Several massive concentric rings forged from an unknown dark alloy.
One ring nested within another, like a mechanical pupil of extreme precision, or a miniature stellar ring forcibly bound to the bow.
The planes of all rings were strictly perpendicular to the ship's transverse axis.
The rings faced directly forward.
The rings themselves were not static; subtle streams of energy flowed and rotated silently across their surfaces and the gaps between them, giving an eerie sense that they were "breathing" or "gathering momentum."
Just looking at this structure conveyed a sense of oppression, distinct from conventional thermal or kinetic weapons, almost on a level of fundamental rules.
Qin Beiwang frowned slightly and opened the detailed weapon system description of this battleship named "Zhen Yue."
Aside from point defense, this battleship had only this graviton stream projection array as its weapon.
There was only one concise line of description, yet it made his pupils contract sharply:
[Main Weapon System: Graviton Stream Projection Array - Titan's Grip]
[Principle Summary: Projects a highly concentrated graviton stream through the bow's multiple constraint rings, temporarily creating a localized gravitational anomaly field in the target area with a short duration (ten minutes) but extremely high intensity (simulated peak up to 1000 times standard gravity).]
[Tactical Effect: Severely restricts the mobility of all objects within the affected area (including but not limited to enemy ship maneuvers, weapon projectile trajectories, energy shield stability), causing their actions to nearly halt and systems to become chaotic.]
[Note: This weapon is deployed in combat for the first time and requires precise coordination with allied firepower.]
"Graviton stream... super-gravity well..."
Qin Beiwang murmured these words, his mind almost instantly conjuring an image.
In the heat of fleet combat, several or even dozens of Imperial warships formed up, preparing for tactical maneuvers or launching volleys.
Then, an invisible "force field" quietly enveloped them.
No explosions, no flames.
But those warships suddenly seemed to sink into the universe's thickest, invisible mire.
Their engines roared furiously, exhaust flames blazing brightly, yet they could only crawl in place, absurdly slow, as if caught in a scene slowed down a thousandfold.
The hull structure groaned under the sudden abnormal gravity, shield generators fluctuating and flickering violently as space itself was "warped."
And within those few seconds, all other firepower units of the Pluto Fleet—
The main cannons of battleships, the volleys of missiles from cruisers, even the assaults of Swift fighters—
Would, as calmly and precisely as target practice, pick off and tear apart these immobilized "sitting ducks," one by one.
The enemy couldn't even turn to evade or initiate an emergency warp, left only to watch in despair as the light of destruction consumed them.
At this thought, a chill ran down Qin Bei Wang's spine—not fear, but an instinctive wariness and awe toward this near-"rules-based weapon."
This was no longer a traditional slugfest comparing firepower projection density and shield strength.
This was directly altering the physical rules of a localized battlefield, stripping the opponent of their most fundamental mobility and reaction capabilities, placing them in an absolutely passive and vulnerable position.
"What a 'Titan's Grip'..."
Qin Bei Wang set down the data pad, his gaze returning to the structural diagram of the "Zhen Yue" Battleship.
The layered concentric rings at the bow now seemed to him like a giant hand capable of choking the throat of a star.
"An experimental weapon of this level... and it was directly assigned to me?"
His thoughts raced.
He suddenly recalled Tang Jiuxiao—hadn't he vaguely mentioned something about a Titan during that drinking gathering?
Could this be the new project his sister was working on?
Next time he returned, he'd have to thank him properly!
After briefly reviewing the starships assigned by the command this time, Qin Bei Wang felt deeply moved.
A strong background truly made all the difference.
What was supposed to be a replenishment to a mother-class fleet had turned into an enhanced mother-class fleet.
The starships were uniformly Tier 4-class.
The flagships of each Sub-Level Fleet had even been upgraded to Tier 5 Battleships.
Specifically, mountain-class battleships like the Kunlun Mountain.
Now, the Pluto Fleet under Qin Bei Wang's command was truly formidable.
Including two aircraft carrier fleets and the Directly Subordinate Fleet, there were a total of 26 Sub-Level Fleets.
And Pluto's Sub-Level Fleets were typically reinforced fleets of 15 starships each.
Thus, under Qin Bei Wang's command, he now had a staggering 390 starships. Including supply ships and engineering ships, the number reached 400.
Compared to the previous fleet of just over a hundred starships, this was a fourfold increase.
In the following days, time passed steadily amidst the routine operations and intense adjustment at the Shiva Star Military Port.
The anticipated retaliatory strike from the Empire did not come immediately. The border star domain maintained a tense, pre-storm calm.
Qin Bei Wang did not waste this precious respite.
He devoted almost all his energy to integrating and honing this suddenly expanded "Pluto" Rapid Maneuver Strike Group.
Every day, he was either at the tactical simulation center or on his way to inspect various ships.
Before the massive holographic tactical sand table, he repeatedly presided over or observed combat simulations involving mixed groups of new and veteran officers.
From single-ship encounters and sub-fleet surprise attacks, to large-scale engagements with multiple sub-fleets coordinating with carrier groups, and even simulating special tactics using the "Zhen Yue's" graviton weapon in complex nebula environments or gravity anomaly zones.
His standards were extremely strict. Any coordination error, intelligence misjudgment, or delay in firepower linkage during the simulations would be pointed out on the spot, requiring review until rapport akin to muscle memory was achieved.
He would also appear suddenly on a newly supplemented cruiser or destroyer, saying nothing, silently walking through the busy engine room, the crowded crew barracks, or the tense yet orderly bridge.
Observing the details of the crew's daily equipment maintenance, listening to the morale and confusion revealed in their conversations, checking the reserves of combat readiness supplies.
His presence often made the officers and soldiers both tense and exhilarated. The silent gaze of this young legendary commander carried more pressure than any lecture, yet it also spurred a greater desire to perform.
The entire fleet was quickly stamped with the distinct "Qin Bei Wang" style.
Efficient, stern, meticulous about details, and with an almost obsessive pursuit of practical combat ability.
Just as the fleet was gradually finding its rhythm, a special report from the logistics department briefly pulled Qin Bei Wang and the core leadership away from their intense training, plunging them into another kind of surprise.
Chu Lixuan had kept his promise. And in an extremely exaggerated manner.
A massive bulk carrier belonging to "Bountiful Agriculture," outside the fleet's supply sequence, had directly arrived at the civilian handover zone of the Shiva Star Military Port.
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