Three days later, the tea party organized by Cactus Sister concluded.
After bidding farewell to the many new friends they had made, Liu Hai, Li Yali, and a few others sat together admiring the magnificent nebula of the Hera Star System while summarizing the orders and numerous classified intel gained from this gathering.
Li Yali gracefully held a cup of tea, smiling brightly as she said, "After exchanging insights with so many commanders this time, I realized just how many shortcomings I have. Compared to those battle-hardened commanders who've fought hundreds of engagements, I'm like a newly hatched chick still relying on its mother for food."
"This exchange has been incredibly fruitful. The numerous combat replay recordings are invaluable assets for our group, undoubtedly paving a shortcut for future commander training."
Igor sprawled lazily on a nearby sofa, looking thoroughly satisfied: "These are just the veterans extending guidance to junior commanders, willingly sharing their treasured combat footage for your learning."
"My side, however, has been stormy with developments."
"Based on compiled intelligence from various regions, we can now confirm this war is about to escalate comprehensively. Soon, even the core forces of both civilizations will engage in direct confrontation. At that stage, destroying entire star systems will become commonplace, and countless Pioneer Fleets will become kindling to fuel an even fiercer blaze."
Igor had been responsible for liaising between intelligence departments and numerous Pioneer intelligence officers. Intelligence gathered from across the Hera Star System had formed the most comprehensive current situation map of the region.
Even now, intelligence exchanges continued on virtual networks, with tens of thousands of analysts and staff officers working intensively.
As intelligence concerns everyone's survival, all Pioneers hoped to obtain more detailed information to make clearer, more accurate judgments about future developments.
Gazing at the nebula scenery beyond the virtual viewport, Liu Hai mentally calculated their gains. The armament orders were secondary—their production queue already stretched over two decades ahead. While expanding production chains would gradually reduce delivery times, they wouldn't have lacked orders even without this gathering.
The true value lay in connecting with veteran Pioneer leaders, each representing the interests of numerous Pioneers in their respective regions. Cooperating with them meant accessing the resources under their control.
Just this single exchange had expanded his intelligence network across the entire Hera Star System—the greatest harvest.
No longer confined to the Third Spiral Arm, this newly established intelligence network granted him a panoramic strategic perspective.
Their strategic planning would benefit accordingly, finally gaining concrete understanding of the Katon Civilization's strength rather than the previous vague impression of "numerous fleets and formidable civilization power."
On another front, they'd also gained clear insight into today's Federal Pioneers. Beyond some members' family backgrounds, their essential nature was fundamentally identical.
Among the nearly ten million Pioneers in the Hera Star System, fewer than 40% possess over a thousand warships. While some prioritize quality over quantity, most struggle to develop due to prolonged conflicts with the Katon Exploration Fleet.
These Pioneers exhaust their limited resources in repeated battles. While gathering raw materials is relatively simple, converting them into warships proves far more challenging. Unlike Liu Hai, who benefits from a mature industrial system to fully utilize these resources, most simply process materials at a basic level before selling them to merchants for cash to purchase needed Armament.
This cycle often means years may pass without adding a single warship to their fleet—sometimes, losses outpace new acquisitions.
Recruitment is another major hurdle. Without a stable work environment, attracting skilled personnel becomes increasingly difficult over time. Though many join for high-risk, high-reward opportunities, no one wants to earn only posthumous compensation.
From this perspective, Liu Hai's rise seems almost legendary. It's no surprise that when Li Ping recruited across the Federation Galaxy, applicants from every Star Region rushed to submit resumes—even renowned commander candidates arrived in waves.
A stable work environment, a powerful fleet, a complete industrial system, and cutting-edge proprietary technology—any one of these advantages could allow other Pioneers to build a formidable fleet to conquer the Star Sea.
Yet the Star Sea Group possesses all of them, even surpassing the industrial capabilities of many established Lords.
Take Energy weapons, for example. Hyperspace Strike is a capability every Pioneer Fleet desires. However, Liu Hai's earlier models were underwhelming, leading most to opt for more reliable laser-based Armament—easier to maintain, less energy-intensive, and requiring fewer ship modifications.
Currently, most Pioneers in the Hera Star System remain concentrated in the central regions, avoiding direct conflict. But intelligence suggests they'll soon have no choice.
Katon's Seekers are flooding the battlefield. The hundreds of Legions from the Pioneer Allied Forces, numbering in the hundreds of thousands, have stalled at the enemy's second defensive line. With overextended supply lines, they risk retreat.
Meanwhile, clashes along the first and second spiral arms have become routine, with reports of entire Pioneer Fleets being wiped out almost daily.
A few Reserve Lords and their Pioneers hold the frontlines, securing supply routes and buying time for reinforcements. But given current attrition rates, they won't last much longer. Soon, the remaining uncommitted Pioneers will mobilize and join the fight.
One move affects the whole board.
The Pioneers aren't fools—they reject piecemeal tactics. This reinforcement wave will involve over 70% of their fleets, marking the true beginning of all-out war.
A massive fleet of warships was dispatched to the front lines. Naturally, Katon's forces wouldn't just sit and wait. Current intelligence indicated that Katon's side was also mobilizing their rear fleets in full force, with a considerable number of fleets even crossing through the Wormhole to join the battle.
Cactus Sister had been waiting for this very opportunity. Once Katon's forces diverted their strength from the Fourth Arm to reinforce the First, Second, and even the Third Spiral Arm, they would launch an attack on the Fourth Arm. One reason was to alleviate the pressure on the front lines, while the other was their own personal motive.