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

"Commander! FCB Red Top Secret!"

Jiao Jinghui presented the storage module with both hands, speaking very quickly.

Wen Tingtao took the module and inserted it into the dedicated reader on his desk.

Identity verification, iris scanning, and information decryption.

A few lines of text and a simple diagram unfolded before his eyes.

His gaze swept quickly across the area before suddenly fixing on something.

The relaxed expression on his face vanished as quickly as the tide receded, his brows furrowed tightly, and his knuckles turned white from gripping the edge of the module with such force.

"Pandora Fleet... Sequence Fleet... Savannah Direction..."

Wen Tingtao murmured softly, each word like shards of ice.

Wen Shiheng, who was standing nearby, noticed the commander's sudden change in expression and leaned closer to look. He then gasped in shock.

"Sequence fleet! The Empire is... getting serious!"

"We're going for Savannah... no, we're going for Qin Beiwang and Pluto!"

Wen Tingtao suddenly raised his head, his eyes showing no hesitation whatsoever, only a cold determination and a heavy, mountain-like pressure.

The Empire's retaliation this time is far more severe than expected!

Even the order of the fleet, a symbol of strategic resolve, has been deployed; this is a determination to erase the shame of Savannah at all costs.

They also intend to crush the Federation's brightest new star, along with its powerful new fleet, into the sea of ​​stars!

"Order!"

The sound of the waves was like iron rubbing against stone, decisive and resolute.

"All staff officers in the squad, assemble in Strategic Simulation Room One within five minutes!"

"Notify the intelligence department to immediately retrieve all recent reconnaissance data from the Bushman system and the Savannah direction, and transmit it to the simulation room simultaneously!"

"Communications officer! Immediately send a Level 1 combat readiness alert to Colonel Qin Beiwang of the Pluto Fleet in my name, with the following content..."

He paused, then gritted his teeth and said.

"The Empire's large-scale retaliatory offensive is imminent. The fleet has been mobilized, and the target is likely your unit."

Cease all non-essential activities and immediately enter a state of maximum combat readiness, awaiting further orders!

"quick!"

"yes!"

Jiao Jinghui and Wen Shiheng responded in unison, then turned and rushed out to relay the order.

Wen Tingtao stood still, looking at the few words of information on the screen that carried immense weight, and then at the points of light in the Savannah and Elvira star systems on the star map next to him.

The peace has completely ended.

A storm far more brutal and potentially larger than the Battle of Savannah has already bared its fangs.

Hours later, the encrypted communication pierced the tranquility of the Pluto fleet's base like a cold iron spike.

Qin Beiwang's personal terminal and the highest-authority channel on the bridge simultaneously sounded a sharp alarm, representing direct orders from the theater command.

He was reviewing the coordinated attack training report of the "Zhenyue" graviton weapon and immediately clicked on it upon hearing the voice.

The brief message from Commander Wen Tingtao was unadorned; every word carried a metallic chill and urgency.

[Level 1 Combat Readiness Alert]

A massive retaliatory offensive by the Empire is imminent.

It has been confirmed that its fleet, "Pandora," is moving towards Savannah.

The target is most likely your department.

Effective immediately, all non-essential activities are suspended, and all personnel are placed on high alert.

Hold your ground and await further instructions.

—Wen Tingtao

Qin Beiwang's gaze lingered on the words "sequence fleet" and "Pandora" for a full three seconds.

His calm expression froze slowly like ice, but a sharp glint flashed deep in his eyes.

He immediately connected the fleet's broadcast system and the emergency communication channel with the core command.

"Attention everyone, I am Qin Beiwang."

"By the highest order from the theater command, our fleet is now entering a state of first-level combat readiness."

"Cancel all leave, training, and non-essential outings."

All ships, immediately conduct final combat readiness checks, preheat power cores, put weapon systems on standby, and all personnel return to their positions.

"Repeat, Level One alert. This is not a drill."

A calm, almost cold voice was broadcast to every corner of the fleet.

After a brief moment of surprise, the massive military machine began operating at maximum efficiency.

Inside the port, the exterior lights of countless starships suddenly changed to combat red, and the deep hum of their engines created a chilling background sound.

However, the atmosphere was quite different on the bridge of the flagship "Kunlunshan-Kai" and in the private channels of the fleet's core command who received the full briefing.

When Qin Beiwang synchronized the complete information that "the Pandora fleet is moving towards Savannah, and its target may be our unit" with Zhuang Zhixuan, the commanders of each fleet, and the chief staff officers—

There was a near-vacuum-like silence that lasted for more than ten seconds on the communication channel.

Immediately following was a suppressed gasp, even mixed with a short, sharp cry, as if someone had been choked.

"Sequence...sequence fleet? Pandora!"

A fleet commander's voice trembled with disbelief.

"Commander... has this... has this intelligence been verified?"

Did FCB make a mistake?

"One hundred thousand starships...that's one hundred thousand!"

Another staff officer in charge of fire coordination spoke with a hoarse voice, as if just saying the number had exhausted his strength.

"Even if we combine all our current ships with all the reinforcements the theater can send... the numbers are still far too small..."

"Pandora... I've heard of that fleet!"

Zhuang Zhixuan's voice rang out, slightly calmer than the others, but a closer listener could detect a hint of tension.

"They have suppressed three large-scale rebellions in the Opal Starfield and captured seven fortified planets with planetary defense rings... They have never been defeated."

Moreover, they are known for their bizarre and cruel methods.

Her description intensified the chill in the room.

Unimaginable.

Yes, it's simply unimaginable.

They had just survived the bloody battle of Savannah, facing an Imperial fleet several times their size.

They won, but it was a Pyrrhic victory built on extreme tactics, intelligence superiority, and a degree of luck.

Now, they are facing the "sequence fleet".

That's not a gap that can be bridged by clever tactics; it's not a difference of an order of magnitude.

One hundred thousand starships, even the most basic models, could overwhelm any conventionally "massive" fleet with their combined firepower, electronic warfare suppression, and sea of ​​fighter jets.

That will be a torrent of steel, a wall of death, the weight of the entire star system crushing down upon us.

A sense of despair, like the absolute low temperature of deep space, was quietly eroding the morale of the commanders who had just been high due to upgraded equipment and ample supplies.

Qin Beiwang listened silently to the subtle changes in breathing and the suppressed fear coming from the channel.

He knows that feeling.

The instinctive human reaction when faced with an absolute power imbalance.

He neither immediately offered words of encouragement nor reprimand.

Only after the initial shockwave had subsided slightly did he speak in a tone that was still steady, even calmer than before.

"What's the panic?"

These three simple words are like a piece of ice thrown into a chaotic pond.