they felt willing to accept calculated risks.
But there was no genuine grounds for severe reprimand.
This difference explained their respective ranks: they were merely Captains, while he was a Commander.
"In that case, we will simply revert course back to the M36 star cluster. We do not require this specific battle."
"Remember this: Military merit is an ancillary bonus. If we suffer a decisive defeat here, the repercussions will be far worse. Subsequently, we might lack the strength to even secure the M36 star cluster, leading to a chain reaction of failures."
"Multiple star nations are currently probing our vulnerabilities. Should we retreat now, they might interpret it as weakness and launch an attack. That scenario would represent our absolute nadir in morale—the perfect moment for them to strike."
Similar to the delicate political balance between Supernova Technology Corporation and the Rusty Star Nation, Flaorse and the Ynun Star Nation were functionally intertwined.
Flaorse, having provoked the current hostilities, would naturally face intensified scrutiny from the Ynun Star Nation.
Their rear flank was not entirely secure.
N'daba's sobering words silenced the Captains. They conceded that their inner aggressive impulses had indeed been momentarily spurred by the premature news of victory.
At this point, they began to refocus.
"Then let us dedicate our efforts to strategizing precisely how the enemy will attempt their next assault."
The Captains successfully redirected the focus of their debate.
The correct tactical analysis also highlighted the inherent capabilities of these Captains.
"Do not overlook that most of the Rusty Star Nation's vessels are White Dragon-class ships. These are specifically evasion-oriented vessels."
"How can these evasion-type ships maximize their tactical advantage?"
"Stealth and ambush tactics, without question."
"I postulate the enemy has already maneuvered ahead of us. We must estimate the intensity of their impending harassment."
N'daba commanded the main computer to initiate a fresh analysis.
[Forty years ago, during the initial enemy engagement, the tally of main cannon-class laser strikes registered around 271. However, commencing 16 years ago, the count of enemy main cannon-class lasers sharply decreased to 133. It is inferred that the enemy force has diminished, and a contingent has tactically withdrawn.]
The main computer relayed the potential inference using clear, digestible language.
"It is certain; the enemy executed a flanking maneuver sixteen years ago."
N'daba felt considerable satisfaction that his subordinates still retained sufficient cognitive function and were not mere sycophants.
As long as they maintained this standard of analytical rigor, victory in this conflict was virtually assured.
He opened his mouth to issue the command: "Deploy 80% of our long-range reconnaissance assets forward. Our priority must be the initial detection of the enemy's true position, followed by the systematic destruction of all substantial asteroids in that sector."
Approximately 7 years later.
The Winunder fleet's high-alert alarm system blared throughout the command deck.
[Warning! Anomaly detected 1700 AU distant!]
"They are actually there!"
"Weapons locked and charged. Deliver a devastating blow to the enemy force immediately."
Every ship and warship within the Winunder fleet began accumulating power for discharge. Once the enemy closed within the 500 AU threshold, they would unleash their synchronized attack. At that proximity, the enemy vessels would possess virtually no chance of escape.
As confidence swelled within their ranks, the distance rapidly closed from 1700 AU.
At their current speed, contact would be established in precisely 29 days.
"Fire!"
All available ordnance was unleashed in a massive, unified barrage.
At that moment, smiles illuminated the faces of everyone aboard the Winunder fleet.
However, less than three days later, every expression froze instantly. They witnessed the enemy force executing a direct and rapid retreat. Based on the timing, the enemy's withdrawal synchronized perfectly with the moment they initiated their full-power assault.
The enemy appeared to have accurately predicted the timing and nature of their attack.
"Pursue! Do not allow them to slip away!"
N'daba felt an overwhelming sense of humiliation—a boiling rage akin to a panicked fowl taking flight. The feeling was so intense it nearly caused him to lose all tactical judgment, leading him to issue a command based purely on instinct.