A profound moment of regret and helplessness washed over Commander Helran. The last words of the young warriors of Clan χ echoed in his mind, sharp and clear: "Don't let our sacrifice be in vain, Commander. We are counting on you. Over and out."
He knew exactly why they had chosen to meet their end: to eliminate the remaining missiles launched by the enemy. It was a brutal act born of a brutal reality—the crushing lack of time. The missiles' velocity was terrifying, hurtling through space at nearly a quarter the speed of light.
The fighter squadron had already performed miraculously, managing to neutralize thirty percent of the remaining inbound warheads before they reached the first layer of the battle line. Despite the cutting-edge technology and high-level targeting systems integrated into his fleet's star fortresses and fighter craft, the sheer speed of the attack made things impossible. The young pilots couldn't acquire a stable lock, much less successfully engage the targets.
