Each side's formation was as precise as if measured with a ruler.
Battleships were at the very front.
Cruisers followed behind them.
Destroyers came next.
Aircraft Carriers were positioned further back.
Every warship maintained perfect spacing.
But what most astonished everyone on the bridge
were the running lights on those warships.
Those small lights, typically used only for nighttime identification,
were now flashing on and off at a specific frequency.
The rhythm, the tempo was like applause.
As if welcoming them.
On the bridge, the silence was deafening.
Everyone was looking out the windows.
A young operator's eyes suddenly reddened.
He lowered his head, blinking hard.
The person beside him patted his shoulder without a word.
Then, the next moment, the Capital Star's near-orbit suddenly erupted with dense clusters of engine lights.
Large numbers of Swift fighters surged into the sky like swarming bees from Defense Platforms and the Spaceport Array.
They did not approach directly but swiftly flew in neat formations around to the rear of the Triumphant Fleet.
In just a few breaths, the vanguard fighters had already closed in on the fleet's tail end.
At the very moment everyone watched, the tail flames of the Swift fighters suddenly brightened.
Slender bands of light were stretched thin by high-speed flight, the originally pale blue engine flames now blooming with red, white, and blue flowing light as energy was adjusted.
The fighter group simultaneously banked right, diving sharply toward the stern of the warships on the right flank.
Pulling up in succession less than a kilometer from the hulls, they traced a smooth, uniform, massive semicircle.
Then, climbing toward the stern of the warships on the port side, they finally returned together above the fleet's formation.
Starting again from the front, they dove, looped, and climbed.
Cycling continuously.
The entire welcoming fighter group, with the fleet's central axis as its pivot, spiraled forward, escorting the main force of Capital Ships.
The fighter group moved at extreme speed, the tricolored flowing light stretched into continuous veils of light in the dark cosmos.
Layer upon layer, they enveloped the fleet's passage, as if weaving a starry river ceremonial path for the triumphant army.
On the bridge, the officers' previously tense expressions were all shaken; some leaned forward slightly, their gazes tightly following the bands of light outside the windows.
Many veterans who had experienced bloody battles had slightly reddened eyes, tears involuntarily slipping from the corners.
No one spoke, but everyone understood—this was no simple welcoming ceremony. It was the highest honor the Federation could bestow, using the entire starry sky.
A warrior dies for one who knows his worth; they had defended the star domain with their lives, and now the mother star welcomed their return with the brilliance of the heavens.
The ships of the Pluto Fleet formed a strict column, slowly sailing into the triumphal passage formed by the warships.
The next moment, the twenty-four heavy turrets of the Pluto Orbital Defense Ring activated in sequence, their gun muzzles shimmering with lavender energy radiance.
No physical shells were fired; only low, resonant pulses spread from the barrels, stirring visible circles of energy ripples in the dark void.
The ripples spread outward layer by layer from the turrets as their centers, like silent salutes blooming in the cosmos, enveloping the entire passage in rhythmic energy tremors.
On all bridges of the flanking fleets, the officers and crew stood ramrod straight, their gazes beneath their caps solemn and fervent.
As the Pluto Fleet's flagship, Kunlun Mountain - Modified, sailed into the central axis of the passage.
Officers and crew on the bridges of the warships on both sides simultaneously raised their hands, offering the standard Federation military salute.
Boots snapped together, wrists swiftly lifted.
A crisp, unified sound rang out, transmitted synchronously via quantum communication to every vessel, merging into a resounding, awe-inspiring roar.
On the bridge of the Kunlun Mountain - Modified, the air seemed to solidify with solemnity and pride.
Qin Bei Wang stood tall at the command seat, returning the salute with equal poise.
His gaze passed through the viewport, settling on the fleet arrayed on either side and the sky filled with energy ripples.
The young communications officer, Cai Jinchao, had reddened eyes, his hands pressed tightly against the control console.
The veteran Wang Tieshan stood before the weapons console, his military salute ramrod straight.
The scar on his face was particularly distinct under the overhead lights.
He murmured softly.
"This lifetime… it's been worth it."
For everyone on the bridge, regardless of military rank, the sense of pride in their hearts had soared to its peak.
They understood they were merely ordinary soldiers among the Federation's hundreds of millions, and the honor they now enjoyed was solely because they had followed the right leader.
Their gazes converged unanimously on Qin Bei Wang at the command seat.
They all knew that the reason they could receive such a grand reception was entirely due to their Commander.
Those seemingly unwinnable campaigns, those desperate situations where survival was a one-in-ten chance—it was Qin Bei Wang who had led them through, step by step.
Without him, there would be no Pluto Fleet as it stood today, and certainly not this moment of the grandest triumphant reception in the starry sky.
Just as the Pluto Fleet was about to exit the Triumph Passage, with the atmosphere on the bridge still immersed in solemnity and pride—
The communications officer suddenly looked up, his voice clear and urgent.
"Reporting, Commander! The First Fleet of the Galactic Star Sector, Admiral Xu Jingyao, is requesting communication!"
Qin Bei Wang's gaze sharpened, without the slightest hesitation.
"Put it through."
The next second, the communication screen before the command seat lit up, revealing the figure of Admiral Xu Jingyao.
He wore a meticulously arranged admiral's dress uniform, his epaulettes gleaming, his expression solemn and steady.
He spoke with gravity.
"Vice Admiral Qin, after your fleet passes through the Triumph Passage, you may proceed to the surface base on Haiyang Planet for rest and recuperation.
Your flagship alone is to approach the Capital Star, breach the atmosphere, and then descend to Triumph Square.
Laser guidance has been activated for you.
The landing zone has been cleared for airspace control. Ground wind speed is level four, visibility is good. You may land with confidence."
After a brief pause, Xu Jingyao's tone softened slightly.
Genuine respect layered within it.
"Welcome home, General."
Qin Bei Wang was momentarily taken aback, clearly not having anticipated such arrangements.
He had originally assumed the fleet would merely complete the triumph ceremony along the Capital Star's orbit.
He had not considered that the flagship would descend directly to the surface.
Within the Federation's protocols of etiquette, warships granted permission to land on the Capital Star's Triumph Square—
Were without exception legendary vessels that had achieved monumental feats in decisive campaigns.
They were all preserved, kept as memorials.
So that the world would forever remember the merits they had once accomplished!
The last to receive such an honor was the battleship The Adjudicator, which had performed extraordinary service in the Hailan Campaign thirty years ago.
And that warship had been his father's flagship back then.
He never imagined that thirty years later, the next warship to land would be his own flagship, Qin Bei Wang's.
Qin Bei Wang stroked the familiar command seat, a wave of reluctance suddenly welling up in his heart.
After a brief moment of melancholy, Qin Bei Wang swiftly reined in the emotions in his eyes.
He issued the order in a deep voice.
"Adjust hull attitude according to laser guidance direction, prepare for landing!"
The Helmsman immediately straightened his back, his gaze fixed on the navigation screen ahead, fingers swiftly tapping on the control panel.
Simultaneously responding.
"Yes, Commander!
Laser guidance signal received, beginning to adjust hull course!"