The moment the words left his mouth, a brief silence descended upon the bridge as everyone processed the news.

The Ape-men wouldn't be heading to Kussen just for sightseeing; even if Kussen lacked significant strategic targets, when the Ape-men went berserk, civilians were never spared.

"What's the target's speed? If we maintain our current velocity, will we intercept it en route?" Yang Ying immediately questioned the communications officer.

Judging by the distribution of meteoroids around the target, its projected course to Kussen was likely the same one they were currently traversing. Therefore, if they were faster than that warship, they could catch its tail before it reached Kussen.

The communications officer shook his head. "We won't meet it. The target is moving fast, even quicker than us. The distance between us will only increase."

"Sir, the Qingniao's warship can't possibly go any faster," Lilia reminded him.

"I know. For now, we act as if nothing has happened and continue the mission entrusted to us by Qingniao. Kussen has managed to survive in a pirate-infested asteroid belt; it can't be entirely defenseless. We'll assess everything once we reach Kussen."

Yang Ying ultimately opted for the safest course. Even if it meant forfeiting this chance for a tactical drill, they could not afford to show any abnormality in front of outsiders.

The fleet sailed on for another half a day, reaching four-thirty in the afternoon.

"Sir, Captain. Kussen City is issuing a warning along this route, ordering all vessels to clear the channel. There has been an emergency ahead," the communications officer reported, having simultaneously picked up the identical warning from several regional channels.

"Well done. Keep monitoring, including the military channels, to see what useful intelligence we can gather. Also, reroute the signal from the Protoss Observer to me." Lilia pressed several keys on the armrest of the command chair, preparing to receive the transmission.

"Yes, Captain." The communications officer patched the Observer's signal directly into the command chair's channel.

Lilia converted it to image mode, and a small screen immediately popped up on the armrest, displaying an image: two fleets were closing in on each other.

On one side was a massive warship leading a contingent of about ten mid-to-small-sized vessels, with hundreds of carrier-based aircraft moving busily and methodically, like bees guarding a hive.

The other side consisted of a single, solitary medium-sized warship. It possessed a pure black exterior and sleek, streamlined contours—narrow at the front, broader at the stern, shaped like a flattened equilateral triangle. Three horn-like protrusions jutted from its foremost point, the tips of which continuously spat out laser fire aimed at the fleet dispatched by Kussen City.

"Four thirty-five PM. Confirmation: engagement between the Kussen Corps and the Ancient Legion's 'Triceratops-class' medium warship," the communications officer announced the intelligence gleaned from the military channel.

The Kussen Corps was the name of a mercenary group stationed in Kussen. Their ground forces were quite capable and had made significant contributions to maintaining the peace within Kussen City, often hailed as a tourist metropolis thanks in large part to them. Conversely, there had been no reports of them possessing any formidable space fleet.

"Let's all take a look," Lilia switched the image feed to the main screen. The 'Triceratops' unleashed twenty carrier-based aircraft to meet the Kussen Corps, which in turn committed half of its own air complement. One minute later, the two aircraft forces began trading fire.

From the image, it was evident that the Ape-men's aircraft held a technical advantage; their acceleration and maneuverability surpassed those of the Kussen Corps. However, the Kussen Corps relied on numerical superiority, with two or three fighters grouping together for mutual cover, keeping the enemy aircraft engaged effectively for the time being.

"It won't be easy for just this one 'Triceratops' and its fighters to wipe out the Kussen Corps," Lilia analyzed the combat situation, then turned back to Yang Ying for his input.

"Both sides likely understand that. This is merely a probing phase, seeing what capabilities the other side possesses. In a little while, things should start to change."

Yang Ying closely observed the image on the screen. Even though he wasn't fighting this battle, the data held significant value for analysis. The more he understood the Ancient Legion's forces, the greater his confidence would be when his own unit had to face them.

The Kussen Corps' large warship mounted a single Tier Four main cannon, which had been relentlessly attacking the Triceratops since the start of the engagement, firing once per minute on average. Regrettably, every shot missed, achieving nothing so far.

In contrast, the Triceratops' three Tier Three main cannons had already scored; one mid-sized vessel from the Kussen fleet had been sunk.

Fifteen minutes later, the Kussen Corps deployed another twenty or so fighters from their escort wing, intending to bypass the main engagement zone and strike directly at the Triceratops.

However, as they approached, they were horrified to see the Triceratops suddenly launch over a dozen missile salvos, scattering like falling blossoms—a total count exceeding one hundred. The incoming fighters were decimated, and the survivors were swiftly eliminated by the Triceratops' point-defense cannons.

This tactic was similar to that employed by the Valkyries, though the Ancient Legion's missile technology was inferior to the Valkyries'.

The two sides remained deadlocked for a while longer. Just as the observers were starting to grow weary, the communications officer reported, "Captain, the Observer has detected another Triceratops-class warship!"

"Location!" Lilia demanded instantly.

"On the opposite side of Kussen City, projected to reach Kussen in ten minutes."

By now, everyone understood the Ancient Legion's tactic: use one Triceratops to draw attention while covering the approach of a second vessel for the actual attack. Space cities were inherently fragile; if the aliens succeeded in damaging the outer structure of this tourist metropolis, the inhabitants would inevitably become victims of the vacuum, causing widespread panic and insecurity among other space cities in the Solar System.

"We will also arrive near Kussen in ten minutes. This ship's radar is already picking up Kussen's situation," the observer added.

"Excellent!" Yang Ying clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention.

"Everyone, prepare for combat. But note this: our new target will be the second Triceratops we've detected, and we must lure it into an unpopulated area before engaging. I must reiterate that our tactics and technology must remain secret from outsiders, especially our stealth capabilities. Therefore, I order the first squadron of Ghost Fighters to depart immediately. They are to cloak in an area unseen by others and then return. Their mission is to patrol the outer perimeter of the battlefield. If any non-allied forces enter the combat zone, they are authorized to be eliminated for the sake of maintaining secrecy."

The communications officer transmitted this order to the Ghost Fighter pilots. Twelve Ghost Fighters accelerated away from the fleet and flew toward the distance.

"Additionally..." Yang Ying continued, "Inform Qingniao about the situation with the Ancient Legion and tell him to return to Kussen on his own. The rich bounty offered for eliminating the Triceratops will undoubtedly attract every major and minor faction around Kussen. As long as he approaches Kussen from outside the combat zone, no one will pay him any mind. Our objective is not pirates; bringing a liability will only tie our hands."

The government had offered an exceedingly generous bounty for neutralizing the Ancient Legion's harassment force—a full billion credits for destroying one Ancient Legion Triceratops-class warship! This dwarfed the reward for escort missions and was clearly intended for the major mercenary syndicates, yet it drew all sorts of opportunistic riff-raff.

"What if he refuses to return to Kussen?" the communications officer inquired.

"We still can't let him trail us. Fine, tell him this: for the safety of Kussen, we are going to intercept the second Triceratops. Following us is too dangerous; he can hide wherever he likes."

Yang Ying ended with a self-deprecating chuckle; the excuse was perhaps a bit too lofty, but a rationale was a rationale.

"However," Yang Ying added sternly, "if he enters the battlefield, the Ghost Fighters are authorized to eliminate him. It cannot be helped."