She shrieked, cut the comms, and blasted away in her command ship—because those Hornets had zeroed in on her bridge!

The Hornets were truly the ultimate weapon for relentless pursuit and draining a warship’s vital energy!

No matter how she ran, those few Hornets clung to her like iron filings to a magnet, refusing to budge an inch.

Anything massive has a fatal vulnerability; a warship’s fatal flaw is similar to a bull's—being plastered by something small, impossible to shake off, and impossible to hit, will inevitably lead to disaster.

Ziye glared at the Hornets displayed on the light screen.

These drones were rendered with chilling realism; their twin eyes, flashing an ominous dark light, seemed like a colossal human wearing sunglasses staring her down.

Insolent!

Ziye glanced sideways at Aiks’ fleet; they were already far ahead.

But even if they were still here, they couldn't help.

If they fired upon the Hornets, the odds were high that the shells would strike her command ship instead of the tiny pests.

Ziye checked the data on the control console; the shields were nearing total breach from the Hornets’ relentless assault.

What to do?

Ziye scanned the captain’s cabin. Guns? Useless; against the Hornets, that would be mere itching.

If only she had the auxiliary weapons of a mecha…

Ziye clenched her right fist and slammed it heavily into her left palm—yes, mecha! How could she not have thought of that!

Her command ship carried ten mechas. The only problem was: who would pilot them?

On her command ship, besides herself and one staff member coordinating the robots, everyone else was an automaton. She was the quintessential lone commander.

Ziye activated the light screen, located the robot control system, and issued commands.

The robots receiving the order marched in unison toward the mecha hangar. Ziye opened the bay doors, allowing them to board the mechas, then activated the boarding ramp, letting the mechas slide out smoothly into space.

The mechas received the extermination order and charged toward the Hornets.

While the Hornets were excellent among drones, they were fundamentally quite simple. They would attack the command ship if ordered to, and they wouldn't switch targets to the mechas, just as the robots, ordered to attack the Hornets, wouldn't attack the command ship.

Thus, while the Hornets were wholly focused on tearing into the command ship, the mechas were equally dedicated to annihilating the Hornets.

The Hornets’ attack vectors were fine, like drilling pinholes into the command ship.

By the time they finally pierced the command ship’s thick shields, the mechas’ Thor Rocket Cannons had already wiped out three Hornets.

The remaining few were naturally no longer an issue; crack, crack, they were swiftly dispatched by the mechas.

Ziye recalled the mechas and initiated the jump drive toward Aiks’ fleet. Her command ship had no repair capabilities; she could only rely on them now.

Shortly after initiating the jump, Tang Wen’s Hyper-Com burst through.

Ziye, astonished at his speed, accepted the call. “Hi, have the drones arrived?”

In the Hyper-Com signal, Tang Wen was silent for three seconds, then Bran’s voice cut in, “I apologize, the drones are unavailable.”

Ziye frowned in confusion. “Unavailable? What do you mean?”

Bran’s vocal tone carried an unusual note of sadness and annoyance. “Our drone core systems were stolen. We cannot provide any for at least another hour.”

Ziye briefly knitted her brow. All the legions were in dire straits; it was not unusual for the Tang Clan to encounter mishaps. She replied, “Then go handle your business; I’m fine over here.”

She cut the Hyper-Com and rubbed her forehead. What could she do without drones? In Wolf's Den, only Xiao Xiao was proficient with drones. After Xiao Xiao left, they had always purchased drones from Kolai, and heading to Kolai now would be too much trouble. Moreover, drone-on-drone combat usually resulted in mutual destruction. Mechas, however, were the perfect counter to drones—time to deploy the mechas!

With the massive reserves from the Budding Group, deploying mechas was effortless. The only hitch was the shortage of pilots.

Ziye deftly piloted the command ship through space, evading the drone signals, and requested mecha transport from Blackbeard.

One minute later, Blackbeard replied: “I’m at the forefront of the enemy battle line; I can’t move!”

Ziye massaged her temples again. At this critical juncture, not a single person could offer assistance.

With grim determination, she tossed the Hyper-Com aside and began deploying the mechas. Generally, during a jump or cruising phase, they wouldn't be easily targeted by Hornets, and if they encountered them on the battlefield, as long as the mechas were ready to engage instantly, there was little to fear.

This command ship was named Phantasma. It had two slightly recessed areas on either side, resembling shoulder sockets. Since the mechas weren't overly large, she directed them to dock in these recesses, allowing them to launch instantly if any Hornets attacked.

The mechas’ primary duty was to shield the command ship from drone interference. Additionally, the mounted missile launchers could engage offensively.

Ziye checked the ammunition stores, feeling a measure of relief, and then focused on her specialty: analyzing enemy deployment and assessing the war situation.

The Coalition forces operated under elite command structures; everything hinged on the commanders. Ziye immediately looked up the chief commander’s file.

The Coalition’s overall commander was a veteran from the Interstellar Federation named Aldo, whose standing was second only to Blanch in the Federation. He had previously crushed the Four Great Families on the battlefield. A large reason for the Federation’s current vast stellar expansion was due to his leadership. In certain aspects, his authority within the military surpassed that of Kalou.

Aldo was an exceedingly arrogant individual. He hailed from a military lineage, and his public image in the media was less than stellar, but his success rate in battles was terrifyingly high.

After reading his file, Ziye decisively infiltrated the Federation Archives to examine his war history, quickly flipping through the data.

Upon finishing the review, she reached a conclusion: Aldo had no fixed doctrine; he always adapted his forces and tactics based on the opponent's strength and weakness. His strategies ranged from all-out offense or defense to semi-offensive/defensive postures. Most frequently employed, however, was the Blitzkrieg—unleashing his entire force for an overwhelming, crushing advance!

Undoubtedly, this was the strategy Aldo was employing now.

She had managed a small victory, but the crisis facing Wolf's Den remained unresolved. If she couldn't achieve a more significant breakthrough, once Aldo’s warship cannons pulverized the borders of Wolf's Den, the den would be finished.

Ziye clenched her fists tightly; she had to suppress their advance before Aldo could achieve that goal.

The Interstellar Federation had deployed fifty thousand troops and several thousand warships; Fia had also contributed fifty thousand troops and over a thousand warships. In comparison, her forces were far too few.

Ziye recalled the pirates led by Red Hair in the Tamas System and hatched an idea. She coded a virus to infiltrate Red Hair’s Hyper-Com, found Ninehand, who usually contacted her, and initiated a call: “Hello, I am Red Hair’s little sister, Ziye.”

Ninehand replied flippantly, “Hey there, little sister, what can I do for big brother?”

Ziye’s expression became stern, completely devoid of jest. “I want to hire your services for the battlefield. What is the cost?”

“Fighting the Federation and Fia Coalition?” Ninehand reacted instantly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “This battle won't be easy. Seeing as you’re Blood Queen’s sister, I’ll give you a discount. Ten thousand troops, a thousand warships, one million credits per day. Battle losses will be covered by your side.”