His tone grew impassioned, filled with a heart-racing, dangerous allure.
"Everyone!
I love the wails of enemy ships more than any symphony!
I was born for victory, and my journey is to set the Star Sea ablaze forever!"
"Twenty-two years old and a Senior Colonel?
I'm already sick of it!"
"What I want to hear is twenty-two years old—Mar!shal!"
Marshal!
A twenty-two-year-old Marshal!
This outrageously arrogant goal, like the strongest liquor, was poured straight into every soldier's ears, scorching their nerves!
"Do you—have the confidence?!"
Qin Bei Wang's voice thundered like war drums.
"To push your Commander all the way to the rank of Marshal?"
"Do you have the confidence to see our Pluto expanded into the Federation's next—Se!quen!tial! Fleet?!"
"Do you have the confidence to beat those Imperial scum until they're pissing themselves, kneeling down and calling us granddaddy?!"
Three questions, each more insane, more blood-boiling than the last!
A brief, dead silence.
Then—
"YES!!!!"
The first response came from a certain bridge, hoarse and straining.
"YES!!!!"
The second, from a cluster of gun emplacements, converging into thunder.
"YES!!!!"
The third, the entire fleet, six hundred thousand officers and soldiers, regardless of recruit or veteran, officer or enlisted, mustering all their strength.
Roaring out all their fear, hesitation, resentment, and even their longing for the future!
YES! YES! YES!!!
The wave of sound seemed about to crack the bridge dome, to break free from Shiva Star's gravity, echoing in the cold void of space!
Over the broadcast, Qin Bei Wang laughed.
That laughter, transmitted through the radio waves, carried a metallic resonance and an ambition like the stars.
"Then remember your roars today!"
"In the war to come—"
His voice suddenly turned icy, sharp, like an unsheathed military blade.
"Hit them hard!"
"Pave our path to promotion with the blood and fire of our enemies!"
"Forge Pluto's immortal legend with the Empire's wails and destruction!"
"All personnel—"
"First-level Combat Readiness, cancel all rotations!"
"Await the order to attack!"
The broadcast cut off abruptly.
But within the fleet, the thoroughly ignited fighting spirit, like an engine that would never die, began to roar madly.
Qin Bei Wang turned off the microphone and looked at Zhuang ZhiXuan beside him, who was still in a state of shock.
The echoes of the broadcast still seemed to vibrate in the steel corridors as Qin Bei Wang walked alone into the flagship "Kunlun Mountain - Modified's" core Tactical Simulation room.
The heavy alloy door closed silently, completely isolating the outside clamor and agitation.
Inside, only the low hum of the large Holographic Star Map in operation remained, along with the faint glow from the flowing data bands encircling the room.
Qin Bei Wang stood before the Star Chart, his gaze sweeping over the vast Star Sea like a hawk's.
He called up the top-secret intelligence provided by "Rose," along with all the frontline Battle Reports synchronized from Theater Command.
The data stream rapidly filtered and reassembled in his vision, outlining the full scope and context of the Empire's current offensive.
The key lay with the Stargate.
That Strategic Stargate hidden deep within the Bushman Star System was the engine of the Empire's blitzkrieg, the artery pumping death forward.
Destroying it was the only way to sever the continuous supply and reinforcements for the Empire's front line Fleet, buying the Federation precious time to catch its breath and counterattack.
His fingers moved swiftly across the Star Chart, marking positions.
The Opal Star Sector—the Empire's main force in this direction consisted of seven Sequence Fleets.
Currently:
"Erebus" and "Ares" had already penetrated deep into Federation territory, aggressively expanding their gains.
"Pandora" was firmly pinned down by the "Cangqiong" Fleet in the Shang Yu Star System, unable to move.
The remaining four Empire Sequence Fleets—"Apollo," "Poseidon," "Zeus," and "Hades"—according to the latest intelligence, were locked in fierce confrontation with four of the Federation's main Sequence Fleets on the front lines of the Savis Star System.
Savis Star System... Qin Bei Wang's gaze sharpened.
It held vast deposits of rare energy resources and several ultra-large refineries, assets of immense strategic importance to both the Federation and the Empire, vital for sustaining a prolonged war.
Those four Empire Sequence Fleets had a critical mission; they absolutely could not withdraw easily before the battle's outcome was decided.
Then...
A sharp glint flashed in Qin Bei Wang's eyes.
Within the Opal Star Sector Theater, the Empire's regular Sequence Fleet strength was now showing a rare... vulnerability!
"Erebus" and "Ares" were out.
"Pandora" was pinned.
The remaining main force was firmly bogged down in the strategic quagmire of Savis.
The vast interior of the Empire's Opal Star Sector—those crucial logistics hubs, shipyards, command centers...
Their conventional defensive forces were likely in a period of relative weakness!
Their confidence (or arrogance) stemmed from the belief that the Federation could not possibly, and would not dare, organize a force of sufficient threat to launch a long-range strike deep into their rear while their main defensive lines were crumbling.
Furthermore, their technological advantage in Portable Stargates had fostered a dangerous illusion of "unhindered force projection," leading them to concentrate their heavy forces and attention on frontline breakthroughs and fixed-line confrontations.
"The Bushman Stargate..."
Qin Bei Wang's finger finally came down firmly on the target marked as a high-level threat.
It was crucial, the lifeline for the Empire's front line, and undoubtedly heavily guarded.
The core defense was likely a Duke-class Fleet, or even a Joint Fleet, supported by the Bushman Star System's own garrison forces.
Qin Bei Wang activated the system's Tactical Simulation function.
[Tactical Simulation Mode Activated.]
[Loading known parameters: Friendly/Enemy Fleet data, Bushman Star System Star Chart, celestial body motion models, Empire command pattern database...]
[Loading key variables: Credibility of 'Rose' intelligence, Empire Portable Stargate operational model, Opal Star Sector real-time threat assessment...]
[Simulation commencing.]
After an unknown length of time, a set of highlighted simulation results clearly appeared in his field of view.
[Plan Codename: Infiltration]
[Core Concept: Utilize recent abnormal celestial movements between the Elvira-Savannah-Bushman Star Systems as cover to execute a covert infiltration.]
[Critical Opportunity Window:]
At 23:47 Standard Time tonight, a massive ice-rock hybrid meteor designated GC-7712 is projected to enter the gravitational capture range of the Savannah Star System from the direction of the Elvira Star System, influenced by complex gravitational disturbances.
The meteor will complete an irregular semi-arc trajectory within the Savannah Star System, during which its speed and orbit will undergo drastic changes due to multiple gravitational influences.
Finally, approximately 17 hours later, near the 'L3 Lagrange Point' at the boundary between the Savannah and Bushman Star Systems, its trajectory will once again be significantly distorted by the powerful gravitational pull of the Bushman Star System's primary star. It will then alter course and accelerate into the asteroid belt in the outer reaches of the Bushman Star System.