Chapter 1202: Frontline Intelligence (2)

"Jaghatai's fleet?"

Yingzhou spoke as if making casual conversation.

"I heard they mainly operate in the southeast?"

The old crewman glanced at him, noticed his military uniform, and his attitude became slightly more serious.

"Not just the southeast. They're running everywhere. Last week they were at 'Yigu', three days ago there was news of them appearing near the 'Riyin Nebula', and yesterday someone said they saw their scout ships on the 'Old Trade Route'. Their speed is absurd."

"Our fleet can't catch them?"

"Catch them?"

The old crewman sneered.

"They don't play by the rules; they don't occupy planets, they don't build strongholds, they just charge in, strike, destroy the command center and supply depots, and then vanish. By the time our reinforcements arrive, only ruins remain."

"What about the front lines, then?"

Yingzhou continued to ask.

"I heard Horus's fleet is pushing on the front."

"Horus..."

The old crewman's expression grew even graver.

"That's another monster. His fleet coordinates too well, and their firepower is too fierce.

You know about the Dilanshengxue Battle, right? An entire force was wiped out by him coordinating with other primarchs. I had a friend serving in that fleet who was lucky enough to survive, and he said... he said it wasn't a battle at all, it was a slaughter."

Yingzhou nodded slowly.

It seems he was right to let some of the deserters return; this will create rifts within the Fengqi Star Alliance.

The tavern went quiet for a moment.

"I heard Horus's flagship, the 'Loyal Soul', can destroy one of our heavy cruisers with a single broadside."

A young crewman said in a low voice.

"That's an exaggeration, but it's close."

The old crewman said.

"The point is, these Xiuluo Saint primarchs... are too terrifying. Not only is their strength immense, but they also coordinate with each other perfectly.

I heard on the news that there is conflict between the Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance primarchs, but in these battles, I haven't felt any conflict at all. Could they coordinate this well if there were conflicts?"

"Does our high command have no countermeasures?"

Yingzhou asked.

"Countermeasures?"

The old crewman gave a bitter smile.

"Commander-in-Chief Valken holds strategic meetings every day, but the front line retreats every day. You tell me what the countermeasures are? And... there are some things I can't say too much about, but I've heard there are divisions within the high command. Some want to negotiate, some want to fight to the death, and others..."

He stopped and took a large gulp of his drink.

"Others what?"

"Others want to... win in a different way."

The old crewman's voice was barely audible.

"I've heard that many research organizations like the Pure Eye are studying some kind of forbidden technology, wanting to use abnormal means to strike back. But once you open that door, you might not be able to close it."

There is no need to worry about the Pure Eye anymore, but other research organizations might inevitably develop some mutually destructive weapons.

Yingzhou finished his drink.

When paying, he settled the old crewman's tab as well, then stood up to leave.

Before he left, the old crewman called out to him.

"Little brother, you're a soldier, be careful on the front lines. The Xiuluo Saint... they are different from any enemy we've fought before. The fact that they were able to rise from a Jiao Dou Xing Qiu proves they have formidable strength; don't listen to the bullshit from those higher-ups."

"I will be careful."

Yingzhou nodded.

He left the tavern and continued walking along the pier.

In the loading area of a cargo ship, Yingzhou saw more direct traces of the war.

A dozen wounded soldiers sat on cargo crates, waiting to be transferred to medical facilities.

They wore uniforms from different units; some were missing arms or legs, some had their eyes covered with bandages, and others just sat there blankly with hollow expressions.

A medic was distributing nutrient packs and painkillers to them.

Yingzhou walked over, pretending to ask for directions, while actually observing the state of the wounded soldiers.

Most of their injuries were not fresh, but rather recurrences of old wounds or complications from treatment.

This indicated that the front-line medical system was already overloaded, and the lightly wounded were being sent back early to free up resources for the more severely injured.

"Which front line did you return from?"

Yingzhou asked a relatively clear-headed wounded soldier.

It was a young soldier whose left arm was missing from below the elbow, the wound bandaged very crudely.

"The 'Riyin Nebula' defense line."

The young soldier's voice was numb.

"We held it for a day, and in the end, the Xiuluo Saint used orbital bombardment to plow through the entire position..."

"The scale of the enemy?"

"Don't know. We only saw the sky lit up by the exhaust flames of the warships, and then came the bombardment.

The scouts said there were at least three Destroyer squadrons, but who knows... under that kind of bombardment, numbers have no meaning."

Another wounded soldier interjected, his Third Eye having been removed from his forehead.

"I was wounded at the 'Yigu Jump Point'. Our fleet intended to Intercept a Human transport convoy, but we ended up in an ambush. Those white-painted warships rushed out from the blind spot; they were too fast, our turrets couldn't even turn in time..."

White Scars again.

Yingzhou silently recorded this information.

At two o'clock in the afternoon, Yingzhou left the port area.

He activated a hidden channel on his Communication Device.

"This is Kolan Weike."

Yingzhou called out using the preset code.

"Requesting the latest combat briefing, coordinates Capital Star, civilian channels are not secure."

After waiting for about thirty seconds, a reply came through.

"Received. Transmitting encrypted data packet, use the third protocol to decode. Attention, information sensitivity level: Red."

A micro-projector in Yingzhou's palm projected text and charts that only he could see.

【Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance Offensive Situation Map · Current Time】

【Primary Offensive Direction One: Horus Fleet ("Luna Wolves" and portions of the Iron Warriors fleet)】

Advance axis: Direct thrust toward the Fengqi Core Region.

Current position: Have broken through the "Shizhan Defense Line", planets occupied: 170.

Tactical characteristics: Frontal assault, concentrating firepower to destroy key defensive nodes, followed by infantry landing and mopping up.

【Primary Offensive Direction Two: Jaghatai Khan Fleet ("White Scars")】

Advance axis: Wide flanking maneuver, rapid penetration along the periphery of the Fengqi Star Alliance.

Current position: Have penetrated approximately 35% into the depth of the Fengqi Core Region, planets occupied: 23.

Tactical characteristics: High-speed maneuver, avoiding the strong to strike the weak, specializing in attacking logistics lines and command hubs.

【Secondary Offensive Direction: Guilliman Fleet, Ferrus Manus Fleet, Vulkan Fleet, etc.】

Task: Consolidate occupied areas, establish forward bases, and mop up remaining enemies.

Current status: Key nodes controlled, beginning to expand into surrounding areas.

【Fengqi Star Alliance Defense Situation】

Available Capital Ship fleets: Confirmed losses exceed 40%, 30% of the remaining fleet requires major repairs.

Personnel losses: Frontline troops approximately 55%, Reserve mobilization rate has reached 78%.

Industrial capacity: 25% of core industrial zones have been occupied or destroyed, remaining capacity has declined due to resource shortages.

Public morale: According to public opinion monitoring, support rates on major planets have dropped from 82% pre-war to 41%.

Leadership status: Commander-in-Chief Valken's authority is being questioned, and a split between the pro-peace faction and the pro-war faction has emerged within the parliament.