Tar and Mai.
A 128-light-year long ribbon of cosmic dust.
It was the remnant of a plasma jet ejected after a black hole devoured a star.
In truth, it wasn't particularly striking.
Up close, one wouldn't even realize how it differed from the surrounding deep void.
Only from hundreds of light-years away, using specialized equipment, could one see the mottled, fractured path.
The remaining matter within this corridor was less than 500 million tons per light-year, an incredibly low figure. It meant there was only one ton of matter for every 20,000 kilometers of space. Viewed from space, it was equivalent to the entire volume of Earth containing only a single half-meter asteroid.
It was detectable only because its temperature was a few Kelvin higher than the surroundings, not through its density of matter.
Tar and Mai had no unique properties; its length simply made it a convenient coordinate system, a long horizontal thread used to overlay a vertical axis for celestial mapping.
It was named after an astronomer; Tar and Mai were the surnames of the scientists who discovered it.
From Star Nation 28783, flying along Tar and Mai for less than four light-years leads to the terminus of the ribbon and the starting point of the Suso-West Route.
An "interstellar river" is actually another name for a comet belt or ice belt.
Comets typically have large amounts of ice on their surfaces. As they fly toward a star, the heat causes the ice to evaporate, trailing a tail of water vapor through space, a phenomenon that is quite common by modern astronomical standards.
In the era of ancient Earth technology, people used to make wishes upon them.
Oxygen and hydrogen are incredibly abundant in the universe, especially hydrogen, which, as the primary component of stars, exists in unimaginable quantities.
Water isn't rare in the universe, but that doesn't mean it's easy to obtain; the emptiness of deep space is a harsh reality.
Thus, comet belts are often called interstellar rivers, as they are a source of water.
The Tier 2 fleet didn't need water; the water recycling systems on the star nation's warships and support vessels were highly efficient. However, space pirates or budget-conscious interstellar travelers often found themselves in need.
Ships require water not just for drinking, but also as a coolant for critical components.
It wasn't that the ships couldn't afford specialized coolants, but rather that cooling components are essentially consumables. When a ship starts up, it must contend with temperatures exceeding a billion, or even several billion degrees; failure is a distinct possibility.
Repairs often can't be made mid-flight; usually, they wait until the destination is reached.
In the meantime, components other than the engines also generate heat. If the primary cooling fails, one can improvise a liquid cooling system.
The scenarios requiring water are quite specific, but many interstellar vessels are ancient, often serving for twenty or thirty thousand years, that's normal. Ordinary people simply can't afford to replace them.
The primary function of the Suso-West Route was, of course, transit.
Massive acceleration rings stood tall.
The fleet entered the rings, only to find they provided zero acceleration.
"Star Nation 28783 and the Oraned Federation don't seem to be on close terms. Perhaps they haven't maintained the acceleration rings on this side."
Dudley delivered the overdue report.
No one had anticipated this, so Dudley hadn't investigated it beforehand.
"Don't let it happen again," Giotto warned.
"Fortunately, our heading remains true; we won't lose any time."
Continuing for another ten light-years, the Tier 2 fleet entered the territory of the Oraned Federation.
Being a low-tier star nation, they lacked the resources to maintain border markers or fortifications. Much like Star Nation 28783, the Tier 2 fleet easily crossed the Oraned frontier.
Giotto expected that once they were inside national borders via the Suso-West Route, they would finally be able to accelerate.
To his surprise, the acceleration rings they encountered were still inactive.
"Maybe, maybe, they just don't have the need for them!" Dudley stammered.
He had no intelligence on the matter.
Giotto shot him a look and stopped relying on him.
Instead, with a grim expression, he deployed drones to inspect the rings.
"The surface is clean, no pitting. There are numerous signs of repair, some possibly as recent as a few decades ago."
"These rings might have been deactivated right after we entered Star Nation 28783!"
Giotto wore an 'I knew it' expression.
Dudley was confused.
Giotto explained it simply.
"There were a lot of ships in Star Nation 28783. Where do you think they came from?"
"Rusty? Our border security has been airtight lately."
"The only options are the Oraned Federation and the Rofas Star Nation. Rofas couldn't possibly have that many ships, which means a vast number of them were Oraned."
"If that's the case, the lack of acceleration rings should have caused the number of ships visiting Star Nation 28783 to plummet. But looking at the density of vessels there, it was still high. This suggests the rings were likely operational at that time."
"If you hadn't claimed Star Nation 28783 wouldn't maintain them, I would have investigated back at the Suso-West Route."
"Now it's too late!"
Too late for what?
If the acceleration rings were inactive now, it was undoubtedly a defensive measure against them.
Had they known earlier, they could have made preparations. Now, they had no idea if the enemy was already lurking nearby.
Dudley's body trembled slightly.
"Strategos, I, I was wrong!"
He had indeed failed to verify, relying mostly on his own assumptions.
That was a cardinal sin.
Often, what seems logical isn't necessarily true.
Giotto didn't punish Dudley; he had also accepted that "reasonable" report.
Furthermore, if the opponent had planned this carefully, they would have likely left false trails in Star Nation 28783. He wasn't certain he could have seen through them at the time.
"Proceed with the original plan, but we must consider the possibility that the Oraned Federation has defected to Glolo."
The original plan was to speak with the Oraned leadership.
The Oraned Federation was a conglomerate of several organizations; there was more than one true leader. Having entered the Ang-State, they naturally contacted the State-Chief.
The Tachyon link was established quickly.
The signal delay was only eight days, meaning they were roughly twenty-eight light-years apart.
Once the connection was established, Giotto saw the Ang-State State-Chief, a member of the Waterfolk.
As was common in this sector, this Waterfolk had acquired several Terran features; it had completely abandoned its aquatic environment and possessed four limbs, though it had four arms.
According to the transmission, the State-Chief's name was Siphonsi.
He immediately expressed his respect for Giotto.
"Excellency Giotto, welcome to Ang-State. We are grateful for your assistance in dealing with the Glolo Star Nation."
"As agreed, over these past few centuries, I have gathered intelligence on the Glolo Star Nation. I hope this data proves useful to you."
He attached a file to his message.
Tachyon communication always suffers from latency, which everyone finds irritating, so they avoided unnecessary chatter.
Giotto skimmed the report.
It detailed the Glolo Star Nation's recent activities within the Oraned Federation.
It also pinpointed several Glolo strongholds within the Federation.
"You can use this information to strike them directly. We have suffered under their suppression for years. They have shamelessly promoted their ideology within our state, and many of our corporations have defected to them, leaving our economy in a state of extreme instability."
"Even the A-Fly Shipyard has been affected."
The A-Fly Shipyard was currently being leased by the Rusty Star Nation.
Giotto nodded.
"That is exactly why we are here. Rest assured, we will resolve the situation here quickly."
"However, you must also commit a portion of your forces. Otherwise, any ships or warships that escape could cause widespread devastation within your borders."
This was a standard request, and the opponent showed no sign of refusal.
After the transmission ended, Dudley was stunned by how smoothly the conversation had gone.
"It seems Glolo has caused the Oraned Federation a lot of trouble; otherwise, they wouldn't have agreed so readily without making any demands."
Giotto shook his head in silence, his eyes fixed on the documents in his hand.
Dudley was puzzled.
Why did Giotto still have doubts?
After waiting over a dozen hours for Giotto to finish his first read of the data, the commander finally spoke:
"A place like the Oraned Federation, if they didn't have chaos before, they won't have it now."
"Glolo can only win them over; they can't afford to bleed out here. This isn't Star Nation 28783, which couldn't even scrape together a proper army. If the Oraned Federation chooses to resist, the distance is too great, and if the deployed forces aren't sufficient, Glolo could find itself bogged down in a quagmire."
"Glolo wouldn't do that, and Siphonsi surely knows it."
"In fact, given the current situation, what are the odds that he's already defected to Glolo?"
Giotto was convinced that Siphonsi, and perhaps the entire Oraned Federation, had gone over to the other side.
Dudley still struggled with some of the finer points: "They didn't flip during the entire thousand-year preparation period. Why would they flip now?"
This was a common cognitive trap.
Assuming that because things were a certain way before, they must be the same now.
While it looked like logical deduction, it was actually flawed because it was too one-sided.
"How do you know they didn't flip during that millennium?"
"Besides, a star nation is a collective, not an individual. The Oraned Federation, being a federation-style state, is even more prone to playing both sides."
"Small nations have their own interests. Forget professional negotiators; in this era, you could grab a beggar off the street to spin a yarn, and it would cause instability within the Oraned Federation."
"The difference between a negotiator and a beggar is that a negotiator can ensure that instability swings in their favor long-term."
"Siphonsi's words were half-truths."
"The Oraned Federation is indeed unstable, and the major corporations are shifting their allegiances, but that doesn't mean Siphonsi's own stance is neutral."
"When a bandit enters a house to rob it and then decides to stay, there's more than one outcome."
One can also choose to join the gang.
Glolo had the financial muscle to make Siphonsi disregard his own nation's interests.
Because the Oraned Federation was like a dormitory, and it had more than one landlord.
It's like someone walking into a university dorm and telling the students they can move into a villa outside and get a cash payout, as long as they follow orders.
What would they choose?
The first lesson Luna taught Giotto was: Never trust in the brilliance of human nature!
That brilliance is never for others; it's for oneself.
At best, it extends to family; a bit further, to friends. A "saint" might even cover acquaintances. But beyond that?
Even a saint couldn't manage it. If a stranger wants a saint's blessing, they'd better get in line and pay up.
That is the reality of society.
"Then, these locations are all traps?"
"If Siphonsi deploys his fleet, will we be even less safe?"
Dudley's hair stood on end.
"If Glolo has been operating here for this long, they must have made thorough preparations."
"Strategos, maybe, we should leave!"
Retreating was indeed a solid strategic option.
But would leaving solve the problem?
There's a pride of lions at the door, and they are the ones who circled back to resolve the issue. If they leave because there are too many lions, what happens to the people trapped inside who can't escape?
"No, we're going in!"
"Right into their plan."
Dudley's expression shifted; this was no time for emotional decisions.
But seeing Giotto's grave face, the protest he was about to voice died in his throat.
Was Giotto being impulsive?
One might have said so several millennia ago.
But based on Giotto's recent performance, Dudley believed he had truly changed. Miss CEO had perfectly taught Giotto everything a Strategos should be and do.
Perhaps he could be trusted after all.
He snapped a military salute.
"Strategos! Please, give me your orders."
His voice was firm and resolute.
Giotto was both surprised and gratified.
Finally, he was earning the recognition of others.
With the expansion of Rusty and Supernova Technology, it had been a long time since he'd felt this way.
He remembered the last time, back when Supernova Technology was small and growing. Everyone had pinned their hopes on the corporation, and he had delivered through technological breakthroughs.
Back then, those within the company thought he was invincible. But later, they hit a wall, and development stagnated for centuries, even a millennium.
It got to the point where many veterans lost hope and left, one after another.
That was precisely why Giotto and Toma K had decided to hire a CEO as an experiment, and that hire was Luna.
Giotto carefully reviewed the intelligence in his hand for a second time.
Then, he spoke to Dudley: "Order the entire fleet to mobilize. Let's not keep Siphonsi waiting too long."
"And let's not keep our enemies waiting, either. If their patience wears thin, things will get complicated."
Dudley was puzzled once more.
Wouldn't it be better if the enemy's patience ran out?
But he had learned to wait for time to reveal the truth, and he didn't open his mouth to ask.
The fleet continued its advance, though its heading shifted slightly.
Giotto wasn't idling; he summoned Nanoxa once more.
...
After traveling sixteen light-years over nearly fifty years, the Tier 2 fleet reached the nearest location marked by Siphonsi.
It was the only point located within Ang-State.
The Oraned Federation Star Nation comprised forty-eight states in total. Ang-State was neither large nor small, and theoretically held little strategic value, except for its control over the Suso-West Route.
This was the gateway to Star Nation 28783, making it one of the three critical border states of the Oraned Federation.
Countless "travelers" bound for Star Nation 28783 passed through here, and Siphonsi reaped massive profits from them. He even collaborated with certain figures in Star Nation 28783; Giotto's data suggested that collaboration was just the beginning, Siphonsi likely held assets there.
This wasn't just baseless speculation; there simply wasn't ironclad proof yet.
Giotto had no desire to deal with such a person, but that was his duty as the Strategos of the Tier 2 fleet.
En route, the Tier 2 fleet rendezvoused with the Ang-Fleet escort dispatched by Siphonsi.
The opponent had 7,000 support ships and 8 warships.
This was standard military strength for a single state. Considering that Rusty, as a minor star nation, didn't even have a few warships in its early days, the fact that a single state in the Oraned Federation could muster eight spoke volumes about the Federation's absolute dominance among low-tier powers.
Siphonsi wasn't with the fleet.
That was to be expected.
He would never place himself in harm's way.
Giotto dispatched Dudley to handle the liaison with them.
When Dudley returned, his face was grim.
"Strategos, you were right."
"Even though the fleet Commander was friendly toward me, I suspect the plan is common knowledge within their ranks. The soldiers were looking at us with, dangerous eyes."
"It's not right."
Giotto was now even more certain of his deduction.
This means he could act without restraint.
"Find a pretext. Get our people onto their ships, then eliminate them all."
Dudley felt a chill.
Recognizing this as a part of Giotto's subsequent plan, he moved quickly to execute it.
Passing by a warship, he established contact with that Commander again.
Titles like Captain, Commander, and Strategos varied by nation.
In this escort fleet, there were eight warships, yet the senior-most officer was a Commander, not a Captain.
Rusty used a similar structure: a Commander oversaw 100 warships and 10,000 support ships. In the Federation, a Commander led an officer corps of 10,000 warships. Above them was an Admiral, managing 500,000 warships, and above the Admiral was the Strategos, the absolute authority in a theater of war.
At the central level, military control didn't rest with an Admiral or Strategos, but with the Fleet Overlord.
The Fleet Overlord was a first-rank officer, controlling all Federation warships and military deployments.
When Dudley saw the man again, he couldn't recall the name the officer had just given him.
He searched his memory.
Still nothing.
Then it didn't matter.
"By order of our Strategos, a fierce battle lies ahead. Our Strategos noted that your ships and warships are in a state of disrepair; they likely won't survive the engagement."
"Our Strategos is merciful. He wishes to provide repairs and even some upgrades. We will be sending personnel onto your warships to begin work immediately."
He delivered the message like a formal notification, maintaining an air of superiority.
The Commander bowed and scraped, offering profuse thanks.
Once Dudley left, the Commander's expression shifted. He turned to his subordinates: "We haven't reached the location yet. Let them enjoy their arrogance for a little longer."
"When their people arrive, don't stop them. Don't let them suspect anything is wrong."
"And tell everyone on the ships to behave. Wipe those aggressive looks off your faces!"
He gave his orders and headed to his quarters, which housed a specialized virtual reality pod.
He climbed inside and lost himself in a game.
Even Giotto probably hadn't expected that a warship like this would still have enough processing power dedicated to maintaining a virtual world.
A dozen hours later.
A large number of Tier 2 fleet soldiers boarded the vessels, clad in mecha and heavily armed.
The officers and soldiers of the Ang-Escort Fleet saw nothing amiss, greeting them with smiles.
Once they were fully inside the warships, the Tier 2 soldiers struck. A bloodbath erupted within the hulls of the ships and warships.
The screams and the spray of blood didn't disturb the Commander's gaming experience in his VR pod.
It was only when the pod was ruthlessly forced open and he found himself staring into cold, merciless faces that he realized something was wrong. But it was too late; a moment later, he was erased from existence.
...
"Strategos, the task is complete!"
Giotto nodded.
"Send some soldiers in. Have them swap their gear for those low-tier mecha and disguise themselves as Ang-Escort personnel."
"Then, teach them some local Oraned Federation slang. Let Nanoxa handle that; he's the most familiar with the region."
The entire Human Civilization utilized English.
However, given the vastness of the sectors, star nations inevitably developed their own slang and colloquialisms that didn't exist elsewhere. Over time, these became distinct local dialects, creating minor communication barriers.
Of course, everyone still spoke standard English, the common tongue, but regional accents were prevalent.
"Understood."
Dudley went to make the arrangements.
Giotto noted that they were nearing the Siway-II artificial star system.
That was their destination.
What is an artificial star system?
It involves gathering a massive amount of matter and utilizing gravitational manipulation to force it to coalesce. The matter collapses, igniting into a star, around which an ecosystem is then constructed.
It didn't require much advanced tech. These stars were typically small, less than a tenth of the Sun's mass, with a diameter of around 100,000 kilometers, even smaller than J0523, which had been known as the smallest star during the Earth era.
Artificial stars aren't rare; Rusty had several within its borders.
However, they weren't exactly commonplace.
The universe is vast, and the Milky Way is huge, with an abundance of natural stars. Building one is often more trouble than simply conquering an existing one.
The primary reason for their creation was the constant warfare between star nations.
When a star is shattered during a conflict, an entire system is lost. Why not rebuild?
Wherever an artificial star exists, a major conflict once occurred.
The Siway-II artificial star system originated during the Oraned Federation's expansion wars.
It was once a central hub of the Federation, but it had since been marginalized because the artificial star provided so little energy.
The primary reason for its continued existence was strategic.
If point A and point B are 1,000 kilometers apart, it's illogical not to have a city somewhere in between. So, Siway-II was maintained; otherwise, it would have been decommissioned long ago.
Perhaps because of its strategic value, or perhaps because it was relatively backwater, the Glolo Star Nation had occupied it.
Intelligence suggested they had held the system for over 200 years, likely fortifying it into an impregnable stronghold.
Dudley's concerns weren't groundless.
Charging straight into an enemy's main base was extremely dangerous.
I hope Giotto has come up with an effective tactic! Dudley thought.
When they were less than two light-years from Siway-II, Giotto summoned Nanoxa.
"Strategos, you called?"
Nanoxa had recently earned a great deal of Giotto's trust, a fact that made many other officers envious.
He felt a sense of pride.
He would do anything Giotto asked of him.
"We are about to launch our assault on the Siway-II artificial star system."
"But a direct frontal attack is out of the question."
"The enemy will activate their defenses the moment they spot us. Even though it's only an artificial star, our fleet's total energy reserves simply can't compete with its output."
"Therefore, the best course of action is to have the Ang-Escort lead the way. They will deceive the enemy into lowering their defenses. That is when we strike from long range."
Nanoxa saw several flaws in this plan.
"But we can't get within one light-year of the enemy without being detected."
"And if we fire from beyond one light-year, the enemy won't just sit and wait for that long!"
One light-year means the light itself takes a year to travel.
It meant they'd need the enemy to keep their defenses down for an entire year, an impossible task.
"Don't worry. I've calculated the timing to fire the opening salvo so that it arrives approximately five days after you do."
"Us?"
Nanoxa's face paled.
Giotto spoke to him solemnly: "Yes. I need you to handle this. You know the local slang and their lifestyle habits; you can mimic them perfectly."
"I don't trust anyone else with this."
"Do it well, and I'll promote you after the war."
A standard piece of manipulation.
Nanoxa acted as though he were moved to tears.
"Thank you for your trust, Strategos! I will complete the mission!"
He snapped a salute and headed out of the command center to make his preparations.
The moment he left the room, his expression shifted.
This was practically a suicide mission!
He'd thought that getting close to Giotto would land him easier assignments, but the reality was the exact opposite.
He walked away with a dark expression, but he still dutifully prepared everything.
The Tier 2 fleet began an undulating, serpentine advance, while the Ang-Escort proceeded in a direct line.
The Ang-Escort was inherently slow; it only reached its current speed, over 100,000 kilometers per second, after the Tier 2 fleet provided an energy transfer.
The distance was less than two light-years; it would take just under six years to arrive.
Nanoxa sighted the Siway-II artificial star system and established contact without a hint of panic.
A cold face appeared on the screen.
A woman.
She spoke immediately: "Where is the Tier 2 fleet?"
They seemed to have a high level of familiarity.
Nanoxa answered with great respect.
"Approximately one light-year from our entry point. They're using optical cloaking, but we've confirmed their coordinates."
"Their plan is for me to pose as the original Ang-Escort to trick you into lowering your shields. Their attack is scheduled to arrive in about five days, but that timing might shift."
He was a Glolo agent.
"That makes things difficult. We can't destroy them from one light-year away," the female officer remarked with some dissatisfaction.
She had hoped Nanoxa would lead the enemy right to her.
Nanoxa countered, "They can create optical illusions; why can't we?"
"We just need to make them think their attack was successful. Once I confirm it from this side, they won't suspect a thing."
"That's when we deliver the killing blow. Even if we can't wipe them out entirely, we can halt their further plans."
Nanoxa's rank within Glolo wasn't much lower than the female officer's; they simply belonged to different departments.
The female officer considered this and found it a sound suggestion.
"Fine. Should I let you in first? Can you control the people on your ships?"
She was concerned that the ships might launch an attack once they were inside.
Nanoxa spoke with confidence: "It won't be a problem."
"And there's no need to control them. Once we're inside, I'll evacuate the warship. You can attack them directly; it will be foolproof."
The shield covering the entire artificial star system opened.
This was the advantage of an artificial star system.
Because of its small size and high energy density, the shields could cover the entire surface. Generally, the surface temperature of an artificial star isn't high, so Star Cities are built directly upon the surface, rather than in a distant habitable zone like with a natural star.
The habitable zone for a modern star is only about 20 million kilometers away, still far too distant to maintain a 20-million-kilometer diameter shield!
The shield for Siway-II was only 230,000 kilometers in diameter.
The Ang-Escort entered through the designated aperture.
Nanoxa addressed his soldiers: "Restrain yourselves. Do not attack. We wait until the Tier 2 fleet completes its strike. If we act now, we're no match for the enemy, and we'll only blow our cover."
The soldiers held back, much to Nanoxa's satisfaction.
He left the command center and headed for the warship's airlock.
He looked calm, but his heart was racing.
He had been undercover for 1,600 years.
When Glolo first planned its moves against Rusty, he had been sent in, and after all that time, he had finally reached a mid-level position.
At least he'd managed to use the Star Nation 28783 incident to get close to Giotto; otherwise, he might have had to wait much longer, or might have even died in this war, forgotten by all.
But now, that wasn't the outcome.
He was returning alive, bearing victory. He would be recorded in history, but more importantly, he would be rewarded, perhaps even with a title of nobility. That was what he truly desired.
As the fleet fully entered the star system, the warships decelerated, nearing the Starport.
Behind them, the shield began to slowly close, though an energy screen appeared to mask the aperture. This low-energy screen was designed to trick the remote sensors of any fleet, making them believe the shield remained open.
So far, the plan was flawless.
However...
Another fleet appeared right at the closing aperture of the energy shield!
...
Tier 2 Fleet.
Nearly six years ago.
As the Ang-Escort was departing.
Giotto summoned Dudley.
"Engage optical cloaking for the fleet. Eliminate all gravitational signatures. Follow behind the Ang-Escort."
The moment Dudley heard this, he understood Giotto's intent.
He hissed a breath.
Then, puzzled, he asked: "Why didn't you tell Nanoxa the mission details? He could have made better preparations."
Giotto's voice was cold.
"Pay closer attention to how things develop."
"Why did I destroy Star Nation 28783? It wasn't because I wanted to; it was because Nanoxa deliberately led me to that conclusion."
"At the time, I didn't think much of it. But when we reached the Suso-West Route, he intentionally steered us away from inspecting the acceleration rings. As a native, he must have known that because the Oraned people are the primary consumers for Star Nation 28783, the Suso-West Route would be kept open. No matter how chaotic Star Nation 28783 was, someone would be assigned to maintain it."
"I only had suspicions then, but when I discovered the final ring on the Suso-West Route had been deactivated recently, things got interesting. He didn't change his story even then."
"Usually, a normal person in that situation would be terrified. They'd provided faulty intelligence, they should have been panicked."
"He did put on a bit of a show for me, but it wasn't enough. His calm outweighed his confusion."
"When I later deduced that Ang-State, and perhaps the entire Oraned Federation, had defected to Glolo, I was certain!"
Why was he certain?
The Oraned Federation, driven by self-interest, would naturally choose the path of least resistance, acting as a fence-sitter.
Even though Glolo was powerful, it was right next to the Rusty Star Nation. The shortest distance from Glolo to the Oraned Federation was over 260 light-years, it was essentially out of reach. The Oraned Federation had every reason to avoid offending either side.
Yet, they defected to Glolo.
Why?
Giotto kept thinking.
Finally, he realized there was only one possibility: Nanoxa.
Only by making Nanoxa the common thread, connecting all the pieces, could he find the final answer.
Nanoxa had Giotto destroy Star Nation 28783, an uncontrollable tumor. But it was still a Star Nation. When the Tier 2 fleet arrived, contact with the Yanli Independence Star Nation had already been lost. With Star Nation 28783 gone, Glolo could easily claim that Rusty had destroyed Yanli.
Even Rusty hadn't realized the Yanli Independence Star Nation had been destroyed, much less the Oraned Federation.
Coupled with the events in Star Nation 28783, the Oraned Federation had every reason to believe the Rusty Star Nation intended to use this war to eliminate them as well, much like how the Glolo Star Nation wanted to monopolize a sector to become a high-tier power.
The motive was there, and the 'facts' supported it.
The Oraned Federation would inevitably defect, or at least, having a few key State-Chiefs defect would force the others' hands. They wouldn't dare gamble on Rusty's mercy.
In their minds, even if Rusty didn't originally have such intentions, after dealing with Glolo, they'd likely follow through anyway, it would be a simple matter of convenience.
The Oraned Federation was currently the largest Star Nation in the Lican Sector besides Rusty; eliminating it offered numerous advantages.
From the very beginning, Giotto had been ensnared in this trap.
Dudley wasn't an idiot; he just wasn't particularly good at independent analysis. Once the clues were presented, he could spot the problem instantly.
After all, individual intelligence in this era was relatively high.
Even in the star nations.
"Theoretically, Nanoxa is a spy!"
In an instant, he understood the entirety of Giotto's plan.
It wasn't quite perfect, but it was certainly a deep calculation.
By following behind the Ang-Escort, they could achieve near-perfect concealment, waiting to slip into the Siway-II artificial star system right behind Nanoxa.
As for why the Siway-II system would definitely allow the Ang-Escort in: first, the enemy wouldn't pass up the chance to capture such a fleet, and second, it was to facilitate the perfect ambush, intended to deceive them when they arrived at the artificial star system later.
After all, the Ang-Escort was manned by their soldiers; they'd have to approach anyway, whether to finish them off or bring them back to the fleet.
...
Back to the present.
The sudden emergence of the massive fleet caught the Glolo garrison at the Siway-II artificial star system completely off guard.
Not only were their defenses down, they hadn't even prepared a counter-strike.
But the Tier 2 fleet was fully prepared.
At such close range, lasers weren't the optimal weapon.
A better option was the Positron Pulse Cascade.
The principle behind this weapon came from a technique originally used to compress the vacuum state.
This is a quantum state where, without violating the uncertainty principle, laser beams are used to suppress quantum fluctuations, yielding more precise quantum measurements.
Because of the uncertainty principle, a particle's position and momentum cannot be measured simultaneously with absolute precision; increasing the accuracy of one measurement decreases the accuracy of the other.
This measurement method is highly likely to generate negative energy pulses.
However, the appearance of a negative energy pulse implies the appearance of a positive energy pulse, because in the universe, the emergence of a negative energy particle is always accompanied by a positive energy particle; their sum must be positive.
The so-called Positron Pulse Cascade is based on the theory of taking an area of space and creating more negative energy within it by manipulating the existing positive energy.
Imagine a sphere of matter; this weapon causes it to compress and vibrate, generating a negative energy sphere. Because that negative energy sphere exists, a positive energy sphere must also manifest, effectively doubling the original sphere's mass. The vibration is a process of flux, causing the original matter and the negative energy to annihilate each other.
You could call it a transmutation technique.
It might sound useless, but newly born matter always undergoes state changes.
A state change means little to biological tissue; flesh isn't a precision instrument, after all.
For a Type 1 Civilization or lower, these alterations are also negligible, as they lack components with sub-nanometer precision.
But a Type 2 Civilization, which manipulates the four fundamental forces, strings, and deeper mysteries, has countless processing units with sub-nanometer tolerances. These slight state changes can be fatal to such precision equipment.
The entire transmutation occurs at the microscopic level.
It's not as if a positive energy version and a negative energy version of the Siway-II artificial star system suddenly appeared.
Massive laser beams converged, bathing the entire star system.
After several seconds of shock, the female Glolo officer finally issued the order:
"Engage!"
The Glolo soldiers scrambled onto their support ships and warships, powering them up to charge the Tier 2 fleet.
Everything seemed fine at first.
But the moment they tried to fire their weapons, the problems started.
The weapons were directly controlled by the ships' DataNodes and the warships' central servers.
They issued the firing commands, but the weapons remained silent, or worse, they fired erratically.
Instantly, the entire fleet fell into total disarray.
The Tier 2 fleet seized the moment to launch a ferocious offensive.
Ultra-dense cosmic rays lanced through the Glolo vessels, slicing them clean in half.
Cosmic rays were once a theoretical cause for Earth's destruction, usually originating from supernovae, black hole jets, and the like, with highly complex compositions.
Modern laser weapons, however, are typically simple beams of specific laser light.
The terror of an ultra-dense cosmic ray lies in its extreme energy density; it is, quite literally, a single, infinitesimal line.
Used as a weapon, a cosmic ray can cut through almost any matter, much like a laser cutter but on an unimaginably higher level.
The Glolo ships and warships, unable to utilize their DataNodes and servers, were defenseless against the relentless assault; within half an hour, the entire force was annihilated.
The surrounding space was filled with panicked Glolo soldiers.
The description takes time, but the reality unfolded in a mere thirty minutes.
Aboard the flagship of the Ang-Escort, Nanoxa had already been pinned to the floor.
"What are you doing?!"
"Let me go!"
One of the soldiers holding him down slammed a fist into his face.
"What are we doing? You tell us!"
"The Strategos told us exactly who you are: a Glolo spy."
"If the Strategos hadn't been so brilliant and seen through you, we'd all be dead by now."
"Surrender and wait for the Strategos to decide your fate!"
Nanoxa tried to struggle.
"You've made a mistake! How could I be a spy? My loyalty to Rusty is absolute!"
"Take me to the Strategos! I demand to see the Strategos!"
A soldier pinning him let out a cold laugh.
"Still trying to lie? Was that conversation you just had with the Glolo officer a hallucination?"
Nanoxa's face drained of color.
He fell silent.
No one knew what he was thinking.
More soldiers arrived, shouting excitedly: "A total victory! We took the Siway-II system without a single casualty!"
The soldiers erupted in cheers.
For them, nothing in war surpassed a victory with zero losses.
The latter was often even more prized than the former.
It was truly something worth celebrating.
"He really is the Strategos!"
"I said from the start he'd lead us to victory!"
"Haha, the Strategos wasn't always like this. Spending a thousand years by the CEO's side really sharpened him."
"Exactly. I wonder if the CEO plans to open a private training course. I'd spend every credit I have to get in."
The soldiers chatted.
Then, someone noticed a pool of blood spreading on the floor.
It was coming from Nanoxa, still pinned to the deck.
The soldiers hauled him up, only to find he was already dead.
"He killed himself!"
"Dammit, I wasn't watching him!"
"The guy actually had some spine, committing suicide like that."
"We don't have consciousness-capture technology. I heard they have it in the Federation, even if someone kills themselves, they can capture the consciousness immediately and bring them back to life."
"Why bother? Can't we just extract his memories?"
"The Federation doesn't do it just for intel; it's so these guys can't escape accountability by dying."
He was dead, and the soldiers' resentment hadn't fully faded.
But there was nothing more to be said.
When the Tier 2 fleet established contact, they relayed the news.
Giotto felt a slight sense of regret, but nothing more.
He ordered the fleet to advance into the Star City.
As the army closed in, the remaining Glolo soldiers in the Star City were gripped by terror.
The female officer didn't even know how to stand.
Fight back?
The Star City had weapons, but like the ships, they were controlled by the central server, which was currently useless.
Unless the enemy abandoned their warships and came into the city for hand-to-hand combat, the defenders were powerless.
They were backed into a corner.
But few chose to follow Nanoxa's example and commit suicide.
After all, they were immortal now.
As long as there is life, there is hope.
The female officer felt the same.
"Surrender, and you will live."
"All personnel, disengage your mecha!"
As the warships drew close, Dudley broadcast the demand to the Star City.
The ancient call for surrender still held its power today.
Rank after rank of Glolo soldiers discarded their armor.
Only then did combat droids descend into the Star City to bind every Glolo soldier.
The female officer was, of course, brought to Giotto's quarters.
Nothing untoward happened.
Giotto simply wanted her to provide clarity on the Oraned Federation.
The Glolo organization within the Oraned Federation wasn't limited to the Siway-II artificial star system.
However, their strike had been so rapid that they could leverage the information gap to secure further victories in the coming conflicts.
The female officer had internal restraints, making it impossible for her to speak freely.
Fortunately, the Positron Pulse Cascade had fried the central server, making it much easier to bypass her auxiliary brain and the quark-bots within her system.
After some time spent cleaning out her systems, the female officer began spilling everything, detailing every Glolo military rally point.
In the meantime, the Tier 2 fleet rapidly departed the Siway-II artificial star system.
Roughly a month later.
The fleet split up.
A small detachment headed for a specific star system.
Before they even entered, a broadcast came from within.
"Identify yourselves!"
"We are the Rusty Tier 2 fleet! Out of our way!"
The Archon Commander of this detachment was Tex, an officer Giotto trusted implicitly. He'd recently been a mere Captain, so this was a multi-rank promotion.
Tex's competence was his primary asset.
His declaration prompted a welcoming party from the star system.
The highest-ranking official in an Oraned Federation star system is known as the Astro-Vicar.
The Astro-Vicar personally came to greet them and began questioning Tex.
"Lord, what has happened? Your fleet looks to be in quite a state!"
Tex, his face dark with frustration, remained silent.
He simply demanded a location to dock for repairs and requested the use of a Tachyon transceiver.
The Astro-Vicar was a shrewd individual; seeing Tex's silence, he stopped asking questions.
Once Tex was settled, the Vicar immediately contacted Siphonsi, relaying everything.
Siphonsi was already agitated by the loss of contact with the Ang-Escort.
Upon receiving the news, he concluded that the matter was settled.
It seemed Rusty had likely suffered a crushing defeat.
However, he didn't dare move against the Rusty remnants immediately.
For one, he lacked the forces. For another, he wasn't certain if the Ang-Escort's cover had been blown.
If they were exposed, would the enemy really dare enter the star system?
Thus, he still clung to a sliver of hope.
"Stabilize them for now, then probe for details on the battle!"