The expansive Victory Plaza before the Federal Parliament Building had become a sea of people.
As far as the eye could see, there were surging crowds and waving small holographic flags.
From the edges of the plaza all the way to the distant streets, the dense, dark mass of people seemed endless.
There were families with children, student groups, formations of veterans' associations, and countless citizens of the Capital Star who had come spontaneously.
Dozens of large official media recording platforms hovered at low altitude, along with even more privately-owned micro-drones, circling like swarms of bees, transmitting the live scene to every corner of the Stellar Network.
At the center of the plaza stood a solemn, towering monument.
It was shaped like a five-pointed star, entirely cast from a deep, dark-colored alloy. Its surface was not smooth but densely covered with countless names, laser-precision engraved—the roster of all military personnel who had sacrificed their lives defending the Federation's territory and civilization since its founding.
Sunlight fell upon it, making those names seem to glow faintly in the darkness, silently speaking of eternal sacrifice and weight.
At this moment, on a temporary ceremonial platform erected directly in front of the monument, an elderly man stood before the amplification equipment. He wore the crisp, deep-blue formal dress uniform of a Federation Navy Admiral, his shoulders bearing six brilliant military stars.
His voice, transmitted clearly through the directional sound field systems spread across the plaza, was not deafening but carried a heavy, penetrating force that subdued the faint murmurs of the crowd.
He was reading a citation and recounting the merits of the honoree.
"...Lieutenant Colonel Qin Beiwang, during the border conflict in the Elvira Star System, assumed command under critical circumstances, led the newly established 'Pluto' Sub-Level Fleet in a decisive assault. With exceptional tactics and fearless courage, he annihilated the Imperial Wales-class fleet, first revealing his edge and stabilizing the battlefront."
The elder's voice was steady, yet each word struck the listeners' hearts like a heavy hammer.
"Subsequently, during a special operations mission deep into the Empire-controlled Savannah Star System, Senior Colonel Qin Beiwang led his forces, outnumbered yet maneuvering with mastery."
He slightly raised his tone:
"First, within the inner regions of the star system, he severely crippled the Empire's main force—the Obsidian-class fleet!"
"Then, in the ensuing mobile warfare, he again dealt heavy blows to the vanguard main forces of the Bloodblade and Iron Curtain fleets rushing to reinforce!"
"Moreover, with precise strikes, he completely destroyed the Empire's key logistics hub in Savannah—the Langkawi Outer Orbital Base!"
The plaza fell into utter silence, save for the Admiral's voice echoing, accompanied by the cold gleam reflecting off the monument.
The elder took a deep breath, a barely perceptible tremor flashing in his eyes as he continued to read the most impactful part:
"Finally, when the Empire mobilized four classified fleets—Megalodon, Deep-sea Jellyfish, Sphinx, and Mermaid—intending to warp and encircle them in a desperate situation—"
His voice suddenly became resonant and forceful, like the silence before the simultaneous firing of warship main cannons:
"Senior Colonel Qin Beiwang, at the Z-78 Region—the warp exit point of the enemy reinforcements—pre-set an ingenious formation, concentrated his superior forces, and launched a thunderous strike!"
"In this battle, the Imperial Megalodon-class fleet—"
He paused, then uttered the final four words clearly and slowly:
"Annihilated."
"No starship managed to escape."
After the announcement, a brief dead silence enveloped Victory Plaza.
The next second, a massive wave of sound erupted explosively!
"Oh my god... a Sub-Level Fleet... annihilated a Classified Fleet?
Elvira's case was already terrifying enough!"
"Savannah... is Savannah fighting on hell difficulty?
One Fleet against three Sub-fleets?
And annihilated Megalodon!
I heard about that Megalodon Fleet on the Stellar Warfare Channel!
It's an old elite assault Fleet of the Empire!"
"Twenty-two years old!
He's only twenty-two!
This... this can't even be described as genius anymore, right?
Is this the reincarnation of a war god?"
"I didn't believe the Battle Report had exaggerations before... now... now I just feel my imagination is too limited!"
Gasps, discussions, and incredulous screams mixed together, the sound wave almost flipping the recording platforms hovering above the plaza.
Among the crowd, a young boy with a freckled face excitedly grabbed his companion's arm, his eyes shining.
"Did you hear that! Annihilated! Crippled! Destroyed!
Damn, this is what real warfare is!
This is what a real soldier is!
I'm going to the recruitment office tomorrow!
I want to pilot a Starship too!"
His companion, a gentle-looking young man wearing glasses, also felt an unusual surge of passion, adjusted his glasses, and growled lowly.
"Right! If we're going, join the navy! Become Fleet Commanders!
Like Lieutenant Colonel Qin!
Decisive battles in the sea of stars!
Even if... even if we end up becoming a burst of fireworks, it's more thrilling than fighting those iron cans of the Empire with bayonets in muddy trenches on the ground!
If... if we could join the Pluto Fleet, that would be great!"
Right at that moment.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!"
Ninety-nine consecutive deafening explosions suddenly erupted from the preset salute battery positions around the plaza!
These were not the dull roars of the gunpowder era, but specially crafted salutes precisely modulated, blending bass energy pulses with symbolic explosive sounds.
The sound was deep, solemn, carrying a slight physical tremor, as if striking against everyone's chest cavity, instantly overpowering all cheers and discussions, pushing the sense of ceremony to its peak.
The lingering reverberations of the cannon fire still trembled in the air, and people hadn't fully regained their composure.
Suddenly, from the southern horizon of the plaza, a low yet rhythmic humming sound came.
"Look! In the sky!"
Someone with sharp eyes pointed south and exclaimed.
Under the azure sky, a group of silver-gray, sleek and sharp-lined "Swift" Space Fighters, in an extremely precise wedge formation, were roaring toward Victory Plaza overhead.
They flew at a height not too high, enough for the ground crowd to clearly see their agile forms.
More strikingly, each fighter craft trailed a long, dazzlingly brilliant colored light stream from its tail.
Fiery red, bright blue, flowing gold, pure white... several colors intertwined together, like the gorgeous silk ribbons thrown by the weaving maiden in mythology, or as if tearing apart a rainbow and spreading it across the sky.
The Fighter Group swept over the plaza, those colored light bands extending and intertwining along, leaving long-lasting, magnificent and solemn trails on the blue sky, as if personally drawing a flowing gate of honor for this Medal Awarding Ceremony.
The crowd erupted once again into thunderous cheers and exclamations.
Children pointed excitedly at the sky, leaping with joy, while veterans straightened their backs, their gazes following the fighter craft that symbolized the Federation's sharpest spearhead.
Yet the surprise was not over.
Right behind the low-flying Swift aircraft, at an even lower altitude, a special convoy was steadily advancing along the broad parade route at the center of the square.
These were not traditional wheeled vehicles.
Instead, they were hover platform vehicles—boxy in shape, with cold, hard lines and a matte dark gray finish.
The lead hover platform vehicle was the largest, its top uncovered and completely open.
There were no unnecessary decorations on the vehicle, only the Federation flag and the naval ensign planted on either side of the front.
And standing tall and straight on the vehicle was none other than the protagonist who had just been announced with a series of astonishing Military Merits—Lieutenant Colonel Qin Beiwang.