Near the Venus Belt, a large number of starships were hovering in a row, with their guns erected and their thrusters preheated, ready to launch planet-class long-range missiles at any time.
The entire fleet of Chanyuan, Jiangling, Pingning and Feilian was in line, like nocturnal birds of prey, silently hiding themselves among the floating boulders and the dark background.
Mei Jielin was using a pair of scissors to repair her princess cut, which had grown longer. "There's an asteroid belt behind us, and a huge vortex in front of us. It feels like I'm building a house on a cliff. And across the vortex is the rebels' lair. It's dangerous and exciting. Will they attack us suddenly?"
He sounded as if he was worried, but there was no fear in his tone. Instead, he seemed eager to try.
Long Xiyun answered her: "No, ten minutes ago, the technical department recovered data from a large piece of mechanical wreckage that was fished out of the vortex. The rebels called this vortex 'Koboyi', which means 'holy light'. No one is allowed to approach or desecrate it."
Without hesitation, Mei Jielin rolled her eyes and said in disgust, "Holy Light? Didn't the technical department pull out a lot of human skeletons that died abnormally and messy genetic research reports that were completely against human nature? It really fits the rebels' consistent style: under the Holy Light, there is filth and dirt."
"So it's called Holy Light, but it's actually used as a secret garbage dump?" Wein stretched. "The rebels are really uncreative. Once they get involved with 'God', they immediately come up with some Holy Light, Holy Star, and so on. They also set up a bunch of weird rules, such as humans can't get involved, can't approach, can't defile. It's as if humans don't like to take a bath, their bodies are dirty, dust falls on them when they walk, and they can dirty the whole universe with just one breath."
Metierin laughed so hard that she almost cut the sword crookedly with her scissors: "Captain Weining, your eloquence is getting better and better!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Lu Fenghan connected to the video call, and the people who were chatting immediately shut up. Mei Jielin quickly finished the last cut and finished the job.
In the command room, Lu Fenghan faced the virtual star map and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt with one hand: "General Nie plans to start the operation in two hours."
Metierin was the first to ask, "How do we solve Leto's planetary defense system? The defense level of that thing is directly proportional to the money spent on building it."
"Someone inside Leto got a triple key from the rebels. It can open a gap in the defense network within a certain period of time. The rebels' reconnaissance at the gap will be ineffective, surveillance will be suspended, and entry and exit will not trigger automatic attacks or alarms."
Lu Fenghan's eyes were similar to the silver stars on his shoulder straps, both of which had a cold texture. "General Nie will split his troops into two groups. One group will reach the surface of Leto through the gap and seize overall control of the planetary defense system. The other group will confront the rebels led by Hodgkin outside Leto's atmosphere and prevent the space forces from returning to the surface to provide support."
Duchamp immediately thought: "Close the door and beat the dog?"
"Brother, your analogy is brilliant!" After praising him, Mei Jielin twirled the scissors flexibly with his fingers, "As long as the planetary defense system is back in General Nie's hands, the rebels won't have the time to bombard the defense network indiscriminately and smash it to pieces in two minutes, and the firepower of the space war will not affect the people on the surface of the capital planet."
Dushan: "That's right. By then, the Leto defense system will block the way. Space battles will be fought in space, and ground battles will be fought on the ground. In a short period of time, there will be no interference between the two sides. Both sides will have room for progress without any constraints."
Mei Jie Lin grabbed the scissors and moved her face closer to the camera: "Commander, what about us? How can we get past the Divine Court?"
Lu Fenghan was holding Qi Yan's wrist, massaging it intermittently, and replied, "There is no clear detection result, but the fleets of the Third and Sixth Legions should be guarding nearby. They will never let us get close to the planet where the Divine Court is located. This is the first line of firepower. At the same time, the floating space fortresses can be transformed into huge artillery platforms, which is the second line of firepower. The Divine Court must be equipped with a powerful planetary defense system, which is the third line of firepower. Everyone, be prepared for a hard fight."
Everyone present has a mental preconception of the situation they are facing.
At this moment, the Divine Court is right before their eyes, and they are only one step away from ending this war that has lasted for more than half a century. There is absolutely no reason to shrink back.
If we were to take even a single step back out of cowardice, we would not be able to face the millions of heroes floating in this vast space.
Judging from the current situation, there is no shortcut to attacking the Divine Court. There is no tactic that can determine the overall situation. We can only rely on force. It depends on which side is weaker than the other and will be crushed first.
Mei Jielin and the others looked at each other across the screen and had the same idea.
Lu Fenghan stared at the virtual star map: "The rebels are unaware of our arrival, which is an advantage. Once we show our presence, the enemy will immediately realize that they have exposed their coordinates. Therefore, this 'advance' must be seized."
He changed his gestures, and the lit star map began to show different character symbols as he spoke.
"Tentatively, Dushan and Weiyin will follow me on route a, passing the far end to the other side of the vortex. Mei Jielin and Long Xiyun will take route b, going around the near end to ambush and wait. Note that on the way, stay close to the edge of the vortex, using the vortex to interfere with the signal and avoid being detected by the other side.
I will use the 'Mirage' to disrupt the information they have obtained, making them think that the four fleets behind me are all there. After luring the Third and Sixth Legions over, Mei Jielin and Long Xiyun will go around and surround them from the front and back."
In the communication channel, several people said: "Understood!"
"If, I mean if," Lu Fenghan said in a deep voice, "if something unexpected happens and we are stuck in a dead end, then everyone must obey orders and not fight to the death. We must retreat to the Venus Belt and leave the wormhole immediately and return to the base. Erich and Vincent will wait there, and I will cover you."
Mei Jie Lin wanted to say something, but swallowed it back, frowned, and replied solemnly: "Yes!"
Fritz, the commander of the Third Legion, was leaning on the sofa eating candy. When the video communication frame was suddenly projected in front of him, he didn't even bat an eyelid. He knew who it was without even looking: "Let me think, you just came out of the temple and were scolded badly by the wise man?"
His white shirt was spotless, his scarf had intricate lace and a pigeon-blood stone mithril button on it, making him look like an aristocrat in a retro oil painting from the Earth era.
"You know?"
"Butler, why do you think I took the patrol mission and left the ground?" Fritz propped his chin on his hand, facing the video dialog box, and said slowly, "Whether it is the front line of the Southern Cross Region or the Central/Central Political Region, the Wise Man has lost too many equipment and people. Even if those people are as lowly as ants, it is still a loss of face for the Wise Man. And Miss Helena is indeed stupid, but she is the Wise Man's biological sister after all, and she also lost her life. If it were you, would you feel good?"
Butler's eyes were light brown, and he narrowed them slightly, but he didn't insist on complaining. He changed the subject: "A wise man conserves his energy."
With a "crunch" sound, the fruit candy was accidentally bitten into pieces. Fritz put the tip of his tongue against the roof of his mouth and changed his tone to serious: "Are you sure?"
"Yes, the wise man has expressed this attitude." Butler strode in the luxurious corridor of the Divine Palace. The guard officer was at a distance and spoke bluntly, "The Central System has been reoccupied by the Alliance. Leto can't hold on for long. The Southern Cross Region is under the control of the expeditionary force, and the White Tower is helping. We have almost no chance of winning."
Peeling another candy candy, Fritz continued: "The most important thing is that the wise man is still very young, less than 40 years old, and he still has at least 60 or 70 years to live."
Butler: "That's right. If Lu Fenghan had died cleanly a year ago, maybe you and I would have been in charge of a large area of the star field and promoted to a higher position. It's not impossible to wait another twenty years. Isn't the alliance best at attacking each other? In less than ten years, Lu Fenghan will die at the hands of his own people."
Putting the candy in his mouth, Fritz leaned back on the sofa. "Since the wise men are so patient, I don't have any suggestions." He slowly twisted the candy wrapper. "How long do you think it will take for the alliance to find us?"
Butler said, "When I went to see the wise man, I happened to see someone shooting traitors in the garden. The location of the Divine Court is hidden, and no one dares to disclose the coordinates to the outside world. The Alliance cannot find it in a short time. It has been safe for nearly ten years."
Although they were called "traitors", both of them knew in their hearts that they were just people who had developed self-awareness, had some doubts about God, and were slightly shaken in their faith in the wise and the rebels.
As the war in the Southern Cross Region and the Central/Central Bank Region continued to fail, the wise men became more and more suspicious, and the execution of traitors in the garden now happened two or three times almost every day.
Fritz held the candy in his mouth and said, "Well, I'll go see the wise man after I finish my inspection and return to the ground."
At this moment, the two heard the alarm almost at the same time!
Butler paused, and suddenly looked towards the source of the sound, his face gloomy: "Enemy attack!"
Fritz stood up quickly. "Expeditionary Force?"
Butler wanted to deny it and say it was impossible, but the alarm was already ringing in his ears, and he had no choice but to admit it. He just hurriedly said "Come back soon" and cut off the video call.
On the other side, Lu Fenghan led Weiyin and Dushan to bypass the vortex from the far end.
After escaping the signal interference range at the edge of the vortex, Lu Fenghan immediately ordered all starships in the fleet to perform two consecutive maneuver jumps. Just as they were about to enter the range, a large number of planetary-level long-range missiles were thrown towards the opposite side with the help of thrusters!
The flames suddenly exploded, illuminating the porthole.
A round of bombing lasted only two or three seconds, and the rebels' combat effectiveness was depleted without them even realizing it.
After determining that the opponent did not immediately form an effective counterattack or defense, Lu Fenghan spoke very quickly: "Release the second wave of missiles/missiles, prepare for the third wave!"
Qi Yan also saw that: "The commander of the opposing army is not in the command position."
Metierin was on his way to the ambush point. When he heard Qi Yan's words, he immediately found an opportunity to speak: "Looking at the exact number of fleets, only one legion is outside the atmosphere of the Divine Court, and the legion commander is not here. We are really lucky!"
Flames exploded silently one after another, countless small ships were swallowed by the explosion, and the array was immediately broken up, revealing gaps.
Lu Fenghan made a prompt decision: "Dingyuan Particle Cannon Battalion 4, prepare! Completely break through the enemy's array!"
Arcs of white light shot out and fell into the enemy fleet. The enemy fleet had no time to react and was like being slashed by a sword, and their formation was completely broken. Only fifteen seconds had passed since the expeditionary force "fell from the sky".
Lu Fenghan gave several orders in succession, as if he were carrying out his orders with ease.
"The Jiangling destroyer sequence attacked as planned, avoiding medium-sized ships and destroying mainly small ships to reduce the enemy's maneuverability."
"yes!"
After a fierce attack of storm and rain, when Butler took over the battlefield, facing the scattered fleet formation, he could not help but frown and slam his fist heavily on the command desk.
The next second, the communication video was forcibly connected. Butler adjusted his facial expression in one second and said respectfully: "Wise man!"
In the one-way video connection, a slow voice came out: "Butler, don't let me down."
Butler bowed his head to show his submission: "Your people will never let you down!"
We used to call ourselves “people of God,” but I don’t know when this changed.
And Lu Fenghan also immediately discovered: "The other side is taken over by the legion commander."
"The Chanyuan Fleet has arrived at the predetermined coordinates." Mei Jielin continued after reporting, "It's quite fast, but the opposing legion commander certainly doesn't dare to retreat, because the wise man is watching him in the Divine Court."
"Well, follow the original plan." Lu Fenghan instructed, "Act more realistically."
Chagall was in the destroyer sequence of the Jiangling. After receiving this order, he was a little worried: "Senior, what should I do if the First Military Academy doesn't teach acting classes? I can't act."
"Do you still need to teach me something so simple?" Calvin, who was sitting next to him, sighed and had to teach on the spot, "I'll give you a scenario. The enemy is regrouping and is about to kill you. You are a little scared and start to retreat hesitantly—"
Chagall had never learned what it meant to hesitate and retreat: "But senior, the enemy is coming to kill us, of course we should charge forward! Fight! We are all starships, who is afraid of who?"
Calvin glared, "Didn't you hear the commander say to act? Let go, I'll act and you just watch! Although I'm not sure if there will be more battles in the future, you still have to learn. Next time, I might not be there to guide you!"
As he spoke, Calvin gripped the joystick, and after nimbly dodging the incoming laser cannon, he counterattacked while moving to the side. As if he could not withstand the opponent's aggressive attack, he retreated a little. Then he fired a laser cannon that deviated from its trajectory and only passed diagonally past the starboard side of the enemy ship.
Chagall couldn't help describing his feelings after watching the video: "Senior, you are really amazing. I haven't fired a cannon with such a bad aim since I entered the First Military Academy half a year ago!"
Calvin thought to himself, it was really annoying to sit with the top students, after all, he had fired such accurate shots in his graduation exam. After going to the battlefield, every time he fired a shot, his life depended on it, and it was under high pressure that he developed his accuracy.
They fought and retreated at the same time. After the legion commander took over, the morale of the enemy was obviously boosted, and the firepower was also increased. The expeditionary force's acting was very natural, and it didn't take long for them to lead the enemy to the vicinity of the vortex.
However, the situation changed. Just as they were about to fall into an ambush, the enemy suddenly stopped and no longer moved forward, but instead showed a tendency to retreat!
"It's broken." Lu Fenghan's tone remained unchanged, "No need to wait any longer, Mei Jielin and Long Xiyun will act immediately and attack his left wing from the side."
Long Xiyun: “Yes!”
"Yes!" Mei Jielin licked her lips, increased her speed to the highest level instantly, and went straight to intercept the fish, so that the fish that had escaped the hook had no time to escape and was surrounded again in the blink of an eye.
At this moment, Po Jun reported: "General, a high-energy group is approaching rapidly, suspected to be enemy reinforcements!"
Lu Fenghan remained calm: "How long?"
"In range in two minutes and seventeen seconds."
"That's enough." Lu Fenghan said in a steady voice, tapping the table with his fingers. "Let's deal with the ones in front of us first. The primary goal is to destroy the enemy's mobility and combat power. We need to deal with as many as we can. Pojun, report the distance at any time."
When there were still fifteen seconds before the enemy reinforcements entered the range, Lu Fenghan ordered: "Dingyuan and Jiangling fleets turn to meet the enemy!"
Following his order, several flagships turned their guns at the same time.
In the half second that the enemy reinforcements entered the battle circle, the firepower of the two sides collided, and the air waves caused by the explosion pushed away the floating stones and metal debris around.
In a war at the space level, pre-designed tactics and strategies are often changed or invalidated due to on-site conditions. In the final analysis, it is still a competition of real combat power. If the strength level of the two sides is too different, one side may be able to completely swallow the other in less than two minutes.
To everyone's surprise, at this moment, a high-energy particle cannon suddenly lit up!
The expeditionary force's reaction was quick - the small and medium-sized starships immediately maneuvered and jumped out of the ballistic path of the high-energy particle cannon. The main ships used their protection systems as shields to block the small and medium-sized ships. The Dingyuan was the target of the attack and took the brunt of the shot!
In the communication channel, Mei Jielin asked quickly: "Where did this shot come from?"
Lu Fenghan replied: "Space Fortress."
On the star map, Pojun traced the source of the particle cannon.
I saw that the space fortress closest to the battle zone had broken away from the pier, its gun muzzles pointed fiercely, and it instantly turned into a huge movable artillery platform, ready to show its fangs once it found an opportunity.
Mei Jielin reacted immediately: "So your commander asked us to lead the enemy to the vicinity of the vortex at the beginning, hiding the signal while worrying about a sneak attack from the space fortress?"
"Yes." Lu Fenghan pinched Qi Yan's fingers, calming his emotions, with only a sharp look on his face. "The person operating the space fortress thought I was on the Dingyuan, and his target was me."
Leto.
It was a dark night. Xia Zhiyang, wearing a newly invented concealment device from the Underground Science Academy, moved quickly between buildings without leaving a trace in the surveillance video.
The cloaking device will release an interference wave to prevent imaging, making it "invisible" in the monitoring system. It is a reliable little prop recently made by the underground science institute.
Hearing the noise, Xia Zhiyang suddenly stopped, held his breath, and hid quietly in the shadow behind the building. He waited until the patrolling rebels walked away before continuing on his way - the concealed device could only fool the surveillance cameras, not the human eye.
Arriving at the lawn behind the ISCO Ultra-Optical Computer Equipment Center, Xia Zhiyang supported himself on his knees and took two breaths. Then he stood up and looked outside.
Less than two minutes later, a black hovercraft stopped ten steps away in the night, and the doors slid open to both sides.
The person he was waiting for came.
This is his mission this time.
The other party was an important technical personnel sent by General Nie from the gap in the Leto defense system. For some reason, the other party specifically selected him as the ground contact person.
The person being protected in the middle walked quickly. Xia Zhiyang stood there and looked carefully, making sure that he did not know the person and had never seen him before.
When passing by him, the other person nodded at him. Xia Zhiyang reacted for two seconds and quickly followed.
They did not enter through the main door of the equipment center, but went around the grass and found a very hidden entrance. Taking the elevator to the underground, Xia Zhiyang glanced at the middle-aged man standing in front of him, somewhat curious about why the other party had chosen him by name, but after experiencing countless missions, he had learned not to be curious and talk less.
Unexpectedly, the other party turned around and took the initiative to introduce himself: "Hello, my name is August, from the White Tower."
White Tower
This word shocked Xia Zhiyang's heart, his eyes slightly opened, and he immediately straightened his back: "Hello... Hello!"
"I know you are wondering why I know your name and chose you as my message messenger." August said gently, "Because I trust you. I believe you will not betray the alliance."
Being trusted by others is a happy thing. After hesitating, Xia Zhiyang asked: "Why do you trust me? As far as I know, we don't know each other."
August looked at the person in front of him and found that even after experiencing countless darkness, his eyes were still clear and bright. He couldn't help but slow down his voice and replied: "I know your good friend, Qi Yan."
At this time, the elevator stopped at the eleventh floor underground. Xia Zhiyang suddenly heard the name "Qi Yan" and was stunned for a few seconds. A lot of questions surged in his mind, but he knew that now was not the time to ask, so he had to hold them all back.
Following August, passing by the smooth and shiny metal wall, Xia Zhiyang couldn't help but look at his own blurry shadow reflected on it, and was stunned again.
It wasn't long before he seemed to have changed... a lot.
Xia Zhiyang thought, if they had the chance to meet again, he wondered if Qi Yan would be able to recognize him at first sight.