Him and their stars.

Chapter 2057 The Empire Has Also Reached a Time for Rectification
As the Zerg swarms began their attack, the Imperial fleet was steadily deploying its ranks. Besides the vanguard of the Imperial Guard that had just arrived as the vanguard, the fleets composed of local garrison fleets and those of the feudal lords were also systematically extending their ranks.

Seventeen arsenal ships, under the cover of eleven guard ships, will deploy in formation at a distance of only 0.1 astronomical units from the entrance to the gravity well—after several debates and studies, the Imperial Privy Council has finally decided to completely eliminate these two cumbersome ship types. However, even with the Empire's national strength and shipbuilding capabilities, this is a major undertaking that will cripple the nation. In this process, the Central Guard Fleet, directly under the Grand Marshal's Office, transferring the arsenal ships and guard ships to local fleets is also a way to minimize losses.

In the heartland of the Empire, such as the Wanfan Star Sector, there are naturally no large-scale feudal lords or a real need to strengthen military preparedness. However, it is densely populated, has a complete industrial base, and a developed economy. The Star Sector government is financially well-off, and thus, it naturally has the obligation to share the burdens of the central government of the Empire.

Thus, the garrison command of the Wanfan Star Sector accepted a considerable number of the giant ships that had been decommissioned by the Imperial Guard Fleet.

To be fair, if these were smaller countries, these arsenal ships and frigates would definitely be their main battleships, symbols of national power that could take center stage in a military parade.

They were actually superseded by light-wing aircraft and space bubble torpedoes. On the frontal fleet battlefield, due to their lack of maneuverability and limited capabilities, they were easy targets for enemy new torpedo ships.

But wouldn't it be too intimidating to use it to maintain local order?

Pirates, rebels, and smugglers alike would be terrified at the sight of the majestic arsenal ship and its imposing cannons.

...Well, anyone with a little military knowledge knows that what local security needs most is still a large number of highly mobile medium and small warships, but a sense of ceremony and deterrence are also very important.

In short, these military transactions between the central and local governments should naturally be a win-win situation.

These local garrison fleets, which had never participated in a frontal battle, were indeed sensitive to the changes in modern fleet tactics. They simply arranged their heavily armed arsenal ships into meticulous firing formations, using a standard curved layout to meet the enemy's arrival, just as they had learned in their textbooks.

"No matter who it is, as long as they fully transition and their signal quality stabilizes, they will immediately face our head-on attack. We can definitely stop all invading enemies from entering our territory," explained Major General Zaki, the garrison commander and security director of the Wanfan Sector.

When you say "overseas," are you perhaps referring to Dragon's Nest? That's incredibly audacious!
Rear Admiral Blackwood of the First Guard Fleet, a military academy graduate from a noble family, felt that the overall culture of the local garrison command was still worrying. More importantly, trying to make this lowly, non-human subspecies understand the glory and sublimity represented by the Dragon's Nest was like trying to teach a dog to eat with a knife and fork—extremely difficult.

Therefore, the Galactic Empire after Empress Ivenya was indeed too focused on political correctness. Non-human Imperial officers were not qualified to hold leadership positions above the rank of Loyalty, whether in the fleet or the stormtroopers, the Imperial Guard or local garrisons—none of them should be.

Herotin looked at the Anglo-Saxon general, a malicious thought swirling in his mind, but his face remained serious and businesslike: "The main force of the Imperial Guard fleet will arrive on the battlefield in 72 hours. We only need to hold the gates of the palace, and that will be a great success. Once the Privy Council's orders come through, we can..."

Zaki quickly replied, "I am merely a lowly garrison commander, only responsible for the people here! As for taking the initiative to attack the enemy, haven't you seen the quality of my men? They have already done their utmost by finding a pass and holding it for reinforcements. General, you cannot have too many expectations of the local garrison fleet. Even His Majesty the Emperor would not use a watchdog as a hunting dog!"

The most important task for a local star sector is to defend its territory. As long as the enemy is prevented from spreading to the inhabited and production star systems of the sector, that would be a great achievement.

As for the rest, they dare not hope for it, and have even gotten used to not hoping for it anymore.

Major General Herotin expressed his understanding and even expressed a certain degree of appreciation for such a tactful and emotionally intelligent approach.

Regardless, this guy's words and metaphors were too slick and cynical, which he, a career soldier born into nobility, disliked.

"Speaking of which, General, you came from the capital, did you hear something?" Major General Zaki looked around and asked cautiously in a low voice.

"What exactly are you trying to say? Why don't you be more explicit?" Hei Luoting said coldly. If he still couldn't understand the hidden meaning in the other party's words, he should go and kill himself.

The Anglo-Mann carefully observed his surroundings, and his expression suddenly became subtle: "Judging by the time, that evil dragon has been in its lair for at least a week. The gentry of the Privy Council should have made a decision long ago."

The Imperial Guard general was speechless for a moment. He also felt that the Heavenly Domain's reaction during this period was somewhat strange, but he dared not say so. People working in the central departments, even if the mystique surrounding the top decision-makers' makeshift organization is stripped away, will still spontaneously maintain the authority and mystique of the central government.

“That’s a bit presumptuous, Director Zaki,” Black Luoting said.

"Indeed, I was out of line." The Anglo-Manchu general bowed his head slightly in apology, but then said, "But, General, the Empire belongs to everyone, not just the Heavenly Domain!"

The Empire has indeed reached its most dangerous moment recently, Black Rodin thought. It's not just because of that demonic dragon, nor because of the rebels, nor even because of the mere loss of a stargate; it's just that these very voices are rising in power!
Damn it, how did the empire become like this? How can they allow such voices to circulate in the military?
You all need to be purged!
No wonder the Grand Inquisition was also on board the Imperial Guard this time.

However, just as the Imperial Guard commanders from the central command began to consider whether to rectify local military discipline, especially to purify the loyalty of individual commanders, the communication channel was instantly filled with loud alarm sounds.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! From Chaomen β! An enemy fleet is warping!"

The alarm wouldn't surprise the imperial generals. They already knew about the enemy fleet's presence, which was why they had rushed to the Chaomen Pass to set up their forces in advance.

Or rather, when such alarms reached everyone's ears, the Imperial commanders felt a surge of excitement. They really wanted to let that invincible "nameless dragon" experience the feeling of being targeted and attacked at close range.

Although the garrison fleet's "gun emplacements" have not been fully deployed, they still possess considerable power.

"All fleet, prepare for artillery fire!" Director Zaki began issuing orders without warning. "Regardless of what the warp has accomplished, begin firing immediately! Fire all the shells!"

Major General Blackwood immediately warned, "We must be wary of Earthlings' torpedo ships. They have warp drive capabilities."

"Then I'll have to leave everything to you, sir." The director's eyes were bright, filled with obvious expectation and pleading, completely unlike his previous sarcastic tone.

He was referring to the four aircraft carriers that had come with the Imperial Guard fleet. They were all ready for battle, and two squadrons of Purple Lightning Dragons and one squadron of Titanium Blades had already taken off.

If the first to jump are torpedo ships, they will immediately fall into the clutches of the fighter jets.

The Imperial Army has been struck by Earthling warp lightning several times already. Even if their nerves were as fragile as paramecia, they should have been on guard against this move long ago.

Black Court naturally indicated that the fighter jets were ready and could deal with the enemy torpedo ships' infiltration and bombing at any time.

This is the glorious tradition accumulated by the Imperial Army over thousands of years. Regardless of any disagreements among the command levels, they will mostly cooperate sincerely when it comes to important matters.

If the execution is ineffective, it's a matter of ability, not attitude.

Soon, the technicians' astonished voices rang out over the communication channel: "The laws of gravity have been determined, the mass and projection imaging can be determined, and the projection profile is being generated... Wait, this mass data is wrong!"

"The spatial fluctuations are subsiding! They're coming in!"

"The quality is too low! Is this an empty ship hull sent by Earthlings?"

When the quality data, which completely defied basic common sense, was sent to the command center's terminal, the general and his staff were immediately in an uproar. Then, one particularly imaginative staff officer suggested, "This might be a new type of warp-jump missile; we must not be careless!" A warp-jump missile?

"After all, the Ghost piloted by the Demon Dragon cannot rule out the possibility of some special ship types. No possibility can be ruled out!" he said emphatically.

To be fair, that makes a lot of sense.

However, it has no practical significance.

In reality, whatever judgment the Imperial strategists made, it was already too late.

From the moment the Imperial Army detected the jump signal to the moment the complete matter and entity broke free from the hyperspace portal and re-coalesced in the universe, it only took a mere forty or fifty seconds.

This was a leap with almost no buffer, and it was a leap that exceeded everyone's common sense.

So, just as the arsenal ships had finished warming up their main guns and the frigates had not yet deployed their shields, Shirley's swarm of insects, carrying with it the violent energy that tore through space and the pungent, malevolent aura unique to biomass, surged out directly from behind the vortex of gravity!

...Okay, the following statement is obviously an exaggeration.

Anyone with a little common sense knows that the universe cannot conduct sound, let alone smell.

However, it was indeed a row of spherical objects that looked like giant insect eggs, with taut blood vessels and veins wrapped around them. The bright and dark spots on the surface did not make the spheres appear brighter; instead, they gathered a strange yet vibrant blood-red light.

When such a thing flashes into people's sight, normal people will subconsciously feel that some kind of cosmic Leviathan, capable of swallowing the heavens and earth, is brewing inside.

What you see and imagine will inevitably interfere with what you can feel. Once the Imperial soldiers felt the oppressive aura of higher-dimensional beings, it would be only natural that they would then feel the murderous aura of predators, wouldn't it?

This development, while not materialistic at all, is very idealistic and in line with the basic spirit of this world.

The communication channel was instantly flooded with terrified screams.

The officers and soldiers of the garrison fleet in the Wanfan sector said they had never seen anything like it before, and they never imagined they would be fighting a group of terrifying space Leviathans.

Yes. With an empire as vast as this, it's quite normal to encounter a cataclysmic Leviathan, but aren't these things usually handled by the elite Imperial Guard and the gentlemen of the Knights?
The enemy garrison was indeed a motley crew, utterly demoralized. The Imperial Guard fleet officers and soldiers couldn't help but have this thought. Even so, seeing these enormous insect eggs trembling within dangerous distance, seeing the thick biological veins wrapped around their skin like towering volcanoes, ready to erupt boiling poisonous fire at any moment, even the Imperial Guard officers and soldiers were stunned into silence for a moment.

Leviathan creatures are actually quite common in the universe, but being directly attacked by a Leviathan is still a terrifying sight.

"Is it really the right thing to deploy our forces so close together?" This question flashed through Major General Black Rodin's mind.

Fortunately, whether it was the battle-hardened elite Imperial Guard fleet or the local garrison fleet lacking in spirit, they were still the regular army of the empire, and basic training was never lacking.

Although they were momentarily speechless due to the enemy fleet that had come so close to them, they still carried out the shelling order steadily and solemnly, following the prior instructions.

The pent-up artillery fire unleashed in an instant. Dense beams of energy and solid projectiles roared through the cold void, leaving scorching streaks of light as they hurtled toward the egg-like individuals still entangled in a wisp of gravitational pull.

Imperial officers and soldiers still weren't sure what those things were, but firing them was never a bad idea.

More than ten fully equipped arsenal ships launched hundreds of railgun shells and a thousand thermonuclear missiles in an instant.

They didn't even aim.

Since they're all at this distance, the energy diffusion of the warship group is enough to completely cover the still-swirling gravitational vortex.

The "insect eggs" were engulfed by the energy of the explosion.

A violent energy shockwave and scorching metal fragments instantly tore apart the strange, lifelike skin. Orange-red flames, mixed with the power of antimatter, and fragments of disintegrating organic tissue silently expanded and spread in the vacuum of space.

This creates a series of brief but brutal fireworks displays.

"Hit! All hits!"

"Quality data is disintegrating! The other side is collapsing!"

"Long live the Empire! Long live the Empire!"

"Our close-range artillery strike was the right thing to do!"

Putting aside the last sentence, which was probably just the officers and soldiers of the garrison fleet boasting, the tense atmosphere on the communication channel did indeed ease a lot.

Even Major General Black Rodin relaxed a little.

He instructed, "All fighter jets shall remain on alert and maintain the escort formation."

"Scan the area, prepare for the second round of shelling. We must not let any enemy escape! Wanfan is our homeland, and we must keep the enemy out of our borders!" Director Zaki encouraged his soldiers, but before he could confirm their reactions, a new alarm tore through the brief silence and joy.

"Energy reaction! A large number of small, high-speed moving targets have appeared behind the target wreckage!"

"The quantity... is uncountable! Approaching at high speed!"

"Too much! Optical imaging can't accomplish this! O spirit of the universe, what is it?"

Behind the still-lingering flames and cloud of organic debris from the explosion, a chilling "black cloud" suddenly emerged. Seemingly unaffected, it easily passed through the burning smoke and the still-pulsating plasma tides, heading straight for the Imperial fleet.

At this moment, the soldiers, who were very experienced in life, were already reminiscing about the shadows of being dominated by hornet's nests during their childhood mischievous days.