Qin Bei Wang didn't answer immediately, nor did he turn to look at them. He remained focused on examining the sixteen tiny light points receding on the star chart.
Since the last battle concluded, Qin Bei Wang had discovered that his system's zero-delay information reception range had extended to 780 million kilometers.
At this distance, even starships traveling at 150,000 kilometers per second would require over an hour and a half to cover.
This early warning distance was sufficient for him to accomplish many things.
At that moment, Chief of Staff Zhuang ZhiXuan stepped forward, her voice calm yet carrying undeniable certainty.
"Lieutenant Commander Feng, Lieutenant Commander Fan, rest assured.
This is one of the Pluto Fleet's command traditions, and a battle-tested tactic of Commander Qin.
Our achievements in the last battle were partly attributable to this."
Her words made Feng Shaojun and Fan Jingxuan pause momentarily, recalling that dazzling combat report.
The complete annihilation of the Imperial Dragon Lizard Sub-Fleet, even including the precise artillery execution of five enemy flagships during the chaotic battle.
Behind that victory must have been intelligence support and battlefield control capabilities that surpassed conventional standards.
They remembered Qin Bei Wang's elusive yet consistently effective tactical style, recalling how this fleet had undergone transformative training in a short time and possessed those extraordinary equipment specifications.
Perhaps this twenty-two-year-old commander truly possessed command artistry and advantages they had yet to comprehend?
Their doubts were swallowed back.
Fan Jingxuan took a deep breath.
"Yes, Deputy Commander Zhuang. We understand."
Feng Shaojun also nodded, saying nothing more. They chose to trust, though the tension within them remained unresolved.
The sixteen "Shadow" class special reconnaissance ships scattered into deep space like silent seeds.
They quickly vanished into the vast darkness surrounding the main fleet, quietly establishing an extensive and sensitive early warning network at that astonishing distance of 780 million kilometers.
They would become Qin Bei Wang's extended senses while navigating through the fog of war. Though the returned information would be delayed, it could illuminate shadows across a much broader range.
Savannah Star System, vicinity of S-22 preset jump point, a quiet airspace shrouded by faint nebulae.
After eight hours of strictly maintained silent sub-light speed navigation, the main force of Qin Bei Wang's Pluto Fleet arrived like ghosts at the periphery of the designated combat zone.
The massive ship profiles hid behind the nebula's sparse material belt, revealing only cold observation arrays.
Inside the tactical center of the flagship "Kunlun Mountain - Modified".
A holographic star map visible only to Qin Bei Wang slowly rotated with the S-22 warp point at its center.
On the star chart, besides the cursors representing friendly and enemy fleets, countless minute data streams and fluctuation trajectories—visible only through special filters—were densely distributed.
This information originated from those sixteen "Shadow" class special reconnaissance ships that had long since departed, now positioned at different locations 780 million kilometers away.
Over the past several hours, these reconnaissance ships' powerful passive detection arrays had continuously collected and transmitted back the most subtle "traces" from this airspace.
Gravitational disturbances, engine radiation afterwaves, communication leakage harmonics, even the shadows cast by large hulls against the cosmic background radiation.
Through systematic integration and reverse calculation, two "presences" originally concealed within the stellar backdrop were clearly marked.
"Targets confirmed."
Qin Beiwang's voice was calm.
"Distance 2.5 light-minutes from Warp Point S-22, azimuth 117, elevation -15. Main force of the Empire's Emerald Fleet, energy signature of flagship 'Jade Crown' identified."
"Second target confirmed, distance 3.5 light-minutes from Warp Point S-22, azimuth 92, elevation +8. Main force of the Empire's Beryl Fleet, flagship 'Soul of the Deep Forest'. Both fleets maintaining loose alert formation, primary sensors oriented toward the warp point."
Qin Beiwang marked both fleets' positions on the tactical center's holographic star chart.
The staff officers stared at Qin Beiwang in astonishment. They couldn't comprehend how he obtained this information across at least 800 million kilometers. Then they recalled the sixteen special reconnaissance ships dispatched earlier, and everything seemed to fall into place.
Qin Beiwang's gaze locked onto the two highlighted red cursors. Emerald and Beryl - these were two main sub-fleets under Obsidian's command, specializing in regional defense and rapid response, specifically recalled by Lancaster to guard this critical warp point.
While they guarded against assaults from the warp point, they had exposed their flanks and rear to the Pluto Fleet infiltrating from the border.
"Order: Swift First, Second, Third, and Fourth Wings, all launch immediately."
Qin Beiwang's voice remained unfluctuating.
"Attack sequence. Emerald Fleet's air defense weak zones: engine arrays, sensor arrays, communication antennas. Second wave: same target types in Beryl Fleet. Execute swarm tactics, high-speed raids, hit and run, maximize chaos."
The orders were quickly relayed.
In the dim hangar bays, rows of indicator lights illuminated as magnetic towing devices emitted low hums. Streamlined, matte-painted Swift Type-V space fighters were rapidly catapulted into the cold void.
Their engines soon emitted faint blue exhaust, forming up silently in formation. Like disturbed hornets, they split into four deadly streams racing toward their designated targets.
Using nebular clouds and the fleets' own radar shadows, they approached at extremely low altitudes and astonishing speeds.
Only when they nearly breached the Imperial fleets' visual alert perimeter did the primary detection arrays of the Emerald and Beryl Fleets - still oriented toward the warp point - finally detect rapidly intensifying, dense high-frequency energy signals from their flank and rear passive alert sensors!
On the bridge of the Imperial battleship "Jade Crown", ear-piercing alarms indicating high-priority close-range threats suddenly blared!
Unlike the prolonged warnings of jump point alerts, these were sharp, urgent shrieks signaling approaching physical attack units!
"Alert! Alert! Detecting numerous high-speed small targets approaching from flank and rear! Numbers... exceeding three hundred! Extreme velocity! Fighter craft! Federation fighter craft!"
The sensor officer's voice nearly cracked.
The Emerald Fleet Commander spun around from his command chair, face filled with shock and disbelief.
"Fighter craft? How could Federation fighter craft be here?"
"Weren't the intelligence reports saying their main force might come from the Warp Point?!"
"Where are they flying from?"
"Point Defense Cannons!
All Point Defense Cannons and Point Defense Systems, immediately turn toward the target direction!
Automatic fire!
Intercept them!"
He practically roared the orders.
"Fleet emergency turn!
Bring the Broadside Armor around!
Hurry!"
The same chaos was unfolding aboard the "Soul of the Deep Forest."
The Beryl Fleet Commander was equally shocked, ordering anti-aircraft defenses while rushing toward the communication console.
"Report to the 'Unbreakable Fortress' immediately!
S-22 perimeter under surprise attack by a large number of Federation fighter craft!
We may have been infiltrated!
Request instructions and support!"
The formations of the two Imperial Fleets were instantly thrown into disarray.