The Solar System, Luojianshan Command Center.
The command hall, originally sealed, suddenly opened, illuminating instantly. A group of staff officers in crisp military uniforms entered in an orderly fashion, taking their seats and calibrating equipment. Reports of everything being in order echoed incessantly.
With all preparations complete, holographic projections of Zhou, Shan, and Mu appeared at the rear of the hall. They surveyed the surroundings, as if present in person.
"How is the situation?" Zhou Guangyi asked.
"Report, equipment is functioning well, and contact has been established with the fleet," Xie Yu replied.
The military possessed two major command centers. The ground command center, located on Earth, served as the supreme command hub for the entire army. All commands related to the human fleet originated from here, making it the brain and nervous system of the human fleet.
The second command center was Luojianshan. This was the auxiliary command center, intended for activation if the ground command center was destroyed or faced other unforeseen circumstances that prevented it from commanding the fleet. However, considering the frequent external communications of the command center, which could attract enemy attention and concentrated strikes, the decision was made to temporarily activate the Luojianshan command center to confuse the enemy and ensure the safety of the ground command center.
In addition, the military planned to establish three fixed command centers on Ling Shen Star, Jupiter, and the edge of the galaxy, along with a forward mobile command center on the Star Ark, to share risks and comprehensively enhance command capabilities.
However, as of this moment, these command centers remained only on paper.
Simultaneously with the full activation of the Luojianshan command center, the fleet also completed its combat readiness transition. All warships maintained their positions, personnel remained at their posts, and weapons were loaded. A single command would be enough to immediately engage in battle.
However, the enemy arrived later than expected.
A full half-day later, the lights in the command center dimmed, and alarm sirens suddenly blared.
The main screen displayed a bird's-eye view of the Solar System. A group of light dots suddenly appeared on the screen.
A combat staff officer rushed to the projections of the three leaders, "Report, unidentified targets have appeared in the direction of the Constellation of Circinus!"
Shan Qiuyu raised an eyebrow, "They're not on the ecliptic plane?"
Zhou Guangyi's expression remained impassive, "Order the fleet to prepare for battle!"
While countless stars emitted light and heat, each star rotated in a different direction, and their ecliptic planes also varied.
Typically, whether civilian or military vessels, upon approaching a target star system, wormhole exits were set at a distance. Upon arrival, the situation would be observed before entering the star system.
Even if thoroughly familiar with the target, one would not jump directly into the star system. Any minor oversight or unexpected event could lead to an aircraft being trapped in irretrievable danger.
For instance, appearing near a star, within a gas giant, or in other hazardous airspace.
Therefore, it was quite normal for the enemy to appear on the periphery of the Solar System. A simple dive would be enough to enter the Solar System.
At this moment, everyone's nerves were involuntarily taut, a mix of tension and apprehension.
Surprisingly, the enemy did not launch an immediate attack. The number of enemy ships was also far less than anticipated, numbering only a little over a hundred.
The senior leaders immediately recognized this as a rare opportunity. Mu Xingyu said in a low voice, "These warships should have arrived early due to some reason. I suggest we strike!"
Zhou Guangyi nodded, "I agree, but we cannot rule out the possibility of an enemy bait."
"Deploy a portion of the fleet, try to flank them and test their mettle, and prepare reinforcements," Shan Qiuyu suggested.
The three leaders reached a consensus and immediately issued orders.
The reserve fleet guarding Earth was ordered to disperse the enemy. Forty improved Flame-class warships split into two groups, opening wormholes to jump to the left and right of the enemy, forming two 20-ship formations.
The jump positions maintained a safe distance from the enemy. After successfully passing through the wormholes, the fleet spread out, but did not immediately charge at the enemy. Instead, they released sub-ships to accompany them.
In an instant, the number of human warships increased fivefold!
The sub-ships' overall combat capability was far inferior to the main ships, but the gap was not as significant as imagined.
The enemy's formation showed no apparent change on the surface, but internal unrest surged within. They had never imagined that warships could be used in such a manner.
For reasons unknown, the enemy maintained a dense formation, showing no intention of dispersing. They simply divided their fleet into two parts, facing the two human fleets on their sides, back-to-back for mutual cover.
In large-scale space fleet engagements, formations were essentially synonymous with tactical choices.
Generally, a dispersed formation signified an offensive posture, an active tactic; a dense formation, conversely, represented full defense, a conservative tactic.
Upon seeing this, the human fleet thought, "Well, they've chosen a defensive tactic before even engaging. There's nothing else to say, let's just go for it."
With a commander's order, all 40 main ships and 160 sub-ships opened fire simultaneously. Particle disintegration cannons instantly tore through the void.
The enemy ship shields were connected, resembling two oversized turtle shells, appearing incredibly sturdy.
However, after being hit by the particle disintegration cannons, the enemy's shields flared brightly, then dimmed, and finally, flashes of explosions appeared behind the shield wall.
In the Luojianshan command center, an invigorating voice announced, "Multiple breaches in the enemy shields! Four enemy ships destroyed!"
Although it was only four warships, the faces of the senior leaders displayed smiles of relief.
The enemy seemed to realize that their defensive strategy was too conservative. After enduring the first volley, they immediately counterattacked.
However, mere seconds later, the human fleet launched a second strike, penetrating the shields again and destroying six enemy ships.
The enemy exhibited obvious confusion, rapidly contracting their formation and reforming their shield wall with concentrated warships.
Shan Qiuyu chuckled, "They must have miscalculated the firing rate, it's not surprising!"
Zhou Guangyi and Mu Xingyu laughed in unison.
Entering the interstellar age had shattered many past notions.
For instance, particle disintegration cannons were not particularly rare items; otherwise, how would they have appeared on pirate warships?
Through the continuous efforts of researchers, humanity's imitations of particle disintegration cannons had achieved a power and range comparable to the original. The only drawback was the relatively long charging time.
However, this had nothing to do with whether it was an imitation; the original also had a long charging time.
But it didn't matter. Researchers had long found a solution: since one system was slow, why not equip multiple charging modules? It was like a teapot with several cups, or a gun barrel with several cylinders, very similar to a revolver.
This design not only added a large number of moving parts and significantly increased the size of the cannon body, but it also greatly boosted the firing rate of the particle disintegration cannon, solving the problem of slow firing frequency. It was a case where the benefits far outweighed the drawbacks.
The military had been hesitant about equipping particle disintegration cannons. It was precisely because of this breakthrough that the military made its decision.
It was clear that the enemy was well aware of the drawbacks of particle disintegration cannons, which was why they counterattacked after the first volley. Unexpectedly, they ran headlong into a solid wall, losing another batch of warships.
During the second salvo, the enemy's initial reaction was to assume miscalculation, believing the humans were using a two-stage or three-stage firing sequence.
But in the third, fourth, and fifth volleys, each salvo destroyed several enemy ships. Before long, enemy losses had reached over twenty ships!
Now, over twenty warships might not seem like much, but mere years ago, including the Star Ark, humanity only possessed eight warships!
As the saying goes, times change. After years of diligent effort, humanity could finally rely on its own fleet to defend Earth. Earth was no longer a planet where the mere arrival of an alien warship could make the entire human world tremble.
Perhaps realizing their disadvantage, or by chance, numerous wormholes suddenly opened near the battlefield, and another batch of enemy ships appeared in the vicinity.
The two formations of warships immediately retreated.
In reality, the original distance was already very safe; retreating wasn't strictly necessary. However, out of caution, they executed a tactical withdrawal.
Caution proved to be useful. The enemy reinforcements were clearly a different type of warship and immediately launched an attack upon arrival.
Coincidentally, the human warships also intended to strike hard before the enemy reinforcements could stabilize. They all turned their cannons towards the reinforcements. As their cannon fire crossed paths, flashing shields illuminated the night sky, followed by explosions and flames.
In a single exchange of fire, the enemy lost over twenty warships, while the human side lost five warships and had over ten damaged.
In the command center, the expressions of the senior leaders became grim, and everyone else's faces were tense.
Although war was inevitable and casualties were to be expected, no one wished to see their warships sunk, especially five at once.
"Order the second batch of warships to provide immediate support," Zhou Guangyi said.
The firepower of the enemy reinforcements was clearly stronger than the first batch of enemy ships. All indications suggested that the enemy was also using particle disintegration cannons.
As expected, after the first volley, the enemy ships entered a long charging period. The front-line fleet took advantage of this to launch wave after wave of volleys, continuously destroying enemy warships.
The enemy was stunned by the intense firepower. How could particle disintegration cannons have such a rapid firing rate? Did each warship have multiple cannons?
However, upon closer inspection, each human warship only had one cannon!
This was quite counterintuitive. Many warships used this weapon, but none were known to achieve such a firing frequency.
Generally, this weapon was installed when conditions permitted, considered an unconventional means on board. It was unheard of for any warship to use particle disintegration as its main cannon.
A simple information gap led to the loss of a small batch of enemy warships. Although the humans also suffered losses, they held a significant advantage in comparison.
On the battlefield, it was often small, inconspicuous advantages that accumulated over time, ultimately leading to victory. Only in rare instances was victory achieved through overwhelming superiority.
The commander's task was to fully leverage their advantages.
As the enemy reinforcements were about to launch their second volley, another 40 Flame-class warships arrived on the scene. The number of human warships doubled, creating an absolute numerical advantage over the enemy.
With firepower advantage combined with numerical advantage, there was no suspense as to which side the scales of victory would tip.
Completely surprised by the formidable strength of the human warships, the enemy increased their fleet size again, at once bringing the number of warships to four hundred, matching the human fleet's numbers.
Mu Xingyu smiled, "Well, they really were bait. But alas, they must never have imagined that this time they'd reel in a shark!"
"Order the fleet to withdraw," Zhou Guangyi said.
The reason for proactively launching the attack was not only to seize an opportunity but, more importantly, for armed reconnaissance to gather firsthand intelligence on the enemy.
Judging by the strength displayed by the enemy, their warships' overall combat capability was far inferior to the Flame-class. This discovery significantly eased the anxiety that had been hanging over everyone.
Although the enemy warships that had appeared were only a portion of the total, with their own fleet only fielding 80 warships, they had achieved a significant casualty ratio against an unequal number of enemy vessels, securing an early victory.
Indeed, the military was a place that valued science and did not engage in superstitious practices. However, even if one did not believe in good omens, having one certainly felt better than not having one!
More importantly, the military had prepared a thousand warships for this battle, representing half of humanity's overall strength. They had initially thought this might not be enough, but now, it seemed there was more than enough, and by a wide margin.
Everyone suddenly felt a sense of clarity, as if the lingering gloom had completely dissipated.
Upon receiving the order, the fleet immediately disengaged from the battle, withdrawing from the battlefield in batches.
The last batch of warships even abandoned the use of wormholes and returned conventionally... This was, of course, impossible. The battlefield was over forty astronomical units away from the ecliptic plane. Returning conventionally would take at least a year or more.
The fleet merely used this method to increase the distance. Once at a safe position, they recalled their sub-ships, regrouped, and initiated wormholes back to Earth.
The enemy did not pursue, remaining in place and watching the human warships depart.
Many people inwardly rejoiced. Before the enemy's arrival, they must have been full of confidence, intending to teach humanity a lesson.
Who would have thought that from their very entrance, they would be severely beaten? Not only was their boastful debut ruined, but they were also left bewildered by the human fleet, still lost.
Why would they not fear being ambushed by humans if they pursued now?
Therefore, the enemy was undoubtedly strategizing at this moment.
The three leaders were not as calm as they appeared. Previously, they worried about the enemy's overwhelming strength and their own insufficient preparations. Now, they worried that their excellent performance might have intimidated the enemy, and if the enemy abandoned their attack, it would be problematic.
Perhaps some might say, isn't it good if the enemy withdraws and the war ceases?
It would be good, but the other side had already shown sufficient hostility. Would allowing them to leave eliminate their hostility?
A dog cannot change its nature; it is absolutely impossible!
"Strike while the iron is hot, pursue the defeated enemy, do not emulate Xiang Yu."
No compromise could achieve peace; it would only lead to further encroachment!
Letting a tiger return to the mountain would eventually become a disaster. It was imperative to strike the enemy's living forces to the maximum extent when they showed themselves. Only by inflicting severe pain on the enemy, to the point where they no longer dared to covet humanity and Earth, could the objective of stopping the war be achieved.