Almost within the same star domain, not far in a straight line distance elsewhere—
The Seventh Monitoring Station at the outer reaches of the Blue Moon Star System.
This was a small, automated border outpost typically staffed by only two personnel on rotation.
Its main task was to monitor the route leading to the adjacent Tyrol Galaxy.
Dongfang Bo, a newly appointed monitor with less than three months on the job, had just completed a routine scan.
His gaze inadvertently swept over the area at the edge of the surveillance range that always flickered with chaotic energy readings—the high-energy particle nebula codenamed "Boiling Soup."
On the screen, amidst the jumbled ripples representing the nebula's background radiation, there seemed to be one or two tiny, unusual peaks that flashed briefly before quickly being drowned out by noise.
It could have been an instrument error, or perhaps a normal energy eruption within the nebula.
But Dongfang Bo recalled from his training that although this nebula was dangerous, some of its "gaps" with relatively weaker turbulence were, in theory...
Not entirely impossible to traverse.
He hesitated for a moment, then opened the communication channel to the duty supervisor.
The supervisor was at the hub station 2.11 light-minutes away.
"Supervisor, this is Dongfang Bo at Station Seven. At the edge of the 'Boiling Soup' nebula, I just detected a very brief abnormal energy fluctuation. Its signature...
Somewhat resembles the residual waves of a large object breaking through radiation disturbance.
Although the likelihood is low...
Should we increase the scanning frequency for that area?
Or alert the patrol team?
Is it possible the Empire..."
Before he could finish, the channel erupted with the supervisor's impatient, even mocking, reprimand.
"Dongfang Bo! Did you read the observation manual to the dogs?
Or did you fail interstellar physics?"
The supervisor's voice was thick with annoyance and dismissal.
"Keep your eyes on the main surveillance zone!
The direction of the Tyrol Galaxy!
That's the proper navigation route where Imperial Starships might appear!"
"As for the 'Boiling Soup' nebula?"
The supervisor scoffed, rapidly firing off a string of technical terms that sounded more like a lecture than an explanation.
"That's just a chaotic mix of super-ionized gas and electromagnetic turbulence!
A natural high-intensity 'electromagnetic fog'!
Any conventional radar waves, laser radar, even faster-than-light communication signals that go in—they either get severely jammed and absorbed, or distorted beyond all recognition!"
He paused, his tone growing even more disdainful:
"Have a fleet crawl through there?
Hah, even if the Empire's gone mad, their captains and computers haven't!"
"Instead of wasting time on wild guesses, keep your eyes peeled on the jump points in the Tyrol direction!"
The supervisor concluded with a fierce warning.
"If even a single Empire Fly slips through from your main surveillance zone, I guarantee you'll never look at the stars again—you'll be sent back to mining in the planetary underground!"
The communication was abruptly cut off.
Dongfang Bo opened his mouth, then closed it, watching the data from the nebula's edge on the screen, which had returned to calm with only background noise. His face flushed red, then paled.
Just as the supervisor had said, navigating a fleet through a high-energy particle nebula was fraught with peril.
Traversing that hellish place:
Intense radiation would fry any exposed sensors in minutes!
The magnetic fields inside were as chaotic as a ball of yarn mauled by a cat, and the accumulated error from inertial navigation could send a starship crashing straight into a star!
To survive, ships had to maintain their shields at maximum power the entire time to withstand the radiation, making their energy signatures as conspicuous as lighthouses at the nebula's edge!
They'd be spotted easily!
He quietly lowered the secondary monitoring priority for the nebula region, redirecting the vast majority of computational power and attention back toward the distant, tranquil direction of the Tyrol Galaxy.
Maybe... he really was just being overly sensitive, overthinking things.
He comforted himself with this thought, pushing that fleeting suspicion deep down.
However, the peace lasted only a few hours.
A piercing, shrill buzzer sound—signaling the highest-level physical contact alert—suddenly erupted within the cramped confines of Monitoring Station Seven!
Red warning lights spun frantically, bathing the entire control room in a bloody crimson glow.
Dongfang Bo was jolted from his chair, his heart leaping into his throat.
He lunged toward the main monitor screen. There, at the edge of the "Boiling Soup" nebula region his supervisor had dismissed as "impossible," dense clusters of red dots were now continuously emerging from the previously chaotic energy background noise!
Not just one or two anomalous spikes.
A massive swarm!
Like thick blood dripping into clear water, they rapidly spread, diffused, and merged into a glaring crimson tide!
"Enemy attack! It really is from the nebula side..."
Immense fear and the shock of "I knew it!" instantly seized Dongfang Bo.
Scrambling frantically, he dove for the communication panel. He had to send the intelligence out immediately!
To his supervisor, to the patrol team, to the nearest military base!
His fingers trembled as he input the highest emergency code and pressed the send button—
"Beep—"
"Signal transmission failed."
"Strong communication jamming field detected. Attempting to reconnect... Connection failed."
"Backup quantum communication relay unresponsive."
"All external communication links... severed."
The cold, electronic synthesized voice delivered its merciless verdict.
Simultaneously, on the panoramic monitor feed from outside the station.
The previously empty void suddenly rippled with unnatural, wave-like distortions, as if struck by stones.
Where the ripples passed, Empire Stealth Reconnaissance Ships—with sharp lines, dark matte coatings that seemed to absorb all light—abruptly shed their optical and electromagnetic camouflage, revealing their menacing forms!
Like phantoms, they had silently surrounded the lone monitoring station.
They did not open fire.
No laser beam or missile was used to turn this small station into space debris.
Dongfang Bo understood instantly—they wanted to take this place silently, avoiding any energy reactions or debris from explosions that might alert other monitoring stations or patrol fleets further away.
They sought complete secrecy, a continued cloak for their stealthy advance.
As these thoughts flashed through his mind in despair, while he tried to activate the station's internal emergency beacon (also suppressed by the jamming)...
The bellies of two of the surrounding Empire Stealth Reconnaissance Ships suddenly opened their hatches, deploying several small, streamlined assault craft.
Shaped like flattened black barracudas with no obvious weapon hardpoints, these craft were clearly designed for rapid deployment and stealth boarding.
Their tails emitted faint blue ion streams as they agilely and swiftly surged toward the Monitoring Station's only docking port!
They intended to board the station! To capture him alive, or worse—completely seize control of the Monitoring Station, obtain its monitoring data and identification codes, and even potentially use its equipment to send false information!
He absolutely could not let the Empire succeed!
Dongfang Bo's gaze swept sharply over the control console.