Battle

(The neighborhood network had gone down. It was only fixed now... I'd almost had to take a cab to an Internet cafe fifteen stops away to update...)

Asidda and Asidora quickly broke through the spatial blockade of the Imperial Fleet that had suddenly appeared. One remained within the encirclement while the other rushed into the vastness of space, opening a Hyperspace Jump passage a full two light-years from the Moblado Star System.

Using the Twins' connection, they bypassed the interference barrier that had wrapped the entire star system layer by layer within the Gravitational Boundary, providing the Imperial Army's main force at the Outpost Base with clear teleportation coordinates. At the same time the transfer began, the enemy discovered the spatial anomaly gathering behind them. Long-range radar showed that roughly a third of their fast warships had split off and charged toward one of the sisters outside the star system. (Sorry, I still didn't know which one was the older sister and which was the younger...) Clearly, they intended to intercept our incoming reinforcements.

"Their reaction was too fast!"

Watching the enemy's swift response on the radar, I couldn't help crying out. They had dispatched an interception force almost the instant the Asidda sisters began guiding the transfer. I had never expected the twin sisters to be discovered so quickly.

"The First Fleet is an elite force, second only to the Royal Fleet," Sandora said, biting her lip. Her voice was pained, but she quickly forced herself to recover. "Even if they reacted immediately, their interception force is already too late. The Space Twins' task is only to broadcast the correct current coordinates. Our reinforcements have already begun transferring and will arrive shortly. The enemy will reach the Mist God Star Defense Line in forty-five minutes. Have the fleet prepare...