Stars, Players and Immortals

Chapter 84 Military Standoff

A week later, the military mobilization order issued by the Olympus Hub officially took effect.

The First Fleet and the Third Fleet simultaneously departed their respective berths, and fleet command was temporarily merged into the Taiyue Joint Training Command established by the Sky Chaser.

As the frontline coordinator for this operation, Zhang Nanhai submitted a large-scale fleet training plan entitled "[Exercise 1: Lunar Sideway Escort and Deep Space Resupply]" to the Joint Staff.

The training area was selected in the transfer corridor between the outer side of Terra's L2 moon and the far-lunar relay warehouse. It is located on the side of the moon facing away from Terra, close to the boundary of the lunar Hill sphere. It is the deep space cargo node that is most difficult to directly cover for Terra's low-orbit monitoring, but must be passed through.

The two fleets quickly completed their training formations, each centered around a heavy SA aircraft carrier, with heavy cruisers, destroyers, frigates, electronic reconnaissance ships, and supply ships deployed in layers, and all carrier-based SA aircraft were stored in their cargo holds and ready for deployment.

Accompanying them was a deep-space transport fleet consisting of more than 20 large cargo ships, fully loaded with a large number of precision components.

At almost the same time, the city of Busan in Terra also took action.

This long-silent, dead city was brought back to life under Soma's remote control.

The tidal power station was the first to operate at full capacity, followed by the underground automated factory, prosthetic consumables workshop, household parts warehouse, and low-end consumer terminal production area.

Countless artificial labor units are awakened from the warehouse floors, dragging shelves through the empty streets, delivering boxes of civilian consumer goods to the launch area of ​​the low-orbit freight station.

The old magnetic rails that were once used to launch industrial cargo holds are now roaring anew in Somo's hands.

Standard cargo bays were pushed onto the catapult platform, the bottom thrusters completed ignition verification, and then burst out of the launch silo with an electromagnetic boom, trailing blue-white plasma tail flames that pierced the sky above Busan.

Once the first batch of cargo modules entered suborbital space, the unmanned orbital tugboats pre-positioned by the Lunar Council immediately took over, towing them one by one into the low-orbit cargo station for assembly, and then pushing them in formation to the lunar relay module.

Without any disguise from beginning to end, it was openly exposed to Terra's orbital surveillance.

The alarm instantly blared throughout the Thai Moon Defense Center of the United Government of Terra.

On the main screen, Busan's abnormal launch record was repeatedly highlighted in red. Low-orbit satellites detected a large number of cargo capsules entering transfer orbit, which then disappeared into the signal shadow on the far side of the moon.

Even more glaring are the tracks of the two Martian fleets—they have already deployed in training formation outside the lunar L2, almost touching the same cargo route as the lunar relay warehouse.

"Buseong launched a large-scale cargo capsule, and an unregistered tugboat was seen picking up the cargo on the far side of the moon. The Mars fleet is conducting training exercises on the far side of the moon."

The duty officer stacked the three records on the same star chart, his face instantly darkening. He then reported it directly to the higher-ups in the government.

The report was first sent to the duty officer at the Thai-Yue Defense Center, then transferred to the Thai-La Joint Defense Command, and finally reached the emergency channel of the Joint Government Security Committee.

Terra was unable to figure out the dealings between the forces on Mars and the Moon, so it could only treat it as a border emergency for the time being.

Less than ten minutes later, the Terra low-orbit patrol fleet received a dispatch order, and the three patrol squadrons detached from the near-Earth orbit and the inner lunar monitoring station to deploy to watch positions on the outer edge of the lunar surface.

The electronic reconnaissance ship released unmanned probes in an attempt to bypass the lunar obscuration zone and confirm the whereabouts of the cargo holds, while the low-orbit radar network continued to lock onto the direction of Busan.

At the same time, Terra Joint Defence Command issued inquiries to both parties simultaneously through a public military channel.

"This is the Terra Joint Defence Command's Thai Moon Channel Control Center."

"Your ship and cargo hold have been detected entering the edge of the Thai-Lunar Security Identification Zone and are conducting an undeclared assembly on the far side of the moon."

"Please immediately state your affiliation, purpose of navigation, nature of cargo, and next phase of the route."

"Please maintain your current speed and do not approach Terra's controlled airspace."

"Repeatedly, please immediately specify the affiliation, purpose of the voyage, nature of the cargo, and the next stage of the route."

After the question was raised, the monitoring hall was silent for a few seconds, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the Mars fleet marker on the star map.

The two fleets neither turned off identification signals nor moved towards the Terra defense zone, but remained steadily stationed at the outer edge of the Lunar Path, including aircraft carriers and heavy cruisers.

Destroyers and frigates were deployed in layers, providing tight protection for the transport convoy.

Zhang Nanhai received Terra's public call almost immediately.

He stood in front of the flagship command platform, glanced at the Terra patrol detachment slowly approaching on the star map, and instructed his men to reply according to the prepared wording: "In accordance with the Mars Deep Space Navigation Safety Regulations, our unit is conducting escort, resupply, formation maneuver, and electronic warfare training exercises in the lunar-side public airway."

"Our department will maintain the existing training routes, keep the public identification signals in place, and comply with the basic rules of avoidance for deep space navigation."

"The Terra Fleet is requested to maintain a safe distance, not to cross the Mars training warning line, and not to engage in close-range locking, interception, boarding, or interference with our ships, transport fleets, or training areas."

"If you continue to approach, our department will take necessary defensive measures in accordance with the Mars Fleet Security Regulations."

"To reiterate, our unit is conducting legitimate training exercises. Please maintain your distance to avoid misjudgment."

A few seconds later, the official response from the Mars fleet was transmitted back to the public channel.

"This is the Terra Joint Defense Command Terra Moon Navigation Control Center. Your fleet is approaching the Terra Moon Security Identification Zone and is operating in sync with undeclared large-scale orbital cargo transport activities. We do not accept your unilateral explanation of so-called public deep space exercises."

"Although the far-lunar flank is not within Terra's low-Earth orbit control zone, this area is an important outer perimeter of the Terra-lunar security system. Your deployment of your main fleet, transport ships, and electronic reconnaissance units into this sensitive airspace without prior notification has already posed a threat to Terra's mainland..."

Lunar facilities and the disruption of shipping between Thailand and the Moon pose a direct military threat.

"We demand that the Mars fleet immediately cease its forward advance, shut down offensive fire control illumination, disarm its electronic suppression of our reconnaissance units, and submit complete exercise coordinates, fleet composition, cargo nature of accompanying transport ships, destination route, and lunar receiving unit within fifteen minutes."

"Until you clearly explain your purpose, any further actions that involve approaching the lunar transfer area, circumventing Terra's monitoring links, or obscuring the cargo module's trajectory will be regarded by us as a provocation against the security and order of the Terra-Moon region."

"Terra Joint Defence Command has authorized the patrol fleet to take necessary measures, including but not limited to close escort, airway blockade, electronic jamming, mandatory identification, interception and inspection, and weapon lock-on against threatening targets."

"To reiterate, the Martian fleet shall immediately cease its advance, submit a complete operational statement, keep its weapon systems on cooldown, and not cross the temporary security perimeter we have designated."

"This is the Terra Joint Defense Command Terra Moon Channel Control Center. Final warning: Do not misjudge Terra's determination to maintain security and order in the Terra Moon region."

The two sides were on the verge of conflict, neither willing to back down.