In no time at all, two Raven-class gunships painted in a ghostly blue hue were ejected from the Emperor-class hangar with astonishing speed.
They traced a perfect arc in space and, accompanied by the silent roar of their engines, were escorted by a large formation of battle-ready Phantom fighters, White-Leged Falcons, and unmanned attack drones as they executed a jump operation toward Sector 7 of the Death Star's lower hemisphere.
Amid the chaotic battle, this jump formation was like a fleeting meteor, scarcely attracting the enemy's attention.
Meanwhile, once the Galactic Empire's relief fleet reached the Scariff sector, they immediately launched an intense, all-out barrage against the Emperor-class vessels and the main capital ships of the Blood Raven Company.
Yet facing this overwhelming assault, the Emperor-class warship first unleashed a volley of diamond-shaped metal pillars and deployed an additional single-sided shield in the direction of the relief fleet.
Buzz—buzz—!
As the shield took effect, the initial concentrated fire from the Galactic Empire was completely nullified.
Soon after, both sides began an over-the-horizon artillery duel.
Red, blue, green, and other high-energy beams and trajectories interwove in space, forming a brilliant "nebula."
In this grand-scale space battle, the role of the Titanium fighters was nearly negligible.
Their maneuverability was strong, but both their firepower and defenses were relatively weak, and the various capital ships of the main universe's Empire were equipped with close-in weapon systems.
This configuration made it extraordinarily difficult for Titanium fighters to accomplish any breaching tasks in such a large-scale battle.
Thus, their main mission was limited to intercepting and engaging enemy carrier-based fighter formations.
The formation led by the two dedicated Raven-class gunships acted like a razor-sharp dagger, piercing through the outer defensive grid of the Death Star.
As they gradually closed in on the Death Star's surface, waves of Titanium fighters swarmed in from all directions, attempting to intercept these lethal invaders.
However, the firepower and defenses of the main universe's carrier-based fighter formations far exceeded those of the Titanium fighters; their machine guns and missiles drew deadly arcs through the void, reducing one Titanium fighter after another to silent flames.
Boom—boom—!
Explosive flashes erupted silently in the dark void, while the scattered wreckage of the Titanium fighters was left far behind by the advancing formation.
Although the Titanium fighter swarm was vast in number, their efforts to intercept were futile against the overwhelming firepower of the Raven-class gunships and the main universe's carrier-based fighters.
Every silent burst of cannon fire was accompanied by the destruction of numerous fighters, completely shattering the formation of the Titanium fighters and rendering them incapable of mounting any effective countermeasures.
Meanwhile, the loss of the main control room in Sector 7 of the lower hemisphere had caused parts of the shield and anti-air systems to fall into disarray.
This situation was like having the central gate thrown wide open, allowing the area that should have been well protected to become a space for the enemy's unabated "ravaging."
This in turn made the advance of the Raven-class gunships even smoother—as if they were in a land without any opposition—and their target was clear: the docking bay in Sector 7 of the lower hemisphere.
There, under the operation of Ryan and his team, the area had become the weakest link of the Death Star and the best entry point for the jump operation.
At the same time, inside the command center at the Death Star's core, the atmosphere was so tense it was nearly suffocating.
Red alert signals flashed on the projection screens, and battle damage reports fell like sleet.
An officer hurried over to Governor Takin, his voice laced with barely concealed anxiety:
"Governor Takin! Our losses are severe! The enemy's firepower is too overwhelming—the relief fleet has already lost 20% of its combat strength! We need more support!"
Standing in the center of the command center, Governor Takin folded his arms behind his back and stared coldly at the battle display on the screen.
There was not the slightest hint of emotion on his face, but his eyes betrayed a weighty concern.
As one of the highest-ranking officers in the Galactic Empire, he knew that the outcome of this battle would determine not only the fate of the Death Star but the future of the entire Galactic Empire.
Yet the current situation was clearly not optimistic.
What was most disconcerting was that the enemy had somehow managed to reorganize a vast and heavily armed fleet, and among them, that "flying church" Emperor-class battleship had already destroyed our Star Destroyer formation with a single shot.
Moreover, what troubled Takin even more was the possibility that the enemy fleet in the Scariff sector might still include a large number of Astartes-like giants.
After all, six Astartes had already turned the docking bay in Sector 7 of the lower hemisphere into utter chaos, leaving thousands of assault troopers utterly helpless.
Should more Astartes appear, our forces would be stretched painfully thin.
And the one who could absolutely suppress those giants, Darth Vader, had found an excuse to conserve his strength and withdraw from the battle, so Takin had no choice but to dispatch a few "apprentices" assigned to Death Star operations to head to Sector 7, in order to deal with the Blood Raven veterans at the docking bay.
These "apprentices" were originally stationed on the Death Star with the intent of following orders to completely annihilate the Rebel Alliance, thereby gaining richer combat experience.
However, the urgency of the current situation forced Governor Takin to send these still-inexperienced "apprentices" into the Scariff sector's Sector 7.
Although these "apprentices" were capable of overwhelming ordinary assault troopers, Takin felt they would be hard-pressed to counter those giant Astartes.
The visual impact of the Astartes was simply too shocking.
Under the present circumstances, the only elite force that could stand against the Astartes was these very "apprentices."
This led Takin to increasingly suspect that Darth Vader harbored a "treasonous heart."
His unilateral actions, his subtle evasion of the Emperor's orders, and his various maneuvers during this battle all caused Takin's suspicions to coil like venomous snakes.
Regardless of whether he had concrete evidence or not, Takin had already resolved that after the battle he would personally report to the Emperor.
He believed that the Emperor's all-seeing eyes would eventually see through Vader's disguise.
As for defeat?
At this moment, Takin's face curled into a sneer.
He had never even considered such a possibility.
The enemy fleet's firepower was indeed formidable and their tactics impressive, but compared to the vast military might of the Galactic Empire, it was nothing more than a fleeting struggle.
The Imperial fleet was like an endless tide; he could call for reinforcements at any time, and the enemy were merely a few isolated vessels whose powerful firepower would ultimately be overwhelmed by sheer numbers.
They could also simply wear down the enemy.
At that moment, Takin, watching the screen in front of him, noticed that the Raven-class gunship formation was like a sharp battle axe, forcefully cleaving through the first layer of the Titanium fighters' interception net and barreling toward the lower hemisphere of the Death Star.
This made Takin frown slightly, a flash of disbelief in his eyes.
Then he slightly turned to one side, walking over to a nearby control console, and with indisputable authority, ordered the officer standing beside him:
"Immediately mobilize all available forces in the nearby sectors and concentrate fire to seal off the enemy fleet's breakthrough route. I want to trap them completely in Scariff—leave them no escape."
He then swiftly swiped his fingers across the console, bringing up the internal force distribution map of the Death Star, and continued giving orders:
"Notify all Death Troopers within the Battle Station to converge on Sector 7 of the lower hemisphere. No matter the cost, you must completely eliminate all enemies; do not allow them to advance any further."
After a brief pause, Takin's gaze returned to the screen. Seeing that the Titanium fighter swarm was attempting to reassemble its formation but was clearly unable to effectively intercept the Raven-class gunship formation, he added:
"Notify all pilots—intercept the approaching enemy fighter formations at all costs. If they cannot complete the task, let them remain adrift in space forever."
Finally, Takin's voice suddenly rose, cold and resolute:
"Lock onto the enemy flagship and initiate ignition of the single-reactor; I want to see it reduced to ash with one shot."
"Yes, Governor!" The officer beside him immediately saluted with a crisp reply.
Then the officer quickly turned and returned to his command post, transmitting Takin's orders via an encrypted channel to all units.
Inside the command center now, the clattering of keystrokes, the cacophony of communications, and the shrill sound of alarms merged to form a tense and oppressive symphony.
Governor Takin stood still with his hands clasped behind his back, his gaze as dark and unfathomable as an abyss.
The outcome of the battle raging in Scariff would decide whether the Galactic Empire could continue its reign—and he would not allow even the slightest chance of failure.
At this moment, Takin's lips curled upward ever so slightly, as if he had already envisioned an Emperor-class battleship being reduced to nothing under the superlaser fire of the Death Star.
Buzz.
A low, almost imperceptible vibration, like the breath of a colossal beast, emanated from deep within the Death Star, as if the entire artificial celestial body trembled in anticipation of the destructive power about to be unleashed.
That was the sign of the single-reactor's ignition—energy was rapidly converging, ready to devour any enemy that dared to challenge the Empire's authority.
The surrounding officers, too, held their breath as the countdown began, for they knew that the next strike would determine not only the outcome of this battle but the fate of the entire Galactic Empire.
At that moment, inside the bridge of the Emperor-class warship, the atmosphere was remarkably calm compared to the frenetic command center of the Death Star.
Outside the massive observation window, streams of brilliant light and trajectories streaked by like flowing water, reflecting off Magnus's towering figure.
He stood silently behind the observation window like an unmovable mountain; his crimson robe, adorned over his armor, shimmered with a deep luster in the dim light.
"Father!"
A Blood Raven observer suddenly broke the silence, urgency in his voice.
His eyes fixed on the hard-light screen where the energy readings were spiking sharply, he quickly reported: "We've detected a rapid increase in the target's energy response. Preliminary judgment indicates that the enemy may be preparing a devastating firepower strike on our vessel. Should we immediately commence evasive maneuvers?"
Hearing this, Magnus remained composed, his eyes still gleaming with profound intensity, as if he had long seen through everything.
Then, his voice, low and calm, replied, "No evasive action is necessary. Notify all departments to proceed according to plan. As for the enemy firepower…" He raised his hand slightly, a faint surge of psychic energy emanating from his palm, "I will handle it."
"Yes, Father." The Blood Raven observer nodded without hesitation and refocused on the tactical display.
Although the enemy's energy readings continued to soar, the observer felt no panic—because with Magnus, our father, standing here, any threat would be neutralized.
Moments later, Magnus's gaze burned steadily as he looked out at that vast artificial celestial body.
Gradually, his eyes filled with a pale golden light, as if a burning star were igniting within them, containing infinite energy, and even time itself seemed to come to a standstill.
Ri—whoosh—!!!
Suddenly, a brilliant green high-energy beam burst forth from the surface of the Death Star, like a giant dragon tearing through the void, racing toward the Emperor-class battleship at a terrifying speed close to that of light.
Wherever the beam passed, space itself was distorted, and the surrounding starlight paled in its glare.
At that critical moment, Magnus's body suddenly erupted with an even more dazzling golden light, like a rising sun, enveloping the entire bridge in a sacred radiance.
In the next instant—
Everyone on the bridge was overwhelmed by a blinding white light, as if the whole world were being swallowed by endless brilliance.
Their vision lost focus momentarily, and all they could hear was the low, rumbling sound of colliding energy.
When the light gradually subsided and their sight cleared, everything appeared normal.
The Scariff sector was still engulfed in fierce battle, and the intense combat had not changed in the slightest—as if the Death Star's devastating strike had never happened, and the battle's state remained unaltered.
In reality, Magnus had used his unparalleled psychic powers to construct an invisible, intangible psychic shield around the perimeter of the Emperor-class battleship.
That shield, like an unbreakable barrier, repelled the Death Star's high-energy beam entirely.
Had it not been for this, even the proud shield system of the Emperor-class battleship would not have survived such a cataclysmic attack.
Magnus continued to stand behind the observation window, his golden light gradually receding as his breathing steadied and deepened, as if his earlier feat were nothing more than a trivial act.
Yet only he knew how much psychic energy and effort he had expended to ward off that strike.
Faint traces of golden afterglow still lingered at his fingertips.
However, this "trivial" act was enough to greatly impact the morale of the Galactic Empire's rank and file.
After all, the Death Star was touted as capable of destroying a planet in a single blow, yet here it could not even sink a battleship.
Even though the Death Star was only using the power of a single reactor, the lower-ranking personnel of the Galactic Empire had no way of knowing that—in their eyes—the Death Star now appeared unable to take down even the enemy flagship.
And that was exactly the effect Magnus intended, and the main reason he had not ordered the Emperor-class warship to evade.
This original entity had demonstrated the terrifying strength of our main universe's Empire, leaving it to our brothers executing the jump operation to show the enemy just how fearsome our Empire truly was.
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