Counterfeit Hero

”Captain Chekov. The target has appeared.”

In the command room of the Magic Cube. The voice of the Intelligence Coordinator was transmitted via the communicator to Chekov’s command station.

”Target confirmed.”

Chekov’s eyes were fixed unblinkingly on the virtual screen at the command station. On the screen was a composite image of radar monitoring and space telescope provided by the Intelligence Coordinator along with his report.

Ten seconds later, the voice of the Intelligence Coordinator came again: ”Six target vessels identified, one armed merchant ship, three escort ships, two B-class transport ships. Transport ship numbers D901 and D902, silver-white paint, camel logo on the bow, electronic structure analysis matches intelligence, target confirmed.”

”What’s the current status of Hayreddin’s Second Fleet?”

”Two reconnaissance ships of the Second Fleet have reached their predetermined position on the Mars Star System route, monitoring the Demon’s Eye Fleet, the Bullfighter Mercenary Group Fleet, and the Camel Commercial Fleet at Mars Spaceport 18. Currently, the main movement of the Demon’s Eye Fleet is unclear, and their sub-fleet’s defensive deployment is primarily targeted at the Mountain Breaker Sect Sky Scorpion Pirate Group at Spaceport 21.”

”Very good, instruct Hayreddin to maintain concealment.”

”Understood!”

Chekov ended the communication with the Intelligence Liaison Officer, stood up, and arranged his newly made bandit army uniform.

The blue uniform was more impressive and majestic compared to the silver-white uniform of the Leray Space Force.

Habitually fastening the topmost button of his collar, Chekov reached out to activate the full ship command system. His voice immediately echoed on the three armed merchant ships renamed ”Crossbow” and the six escort ships renamed ”Bayonet”.

”Attack! God has said, everything on those two transport ships belongs to us.”

After a few seconds of silence.

Ten streaks of azure ion light suddenly flashed from the pitch-black space.

With the six ”Bayonet” escort ships leading, the ”Magic Cube” in the center, and the three ”Crossbow” armed merchant ships at the rear, the entire fleet surged forward at full speed in an inverted fan-shaped attack formation.

The gray-brown planet hiding their trajectory was quickly left behind.

On the ship’s navigation device, a curved line was rapidly extending.

In three minutes, at the end of this arc, the fleet would precisely enter the attack position.

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”First and Second Mixed Fleets of the Suss Southeastern Front Army, stationed at Blue Stone Star.”

”Western Alliance Joint Military Meeting concluded, Sobel appointed as the Allied Forces Commander-in-Chief. Jiepeng General Mikami Yuto assigned as Director of Western Alliance Southeastern Operations Department. His subordinate generals include Jiepeng General Porter O’Brien, Desic Empire Great General Zoe Rolinson, Suss Empire Claude Bellif, and Ulianov and Gershkov currently leading the Southeastern Front Army’s First and Second Mixed Fleets.”

”The following is the Western Alliance Joint Staff: Chief of Staff Sobel, Deputy Chief of Staff Mikami Yuto, staff members excluding Bellif, O’Brien, Rolinson, Ulianov, also include Desic Bedlu Royal Family Crown Prince Annis Bidlu, and the Naga Federation’s top general Ravilia Banning.”

Looking at the documents in hand, listening to the report from the Director of the Military Intelligence Bureau, in the meeting room of the Leray Federation Supreme Command, President Hamilton and several admirals exchanged wry smiles.

The Western Alliance is indeed a gathering of great generals. The specially established Southeastern Operations Department already includes the most powerful and famous military leaders from Jiepeng, Suss, and Desic, the three great empires. Clearly, after Suss occupied Blue Stone Star of the Saleria Federation, the Western Alliance would focus their full effort to attack the Central Leray Star Domain, to completely secure the Leray Channel!

After losing control of the Bermuda Star Domain, Leray had retreated to fully defend the Central Leray Star Domain. Although Jiepeng had not initiated a major offensive, their troop buildup at the Bermuda Main Star Rodbia had never ceased. Six mixed fleets gathered at the space jump point between Bermuda and the Central Leray Star Domain, with dozens of armored divisions and hundreds of fully mechanized infantry divisions on standby. Once the Suss Empire dispatches forces from the Saleria Longbow Star System, they would launch a tidal wave of offense against the Central Leray Star Domain.

On the western front, the First Army Group Fleet of the Desic Empire had invaded the Gazalin-Little Pyrenees Star System and was currently contesting space jump point control with the Southeastern Second Expeditionary Army Fleet led by Fiscella from the Fei Alliance. Meanwhile, the newly formed Second Army Group Fleet of the Desic had completely controlled the public star domain east of the Central Leray Star Domain and north of the Atlantis Star Domain, prepared to cooperate with Jiepeng and Suss to pinch the Central Leray Star Domain.

Now, the only hope for the Leray Federation lay in the Galileo and Newton Star Systems, which were still under their control, along with the four mixed fleets from Tatania and Puditok assisting in defense. As long as the secret jump point from the public star domain to the Galileo Star System remained undiscovered by the Desic people, and as long as the Little Pyrenees stayed under the control of the Fei Alliance’s Southeastern Expeditionary Army, Leray still had space to maneuver.

However, who knows how the situation might change.

The immense pressure from the Western Alliance was like floodwaters overloading a dam, ready to burst at any moment. No one could predict when the collapsing dam would fail entirely. Perhaps, a small ant hole could reverse everything irreversibly.

”Any news from General Bernadotte?” Hamilton asked Mihailovich, staring blankly.