The Fierce Dragon Star System consists of one star, twelve planets, five dwarf planets, 400,000 asteroids, seventy-seven moons, and over 400 periodic comets.
Based on habitability coefficients, these are categorized into three types: high-quality habitable planets, low-quality habitable planets, and substandard habitable planets.
As the name suggests, high-quality habitable planets have natural environments—whether innate or artificially modified—that are highly suitable for life to inhabit.
Low-quality habitable planets indicate that the planet possesses certain life-threatening factors but remains suitable for life to reside.
Substandard habitable planets are more complex. Some interstellar races can live on them, while the vast majority require wearing special equipment to barely survive, or they must construct small artificial habitable cities under energy shields.
The Fierce Dragon Star System is resource-poor.
It has only one high-quality habitable planet, seven low-quality habitable planets, and seventy-three substandard habitable planets.
These habitable planets include planets, dwarf planets, moons, and asteroids.
The Fierce Dragon Star System has a population of 500 million, with 99% being of the human race, and the remainder consisting of humanoid interstellar races.
The primary planet of the Fierce Dragon Star System is called Fierce Dragon Prime.
Fierce Dragon Prime is where most of the nobility in the Fierce Dragon Star System reside, and it is also the only high-quality habitable planet here.
Today, however, an eerie atmosphere enveloped all of Fierce Dragon Prime.
All space elevators were shut down, and starships in the near-orbit starport of Fierce Dragon Prime were prohibited from departing.
These orders seemed to herald the occurrence of some major event.
Bao Family Estate
The Bao Patriarch was currently seated in the main hall, surrounded by a group of anxious Bao family descendants.
"Patriarch, can we attack the Zhao estate now?" one of the Bao descendants couldn't help but speak up.
The Bao Patriarch closed his eyes and said solemnly, "Not yet. Without news from Longwei Star, not a single starship, mecha, or soldier from our Bao family is to move!"
Observing the composed Bao Patriarch, many present Bao family members thought he was being overly cautious.
That Waste Baron was likely long dead by now, so why waste time here?
Yet, without the Bao Patriarch's permission, no one dared to act rashly.
Hundreds of kilometers from the Bao Family Estate lay the most scenic area of Fierce Dragon Prime—the location of the Zhao Family Estate.
The Zhao estate lacked a technological aesthetic; instead, it featured wooden structures built upon mountains, exuding an ancient charm.
Despite its tranquil setting, every member of the Zhao family now wore expressions of despair, with some already weeping in anguish.
"It's over, it's over. Our Zhao family is finished today."
"If only I had followed my cousin and left the Fierce Dragon Star System back then. Wandering in a foreign land is better than waiting here to die."
"My poor child, to face such a fate so soon after birth."
An elderly woman leaning on a dragon-headed cane slowly emerged. She struck the ground heavily with her cane.
"What kind of Zhao descendants are you, looking so defeated!" the old woman scolded angrily.
Accompanying the old woman was a red-haired woman.
"Old Madam Zhao, those led by the Bao and Cui families have already blockaded all of Fierce Dragon Prime and taken control of the patrol fleet."
There are also rumors... they... they hired a pirate fleet, intending to ambush Zhao Chen and Zhao Wan'er.
"This... isn't this just trying to wipe out our Zhao family!" a middle-aged man said helplessly.
"All communications on Fierce Dragon Prime have been blocked. Even if we want to call for help, there's no one to answer our cries.
Our Zhao family is going to be wiped out today!" another woman, holding her child, wept bitterly.
Old Madam Zhao looked at the state of these people, gasping with anger.
"Old Madam, your health isn't good. You should go back inside and rest first," the red-haired woman spoke up.
"Jiang Hong, is there still no way to contact Xiao Xia?" Old Madam Zhao whispered.
The red-haired woman shook her head: "We still can't reach the Eldest Sister."
"What about the second and third? You said earlier they insisted on returning. Did you warn them not to come back?" Old Madam Zhao asked.
The red-haired woman hesitated: "I did advise them, but after that last communication, there's been no further news. I don't know what the situation is now."
"Xiao Hong, you originally hid your identity. Now you've openly appeared at the Zhao residence, you..." Old Madam Zhao was somewhat worried about the woman before her.
"My mission was always to protect the Zhao family. Jiang Hong's life was saved by the Eldest Sister, so naturally, I must carry out this duty.
Today, I will stand or fall with the Zhao family," the red-haired woman said without changing her expression.
This red-haired woman was Jiang Hong, the Hidden Sentinel left by the Zhao family's Eldest Sister in the Fierce Dragon Star System.
Knowing that the Hidden Sentinel's mission was no longer relevant, she resolutely came to the Zhao residence, preparing for a final decisive battle.
"Sigh. Who could have imagined our Zhao family would fall to such a state? Back in the day, Father was... cough, cough..." Old Madam Zhao coughed violently several times. Jiang Hong prepared to help Old Madam Zhao back inside.
Just at that moment, a massive explosion sounded from overhead.
Everyone instinctively looked up.
They saw a Starship, trailing flames, plummeting from beyond the atmosphere, its Ship Hull visibly damaged in multiple places.
"That's... a T1 Vulture-class Medium Interstellar Frigate!" Jiang Hong recognized the crashing Starship at a glance.
The T1 Vulture-class Medium Interstellar Frigate plunged headlong into the distant sea. The impact of the crash stirred up huge waves, directly forming a tsunami that swept toward the surroundings.
Fortunately, there were no populated areas around the tsunami.
"What's going on?" the Zhao family members exclaimed in shock.
"Look! There seems to be a fierce battle in space!" sharp-eyed Zhao family members noticed intermittent red flashes beyond the atmosphere.
Who was fighting outside Fierce Dragon Prime?
This was a question in everyone's mind.
"Could it be that the Interstellar Pirates had a falling out with the Bao and Cui families, so they started fighting?" someone muttered.
"Activate the energy shield of the Zhao residence! Combat mecha, immediately assume combat positions," Jiang Hong stepped forward at this moment, issuing orders.
Soon, a curtain of light enveloped the entire Zhao residence.
Implementing energy shield technology on the ground was relatively simple, but applying it to Starships was a groundbreaking technological leap.
Thirty T1 combat mecha appeared around the Zhao residence. This was the Zhao family's final combat force, although facing an attack from a Starship, they basically stood no chance.
"Look! Something is entering the atmosphere!" someone exclaimed in alarm.
A massive silhouette was slowly descending into the atmosphere, its size reaching three to four hundred meters.
"It looks like a starship?" someone recognized the shape.
"It looks like a carrier starship!"
As most of the silhouette entered the atmosphere, everyone finally saw its true form.
But this only deepened their confusion—this starship had never been seen before. Why would it appear over Fierce Dragon Prime?
Suddenly, a voice echoed across the land like thunder.
It came from that carrier starship.
"I am Zhao Chen. I have returned."