The Earth Federation Government had deliberately withheld showing its true stellar warfare capabilities to its subordinate member nations. This delay was partly due to my absence while traversing wormholes searching for the Eight Maidens, and partly because my wives preferred not to flaunt their power before those foreigners, deeming it unnecessary. However, I believed that allowing them a measured glimpse of the Federation’s space power would aid in its further, stable development.

Even nations like the US and Russia, while nominally compliant with the Federation, had leadership generations privately harboring resentment or perhaps harboring divided loyalties. Once they witnessed this interstellar battle, they would realize that pitting their meager strength against the Federation was akin to a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

The accompanying Super Soldiers swiftly neutralized the trusted personnel of An Jia aboard the sightseeing vessel. They then took complete control of the ship; the reported malfunction was nothing more than a ruse by An Jie. The other five distinguished guests from various Earth nations were politely ushered into the lounge. Unaware of the true situation, there was no intention to explain the betrayal by Li Qi, the internal traitor; they were simply informed that an external enemy invasion was imminent, signaling the start of a star war.

An Jie and An Ming were not escorted away, but two Super Soldiers remained positioned behind them, ready to subdue them instantly should they make any move. A US Congressman, visibly distressed, inquired of Li Qi, "Beautiful Chairperson, we need to know if our Earth Federation possesses the strength to fight an interstellar war against aliens. If danger looms, it’s best we evacuate immediately."

Li Qi smiled enigmatically. "You will all know our capabilities shortly enough."

An official from Russia posed a question. "Since the Chairperson has decided to meet the aliens in battle, might we learn something about the invading extraterrestrials? As the saying goes, know your enemy and know yourself, and you shall win a hundred battles."

Li Qi replied, "They possess over one hundred thousand warships. Perhaps within another hour, we might observe their advance guard with the naked eye. But we can observe them now via monitoring equipment. Xiao Chen, patch the signal through; let everyone see."

Xiao Chen, one of the Super Soldiers attending Li Qi, switched the screen signal in the lounge upon receiving the order. Immediately, the large display showed a starscape choked with warships. This spectacle profoundly frightened the five guests. One person exclaimed instantly, "With such a vast number of enemy vessels, can we truly remain safe here? We should leave at once."

Fang Yan murmured dismissively, "Apologies, our vessel has sustained damage and is temporarily grounded. You must have heard the malfunction alarms yourselves; you can ask Director An for confirmation."

The five guests simultaneously turned their gazes toward An Jie. An Jie knew he had no choice but to cooperate, so he nodded. The faces of the five instantly darkened with apprehension. They stifled the urge to protest, noticing the Federation Chairperson seated calmly, unperturbed. Objectively, their lives held far less value than the Chairperson's; if she wasn't worried, what right did they have to demand action?

The Sea Wolf Galaxy was a vast conglomerate, comparable to the U-System, though the two were separated by immense distance. Until the planet designated Sea Wolf was discovered, neither galaxy knew of the other’s existence. Even when minor friction arose over mining operations on Sea Wolf, it never reached the ears of either side's high command. At that time, the U-System discovered the Twin Stars and abandoned further mining endeavors in the more distant Sea Wolf system. Over the last millennium, as Sea Wolf’s mineral wealth dwindled, the Lupans turned their attention to another energy crystal-rich planet in the cosmos—the Twin Stars.

Besides mining, Spar’s other crucial objective was locating the lost Heart of the Cosmos. Legend held that the Heart was the residue from the very core of the Big Bang, containing infinite energy. Whoever possessed it could unify the universe.

Millennia ago, Spar’s ancestors dispatched thousands of starships scattered across the universe to search for the Heart. One vessel, heading toward the Milky Way, reported sighting traces of the Heart. However, this ship later crashed onto a planet within the Milky Way after being struck by an asteroid field, and the Lupans lost all further reports. Yet, just a few years ago, the Lupans unexpectedly received a report from the successor captain of that very ship, stating the Heart was located on Earth. This sent Spar into an ecstatic frenzy. He mobilized a substantial portion of the galaxy’s fleet for a personal expedition: firstly, to establish new mining points for the Sea Wolf Galaxy, and secondly, to find the Heart and fulfill his ambition of unification.

Spar was well-informed about Earth and the Twin Stars, thanks to the descendants of the captain of that wrecked exploration vessel. Based on the intelligence he possessed, neither the Twin Stars nor Earth had any capacity to resist him. The Twin Stars, so close now, were already considered his easy prey.

"Report!" A Lupan entered the command bridge, interrupting Spar’s contemplation.

Spar commanded, "Speak!"

The Lupan reported, "Great Leader Spar, in one hour we will reach the designated position to attack the Twin Stars. Awaiting your orders."

Spar decreed, "The Twin Stars are to be our primary future energy supply. No one is to launch a devastating attack on them. Those backward humans need only engage with space fighters, supported by our ground infantry."

"Yes, Leader Spar! We anticipate clearing the humans from the Twin Stars within 24 hours, allowing our mining vessels to deploy smoothly."

Buzz, buzz, buzz—an alarm sounded. Spar frowned, asking, "What is happening? Are the warships malfunctioning?"

The various generals in the command bridge frantically searched for the cause of the alarm, and exclamations of surprise rose in quick succession. "It's terrible, Leader Spar! A fleet has materialized behind us, forming another layer of encirclement around our periphery. We have been ambushed!"

"Nonsense! How is that possible!" Spar roared.

The observation screens throughout the command bridge switched to display the outer space situation. A fleet of approximately fifty thousand vessels had formed a complete enclosure around them. Judging by their external tonnage, the enemy's mainstays were large frigates, supplemented by a considerable number of heavy cruisers. This presented a massive pressure point for the Sea Wolf fleet, which primarily consisted of medium frigates.

"How could this be... Who are they?..." Whispers filled the bridge.

Spar slammed his fist on the table. "Silence! Immediately signal them. Perhaps they are U-System forces. We should not engage them now; it would be best to unite and face those Earthlings together."

Soon, the Lupan responsible for communications secured intelligence on the enemy. He stammered nervously, "Leader Spar, calamity! They... they are Earthlings!"

Spar was even more astonished. "How is this possible! Didn't Earthlings lack interstellar warships? Are you certain your translation is correct?"

The Lupan in charge of communications retorted, "Impossible! They sent the message in our own language; no translation was necessary, so there is no room for error. They are indeed the Earthling fleet, and they demand we cease resistance immediately or face an attack." With the enemy's identity confirmed, Spar felt a measure of calm return; his intelligence was flawed, perhaps. "Hmph. Do they think fifty thousand warships pose a threat to us? They vastly underestimate the strength of us Lupans."

A Lupan general nearby quietly reminded Spar, "Great Leader, their laser cannon bore sizes are clearly larger than ours. We should not underestimate them. Perhaps a temporary withdrawal is prudent."

"Withdraw?" Spar bristled. "The An family went to great lengths to help us contain the key figures of the Earth Federation. Our success in obtaining the Heart of the Cosmos hinges on this move! Are you suggesting that a fleet of one hundred and twenty thousand is no match for a mere fifty thousand ships? While their vessels might be larger in tonnage, our overall strength surpasses theirs. We have confidence in winning this engagement. Furthermore, even if we wished to retreat now, it would come at a significant cost. They have flanked us; they won't let us pull out easily. We should engage them fully and fight this out."

Someone asked, "Then, are we still attacking the Twin Stars?"

"We are!" Spar declared firmly. "We must accelerate our pace. Once we have the high command of the Earth Federation in our grasp, those warships behind us will be forced to comply!"

Buzz, buzz, buzz—a dull alarm sounded again. Spar, his face grim, inquired, "What now?"

Someone quickly identified the cause and reported to the leader, "N-no good, Leader! More than thirty thousand warships have suddenly appeared around the Twin Stars. This time, we are caught in the middle with no escape route."

Spar rushed to the control console, personally reviewing the observation results. Thirty thousand ships emerged from the cloaked asteroid fields and small planets. This fleet was predominantly composed of heavy cruisers, many armed with terrifyingly powerful large-caliber laser cannons, and some even equipped with massive lasers and automated turrets. This level of strength was terrifyingly formidable.

"What should we do? Are we still fighting?" someone asked Spar.

Spar stood resolute. "Fight! Anyone who dares retreat a single step and shakes morale will be executed without question! If we are to secure the energy crystal mines and the Heart of the Cosmos, this battle must be fought—and won! Issue my command: halt forward movement. The vanguard remains as is to engage the enemy. The rearguard will turn around to become the new vanguard. We fight on two fronts. The enemy fleet numbers barely eighty thousand vessels. Our chances of victory in this engagement are quite high. As long as there is even a sliver of hope, I will not relinquish the Heart of the Cosmos!"

The Earth Federation warships advanced slowly until both forces were within firing range. The Lupan rearguard opened fire first. Most of their medium frigates lacked energy shields, and their weapons consisted mostly of medium laser cannons with calibers no greater than five meters, supplemented by eight standard space mine launchers. Faced with the bombardment from the Earth Federation's large laser cannons—eight-meter caliber—the Lupans' firepower was rapidly suppressed. Although they held a numerical advantage, the majority of the Earth Federation warships possessed energy shields. The Lupan lasers and space mines proved useless, while their own medium frigates were hit repeatedly, exploding one after another.

For more novels, visit storyread.net.