2289 - Sudden Battle
Near the Safe Zone—
Boom
Approximately 140 fleets advanced very slowly, maintaining their general formation while making constant minor adjustments to ensure no gaps were exposed in their ranks as they approached their target.
The lights were off, the Stealth Arrays were activated, the Anti-detection Walls were operating at peak efficiency, and even the faintest emissions from the engines were suppressed as much as possible… Under that cloak of absolute secrecy, the vehicles spread out quietly and methodically, without producing enough to alert any party monitoring space from afar.
Like a beehive under attack, the massive squadron that had been moving behind one another in an arrow formation began to break apart and gradually drift away from each other, without losing its cohesion or its ability to reform in an instant if needed.
The ten support vehicles of each fleet left a calculated distance between themselves and the mother ship, so that the ten ships formed a <> formation while the mother ship remained in the center under their protection. Around them, the small engagement vehicles began to rotate slowly at calculated distances from one another, in order to minimize any potential losses in battle and prevent any large-scale strike from hitting more than one ship at the same time.
Slowly, that massive squadron disassembled to transform into a colossal wall of vehicles and cannons, a wall stretching across a vast expanse of space, filled with thousands of firing ports and giant cannon platforms, ready to attack an entire galaxy.
Literally.
"Is everything in place?" The Seventh Son of Zargul spoke as he watched the scene before him without shifting his gaze.
He was inside the command room of the fleet's main ship, where he could see everything before him through the giant transparent window that extended from the floor to the ceiling, displaying the entire space arena before him in a way that almost made one feel as if they were standing outside it.
"Everything is ready." Said one of Zargul's sons from the third row, standing respectfully nearby. "In ten minutes, we will enter the effective range of our cannons, and then we can open fire on them." Then a wide smile appeared on his face. "We will strike while still in stealth mode, and we will be able to take down two or three of the patrol fleets before they even know what hit them or where the attack came from."
That son's smile, that of the seasoned Admiral, was genuine and came from his heart, for he saw before him nothing but a battle whose outcome was already decided thanks to all the preparations they had made to reach this moment.
When they launched from Young Sector 98, they used a trick to alter their course before entering, making their final exit point completely unpredictable, and in the vastness of an entire sector like Young Sector 99, it was practically impossible to detect their point of origin or predict their subsequent direction of advance.
Furthermore, they used the full power of their engines and wasted hundreds of millions of Pearls to arrive a full month ahead of the expected schedule, bearing an enormous cost in exchange for the element of surprise, which they considered the true key to victory.
That is, even if the enemies knew they were coming, they would not know where they would come from, when they would arrive, or at which moment the attack would begin.
From the moment of their arrival, they entered stealth mode and spent another enormous amount of Pearls to maintain it throughout their approach. Those giant Arrays were among the greatest innovations of the Curse Galaxy itself, and only a very small number had ever been sold due to their astronomical cost. The last known buyer was a mysterious figure who paid nearly seven billion Pearls to acquire just one.
Combining all these factors, the result was clear to everyone… It was impossible for the True Beginning Empire to know that they would be attacked today.
This was plainly evident to the Admiral… The Safe Zone would enter firing range within minutes, yet the protective fleets were still stationed in scattered positions, facing different directions, while some moved in fixed orbits as if carrying out nothing more than routine patrols… In his view, they were completely oblivious to what was coming.
"Do not fire directly!" the Seventh Son gestured firmly.
Under the bewildered and skeptical gazes of everyone, he continued speaking with an unchanged calm. "I want to speak with their leader first, whoever it may be. Perhaps we can reach an agreement that will save us and everyone a great deal of bloodshed."
"But, my lord," the Admiral called out to his brother, "the First Strike will destroy at least three fleets, cripple several others, shake their Defense Lines, and make their reaction slow and chaotic. It is the most crucial strike in the entire battle!"
The Seventh Son frowned and said, "Let us assume we destroy ten fleets instead of three... Then we will enter a prolonged conflict against nearly forty of the Note-4 Fleets. Are you prepared to bear the scale of losses that such a battle would entail?"
"..." The Admiral tilted his head slightly, then said, "What is the plan, then?"
No one could deny the strength of the Note-4 Fleets after all the battles in which they had appeared, and anyone who compared them to vessels not belonging to the Tyrant Galaxy only made a fool of themselves, even among seasoned military commanders.
"I will engage them in a lengthy conversation and intimidate them," said the Seventh Son with confidence. "Our strength is overwhelming compared to any defensive force within the Young Belt, and merely displaying my power will be enough of a deterrent." Then he puffed out his chest slightly with arrogance and continued: "In my view, the worst possible outcome is the defensive forces fleeing, while the best outcome is that they submit immediately and declare their allegiance to me without the need for battle."
Then he waved his hand forcefully and said: "Inform all forty-six Nexus State holders and the four hundred and forty World Calamities to prepare to disembark from the vehicles. Their mere appearance will plant terror in the hearts of the enemy without me even needing to use the power of a single word... Today, we will win this war without firing a single projectile."
"Yes, sir!"
All those present saluted, then began using communication networks to relay orders to the various fleets and command units at maximum speed.
As for the Seventh Son, he kept his gaze fixed forward, his large, fierce smile widening with every passing second. "Nine minutes... nine minutes, and the True Beginning Galaxy will be mine. Nine minutes and—"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
The command room was struck by a massive disturbance wave, causing the vehicle's floor to shake violently for a moment.
"What happened?!" The Seventh Son stood up quickly.
"The surveillance systems show a squadron of fifteen Nota-4 Fleets appearing on the right flank! Our side there has been crushed!!"
"What?!" The Seventh Son panicked and looked through the window again, while the defense forces near the galaxy were still hovering slowly as they had moments before. "This is impossible... Something is wrong! We have confirmed information from The Syndicate
that there are only those fifty fleets near the galaxy!"
BOOOOOOOOOOM
"The left flank has been hit! The left flank has been hit!!"
"Another squadron of fifteen additional fleets has appeared there!"
"We've detected a strange space gate from which ships emerged on both sides! A space gate without a metal frame!"
"How the hell can thirty fleets suddenly appear from a small gate without us sensing them?! What happened to our surveillance and stealth arrays?!" The Seventh Son shouted nervously, then waved his hand forcefully. "Stop the squadron! Split into the right and left flanks and engage the enemy immediately!"
"Yes, sir!"
CRAAAAASH
The Seventh Son stared ahead with his eyes wide open, as if he had forgotten how to blink.
The fifty guard fleets, scattered and moving foolishly like bees searching for nectar… all vanished.
All those vehicles disappeared in the same instant.
They were merely light images.
In their place, seventy fleets lined up in a direct confrontation formation, arranged with terrifying precision, while their massive cannons began to flash fiercely, ready to fire.
"They were… waiting for us?" murmured the Seventh Son, the remnants of his previous confidence gone.
BOOOOOOOM
The cannons of the seventy fleets turned the space of Young Sector 99 into daylight.