Within the Gemini Starfield, the Angel Fleet stationed outside the Gemini Star System quietly set sail, their objective being to rendezvous with the ambush fleet.
Liu Hai and the others had devised a bait plan, but plans always carried the risk of going awry. The Angel Fleet served as insurance for this operation.
Eleven hastily modified fortresses, ten Angel Motherships, one thousand Angel Battleships, two thousand Angel Cruisers, three thousand Angel Destroyers, and four thousand Angel Frigates—totaling 10,021 warships.
This marked the first full-scale deployment of Angel warships, all equipped with at least Tier-5 Technology.
With no suitable commanders among the Clone Soldiers, Liu Hai ultimately took personal command of the Angel Fleet, though he didn't need to monitor it constantly.
Meanwhile, at the frontlines of the Stardust Star Region...
Representatives from several Pioneer teams gathered to distribute the armaments shipped from the Brolly Star System.
This batch of equipment consisted of high-quality gear nearing Tier-5 Technology, transitional products from before Brolly's industrial upgrade.
Most had already been allocated to the fleet sold to Cactus Sister, while the remaining stock could arm over three thousand more warships.
After a brief discussion, the Pioneers swiftly completed the distribution and turned their attention to the potential outcomes of the upcoming operation.
"Du Jia, I heard you've worked with Mr. Liu Hai before. What do you think of this bait plan he proposed?" one Pioneer asked curiously.
Du Jia pondered for a moment before replying cautiously, "We've collaborated before, but I wouldn't say we're close."
"As for this bait plan, it was devised by Mr. Liu Hai and Xue Jia's group. The bait is Xue Jiye from Xue Jia. Based on past experience, it's likely to escalate into a large-scale battle."
The other Pioneers nodded in agreement.
This ambush operation began with luring the Katon Fleet, followed by a coordinated assault from multiple Pioneer Fleets.
Though Liu Hai had provided powerful Jump Engines and space stabilizers, enhancing the Pioneers' mobility several times over, the Katon Fleet was no pushover.
Once they realized their fleet was ambushed, nearby reinforcements would rush in immediately.
If they couldn't withdraw swiftly as planned, the engagement would devolve into a chaotic, large-scale melee.
Yet, recognizing this possibility actually eased their minds. With their current mobility, they had a far greater chance of disengaging than their opponents.
Even if the battle turned into a massive free-for-all, their losses would remain limited. As the instigators, they had more than just warships in the chosen battlefield—various pre-deployed assets were ready to support the fleet.
"Where are your fleets positioned now?" another Pioneer inquired.
"With half a month left before the operation, I'm still rushing to upgrade our armaments. I've already dispatched sub-fleets to prepare the designated zones," Du Jia openly shared his fleet's status.
The others were in similar situations—swapping out equipment while sending sub-fleets to prearranged locations.
A large number of new space mines provided by Liu Hai were deployed at various warp nodes. Friendly fleets, equipped with communication identification codes, could still perform pinpoint warps. However, once the Katon Fleet entered these areas and became entangled—unable to warp—the surrounding Pioneer Fleets would then decide whether to engage in combat.
With preparations underway from multiple fronts, the Pioneers even added some small but special devices of their own, each eagerly anticipating a morale boost from this operation.
The Pioneers of the Third Spiral Arm had been on the defensive for over a decade, their strength steadily whittled away by the Katon Fleet—especially during the Stardust Star Region defensive battles.
Though this plan wasn't an all-out decisive battle, even a small-scale ambush yielding gains would bring long-awaited satisfaction to those who had lost the initiative for so long.
At the very least, it proved they could still fight and hold their ground.
Time passed minute by minute. Liu Hai, leading the Angel Fleet, arrived at the designated space and concealed themselves. With the Blending with Dust System active, long-range scans couldn't detect their presence.
Once each fleet had reached its assigned position and completed preparations, Liu Hai summoned representatives from every Pioneer team.
Inside the joint operations command room, over a dozen Pioneers gathered around the conference table, discussing whether the plan could commence.
"Deng Pinghua, has your team detected any Katon Fleet movements?" Liu Hai asked the representative seated to his right.
Deng Pinghua nodded firmly. "Following past patterns, we did spot traces of the Katon Fleet. But recently, most of the detectors we deployed have been cleared out, making tracking much harder."
"Is it the same for your side?" Du Jia asked Deng Pinghua with a frown.
"Wait, your detectors were cleared too?"
"Yeah. No idea how they managed it, but our reconnaissance network is full of gaps now. We're scrambling to patch them up." Du Jia's expression darkened.
"Who else has experienced this in their sector?" Sensing something amiss, Liu Hai pressed for answers.
"My area's also riddled with gaps, but at least the Katon Fleet within our tracking range hasn't slipped surveillance yet."
"No major activity on my end—just fewer Katon Fleet sightings than usual. They've been less active."
"My sector's detectors are being purged at a rapid pace, but no signs of a large fleet presence."
...
As intelligence from each Pioneer came together, everyone began noticing the anomalies—though none took it too seriously. After all, both sides routinely cleared detectors in their respective regions. This just seemed like an unfortunate coincidence.
Liu Hai sifted through the compiled data and quickly spotted the trick.
"It looks like the Katon Fleet is planning a little surprise of their own. But this time, it's a race to see who strikes first."
After sharing his analysis, the other Pioneers realized this routine purge seemed unusually widespread. Moreover, the number of Katon Fleet sightings had dwindled. While most regional fleets remained in place, the missing units added up to a significant force when combined.
"This is quite interesting. It seems the Katon Fleet is also planning to give us a surprise," Du Jia remarked after reviewing Liu Hai's analysis, quickly grasping the situation.
Deng Pinghua voiced his doubts, "Could it be that our plans were leaked and detected by the enemy?"
Wang Yuchun shook his head, dismissing his concern. "Impossible. Our fleet hasn't made any unusual moves, and our operations have been routine. There's no way they could deduce our arrangements from these standard procedures."
"Then there's only one possibility—the Katon Fleet is preparing another sneak attack," one of the Pioneers sneered.