Feuae star system.
The entire star system was in a state of total rout. After overcoming the initial wave of resistance, the Tier 1 fleet had essentially swept through and annihilated every Star City.
Accomplishing all of this had taken only about six years, a swift operation.
Afterward, Luna ordered the entire fleet to encircle the Feuae star system as a defensive perimeter, preparing for the inevitable arrival of the enemy.
Simultaneously, she tasked Toma K with leading a fleet to pursue the resistance forces they had previously encountered, demanding their total destruction.
The reason she hadn't pursued them earlier was due to the weapon threat to her warships; neutralizing the Star Cities had been the priority. Now that she had breathing room, she would not let that fleet escape and provide reinforcements to Glolo's army later.
This was, after all, the heart of the Glolo Star Nation. She had to ensure every step was precise to secure victory.
However, things weren't quite that tense.
After all, she wasn't facing the Olive Branch Civilization like in the old Galactic Federation days. The power gap between the two sides was only tenfold, and she knew Glolo's intelligence like the back of her hand.
Coupled with her own identity, even without using her full authority, there were no significant obstacles.
"But I still hope Hua'a likes the gift I've prepared for him."
"Right now, those fleeing ships are heading out of the Star Nation. Between the survivors and their own reports, whether this is true or false doesn't matter anymore; his reputation is already dragged through the mud."
A thousand years had passed, and the original goal of Luna's cooperation with Hua'a had been achieved.
Since that was the case, Luna wouldn't pass up any opportunity to exploit Hua'a; after all, he had stepped into this game himself and should have been prepared for this outcome.
Of course, these matters couldn't be left to just anyone.
She lacked truly capable subordinates.
The Divines had been reassigned after the war, as conflicts with the Flyer Civilization seemed to be escalating.
Luna had to handle things personally.
The avatar she had sent to Glolo earlier was meant for this very purpose.
That avatar had penetrated Glolo, conducting business while gathering intelligence and facilitating the infiltration of personnel into Glolo's inner circle.
The Feuae star system was the target Hua'a had provided, and it was also the objective Luna had long since selected.
She knew exactly what would happen here.
That was why she dared to lead her people into the heart of enemy territory.
As the fleet settled in, Toma K sent word of his victory, reporting the annihilation of the bulk of the enemy fleet.
However, his expression during the transmission was somewhat odd, because standing right beside him was another Luna.
The real Luna was clearly on the other end of the comms, so who was this person standing next to him?
"It's also me!"
Cloning and various other methods could achieve this; Luna didn't hide it, as long as she didn't mention things like Metacellular.
Toma K assumed this was the case; in his view, the one beside him must be a clone, because no one would put their original self at risk while letting a clone sit in the high seat of command.
So, he continued to address the Luna on the screen as the primary authority, asking, "How should she be handled?"
"Bring her back."
Toma K ordered the pursuit and destruction of the remaining ships, then brought the Luna avatar back to the original's side.
Seeing two identical Lunas standing there, an eerie sensation welled up within Toma K; after all, such a sight was rare.
After he left.
The two Lunas sat facing each other, staring at one another for a long while.
"It seems we need to talk."
"You want to take the lead?"
"You know it makes no difference which of us leads."
"Isn't that just self-deception? From the moment we separated, we became different. You are you, and I am I."
"But do you care?"
"I could not care, or I could care; it all depends on a single thought. But I know that the moment I think that way, I do care."
"It seems we really are different."
"No, at least we are still the same in some ways. Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting here together so peacefully."
"We both know that we don't really have a goal. Though we seem to control everything, we're nothing more than drifting duckweed, restricted by the very things we possess."
"Are these deep philosophical questions really what we should be discussing? Why don't you tell me what's happened over these years?"
"I'll go first. I've been sightseeing and traveling around the Glolo Star Nation, but I've also been busy. No need to mention the intel I sent you; I've planted my people within the bureaucratic systems of every star system. Once Glolo falls, there's no need to worry about chaos breaking out here."
"Nothing much is happening on Rusty's end, but I've handed over the task of dealing with the small Star Nations to Giotto. I've spent the last 1000 years properly training him. It wasn't until I sent you out that I realized I truly lack capable people. It was the same back in the Federation, only me and Ella. When Human Civilization was small, we could still maintain control, but now it's becoming difficult; even virology has begun to interfere with Ella's administrative grip."
"Our previous suspicions were correct. This strike by Glolo is linked to the Frost Blue Star Nation among the twenty-eight Star Nations. They're after evasion-capable technology, but because of the distance, they used Glolo as their proxy. Glolo, of course, has its own ambitions. None of that matters, though. Being on the Star Nation's border has allowed me to find traces of an alien civilization."
"Which civilization?"
"Glolo's very foundation might have been aided by an alien civilization from the start. After all, resources here are scarce; birthing an upper-tier Star Nation, while not impossible, is exceptionally difficult. Naminko might be the spokesperson for that alien civilization. As for who they specifically are, I haven't found out. They are hidden deep, but I found some breadcrumbs within Glolo's technology. They are strong, likely not from this sector."
If they aren't local, then they are either from the inner disk or outside the disk.
The "disk," naturally, refers to the Milky Way's galactic disk.
The inner disk is the Galactic Center, while outside the disk refers to extra-galactic space.
Since this area is near the periphery, the possibility of an extra-galactic civilization is higher. The Federation is also situated relatively toward the exterior, so infiltration during this campaign was to be expected.
Luna had created her avatars not just to evade the Connecter's control, but also to gain a better understanding of the civilization's internal state.
The larger Human Civilization becomes, the harder it is to grasp every piece of information, making the likelihood of infiltration greater. In contrast, the models of the Olive Branch Civilization and the Flyer Civilization are somewhat more secure.
Every civilization has its own strengths and flaws; now, the weaknesses of Human Civilization are being exposed.
The two Lunas sat facing each other, their conversation not lasting long, as they shared a telepathic bond.
"Fine, talking about this is just a way to kill time. These things are ethereal and vague; no one can distinguish the truth until after the merger."
The two Lunas stood up and walked toward each other.
As they pressed together, their skin unexpectedly began to melt and fuse.
In just two or three minutes, only one Luna remained standing.
Metacellular structures capable of fission can, naturally, also undergo fusion.
However, this fusion wasn't occurring at a sub-cellular level; it was as simple as 1+1=2.
In short, at this moment, Luna's body contained every single cell from both Lunas, with these Metacellular units simply being compressed by half.
Soon, however, after the two sets of cells finished exchanging and sharing their stored information, the redundant cells would be terminated, returning her to a single-Luna state. This was what she called a merger.
As for who would take the lead.
Before the merger, Luna did not know.
The two Lunas had each possessed independent consciousness. One cannot imagine an experience one has never had; science is a discipline of empirical evidence, not something created out of thin air.
But after the fusion, Luna knew who had become dominant.
"It seems this world truly doesn't allow for the possibility of two consciousnesses existing simultaneously after fusion without interfering with one another."
Luna sighed.
Her original self had ultimately held the upper hand.
Strictly speaking, it wasn't a matter of one seizing control over the other; they had simply made a wager with their own consciousness. They could distinguish which Metacellular belonged to whom. During the natural merger, they relinquished conscious control and allowed their bodies to choose which cells to discard. In the end, the one whose cells remained in the majority emerged as the victor.
It was pure luck.
The original Luna's luck had not run out.
She had earned the right to continue.
"A peaceful resolution, but that was only because we had been apart for a mere millennium or two. What if it had been much longer? I doubt I could guarantee that 'I' would still be 'me.'"
Luna wondered about the other avatars from the beginning. Would they still be so peaceful during their eventual merger?
Even she did not know.
After all, the human heart is unpredictable and fickle.
"Forget it, why overthink such things?"
"When that day arrives, I'll just settle it with another duel like this."
"For now, I need to resolve the current matter."
The avatar Luna had made extensive preparations within Glolo to ensure a complete victory this time.
After all, without the assistance of the Divines, simply charging in blindly meant she would never have been able to defeat Glolo.
The avatar Luna had recognized this, utilizing her authority to use Hua'a to disrupt Glolo's internal affairs while secretly compromising key individuals. These people could provide essential aid during the conflict.
Most importantly, the avatar Luna had placed operatives within the council, which would pave the way for a decisive victory.
Now, drawing on the avatar's memories, Luna formulated an entirely new plan.
"Toma K!"
She called for Toma K, who had left only moments ago.
Toma K found it somewhat strange to see only one Luna in the office, but he asked no questions. He stood quietly, waiting to hear the next phase of the plan.
His eyes grew wider and wider until he finally asked a single question.
"Is that really possible?"
Luna nodded.
"Of course!"
"Once this is done, the entire Glolo Star Nation will practically collapse. As long as we hold Glolo, we won't need to worry too much about whatever tricks they're playing in the Lican Sector."
Regarding the new plan, Luna was completely confident.
In truth, her original plan could have succeeded, but it would have taken much longer; eventually, Giotto's side might have become an escape route for Glolo.
However, the avatar Luna had accomplished a great deal within Glolo over the years.
Because the avatar lacked resources and had limited access to information, her plans hadn't been perfect. But now that the two Lunas had merged, every plan was complete.
"Alright then, I'll take this assignment."
Toma K left the office, looking pensive.
Returning to his workspace, he opened his mind map, which was filled with his existing strategies. He integrated the instructions Luna had given him, listing each point and then breaking them down. He studied them meticulously for six days and seven nights before finally notifying his subordinates:
"Separate C1, C2, and C3 detachments. Have them prepare for departure."
The Tier 1 fleet consisted of over 200,000 ships, so it was divided into many detachments, each managing over 1,000 vessels.
Toma K had summoned three detachments totaling 3,000 ships to execute Luna's mission.
In a war against an upper-tier Star Nation, 3,000 ships were certainly few; a single Glolo star system likely had a garrison larger than that.
The Glolo Star Nation, being upper-tier, had over 2 million ships in its formal military registry, but that didn't include the countless civilian ships or planetary security vessels.
Individual ships aside, each star system likely had over 500 security vessels; larger systems might have over 1,000. 3,000 ships truly didn't look like much.
Once preparations were complete, Toma K's strategist, Antrue, asked: "Are we really leaving with only this many ships?"
"Isn't it, a bit too few?"
"This is Glolo's core star system. We'll be targeted the moment we depart."
Antrue had originally been a manager at the Supernova Technology Corporation. After the corporation took total control of the Rusty Star Nation, a revolving door between government and business opened. However, while traditional revolving doors usually involved politicians moving into the private sector to make money, in Rusty, it was the company men moving out to take secure government positions.
Many were quite eager for the change.
After all, Human Civilization is essentially a Federal-style capitalist imperialism, and the Star Nations are much the same; so-called officials are by no means "serving the people." Every Rusty official enjoys incredibly generous benefits, perks, and extensive personal authority.
Politics, military, business, that is the hierarchy of this era. It is the ranking across every facet: authority, wealth, and prestige. Business is, in fact, at the bottom.
Do not be misled by Supernova Technology Corporation's control over Rusty; such cases are rare. Most Star Nations are like the Glolo Star Nation. Hua'a of Fenton Games has money to burn, but in the council, he can only sit in a corner with a single vote, and the weakest one at that, as there are thousands of identical votes.
Antrue transitioned from business to the military and, due to his sharp instincts, was promoted to become Toma K's Strategist.
The position was relatively comfortable.
After all, Toma K certainly wouldn't put himself in harm's way; staying by Toma K's side at least minimized the risk of an unexplained death.
Having originally lived in such a safe environment, the sudden shift to a mission that seemed to carry great risk naturally caused him some anxiety.
Toma K was no longer the man he once was; he saw through Antrue's anxiety at a glance.
He said, "Rest easy. This mission is basically risk-free, and the merit to be gained is immense."
Such a good deal actually exists?
Antrue's face was full of disbelief, but with Toma K saying so, could he possibly refuse?
While the military offered plenty of opportunities for profit, the danger was equally great, especially since being near the command was like being near a tiger; if one disobeyed orders, summary execution was a real possibility with no way to appeal.
"Very well then. C1, C2, and C3 fleets are prepared and ready to depart at any time. Which warship will the Admiral choose as the flagship?"
When deploying, there naturally had to be a flagship.
But Toma K waved his hand.
"We don't need a flagship this time. Just pick any ship; it will do."
"Get everything settled. I'll give you 10 hours."
...
10 hours later.
Toma K boarded a ship.
A private office had already been arranged for him inside.
The command bridge was crowded and not ideal for work. As an Admiral, Toma K had to analyze vast amounts of data, so vessels usually contained one or more workspaces specifically reserved for high-ranking military personnel.
This workspace was filled with various data sets.
As soon as Toma K boarded, he ordered the ship to depart immediately.
The ships that had been stationary in the star system ignited their engines once more, and their velocity quickly surpassed 100,000 kilometers per second. It was slower than the previous 180,000 kilometers per second, but certainly not slow.
In truth, the entire fleet could orbit a star to gather energy without ever decelerating, provided they didn't intend to stay for long.
The Tier 1 fleet was preparing to establish a defensive grid in the Feuae star system, which naturally required personnel to be deployed and supplies to be offloaded; conversely, during combat, personnel and materiel would need to be brought back on board.
Going down was easy enough: eject the payload and then gradually decelerate it.
But what about coming back up?
Would every item and person have to be accelerated to 180,000 kilometers per second?
How else would they board these high-speed vessels?
It was like a high-speed spinning propeller; touching it resulted in a collision. Those attempting to board would likely be crushed into pulp by the immense force. While the ships could use tractor beams, the energy consumption was exorbitant, the costs far outweighed the benefits. Furthermore, it required extensive preparation, dividing people and goods into numerous waves for boarding, too many disadvantages.
Consequently, every warship and vessel in the Tier 1 fleet was now anchored near the star's surface, completely stationary.
As the fleet faded from view, Luna withdrew her gaze.
A message arrived from her subordinates:
"The telescope assembly is complete!"
A telescope is the eye of deep space, naturally making its assembly the top priority.
The process had taken three years. The lens diameter was approximately 4 kilometers, not exceptionally large, but its light absorption range was increased a hundredfold.
This telescope could resolve objects roughly 100 meters in size within a distance of one light-year. Achieving such fine detail relied not just on optics, but on powerful computational units that "filled in" the gaps.
"Have you detected a gathering of enemy warships?"
The entire Aurora Great Stellar Ring spanned only about 20 light-years. They didn't need to see from the extreme south to the extreme north; it was impossible for the enemy to mass their forces at the furthest reaches of the stellar ring. At most, they would be within 10 light-years.
Thus, the telescope could certainly detect enemy movements.
"In the (64, 42) coordinate sector."
That is, at a 64-degree horizontal angle and a 42-degree vertical angle from their current position.
"Quantity!"
"120,000 to 150,000!"
It seemed it would take more time.
This place was indeed the heart of Glolo.
But precisely because it was the core, massive amounts of troops wouldn't be stockpiled here, but rather in the outer star systems. Therefore, it was unlikely they could mobilize too many ships in the short term, which was exactly why Luna was able to build her strength here.
Of course, while it was improbable the enemy would launch super-range weapons, Luna remained cautious. The fleet was dispersed among the three red dwarfs of the Feuae star system. Furthermore, not all ships were anchored at the stars' surfaces; most remained on standby in interstellar space, with only a few ships absorbing energy and then transferring it to the others.
For now, the defense was airtight. The enemy fleet hadn't fully formed, and super-range weapons wouldn't be deployed yet, granting them ample time.
However, there was one singular concern.
"Can you distinguish any warship units?"
"Negative. Too far, and they're packed too densely."
The Golden Fleet.
A fleet composed entirely of warships.
Such a fleet, even in small numbers, posed a massive threat.
Luna was certain that Glolo had deployed the Golden Fleet; she just didn't know its current location.
This was the only known threat currently facing her.
"Theoretically, if it were me, I would have completed all preparations by now and the Golden Fleet would be on the move."
"The enemy is still massing. Unless the Golden Fleet isn't within the Aurora Great Stellar Ring, but that's impossible."
The Golden Fleet was always here; that was the intel Luna had received.
"Perhaps the enemy's efficiency is slow?"
The officer conveying information to Luna, Mevisi, spoke up.
He was the military dispatcher for the entire Tier 1 fleet, overseeing military logistics, where ships should be positioned and what formations the fleet should take. Luna would issue an order, and the dispatcher would then relay it to the ranks and monitor each unit's completion of the task.
Because he knew the entire military like the back of his hand, the dispatcher sometimes handled matters outside his direct remit, such as the intelligence analysis he was performing now.
Mevisi's speculation wasn't without merit. After all, Glolo hadn't anticipated their arrival, so they hadn't made the necessary preparations; a delay in coordination was entirely possible.
"But that is the Golden Fleet!"
Luna reminded Mevisi.
The Golden Fleet was the Glolo Star Nation's most elite force, bar none.
Intelligence indicated that every officer within this fleet was an exceptionally outstanding individual.
Even Dumu, the Spear of the Nation, hadn't been able to enter its ranks based on combat merit alone; one could only imagine its prestige.
In such an elite fleet, especially one belonging to an upper-tier Star Nation, such an error or delay was difficult to imagine.
Luna preferred to believe in other possibilities.
"But we truly haven't observed any enemy presence. Perhaps they don't intend to deal with us quickly."
Mevisi scrutinized the data in his hands, still unable to provide a definitive answer.
"Maintain high alert. The entire army is to enter Level 1 alert status for at least 20 years. Don't give the Golden Fleet any opening to exploit."
"As for 20 years from now, everything should have stabilized."
Not only would the Feuae star system be sealed off by a defensive grid, but Toma K's mission should also yield results.
By then, the entire Glolo Star Nation would be on the verge of chaos!
...
The Golden Fleet was different from the Silver Fleet; the Golden Fleet was a single fleet, not a conglomerate of several or even dozens of smaller ones.
While the Silver Fleet was numerous, its total warship count was actually only around 10,000 units.
Glolo's formal roster included over 30,000 warships, 20,000 of which were stationed within the Golden Fleet.
This was Glolo's true hidden strength.
Honest Tin's confidence was well-founded.
20,000 warships against 200,000 ships, no matter how one looked at it, the former should secure a total victory.
After all, ten ships couldn't possibly be equated with a single warship; disregarding firepower, the sheer difference in size alone was significant.
Then there were the other factors, mainframes versus data nodes, energy shielding, weaponry, and energy storage capacity, in every aspect, a warship absolutely crushed a ship.
Ultimately, warships were the true combat units of war; in the Federation, ships were for logistics and transport.
Right now, this fleet was traveling at high speed, clocking in at 123,000 kilometers per second.
Their destination, naturally, was the Feuae star system.
As Luna had surmised, the Golden Fleet was indeed delayed.
But it wasn't due to a lack of preparation or excessive distance; it was solely because of a transfer of authority.
The Golden Fleet's Admiral, Honest Tin, was still at the Godard stellar council, which was quite a distance from the Aurora Great Stellar Ring. Honest Tin couldn't possibly rush back in a short time, so he had transferred his entire command authority to his Vice Admiral.
Due to internal factions within the Star Nation, this process had taken two years, causing the Golden Fleet to be delayed by the same amount.
However, in Honest Tin's eyes, this was of no consequence.
The power disparity between the two sides was glaring; there was no need to dwell on the details.
"Theoretically, the Rusty fleet has come to a complete halt in the Feuae star system and has established a defensive grid."
"Simati, what are your thoughts?"
Helens, of the Lelera race, was the Vice Admiral of the Golden Fleet and had held that position for 18,400 years.
He was a truly epic figure within Glolo.
Rising from insignificance, he had climbed the ranks from a common soldier through Glolo's history to become a Vice Admiral. Objectively speaking, even Honest Tin couldn't compare to him; while Honest Tin was a product of political balance and a legendary figure in his own right, he was overshadowed by Helens in every aspect.
Helens' legendary campaign was none other than the "Glolo Ascension Campaign."
What was the Ascension?
It was the rise from a middle-tier Star Nation to an upper-tier one, expanding from a single sector within the Abandnda Sector to seize control of the entire region.
All of this had been orchestrated by Helens.
In fact, he was the one who had proposed the campaign itself.
Though Helens held the rank of Vice Admiral, his prestige within the Golden Fleet was god-like, similar to Luna's standing in Rusty or Binom's in the Ynun Star Nation.
Aide-de-camp Simati had the fortune of serving under Helens for this campaign; he was diligent and didn't dare to be the least bit careless.
Combining and organizing the available data, he reported to Helens: "Reporting, Admiral. Current observations confirm that the Rusty fleet has indeed largely come to a halt and shows no intention of restarting their engines. They likely intend to hold the Feuae star system."
"In my view, they hope to use the Feuae star system as a base. This would indeed allow them to exert pressure on us. While the Feuae star system isn't in the dead center of the Aurora Great Stellar Ring, it's not exactly on the periphery either. The enemy annihilated every civilian in the system, suggesting they intend to use the system's geographical advantages alone to deter us from using super-range weapons."
"Therefore, our only option now is a direct assault. Unfortunately for them, while such a strategy might work if we were a mid-tier Star Nation, the enemy has miscalculated both our strength and their own."
"We only need to exploit the time they're taking to establish their defensive grid to launch a surprise strike into the system. This will inflict massive casualties and secure victory in one fell swoop."
Simati's attitude toward this campaign matched Honest Tin's: total victory was certain.
If Rusty hadn't stopped at the Feuae star system but had instead attacked the two surrounding star systems, the situation might have been slightly better, at least they could have expanded the theater of war and preserved some maneuverability.
But that Luna, who had been praised so highly in the Lican Sector, seemingly failed to see this, proving to be more reputation than substance.
"If it were truly that simple, then what would be the purpose of the enemy entering the Aurora Great Stellar Ring?" Helens asked again.
"That…"
Simati broke into a cold sweat.
He truly couldn't fathom the enemy's purpose for coming here. To be pincered by them?
Perhaps it really was an enemy miscalculation, but he had already said as much, and Helens' repeated questioning indicated he was dissatisfied with that answer.
But Simati truly couldn't think of anything else.
"The enemy targeted the Feuae star system first because they intended to control all three surrounding star systems, thereby pressuring us. Otherwise, the importance of the Feuae star system is greatly diminished."
"But since the enemy hasn't done that, it must be because they've found a better way."
"Establishing a star system's defensive grid takes a long time. By the time we arrive, it's highly probable the grid won't be finished. Therefore, the enemy won't be using the defensive grid to oppose us."
"Hiss…"
Simati struggled to offer an explanation.
But the more he thought about it, the more he felt his own intellect was lacking.
If none of those options were viable, then what tactic did the enemy intend to use?
Seeing that Simati was speechless, Helens spoke directly: "It's using one's own weapon against them."
"You've only focused on the Feuae star system, resulting in the enemy shifting from three targets to one, but the real issue lies outside the Feuae star system."
"Over the last 1000 years, the Xcaglan pirate group has been raiding us constantly, and there has been internal unrest within our Star Nation."
"All of this means that we cannot mobilize any Silver Fleets within the Aurora Great Stellar Ring in the short term, leaving only the Golden Fleet."
"While the Silver Fleet isn't as strong as the Golden Fleet, they have the advantage of numbers, they are expendable."
"The Golden Fleet, as a warship-based force, has top-tier weaponry, energy shielding, and mainframes. But precisely because of that, the Golden Fleet's true combat endurance isn't particularly long."
"So, they hope to use this one wave to stall our Golden Fleet. Once the Golden Fleet is exhausted, they will launch their offensive on the two surrounding star systems. They haven't abandoned their plan; they've simply delayed it."
Listening to this, Simati detected a contradiction in Helens' words.
"If the enemy anticipated that our other Silver Fleets couldn't arrive quickly, they should be moving faster, shouldn't they? Why would they slow down instead?"
"Wait... unless they have a way to make the Silver Fleet even slower?"
"They don't want a quick victory; the longer the time stretches, the more it benefits them. Confronting us is just part of their stalling tactic!"
Helens nodded slightly.
While they didn't know the specifics of Rusty's plan, from this analysis, they at least knew the Golden Fleet's next move.