The plunder of the heavens begins with the Spirit Cage.

These are the industrial hub of the Marskolov Orbital Shipyard, the interstellar transit hub of New Alexandria Spaceport, and the Vaden Resupply Zone, which left behind a large amount of Reach war supplies.

The orders were relayed down to the frontline fleet, and the troops that received the orders began to adjust their strategies in an orderly manner.

Only defeat the local UNSC regular fleet and destroy the orbital defense weapons...

Never bomb ground cities, factories, or civilian shelters; after scattering the enemy's forces, immediately lock down the warp drive.

They surrounded the enemy without attacking, maintaining interstellar communication channels throughout, deliberately leaving humanity with hope of receiving reinforcements.

Humans are emotional beings, and the Covenant doesn't believe their leadership would be indifferent to life on the colonies; if they were, they could simply step down.

The first place to ignite the war was the Marskolov Railway Shipyard.

This is the only remaining large-scale shipbuilding base of the UNSC in the outer ring. After the war, half of the repaired destroyers and frigates relied on this space shipyard to maintain the production line. It is a military lifeline that humanity absolutely cannot abandon.

Three Covenant battle groups, carrying dozens of cruisers and frigates, entered planetary orbit, their signature purple plasma cannons instantly tearing through the night sky.

The UNSC 7th Fleet stationed there immediately launched a full-scale attack, firing its main guns in succession.

The carrier-based Long Sword fighter jet formation rushed out of the mother ship and built a defensive line relying on the shipyard's own rail gun emplacements.

However, the inherent technological gap between the two sides remains insurmountable, and the Covenant's energy shield can withstand conventional human kinetic energy fire.

Human ships' armor is no match for high-density plasma beams.

This time, however, the Covenant frontline commander deliberately suppressed the main cannon's power.

The plasma main gun, which was originally capable of penetrating the hull of a heavy warship in one shot, only aimed at the ship's shields and engine room for pinpoint strikes, avoiding the ship's ammunition depot and crew quarters, and did not direct its fire at the floating dock below.

On the battlefield, human warships, one after another, suffered shield overloads and smoke, losing their maneuverability and floating on the tracks. However, it was extremely rare for a ship to explode directly and for all its crew to be wiped out.

In just four standard hours, 70% of the Seventh Ocean Fleet's warships lost their combat capability.

The remaining dozen or so battered warships were forced to retreat to the inner defensive perimeter of the shipyard, barely holding on with the few heavy fixed railguns they had left.

The Covenant fleet took the opportunity to deploy a circular blockade formation, firmly sealing off all jump entrances and exits in the entire airspace. They did not launch a second round of strong attacks, but instead formed a defensive formation in the outer airspace.

The elite commander on the bridge watched the scene on the screen where the remnants of the human army were trapped in a corner, and even started a live broadcast, fearing that the humans might try to block the news.

At almost the same time, the same battle unfolded in the airspace of New Alexandria Airport.

This is a transportation hub connecting the Earth's mainland with its outer colonies, and it is home to a large number of civilian transport ships and short-haul military supply ships year-round.

The Covenant fleet swiftly overwhelmed the outer National Guard space formation and destroyed the outer defense turrets of the airport, but preserved the airport terminal, supply warehouses, and ground residential areas intact.

The local garrison was confined within the airport military fortress, with ammunition constantly being depleted and manpower continuously being lost. It seemed as if they were about to fall at any moment, yet they were still clinging to life.

The situation in the Waden supply airspace was exactly the same.

This airspace contains a large number of weapons, fuel and medical supplies left over from the Battle of Reach, and serves as a temporary logistical support point for the outer ring war zone.

The Covenant only cleared out the outer perimeter patrol fleet, preserving the complete structure of the floating warehouse, and deliberately leaving a weak communication link so that the stationed soldiers could continuously send desperate distress signals to the rear.

Apart from these three core battlefields, human fleets in other regions and nodes suffered almost continuous defeats, their combat power was severely damaged and they were left in a desperate situation of isolation and helplessness.

Countless distress signals, filled with anxiety and despair, crossed the galaxy and relentlessly transmitted back to the UEG United Government headquarters on Earth.

An emergency high-level meeting has just concluded in the highest operational council chamber of the Geneva Parliament building on Earth.

Just a few standard hours ago, Captain Case of the Autumn Wind Pillar returned to the Solar System with complete firsthand intelligence.

They reported their experiences in the 04 Halo Starfield to the council in detail, and the most shocking part for everyone was their identity as Restorers.

No wonder the Star Alliance always wanted to exterminate them; now everyone suddenly understands.

Gods may exist, but they cannot appear before the world, not even their messengers.

After all, nobody wants to have a boss above them!

As for the Red Devil virus, it didn't cause a crisis after Lu Qianwei suppressed it, so these people didn't care much about it at all.

The holographic screen continuously played test data showing that the global mothership had repaired the Autumn Wind Pillar, causing its power system to triple in performance.

This alone is enough for them to deduce the generational gap in technological level.

The Field Marshal tapped the star map lightly with his finger, his voice trembling with barely concealed excitement.

"Haha, if they really did come back from outside the Milky Way."

Then we can definitely have a lot of technical exchanges!

The foreign minister rolled his eyes at him. "Exchange ideas? Then let's focus on poverty alleviation!"

Besides, whether the other party is willing to give it or not is another matter.

While everyone was filled with sorrow, joy, and discussion...

Urgent distress calls from the airspaces of Marskolov, Novokalsk, and Vadeng flooded the parliamentary terminal, shattering the relaxed atmosphere inside.

The Chief of Staff immediately retrieved real-time battlefield footage from the front lines, his face grim as he watched the Covenant's gradual advance.

Damn it, not only did they do that, but they also leaked footage of humans being brutally beaten to various media outlets.

Now they have no choice but to react.

In the heat of the moment, people might genuinely disregard their status and oust them from the stage.

"Damn it! Is the Covenant trying to lure out our main force and annihilate them all?!" an officer roared in fury.

Humanity's fleet has now been divided up again and again, fighting fires in all directions.

Everyone could only guess that the Star Alliance's move was an attempt to lure away their main force, or even a feint, in order to take Earth directly!

"Those damned traitors!"

The crowd, who quickly accepted their identity as liberators, shouted and cursed, but it was unlikely that they would actually take any action.

After all, knowing there are tigers in the mountains, how could they possibly send out their main fleet, which is crucial for their survival, to provide rescue?

However, the three key areas are indeed inseparable.

If they don't provide aid, they will be ousted from power amidst the people's condemnation!

Chapter 256 Halo 8

What should we do?

After much deliberation, the high-ranking officials ultimately decided to seek help from the descendants of the pioneering civilization.

Through this request for assistance, they will also be able to gain a deeper understanding of these so-called descendants of the pioneers.

The decision was made in the morning, and the contact was sent out at noon.

The multinational consortium was happy to flex its muscles in response to this request for assistance.

Moreover, now that they control such a powerful weapon as the halo, there's nothing to be afraid of.

Of course, given their current prestige, they wouldn't be foolish enough to reveal it now.

They will not reveal the fact that the halo is a weapon to the Covenant until the remaining halo has appeared.

Doing so will only drive the Covenant crazy and make them try every possible way to get their hands on it.

It's like when someone tells you that you have nuclear weapons, you'd better have them!

“Rescue is certainly possible, but we need a colony planet as payment,” Lu Qianwei said calmly.

On the other side, Case frowned. "Which colony planet do you want?"

"Reach will do."

"Reach...it's possible!"

In just half a second, Case nodded in agreement.

Since Reach had already fallen, it was a good thing that it could be recaptured by the Forerunners.

"Okay, it's settled then."

Case nodded with delight and quickly sent over the true details of the battle.

Lu Qianwei lightly tapped the floating interstellar map with his fingertip, which clearly marked the three core war zones that the Star Alliance was besieging.

The staff officer beside him whispered, "Sir, the Covenant is adopting a tactic of encirclement without annihilation."

The deliberate preservation of battlefield communications and colonial infrastructure was clearly intended to lure the main UNSC forces to come to their aid.

However, I believe the biggest point of contention is the consequences of annihilating the main fleet of Reach...

It could be a trap!

A faint, cold smile flashed across Lu Qianwei's eyes. "The trap is just right. The Star Alliance and humanity have a long war ahead of them."

"By taking matters into our own hands, we saved ourselves a lot of trouble later."

Lu Qianwei had already figured out how to deal with the Star Alliance. Aren't they a theocracy and a religion?

He'll just announce that humans are their 'apostles' and I don't believe their theocratic religious system won't collapse quickly!

Of course, besides this idea, the multi-powered alliance also intended to use this interstellar war to show its strength.

The previous victory in destroying more than two hundred of Ur Warren's main fleets was so quiet that it only aroused speculation in the hearts of the Covenant.

"Hehe, it's time for our people to make a move." Lu Qianwei said, opening an incredibly tall spacetime portal in the depths of space.

Located in the Water World, the well-prepared multi-fleet alliance quickly moved in, moving through the water in an orderly formation.

Three fully-equipped and top-class main fleets were quickly assembled.

Besides the original Space Fleet, the remaining two are elite squadrons that have experienced alien battles such as the Pioneers and Ironblood.

Without any procrastination in the pre-battle mobilization, Lu Qianwei distributed the information and materials to each commander.

The three fleets locked onto their respective target coordinates, and clear, dark blue energy patterns lit up on the surface of their ships. Advanced space jump engines were activated, and jump bridges spanning the starry sea took shape one after another.

In the blink of an eye, countless warships lined up and entered the space passage, heading to the three major battlefields of Marskolov, Nov-Alexander, and Vadeng.

The Covenant program has now progressed to its second phase, further pressuring the human fleet and intensifying their anxiety and sense of urgency.

The first area to be affected was the airspace of the Marskolov Orbital Shipyard.

The Covenant frigates, which had originally been only used for harassment and containment on the outer perimeter, suddenly retreated.

A torrent of pale purple plasma energy instantly covered the outer layer of the track.

The UNSC 7th Ocean Fleet stationed here was already more than half destroyed, and the remaining dozen or so warships desperately held their ground, relying on the shipyard's rail gun emplacements.