"Captain..." A collective gasp echoed through the Main Control Room; everyone bolted upright from their seats, attempting to intercept him.

"Captain." The First Officer, nearest to Zhang Haokun, grabbed his arm, pleading, "You are our supreme commander. How can you risk your own life? We still need you here to manage the overall situation."

"Manage what the hell of an 'overall situation'?" Zhang Haokun violently shook off the officer's hand. "The enemy's flagship is already within their firing range. How many salvos can the Wushan and Songshan withstand?"

"All of you, get out of my way!" Zhang Haokun roared, his eyes wide as bronze bells, his hair and beard bristling. The First Officer recoiled several steps, his face etched with pain.

Under the gaze of everyone present, he walked out of the Main Control Room. Just before the door sealed behind him, his stride faltered slightly. "If things truly reach a point of no return..." And then he was gone.

The personnel in the Main Control Room exchanged bewildered glances. Though the Captain had left his sentence unfinished, they all understood the implication: if the situation became irreparable, they were to surrender.

"Liehuo, my old friend, after so many years away from the battlefield, you must be trembling with excitement now, aren't you?" Inside the mech launch bay, Zhang Haokun gently stroked the dark-red mech fixed to its mounting rack, a look of deep remembrance in his eyes.

"Today, let us fight side by side once more." A surging tide of heroic fervor filled Zhang Haokun as he ascended the lift into the cockpit.

He sent a brief 'Ready to launch' message to the launch bay crew. The restraints securing the mech retracted, and a massive transport vehicle ferried the machine onto the firing platform.

The countdown began: "Nine... three, two, one, launch."

Under immense thrust, the mech accelerated rapidly along the launch track. Suddenly, the view shifted. The mech blasted free of the mothership and entered the vacuum of space.

Upon exiting the bay, Zhang Haokun expertly engaged the thrusters. A sharp, rapid change in vector carved a sickle-shaped arc through the void, driving toward his own forces, who were in full retreat.

"Congratulations, Captain," aboard the command vessel of the Hongxian Federation fleet, the First Officer smiled at his Captain as the enemy's main formation visibly scattered. "This is a perfect, decisive victory. At the celebration feast on Volantis, His Excellency the President will personally award you the Purple-Gold Medal."

The Supreme Commander shook his head. "The Davo people have not surrendered yet. It is too early to speak of such things." He countered verbally, yet his face was flushed with pleasure; he clearly relished the praise.

The Purple-Gold Medal was the highest honor in the Hongxian Federation military, reserved only for generals who achieved monumental war records. Because the Federation had seen no major conflict for over a millennium, the medal had effectively ceased to be awarded. For any military personnel aspiring to such distinction, this war presented the perfect opportunity.

The other members in the Main Control Room naturally seized the chance to flatter their superior, rising in unison to offer congratulations. Soon, praises and accolades flooded the bridge, as if they had already swept across the entirety of Davo and were enjoying a victory banquet at the Presidential Palace on Volantis.

They felt they had the right to celebrate. The situation was now clear; the Davo military’s defeat was inevitable, and the Hongxian Federation held an overwhelming advantage. Even the most cautious commander would not believe the Davo forces possessed any chance of a comeback now. Celebrating early, under these circumstances, did not seem entirely unwarranted.

"Left flank, 101.302.125 (this is a 3D coordinate, hereinafter referred to as such), direction 1000 kilometers, unidentified energy signature detected." A sudden voice shattered the festive and harmonious atmosphere.

The entire Main Control Room fell silent. Everyone present felt awkward, and slightly irritated, turning to look at the source of the untimely interruption. It was a vibrant, perhaps overly bold young man, appearing to be in his late twenties or early thirties. Judging by his location, he was an apprentice staff officer. In a situation like this, he had no business interjecting, yet he had chosen to speak up at the very moment the Supreme Commander was in such high spirits.

"What is it?" The momentary awkwardness vanished from the Supreme Commander's face, replaced by a grave expression as he inquired.

"Captain, I have been monitoring the sensors closely. Just now, 1000 kilometers in the direction of the left flank, 101.302.125 (this is a 3D coordinate, hereinafter referred to as such), an unknown energy reaction registered." The young man stood ramrod straight, reporting with full-chested vigor.

"Hmm." The Supreme Commander walked over, hands clasped behind his back, studying the massive data screen. After a moment of observation, finding nothing overtly unusual, he stated in a low voice, "Max out the sensor functionality. Fix the bearing precisely on the area you just cited."

"Yes, sir." A flicker of excitement crossed the young man’s eyes as he settled before the console and began operating the controls.

The others exchanged glances before gathering behind the Supreme Commander, watching the screen intently.

After a brief period, the Supreme Commander's expression changed drastically. He shouted, "Everyone back to your stations! Initiate emergency evasion!"

Although the others had sensed something amiss, their reaction was slower. Hearing the command, they instinctively returned to their posts, beginning tense operations. Even though they didn't know what had transpired, the Commander's expression confirmed the severity of the situation.

"Immediately notify the other six motherships. Be alert for incoming fire from bearing 101.302.125," the Supreme Commander said, sweat beading on his brow, though his voice remained steady.

"They seem to have noticed," Zhong Yun muttered from the captain’s chair, his expression grim. Watching the Davo fighters and mechs being systematically destroyed, he felt a profound sorrow; these were the nation’s finest talents, now destined to perish here. "But it's too late." Zhong Yun slowly exhaled, gazing at the fully charged energy banks. With murderous intent surging within him, he gave the order: "Fire."

An energy beam exceeding one hundred meters in diameter erupted from a main cannon port of the Mars, streaking toward the cluster of Hongxian Federation warships.

The thousand-kilometer distance vanished in an instant. A vessel at the front of the formation was in the process of turning; its immense body looked clumsy in its maneuver. It only managed to twist halfway around before the searing energy column struck its port side. Its outer hull, reputed to withstand fifty thousand units of energy attack, was pierced as if it were tissue paper.

The energy column bored completely through the warship, its momentum scarcely diminished. Any fighter or mech caught in its path disintegrated into ash. Finally, it narrowly grazed the stern of another vessel before vanishing into the deep void.

The struck mothership, now bearing a terrifying, hundred-meter-wide hole, did not immediately break apart, but its firing thrusters sputtered into silence. Debris—shards of metal and human bodies—flew outward from the breach. Countless mechs and escape pods ejected from the wounded vessel in a desperate flurry. Given such catastrophic damage, its total explosion was merely a matter of time.

The sudden turn of events stunned both sides engaged in battle; for one side, it was shock mixed with elation; for the other, sheer dread.

Seeing one of their most advanced motherships obliterated in such a manner, the Supreme Commander of the Hongxian Federation nearly tumbled from his chair. He could scarcely believe his eyes. The Federation's most advanced, heavily armored warship, pierced by a single beam of light? He prayed this was a nightmare he would soon awaken from. The loss of a vessel of this caliber to a surprise attack would certainly land him before a military tribunal.

"All motherships, heed my order!" the Supreme Commander roared, near madness setting in. "Fire at will! Tear the invading enemy to shreds!"

Zhang Haokun, who had just neutralized the ninth enemy mech, witnessed the scene and was filled with shock. He was intimately familiar with the durability of these Hongxian motherships; the side cannons of the Wushan had struck them without leaving so much as a scratch. He had estimated that even a direct hit from a main cannon might not inflict significant damage. What kind of power could destroy such a warship with a single shot? The image of that young man flashed before his eyes. Who exactly was he?

"Trying to counterattack?" Zhong Yun detected the enemy's intent on the sensor display and sneered. "Too naive. Did you really think the Mars only had one main cannon?"

"Adjust alignment," he commanded again. "Prepare to fire."

Another light beam, exceeding one hundred meters in diameter, shot forth from a different main cannon port. This time, it did not miss. The beam struck the leftmost warship dead center. That vessel was in the process of adjusting its weapon emplacements when it was hit by the beam. The entire hull shuddered violently, followed by a dazzling burst of intense light that consumed the colossal structure.

A violent ripple radiated outward from the exploding warship. Any fighters or mechs in its vicinity were instantly annihilated by the unstoppable wave. It was as if a colossal stone had been dropped into a tranquil lake; the surrounding space vibrated outward from the detonation in concentric waves.

Watching the spectacularly brilliant light generated by the explosion of a true behemoth, both friend and foe on the battlefield were profoundly shaken.

"No... Impossible..."

Buffeted by the shockwave from the blast, the command ship at the center of the fleet lurched, throwing the Supreme Commander from his seat. He watched the warship, built with countless millions, transform into a dazzling, incandescent bloom of light. It felt as if an invisible hand were choking his neck; his mind swam with vertigo.

What shocked him even more was the ability to fire two such devastating energy cannons in rapid succession. Did such artillery even exist in this universe? Unless...

The conclusion his mind reached sent a shudder down his spine. Weapons of this magnitude could not be produced by either the Hongxian Federation or the Davo Republic. The attackers must either be backed by an established intermediate-level civilization, or perhaps even a high-level civilization. Whichever the answer, neither prospect was welcome.

If they possessed such overwhelmingly powerful weaponry, why would they resort to stealth and ambush instead of announcing themselves? Unless... they had a restraint. Galactic Federation law strictly forbade a third party from directly intervening once two nations entered a state of war. Direct intervention was banned, but indirect aid was never lacking. The Hongxian Federation knew there was the shadow of an established intermediate civilization behind them. This attacker, therefore, must belong to a different power. The Supreme Commander of the Hongxian Federation quickly pieced the situation together.

"Withdraw—" He issued the order, instantly appearing to have aged a decade. His once-erect back was now stooped.

P: Still short 42 votes to catch up. Brothers, put in a little more effort. If you still have monthly tickets, please cast them for me. Only three days left in this month. I beg for your monthly tickets.