From Cannon Fodder to Star Conqueror

"'Instinct,' heavy particle cannon scored a direct hit!"

"Damage assessment underway—Lansford Port's communication array sustained 70% damage!"

Even without the report from his deputy, Marquis Ascania could already see the explosion's glow in the distance through the "panoramic viewport" directly in front of him.

Of course, the heavily armored bridge was sealed by thick layers of composite plating—there was no actual "panoramic viewport." What the Marquis saw was a simulated image constructed from data collected by the warship's optical observation systems.

Leading the fleet, a Goddess of Dawn-class heavy cruiser, which had just executed a precision strike, was signaling its victory with celebratory lights to the nearby ships.

Seeing this display, Marquis Ascania's face showed a confident smile—everything was proceeding as planned.

"Good. A strong start."

With a swift motion, the robust and vigorous Marquis, despite his age, rose from his command seat.

Then, with a sharp sound, he drew the command sword at his waist and pointed it straight ahead.

"Relay my orders—entire fleet, deploy bombardment formation!"

"Detach the 4th and 5th cruiser-destroyer squadrons—neutralize the patrol fleet!"

"8th and 11th destroyer-escort squadrons, advance quickly—intercept all civilian vessels along the routes."

"Deploy scout ships to designated coordinates and release the second wave of decoy beacons—guide follow-up fleets into position!"

"Comrades, for the Empire—victory in our first battle is a must!"

---

Lansford Port - Operations Command Center

Lieutenant Randall was flung against the ceiling by the violent tremors but managed to grab onto a handrail, preventing himself from being tossed around like the debris floating in zero gravity.

Once the shaking subsided, Randall floated back to his command station.

Taking a deep breath, he displayed a composure honed by years of military service—perhaps the calmest he had ever been.

"Everyone, stay calm and follow my orders!"

"System log this—Universal Standard Time, New Era Year 588, August 17th, 15:42. The Imperial fleet has illegally invaded Federation territory and opened fire on our forces!"

"Sound the alarm! All ships in port, emergency launch immediately!"

"Remove power restrictions on the fusion reactors! Unlock firing permissions for all defensive weapons on the port and space elevator!"

"Activate deflector field generators—full power!"

After issuing a string of commands, Randall paused briefly, his mind racing to ensure nothing had been overlooked.

But the panicked cry from the communications officer snapped him back to the grim reality.

"Commander Randall! The enemy has breached the shortwave communications frequency! Electronic warfare viruses detected!"

Randall cursed himself.

After years of peace in the port, he had grown complacent—enough to overlook the devastating potential of electronic warfare.

The Imperial fleet was clearly equipped with numerous electronic attack ships, judging by their size.

The port's control AI and antivirus programs alone would not withstand the onslaught.

To prevent the complete collapse of Lansford Port's systems, drastic measures were necessary.

"Order all departments and ships to shut down shortwave communication modules and physically isolate them!"

"Switch to backup quantum-encrypted channels—keep transmissions short and concise!"

It was a desperate move.

Quantum-encrypted communications were far slower than conventional shortwave transmissions, requiring large data packets to be broken into smaller segments.

This would severely hinder command efficiency across the fleet.

Yet it was preferable to having the entire port paralyzed by the enemy's viruses.

Looking up at the main screen, Randall focused on the real-time feed from optical sensors.

Three Imperial sub-fleets had split from the main formation and were advancing toward Robert IV.

Meanwhile, the rest of the Imperial fleet was steadily forming up and aligning their ship bows toward Lansford Port.

After all, the most powerful weapons—heavy particle cannons—were mounted along the central axis of these ships, directly connected to their fusion reactors.

It was clear—the enemy's objective was to annihilate the Federation defense fleet.

"Tell our ships in port—if they don't want to die cowering, they'd better get moving now!"

Randall turned and addressed the frightened faces in the command center:

"Guide the ships out of port, then head to the evacuation platforms."

"We will survive this."

Feeling the vibrations beneath his seat, Randall brought up external camera feeds.

The port and space elevator's automated defense systems had already begun firing.

Missile silos opened one after another, launching tactical nukes and plasma torpedoes via electromagnetic accelerators.

These projectiles followed pre-programmed flight paths to outflank and attack the Imperial fleet's vulnerable sides.

However, compared to these missiles, which needed time to accelerate and reach their targets, the first weapons to strike were lasers and charged particle cannons—capable of near-light-speed attacks.

At a distance of over 9,000 kilometers, these weapons were essentially point-and-shoot.

Red laser beams and blue particle streams rained down like deadly light showers upon the Imperial formation.

Randall watched as explosions dotted the enemy's formation, lighting up the screen.

But he knew—most of these explosions were merely visual effects caused by impacts against the Imperial ships' layered armor.

Lasers and particle beams, despite their instantaneous strikes, suffered extreme energy attenuation over long distances.

At 9,000 kilometers, most of the energy would dissipate, allowing the Imperial ships' armor to dissipate heat with ease.

Worse, Randall saw the Imperial fleet deploying their massive radiators—ornate structures resembling wings unfolding from the ships' flanks.

Unlike the Federation's practical designs, the technologically superior and wealthier Star Dragon Empire paid obsessive attention to aesthetics, even in military equipment.

These radiators, dubbed "Angel Wings", were both functional and visually striking.

Their deployment signaled only one thing—intense bombardment was about to begin.

(End of Chapter)