We couldn't fathom the Dark Forest tribe's actions, because it had been almost half a month since the Empire's ships arrived in this world (the time Halland's remnants fled here), but they had not made a single move. They were so quiet that it was as if they knew nothing. But now, less than two days after the Imperial Army set up camp, the Dark Forest tribe had amassed such an astounding number of fleets and swarmed here. There was no warning, no negotiation, and they did not even send out a single scout. Instead, they had mobilized thousands of small fleets like a swarm of bees!
"What's going on? What's our warning department doing? Why didn't anyone report such a large-scale mobilization?"
"I'm afraid there's only one explanation, and that's that the native civilization doesn't need to mobilize all their ships." Syves was perplexed by the lack of warning from such a massive mobilization, but she had her own guesses. "Such civilizations are rare, but not non-existent. If the other party had a long history of exile and still retained the habits of the exile era, then it was possible. Their ships are both warships and homes, always on standby, and don't need to be mobilized or resupplied. They're like a battle tribe that treats armor and weapons as their daily adornments, and if there's a need, they could be an army in a second — that's the only explanation. "
"That means that half of them live in the colony, while the other half live on the ships." My sister smacked her lips in surprise. "There's really such a race that never lands?"
"Another reason for the failure of the warning is that the fleets did not assemble at all." Syves first ordered the Imperial Army's fortified shield to be activated, before turning to us. "According to the information from the Deep Space Probes, the natives have swiftly assembled thousands of small fleets, and these small fleets advanced directly towards our army. Most military operations should at least have the process of assembling their troops, but they didn't. These natives seem to intend to assemble right in front of the Imperial Army … "
What a joke! Even if I didn't have much military experience, I immediately shouted that in my mind. I had also seen the scattered fleets. The smallest among them only had a dozen or so spaceships. With the combat power of the dynasty's army, one or two assault ships would probably be enough to wipe them out. However, they did not gather their small fleets in advance. Instead, they were like hooligans fighting in waves, squeezing their way toward us without any order at all. That's right, a fight between gangsters — — I think this description is too appropriate. This kind of fighting style, where the whole family, old and young, meets on the battlefield, is very similar to the group fight in the back mountain of Second High! Just what was this Dark Forest Tribe …
"Your Majesty! There's a new development! " Just as I was muttering to myself about what was wrong with the Hessian tribe, a high-ranking adjutant suddenly reported from the command hall below. Then, a holographic projection appeared on the officer's platform, showing a large number of images of the Hessian colony planet. "Detected that the native colony planet and space colony station are slowly changing orbits. These large entities are confirmed to have propulsion capabilities. We cannot rule out the possibility that they also have superluminal warp capabilities!"
"Planetary battleship?" I jumped up. "They have planetary battleships?"
"They are not planetary battleships," Sandora immediately deduced. "We have been to one of the planets, but we didn't find any planetary-level weapons on it. These things, at least according to the Empire's standards, are not at the level of planetary battleships, so they should be facilities like a space fortress. It seems that Chen Qian wasn't right. Not half of the Hessian people live on spaceships, but the entire tribe lives on spaceships! All the colony planets in this universe are spaceships — — they have developed the habit of making everything under their feet fly. "
When I went to that planet with Sandora, I really should have scanned below the planet's mantle. Maybe we could have found its thrusters and central power reactor. Now that I think about it, it was probably a mistake.
At this moment, the images from deep space showed that a few colony planets had completed their orbital maneuvers. These planets were slowly changing. Their atmospheres gradually lit up, and something like a water membrane formed on the atmospheric dome. This was a planet-level defense shield. Not to mention the strength of the shield, I knew that I had underestimated these seemingly harmless natives. On the surface of the planets, there were places that were cracking, and crustal rifts that spanned thousands of kilometers appeared out of thin air. Mountains and plains slowly sank, and the earth opened up on both sides, revealing tunnels that emitted a dark red light. It could be a weapon launch port, or a place for spaceships to enter and exit. I guessed that half of these planets' interiors had been hollowed out. Several planets were covered with large areas of ocean, and now the ocean was being parted by an invisible force field, revealing huge facilities of unknown use. Almost every planet had huge buildings protruding out of the ground. It was as if the armor plates of the Empire's motherships had folded, and anti-aircraft cannons were emerging from below. This scene happened on every colony planet of the Hessian tribe, and in a short period of time, the latter had turned into a group of armed hedgehogs. Even though this kind of armed equipment looked ugly, and even a layman like me could see that the level of technology was not too high, it still brought a powerful shock to people.
Apart from the colonized planets, there were also the space stations that we had thought to be civilian buildings among the Hessian forces. These space stations were originally orbiting the red dwarfs in close proximity and appeared to be colonies with no combat capabilities, but they had actually transformed into battle fortresses. The outer shells of countless space stations opened up as if they were blooming, revealing rail cannons that were several kilometers long. These crudely constructed and violent weapons might not be able to compare to the Galaxy, but I could not help but think of stone spears when I looked at them: violent, primitive, and reeking of blood.
Vast and endless. Even the Shiring Apostles, who had always crushed others with their virus-like warfare, was a little surprised to see the scale of the Hessian fleet. No matter how much the Imperial Army mobilized, they had never deployed their own ports and settlements. But the Hessians had obviously installed thrusters on everything they had. Perhaps their numbers could not compare to the entire Empire's fleet, but did you know how shocking their madness was? Sandora gaped at them for a long time before she suddenly said, "I now feel that it was a mistake not to pay attention to the locals when I first came to this world …"
"This is the whole family coming together," Bubble's voice suddenly rang on the bridge. Her main body should be acting as the core of thought in the main engine room. As the hub of the battlefield network, she could 'see' the huge Hessian fleet more clearly. Every Deep Space Probe was her eyes. "The situation doesn't look too good. They look murderous."
"The whole family coming together can't be looking for us to have a get-together," Xiaoxue twitched the corner of her mouth as she paced back and forth at the edge of the officer's platform. She then narrowed her eyes as she silently observed the future that was difficult for outsiders to understand. "It's a misunderstanding. They mistakenly think that the Imperial Army is an invader. This misunderstanding can be resolved, as long as …"
"As long as Visca shows up, I know what you want to say," I pulled Visca over. The 'misunderstanding' that Xiaoxue mentioned was a very obvious fact. I was puzzled as to why the locals only reacted now. Why didn't they make a move when Halland was wandering around here? Could it be that the Hessian tribe was collectively slower by half a beat? "But this grandiose fleet … Which one is their flagship?"
"I'm afraid it's none of them." Big Sister looked at the holographic image with a pained expression. "Their military system is definitely something we have never seen before … If it really doesn't work, broadcast it at full frequency. Stick Visca's head on all the channels and broadcast it."
"Second Lunatic," I turned to look at the communicator. The Lunatic AI was seriously turning his virtual image into a huge Bubble Candy. "Stop fooling around. When you left this place back then, did you leave any tokens for the Hessian tribe? You can use them to recognize each other when you meet again in the future. After all, most ordinary races can't live as long as the Shiring Apostles. "
The Lunatic AI was confused. "Tokens? What's that for? Also, my surname is Chen. I am the Second Lunatic. "
I knew that Visca wouldn't have thought of such a complicated matter back then. So, I didn't care about the tokens anymore. I ordered the broadcasting tower to prepare a full frequency broadcast. Then, I pulled Visca in front of me. "Later …"
"I have to greet them later." Visca nodded seriously. "I will do my best."
I nodded in relief, but I was a little surprised. Usually, Visca wasn't so nice to outsiders. She could play around in front of her family, but to outsiders, she was basically a block of ice. Even when I dragged her to greet strangers, she had never agreed so readily. Based on the serious expression on Visca's face, I knew that she was taking this matter seriously. She hoped to meet the people of the Hessian tribe.
Even though back then, they were just a bunch of unlucky people that she mistook as "cargo" and accidentally stuffed into the cabin.
Visca seemed to have guessed what I was thinking. She tilted her head slightly and gripped the edge of her cloak tightly. "Visca also did good things back then … I saved them."
I instantly understood. I raised my hand and patted the little girl's head. I didn't say anything else.
Visca didn't have clear and complete memories of the things she did back then. But that didn't mean that she didn't feel anything. After regaining her consciousness and being influenced by us for a few years, she was like a child who had just established her own sense of morality. She was uneasy and apologetic. She hoped to find even the slightest bit of evidence that she had once helped people, but such evidence hadn't appeared for a few years. Looking at the current Visca, I couldn't help but recall the moment when Atlantis returned. The difference was that back then, Visca was anxious when she faced the Atlanteans. But now, she was excited and proud.
Now, Visca could proudly announce that she had also saved others and protected an entire race as a savior. And now, as the leader of that group of special vassal races, she was going to bring her own people back.
The Hessian tribe's fleet, old and young, continued to swarm towards the Imperial Army. Almost all the cold celestial bodies in the entire universe had been turned into flying objects and energy sources. That made us face a swarm of billions of bees. Our radar shone at the densest part of the Hessian fleet for a moment, and the monstrous noise that was transmitted back made my sister open the soundproof layer of the officers' platform in an instant. But until now, the black fleet hadn't sent a single message to the Imperial Army. Whether it was a declaration of war, an inquiry about our identity, or an introduction of themselves, there was nothing. I felt that they were a group of silent death warriors. Billions of death warriors had turned into a tide in silence. I recalled what Sandora and I had seen on the Hessian tribe's planet. It was a peaceful and normal place. Everyone was clearly living their peaceful lives as if they didn't know anything. The city was clearly brimming with the relaxed atmosphere of an era of peace. But I never thought that such an operation would be brewing in that peaceful atmosphere. I couldn't help but have a few layers of goosebumps when I thought about it. This tribe … is crazy.
They can smile and lead their entire tribe to death!
"Estimated contact with the target's vanguard in ten minutes, at a distance of one light meter."
An electronically synthesized female voice rang in the bridge, interrupting my thoughts. At the same time, the communication tower also reported that they were ready for a full-band broadcast. It would be a powerful broadcast. Through specially modulated psionic radiation, it would break through any form of information firewall and directly appear on all the terminal devices of the Hessians. Because the other party refused to communicate, we could only use a more forceful method. Visca was already prepared. She came to the communication tower, wearing the black cloak from back then. The cloak had the Army of Destruction's emblem on the buckle. I believe that emblem is also very important.
I realized that the girl was actually a little nervous.
"Commencing broadcast … Channel infiltration … Complete infiltration. General, the other party can see you now," the assistant mainframe reminded.
The communication tower should have shown the image of the Hessians, but we didn't know who was the commander of this huge fleet. So, there was only white noise in front of Visca. On the image from the deep space probe, the Hessian fleet was still warping forward. This lasted for a very short period of time. Then, the unprecedented locust army showed signs of chaos. Some spaceships began to hastily stop, and some spaceships mysteriously separated from the main fleet.
Visca thought for a while. She forgot her lines.
Oh, I don't think she forgot her lines. She just didn't think of the lines in the first place …
Visca and the Hessians on the other side of the communication tower stared at each other for a full five minutes. I could imagine her blank little face on every terminal of the spaceships. Personally, I thought that this situation was even more embarrassing than forgetting a script during a live broadcast of the Spring Festival Gala. The Spring Festival Gala's viewership was not as high as today's.
"Er …" Visca was stunned for a long time. Then, she remembered that she should at least say something. So, she scratched her head. "What are you doing?"
I let out a sigh of relief. Although what she said didn't quite match the impassioned imagination that I had at the beginning, at least it wasn't too bizarre.
The countless channels on the other side of the communication tower suddenly roared, but order was quickly restored. Then, the assistant mainframe reported, "We have detected a communication signal of the highest priority. The location of the Hessian fleet has been determined."
The elder sister nodded. "Connect it."
The holographic image on the communication tower trembled. Then, a pale-skinned man appeared. He was wearing a black cloak that was almost identical to Visca's. Other than his face, his entire body was covered by the cloak. Perhaps the closer the cloak was to the general's, the higher the status of this person in the Hessian tribe? The man in front of me looked like he was in his forties in human terms. He was very thin but very muscular. The lines on his face were sharp, his eyes were deep, and the bridge of his nose was very high. It made him look like a westerner from Earth. The middle-aged man had a pale face without a beard. He looked very spirited, but the black cloak made him look slightly gloomy. He looked like a dark warrior. The man looked confused, surprised, happy, and excited. He looked at Visca blankly. "General? You're the general?! Why are you here … "
"It's me." Visca scratched her head. She didn't know how to speak in a formal manner. She was always straightforward. "I don't know you. Who are you? The current chief of the Hessian tribe? Oh, right … I said that I would come back, right? I'm back now. "
The confusion on the middle-aged man's face didn't diminish at all. Instead, he was even more happy now. "General, you have returned. I didn't expect that I would be part of this honored generation. I am Prahan Durhan, Prahan XVI, and Durhan 1735. You can call me Prahan. It will be my honor. As you can see, the world you left behind is running well. All the property belongs to … Ancestors! We have made a big mistake! "
While I was still trying to figure out how 'Prahan XVI and Durhan 1735' was named, the middle-aged man on the other side exclaimed as if his butt was on fire. For such a high-ranking chief to lose his composure like that, it was obvious that the situation was serious. Even Visca couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong? What did you do? "
I thought that the man was talking about how the attack had offended the general, so it was a big mistake. I didn't expect him to say something else.
"General! If you are in this fleet, then who are those guys in the black spaceships?! "
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