After capturing all the mineral transport ships, assigning forces to escort them back to Star System Number 3, and leaving enough ships there for defense, the rest of the Nation-Class Russian ship formation was advancing toward Star System Number 2 at a speed of twelve times the speed of light.
Xiao Yu’s plan was that, once the Russian formation reached a certain distance from Star System Number 2, the Nation-Class United States formation would launch an attack, tying down most of the enemy forces in a frontal engagement. Then the Russian formation would strike from another direction, taking advantage of the time gap before the enemy could redeploy, and seize the system in one blow.
After running simulations with the members of the Military Committee, everyone agreed the plan was feasible. Thus, this became the operation’s official strategy.
Of course, this plan was based on the assumption that Star System Number 2’s military strength would remain unchanged. Several light-years away, the Nation-Class Japan ship formation, carrying seven hundred thousand ships, was heading at full speed toward Star System Number 4. Star System Number 4 was a residential system, home to at least one billion people. In Xiao Yu’s estimation, the Molian Civilization would not simply abandon such a large population without a fight.
This left the Molian leadership with a dilemma, should they abandon Star System Number 2’s military base to rescue that population, or abandon the people, hold Star System Number 2, and preserve this beachhead to create a favorable position for the future war?
The capture of the mineral transport ships had surely been enough to alert the Molian leaders. If they still couldn’t realize that Xiao Yu had split his forces and was now pursuing their retreating civilians, then the war might as well be called off, they could just wait for the enemy to die of their own stupidity.
“I’m very curious… which will you choose?” Xiao Yu thought silently as he waited.
It would take two months for the Russian formation to reach Star System Number 2, and also two months for the Japan formation to arrive at Star System Number 4. In other words, if the Molians were going to mount a rescue for the civilians, their military forces would need to act now. But the reality was far from Xiao Yu’s expectations. During this time, Star System Number 2 remained as it was before, with daily frequent ship movements clearly related to war preparations, but without any large-scale redeployment of ships.
“One billion people, abandoned just like that? One billion lives, sacrificed just to hold Star System Number 2, just to keep a beachhead for a slight advantage in the future war? Ruthless. Truly ruthless.” Xiao Yu sighed, feeling a surge of curiosity about the Molian Civilization’s cultural heritage.
“What kind of social environment could produce such a cultural mindset? Judging from the leadership’s decision to abandon these one billion people, it’s clear this won’t cause them much trouble, meaning the Molian populace must also support this decision. Going further, perhaps even these one billion people themselves believe they should be abandoned. Hmph… no surrender, no compromise, willing to sacrifice, such a society… I have no words. If this happened on Earth, no matter which leader made such a decision, they’d be dragged from office and executed in the most brutal way possible.”“Since you’ve abandoned them, I won’t be polite. One billion people, I’ll freeze them all. Next time I come across a market run by another civilization, I can sell them for a good price.” Xiao Yu made up his mind.
The Nation-Class Japan ship formation had already reached Star System Number 4. As expected, it too was an empty shell. Apart from automated defense systems, nothing remained in the system. On the inhabited planets, ruins were everywhere, once-prosperous cities reduced to wreckage.
It was clearly a scorched-earth policy, refusing to leave Xiao Yu anything of value. But Xiao Yu didn’t mind. After clearing out the automated defense systems in the star system and leaving about two hundred thousand combat and construction ships to hold it, a full five hundred thousand ships, led by the Nation-Class Japan ship, set off in pursuit.
This time, the pursuit was almost identical to the Russian ship formation’s chase of the mineral transport fleet, still filled with countless fake trails and decoy targets. As the Nation-Class Japan ship formation’s five hundred thousand vessels chased one false lead after another, the fleet gradually dispersed. They still hadn’t found any trace of the fleeing ships, but Xiao Yu was certain they would be discovered eventually. There was no escape.
“The Nation-Class Russian ship formation is only half a month away from Star System Number 2. Good. We can begin the attack.” After compiling all available intelligence and conducting his analysis, Xiao Yu came to a conclusion. “Then… Nation-Class United States, it’s your turn to move.”
The Nation-Class United States ship had been stationed near Star System Number 2 for months, and now the time for battle had finally come.
The massive fleet began to move slowly. Long before this, countless reconnaissance and spy satellites had already been deployed, and initial skirmishes with the Molian military forces on the front lines had taken place. Clearly, the Molians had detected Xiao Yu’s intent. He could see many ships within Star System Number 2 powering up and moving toward the edge of the system, while inside, the system grew busier as numerous defensive weapons were activated.
Xiao Yu’s fleet entered curvature flight and vanished from the visible universe. After traveling for a time, they dropped out of curvature, by which point the distance between his fleet and the system’s primary star had closed to less than twenty billion kilometers.
“Disperse, form up, and commence the attack.” Xiao Yu calmly issued one order after another. Following these commands, a formation of Province-Class ships serving as the vanguard opened up with a fierce bombardment. Waves of both visible and invisible weapons fire rained down on the Molian vessels, while at the same time, heavy fire erupted from the Molian ships in response.
The silent, dark starry expanse suddenly came alive with action. The fighting was intense, but Xiao Yu quickly sensed that something was very wrong.
“Why is their firepower so weak? This doesn’t match their fleet numbers at all.”
“Why aren’t these ships attacking? Hm? Their defenses are this fragile? One shot punches straight through them?”
“What? The first Molian defensive line has been breached already? We’re inside the system? This… what’s going on? Why is their military strength so feeble? This doesn’t add up… something’s off.”
This was the situation Xiao Yu now faced. Earlier, he had seen at least over three hundred thousand Molian ships forming the first defensive line at the edge of Star System Number 2, supported by various defensive weapons stationed deeper inside. But under the assault of his Nation-Class United States formation of more than eight hundred thousand ships in total, the Molian line collapsed at the very first exchange. In less than an hour, they had lost at least two hundred and fifty thousand ships, with only about ten thousand fleeing back into the system.
“This isn’t right… something’s wrong.” Xiao Yu thought grimly. “The Molian Civilization can’t be this weak. What scheme are they playing at? Huh? Empty shell ships? What’s this? Did I walk into a trap?”
His thoughts went taut in an instant. After those ten thousand ships retreated, Xiao Yu had the wreckage left on the battlefield examined, and what he found was shocking.
Most of the destroyed ships were empty shells, nothing but hulls for show, with no real offensive or defensive systems at all.
“Stop the advance, halt immediately.” Xiao Yu ordered at once, and all eight hundred thousand ships stopped at the edge of Star System Number 2. The sporadic fire from the system’s defensive weapons was completely ignored.
A vague sense took hold in Xiao Yu, he had walked into a trap. But as to exactly what kind, he wasn’t yet sure.
His gaze once again swept over the system’s interior.
Here and there, ships were taking off and landing. In the asteroid belt, flashes of light marked interstellar mines. On some of the outer planets and moons, massive structures, clearly large Negative Matter Cannons, loomed.
This was undeniably a heavily fortified military base, one with formidable fighting power.
But… why had their defensive line collapsed so quickly? And what was the deal with those empty shell ships?
Xiao Yu hesitated.
“Could this be a trap? Using an early defeat to lure me into overconfidence and recklessness, then ambushing me with concentrated military forces deeper inside the system?”
“That’s possible… but their total strength is only around five hundred thousand ships. I have eight hundred thousand here, and the Nation-Class Russian ship formation is on its way at full speed. I have no reason to fear. All right then… proceed carefully, but keep moving forward. Let’s see what the Molian Civilization is trying to pull.”
After weighing it all, Xiao Yu made up his mind to advance. But this time, he moved with much greater caution, fully prepared for any sudden strike.