Him and their stars.

Chapter 2221 A Glorious Meeting

On June 20, 835 AD, in the New Tennessee system, the orbit of the largest agricultural planet in the Far Coast sector, once filled with weather regulation satellites and space hydroponic farms, was now filled with violent and scorching residual energy.

This is energy that can consume a person.

Debris from warships and agricultural space stations, pulled by the gravity of the green planet, float in orbit, forming a mountain of corpses from the space age.

A certain Commander Yu, still drifting in the Abyss Nebula, made a misjudgment. He originally thought that the first large-scale battle after the emperor's fall would break out in the Shanhaiguan Pass star system.

It wasn't Juyong Pass, but rather in its vicinity.

However, it ultimately occurred in the New Tennessee system, which is more than 200 light-years away from the mountain and sea route, and even more than three days earlier than he had predicted.

The smoke of battle has not yet completely dissipated.

Within the galaxy, the orbital space station that once represented the Empire's rule has been reduced to massive pieces of space debris by the artillery fire within.

In near-Earth orbit of the primary planet "New Tennessee III," the array of turrets that could have formed a fire blockade has been reduced to wreckage and continues to drift slowly. However, faint flashes of light still flicker on the green surface of the planet, indicating the ongoing battle on the ground.

In fact, the Blue Star Community's land forces have already landed here.

As for the Imperial fleet that was supposed to protect the planet's skies, the fleet led by King Soren was moving away from the planet's gravitational influence into orbit. They were certainly not fleeing, but rather fighting and retreating, and all the warships maintained an astonishing level of discipline in their movements.

In any case, this battle is finally coming to an end.

The master of this galaxy is, after all, the victor.

The Fuxi hovers 1200 million kilometers above New Tennessee's orbit. This ship, once hailed as "the most powerful dreadnought in the entire galaxy," is now covered in repairs, resembling a battle-hardened, scarred old warrior.

But she still stood there.

Surrounding the Fuxi were 547 warships of various sizes, the main force of Yang's fleet. They were the most complete and largest armed force currently controlled by Earthlings.

Most of them were the main force of the Said fleet that had withdrawn from the distant coast, while a smaller portion consisted of Yang's fleet that had retreated from the New World to New Shenzhou. Of course, there were also new ships pulled from the slipways of the New Shenzhou shipyard, seemingly ready to undergo equipment testing in actual combat.

Although the warships appeared to be of varying ages, as a fleet, they exuded the composure and tranquility befitting a battle-hardened army. They maintained a very precise crescent formation; each squadron, and even between individual warships, maintained perfect tactical spacing.

In this way, whether it's changing formations, charging, besieging, or even disbanding the formation and turning to flee, it will never cause chaos.

In large-scale fleet operations, strict discipline is essential, and fleet operations are of paramount importance. Currently, Earthlings appear to be almost perfect.

Compared to Yang's fleet, the opposing Imperial fleet still had the advantage in numbers and its military appearance was relatively well-organized, but it was now actively retreating, trying to increase the distance between itself and the Earthlings.

However, as the losers in the retreat, they also performed almost perfectly.

The entire fleet has formed a retreat formation that integrates offense and defense.

Destroyers and light cruisers on the outer perimeter formed a high-speed patrolling barrier, constantly releasing jamming barrages and high-powered photon weapons to provide cover. The well-equipped and heavily shielded Purple Lightning Dragons and Titanium Blade fighters even launched counter-attacks from time to time to drive away the Earth Lightwing fighters that tried to get too close.

Large warships in relatively good condition were positioned on the outer perimeter of the fleet, ready to respond to any surprise attack. Transport ships, workboats, medical ships, and severely damaged vessels were all firmly protected on the innermost side of the formation, guided by specialized small speedboats, and given priority to enter the pre-designated warp windows.

As for those remaining at the rear of the formation, there were three heavily damaged dreadnoughts, which were using their reverse auxiliary engines to push their massive hulls backward little by little. The bows of the ships still had their main gun ports wide open, facing the direction of Yang's fleet, clearly ready to fire at any moment.

They planned to personally cover the rear, making sure they were the last to escape.

As for the formidable Night Dragon Titan, it was positioned on the right flank of the Imperial fleet, with its bow and the central cannon, comparable to a fortress gun, facing the airspace on the other side.

Beside her, six battlecruisers were also on standby, arranged in a wedge formation, but rather than preparing for a charge, they were preparing for a rearguard attack.

Directly in front of them was another Earth fleet, but it was sparsely packed and estimated to be no more than thirty ships. In terms of size, it couldn't even be considered a guerrilla squadron, yet it seemed to be putting even more pressure on the Imperial fleet.

The Imperial Army's caution was certainly justified. This Earth fleet, though small in size and its ships even more exhausted than Yang's fleet, inexplicably exuded a ferocious, battle-hardened aura. Every wound on those ships seemed a historical etched into the past, a testament to a fierce battle. They were like a group of demons crawling out of hell.

These demonic fleets had long since proven their combat prowess.

In fact, most of the nearly fifty Imperial warships scattered in the planet's orbit were the result of this small fleet.

Or rather, most of it was caused by that silver-glowing warship, its shape resembling a giant whale. If the warships around it were demons, then this magnificent behemoth, seemingly out of place in this era, was probably a demon king.

For the Imperial fleet, the mere presence of this giant ship meant they were essentially sandwiched between two sides.

Fortunately, at this stage of the war, no one wanted it to degenerate into a war of attrition. As the safe distance between the two sides gradually increased, the two Earth fleets located in different directions were slowly converging.

Once the identification code was confirmed, the communications officers completed the setup of the fleet's public channel, and an uncontrollable wave of joy erupted in the channel.

Applause, cheers, whistles, and even sobs of relief.

Soldiers from the Blue Star Community waved vigorously to their allies through the portholes. This was a reunion of Earth's soldiers ten months after the Battle of Said. This was a victorious reunion! This was a glorious reunion! This was a magnificent reunion!

Of course, compared to the jubilation of the other soldiers, General Yang Xiyi, as the supreme commander, remained calmly observing the opposing imperial fleet, searching for any possible weaknesses.

They were ambushed from the flank and rear by the Enlightened Ones' warships. The twelve large guardian ships that were acting as flank defenses had their hard shells smashed open on the spot, forcing them to retreat.

However, they had clearly made meticulous arrangements, and every step of the fleet's operation, from changing formation to counterattacking to beginning a slow retreat, was very appropriate.

Even when forced to abandon their original battle lines and suffering continuous losses, the Imperial fleet remained disciplined. Like a wounded beast that still maintained its composure and ferocity, they licked their wounds while intimidating their opponents with low growls, steadily retreating into the dark forest of the starry sky.

At 15:47 PM Standard Time, the silhouette of the last Imperial ship was swallowed by the warp beam. The four-hour Battle of New Tennessee thus came to an end in victory for the Blue Star Community.

Yang Xiyi stopped observing, his face showing little joy of victory, but rather a hint of admiration.

"Defeated but not broken, retreating but not chaotic... This newly enthroned King Sorein, though young, is quite adept at military strategy! He already shows some of the flair of his predecessor, King Sorein." He said to the person beside him, his gaze still fixed on the direction in which the imperial fleet had disappeared.

"The former King Zoro you mentioned, is that the one you killed at Unity Fortress?" Akinayama Hachiman pushed up his glasses.

Yang Xiyi nodded slightly. His intention, of course, was not to praise his own achievements. He simply exclaimed, "Even when surrounded by a large army from both sides and forced to retreat, he still managed to preserve the fleet's combat strength and unity to the greatest extent possible. The imperial cluster he led away can still pose a threat to us. This composure, this experience, far exceeds his actual age."

The preparation period and the beginning of this battle were actually within Yang Xiyi's expectations. As early as the beginning of June, he had already received communications from the distant shore. It was the expeditionary fleet led by the Silent Ship, which had fought its way through the entire Empire and returned to the occupied territory of the loyal community.

At that time, Yang Xiyi had confirmed that King Shazamen's fleet had left the Shanhai Passage and was returning home. The only remaining enemy before the Shanhai Passage was King Soreen.

The combat strength of both sides on this front has surprisingly reached a certain degree of equilibrium.

Yang Xiyi said that the preconditions for causing trouble have been met.

Considering the risk of alerting the enemy, he tried to persuade the Silent Ship to abandon its plan to retake New Seville and Lumina—after all, under the Empire's "rule," the people of Lumina were actually living the most peaceful and tranquil lives in the occupied territories, so it was indeed possible to let things be for the time being.

Subsequently, the Silent Ship, carrying the expeditionary fleet that had just emerged from the abyss and crossed the distant shore, headed straight for the direction of Xin Shuntian.

With their entire fleet of 50,000 men, they certainly couldn't completely subdue the forces of Xin Shuntian. Keep in mind that on this planet with over a billion inhabitants, the Empire also has nearly 100,000 garrisoned security forces and stormtroopers.

After all, the big guys on the Silent One aren't demons; they wouldn't carry out orbital bombardment of their own fallen planet.

However, although they failed to land on the planet, they easily destroyed all the garrison fleets and demolished the outposts and outposts still under construction in orbit.

The heroic battle display of the expeditionary fleet might greatly inspire the soldiers and civilians of Xin Shuntian. Of course, it's also possible that they've already grown accustomed to life under the empire's rule, treating all this as mere idle chatter before continuing their ordinary lives.

Over the next three days, this small fleet of no more than thirty ships successively defeated four imperial squadrons, each with a greater total force than itself, and continued to approach the direction of the mountain and sea route.

However, at this moment, King Sorein, who had been waiting at Juyong Pass, suddenly lifted all the blockades on the Star River Pass and turned his entire army to meet the Silent Ship head-on.

"The Imperial fleet's actions were correct. The narrow channel of the Jiayuguan star system makes it difficult for a fleet with superior forces to deploy. It is precisely because of this geographical advantage that we have been able to hold out until now. If it were the Imperials, and they were attacked from behind by the Silent Ship's arc cannons, coupled with our frontal assault, they would inevitably fall into chaos and suffer heavy losses," Yang Xiyi said.

Akinayama Hachiman said, "However, I never expected that King Soreen would actually abandon the front lines and retreat to a wider star field."

Even Yang Xiyi was taken aback.

Fortunately, as a meticulous and top-notch strategist, he had already prepared all the contingency plans without missing a beat, and immediately ordered the entire army to start the pursuit.

Finally, in the vast star field of New Tennessee, the three fleets of the two sides met unexpectedly, and the battle began.

King Soren was in a rather unfavorable situation, but being attacked from both sides was much better than being stuck at Jiayuguan and blocked from both ends, as originally planned. At least there was room for maneuver and maneuvering.

The moment his defensive fleet was defeated, and eight large frigates and a battlecruiser were destroyed by arc guns, the young King Solomon immediately made a decision and began to lead his troops in a retreat.

His actions meant that the Empire had abandoned twenty star systems, from Jiayuguan to the New Tennessee system, including four inhabited planets.

However, at least five hundred warships managed to escape the fangs of the arc cannons.

"That's why I said he has the makings of a great general. A true great general isn't defined by winning when you have the advantage, but by understanding what to give up when you're at a disadvantage. Such decisiveness and such responsibility are admirable. Some people sit in high positions their whole lives and never develop this kind of awareness, but King Sorein is only twenty years old," Yang Xiyi said.

Akinayama Hachiman naturally agreed, but then added, "However, he still seemed quite inexperienced during the Battle of Said."

"This shows that his potential for growth has exceeded our expectations. Moreover, among the young dragon kings, King Soren is by no means the most talented. Everyone believes that the bloodline of the Dawn Royal Family contains the genes of great men and conquerors; they are born to conquer the universe and dominate and guide human civilization. Heh, well, that's not entirely unfounded..."

"Are you singing the praises of bloodline theory?" Akinayama Hachiman pushed up his glasses again. "This doesn't seem like you at all. We have leaders here who are more powerful than the Dragon Kings, but we haven't heard of any great bloodline for them."

“Perhaps soon. Most pioneers in history have liked to find a great ancestor for themselves. And, as you know, bloodlines can be established.” Yang Xiyi couldn’t help but smile bitterly: “Humans are always like this. If they can’t pursue a lofty mission, they can only pursue a lofty bloodline. If they can’t follow great virtues, they can only follow great names.”

There's a hidden meaning in those words! Over the past year, Akinayama Hachiman, the operations staff officer, has practically taken on the role of Commander Yang's chief adjutant, so he understands all too well what his superior is struggling with.

He took off his glasses and looked around.

The other officers and soldiers on the bridge were immersed in the excitement of the victorious reunion. The communication channels were filled with greetings and blessings from each other, interspersed with crude jokes and sudden bursts of laughter.

These battle-hardened heroes always have a different sense of humor than the affected petty bourgeoisie.

Akinayama Hachiman put his glasses back on: "Why take it so seriously?"

Yang gave the other party a meaningful look: "Mr. Qi and I are both well aware of the Lionheart Society's recent actions."

"But you didn't stop it."

“We don’t know how to stop it.” He sighed. “Ultimately, I’m just a lazy person!”

"Actually, Teacher Yang, the seeds have already been sown. The problems of the future should be left to future generations in times of peace. You know, a war leader who has the final say is more suitable for the present."

"But that's now..."

The conversation was interrupted by the communications officer reporting that the Silent One was actively approaching them, and that communication between their ship and the ancient ship, the Enlightener, had been established.

Through the porthole, Yang Xiyi could clearly see that the silver spaceship had already reached a distance within his mortal eye's sight. At the same moment, the communication window popped up as expected.

As expected, it was Fei Fei on the screen, still sporting her crescent-shaped eyes and a bright smile.

However, she was theoretically just the adjutant of a missing general, but now she was acting as if she were the general's de facto representative. No one thought there was anything wrong with it, not even Yang Xiyi himself thought it was reasonable.

Even if there are procedural flaws, this is surprisingly in line with the times and the natural order, for the sake of practical considerations.

Yang Xiyi suppressed the strange emotions in his heart and asked, "Commander Yu is still out of contact?"

"Still out of contact." Fei Fei smiled, "But he's healthy and thriving, he might be close to ascending to godhood. I can feel it."

I still don't understand things about you psionicists. Yang Xiyi thought.

"So, shall you come over, or shall I go over?" Fei Fei had just started to say this when she smiled and said, "You should come over. I used to visit the Fuxi often, but aren't you curious about Jing'er on the Silent Ship? We really need your advice on how to make good use of this powerful warship."

(End of this chapter)