After two small hours, the fleet reached the Doron Star System. They reduced the main military airfield of Doron Star to ruins, with powerful shelling raining down continuously. Finally, the relentless fighter assaults from the Doron rebels were suppressed. Only a dozen battlecruisers in the fleet sustained light damage, currently undergoing emergency repairs, with reports indicating they would be fully operational within about twelve hours.

The fleet successfully blockaded Doron Star, shooting down any aircraft or vessel attempting to take off, completely securing air superiority. Following this, the fleet continued bombarding the anti-air emplacements on the planet's surface, methodically eliminating the rebel defense network.

Yang Ying led the Ghost fighter wing down to the planet's surface as well, initiating attacks on the ground fortifications. They systematically dismantled the anti-air positions, aiming to clear an area suitable for landing.

The bombardment persisted for another five hours, sweeping clean every facility on Doron Star capable of threatening the massive Behemoth-class battlecruisers. Airfields and anti-air batteries were spared no attack, and the next target was every military base that had yet to be struck.

Simultaneously, the fleet began closing in on Doron Star and deployed the landing forces.

The initial wave of ground troops numbered one hundred thousand, comprising Marines, various other infantry and armored units, and air support elements. Notably, among the new Terran weaponry—aside from the Medivac transports—a new type of ground attack aircraft, the Banshee fighter, officially entered the battlefield.

The Banshee was a twin-turbine helicopter equipped with powerful cluster rockets designed for ground attacks. As the design brief prioritized it as a ground support platform and did not require it to dogfight other fighters, the Banshee was not even outfitted with anti-air weaponry. If engaged by enemy fighters, its only recourse was to utilize the same cloaking ability as the Ghost fighters to evade detection.

However, while unremarkable in combat and maneuvering, the Banshee excelled in ground assault, providing far greater support to ground troops than the Ghost fighters. Furthermore, its maneuverability was a feature highly praised by researchers.

Now, the Banshee had only one thing left to do: demonstrate its true power on the battlefield. All the above details were theoretical projections; their actual battlefield value would only be proven in combat.

During his descent, Yang Ying had already deployed numerous Observers. As the landing zone was being secured, the Observers dispersed across various locations, gathering intelligence and transmitting it back to the Behemoth. Intelligence, Yang Ying firmly believed, was a crucial component of warfare that could never be neglected under any circumstances.

The landing zone designated by Yang Ying was situated on a plain in the northern hemisphere of Doron Star, less than two hundred kilometers from the planet's largest military base. Five thousand Ghost fighters were dispatched to patrol the skies, their mission to maintain air supremacy, while thousands of dropships deposited large numbers of troops onto the ground.

The rebels' primary military base was constructed with remarkable foresight. Although orbital bombardment had completely annihilated their surface structures, a significant portion of the complex remained safely hidden underground. According to Ednii’s intelligence, this base housed at least five hundred thousand troops and two million battle robots! Countless advanced war machines were concealed within the subterranean facilities.

Shortly after Yang Ying landed, a Medivac transport touched down nearby. As the ramp lowered, Ednii coughed, choked by the dust outside before stepping out.

"You chose this landing zone? Aren't you afraid the rebels will simply dispatch forces to wipe you out? This location is far too close to that military base!" Ednii voiced her concern the moment she exited the transport. In her view, it was highly probable the rebels would launch a surprise attack while the landing operation was still incomplete.

"But the landing has already happened; are we supposed to turn back now?" Yang Ying replied dismissively.

"That’s no way to talk! If things go wrong, stubbornly sticking to a bad path is just asking for trouble," Ednii countered, pointing toward the direction of the military base. "They have five hundred thousand troops and two million battle robots there! Seeing their formations alone would make anyone's legs buckle. How can you not be cautious?"

"Don't worry, I have my methods here," Yang Ying waved her off, still unconcerned.

"Hmph, suit yourself. Don't come crying to me if something happens!" Seeing she couldn't convince him, Ednii stomped her foot and turned to leave.

"Hold on," Yang Ying called out. "What about contacting the resistance groups? How is that going?"

Ednii turned back. "We've made contact. The leaders of several resistance cells are preparing to meet you once you've dealt with that base to form an alliance."

"Wait for me to destroy that base?" Yang Ying understood the leaders' cautious mindset perfectly. "They are still adopting a wait-and-see attitude. Can't they believe in our capabilities even after we destroyed the defending fleet and suppressed the entire planet?"

"You can't entirely blame them," Ednii offered a slight defense for the resistance groups. "Those people live in constant fear; it's only natural they proceed cautiously."

"Ha, never mind," Yang Ying sighed. "Destroying that base is part of the plan anyway. Whether they show up sooner or later makes no difference; I wasn't counting on their assistance much in the first place."

Ednii disliked Yang Ying’s tone but couldn't find a logical argument against it, so she merely shrugged and remained silent.

Not long after, Yang Ying received a message relayed by an Observer: a rebel unit had moved out from the military base and was advancing toward their position.

"They're coming," Yang Ying turned toward the military base, grabbing his communicator. "Attention all units, enemy forces are approaching from the west. Let the Banshees conduct the first test run first. All other units on high alert—tanks deployed, mine layers laying charges, prepare for engagement!"

Upon issuing the order, Yang Ying boarded his own fighter, took off, and initiated cloaking. The thirteen of them gathered together, along with twelve hundred similarly cloaked Banshee fighters, and flew toward the direction from which the enemy forces were advancing in the west.

Arriving above the enemy troops, they saw the rebel formation preparing to attack. An endless line of battle robots stretched out, marching in a uniform, disciplined line toward the east. The organic soldiers flanking them were not as orderly; many scanned the sky with vigilant eyes, seemingly searching for something. Numerous mobile heavy artillery vehicles and anti-air vehicles slowly advanced alongside the robot columns.

Yang Ying knew that news of his use of cloaked fighters had already spread. Thus, these soldiers hoped to use their naked eyes to confirm if they could visually spot an enemy invisible to radar.

"Alright, I'll indulge you. Let's give you a proper look," Yang Ying glanced down one last time before ordering, "Attack."

As the word left his lips, a volley of piercing whistles erupted. Suddenly, countless rockets materialized from thin air, slamming into the marching column with thunderous force.

Intense explosions rocked the area sequentially, tossing vehicles and men about, filling the area with smoke and chaos. The rebel formation instantly dissolved into disarray.

"Fire! Fire hard!" Yang Ying unleashed his parasitic drones, sweeping a massive net of radiant energy downward, taking swathes of enemies with each pass. The thirteen specialized Ghost fighters acted like farmers wielding scythes, and the rebels were the wheat, incapable of resistance under the blade.

The screaming sound of the cluster rockets was oppressive, making it difficult to maintain focus. However, when the rebel soldiers looked up at the sky and found nothing there, the shock and fear magnified this pressure tenfold, bearing down on them like a huge stone. Morale instantly plummeted. What could be more disheartening than being attacked when you cannot even see the enemy?

Some who had previously heard about the fate of the defending fleet had dismissed it, attributing the losses to the monotonous background of space making targets hard to spot due to eye fatigue. But they thought differently now. Even under the blue sky and white clouds on the planet's surface, these fighters could remain invisible—it was like encountering a ghost. There was no defense.

The Banshee fighters had a triumphant first engagement, painting the field a brilliant, bloody red with enemy ichor.

However, there were only twelve hundred Banshees, a pitiful number compared to the seemingly endless rebel host advancing toward them.

Yang Ying estimated that the rebels had deployed at least half a million troops, counting both robots and the Hybrids. Furthermore, the barracks further away showed no signs of ceasing deployment; it wouldn't be surprising if a force of a million strong eventually appeared, not to mention the vast number of war machines. Clearly, the rebels intended to stake everything on a single, decisive blow to annihilate Yang Ying’s landing zone.

After a period of harassment, the Banshees depleted their ammunition. Yet, the enemies they destroyed were but a ripple in the ocean compared to the continuous tide of the army behind them, which surged over the heavily damaged ranks and continued its march eastward.

When Yang Ying brought his squadron back to the landing zone, the defensive perimeter had been fully established. Tens of thousands of tanks were positioned in siege mode, their imposing plasma siege cannons pointed toward the direction from which the western enemy forces were approaching.

Ghosts had been continually improved generation after generation, and so had the Siege Tanks. As symbols of Terran offensive power, the Siege Tanks had now reached their fourth generation. The plasma cannons boasted a range exceeding one hundred kilometers, and their destructive power was terrifying—a single shot could pulverize solid rock within a radius of tens of meters, vaporizing organic matter completely.

The rebel vanguard was now nearing the range of the plasma siege cannons. At that moment, Observers detected hundreds of openings suddenly appearing beneath the main base, from which a swarm of fighters erupted, flying toward the eastern plain.

The military base clearly possessed underground hangars concealing a large reserve of aircraft. Deploying them now suggested the rebels hoped that even if they couldn't secure air superiority, they could at least heavily damage the invading enemy forces by supporting their ground troops.