Outside the northern suburbs of Huawang City, the battle had raged for four days. In that time, the dozens of wealthiest and most deeply entrenched families had been cornered by Yang Ying; none could escape. The entire planet was under his surveillance; there was no place left for them to hide, whether in the heavens or under the earth.

Yang Ying did not kill them, however, choosing instead to hold them under house arrest. Most of these captured individuals were not the true heads of their respective families; killing them would have been pointless, as their clans could easily install replacements. Yang Ying’s true aim was to wait for their families to deliver ransom money in exchange for their lives.

He had, of course, captured a few figures of true patriarchal standing, including the head of the Dorun Family—the most illustrious lineage on Dorun Star. To be able to use a planet’s name as a surname implied an extraordinary status. However, Yang Ying only learned the truth after asking Idney: the Dorun Family did not adopt the planet’s name; rather, the planet was named after the Dorun Family!

Dorun Star was first discovered by an ancestral explorer of the Dorun clan. As the planet’s initial pioneers, the Dorun Family’s roots were deeply embedded in the planet’s core. Their influence touched every industry, and they had even been granted the title of Duke by the Royal House. They were, quite literally, the kings of this world.

Half of the private armies belonging to the major capitalist factions originated from the Dorun Family. Before the Trant Mercenary Group annihilated the Planetary Defense Force and the New Recruit Camps, agents representing the Dorun Family were subtly present in their ranks. The underground fortress in the northern suburbs of Huawang City and the labyrinthine network of tunnels beneath it were also properties owned by the Doruns. This was merely the tip of the Dorun iceberg; they had spread their branches throughout the entire Flin Kingdom, taking Dorun Star as their trunk, with influence permeating every facet of life, earning considerable respect even from the Royal House.

Consequently, although the Duke of Dorun and his eldest grandson were captured, neither displayed any sign of worry. They were being detained in the finest suites of the best hotel in Huawang City—a hotel that was, predictably, also a Dorun enterprise. The elder spent his days carving elegant galactic stone sculptures, while the younger one, hot-tempered, frequently shouted and raged.

When news of the Duke’s capture reached the Royal House, King Flin reacted immediately. This time, the King clearly did not wish to tolerate past indiscretions. He demanded that Yang Ying bring the grandfather and grandson to Finis, stating that a grand public trial awaited them.

Yang Ying understood immediately: this supposed public trial was nothing more than a death warrant for the two. Considering what the pair had done—first and foremost, high treason by providing comprehensive material and personnel aid to the rebels. Secondly, selling out the nation by spearheading dozens of major families in collusion with the rebels, diverting crucial strategic resources to the Kustar people in exchange for their protection.

Either of these major crimes was enough to warrant their entire family dying ten times over. Now that their scheme was exposed and they were in the hands of the Royal Army, there was no hope for them.

Yang Ying did not wait for the ransom money. He tossed the grandfather and grandson onto a captured light frigate, assigning one of his clones and a squad of Ghost Agents to escort them to Finis.

Over the four days, the evacuation of the major cities had drawn near completion. As plumes of mushroom clouds rose, the human territories on the floating continents bustled back to life. To expedite the deployment of the production lines for robots and starships, one million Bii units were working at full capacity on the necessary modifications.

When the final cloud dissipated, Yang Ying knew his time to depart was fast approaching.

Forsto visited again, demanding Yang Ying honor his promise. This time, Yang Ying agreed, opening all armories and granaries, allowing the Resistance Organization to take whatever they could carry—take it all until nothing remained. Vast quantities of firearms, heavy and light weaponry, were distributed to the resistance fighters and armed workers. Even the nine hundred captured warships had been fully repaired and handed over to the Resistance. As for whether the Resistance members could pilot these vessels, that was no longer Yang Ying’s concern.

Still, he presumed that since the technical workers managed to repair the ships, they should be capable of flying them, especially with numerous combat robots possessing ship knowledge assisting them.

Another night passed. By morning, the Trant Mercenary Group began its withdrawal. Unit after unit boarded transport vessels, preparing to return to the Battle Cruiser Fleet, which had deliberately moved into the atmosphere to shorten the distance the transports needed to fly.

The intense activity lasted three hours, and the retreat was largely concluded. Not a single soldier from the Trant Mercenary Group remained on Dorun Star.

Since he was leaving, Yang Ying took the captured family heads—those who had not yet paid ransom—aboard a captured medium-sized warship. He dispatched one hundred and twenty Marines, sixty Ghost Agents, and another clone to escort them to Finis, hoping they might arrive in time for the opening of the public trial.

Finally, Yang Ying informed Forsto and the other Resistance leaders via communication channel that he was departing. He ordered Howard to engage the drives and plunge the fleet into hyperspace toward the next objective.

This operation to harass the rebel rear had multiple goals set by the Fevin Strategic Staff. Dorun Star was merely the second target on the list. The rebels held numerous other vital strongholds, some far richer than Dorun Star. Yang Ying’s plan was precisely to loot those planets—a legal act of plunder authorized by the Royal House, a necessary expedient to cripple the rebellion. If not hailed as a hero, he certainly wouldn't be seen as a mere brigand.

The second planned target was also an industrial world, its scale of production slightly less than Dorun Star’s, but equally crucial as a logistical hub for the rebels.

Meanwhile, on the main front, the fourth confrontation between the Royal Army and the rebels was about to commence. The Royal Army had won two and lost one of the previous three engagements, pushing the front lines back to the Capital Star, where this fourth battle was taking place. The King and Queen had addressed the entire Flin realm that morning via the net, reiterating the rebels’ catalogue of injustices and exposing the dark scenes of brutal oppression maintaining their rule, demanding the immediate dissolution of the rebel government and military, or they would be forcibly suppressed.

The rebels, as expected, countered with their usual propaganda methods, slinging mud onto the Royal House, painting it as a shackle preventing Flin progress, a source nurturing corruption and decadence. Simultaneously, they reiterated that they represented the will of all Flin people, bound to eliminate the monarchy and the corrupt noble class, branding any waverers as enemies of all Flins, subject to immediate treason charges.

Yang Ying, unable to comprehend the Flin language, routed the Flin network feed through Bii, utilizing its auto-translation function to render it in Standard Terran. It sounded considerably more convenient this way.

This massive battle was perfectly timed. The two thousand warships that had flown to Dorun Star days earlier had been cobbled together from the surrounding sectors, significantly weakening the defense capabilities of that region. The arrival of the major battle meant the rebels would struggle to divert troops to reinforce this area; any units sent would likely be inexperienced newcomers. Intelligence from Idney confirmed this, meaning that if they proceeded cautiously, there should be no unexpected complications.

At the forward bridge of the Behemoth, a large holographic screen was active, displaying a planet resembling Dorun Star, though the accompanying data indicated this world was slightly smaller.

“The second target is named Gummick Star,” a staff officer dispatched by the command explained below the screen. “In general, it is very similar to our first target, Dorun Star. The rebel influence is absolute, but there are also resistance cells actively fighting their rule. The reason we chose this as the second target is precisely because, with Dorun Star as a reference, we can navigate this smoothly.”

Yang Ying turned to Idney beside him. “You are still in charge of contacting the Resistance cells.”

“Leave it to me. The case of Dorun Star has proven that aligning with us brings a bright future for the Resistance. I still carry a letter of recommendation from Forsto, and ten other Resistance leaders have signed it as well. With this letter in hand, persuading those cells to join us will be as easy as breathing,” Idney declared, clenching her fist. After her recent trial on Dorun Star, her entire demeanor had shifted; she was more confident and eager to embrace challenges, having been strengthened rather than broken by minor setbacks.

Yang Ying nodded. “Good. The rest is combat strategy; that’s what we’re familiar with.”

“Commander, we are about to exit hyperspace.”

“Understood. We should prepare for battle,” Yang Ying replied.

The fleet disengaged from hyperspace, returning to normal space. Gummick Star, which had moments before been visible on the holographic screen, now hung vividly before the fleet, clearly discernible through optical sensors.

The fleet continued its approach, yet there was no sign of any rebel fleet—not even a single radar ping had registered. It was as if Gummick Star was completely undefended.

“What’s wrong with Gummick Star?” Idney shook her head. “It’s quite strange.”

“There’s nothing strange about it. This is perfectly normal,” Yang Ying stated calmly. “This situation only proves one thing.”

“What thing?” Idney asked curiously.

Yang Ying glanced over at Howard, who nodded and answered in unison with Yang Ying: “Of course, there’s a trap ahead!”

“A trap?”

“Yes. No matter how many fleets the rebels pull away, they wouldn't leave absolutely nothing behind. Especially with our recent activities nearby, the target showing zero reaction strongly suggests some commander refused to simply sit and wait, deciding instead to ambush us. Yes, they likely used optical stealth to detect our fleet's presence. If we advance a little further, the attack should commence,” Howard analyzed professionally.

Finally, they caught up.