From Cannon Fodder to Star Conqueror

Amber's words suddenly enlightened Margaret.

Although she immediately grasped the key information, she still found it hard to believe.

"Just because they belong to different factions, are they really going to ignore a mission that determines whether the Empire's campaign will succeed?!"

"Tsk, how many of these incidents caused by factional struggles have we seen before?"

Amber sneered, showing little sympathy for Margaret's shock.

The factional conflicts within the Star Dragon Empire had always been a hot topic among players in Amber's past life.

The struggle between the Regent's faction and the Princess's faction even surpassed the factional conflicts of late Ming Dynasty in the real world.

Many major historical events in the game that determined the course of history were influenced by these factional disputes.

Players who favored the Empire often lamented and cursed those battles that ended in disaster due to internal factional strife.

Amber checked the remaining ammo in his automatic shotgun, then walked to the door terminal of the core communication room and locked it from the inside.

He wasn't about to let a group of howling Federal mobile infantry suddenly burst in.

After finishing that, Amber returned to the still-stunned Margaret and pinched her cheek.

"The Imperial fleet currently launching the assault above us—isn't it the 8th Expeditionary Strike Group?"

"Y-Yes."

"And if I recall correctly, the commander of the 8th Expeditionary Strike Group is Marquis Ascania, right?"

Margaret mechanically nodded. Amber's casual pinch had somehow made her blush slightly.

(Amber: "That's just how us cosmic demons are.")

"Funny thing—this Marquis is also a supporter of the Regent."

Amber snapped his fingers after removing his tactical gloves.

"What do you mean?"

Margaret had an inkling of what Amber was implying but couldn't fully grasp it yet.

"Mark my words—after the orbital paratroopers land, aside from neutralizing Federal resistance…"

Amber paused, locking eyes with Margaret.

"Their top priority will be confirming whether you're dead or alive."

Hearing Amber's words, Margaret's expression shifted several times before she suddenly realized something.

"Wait a minute... I admit what you said makes sense."

"But the problem is…"

"That guy—wasn't he the one who shot at you first?"

Margaret's question successfully stumped Amber.

"Yeah, why the hell did they shoot at me first?!"

"I'm not even part of the Princess's faction!"

Amber suddenly realized that things might not be as simple as he had thought.

---

Outer Space, Robert IV

In the outer space of Robert IV, the Empire's 8th Expeditionary Strike Group had already gained absolute superiority.

Although the Federal defense fleet managed to buy time with automated defense systems and deflection fields, allowing most of their ships to complete emergency departures, the arrival of the Empire's reinforcements through new beacon guidance quickly turned the battle into a mop-up operation.

Leveraging their numerical advantage, the Imperial fleet denied the defenders any opportunity to close in for boarding combat.

Once the artillery formations were established, almost all Imperial warships shut down their primary rear thrusters.

Using vector control engines and forward reverse thrusters, they stabilized in geostationary orbit over Robert IV, maintaining a distance of over 8,000 kilometers from Lansford Naval Base.

At this range, the power of high-energy lasers and charged particle beams dropped to levels that could be endured,

while plasma torpedoes and nuclear missiles launched from the flanks were intercepted by anti-aircraft frigates on the fleet's outer perimeter.

Despite some projectiles slipping through the defenses, causing damage to four cruisers and several destroyers and frigates, the losses remained acceptable—well below the casualty threshold estimated by the Navy's staff.

With such an advantage, the Imperial fleet's artillery barrage could be described as 'methodical.'

Their firepower dominance allowed them to abandon high-energy lasers and particle cannons, opting instead for continuous heavy particle cannon bombardments.

The steady rhythm of volleys every 90 seconds turned the dense beams of light into a rainstorm of destruction, sweeping across Lansford Naval Base and the surrounding Federal warships.

---

Lansford Naval Base Command Center

Major Randall, stationed at Lansford's command center, watched helplessly as ships exploded one after another in the port's surrounding airspace.

Currently, he was observing a Bullhound-class heavy cruiser, one of the first ships to launch a counterattack, now running out of luck.

A thick plasma beam struck its deflection field, producing a blinding flash of white light.

Overloaded from extended operation, the deflection field generator finally failed.

Without its protective shield, the next plasma beam pierced through the ship's bow, tearing straight through its hull.

The ship's automated damage control system couldn't react in time to such catastrophic damage.

A chain of explosions followed along the plasma beam's path, and the cruiser's fusion reactor detonated moments later.

The massive warship turned into a fireball in an instant—one of many explosions around Lansford Base.

---

Major Randall sighed. The complete annihilation of the defense fleet was now inevitable.

The Imperial fleet's deliberate avoidance of targeting the base's core structures and space elevator indicated their intent to seize this strategic nexus rather than destroy it.

Facing such a situation, Randall had no choice.

Neither the naval port, civilian port, nor the space elevator had any self-destruct mechanisms installed.

With all defensive forces eliminated, the Imperial occupation was only a matter of time.

Watching the last operational ships depart, Major Randall gave his final order:

"All personnel, evacuate to the escape platforms immediately!"

Compared to waiting to be captured by Imperial forces, descending to Robert IV and regrouping with ground troops was undoubtedly a better choice.

Dragging his tactical coordination officer, Tom, out of the command center, Randall took one last look at the main screen.

The Imperial fleet had finished their bombardment and reactivated their primary thrusters.

As they closed the distance to Lansford Base, numerous flat, board-like ships began detaching from the fleet and lowering their orbital altitude.

These were orbital assault ships, and their deployment signaled the start of orbital strikes and paratrooper drops.

(End of Chapter)