"Fleet communications synchronized."
"Fleet formation realignment complete."
"Jump coordinates confirmed."
"Fleet jump engines fully charged, ready for transition at any moment."
"Activate jump engines—let us set sail!" Li Yali's small hand swept through the air as her voice resonated across the entire fleet.
"Initiating jump. Space bubble construction complete. Space pulse confirmed."
No sooner had the navigator spoken than the fleet emerged in an unfamiliar star sector.
The moment the mixed fleet appeared, a military transmission came through.
"Honorable Pathfinder Fleet, you have now reached the edge of Federation-controlled space. Proceed with caution."
"Glory belongs to us all, victory to the Federation!"
"Pathfinders, the Federation anticipates your triumph as eagerly as you aspire to become Lord Councilors!"
"May your journey be prosperous, and your warships sweep across the stars."
Liu Hai felt his blood surge as he read the message—Glory belongs to us all, victory to the Federation. Simple, stirring, and undeniably true.
No matter what gains the Pioneers achieved or what social status they attained, their human identity remained an inescapable fact. And for those who became Lords to develop further, the Federation's support was indispensable.
Thus, regardless of the Pioneers' outcomes, the Star River Federation always stood to benefit.
"Irina, it's not too late to change your mind. If we go any further, we'll truly leave Federation-controlled space and enter uncharted territory," Liu Hai attempted once more to persuade Irina to abandon the contract and go her own way.
But Irina had been far from idle during this period. While she might have said no on the surface, she and Elena had done their homework in secret, spending considerable resources to procure existing star charts of the Third Spiral Arm through various channels.
When it came to current knowledge of the Third Spiral Arm, Liu Hai couldn't hold a candle to her.
"Mr. Liu, you do amuse me. Irina is not one to break contracts or lack integrity. Once an agreement is signed, I would honor it even if it meant the entire fleet being wiped out," Irina retorted with composed ease.
Recognizing the resolve in her tone, Liu Hai had no choice but to rein in his emotions and let Li Yali continue commanding the fleet forward.
The journey to the Third Spiral Arm was long and arduous. The crew operated in three shifts—while people slept, the ships never rested.
After more than two years, the fleet had traversed nearly half the galaxy, finally reaching the borderlands between the central region and the Third Spiral Arm.
During those two years, the fleet had narrowly avoided several near-collisions with the Katon Fleet, slipping past by sheer luck. But even the best luck eventually runs out.
No sooner had the mixed fleet completed its jump and begun recharging its engines than it encountered the enemy.
Liu Hai never imagined they would run into an exploration fleet of the Katun Civilization in this lightless border zone between the central region and the Third Spiral Arm. What were the odds?
The mixed fleet's sudden appearance caught the Katon Fleet off guard as well. Both sides now stared at their detection radars, trying to confirm each other's identity.
Only Liu Hai, leveraging the Pyramid Core's detection systems, reacted instantly. He immediately seized control of the fleet's warships, halted jump engine recharge, deployed full shields, and initiated main gun charging sequences.
Simultaneously, the cargo bays of two armed transport ships swung open. Under the Intelligent Nexus's command, fighter jets and mecha surged out at high speed, forming battle formations mid-flight.
Around the warships of the combined fleet, thousands of starlights flickered in an instant as sublight missiles were launched in waves, blanketing the enemy formation.
By the time the missiles were fired, Irina's side had only just fully reacted, while the members of the Starsea Fleet had swiftly entered combat readiness the moment Liu Hai sounded the emergency alert.
Although Liu Hai had taken control to initiate main gun charging and reorganize the fleet's formation, it wasn't his own fleet, and the lack of full authorization delayed Irina's approval. As a result, they were several seconds slower than the Starsea Fleet.
The sudden outburst from the combined fleet also alerted the Katon Fleet two light-minutes away. Hundreds of cylindrical warships quickly deployed into combat formations, their dark blue energy shields activating as they launched thousands of sublight missiles to buy time.
"The Katon Explorer Fleet?!"
Irina exhaled in relief after identifying the fleet on the projection. "Good, it's just a small fleet—only one Battleship-class warship."
But her expression froze when she saw the massive swarm of mechs surging out from the fleet. "Where did that guy get so many Fighter Mechs?"
"They're being deployed from modified transport ships," Elena replied, directing the fleet to adjust its formation while expanding the Starsea Fleet's projection. Two transport ships, still releasing swarms of mechs, stood out prominently in the display.
"How many Fighter Jets and Mechs have been deployed? What are their specs?" Having assessed the Katon Fleet's composition, Irina no longer worried about the skirmish. The combined fleet might not annihilate the enemy, but their own losses would be minimal.
"Standard Fighter Jets, forty percent sublight speed. Firepower is unclear but likely average. Mech models are also unidentifiable, but their speed matches the jets, and their firepower is probably standard too," Elena analyzed at a glance.
These Fighter Jets and Mechs were merely decoys Liu Hai had deployed to harass the enemy—never intended to win a fleet battle on their own.
The Starsea Fleet's main guns were the first to finish charging. The swarm of mechs obscuring the fleet quickly dispersed to clear firing lines, and dozens of energy beams lanced out simultaneously—all aimed at the Katon Fleet's flagship Battleship.
Unfortunately, the enemy's reaction time allowed them to prepare. Several Corvettes with raised shields positioned themselves at the fleet's forefront, intercepting the barrage. The Starsea Fleet's volley destroyed only three Corvettes before its energy was mostly spent, leaving the Battleship unharmed.
Seconds later, however, several Battleships from the Elizabeth Fleet also completed charging. Over a dozen brilliant beams sliced through the mech swarm and slammed into the enemy Battleship.
Under the assault of the red laser beams—each meters thick—the Battleship's shield lasted less than two seconds before collapsing. The beams struck its armor simultaneously, vaporizing the central impact zones and melting the surrounding areas. Molten metal cascaded through the holes torn by the lasers, searing through the ship's interior.
Layer after layer of metal walls were instantly vaporized and breached. As the Reaction Furnace was struck, the contained Antimatter within was released. The immense annihilation energy expanded to a diameter of tens of thousands of kilometers within a tenth of a second, completely obliterating the Battleship wreckage in less than a second.
With the loss of their most crucial Battleship, the entire Carten Exploration Fleet was thrown into immediate chaos. Deprived of central command, the fleet lost all coordination, unable to even relay orders between ships.