Light Speed ​​War

Chapter 144: The Battle of the First Star (1)

The hyperspace of the Capital System has just been unlocked. In one of the satellite systems protecting the Capital System, a tiny, insignificant beetle poked its head out. Then a second beetle poked its head out, a third, a fourth, a fifth... Countless replicants were activated and began rapidly devouring the protective weapon systems within the satellite system. The army of replicants swept in like a tidal wave, rolling and consuming everything in its path, a vast expanse of golden flesh.

When the escort fleet base discovered the replicant army, most of it had already been decimated, with the remaining forces launching a fierce counterattack. In the capital system, the rotating defense fleet arrived at the satellite system and also joined the battle. The replicants, creations of Imperial technology, with their superphoton quark insulating and totally reflective outer shells, and weapons employing high temperatures, radiation, and electromagnetic attacks, seemed to have no effect on them. The defensive weapon systems of the twelve satellite systems were largely devoured by the replicants. The escort fleet was forced to send a long-range communication distress signal to the capital system.

In the Capital System, twelve star clusters began to accelerate into hyperspace, quickly reaching the twelve satellite systems, each containing a star cluster. The hyperspace within the Capital System was soon sealed off again.

As the star cluster approached the vicinity of the satellite system's defensive weapon system base, a powerful, ultra-intense halo of light shot towards the base. This halo seemed to possess strong gravity, drawing the replicants into it and causing them to vanish. The star cluster emitted ring after ring of light, rapidly drawing in the army of replicants, only to have them disappear again. The star cluster continued this process of eliminating the replicants, their fates unknown.

Tianxing-2 reappeared near the thirteen star systems of the Fortress System. The twelve escorting star systems began adjusting their positions and attitudes, preparing to attack Tianxing-2. However, the defensive weapon systems of six of the escorting star systems malfunctioned, and their positioning errors occurred; one escorting star system's disk was even pointed directly at the Capital System!

An uproar swept through the capital system. Barattu ordered the reactivation of the hyperspace unlock, commanding the star cluster to directly destroy the protective system of this satellite constellation. After Barattu issued these two orders, further bad news followed.

"Sir, the eighteen heavy element storage facilities have suddenly disappeared."

"My lord, the outer guard legion of the 'Consul's' residence planet has been subjected to a fierce attack by a massive fleet."

"My lord, this is terrible! The twelve escort satellite systems are moving! No, my lord, it's our capital satellite system that's accelerating!"

"Where is the star cluster? Quick, eliminate the enemy."

"My lord, we still have four star clusters available."

"Hurry up and bring them over to protect us!"

"Yes, my lord."

In the capital star system, four star clusters began to accelerate, entering warp space and rapidly heading towards the 'consul's' residence planets such as Balatu.

Tianxing-2 began to accelerate, entering hyperspace and closely following the capital star system.

The fortress system, with its twelve satellite systems, has lost its capital system. The twelve star clusters are still battling the replicators.

Two hours after the Capital Galaxy's hyperspace journey, it immediately entered normal space. Tianxing-2 also entered normal space and closely followed the Capital Galaxy.

“George, we are now projecting onto the planet Amos, as well as the eighteen precious metal storage facilities that have been absorbed into a batch of small ‘Heavenly Bowls’.”

"Dean Zhou, received. We are ready to receive them. The eight star cluster fleets, Starlight One through Starlight Eight, have departed and are traveling through hyperspace. They will arrive in the Capital System in one hour to confront the star clusters in the Capital System."

"Ok."

Earth, already fifty light-years away from the "Consul's" residence planet, has begun dispatching one hundred fleets from its fleet base.

"Zhou Yuan, how dare you betray me! I'll tear you to pieces!" Balatu roared furiously on the hotline.

"You scum, I'll skin you alive!" Zhou Yuan roared for the first time.

"General Chu, contact George. Once the eight star cluster fleets of Tianxing II arrive in the Capital System, the Capital System will re-enter hyperspace. Have Tianxing II follow the Capital System and have the eight star cluster fleets deal with those four star clusters. Also, have Tianxing II contact the Balu Civilization fleet. The hyperspace travel direction between the Capital System and Tianxing II is the same as the direction of the Balu Civilization fleet. We should rendezvous with the Balu Civilization fleet as soon as possible."

"Understood, Dean Zhou."

Within a hundred light-years of the Consul's residence planet in the capital system, warp space was sealed off by the Imperial fleet. One hundred Imperial fleets first engaged in fierce combat with the outer guard legion. The faster-than-light gamma-ray bursts emitted by the sniper ships caused considerable trouble for the outer guard legion's warships, with the Hercules and Pioneer sniper ships destroying their large warships one by one. Most terrifying for the outer guard legion was the intelligent black hole weapon deployed by the Imperial fleet. This intelligent black hole could identify the guard legion's warships and devour and annihilate all matter located far from the Consul's residence planet. Subsequently, the Imperial fleet deployed a neutron star; the super-powerful gamma-ray bursts, amplified by the gravitational slingshot effect of the neutron star, rapidly struck the outer guard legion surrounding the Consul's residence planet.

After the Imperial fleet destroyed the outer guard legions and some bases, the two major civilizations, Dolai and Crus, which had been poised for action, joined the Imperial fleet to attack the remaining inner guard legions. The Dolai and Crus civilizations, long ago labeled as rebels by the Balatu "consuls," launched their attack on the inner guard legions with a furious outburst. Near the planet where the "consuls" resided, numerous warships crisscrossed the skies, and powerful lasers, light bullets, and missiles filled the air.

The Dolai civilization's large warships, similar to the early sniper ships of the Imperial fleet, possessed a giant ring through which energy torrents accelerated their attacks on enemy fleets. The Krus civilization's fleet also featured a formidable warship, a giant spherical "hedgehog" with each "spike" acting as a firing channel. As the spherical warship rotated, it could continuously fire powerful laser beams from its "spikes" to strike enemies. If this spherical warship became entangled with enemy ships, it could unleash a full-scale, all-around barrage of fire, making it extremely ferocious.

The inner guard legions of the "consuls'" residence planet also put up a fierce resistance. Due to the warp drive being sealed off by the Imperial fleet, both sides could only fight in normal space. Combat in normal space is a contest of weaponry and speed. While the guard legions held a speed advantage over the fleets of the two civilizations, Dolai and Crus, their speed advantage was gradually eroded by the faster-than-light attacks of the Imperial fleet's sniper ships.

Finally, the inner guard fleet's warships were completely destroyed, and the "Consul's" residence planet was completely surrounded by the Imperial fleet and the fleets of the Dolai and Krus civilizations.

The eight star cluster fleets of Tianxing-2 arrived in the capital system at this time and encountered four star clusters in interstellar space, resulting in a fierce battle. In order to test the combat capabilities of the star cluster fleets, the eight star cluster fleets did not use the "Shengtian Bowl".

Eight stellar cluster fleets, divided into four groups of two, launched attacks on four star clusters respectively. Each fleet used two different attack methods. For example, Starlight One and Starlight Two formed one group. Starlight One, a spherical cluster, expanded into a disk-like structure, forming a small galaxy. A black hole was pushed to the edge of this small galactic disk, and then a large number of stars from the capital galaxy's interstellar space were projected onto this black hole. The miniature galactic "sky-sniping arrows" fired wave after wave of gamma-ray bursts at the capital galaxy's star cluster. Starlight Two, on the other hand, projected an artificial intelligent black hole and neutron stars onto this star cluster, while interstellar catapults also launched a large number of stars at the cluster. The other three fleets used similar attack methods.

The star cluster in the capital system was first torn apart by the miniaturized galaxy "Sniper Arrow" gamma-ray burst ring. The gamma-ray burst penetrated directly into the star cluster, destroying a large number of stars and enemy fleets. Artificial intelligent black holes and neutron war stars devoured and attracted everything inside the star cluster.

The interstellar catapults project a large number of stars, which collide with stars within star clusters. These collisions generally occur in four ways. First, if the projecting star has a high enough final velocity but its direction is slightly off, it may just pass by the stars in the cluster. Second, if the projected star has a low final velocity but its direction is slightly off, it will move into the gravitational influence of a star in the cluster. In this case, the gravity between the two stars will significantly affect their motion or other properties, such as a loss of angular momentum or some kind of viscosity. For example, the two stars may lose some angular momentum, preventing them from separating and forming two elliptical orbits, thus creating a binary star system. Third, if the projected star has a high enough final velocity and its direction is directly opposite, it can directly "pass through" the stars in the cluster. In the fourth scenario, if the projected star's final velocity is directly opposite the direction of the impact, it will collide directly with the star cluster star. Upon impact, immense kinetic energy is released, creating a shock wave that emits a series of dazzling rings. The normal direction of this shock wave is the centerline between the two stars, perpendicular to the rings. Along the direction of the collision, i.e., the centerline, a small portion of the two stars' matter is ejected outwards at both ends of the collision. Additionally, the magnetic fields of the two stars interact, releasing magnetic energy and continuously ejecting gas like a burning flame. Finally, the two stars merge into a new star. This new star will become unstable during expansion and contraction, exhibiting a "starquake" tearing phenomenon, quite similar to earthquakes on planets.

The star cluster's primary weapon against the eight starlight fleets was a series of rings of incredibly powerful energy torrents projecting from all directions. These energy torrents were largely absorbed by the intelligent black holes. Another weapon was a neutron star/stellar projection system. Because of the two-to-one ratio of attacks, the star cluster's neutron star and star projections didn't offer much of an advantage, especially as the starlight fleets' miniaturized star systems, the "Sky Arrows," quickly destroyed the star cluster's projection system.

The four star clusters in the capital system were quickly destroyed under the combined attack of eight star fleets of the Earth Empire.

The combined forces of the Empire, Dore, and Crus began their landing operation on the planets of the "Consuls'" residences shortly after the destruction of the four star clusters.