The Katon support fleet, detecting the Pioneers' attempted retreat, broadcasted an unencrypted transmission across the battlefield: "Little insects, your fate is already sealed."
"Insects?"
"Are they referring to us?"
"Is this translator working properly?"
"Great dragons, your fate is already sealed!"
"Who corrected the translation back?" Seeing such shameless editing, the Pioneers felt thoroughly satisfied.
"Insects, your fate is already sealed!" The same unencrypted transmission carried identical meaning in different languages.
As if worried the enemy might misunderstand, Butcher even thoughtfully repeated the message in Katon Civilization's native tongue.
The damage was minimal, but the insult was profound.
Following the unencrypted transmission, the Butcher Fleet found itself scrambling for cover under intensified enemy fire, racing toward the depths of the asteroid belt.
Other Pioneers followed suit, activating their stealth devices and fleeing deeper into the asteroid belt. For them, retreating when outmatched was standard procedure - sometimes they'd flee even when winning. Especially now, facing prepared opponents where escape from the asteroid belt remained uncertain.
Dozens of Pioneer Fleets scattered in different directions while maintaining loose coordination for mutual support - a well-practiced guerrilla tactic, their traditional specialty.
Liu Hai watched enthralled like a wooden puppet. Having been immersed in studies these past years, he'd missed how many fascinating events unfolded among the stars.
He meticulously recorded the entire engagement, ensuring his Clone Soldier captains and sub-fleet commanders could study it later. The Seed Ship's database lacked comprehensive combat knowledge, making every scrap of external information precious.
He also remembered commanders like Li Yali. While they might never master Scalpel's tactical skills, the strategic thinking behind these maneuvers deserved careful analysis. After all, if his side had these "Old Six" operators, couldn't the Katon Civilization have similarly cunning Seekers?
A civilization's wisdom radiates widely. When one makes significant progress in a combat system, neighboring civilizations quickly adapt aspects of it, if only to develop countermeasures.
The current fleet systems, whether Pioneer or Seeker frameworks, originated from a nearby fifth-level civilization's pioneering methods. Other powerful civilizations similarly disseminated their unique systems through influence spheres.
Thus, as these Old Six-style Pioneers harassed the Katon Civilization, it was naive to assume their opponents weren't learning these tactics. Accumulating experience now would help recognize similar tricks later.
While Liu Hai's group studied with relish, the Old Six operators detected anomalies.
"What's happening? Our perimeter detectors are being destroyed or going offline in batches."
"Seems they brought more than just these two fleets to cause trouble!"
"Any sightings from Pioneers in neighboring star regions?"
"Negative so far. Your location's in a warp point blind spot - few visitors, even fewer detectors."
"I've spotted something odd. Isn't that their research ship?" A Pioneer uploaded an image to the channel and asked.
"It really is!"
"Kind of strange. Why send a research ship here? There's nothing special about this place."
"I don't care what they're up to. I just want to take them out and go back to sleep! Anyone want to team up?"
"Count me in, sister."
"Oh ho, even Rose Thorn is joining. Morning Glory here will tag along too."
"Encircle them! Encircle them!"
"Hahaha, good sisters! Whatever they're planning, let's push through together."
"Then let's make a plan. At least time it right so they can't escape."
"Calculate your distances. Wait three warp points away. Let's see... the longest will take two days. Butcher boy, can you last that long?"
"Cactus Sister, how little do you think of me, the Butcher?"
"Hahaha, then hold out for two days. If you can't, just wait for me to come collect your corpse."
A group of fierce female Pioneers began rallying their comrades under the leadership of the Pioneer codenamed Cactus Sister, planning to wipe out the Katon Fleet that had entered the Asteroid Belt in one fell swoop.
The male Pioneers fell silent the moment Cactus Sister spoke, standing by until the outcome was clear before flooding her with waves of flattery.
The channel grew livelier, with everyone acting as if failure was never a possibility.
"Who is this Cactus Sister? She seems to have immense authority among these Old Six. Hundreds of female Pioneers immediately followed her lead the moment she spoke."
Liu Hai was curious but didn't dare ask outright, waiting instead for a newcomer to voice the question in the channel.
Finally, after Cactus Sister left, a newcomer cautiously piped up: "Seniors, who is that Cactus Sister? Why does it seem like you're all afraid of her?"
"Afraid? Of course we are! She's one of the founders of this sub-channel. What does that tell you?" An Old Six's voice trembled as he spoke.
"One of the sub-channel's founders?"
Liu Hai was stunned. This sub-channel had been around for nearly a thousand years. Were any of those Pioneers still active on the front lines?
Moreover, a Pioneer from nearly a millennium ago—and a founder of this Old Six Channel—must embody the very essence of being an Old Six.
Thinking this, Liu Hai suddenly realized the situation might not be as simple as he'd thought. For a big shot like her to suddenly rally forces for such an operation—was it really just about those few thousand Katon warships?
Realizing this might not be a simple clash between Old Six but possibly part of a larger strategy, Liu Hai contacted Irina. So far, she was the only one who could provide him with deeper intel.
As for Xue Jia or others, digging deeper wasn't just about money—it required binding interests.
After some communication, Liu Hai discovered the situation in the Hera Star System was far more tense than he'd imagined.
The skirmishes between civilian forces were secondary. The real focus was the clashes between the main forces of their respective civilizations. The Federation military's hands-off approach in recent years also carried a strange undertone.
Many low-ranking Pioneers couldn't understand why the military allowed the Kadon Explorers fleet to attack Pioneer Base, nor could they comprehend the current strategy of the Federation. After all, the Federation had remained inactive for nearly two centuries, with no formal military operations beyond border skirmishes.