The responsibility had now shifted. It was no longer Kallus's burden to bear, but his subordinates' turn to prove their worth. The orders had been issued, the groundwork laid—now it was up to them to execute. Assigned by their respective departments and authorized by Clause himself, this was more than an opportunity. It was a test.
Could they handle large-scale operations with precision and efficiency? Could they meet deadlines without compromising standards? Clause would be watching closely.
Meanwhile, Kallus and the Red Empress had finalised the White Fleet's deployment.
In orbit near the moon, the White Fleet had been downsized from 100,000 to 70,000 ships. The remaining 30,000 were dispatched across the SOL region to patrol and stabilize 24 star systems—some even larger than the Solar System. Chief among them was the Central Star System, the command hub of the region, guarded by 2,000–3,000 ships due to its strategic importance.
