"Then, they repeated the process again?" I was dumbfounded. Even though I couldn't see the expression on my face, it was definitely very interesting. "Are you saying that they actually assembled twice?"
"Assembled twice, and retreated twice." Tawil spread his hands, then switched the image on the holographic projection. "This is the result of the second telemetry. The signal of a fleet of the same scale as the first one appeared at the border region. Then, before the fleet could stabilize, they began to scatter in all directions. A large portion of the fleet retreated to the hinterlands of the Abyss, while a small portion went missing. It could be that their scale was too small for the intelligence team to detect them, or it could also be that … they ran to a place that no one expected."
I didn't understand the complicated tactical analysis diagrams, but I could still make out the chaotic situation at the frontlines with a single glance. Listening to Tawil's report, I turned to look at Sandora in confusion. "Why does it feel like they're collectively convulsing?"
"That's why I called you back in a hurry." Sandora nodded. "The Fallen Apostles have never acted so strangely before. A few days ago, when they raided the Protoss's border, the situation was a little strange. Now, it seems to be getting more and more intense … It can't be that they made such a large scale movement at the border region just to give us a fright, right?"
I scratched my chin and began to ponder, recalling my experiences with the Fallen Apostles over the past few years. I was looking for if they had ever acted in a similar manner before, and in the end, I really did think of a connection. "Hey, Halland, didn't you and your army also act like this for a few days?"
Halland had an awkward expression on her face. "Can we not … Alright, back then, there was indeed a period of muddle-headedness, but I feel that the 'symptoms' of the Fallen Apostles are a little different from what I experienced back then. Back then, we were confused because we came into contact with your power. The reverse transformation was incomplete, causing our thinking to be sluggish. Even though our actions were strange, there was still some logic to it. Furthermore, the main 'symptom' was reflected in the low efficiency of our actions. However, this time, the situation on the other side is clearly even stranger. It's not that their efficiency is low, but rather that their actions are completely illogical. It seems like they already have no idea what they are doing … At the very least, that's how it looks on the surface. Of course, we can't rule out the possibility of them plotting something. After all, there are quite a few old and crafty fellows in the Fallen Apostle camp. It wouldn't be strange for them to do anything. "
Halland was right. We couldn't rule out the possibility that the enemy was plotting something. In fact, I did think of another possibility. Could it be that they were using this chaotic and large-scale military operation to hide something? Using the mobilization of the army at the border to attract most of our attention, then doing something even more dangerous in an inconspicuous corner …
After I voiced out my thoughts, the majority of the people present immediately agreed. A high-ranking commander stood up from his seat. "Your Majesty, a month ago, the 6th Legion reported an abnormal situation when they were patrolling the border. It might be related to the enemy's current actions."
Sandora and I asked in unison, "What situation?"
The high-ranking commander transferred the holographic image in front of him to the large projector in the middle of the conference room. The holographic image showed a scan of the border area from a month ago. "The reconnaissance team discovered that there were several consecutive apocalyptic phenomena in the Abyss. The doomsday feedbacks had almost affected the borders of the Empire. The apocalypse itself is a normal situation. There are apocalypses everywhere in the void every day, especially in the Abyss, where the birth and destruction of worlds are more frequent than in other places. However, the doomsday feedbacks that were detected that day were abnormally dense. The number of worlds destroyed in a day in the Abyss was more than three times that of what we usually monitor in that area. Thus, this abnormal phenomenon was reported to the highest military headquarters. "
"Oh, I remember now. I have an impression of it." Sandora nodded. "I have seen this report before. A few universes in the Fallen Apostle's territory were destroyed in a short period of time. As the number of doomsday feedbacks was much higher than usual, this report was sent directly to me. If it was in the past, such daily telemetry reports would be handled by the various armies themselves."
I looked at Sandora curiously. "Didn't we take any action for such a huge matter?"
I recalled that I was still out of the country a month ago. I wasn't sure how Sandora had handled the situation, so I asked.
"Of course we took action." Sandora raised her eyebrows. "At that time, I ate more than two kilograms of rice cakes to celebrate. Then, I sent quite a lot to the soldiers in the telemetry analysis center to make them happy."
"…" Alright, according to the situation at that time, Sandora should have indeed celebrated when she saw the report. But that's not what we should be talking about now, right?
"Of course there were other actions." Sandora saw the expression on my face and naturally knew what I was thinking about. "However, no one knew that the Fallen Apostle would go crazy soon after. Naturally, no one thought too much about this report. I thought that it was just a coincidence that many worlds in the Abyss coincidentally passed their expiration dates on that day. After that, I sent two more scouting teams and had the Garden of Departed World increase the power to illuminate the Abyss once, but I didn't find anything out of the ordinary. Moreover, the frequency of worlds dying in the Abyss returned to normal a few days later. So, this matter was left unsettled. "
"Now, we can't prove that these two incidents are related," Halland said, attracting our attention. "The destruction of many universes and the abnormal gathering of armies. There doesn't seem to be any causal relationship between these two incidents."
"It would be great if we could take a closer look. It's impossible to tell with just the telemetry signal and imagination …" I nodded. However, before I could finish my sentence, I was interrupted by an urgent report. "Your Majesty! The warning center has sent out an alert! A large number of enemy fleets have been detected gathering at the border again. Now, the scale has exceeded three armies! "
I almost smashed my head on the table. "Again?!"
A large circle of people in the meeting room exchanged glances. Shallow Shallow looked around and saw that no one was speaking. Then, she raised her hand and carefully expressed her opinion. "I think they might be planning to go crazy again."
I reckoned that many people present had the same guess as Shallow Shallow. However, no one dared to take it seriously. I looked at Sives with a conflicted expression. "What about the Defense Army and the armies that can be mobilized?"
"Previously, Her Majesty Sandora has already mobilized the main forces to the border. Currently, the main forces of the Defense Army have already arrived. The vanguard of the First and Sixth Armies have already arrived. The other armies are still on their way. When the enemy retreated the first time, we had some of the armies stand by. However, from the second time onwards, Her Majesty Sandora has never canceled the mobilization order. "
I slapped my forehead and sighed. "Alright, no matter what, let them continue to rush to the border. Those who have already arrived, stay where they are. Regardless of whether the Fallen Apostle goes crazy or not, let's just treat it as if they are going to start a war. This wave after wave … Even if it's a real one, we won't be able to take it. "
Everyone expressed their agreement. Following that, Sandora and the other high-ranking staff officers distributed the defense plan and prepared to discuss a military plan with the initiative. Icetis was not too familiar with the military aspects of the Empire. She also did not know how to command a fleet battle. She had participated in this meeting with the attitude of an outsider watching the fun. She could not help but express her opinion. "I say … Are we just going to follow the enemy wave after wave of attrition? If this goes on, don't let the enemy wear us down again … Speaking of which, could this be the original intention of those lunatics? "
"No." Sandora smiled faintly. "Although both sides are exhausting themselves, the ones who are exhausting themselves the most are the Fallen Apostles. They have to expend a lot of energy to move the fleet back and forth. Moreover, it puts a lot of pressure on the void engines of the spaceships. On the other hand, the Empire has only mobilized their fleet once. Furthermore, they are guarding the border and waiting for the enemy to exhaust themselves. If the enemy really wants to drag the Empire down like this, then their commander can be sent to the energy reactor."
"That's true, but in the end, we can't just passively wait." I glanced at Sandora. "Being dragged around by the enemy wave after wave is unacceptable. What's your initiative plan? Should we send some special forces to cross the frontline? At the very least, we have to find out what the enemy is up to in the Abyss. "
"I'm thinking about that too, but …" Before Sandora could finish her sentence, another urgent report came from Xi Wei's side. "Your Majesty! Telemetry from the frontline has detected that the enemy's fleet … is dispersing again, and they are swarming everywhere. "
This time, even Shadora, who had been calm all this while, was dumbfounded. The queen stared straight ahead and mumbled to herself, "Are they … done?"
"I'll go and organize a more elite reconnaissance unit." Halland suddenly stood up. "I can't take it anymore …"
Sandora nodded, but still instructed, "Remember, we have to wait for the enemy to exhaust themselves. Before the Fallen Apostles make their move, don't waste our strength recklessly. The only advantage the Empire has is to be on the defensive."
Halland nodded, and immediately teleported out of the meeting room.
"Before there's any new information from Halland, the original plan of action remains unchanged." Sandora looked around at the officers present. "No matter what the enemy is up to, treat this as an invasion. Sicarro, lead the Royal Fleet's heavy defense unit to the border gangplank D-35D and assist the Empire's defense force there to strengthen the defense. If the Fallen Apostles invade the border node around D-35D, you have to stop them at the first instance. Right now, I'm also a little worried that the enemy might be providing cover for some other sneak attack. "
I hurriedly raised my head to look at the military officers' seats, only to discover that the upright and plainspoken uncle with a knight's face was currently standing up in a full set of imperial military uniform, giving a salute. I was a little disappointed. 'Why isn't he wearing his black uniform today?'
Alright, this isn't the time to be thinking about these things.
Sandora discussed some highly professional matters with Xi Wei, then stood up and concluded, "Then, that's it. Recently, the Fallen Apostles have indeed been acting strangely. We might not be able to find out what exactly is going on, but no matter what happens, we must stick to one principle: whatever they are doing is a conspiracy. "All departments maintain a state of high alert. Apart from the First, Sixth, Third, and Fourth Armies that have been sent to the border, the other armies will head to the various border gangplanks to set up defenses according to the contingency plan. Including the local Empire defense force, all frontlines bordering the Fallen Apostles require at least one army's combat strength. Furthermore, the surrounding gangplanks must be unimpeded. Three or more armies can be mobilized to provide support within an hour. "The macro world has been raised from the normal state of Level 3 to Level 2. The civilian passageways at the border will be temporarily restricted. Apart from inspectors carrying out official duties, they will not be opened. "The remote detection unit of the Departed Garden System will remain online and lock onto all military worlds at the border. Any signs of infiltration will be treated as an invasion. "Also, inform the civilization community that the celestial system fleet is starting to 'warm up' and prepare to switch to another sun. That's all. Who wants to see if there's anything missing? "
This time, Sandora's instructions were very detailed. Not only did she make arrangements to deal with large-scale invasions, she also considered small-scale infiltration of spies. She ordered the Departed Garden System to lock onto all military universes in order to prevent the Fallen Apostles' special forces from sneaking in amidst the chaos. She was also worried that the Fallen Apostles were using some strange method to disturb people's eyes and ears while secretly preparing some small tricks.
I thought for a moment and felt that there was still something I needed to add. "It's best to strengthen the defenses of those worlds that are away from the Abyss, the outer borderlands."
Sandora lowered her head and looked at me. "Are you worried that the same situation as the Protoss border will happen?"
"The Fallen Apostles have already done it once, so we have to guard against it a second time." I leaned back in my chair. "Now that their behavior is strange, we can't judge them based on past experience. What's this called … getting to know one's enemy all over again. "
"Taking such a long detour and ambushing the borders without any supplies or cover … Logically speaking, it's against military rules. But you're right. They've already done it once and succeeded, so we have to guard against it a second time," Shadora said as she looked up at Sives. "Then I'll leave this part of the arrangements to you. Fortify the Imperial Defense Army at the borders and have the reserve echelon and the Seventh Army reinforce them. Also, the Abyss Independent Regiment should be able to provide a lot of troops. Since they're not in charge of the frontlines, I'll have Halan send the Abyss Fleet to the borders."
Sives gave a military salute. "Your will!"
After making all the arrangements, Sandora let out a long sigh of relief. Then, she waved her hand at the people around her to dismiss the meeting. In the blink of an eye, the people in the meeting room had all left, leaving only our family at the back.
"Alright, let's wait and see what the Fallen Apostles' next move is. Let's not think about these troublesome matters for now." Sandora took two deep breaths and turned around with a smile. "He must be thinking of having a few more days of leisure in the God Realm, right? Will he be angry that I called him back early? "
I chuckled as I pinched the Queen's cheeks (Actually, I did pinch her cheeks just now, but I was too embarrassed to do it in front of the court officials). Even though I said that I didn't mind at all, "How could I? Actually, I'm already used to it. Every time I go on a business trip, I feel like my life isn't complete without some unexpected situation."
"Alright, I'll take it seriously." Sandora waved her hand. "Tell me about your situation in the God Realm. The matters that you dealt with over there are all important matters."
Before I could open my mouth, Shallow Shallow raised her hand weakly. "So, you guys still want to continue talking about business, right?"
Sandora and I nodded in unison. Thus, Shallow Shallow disappeared like a wisp of smoke, leaving behind only half of her sentence that slowly dissipated into the air. "I just remembered that I'm still stewing soup in the kitchen. I'll head back first. You guys take your time to chat …"
Everyone was speechless.
Sandora and I stared at the direction Shallow Shallow disappeared with our mouths agape. It took me a while to react. "Good heavens. Even a Master Kang is tainted. To think that she could think of a reason to 'stew soup' … Just how unwilling is this lass to talk about business? Why is she acting like Icetis?"
Icetis, who had already moved her feet to the door, ran back dejectedly. "Can you not shoot me for no reason?"
Sandora and I automatically ignored Sister Bing and began to talk about the situation in the God Realm.
"The attack over there isn't too serious. The Protoss's family is huge and the place they attacked is just a remote and desolate world. Other than the Divine Kingdom being hit by a cannon, there isn't much of a problem." I started to talk about the main matter of this business trip. "The main loss is the problem of losing face. However, Father God is the same as me. He doesn't want to … be magnanimous. He is rather calm and has even planned a joint operation plan to wipe out all the Fallen Apostles before the expedition. However, this plan might require some changes. The Fallen Apostles are acting strangely at our borders. The Protoss's attack plan has also been disrupted."
I told Sandora about the general idea of a joint attack. She was also very interested in this plan. However, considering the Fallen Apostles' sudden abnormal behavior, it might cause trouble if we attacked them before we understood the situation. So, she wasn't in a hurry to discuss this matter.
After that, I brought up the second matter. "The other thing is about our homeworld. You have to stay calm. There are various signs that the destruction of our homeworld might be related to conspiracy theories …"
"Conspiracy theories?" As expected, Sandora's eyebrows immediately furrowed. "Is there something fishy about the destruction of our homeworld?"
"There are some suspicious points. We are still not sure if there really was an external force involved. According to the log that was deciphered from the artifact, the Protoss scouts finally found the definite traces of the super civilization. Not only did they include the coordinates of the void, but they also found the wreckage of the void shuttle. After comparing the time on the various records, we can basically confirm that before the destruction of our homeworld, a super civilization visited that area. This super civilization left behind a series of traces of investigation before disappearing. Not long after that, the disaster that the Schilling people encountered happened. Judging from the time, the two events happened almost one after the other. In addition, God Father also confirmed one thing. The Protoss did not discover that super civilization after that. They only appeared once. "
A golden light flashed across Sandora's eyes. I saw Pandora, who was not far away, immediately bring out her precious cannon. However, very quickly, Sandora's face regained its calmness. She threw a glance at Pandora to put away that pillar of support. Her Majesty the Queen's face once again wore a calm expression. "It is indeed very suspicious. If it was a civilization like the Empire that could easily travel through the void, then it would indeed have the ability to destroy our homeworld. Furthermore, this seems to be a conspiracy. However, there are still too many things that cannot be explained. The civilization of Order is unable to control the phenomenon of the opening of the Abyss. There is also no direct evidence to prove that our homeworld was deliberately destroyed. The most important thing now is to deal with the Fallen Apostles. As for this matter … let's talk about it later. "
As I said before, Sandora was not an impulsive person.
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