He spread his hands.
"With what are we going to blow it up?"
"With our mouths?"
Several teammates beside him lowered their heads, remaining silent.
Hayes's gaze swept over them, the smile at the corner of his mouth deepening.
"Besides..."
He drew out his tone.
"Even if the Stargate is really destroyed, we still have the option to warp."
He reached out, drawing a circle in the void.
"As long as the warp points in the neighboring star systems are still in our hands..."
"We can warp whenever we want."
"What's the point of moping around here, recording last words?"
He finished speaking.
The lounge remained quiet.
But this quiet was different from before.
The previous quiet was one of despair, of resignation.
The current quiet was one where some began to waver, to doubt.
Maybe he was right?
Maybe there really was still a route of retreat?
Aquila opened his eyes.
He looked at Hayes; those weary eyes held no anger, only an indescribable, sorrowful pity.
Hayes felt somewhat uncomfortable under his gaze.
But he did not back down.
He stood there, meeting Aquila's gaze, and continued.
"It's only you cowards..."
He emphasized the word "cowards."
"Worrying needlessly here."
He paused, his eyes sweeping over everyone present.
"Good thing there are no surveillance cameras in the lounge."
"Otherwise, if the Commander found out..."
He sneered.
"He'd definitely court-martial you all for undermining morale."
Hayes waited a moment, and seeing no response, turned and walked toward the door.
He reached the doorway, stopped, and without looking back, said one last thing.
"I worked so damn hard to become a starfighter pilot..."
His voice came from the doorway.
"Not to come here and record pre-death videos with you all."
The door slid open.
He walked out.
Meanwhile, at the border of the Savannah Star System.
A massive Federation Fleet was slowly advancing into this unfamiliar star domain.
The Western Hunt Fleet, the Green Hill Fleet, the Army Breaker Fleet, and the General Slayer Fleet.
Four joint fleets, totaling over 80,000 warships.
The fleet formation was spread wide, but the position of each warship was precisely calculated.
At the front were fast reconnaissance ships, on the flanks were cruiser squadrons, at the core were battleship groups, and at the rear were aircraft carriers and supply ships.
A standard combat advance formation.
Imperial monitoring stations along the way turned into silent ruins one after another.
Those stations had just sent out alert signals, but before the signals could be transmitted, they were blasted apart by the destroyers clearing the path ahead.
The flash of explosions flickered briefly in the void, leaving only a few drifting metal fragments.
The fleet continued its advance.
Bridge of the Army Breaker Fleet Flagship, City Crusher.
Admiral Chen Song stood before the command console, staring at the massive tactical screen.
On the screen, the star chart of the Savannah Star System was gradually unfolding.
Red dots marking Imperial monitoring stations, patrol teams, and military outposts were sparsely distributed across various locations.
Fewer than expected.
"It seems the Imperial Fleet is much faster than we imagined!"
Chen Song murmured softly, his brow slightly furrowed.
Just then, the communications officer at the front suddenly stood up.
The movement was too sudden, the chair sliding back half a meter with a piercing screech.
Chen Song turned his head.
The communications officer stared at the screen before him, his pupils slightly contracting, his voice carrying a barely suppressed excitement.
"Reporting, Commander!"
"We've received a directional quantum communication!"
His fingers danced rapidly across the control console.
"Quantum single link established!"
"Quantum key verification..."
He paused, his voice suddenly rising.
"Passed!"
"Quantum identity ID confirmed..."
He looked up at Chen Song, enunciating each word clearly.
"It's our Pluto Fleet!"
The bridge fell silent instantly.
Everyone froze.
Chen Song's body stiffened slightly.
The Pluto Fleet.
That fleet of three hundred warships.
That fleet that had penetrated deep into enemy territory, with no word from them since.
Besides ordering them to control the warp points within four star systems,
their superiors had also entrusted them with another crucial mission.
That was to prepare to receive the Pluto Fleet that had infiltrated the Bushman Star System.
They had just entered the Savannah Star System.
They had just begun searching for traces of that fleet.
They hadn't even had time to send reconnaissance ships for an in-depth search.
And now, the Pluto Fleet's communication had proactively reached them.
"Could it be that they anticipated our arrival in advance!"
Admiral Chen Song couldn't help but think.
A wave of belated fear washed over him. If the other side could truly predict the fleet's movements ahead of time,
then their opponents were in for a world of hurt!
Chen Song's pupils contracted slightly.
He strode quickly to the communications officer's side, fixing his gaze on that screen.
On the screen, the quantum communication link indicator was flashing intermittently.
That meant they were still alive.
Still alive.
And still capable of sending communications.
Chen Song took a deep breath.
As that breath entered his chest, it carried a tremor he himself hadn't noticed.
When their superiors had assigned them the mission, they had also given them a rough overview of the Empire's internal situation.
Although there was no official statement yet confirming that the Stargate was destroyed by the Pluto Fleet,
as the only Federation fleet to have infiltrated the Bushman Star System,
they were undoubtedly the most likely candidates to have accomplished that miracle.
Chen Song slowly spoke.
"Communication content."
The communications officer quickly decoded it, then looked up.
"Pluto Fleet Commander Qin Bei Wang has sent a tactical coordination request."
"The content is as follows..."
He paused, then began to read.
"Request allied forces to strike enemy forces near the L-7 and N-12 jump points."
"When enemy forces near the Z-78 and S-22 jump points move to provide support,"
"our fleet will set up an ambush near the Z-78 and S-22 jump points."
"To annihilate in one fell swoop..."
"The Imperial Fleet attempting to warp escape from the front line."
Chen Song stared at the screen, silent for three seconds.
Then he laughed.
The laughter erupted from his chest, loud, hearty, carrying the boldness unique to a seasoned veteran.
The entire bridge seemed to tremble slightly from the force of that laughter.
"What a kid!"
He said while laughing, his hand slapping the command console with a crisp smack.
"A senior colonel, daring to give orders to an old admiral like me!"
The staff officers nearby exchanged glances, unsure whether their commander was angry or pleased.
Chen Song was still laughing.
He turned, looking at the staff officers with their varied expressions, and laughed even louder.
"Bold!"
He enunciated each word clearly.
"Now that's more like it!"
The laughter gradually subsided.
Chen Song's gaze fell upon the Communications officer. His eyes still held a trace of amusement, but had already regained the steadiness of a Commander.
"To the airspace near the L-7 and N-12 Jump Points..."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Send a quantum communication."
The Communications officer's fingers were already hovering over the control console, awaiting the specific content of the order.
Chen Song went on.
"At the same time, inform Admiral Yin Shao Hao of the Western Hunt Fleet, and Admiral Luo Yuan You of the Green Hill Fleet..."