Starting with God's perspective, how to lose an interstellar war?

A young intelligence officer was drinking coffee, his eyes scanning the keywords on the screen.

"The Undying Dignity is confirmed sunk," "The Amethyst and Emerald Fleets are completely destroyed," and "Total losses are estimated to exceed 50%."

His hand holding the cup suddenly froze, and the scalding coffee spilled out.

He didn't even notice that his hand was burned; he just stared wide-eyed at the screen, as if he couldn't understand the meaning of the words.

"This...this is impossible..."

The veteran staff officer sitting next to him, who was in charge of fleet organization and statistics, was the first to lose his voice, his tone distorted with shock.

He suddenly stood up, almost knocking over the chair, his fingers trembling as he pointed at the screen.

Obsidian? Damaged? More than half lost.

"Undying Dignity"...that's a "King-class" T5 level battleship.

Who did it?

How could the Savannah system possibly possess such power!

"It's...it's that newly formed Federation garrison fleet, the Pluto Fleet."

Another staff officer in charge of enemy situation analysis turned pale and quickly pulled up Qin Beiwang's pitifully brief file.

"Commander, Qin Beiwang, twenty-two years old, son of Federal Marshal Qin Qianfan..."

The last battle report confirmed that he annihilated the Wells squadron, but... but that was Wells!

It's not even in the same league as Obsidian!

"Could the intelligence be wrong?"

Or was Obsidian ambushed by the Federation's main force?

Some raised questions, but their voices sounded weak.

The report's accompanying fragmented battlefield data and evidence of residual high-energy radiation from various surviving ships all point to an extremely brutal and one-sided defeat.

"Two T5 ships, all T4-class starships, a fleet exceeding sixty main starships..."

A three-star general muttered, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the table, his face filled with a sense of absurdity.

"They were actually defeated by a newly formed fleet that had only been established for a few months, whose main force was probably T3 or even a mixed force..."

How did it get to this point?

What is Lancaster doing?!

Low gasps of surprise, incredulous doubts, and the sound of rapidly flipping through documents mingled in the briefing room.

The once solemn military headquarters was now filled with an almost absurd tremor.

Obsidian was defeated, and defeated so badly that it almost overturned their long-held understanding of the balance of power on the border.

Just then.

boom!

A dull, loud thud drowned out all the noise.

All eyes immediately focused on the person in the main seat.

The theater commander, General Strauss, slowly withdrew his hand from the heavy alloy table.

His knuckles were slightly white, showing the force he had used in that strike.

His face was terribly gloomy, like dark clouds gathering countless lightning bolts before a storm.

The veins on his forehead throbbed slightly, and his hawk-like eyes were fixed on the battle report on the screen, filled with shock, rage, and a hint of chilling killing intent that felt deeply offended.

obsidian!

That was the most capable and the most promising frontier iron fist under his command, apart from the elite of the core squadron!

The two T5-class "Emperor-class" battleships were allocated to the Obsidian Fleet by an order he personally signed, intended as a stabilizing force to deter the Federation's borders!

The uniform T4-class capital ships represent the Empire's technological and strength advantage in this region!

Now, the needle is broken, and the fist is shattered!

Moreover, it was smashed by an unknown Federation rookie fleet whose commander was younger than his grandson!

What a shame!

This was a heavy blow to Strauss's personal authority and theater strategy!

A chilling rage replaced the initial shock.

Strauss raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the staff members who were still whispering amongst themselves with a sharp, piercing look.

The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable, iron-fisted tone, each word striking the now-silent room.

"Order."

The staff officers immediately stood at attention, holding their breath.

"A fleet of megalodon sharks, a fleet of deep-sea jellyfish, a fleet of lion-faced lions, a fleet of mermaids!"

He rattled off the codenames of four flotillas that were equally infamous in the Opal Starfield.

"All four fleets, immediately cease all current missions and enter a state of maximum combat readiness."

Within 72 hours, complete assembly and resupply, and rush to the aid of the Savannah system via the fastest warp route.

"The Theater Command authorizes: Upon arrival in Savannah, the Megalodon Fleet Commander will coordinate the primary mission—to find and destroy the Federation's 'Pluto' squadron, completely eliminate the unit, and restore absolute control of the Savannah area."

If necessary, you can request the cooperation of the Iron Curtain, Bloodblade, and Obsidian remnants in combat.

"I don't care what methods you use, I want to see Qin Beiwang's fleet reduced to dust in the Savannah sky. I want the Federation to know clearly the price of angering the Empire!"

The order was given, but the briefing room fell into an eerie silence once again, even more oppressive than before.

Many staff officers showed undisguised astonishment, and some of the younger staff officers couldn't help but exchange incredulous glances.

Four squadrons! Add to Savannah's existing Iron Curtain, Bloodblade, and Obsidian remnants... this is the force being mobilized.

Roughly estimated, it is already more than seven times the known strength of that "Pluto" fleet!

Is it necessary to mobilize such a large force and use a sledgehammer to crack a nut to crack a nut when dealing with a newly formed fleet that has only managed a lucky victory?

If this gets out, not only will the Federation laugh at us, but even our colleagues in other star regions of the Empire will probably think that the Opal Star Region is making a fuss over nothing. What face do they have left?

Strauss, being a man of great stature, immediately took in the expressions of his subordinates.

He didn't get angry; instead, a cold, slightly mocking smile appeared on his lips.

"You think it's making a mountain out of a molehill?"

Do you think people will laugh at you?

His voice echoed in the silence, carrying a melancholy tone that suggested he had seen through the situation.

"The loss of a single Obsidian is not just a military defeat, but also a serious weakening of the Empire's deterrent power in this star system!"

If we cannot crush this provocateur with overwhelming force and absolute power, then today there is one Qin Beiwang, and tomorrow there may be many more 'Qin Beiwangs' emerging!

How arrogant will the federal hawks become?

He paused, his gaze sharpening further.

"This is not a simple war of revenge; it is a war of punishment and a war to establish authority!"

I don't want a close victory; I want a decisive, utterly devastating crushing defeat!

This overwhelming force must be used to tell everyone that the borders of the empire are not to be challenged, and the dignity of the empire is not to be compromised!

Even if it takes seven or ten times the effort, it's worth it as long as it brings absolute deterrence and long-term stability!

"face?"

Strauss snorted coldly.

"Losing is what really means losing face!"

That's what true strength is—to crush the enemy's and all potential challengers' wishful thinking with absolute power!

Execute the command!

The staff officers were startled, and without any further objection, they responded in unison.

"yes!

general!"