The crew of a Destroyer didn't even have time to run for the Escape Pods before they were vaporized by a laser piercing through the hull.
The wreckage was increasing.
The flames were spreading.
Death continued.
Those Swift fighters were like a pack of sharks that had caught the scent of blood, freely reaping lives in this hunting ground of debris and ruins.
And in this Airspace, there was no one left to stop them.
The surviving Imperial warships went dark, one after another.
Inside the infirmary of an Imperial supply ship.
The cramped compartment was dimly lit.
Outside the window was the burning battlefield.
The flashes of explosions flickered, reflecting off the Viewport glass like some eerie holiday fireworks.
A blonde woman in a white doctor's uniform stood alone before the window.
Her hands were clasped tightly over her chest.
Her blue Eyes stared fixedly out the window at the starry sky illuminated by the flames.
Her lips moved slightly, uttering a whisper so soft it was almost inaudible.
"My dear Marcus..."
She paused, a faint smile touching the corners of her mouth.
"You're still so clumsy."
"You could never tie your tie properly."
She thought of that face, always flustered while trying to knot his tie, and her smile deepened for a moment.
But the smile soon faded.
Her voice grew even softer.
"You never expected it, did you?"
"I came to the front line."
If one looked closely, they would see the nameplate on her chest clearly engraved with "Evelyn Waters."
She took a deep breath and raised her head again.
Outside the window, a Swift fighter streaked past in the distance.
Its Tail Flame drew a blue streak of light in the darkness, like a shooting star.
Her gaze followed that trail of light as her lips parted.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you."
She paused, her voice growing fainter.
"Because—"
"I couldn't bear a world without you."
As her words fell.
Outside the window, a new light flared.
Not the Tail Flame of a Swift fighter.
It was a brighter, more piercing light—the charging glow of a laser cannon.
The light rapidly expanded in her pupils.
Illuminating her face.
Illuminating her blue eyes.
Illuminating the final trace of a smile at the corner of her lips.
Her lips parted.
Forming three silent words.
"I do."
The next second.
The laser pierced through the infirmary's bulkhead.
The intense heat instantly vaporized her position.
The white doctor's uniform.
The blonde hair.
The blue eyes.
And the words left unspoken.
All vanished.
Only the gaping hole remained, its edges still melting and dripping.
In the vacuum, it congealed into searing beads of molten metal.
Fifteen minutes later.
Jump Point Z-78.
This Airspace had fallen completely silent.
No artillery fire, no explosions, no distress signals.
Only wreckage.
Dense, sprawling wreckage.
Severed bows, twisted hulls, melted Armor Plates, scattered fragments drifting aimlessly.
They filled the Airspace around the Warp Point, gleaming with a cold, lifeless sheen under the light of the Star.
Not a single intact Imperial Starship remained.
Not one.
All five thousand Imperial warships that had Warped in had become part of this Metal Graveyard.
Kunlun Mountain - Modified Battleship, Bridge.
Zhuang Zhixuan stood before the observation window, staring at the overwhelming wreckage outside, and remained silent for a long time.
Finally, she just took a soft breath.
Behind her, someone whispered.
"Five thousand ships..."
Another voice followed.
"All gone..."
Someone chuckled softly.
The laughter was brief, carrying an indescribable meaning.
It was disbelief, mixed with a hint of hidden pride.
"Our one hundred and fifty ships..."
That person murmured.
"Took out five thousand..."
"This is fucking..."
He didn't finish.
But everyone understood what he meant.
This is fucking another miracle.
The atmosphere on the bridge began to subtly change.
That tense, cautious silence, always ready to face danger, was slowly loosening.
Zhuang Zhixuan turned around and looked at them.
Those weary faces were now filled with excitement.
Five thousand ships.
Even the four thousand civilian-converted military starships they had eliminated earlier didn't carry the same weight as this achievement.
Because these were the real Imperial regular army.
Real warships that could fight.
And now, they were all part of the wreckage outside.
Those once-mighty Imperial warships were now nothing but twisted metal skeletons, silently rotating in the vacuum.
The atmosphere on the bridge grew even more fervent than before.
Chief of Staff Qi Xiangbei stood in the center of the crowd, unable to hide the smile on his face.
He turned and looked at the figure still standing before the command console, his voice booming.
"All of this..."
He paused, then continued.
"Is thanks to the Commander's decision."
Everyone's gaze simultaneously fell upon Qin Bei Wang.
Qi Xiangbei went on.
"If the Commander hadn't told us to drag all the wreckage of those four thousand civilian-converted military starships into the warp point..."
He extended his hand, pointing toward the overwhelming metal debris outside.
"Would it have been so easy to take out those five thousand Imperial regulars?"
He shook his head.
"Probably not."
A low murmur of agreement rippled through the bridge.
Someone nodded vigorously.
Others exchanged glances.
In those eyes were admiration, awe, and relief.
"The Commander is both wise and brave!"
Someone took the lead and shouted.
Immediately, more voices joined in.
"The Commander is both wise and brave!"
"The Commander is both wise and brave!"
The shouts echoed through the bridge, filled with heartfelt reverence.
Qin Bei Wang stood there without turning around.
He merely tilted his head slightly, a faint curve lifting the corner of his mouth.
It was a very small curve.
But Zhuang Zhixuan saw it.
She couldn't help but smile.
Then she spoke, her voice not loud but clearly reaching everyone's ears.
"We also have to thank one more person."
Everyone quieted down and looked at her.
Zhuang Zhixuan's gaze fell upon the wreckage as she slowly said.
"The Imperial commander who came up with the idea to guard the warp point with four thousand civilian-converted military starships."
She paused, then continued.
"If he hadn't delivered these four thousand starships to us..."
A slight smile touched her lips.
"We probably wouldn't have found it so easy to block the warp point."
The bridge fell silent for a second.
Then erupted into even louder laughter.
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Someone slapped their thigh.
"We should thank him!"
"Thank him for the construction materials!"
"Thank him for helping us reinforce the warp point so solidly!"
Laughter rose and fell.
All the tension, exhaustion, and fear that had been suppressed for too long.
Was released in the laughter.
Qi Xiangbei laughed until he couldn't straighten up, leaning on the nearby control console, his words coming out in fits and starts.
"That... that Imperial commander..."
"If he knew now..."
"That all the ships he sent have become graves for his own people..."
"I wonder... what expression he'd have..."