Raynor knew that such small tricks couldn't deceive the "cogboys" forever. Therefore, he had proactively offered to send "help" to perform that charade of a ceremony. It served as a smoke screen to prolong the deception for a while longer.
He had also notified his informants long ago to stop tampering with the fuel as soon as they saw the ceremony performed. What he hadn't expected was for Luna to personally go up and perform. Recalling that image, Raynor couldn't help but lean his head on his hand and laugh again.
However, enough time had been bought. The Gothic-class cruiser at the spaceport was nearly repaired. According to his plan, Raynor never intended to compete with Luna for first place. He would let her go first to bash her head against the hard nut that was Karl-2. Based on his estimates, it was impossible for Luna to take that space station in a short amount of time. He would set out once she and the Greenskins had exhausted each other.
Fifteen days after the Upper Hive Council meeting concluded.
Luna's fleet was finally ready and officially set sail. The Measure of Discipline, serving as the flagship, led two other Strike Cruisers and twelve frigates. Accompanied by twenty various transport vessels and two mobile docks, the massive fleet sailed toward Karl-2. Since the distance was not great, the fleet chose to navigate through real-space rather than entering the dangerous Warp.
Two days later, the fleet arrived at the outskirts of Karl-2. Luna stood on the bridge, looking through the viewport at the massive space station in the distance. The Greenskins had expanded it to at least twice its original size using scrap metal; it now looked like a tangled mass of metal junk, its surface densely packed with turrets and docking bays.
"Report," an officer approached. "An asteroid belt has been detected ahead, approximately two hundred thousand meters from Karl-2."
Luna's eyes lit up. Two hundred thousand meters. This distance was exactly at the limit of the Measure of Discipline's main battery range. If they could hide within the asteroid belt and send a vanguard fleet to clear a safe path, they could use the ship's superior range to catch the Greenskins off guard.
"Very well," she said. "The fleet will enter the asteroid belt for concealment. Two Moon-class cruisers and six frigates will advance fifty thousand meters to scout a safe firing lane for the Measure of Discipline."
The order was issued. Two Moon-class cruisers slowly detached from the main fleet, accompanied by three Sword-class frigates and three Turbulent-class frigates specialized in reconnaissance, cautiously advancing forward.
The first thirty thousand meters were uneventful. They occasionally encountered Orkish ships patrolling or out scavenging for scrap, but these were reduced to dust by the Moon-class cruisers' secondary batteries. A slight smile involuntarily appeared on the corner of Luna's mouth. If they advanced another twenty thousand meters, the Measure of Discipline would enter precise firing range. Then, they would open with a long-range bombardment to deplete the station's defenses.
Suddenly, alarms blared aboard the Measure of Discipline.
"ENEMY ATTACK!!!"
Luna immediately opened the tactical map surrounding the flagship. On the map, the dense "asteroids" surrounding the fleet were moving. Hundreds of giant rocks that had been moving so slowly they were almost stationary suddenly ignited with tail flames. The rocks lunged toward the fleet at an irrational speed. Every asteroid had a crude scrap thruster welded to its rear.
This was the Greenskins' first wave of "Ramming Ships."
"Intercept!" Luna barked the command.
The crew members of various departments across the ship began to act, their movements betraying a sense of panic. The frigates fired frantically—lascannons, macro-cannons, and torpedoes. Every available weapon poured fire into the incoming asteroids. The point-defense systems of the Measure of Discipline also activated fully, weaving a net of fire around the ship.
Asteroids shattered one after another, debris scattering in the vacuum of space. But there were simply too many. They surged forward like a swarm, and the fire-net of six frigates and one cruiser couldn't stop them all. One unfortunate Cobra-class destroyer, having exhausted its void shield energy, took a direct hit to the bridge from a massive rock. Its command system was instantly paralyzed, leaving it drifting in space like a dead fish.
The other frigates fared little better. Some were grazed, others dented by impacts; their void shields were nearing overload. The Measure of Discipline also took several hits. Its void shields worked constantly, shunting the massive asteroids into the Warp, causing the shield's energy reserves to drop by eighteen percent instantly.
Luna grit her teeth, continuously stabilizing morale. But the attack was far from over. From deeper within the asteroid belt, over a hundred red blimps surged out. They were warships of extreme design—if they could even be called warships. They looked more like Orkish land vehicles painted entirely red, with blinding red and blue flames spewing from their rears and massive rams welded to their bows, occupying nearly a third of the vessel's length.
Ram-Ships! The favorite space vessels of the Snakebites Clan. Their sole purpose was to slam into enemy warships at maximum speed, detonating everything explosive on board in the process, allowing the Snakebite boyz to experience a space-version of "Fast and Furious."
Over a hundred Ram-Ships charged toward the Measure of Discipline. Luna's expression changed drastically.
"Hard to port! Evasive maneuvers at full speed!"
"All batteries intercept the Ram-Ships! Ignore the asteroids!"
The massive hull of the Measure of Discipline began to turn laboriously. The secondary engines put out full power, and thrusters emitted a piercing blue light. But the Ram-Ships were too fast. They were like a swarm of hornets whose nest had been disturbed, drawing chaotic trajectories through space. Some charged in straight lines, others spiraled, and a few even collided with each other mid-flight just to change direction at maximum speed to dodge the fleet's intercepting fire.
One Ram-Ship broke through the fire-net and slammed hard into the flank of the Measure of Discipline.
BOOM!!!
The fire of the explosion bloomed silently in the vacuum before being swallowed by the void shield. It was a fleeting blossom. However, the interior of the Measure of Discipline still suffered a violent tremor, and the void shield energy readings plummeted again.
Their speed and movement were too extreme; more and more Ram-Ships were reaching the flagship. Impacts followed one after another. Luna gripped the console to steady herself. Her eyes burned with fury and confusion.
Greenskins—those lunatics whose heads were only filled with fighting—had actually set an ambush in advance? She looked at the Ram-Ships still charging frantically through the viewport and then at this asteroid belt hiding countless dangers.
A single thought surfaced in her mind.
"RAYNOR!!!"
Luna's roar echoed through the bridge.