One hour earlier, Halm system.
General Trench led Fourth Civilization Fleet C in a standoff against the fleet commanded by Octavian-Grant, Governor of the Galactic Republic's 20th Army. The two sides were evenly matched, and with the enormous prize of Blade Fleet so close at hand, neither wanted to make the first move and waste their strength.
11.7 light-years might have been close at hand for hyperspace travel, but for Sublight travel, it was an insurmountable astronomical distance!
Hyperspace was like an elusive river, breaking off and reconnecting unpredictably. There were stable channels, as well as streams whose currents could not be anticipated. What they were waiting for now was for the river to flow through this 11.7-light-year stretch of space.
Behind the Fourth Civilization fleet, three Luukri-Hok-class battleships packed with Gran Marines and an Astro-class frigate lay in wait for the right moment.
On the spacious bridge of the Luukri-Hok-class battleship, over a thousand technicians and navigators were frantically using computers to calculate hyperspace data, trying to find a useful pattern within that tangled mess.
The Republic fleet was doing the same.
Tang Xiao sat calmly in the Astro-class frigate's cockpit, drinking coffee.
"Looks like you're in a good mood," Cun Te said with a smile.
"Of course I am. Sefrans-Tann actually found Blade Fleet just like that. It was an incredible surprise, and the fact that Blade Fleet is located near territory under our control is an even greater surprise. You could say that I already have half of Blade Fleet in my hands," Tang Xiao said.
"You mentioned this fleet to me before, but I couldn't find any clues at all. Now that it has suddenly appeared, all I can say is that it's fate," Cun Te said.
"Fate is sometimes predetermined. Sometimes I wonder whether what