The deep space outside the Feuae star system.
The Golden Fleet had rendezvoused with the Silver Fleet.
The overwhelming number of ships and warships could achieve total dominance over the enemy.
Helens had also conducted countless analyses of Rusty's past campaigns, ensuring that both ships and warships were constantly on high alert, regardless of energy consumption.
While this placed a certain limit on the fleet's overall energy reserves.
Warship weaponry was so potent that, when facing regular ships, it resulted in absolute suppression, piercing an opponent's energy shield with a single shot.
With increased fuel efficiency, losing some energy was a small price to pay.
Being this cautious, they didn't know if it would deter the enemy, but it certainly bolstered their collective confidence.
They headed directly for the Feuae star system.
Preparing for another lightning strike.
But this time, it wouldn't be so simple.
"Rusty will surely have defenses against a lightning strike."
"We need to consider the external defensive grid. When we left last time, we didn't have time to dismantle those defensive installations; that was my error."
"We also need to guard against a repeat of the previous situation: if the enemy enters an evasion-capable state, we won't be able to attack their warships."
"Track their trajectory and deploy trap weapons along the way; perhaps that will prevent it."
"Yes, that's best!"
"Then we must re-discuss how to conduct a surprise entry into the star system."
"I still stand by my idea: use total route compression!"
Just as Rusty had its war strategy meetings, so did Glolo.
Helens gathered Simati and the strategists from several Silver Fleets to formulate a detailed plan for the war.
Onunan, the strategist for the Saiunrian Silver Fleet, possessed crystal-like skin and likely hailed from the Zuim race.
Onunan's legend traced back to the early rise of Glolo, when he had anchored a crucial national salvation campaign. In truth, his abilities weren't exceptional, but his achievements were massive, which had led to his position as the strategist of a Silver Fleet.
His prime had been long ago; back then, Helens was just a common soldier.
Now, sitting there, he acted as if he were the one in charge of the supreme command.
"optical route compression can suppress the photons ahead of the fleet, moving forward as if behind a photon-absorbing shield. This will grant us stealth."
"Those evasion-capable ships are nothing more than high-end stealth vessels. If they can use that to their advantage, then we can use their own tricks against them."
Onunan spoke grandiosely.
He looked at Helens with disdain. He had heard of Helens' legend, but he considered Helens merely lucky; in his view, only his own achievements were rock-solid. During the war Helens had initiated years ago, Onunan had even been a staunch opponent.
Helens hadn't expected to deal with this man. They had always been at odds, a clash between the new generation and the old, even though Helens was now part of the old generation himself.
The Golden Fleet was permanently stationed within the Aurora Great Stellar Ring, while several Silver Fleets rotated through; currently, it was the Saiunrian's turn.
"optical route compression won't deceive Rusty."
"The first things Rusty manufactured in the system were various sensing probes. With such a massive array, they would see through an outdated technology like optical route compression in an instant."
Helens rejected the plan outright.
In fact, he hadn't come to brainstorm with these people; he had come to discuss his own proposed plan and refine it.
Onunan had overstepped.
"That's just your speculation; you have no solid evidence."
"You arrogant brat, are you questioning my experience?"
"I have been a Star Nation fleet strategist since 82,831 years ago..."
Onunan appeared quite young, in his thirties, yet he maintained a posture of seniority, glaring at Helens as if he were about to spit in his face.
The others around them were helpless.
Helens had never been one to be pushed around. He waved his hand and said to the soldiers outside the door: "Strategist Onunan is tired and needs rest. Take him to lie down for a bit."
Onunan suddenly stood up, shouting defiantly: "Who dares!"
But his posturing was useless.
The soldiers outside were Helens' trusted men, and they promptly escorted him out.
Once Onunan was gone, Simati, sitting to one side, breathed a sigh of relief.
"Who on earth summoned that guy back? Wasn't he supposed to be at the border?"
Helens didn't have time for that.
"Let's continue."
"The enemy's composure stems from their confidence that we won't dare use super-range weapons. Furthermore, they are prepared for them; even if we deployed them, it wouldn't inflict significant losses."
"If a star is destroyed, they can just enter evasion mode and move elsewhere."
"These are the two things the enemy relies on."
"That being the case, I'll do the opposite."
"Our lightning strike this time won't use any stealth. We'll head straight for the enemy and engage in a pitched battle."
"Meanwhile, we can deploy our units to create numerous black holes along the enemy's potential flight paths. While we might not cover their entire fleet, it will undoubtedly maximize Rusty's casualties."
"black holes are currently the only known counter to evasion-capable ships. We want the enemy to hesitate and to break Rusty's strongest leg."
A simple plan.
But upon closer consideration, it was incredibly precise.
That was Helens.
His plans were never complex, but they often struck the bullseye.
"They are no match for us on a formal battlefield. This rabbit is too good at hiding and running; the Admiral's plan can indeed lure them into a trap."
"And if we're lucky, we might even destroy their main force directly."
Simati immediately offered a round of flattery.
The plan was an extension of his own previous proposal. So, in flattering Helens, he was also sharing in the glory.
Puaein, the strategist for the Manro Silver Fleet, who had golden hair and eyes and resembled a Westerner from the Earth era, also agreed: "Since this is our second lightning strike, we must commit fully to make Rusty believe our plan is only one layer deep and lacks any follow-up."
"In other words, we must destroy enough of the enemy's ships and warships."
Simagon, the strategist for the Kestor Silver Fleet, already had his ideas prepared.
"cosmic rays are actually excellent weapons, especially high-energy particle cosmic rays. We can use our probes to create special mirrors that capture and bounce cosmic rays within a confined area, creating multiple attack vectors."
"Even though the nearby probes are damaged, I believe these cosmic rays don't need to be close, even a light-year away would work. This wouldn't just increase the number of attacks; it would create a surprise element. Since we know the direction of the rays, we can use them to lure the enemy."
Helens listened and considered it carefully.
"That is indeed feasible, but it shouldn't be cosmic rays; instead, it should be burst beams."
In the Earth era, cosmic rays typically referred to radiation originating from space, usually from supernovae, black hole jets, or other massive celestial events. They sound similar to gamma rays, but they aren't the same.
When Luna fled Earth, she initially suspected gamma rays. At the time, her knowledge of astronomy was somewhat lacking; she was an AI engineer, not an astronomy enthusiast.
Ayla had countered that it might be cosmic rays.
Because gamma rays are radiation and lack charge.
cosmic rays, on the other hand, are primarily composed of charged particles. There is a fundamental difference between the two.
In the Earth era, when cosmic rays struck the atmosphere, they produced many secondary particles; after reacting with the atmosphere, the various charged particles transformed into photons, leptons, mesons, and so on.
However, the cosmic rays Simagon referred to were quite different from those.
Artificial cosmic rays possessed a much higher energy level.
The cosmic rays that previously struck Earth had single particles with energies as high as 10,000 EeV, whereas Glolo could manufacture particles with energies reaching 1,000,000 EeV.
In a modern context, this energy level is actually quite low; however, the number of charged particles in these cosmic rays could be controlled.
cosmic rays used as weapons possess a massive number of charged particles, so energy levels weren't a concern.
Naturally, cosmic ray weaponry is an extension of the technology that utilizes the chain reactions produced when cosmic rays collide with an atmosphere, the so-called cosmic ray weapon causes a massive spread of destructive particles upon impact with the target itself.
But these were old tricks.
Perhaps not as outdated as optical route compression, but as Helens said, they weren't as effective as burst beams.
burst beams were an updated version of cosmic ray weaponry.
They were as simple and direct as their name suggested.
The difference from cosmic rays is that as a "beam," it's not composed of ordinary charged particles, but of photons.
Photons carry no charge.
However, they transmit the electromagnetic force.
Thus, someone had thought: is there a way to make the process of electromagnetic force transmission linger in the photon phase for a period?
After the beam strikes its target, the entire stored electromagnetic force would erupt.
The burst beam was born from this necessity.
"We have the technology to reflect burst beams; this will make the surprise even more effective."
Helens wasn't one to make amateur mistakes; he pointed out the most critical reason for using burst beams.
As an upper-tier Star Nation, Glolo possessed many innovative technologies, and burst beam reflection was one of them.
In truth, the application for this technology was quite narrow, and it was not widely known.
Helens dedicated all his energy to military matters; even in times of peace, he frequently researched the latest scientific breakthroughs to explore their military potential.
There was no need to travel far to obtain this technology.
The military servers had already logged all relevant information; it could be accessed at any time and manufactured directly. Even if it required complex supporting systems, it would only take a bit more time.
And Helens was certain this technology could be implemented in under a month.
"Then our schedule is extremely tight."
Simagon volunteered for the task.
"Leave this to me. I will ensure it is done well and finished within the deadline."
Every Star Nation has those dedicated souls; Helens nodded to Simagon in appreciation.
Beside him, Simati was filled with regret.
He should have thought of it sooner, but he had hesitated because the task was truly daunting.
The fleet possessed the manufacturing capability to finish within a month, but how to deploy these produced reflectors throughout the Feuae star system was the real challenge.
The range spanned one light-year; even using subluminal flight vehicles to transport them would take over a year.
In reality, it would take them over a year just to reach the interior of the Feuae star system.
Time was truly of the essence.
"Since the plan is decided, let's get moving."
"Simagon, have the experts accelerate the pace and get those things ready."
Simagon nodded and was the first to leave the meeting.
As he exited and walked down the corridor, he saw Onunan drinking to drown his sorrows, complaining to someone: "These youngsters, none of them listen to their elders; they'll learn their lesson soon enough."
"That Morhen before, wasn't it the same? He thought he was untouchable after a few victories, and then he suffered that crushing defeat that nearly ruined the Star Nation."
"I see Helens the same way!"
"The Chairman had foresight; that's why he didn't make Helens the Admiral. Otherwise, the Star Nation would have been in chaos long ago."
He spoke bluntly, making the officer sitting next to him extremely uncomfortable.
The officer looked around frantically and, seeing Simagon, felt he'd found a lifeline and hurried over to greet him.
"Strategist Simagon!"
Simagon's face darkened.
He had no desire to interact with Onunan.
Just as he was about to leave, Onunan turned and saw him, shouting: "Simagon, kid, come have a drink!"
Simagon was indeed relatively young, a native of the Star Nation; whereas men like Onunan and Helens were part of the first group that followed Naminko to establish the Star Nation, with ages exceeding 100,000 years.
As a junior, Simagon didn't have the same standing as Helens; he was merely a Silver Fleet strategist, and Onunan's connections couldn't be overlooked.
He had no choice but to approach reluctantly.
Onunan grabbed him and interrogated him about the upcoming plan. Simagon didn't hide anything and explained it to him; after all, as one of the three Silver Fleet strategists, Onunan needed to be informed.
After Onunan let Simagon go, he turned to the officer who had been sitting beside him and said with total clarity: "You heard it all!"
"Go prepare!"
The officer, understanding completely, departed.
Shortly after, a hidden signal was transmitted toward the Feuae star system.
...
Feuae star system.
Soumia hurried toward Luna's office.
With a solemn expression, he delivered a message personally to Luna.
As for why it wasn't sent remotely, that was Luna's requirement, though Soumia didn't know why.
"This information arrived from the enemy's direction. I don't know if it's genuine."
Soumia looked at Luna as he spoke.
He had never known that they had embedded spies within the Glolo Star Nation's fleet.
It's incredibly difficult for a small nation to plant spies within a large one.
The spy's absolute loyalty had to be guaranteed; otherwise, why wouldn't they defect to the larger nation?
Even with some form of restriction, a large nation's technological prowess was formidable, making it likely they could bypass it.
Furthermore, judging from the communications, the person transmitting this information held a significant position within the Glolo Star Nation.
How had Luna achieved this?
It was a mystery!
Luna herself was a mystery. As Soumia spent more time with her, he realized she was a model of dedication, either working or on her way to work, with almost no time for herself.
She truly exhausted herself for the Star Nation.
"Hm, I see."
"If the enemy is manufacturing reflection membranes, then we can as well. I'll send you the technology; have our people get on it. We have more time than the enemy. Since they're handing us the advantage, it would be foolish not to take it, wouldn't it?"
Luna knew who had sent the message.
Onunan.
The veteran of the Glolo Star Nation.
When the avatar Luna had first attempted to recruit him, she hadn't expected it to be so easy; after all, he was a founding hero of Glolo.
Onunan had defected because he felt his status in Glolo no longer brought him any benefits. Everyone looked at him like he was just some old man. Though they were of similar ages, they treated him as an antique, a peripheral figure.
His opinions were never heard, and the council had effectively tuned him out.
This meant he could no longer find any emotional fulfillment in Glolo. While he had money and status, for an immortal being, emotional fulfillment is just as important.
His inability to advance further proved he had lost his competitive edge within the Glolo Star Nation; he was being phased out, and he knew it.
In that case...
Why not invest elsewhere?
Rusty was an excellent target.
Onunan was willing to shed his current identity and move to a new environment, even if it meant a lower status, provided that environment revered him for his past achievements. That was enough for him.
Luna's promise to Onunan went beyond just that.
She saw at a glance that Onunan was the type of person who couldn't stand being ignored, so she promised him a path into Rusty's business sector, offering him a future with no ceiling on his potential.
In Glolo, the hierarchy was Politics-Military-Business, but in Rusty, it was Business-Military-Politics. Therefore, this promise was highly significant.
Onunan wanted an opportunity, and Luna provided it; they struck a deal.
As for the possibility of Onunan using Luna, she wasn't concerned. Onunan didn't have the wits for it; even if he did, the disruption would affect the war itself, not just Rusty.
In truth, people with unused intellect were common in this era.
This relates to the degree of intellectual development.
Much like someone with a muscular physique whose strength is uncoordinated, often called "muscle bound", their muscles haven't been properly developed for use. The brain is the same: without training, even with an IQ of 200, the functional intelligence might only be slightly above average.
Add to that personality, experience, and other factors...
A person cannot excel at something they have never done.
Someone who struggles to sit still and contemplate cannot calmly devise a complete and robust plan.
"Good!"
With just a few words, Soumia left the office.
He hurried to the fleet's mechanics, handed them the materials, and warned them that this information must never be leaked.
Simultaneously, he selected a group of soldiers from the military to train them in piloting flight vehicles, all while keeping the other officers in the dark.
...
About half a year later.
Luna called Soumia in once more.
"Well done. Leak some information to the individuals in these files: tell them the enemy plans to launch a direct assault on the fleet's core for a decapitation strike."
"They'll ask how I reacted. Tell them I plan to attempt another feigned retreat."
Although Luna hadn't previously disclosed this information, Soumia wasn't surprised.
The breadcrumbs indicated that Luna wanted to purge those with wavering resolve.
But was this the right time?
"Strategos, the war is about to begin; do we truly want to do this?"
Without these officers, managing such a massive fleet could be difficult.
Soumia had considered a better alternative.
"Why not just wipe their memories?"
Memories are the core of a modern person; usually, erasing them is difficult. But as the de facto ruler of the Star Nation, and bypassing the authority of the human leader, Luna could easily accomplish this.
To his surprise, Luna rejected the proposal.
"Just do as I said."
She didn't reveal the full scope of her plan to Soumia.
While Soumia was a competent secretary, he wasn't a true confidant.
The only one to whom Luna would unconditionally disclose her entire plan was Ayla.
Soumia sensed this.
But he wasn't discouraged.
He believed his capabilities hadn't reached that level yet, and he needed to work harder to show Luna his talents.
Soumia naturally passed the information to an officer to disseminate it within the fleet.
It wasn't restricted only to those on the list.
This created a degree of panic.
The information Luna had Soumia spread began with a threat of death and ended by implying her own incompetence as Strategos.
Those who admired Luna would perceive issues within that narrative.
But for those considering betraying Rusty, they would rationalize it as logical; after all, their original thought was that Luna couldn't defeat Glolo, so why would they believe in her strength now?
Some individuals began to harbor ulterior motives.
...
Againire was a soldier who had been promoted from the lower ranks after the war in the Ynun Star Nation.
He had originally thought he would never see such a day.
Because Star Nation citizens do not die.
Since they don't die, how could anyone ever be phased out?
The capable remain capable forever.
Even if a group isn't exceptionally talented, they can rely on other aspects to firmly anchor themselves in their original positions.
The management tier of a Star Nation is always a minority. Even with the Supernova Technology Company pulling strings behind the scenes to facilitate a revolving door between the military and politics, it was impossible to satisfy everyone.
Againire had never harbored any hope for such things.
Yet, this opportunity had practically fallen onto his head.
Initially, he felt grateful.
Then, he worked diligently for a period.
When Glolo attacked, he cursed Glolo.
When he learned that Rusty had to face Glolo, he practically wanted to stomp the heads of the Star Nation and corporate higher-ups right off.
What kind of idiot would think of going to war with an high-tier Star Nation?
At the time, the disparity in troop strength between the two sides was over thirtyfold.
Againire believed this was nothing more than marching directly to their deaths.
Yet he could not disobey orders.
He also knew he couldn't change a single thing.
Therefore, he followed the military all the way here.
At first, he even daydreamed that the moment they arrived, they would scare Glolo out of their wits.
The Glolo Star Nation military was merely a paper tiger.
Initially, things played out just like that; they seized the Feuae star system.
But soon after, something felt terribly wrong.
The arrival of the Golden Fleet revealed the true power of the enemy, and the subsequent evasive maneuvers by the upper echelon caused Againire's mindset to shift.
Perhaps this operation wasn't so brilliant after all; perhaps it was merely the result of the leadership acting on a whim.
Or perhaps Glolo refused to let them go, forcing Rusty to engage in a desperate last stand.
Regardless of the reason.
This campaign was a guaranteed defeat.
Thinking about this made Againire incredibly anxious.
He didn't want to die; he didn't want to be a sacrifice for the war.
He still had hundreds of thousands, even millions of years of life ahead of him, and if things went smoothly, tens or hundreds of millions of years were possible.
As for anything beyond that, he felt he would likely be ready to face death by then, but certainly not now; he had only lived for a little over 40,000 years.
"The recently circulated information basically means the leadership has run out of ideas."
"A bunch of incompetents."
"During the last war, Luna only appeared in the early stages; the actual combat phases were all handled by the fleet strategists."
"Afterward, Luna even replaced all those strategists to consolidate power, transforming the five great fleets into Tier 1 and Tier 2 fleets."
"Stubborn. I cannot die for this."
"Perhaps Glolo is the higher stage for me."
Years ago, Againire had acquired certain viruses that could block the mainframe's attempts to scan his thoughts; this was the foundation for his treacherous plans.
All the ships were anchored together. Currently on his own ship, he entered the command cabin and spoke to the others using a pre-written script: "Command has ordered us to patrol the perimeter to prevent enemy probes from infiltrating the system."
"Engage!"
The officers in the cockpit suspected nothing.
After all, Againire was a Commander.
The ship slowly left its docking position.
At that moment, an officer suddenly remarked: "Commander, are we the only ship on patrol?"
Againire looked at the screens and saw other ships in the distance beginning to move as well.
The heavens are helping me.
He replied nonchalantly: "Of course. What good would a single ship be?"
"Next, enter evasion mode."
The navigation officer asked curiously: "Is there a covert mission? Why enter evasion for a patrol?"
This was exactly what Againire wanted him to think.
He scolded the man: "Stop asking pointless questions. Do as you're told."
The navigation officer was now mostly convinced.
He began to increase speed and asked for a heading.
Againire had already scouted the Glolo fleet's location, but he knew if he headed straight for them, he'd likely be shot down as an enemy. So, he pointed in a slightly different direction.
"Head this way."
This also quelled the navigation officer's suspicion.
Soon, they broke away from the main fleet, gradually accelerating past 50,000 kilometers.
A message arrived then, which Againire opened to review.
[ Ship No. 39848, why have you left the fleet's docking position? Respond immediately! ]
A challenge.
Againire smiled.
He ignored it completely.
However, fearing the main fleet might fire a laser at them, he ordered the navigator to enter evasion mode immediately.
The ship quickly vanished into evasion mode; even Luna couldn't track its exact location now.
But Luna had no intention of looking.
Soumia had arrived at her office to report on the departures.
"A total of 42 ships have left. Among them are 28 Captains, 33 Commanders, and Vice Admiral Anluda."
Many had left, but certainly not everyone.
The entire Tier 1 fleet had 200,000 Captains, over 200 Commanders, four Vice Admirals, four Admirals, and herself as Strategos.
With Toma K gone, there were only three Admirals remaining.
"Organize a meeting. Say that I am furious and intend to overhaul the fleet's plans; everyone must assemble within six hours."
Luna was perfectly calm, showing no signs of anger.
Soumia relayed the message exactly that way.
As expected, many people grew restless upon hearing this and began looking for ways to leave.
Another 221 ships attempted to depart; 134 were intercepted.
However, another two Vice Admirals successfully fled.
Combined with the previous wave, nearly 80 Commanders had left, more than a third of the fleet's total.
Even Soumia, who had gathered the initial intelligence, couldn't believe it.
His reports hadn't indicated so many people, and some who fled were individuals he had previously considered loyal and trustworthy.
He hadn't expected them to run; it taught Soumia a harsh lesson about the unpredictability of the human heart.
He would need to be more careful in the future.
Six hours later, everyone was in the meeting room, including the officers who had been intercepted while trying to flee.
Luna slowly walked into the room, her face a mask of fury.
"I am deeply disappointed in you."
Soumia, who was right by her side, was awestruck by how quickly her expression could shift.
A second before entering the room, she had been completely unperturbed.
Her apparent rage made everyone in the room tense, uncertain of what was to come.
After sitting down, Luna looked at everyone, pointedly ignoring the officers who had been caught.
"Since such an event has occurred, and since we're meeting anyway, let's discuss the plans for the next two years or so."
"The plan has been sent to you."
The expressions on the officers' faces as they read the plan were priceless.
They discovered that the plan had already accounted for the actions of those who had fled.
It even stated that some of the escapees had been intentionally leaked "classified information", which was, of course, false, to deceive the enemy.
Everyone present felt a chill run down their spines.
It turned out Luna had anticipated this; no, she had even orchestrated the defections herself.
Simply terrifying.
They had previously seen Luna's side that welcomed talent with open arms; now, they saw her cold-blooded side.
What kind of person could pull off something like this?
"The plan is as follows: the enemy will soon launch a lightning strike with the intent of driving us out."
"And if we enter evasion mode, we'll be playing right into their hands; they can use superior observation to predict our movements."
"Therefore, the previous plan is no longer applicable. We have only one option: to meet the enemy's assault head-on."
"This will be a battle to the death."
"I do not want anyone to harbor divided loyalties during the war, and I trust that no one sitting here is a fool who doesn't know what must be done."
The primary goal of Luna's meeting was to assert her authority.
She realized she had been somewhat lenient recently, leading these people to believe she could be easily manipulated.
If a fleet cannot act as one, how can it win a war against such overwhelming odds?
In the past, when facing the Olive Branch Civilization, despite the extreme crisis, spies were rare and virtually non-existent within the upper echelons of politics.
That unity had been the foundation for the eventual victory.
The people's sentiments leaned toward Human Civilization; that was the ultimate expression of their loyalty.
This time was different: it was a human civil war.
Luna had to guard against internal threats.
It was impossible for her to know what everyone in Rusty was thinking at all times; the human heart is the hardest thing to predict, and thoughts shift constantly over time.
So, she used a display of authority to force these people to take a side.
The faces of those who had been captured were ashen. They watched the meeting and could sense the shift in the other officers' mindsets.
It seemed that single plan had put the officers at ease.
Could it be that there was still a chance for things to turn around?
Impossible!
The disparity between their side and the enemy's was too glaring.
Within the meeting, Luna's voice rose again.
"If you have any opinions, speak up. My plan is merely my own perspective. Remember the most powerful technology of our Human Civilization."
"Resource theory of imagination!"
"You may propose any tactic you can think of!"
Isn't that what a meeting is for?
Her earlier display of power had so intimidated everyone that no one dared to speak. Now that she had posed a question, the room remained dead silent.
"Ha ha, exactly. You have no ideas. There's no point in fighting this war; if we just surrender, we can still survive."
One of the captured officers mocked loudly.
He believed that everything being discussed was utterly futile.
This, in turn, enraged the other officers.
"Shut up! A traitor like you has no say here."
"Lose?"
"Even if we lose, even if I die, I'll lose with dignity and die with honor, unlike you cowards who only care about saving your own skins."
"Ha ha ha! So noble! I didn't realize until now that you were all such self-sacrificing martyrs!"
The captured officer laughed uproariously.
None of the officers present were saints; in Rusty, they had done exactly as they pleased. To an ordinary person, they were the most wicked people on earth.
"Noble? It's just a matter of balance. We enjoyed the benefits Rusty provided, so when Rusty faces destruction, we stand our ground."
"That's all."
"As for traitors, think about how we treated traitors from enemy nations in the past."
"Initially, we gave them jobs and medals. But once everyone forgot about them, there was no reason for them to remain alive."
"Even if a clever one abandoned everything beforehand, they were still in the system, destined to remain a commoner within the Star Nation forever."
"How do you think Glolo will treat you?"
"A bunch of short-sighted traitors. Traitors are never given preferential treatment in any Star Nation. You should pray this war against Glolo lasts a long time; otherwise, once it ends, you're dead."
Who would ever grant a traitor a position of power?
At least, no rational person would.
For traitors, not dying after the war was a pipe dream; they would only live a little longer, and those extra years would be meaningless.
Betrayal is a gamble.
Some are willing to take that gamble, and some are not.
That's the only real difference between the two sides.
With their motivations stripped bare, the captured officers began shouting curses, clearly pushed to their breaking point.
At that moment, an officer stood up, ignoring their insults, and said: "Strategos, I believe the plan itself still has some loopholes. For instance, the defectors might reveal everything in their 'convert's zeal.' But the information we provided was perhaps too comprehensive, which might make the enemy suspicious."
"After all, the enemy we face is no simpleton, it's Helens. Although I'm not familiar with his specific record, someone with such a reputation won't be mediocre."
His words were meant half for Luna and half for the defecting officers.
The underlying message was simple: your defection was part of the plan.
The traitorous officers looked in disbelief at everyone and at the cold, high-ranking Strategos, a legendary figure everyone knew.
They didn't want to believe it.
They had been set up.
But upon reflection, their escape had been far too easy.
The first defection could be excused, but surely Strategos Luna would have reacted immediately by locking down all ships. Why had there been a second wave?
At the time, they had acted on a stroke of luck, never imagining it would actually work.
There were too many suspicious points.
The officers were devastated, even if they refused to believe it.
"You... you all!"
"I didn't even want to run! Luna, you're so cruel, you forced us to defect!"
"How is this different from entrapment? I won't stand for this!"
Luna remained silent, but the officer who had just stood up spoke again.
"Don't be naive. This is war!"
"Anyone with a wavering will should be purged during a conflict, regardless of their position."
As the two sides clashed, the one truly filled with dread was Soumia.
He now understood exactly why Luna had the captured defectors brought into the meeting room.
Polarization!
Luna needed polarization.
This phenomenon often occurs on the internet: a simple, biased video triggers the emotions of one side, who then post extreme comments; another group sees these comments, finds them idiotic, and attacks the commenters.
Consequently, a single video gains a massive number of comments and attracts even more viewers.
It's an old tactic.
Yet Luna had applied it to war.
Applied it to her own people.
Through this polarization, the traitors wouldn't yield; they would lean even harder into the belief that their defection was justified.
Conversely, while refuting these traitors, the officers present would search for reasons why they hadn't defected. This process of rationalization reinforced their own convictions, making the idea of defecting even harder for them to accept.
Those who remained were either the clever ones or those with a personal code of honor.
Since they had a code, Luna's maneuver had raised the bar for that code even higher.
Who could possibly understand the human heart better than her? Soumia wondered.
Even more terrifying was that this entire plan had been in motion for some time, rather than being an impulsive decision.
The swearing continued for over ten minutes. Luna made no attempt to stop it until she was certain that everyone had internally formulated at least one justification for their own faction. Only then did she address the officer's question.
"There's no need to worry about that. We have traitors; why wouldn't the enemy?"
Checkmate!
This was the move that forged her people into a force as solid as steel.
The cornered traitors fell silent, and the officers present were invigorated.
Every scene in Soumia's eyes could be summarized in just one word:
Eerie!
"It seems the Strategos has had a robust plan all along; our concerns were redundant."
"This plan is excellent; I have nothing to add."
"Nor I!"
The officers were ecstatic.
The existence of a spy revealed so much: it meant Luna had initiated this war fully prepared. Thus, victory was genuinely possible, rather than this being a forced counterattack.
This was the confirmation they had truly desired.
"In that case, go and prepare."
The plan was detailed in those documents. While not the complete picture, if the officers followed the instructions within, there would be no issues.
Once all the officers had departed, Luna glanced at the captured traitors with a single look. She then turned to Soumia and said: "Kill them all."
They had served their purpose; why keep them?
Soumia nodded: "Yes!"
He walked toward the officers.
Realizing what was about to happen, they shouted: "Strategos, please give us a chance! We were possessed!"
Luna acted as if she hadn't heard and walked out.
In the corridor, Luna couldn't hide her exhaustion.
She had prepared extensively for all of this.
Soumia might have thought he was involved in everything, but in reality, Luna had been guiding these people step by step toward these decisions behind the scenes. This included their everyday conversations, it wasn't as simple as the single commands Soumia had witnessed.
"This... should be enough."
Luna returned to her office.
She was currently starved for information and could only piece things together blindly.
This was yet another test for her.
...
The Golden Fleet.
They had reached the asteroid belt on the outskirts of the Feuae star system.
This belt was over 28,000 AU from the star, held in place by the gravitational pull of the three suns.
Since one of the stars had been destroyed, the internal gravity of the Feuae system had become chaotic. The asteroids within the belt were now scattering, some being flung out into deep space.
Helens frequently gazed toward the interior of the star system with his own eyes.
Even though he couldn't see anything.
While 28,000 AU sounds short compared to a light-year, it was still a vast distance. From this vantage point, the remaining two red dwarfs looked about the same size as any other star.
Helens didn't expect to see anything; he was simply monitoring the celestial mechanics, carefully calculating whether the Rusty fleet could find a path he had overlooked and slip away right under his nose while he remained powerless.
Everything was possible.
Helens knew that during a war, he had to keep his mind constantly active; otherwise, he could easily miss a detail that might lead to a dramatic shift in the conflict.
While he was deep in thought.
Simati hurried in.
"Admiral, just as you surmised: the Rusty fleet is fracturing. We've received several communication requests, all from Rusty defectors."
Helens was momentarily stunned, then immediately instructed Simati: "Do not disclose any information. Have those approaching ships dock and secure everyone on board."
"Scrutinize their ships carefully; check for any potential traps."
Simati nodded.
"I've already ordered them to approach, and they've complied."
That was the benefit of having a competent subordinate, they could think in sync with their superior.
Helens grunted in acknowledgment, but felt a sense of disconnect. Had he overestimated the enemy?
Perhaps the enemy wasn't as solid as he'd imagined, nor as impenetrable as they'd previously appeared.
The opponent was flesh and blood, too.
The disparity between the two sides was glaringly obvious; under such immense pressure, it was inevitable that deserters and rebels would emerge.
He hadn't really considered this before, or rather, he hadn't cared.
He had treated the Rusty fleet as the strongest adversary of his life. The mere fact that they dared to enter the Aurora Great Stellar Ring was reason enough for him to treat them as such.
That was Helens' habitual state.
The enemies he'd faced in the past had often been powerful, and even the final counterattacks of some small nations had inflicted heavy casualties on his fleet.
That experience had shaped who he was today.
However, Helens was suspicious by nature and wouldn't relax just because of this.
"Once they've boarded and we've finished questioning them, have their memories extracted directly to see if there's a conspiracy."
This was a brutal method.
Memory extraction could be done without harming the individual's life or affecting anything else.
But it would inevitably create a rift between them, causing resentment in those who had fled.
Thus, Helens' command was effectively a death sentence for these people.
Simati had no objections and immediately departed to carry out the order.
A month later, he welcomed several ships.
One man stepped forward, grinning broadly.
"My name is Againire, Commander of Rusty's Tier 1 fleet."
"I have core intelligence on the Rusty fleet to report, involving many classified details."
Againire's face was full of sycophancy.
Simati returned the smile as he welcomed him.
"Brother Againire, your decision to forsake the darkness and embrace the light shows you are a man of vision."
"We can discuss those matters later. Come, I've prepared a banquet in your honor."
Simati had pre-arranged several clones, both male and female.
Againire entered the banquet and immediately found a tall male companion to dance with; despite being male himself, no one showed any surprise.
Not until the third day after the banquet did Simati summon Againire to inquire about the intelligence.