Chapter 364: Imperial Guard: Start!
Flagship of the First Battle Group of the Imperial Expeditionary Force, within the border of the New Federation.
Countdown to the Imperial Expeditionary Force, '2' galactic hours.
Yang Ming walked out of the simply decorated restaurant calmly. Two teams of imperial soldiers who were trotting by stopped at the same time and saluted Yang Ming.
"Um."
Boss Yang nodded with a straight face, then gestured for them to go about their business.
The soldiers stood quietly, with almost fanatical respect in their eyes, watching Yang Ming walk away with his hands behind his back.
As a head coach, you have to strike this tone.
Even if he is just a nominal head coach and does not participate in the actual tactical formulation.
"Mr. Ghost!"
The epaulettes on Yang Ming's shoulders shouted: "Please reach the bridge immediately, please reach the bridge immediately."
"Well, I'll be right over."
Yang Ming looked up and quickened his pace.
From the slightly nervous tone of the messenger just now , Yang Ming smelled that a fight was about to begin.
He guessed right.
When he arrived beside Lieutenant General Thomas, the overwhelming information fell into Yang Ming's eyes and ears.
The New Federation's main battleship group pushed forward in full force, intending to engage in a head-on battle with the Imperial Expeditionary Force. It was estimated that in half an hour, both sides would be within the effective range of each other's main battleship guns.
Lieutenant General Thomas was both the commander of the First Battle Group and the chief tactical commander of the Imperial Expeditionary Force. He was extremely busy at the moment. He held an emergency meeting with the commanders of the five battle groups and determined the basic strategies of 'head-on confrontation' and 'local defense and local heavy strikes'.
Lieutenant General Thomas gave these colleagues earnest instructions.
"Everyone, although this war will not affect the rise and fall of the empire, it is also related to the fate of the empire. Whether the glorious history of the empire that has lasted for tens of thousands of years can continue depends on the simple orders issued by you and me.
“The New Federation has been coveting our empire for a long time. If they hadn’t interfered, the empire wouldn’t have had to go to war with them today.
"What it means is that we can only win, not lose, not even a draw."
"Thomas," an old man asked, "When will the empire's entire defense system be activated?"
"Teacher," Lieutenant General Thomas shook his head slightly, "I also cannot know the information that you cannot know, but we cannot rely on this system. It is mainly used for emergency support. We still have to fight this battle."
"Yes, this is the meaning of our decades of hard work in the military to get to where we are today."
"Everyone, please be careful and be sure to check whether there are enough detectors at each jump point. The movements of the Guel Alliance and the Free United States make me feel a little uneasy."
"Please rest assured. They do not have enough reasons to directly interfere in the war between us and the New Federation. It is in their own interests to let both us and the New Federation lose strength at the same time."
Vice Admiral Thomas said: "It won't go wrong if you are more careful. I believe in your ability to command the battleships, and I firmly believe that we can achieve the final victory in this evenly matched head-on collision! Next, I will perform my duties as the commander-in-chief. Please give a pre-war speech to the entire ship to encourage our soldiers to fight bravely. Later in the war, each battle group should watch over each other and help each other!"
"Yes, Commander-in-Chief!"
The four old men smiled at the same time, and Lieutenant General Thomas could only smile bitterly.
Then, the five of them saluted at the same time in tacit understanding.
The five major battle groups of the Imperial Expeditionary Force began to mobilize synchronously, holding the terrain, quietly waiting for the New Federation fleet to show up.
It seemed as if a silver line appeared in the deep sky, as if thousands of stars were shining in sync.
Light, traveling at the speed of a conventional cosmic overlord, brought information about the New Federation's battleship fleet.
Yang Ming was sitting behind Lieutenant General Thomas.
He should have been sitting at the highest point of the podium, but Yang Ming still understood the ways of the world, so he just moved a chair and sat not far behind Thomas.
This way, he could clearly see Lieutenant General Thomas' every move and hear all his instructions, and also observe the Empire's battle group command system up close without affecting the movement of messengers and senior officers.
The New Federation warships are coming with great momentum, ready to fight a decisive battle with the Empire.
Sixteen thousand ships against thirteen thousand ships, the advantage is on my side?
In fact, on paper, the Empire still has the upper hand in terms of strength between the two sides.
Although the Empire's number of ships is insufficient, its overall firepower and total energy indicators are higher than those of the New Federation.
Simply put, of the New Federation's 16,000 ships, nearly one-third are not advanced warships currently in the galaxy.
Both sides know that the other side has hidden power behind them, and when the collision breaks out later, each side's hidden power will be revealed one by one.
According to the Imperial Military's estimate, the number of New Federation ships lurking near the nearest jump point is between 6,000 and 8,000, and several of the New Federation's core fleets are also hidden there.
There are about four to five thousand warships hidden in the rear of the empire, but the combat effectiveness of these warships is far superior to the ambush group of the New Federation.
There's no way around it, they have another name.
'Levi' Fleet.
The war has entered the countdown, and the battle formations of both sides have been formed. Outside the effective range, both sides have begun to engage in electromagnetic confrontation, simulated gravitational field confrontation, and information interference.
The shield ship moves forward.
Comprehensive supply ships shuttled everywhere.
The industrial ships in the rear have already started running all production lines at full capacity.
Both sides were about to come within effective range of each other's dreadnoughts.
The main guns were charged, the shield ships put up defensive shields, and both sides began to release swarms of drones to perform roundabout maneuvers.
The atmosphere inside the flagship was extremely depressing. Everyone was on high alert. The messenger's fingers never left the buttons, and the operators' breathing became very light.
Even Yang Ming, an outsider in the situation, couldn't help but sweat.
Vice Admiral Thomas stared into the deep space of the fictional battlefield, where the enemy fleet was about to enter the range of the dreadnought.
He swung his palm forward.
"Dreadnought, fire!"
Twenty-four bright lights suddenly lit up from the Empire and New Federation warships! Twelve lights flashed simultaneously from each side!
One claimed before the war that they had only eight dreadnoughts, and the other claimed that they had twelve dreadnought-class gunboats.
However, when the real war broke out, the number of dreadnoughts remained the same!
Both sides' shield ships and rear ships were defeated, but the Empire suffered significantly less losses!
Lieutenant General Thomas raised his head slightly, his eyes shining with confidence.
"Sub-shield ships move forward to fill the gaps. Main battleships open fire across the board, giving priority to attacking the firepower replenishment ships near the enemy's dreadnoughts! Drone swarms attack, and electromagnetic interference focuses on marking out the old-fashioned dreadnoughts!"
"yes!"
Seeing the various data appearing on Lieutenant General Thomas's command interface, Yang Ming's shoulders suddenly relaxed .
In the first round of mutual bombardment, the Empire had a clear advantage.
There is a high probability that the New Federation will once again stage a retreat in which they sacrifice their pawns to save their kings and cut off their arms.
Boss Yang thought so and crossed his legs calmly.
…
"Has the fight started?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, Adwan."
In the Luofeng Palace, in Edwang's office.
Adwant and his ministers stood quietly in front of a large projection screen, which showed the situation on the verge of a war between the Empire and the New Federation. The video source was from the pay channel of the Interstellar News Channel.
For money, there are always people who dare to take risks.
However, they could only see the two battle groups on the edge firing at each other.
Twenty-four dreadnoughts roared at the same time, which deeply shocked Edwan and others.
This is the empire.
Several dreadnoughts were hidden quietly.
The New Federation has been preparing for so long since the Empire's last expedition, and has opened up almost all of its sealed resources. This time, it tried to prove itself and restore its reputation as the second largest country in the Milky Way, but it didn't expect to get a heavy blow from the Empire.
The mighty Sherman.
Suffocating Sherman.
"Your Majesty!" Gudunmaha said, "I'm afraid the Empire will win again."
"Oh? How did the General know that?"
Adwant frowned slightly. The Empire's victory was not the good news he wanted to hear. The best news he wanted was a draw between the two sides and the expansion of the quagmire of war.
Gudunmaha said slowly, "It is obvious that the Empire is more prepared. Although the New Federation has an advantage in the field of military intelligence, it has also made corresponding tactical adjustments based on the Empire's troop distribution, trying to achieve overall balance and establish local advantages. However, as soon as their tactical intentions were revealed, the Empire's battle-hardened generals smelled danger and responded immediately..."
Gudunmaha spoke eloquently and the ministers nodded continuously.
The expressions of several core cabinet ministers who knew Luo Feng's current strategic development intentions were somewhat solemn at this moment.
If the Empire easily defeats the New Federation again, the Luofeng Alliance will be in danger.
Adwant smiled and said, "It would be great if the Empire could win."
Adwant rubbed his eyes, raised his hand and yawned, leaned back in his chair, and soon he began to snore.
…
Sherman Empire, Imperial Star.
Director Ino sat beside the bathtub, looking at His Majesty the Emperor with a smile. The latter was lying on the microgravity sofa, enjoying the gentle massage of the maids.
"My dear uncle, what do you mean?"
The old emperor frowned and said:
"Let my daughter Daphne go and pay for that brat Hanton? And you don't even want to make it public?
"This is really disrespecting my Daphne!"
"My respected Majesty," Director Ino said gently, "In the past few years, or at most a dozen years, we can all give in to Hanton a little. We don't have to argue with him. As long as the time is right, Hanton will kneel before you and show his loyalty to you."
"You mean, the Forerunner stuff?"
The old emperor laughed:
“Even though you guys wouldn’t let me get involved, I still know a little bit.
"The Fayya people are controlling everything in the Milky Way, right? We are just guinea pigs locked in a large galaxy cluster. We develop civilization and explore possibilities to make up for the shortcomings of the Fayya people themselves."
"Your Majesty, you already knew this?" Director Ino said with a smile, "I thought Your Majesty would never care about this."
The old emperor curled his lips slightly, closed his eyes and exhaled slowly: "Sometimes, after sitting in this position for a long time, you have to understand these things, but I also know that you don't like the emperor to interfere."
Director Ino said in a gentle voice: "You are the actual controller of the empire, and you also have the right to read all the secrets of the empire."
"Having authority is one thing, being a qualified emperor is another," the old emperor said with a smile. "My father is still alive, right? Although his body is no longer good, his brain is still active."
Director Ino smiled and said, "Every emperor will stay on that table for about two hundred years. This is a benefit that none of us have."
"It can only last for two hundred years after the body dies. After that, the consciousness will become confused and the self-awareness will collapse."
The old emperor curled his lips slightly:
“If I had reached that point, I might not have enjoyed this privilege.”
"This is your freedom. The state machinery and the Sherman family all obey your will," Director Ino said, changing the subject. "I didn't come to the palace today just to chat with you."
"Just tell me what you want, my dear uncle," the old emperor said with a smile, "whatever you ask, I won't satisfy it. It has always been like this, and it will be like this in the future."
"Thank you, Your Majesty."
Director Ino said: "I hope that after this expedition is successful, you can publicly reward the White Ghost."
"Award? He scolded me, and I still want a reward?"
"Your Majesty, you are kind-hearted. Why bother with him?"
Director Ino smiled and said:
"Besides, you distanced yourself from him because of a few words. Aren't you falling into the trap of the New Federation?
“The New Federation is meant to divide you and the White Ghost.
"You have supreme authority, and you have strong personal strength and popular prestige. If you allow the rectification movement of the imperial nobles to continue, the empire will restore its former glory, and the people will stand on the same front with you. A small number of corrupt nobles will just be cleared out of the empire's veins.
"Think about it, after the White Ghost's dismal exit, domestic public opinion has fallen back into the same passive situation towards the royal family and the nobility as before?"
The old emperor nodded slightly: "I will consider uncle's opinion...but this doesn't seem to be a problem for you."
"Your Majesty, the battle is now underway. We have gradually established an advantage. It should not be a problem to win the battle," Director Ino said slowly. "I have asked Daphne to rush to the front line with the cell tissue. Now all I need is a letter of commendation from you."
"The emperor's token is there," the old emperor raised his chin to the side, "Uncle, you can use it yourself."
Director Ino sighed, "Your Majesty, you are blaming me again."
The old emperor just turned his head away.
"Well, I'll wait for you to finish your massage, Your Majesty," Director Ino stretched, "Your Majesty, the sofa here is more comfortable. My shabby research institute has these non-core equipments that are old and outdated."
Suddenly a maid came running over.
"Your Majesty!"
The emperor turned his head and looked over: "Why are you panicking? What's going on?"
"The United States of Freedom is about to hold an emergency press conference. According to relevant information, they seem to be joining the war!"
"Um?"
The Emperor and Director Ino frowned at the same time, and the two old men looked at each other.
The old emperor wondered, "Uncle, this seems to be a little different from the information we got before."
"The president of the United States of Freedom has made it clear in the phone call that they will not take the initiative to send troops into the New Federation," Director Ino took out his special network access terminal, "Your Majesty, I will investigate first."
The old emperor nodded and suddenly asked, "Is the Imperial Guard System not activated yet?"
"The Archbishop has tried twice..."
"Your Majesty," Director Ino explained, "There seems to be a small problem with this system. The 2.0 version of the Imperial Guard System is already under development. It just passed the regional test a few days ago and will soon be available in the online world."
The old emperor said calmly: "Will I have enough authority?"
"Of course, this is not a legacy left by Levi's ancestors. It is a work of art created by us based on the summary of current technology. You have the highest authority."
Director Ino responded with a smile.
The old emperor immediately revealed a leisurely smile, signaled the maid to leave, and continued to close his eyes and enjoy himself.
…
The changes in interstellar politics have not yet affected the intense frontal battlefield.
After the second round of salvos from both sides' dreadnoughts, the Empire's advantage expanded again. The New Federation was struggling on the front line and had to send in a group of reinforcements to try to ease its own pressure.
However, the Empire immediately threw the same chips into the field.
The 'Levi' fleet joined the flank battle. Although it was only a nominal, contemporary fill-in Levi fleet and not the core batch of ancient warships, the addition of this group of fresh forces still pushed the balance of victory down a notch.
Invincibility can only be based on caliber and firepower!
The reason why the empire is so powerful is because of its unique military strength!
The New Federation may be not far from the core area of the empire in terms of comprehensive technological level, but in terms of military, it lacks foundation and is not fully prepared.
The outcome of the battle has gradually become clear.
Yang Ming concluded that the New Federation should preserve its manpower and retreat after the dreadnought's third salvo.
As long as the Empire wins this battle, it will be able to radiate to one-third of the territory of the New Federation. If it is bolder, it will move forward to occupy six to ten main-sequence administrative stars of the New Federation, which will create extremely strong pressure on the New Federation authorities.
The New Federation's political system is likely to collapse under high pressure !
However, Yang Ming was not excited. He was thinking in his heart, if the Empire could win so easily, then...
Buzz, buzz!
Yang Ming's watch suddenly vibrated.
He looked down, his eyes changing several times in one second, and he stood up suddenly.
Almost at the same time, Lieutenant General Thomas listened attentively with an extremely solemn expression.
On the large screen on the left, the picture suddenly changed, showing the deep space at the edge of the battlefield, where light brought the latest information.
"General! The Guel Alliance warships are entering the left wing! Four main battleship groups! At least four main battleship groups!"
"General! The Free United States warships have completed their jump and are now on the right wing of the battlefield! They have sent out a war signal! They have connected with the New Federation's command system!"
"Both sides are sailing at full speed and will arrive at the battlefields on both wings in fifteen minutes!"
Lieutenant General Thomas's nose trembled slightly.
The opponent's pocket formation has been formed.
Deep in the Imperial Star.
In an isolated laboratory, a scientific research team in white coats were looking at a black box in front of them that was over hundreds of meters long with sad faces.
No response, no feedback.
The archbishop above inserted the scepter several times, and the cutscene played several times, but they really couldn't start it...
"Could it be that we angered the goddess when we were doing the maintenance?"
"She doesn't have normal thinking ability, what can we do?"
Sudden.
A faint light appeared on the black box, and circuits that looked like mysterious engravings were lit up.
In the abnormal thinking space of reason.
The girl in the black box slowly opened her eyes, and the chain around her right arm quietly dissolved, but when she appeared above the black box, she was still a projection pulled by five chains.
Emperor Guard system, activated.
