Its mission was to attract and pin down the Federation's only Sequence Fleet here, rendering it immobile and unable to support other battlefields!
"A pincer offensive... what a pincer offensive!"
Wen Tingtao forced these words through gritted teeth, his voice low and hoarse, carrying an uncontrollable fury and a trace of... icy chill from being completely outmaneuvered.
This time, the Empire's move was definitely not a small-scale retaliation for Savannah's little "face."
This was a premeditated, well-prepared, strategic-level large-scale offensive aimed at severely crippling or even tearing apart the entire border defense system of the Ten Stone Starfield in one fell swoop!
The command room was deathly silent, with only the low hum of the ventilation system.
The staff officers stood with their hands at their sides, their expressions equally grim. The air was thick with a stifling sense of defeat and deep anxiety about the future.
Just as the atmosphere in the headquarters had frozen, with everyone suffocated by the Empire's fierce offensive—
"Commander!
FCB Agent 'Rose,' highest priority, red top secret!"
Communications Chief Jiao Jinghui practically rushed in, clutching a freshly decoded intelligence report in his hand, his voice betraying unconcealed shock.
Wen Tingtao snapped his head up.
"Read it!"
Jiao Jinghui quickly scanned the intelligence summary, speaking rapidly.
"Intelligence confirms that the Empire has secretly constructed and deployed at least one strategic stargate deep within the Bushman Star System!"
"The Erebus and Ares Sequence Fleets most likely completed their ultra-long-range, ultra-rapid force projection via portable stargates carried by the Centaur Fleet!!"
"Buzz—!"
It was like dropping a shock bomb into the silent room!
"Portable... stargates?!"
Chief of Staff Wen Shiheng exclaimed in disbelief, the color draining from his face.
It wasn't just him; all the staff officers in the command room wore expressions of extreme shock, even horror!
Stargates! Those were top-tier strategic facilities capable of traversing the vast stellar seas, enabling instant or near-instantaneous travel!
In everyone's understanding, stargates were massive, cumbersome, fixed structures requiring years or even decades of site selection, construction, and calibration.
Each activation consumed terrifying amounts of energy, comparable to a star's output over several days, typically only used in life-or-death situations or decisive campaigns.
But portable stargates?
This completely overturned all existing military and logistical common sense!
This meant the Empire possessed unprecedented strategic mobility technology!
They could, like deploying a large jump beacon, rapidly construct a "stellar bridge" capable of transporting an entire Sequence Fleet in relatively concealed rear areas!
This perfectly explained why "Erebus" and "Ares" could appear so bizarrely, almost without warning, deep within the Ten Stone Starfield and launch a devastating offensive!
Their forces and supplies didn't need to traverse long and dangerous front-line navigation routes.
Instead, they were being continuously transported from the deep rear of the Empire through this "portable bridge" to the forward base in the Bushman Star System, before surging toward the Federation's defensive line!
"No wonder... no wonder they could move so fast..."
Wen Tingtao murmured to himself. All previous doubts about how the Empire had achieved such strategic suddenness were now cleared, but the answer to the puzzle only deepened the chill in his heart.
Had the Empire's technological advantage already reached this level?
"We must destroy it!"
Chief of Staff Wen Shiheng slammed his fist on the table, his voice resolute.
"This Stargate is the throat of the Empire's current offensive!
It is their main artery for force projection!
As long as the Stargate remains, they can keep sending fleets from the Opal Star Sector and even deeper within the Empire's heartland!
Our hopes of retaking Blue Moon, Flowing Light, and Vast Mansion will be slim!
Even the entire Ten Stone Starfield risks being overwhelmed by the Empire's continuous stream of reinforcements!"
"Exactly! We must take it out!"
Another senior combat staff officer echoed fervently.
"The portable Stargate carried by the Centaur Fleet is the lifeline for Ares and Erebus. The enemy will undoubtedly defend it fiercely.
A frontal assault would incur heavy losses, take too long, and could easily lead to a protracted stalemate!"
At that moment, a relatively young but quick-witted intelligence analysis officer flashed a sharp glint in his eyes and proposed an idea so bold it bordered on madness.
"Chief of Staff, Commander!"
He paused, then uttered shocking words:
"But what if... we do the opposite?"
His finger pointed decisively at the Bushman Star System, located deep within the Opal Star Sector on the Star Chart.
"That fixed Stargate in the Bushman Star System is the true starting point of the entire supply chain!"
"The Empire's front line is advancing smoothly. They would never expect it.
They would never imagine we would dare to send a fleet, bypass the main battlefield, embark on a long-range strike, penetrate deep into their rear, and attack the core Stargate in their heartland—which they consider absolutely secure!"
"If successful, not only would the portable Stargate in Bushman become a river without a source, a tree without roots...
The entire Empire's force projection system for this offensive would be severed at its core!
It might even trigger major chaos within the Opal Star Sector itself!"
The proposal instantly silenced the command room.
A long-range strike, deep into the heart of Empire-controlled star domain, to attack its core logistics hub?
It sounded like a fantasy!
The probability of success was minuscule; the fleet undertaking the mission would almost certainly face near-certain death, if not absolute annihilation!
But...
The strategic value of this idea was so immense it made hearts race!
If successful, it would undoubtedly be a fatal blow struck at the Empire's vital point—enough to reverse the entire war's declining momentum!
All eyes involuntarily turned to Wen Tingtao, awaiting his decision.
Wen Tingtao stared fixedly at the Star Chart, his gaze shifting repeatedly between the perilously threatened Ten Stone front line and the distant, dangerous heartland of the Empire's Opal Star Sector.
He understood that if the Empire continued to deploy fleets there, they would lose eight star systems, including the Blue Moon Star System.
And possibly even sacrifice a Sequence Fleet.
Perhaps... a truly extreme gamble was needed—a desperate, all-or-nothing wager.
And as for the person to carry out such a mission...
Involuntarily, the image of a young man who had repeatedly performed miracles surfaced in his mind.
Qin Bei Wang.
Along with his "Pluto."
Qin Bei Wang and his "Pluto" fleet were almost the only choice that met the criteria.
A fully established, well-equipped force, possessing a T5 Carrier and special warships like the "Zhen Yue."
Most importantly, Qin Bei Wang himself had already proven his tactical genius and decisiveness in creating miracles even in desperate situations.
But—
The moment this thought surfaced, it was forcefully suppressed by another, heavier, more personal force within Wen Tingtao's heart.
Qin Bei Wang... was Qin Qianfan's son.
The only male heir of his old friend, the Federation Marshal.
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