The Empire begins with the Fourth Scourge.

Chapter 2771 The Fall of Dantuin
2770, The Fall of Dantoin

By now, the Galactic Empire's formation had completely collapsed. Three Arquitenth-class cruisers exploded one after another under the bombardment of the neutron rapid-fire cannons, their wreckage scattering everywhere.

Many of the transport fleets were destroyed, and the rest scattered in all directions. They desperately tried to escape this terrible killing hell, activating their hyperspace engines in an attempt to leave. However, this only caused the hyperspace fluctuations to become more chaotic, preventing them from entering hyperspace.

In the chaos, many transport ships even collided, causing even greater chaos and casualties.

"No! No!! What happened? Why is there a separatist capital ship here?!" In the ground command center on Dantuin, Lieutenant General Zell Johnson looked at the chaotic space in despair, his face ashen.

"We don't know... We're completely clueless..." The chief operations advisor beside him also had a grim face. "Recently, our hyperspace outposts haven't detected any hyperspace fluctuations at the capital ship level. Moreover... if they really were to force a jump, the hyperspace fluctuations would be so great that navigation would be impossible, and the separatist transport would be disrupted for several days. We couldn't possibly be unaware of that!"

"The problem now is, what do we do?" Zell-Johnson growled angrily. "Our reinforcements! Our supplies! They're all up there! What are we going to eat? What are we going to drink? What are we going to use for those artillery pieces?!"

“General, things have come to this point, we can only consolidate our defenses and continue to strengthen the defenses of Konda,” the chief combat advisor said. “We absolutely cannot lose the industrial zone of Konda; it is our last supply point.”

"The defenses of Conda? You mean the defenses that were ruined by that idiot Wells and are now riddled with holes and full of loopholes? Ha!" Lieutenant General Zell Johnson laughed loudly, already figuring out how to write it in his report to headquarters.

Meanwhile, on the planet Palin-Minor, at the headquarters of the Ninth Army of the Galactic Empire.

“The Throne-class…this crude warship that the separatists have named T-34-1…” Gerald Perein frowned as he looked at the snowflakes of battle reports and distress signals coming from the planet Dantuin.

According to the Galactic Empire's naval intelligence, the Throne-class battlecruiser is a new type of warship from the Geths. This warship is extremely rudimentary, but it uses incredibly thick armor and a hybrid of powerful but short-range cannons.

At the time, this type of warship suddenly appeared on the planet Scipio, launched a surprise attack on Scipio, and caused the loss of dozens of Imperial-class star destroyers to the local garrison. It can be said to be a very troublesome type of warship.

However, this type of warship never appeared again in subsequent battles.

According to the military intelligence department's analysis, the warship's construction cost was very low, but the thick armor it piled up also placed a significant burden on industrial production capacity. Moreover, the neutron rapid-fire cannon used by this warship is a hybrid weapon that combines kinetic energy attack and energy attack. Each time it fires, a considerable portion of the cannon fire will directly penetrate the deflector shield and attack the warship's armor.

Therefore, although this warship may appear rudimentary, it is in essence a very advanced warship.

The military intelligence department believes that this warship is likely just a prototype, and its complete form should be a very powerful warship, which is very likely to be one of the core components of the Dawn Kingdom's navy in the future.

But now... these warships have reappeared, and this time on Dantuin, a planet with virtually no transportation links.

Could it be…? Gerald Pereira suddenly thought of something and said to the technical advisor beside him, “These warships were previously piloted by Geths, so they were unmanned warships, right? Then, what are the chances that they used warp speed to travel here?”

The technical advisor shook his head. “Unlikely. Unless the separatists could have predicted the battle on Dantuin six months in advance, because, given the distance between Dantuin and the surrounding star systems, warp drive would take six months—Dantuin is in a very isolated location, and even the nearest uninhabited star system is more than 1000 light-years away.”

Gerald Perein nodded and said, "Indeed... If it's warp drive, then it's unlikely that such a prototype, unfinished warship would be used. It's probably more likely that two Hells Angel-class ships would fly over."

The technical advisor nodded in agreement.

“In short, we need to make emergency deployments immediately,” Gerald Pereira said. “Immediately send reinforcements to Dantoin, and once the hyperspace route is stable, dispatch warships there immediately. Even if we have to temporarily halt reinforcements to the planetary ground battlefield, we must send Star Destroyers there!”

“But General, the transport ships on Dantuin are currently running around recklessly, constantly using their hyperspace engines, causing the planet’s hyperspace navigation to become completely chaotic…” the adjutant on the other end whispered.

“Then make them stop!!” Gerard Pereira was unusually angry.

"I'm sorry, General!" The adjutant quickly lowered his head, not daring to breathe. Although he was much older than Perrin, the young man in front of him, barely over 30, was already an admiral, arguably the second most powerful figure in the entire North after Dunn Wessex. Naturally, this lowly naval captain was trembling with fear.

"Immediately establish communication channels with all transport ships, ordering them to cease hyperspace jumps within ten minutes and evade combat using their sub-light speed engines to clear hyperspace routes! Otherwise, they will be court-martialed!" Gerard Perein sternly declared.

"Yes...yes!" the adjutant quickly replied.

General Gerald Perein is no longer the greenhorn he once was; he is a seasoned general who has managed and controlled the military of the entire Northern Empire for nearly a decade, commanding an army of billions. His aura is now vastly different from before. At his command, the entire military machinery of the Northern Starfield will be at work.

“That’s not enough… We must find a way to rescue the millions of troops on Dantuin!” Cold sweat was already dripping down Gerald Perein’s forehead. He turned to the operations staff and said, “Immediately draft a plan and conduct a war game simulation. Simulate the outcome of the battle if our entire army attacks from Ode Mantel and threatens the rear of Bilbrin.”

"Yes, sir!" The operations staff officer immediately stood at attention and saluted.

While the planet Palin-Minor was bustling with activity, in a luxurious clubhouse in the heart of the Empire...

Imperial Marshal Rufon Digolinus leaned lazily against a leather sofa, swirling a glass of dark red Starfield wine in his hand. Watching Dunn Wessex pacing around like a cat on hot bricks, he smiled and said, “Please be patient, Your Excellency. Dantuin is, after all, a remote planet. Even if it falls, it won’t significantly impact the overall war effort.”

“No! You don’t understand!” Dunn-Wessex shook his head vigorously, but he found that he couldn’t explain his reasons for being anxious to Marshal Digorinus. Should he admit that he was planning to keep a bandit in order to enhance his own power?

“They were just some army soldiers. They died, so be it… Don’t worry. I’m already prepared to help you persuade those people at the Supreme Strategic Command to push forward with the Northern Defense Plan,” Rufon-Digorinus said.

“No! The fall of Dantoin would be a major blow to our strategic deployment!” Dunn-Wessex said. Just then, a surprised voice suddenly came from the side, “Wait a minute, you mean… Dantoin?”

Dunn-Wessex turned around with some displeasure, wondering who was making that voice. Didn't they see that it was an Imperial Marshal and a Sector Governor talking? Who gave them the audacity to eavesdrop?
However, when he saw the serious-looking fat man standing behind him, he immediately became solemn.

The visitor was another Imperial Marshal, Matteo Bach, who was also in charge of technological research and development. Because of Marshal Demetrius Zarin's betrayal, Matteo Bach was urgently summoned back to the Imperial Center by the Emperor to handle the research projects left behind by Zarin, to make the best use of them and not abandon them halfway.

Therefore, Matteo Bach also appeared at the banquet of the most senior military officials in the heart of the empire.

Rufán Digorinus was facing Dunn, and he naturally saw Matteo Bacci approaching. So he simply smiled slightly and gently raised his glass to Marshal Bacci.

But Matteo Bacci was clearly too preoccupied to respond to Rufán Digorinus's kindness; he urgently asked Dunn Wessex, "Dantuin! What happened to Dantouin?"

Dunn-Wessex frowned and said, "Dantooin has been attacked by separatists. Two of their capital ships somehow slipped in. The situation on the planet is now extremely precarious, and it could collapse at any moment."

“Absolutely not! Governor Dunn!” Matteo Bach said.

This time it was Dunn's turn to be puzzled. He asked in return, "Um...do you have any businesses on the planet Dantoin?"

“Industry? No, that’s something of paramount importance to His Majesty the Emperor!” Matteo Bach said in a low voice. “Warren Base, it’s there!”

“Warren Base? What’s that? I’ve never heard of it before.” Dunn-Wessex was taken aback. He had never heard of it before, even though Dantuin was on his territory.

He looked back at Rufán Digorinus and found that the other man also looked completely bewildered.

Matteo Bach's eyes suddenly darkened. After glancing around, he whispered, "That's an experimental base secretly built by the Emperor. There are more than one top-secret project being researched there. That's all I can say. In short, if the Warren base falls into the hands of the separatists, especially Tang Xiao, the consequences will be unimaginable!"

"What did you say?!" Dunn Wessex's face turned deathly pale.

Losing troops and generals is one thing; as a favorite of the emperor, he could easily take responsibility for that. But if it involves a top-secret project personally overseen by His Majesty the Emperor, then the nature of the matter is entirely different!

Matteo Bach seemed more anxious than Dunn Wessex, and he said in a low voice, "Listen, I'll go to the North with you. I've brought 20 prototypes of the TIE-Mirage fighters with me this time, which should be of some help."

“Alright, let’s not delay, let’s go now!” Dunn-Wessex said immediately.

“It is not appropriate for me to leave the heart of the Empire. Therefore, I wish you both good fortune and swift success in your military campaigns.” Rufon-Digorinus smiled and raised his glass to the two men.

……

Unlike the gloomy atmosphere over the Galactic Empire, at this moment, in the northern sky above the planet Dantuin, the bridge of the Dawn of Light-class industrial mothership was filled with the hearty laughter of Admiral Dai Hongkui.

"Hahahaha! Good lad, how come I didn't know you guys had such skills?" Dai Hongkui patted the shoulder of a young officer in front of him, shaking his somewhat overweight body.

The young officer was in his early thirties, wearing a naval uniform, and judging from his shoulder insignia, he was a naval lieutenant commander.

“You flatter me, General Dai. This operation was the result of the joint efforts of multiple departments, and without the bloody battles fought by the army soldiers, we would not have had the opportunity to achieve our objectives,” the naval lieutenant commander said humbly.

His name was Alexander Kyrgyz, and he was the commander of this operation.

"Now that's perfect! The Galactic Empire's army, cut off from space reinforcements, is like a caged wild dog, just waiting for us to deliver that final, fatal blow!" Dai Hongkui laughed loudly.

“Currently, there are only two Throne-class ships, and their ammunition capacity is being consumed at an extremely high rate. They may need to be temporarily repaired. The subsequent operational planning will require your overall coordination, General,” Major Alexander-Kyar said. “The industrial carrier I am on will do everything in its power to ensure the normal operation of these two Throne-class ships until the Gethswarp-speed fleet arrives.”

“Yes, very good.” Dai Hongkui nodded.

The sudden appearance of these two Throne-class battleships on the battlefield was a huge surprise to him. The appearance of these capital ships completely turned the tide of the battle, rendering the Galactic Empire's defenses in outer space virtually nonexistent.

He learned after careful inquiry that the two Throne-class ships were assembled directly on the second industrial mothership.

In fact, the Dawn's Radiance-class ships were designed from the outset to be able to expand into heavy space docks capable of building battlecruiser-class warships through module upgrades; this mission was simply a return to their original purpose.

Furthermore, this time they chose the T-34 version of the Throne-class, which is basically a beggar's version, a slingshot version, an extremely simplified version. These two warships don't even have a hyperspace engine.

When the industrial mothership arrived, it was equipped with only two warship reactors, a large neutron rapid-fire cannon for the warship, and two sets of Geth's group control systems, which integrated tens of thousands of Geth individuals and could fully control the warship.

These are the only technologically advanced features on the base model of the Throne-class battlecruiser.

For the next month, the industrial mothership was essentially just a matter of manufacturing the hull of the warship and then installing the equipment inside.