Chapter 961: Preparations on August Star

Sixth Star Sector, Core World, August Star, Orbital Defense Platform.

Sentinel Dingzi was staring at the holographic tactical panel before him, yawning and revealing the sharp teeth in his mouth.

"Hey, Dingzi, stop standing there like a stone statue, it's time for the shift change."

His fellow townsman Tie Zha patted Dingzi's shoulder armor and spoke.

"Got it. What kind of situation could there be in this ghost of a place? I bet even a space ephemera would be too lazy to come near."

Dingzi muttered, starting to pack up his personal items.

Whether to play two rounds of simulated combat in the virtual training pod for a while, or just get some sleep.

Just then, an alarm sounded!

"Highest alert! All personnel, immediately report to combat stations! Repeat, all personnel, immediately report to combat stations! This is not a drill!"

"What the hell?!"

Tie Zha opened his mouth wide, his hand subconsciously reaching to grab the Energy Rifle slung behind his back.

"Attention all fleet commanders! Attention all fleet commanders! This is August Command, General Metake issuing direct orders!"

A majestic voice cut into the public channel, and Metake ordered.

"First, Third, and Fifth Mobile Fleet of the Sixth Star Sector, and their attached marine divisions, immediately terminate all existing tasks and enter the highest state of combat readiness! Target assembly point, outer orbit of Ka Lun Star! Repeat, target Ka Lun Star! Execute phase one of the 'Swarm' Protocol!"

"'Swarm' Protocol?"

Dingzi had heard of this term during basic training; it was a decentralized guerrilla tactic for extreme situations, meaning the Commander acknowledged that they could not gain an advantage on the front line and needed to harass and weaken the enemy like a swarm of bees.

But deep in the hinterland of the Sixth Star Sector, where would a powerful enemy requiring the use of the "Swarm" come from?

"To hell with it, Ka Lun Star? Isn't that the gateway to the Seventh Star Sector? What happened in the Seventh Star Sector?"

Tie Zha cursed under his breath.

"TJ-77! AX-39!"

A veteran with a burn scar on his face roared as he rushed over.

"You two! Stop fucking spacing out! Report to Berth 3 immediately! The assault ship needs extra hands for damage control and internal security! Move! Move! Move!"

Dingzi and Tie Zha exchanged a glance; they were just the lowest-ranking sentinels and had no say in the matter.

"Go!"

Dingzi let out a low growl, pulled the still-dazed Tie Zha, and rushed toward Berth 3.

When the two arrived at Berth 3, the assault ship's engines were already running, and the access hatches on both sides of the hull were wide open, allowing soldiers and supplies to be loaded quickly.

"Get on! Find any fixed seat and sit down! Fasten your seatbelts! We could depart at any moment!"

An officer wearing a flight jacket stood at the hatch, waving his arms and shouting.

Inside the ship's cabin, soldiers searched for seats, pulling down seatbelts to secure themselves into the shock-absorbing chairs.

Dingzi found a seat by a porthole and buckled his seatbelt.

Looking out through the porthole, countless ships of various sizes were adjusting their posture, the blue or orange ion streams from their engines cutting through the dark void.

"What exactly... happened? Didn't they say they were going to mobilize the 'Guardians'? Are so many Super Soldiers not enough?"

Tie Zha sat next to Dingzi and spoke.

A Fengqi soldier in marine combat gear sitting nearby spoke up.

"Five hundred thousand 'Guardians'... sounds like a lot, doesn't it? But didn't you read the internal briefing? Just fragments... those monsters... those 'Space Marines'... they... General Suo'er and his four hundred thousand men didn't even last two days. Five hundred thousand 'Guardians' might not necessarily be enough."

Five hundred thousand Super Soldiers!

A single Super Soldier from the "Guardian" project was an existence capable of taking on a hundred.

Five hundred thousand? This should be a devastating force.

"Attention all personnel! Departing soon! Repeat, departing soon! All personnel ensure you are secured! Prepare to withstand acceleration overload!"

As the broadcast ended, Dingzi and Tie Zha gripped the armrests of their seats.

The scene outside the porthole began to move, slowly at first, then accelerating.

The assault ship gave a slight jolt, the main engines ignited, and a powerful G-force pressed Dingzi into his seat.

The ship merged into the formation and headed toward Ka Lun Star.

Sixth Star Sector Command, Planet August, Command Center.

General Metake stood before the star map, looking at the area on the map flashing with constant red light.

The former Seventh Star Sector, now the control zone of the "Xiuluo Holy Star Alliance".

"Alien... Emperor..."

Metake whispered, repeating the terms intercepted from Suo'er's final communication.

"General, the orders have been issued. The First, Third, and Fifth Fleets are moving toward the Ka Lun Star assembly point as planned. Preliminary assembly is expected to be completed within seventy-two hours."

The Chief of Staff came before Metake and reported.

"What about the escort fleet? How is the delivery capability of the marine units?"

Metake did not turn around.

"Coordination is complete. But we have dispersed our forces according to the 'Swarm' Protocol, and the escort strength of each tactical cluster is relatively weak. And... the soldiers' morale is not high, and rumors are spreading quickly."

The Chief of Staff paused and added.

"Regarding the... news from the Seventh Star Sector."

Metake turned around and spoke.

"Leave the morale issue to the political officers. What we need now is efficiency and absolute obedience. Tell the commanders of each fleet that I do not want to see any delays."

"Yes, General."

The Chief of Staff said.

"Also... regarding the decision to distribute 'Guardian' units to various conventional units, the Supreme Council seems to have some... different voices. They believe they should be used in a concentrated manner to form a fist and deliver a fatal blow to the enemy."

Metake let out a cold snort.

"Concentrated use? Has General Suo'er not concentrated all his forces? And what was the result? Without any understanding of the enemy's tactics and weaknesses, concentrating precious Super Soldiers—was he afraid the enemy wouldn't be able to find a target to wipe them all out at once?"

Metake walked to the Control Console and pulled up the preliminary analysis report on the "Xiuluosheng" combat pattern shared by General Gelan.

"Look at this; their boarding battles, their boarding combat efficiency is shockingly high. Concentrating a large fleet just gives them a stage to exploit this advantage. Although the 'Swarm' protocol is passive, it can preserve our effective strength to the maximum extent, delay time, and figure out the enemy's bottom line."

Metake pointed to several preset guerrilla zones on the star map.

"What we need to do is not to retake the Seventh Star Sector; that is a matter for the future. Now, we must constantly harass, probe, and find the gaps in their armor."

"Understood."

The Chief of Staff nodded.

"General Gelan is under the greatest pressure; he not only has to face the external enemy but also deal with the shortsightedness and stupidity within the Council. We must execute his strategy well here to buy him time and space."

Metake paused and issued an order.

"Notify the Logistics Department to prioritize supply shipments to the fleet heading to Ka Lun Star, especially the inventory of Energy Shield Generators and High-Explosive Armor-Piercing Shells. In addition, activate all long-range monitoring outposts and strictly monitor signals from the direction of the Seventh Star Sector. I want to know any of the enemy's next moves before they even appear!"

"Yes! General!"

Metake stood alone in front of the star map, raising a hand to hover over the position of Ka Lun Star on the map.

"May the Spirit of the Star Sea protect us..."