Chapter Summaries

Pegasus Group responded to the incident involving Maple Leaf Mining by preparing to reveal its newest frigate, while Lin Jie chose to deepen Maple Leaf Mining’s alliance with the Great Xia Empire. The chapter left Lin Jie and Count Michel meeting in Dawn Community, both signaling their commitment to the partnership.

• The head of Pegasus Group ordered its R&D department to publicly unveil its latest frigate and begin the arms race.
• Lin Jie watched Pegasus Group’s response, returned to Great Xia territory, and requested a meeting with Count Michel to strengthen their alliance.
• Lin Jie saw Great Xia’s newly expanded Lunar Spaceport and met Michel in Dawn Community as he sparred with a Church Knight.
• Michel displayed the power of his Knight’s Sword by cutting a deep gash into warship-grade metal, astonishing Lin Jie.
• Lin Jie offered Michel a precious gift, and both men’s words signaled their decision to deepen their relationship.

Lin Jie presented Maple Leaf Mining’s gathered technical materials to Michel and secured assurances of rewards and a place in the Great Xia Empire. After Michel demonstrated Transcendent Power, Lin Jie pledged Maple Leaf Mining’s loyalty, and the Empire began selecting materials for reverse engineering.

• Lin Jie gave Michel Maple Leaf Mining’s catalog of technical materials and explained the effort and risks involved in obtaining them.
• Michel promised that the royal family would reward Maple Leaf Mining and help it integrate into the Great Xia Empire.
• Lin Jie described the dangers he had faced, but declined Michel’s offer of Transcendent Knight guards for his next trip to the Blue Star Federation.
• Lin Jie tried and failed to draw Michel’s Knight’s Sword, then watched Michel demonstrate Transcendent Power and explain that it came from faith in the Emperor.
• Convinced that the Great Xia Empire had a stronger future, Lin Jie vowed that Maple Leaf Mining would be its most loyal subject.
• Michel submitted the materials, and the Great Xia Empire prioritized reverse engineering fortresses, warships, and basic infrastructure to address security first.

Derek weighed military leaders’ competing strategies for the Great Xia Empire and decided to upgrade the home fortress while supporting Maple Leaf Mining’s struggle against Pegasus Group to buy time. The Empire began preparing for large-scale warship production as its leaders planned the new strategy.

• Derek heard Qin, Adrian, and Virut present different plans for fortifying the Empire and expanding into the Pegasus Galaxy.
• Qin proposed upgrading the home fortress while preparing a surprise attack, while Adrian urged caution and further preparation.
• Virut suggested exploiting the Blue Star Federation’s internal divisions by supporting Maple Leaf Mining, and strategists judged the plan feasible.
• Derek ordered the home fortress upgraded and directed the Empire to provide Maple Leaf Mining with warships and personnel to delay Pegasus Group.
• The Great Xia Empire began preparing its warship manufacturing base and planned to imitate Blue Star Federation designs for its first ships.

The Great Xia Empire expanded Transcendent access and used its growing workforce to mass-produce warships on the moon. Michel offered Lin Jie military support against Pegasus Group, leaving Maple Leaf Mining poised to challenge its rival.

• The Great Xia Empire released Transcendent Potions and began producing warships in large quantities on the moon.
• Lin Jie noticed the Great Xia Empire's growing fleets around Planet 009 and felt that a major conflict was approaching.
• Michel visited Lin Jie, who explained that Maple Leaf Mining was struggling under pressure from the Blue Star Federation's business forces.
• Michel offered support and said the Great Xia Empire could supply Maple Leaf Mining with one Standard Fleet each month.
• Lin Jie said that one-third of Pegasus Group's warship strength would let Maple Leaf Mining match it and strike back.

Lin Jie secured Michel’s promise to provide Maple Leaf Mining with a fleet, and three months later the Great Xia Empire delivered a powerful task force for the company. At Pegasus Star, the Pegasus Group used pirates to attack Maple Leaf Mining’s sites and pressure its chairman into selling them cheaply.

• Lin Jie told Michel that Maple Leaf Mining could turn any fleet he provided into profit and drive the Pegasus Group from its territory.
• The Great Xia Empire delivered a fleet centered on one battleship, with more than twenty thousand personnel, to support Maple Leaf Mining and train its troops.
• After two years without finding Maple Leaf Mining’s hidden backer, the Pegasus Group directed its pirate allies to attack the company’s mining sites.
• Pirates destroyed one mining site and several of Maple Leaf Mining’s cruisers, leaving the site vulnerable to further attacks.
• A private owner offered the old chairman ten percent of the destroyed site’s value and threatened that the other sites would meet the same fate.

Maple Leaf Mining rejected Pegasus Group’s attempt to acquire its mining site and prepared to resume operations, while rival powers and Ma Zhi watched for a chance to act. As the mining fleet set out, Pegasus Group’s fleet and pirates moved toward the site, with the pirates believing they would be rewarded with discounted battlecruisers.

• Maple Leaf Mining’s chairman rejected the acquisition offer and ordered the representative escorted out.
• The representative reported to Ma Zhi, then secretly contacted another power and agreed to gather intelligence and help cause Pegasus Group trouble.
• Ma Zhi ordered his people to monitor the Interstellar Passage Fortress and resolved to watch Maple Leaf Mining’s attempt to reopen its mining site.
• Maple Leaf Mining recruited workers and dispatched equipment and personnel as the Federation Fleet shifted position and a Pegasus Group fleet approached.
• The pirates agreed to attack Maple Leaf Mining again after their leader promised Pegasus Group would sell them discounted battlecruisers.

Pegasus Group prepared a large fleet and monitored Maple Leaf Mining’s reopened asteroid-belt site, hoping to draw out the mastermind behind the pirate attacks. As the Great Xia Empire’s fleet approached the Pegasus Galaxy, List ordered his forces to prepare for battle.

• Pegasus Group deployed more than a hundred Tiger Cat-class Scout Ships to track the pirates and monitor Maple Leaf Mining’s mining site.
• Maple Leaf Mining returned to the asteroid belt, rebuilt its equipment, and laid defenses despite expecting another attack.
• Ma Zhi learned that the pirates would arrive in twelve hours and reviewed Pegasus Group’s concealed fleet of battleships and supporting warships.
• A Great Xia Empire fleet arrived from beyond the Pegasus Galaxy to support Maple Leaf Mining, though Pegasus Group’s leaders did not know it was coming.
• List recognized the possibility of a power struggle and ordered his fleet to prepare for battle as it neared the Pegasus Galaxy.

The Great Xia Empire fleet, disguised as Maple Leaf Mining, entered the Pegasus Galaxy and drew Pegasus Group into battle after destroying its warning systems and defeating a pirate fleet. List's forces gained the advantage against Pegasus Group's fleet, which recognized that the enemy's warships were far more advanced than expected.

• List sent reconnaissance ships and unmanned attack craft to destroy Pegasus Group's early-warning systems as his fleet advanced toward the galaxy.
• Ma Zhi concluded that the approaching ships belonged to Blue Star Federation forces and ordered pirates to test them while Pegasus Group's fleet deployed.
• The Great Xia Empire fleet destroyed the pirate ships, and List waited for Pegasus Group's fleet to arrive.
• Pegasus Group's fleet identified the enemy's updated warships and assessed them as at least half a generation ahead.
• The two fleets engaged, and Pegasus Group's forces realized they were likely to lose while trying to collect data and destroy enemy ships.

The Great Xia Empire’s fleet defeated the Pegasus Group’s forces, prompting Ma Zhi to accelerate warship production and rally the Group against the hidden challenger. List ordered repairs and regrouping, while Maple Leaf Mining offered supplies and berths in return for the fleet protecting the region.

• Ma Zhi learned that the Pegasus Group’s new warship production lines could begin trial production and ordered older ships built to buy time, with a new fleet expected within a year.
• Ma Zhi assessed that the enemy fleet used disguised, advanced warships and argued that the Pegasus Group should destroy it before it could be reinforced.
• The Pegasus Group’s fleet was almost completely wiped out, and Ma Zhi gained authority as its leaders focused on finding and eliminating the challenger.
• List ordered damaged Great Xia Empire warships repaired or towed home and asked Maple Leaf Mining for a place to regroup.
• The old chairman of Maple Leaf Mining offered supplies and rudimentary space berths, asking List’s fleet to maintain stability in the region.

After Pegasus Group devastated List’s first fleet, Great Xia sent reinforcements and began building a false industrial presence around the Interstellar Passage. List prepared to strike Pegasus Group again while keeping the new fleet’s origins and the Mecha Knights’ role concealed.

• Pegasus Group’s larger attack nearly destroyed List’s deployed fleet, but it suffered more than five times the losses.
• After a month, Great Xia’s new fleet arrived undetected, along with Transcendent Knights including Hadige and their leader, Shalier.
• Hadige learned that List had ordered the Mecha Knights to stay out of battle during the strategic deception phase.
• List sent the new warships directly into port and continued planning attacks before Pegasus Group could discover the Interstellar Passage.
• Great Xia’s engineers began building warship Production Lines in the nearby Meteorite Belt to disguise the Interstellar Passage and mislead Pegasus Group and the Blue Star Federation.

List led a surprise attack on Pegasus Group’s military port at Guardian Star after covert scouts mapped its defenses. Pegasus Group’s warships were caught in a chaotic bombardment, and a massive fleet arrived as they tried to emerge and pursue.

• Pegasus Group assembled its fleet at Guardian Star while its scouts searched for Maple Leaf Mining’s strength.
• Covert scouts disguised as meteors evaded detection and surveyed the military port and the Federation defense zone.
• List arrived with the fleet and destroyed Pegasus Group’s outer Reconnaissance Satellites, prompting the port’s warships to power up and scatter Tiger Cat-class Scout Ships.
• A destroyer fleet that had infiltrated ahead of time attacked the military port, suppressing its warships with laser fire.
• After several hours, Pegasus Group warships emerged and saw a massive fleet they recognized from their previous battle.

List’s fleet defeated Pegasus Group’s warships on Guardian Star, forcing them to surrender and allowing Maple Leaf Mining to take over Pegasus Group’s interests there. Pegasus Group regrouped under Ma Zhi and planned to hold its ground until its new warships were ready.

• List’s fleet used tactical surprise to destroy Pegasus Group’s warships in a battle lasting less than half an hour, then rescued the survivors instead of massacring them.
• Maple Leaf Mining abandoned the damaged military port and took over Pegasus Group’s businesses, resource transactions, and other interests on Guardian Star.
• News of Pegasus Group’s defeat spread, while people on Guardian Star switched to doing business with Maple Leaf Mining as usual.
• Ma Zhi admitted that he had underestimated Maple Leaf Mining and proposed gathering the fleet to defend Pegasus Group until its new warships were assembled.
• Ma Zhi resolved to protect Pegasus Group’s foundation and expose its war potential, believing the defeat had stemmed from unequal information.

The Blue Star Federation sent surveying ships to investigate Maple Leaf Mining, while Pegasus Group hoped to discover the source of its warships. After the surveyors saw the apparent scale of Maple Leaf Mining’s factory, Ma Zhi ordered them to inspect its production line.

• Maple Leaf Mining let Federation surveying ships follow its transport fleet but barred them from approaching its warship factories.
• Director Xu and the local Surveying Bureau director argued over whether the investigation should focus on a possible warship factory or the quality of the Bureau’s surveying work.
• As the ships neared the Pegasus Interstellar Passage, the local director realized his subordinates might have overlooked a large factory.
• Pegasus Group’s leadership learned that negligence by frontline workers might have allowed Maple Leaf Mining to build its warships unnoticed.
• Ma Zhi ordered the surveyors to enter the factory and confirm whether its production line was real.

The Blue Star Federation government sent an inspection delegation to Maple Leaf Mining after Pegasus Group’s war with it continued, hoping to assess the company and its warship factory. Maple Leaf Mining secured policy subsidies and access to raw materials, then hosted the delegation as it began investigating the factory’s capabilities and origins.

• Director Xu refused Pegasus Group’s request to share surveying data, while the local Surveying Bureau director agreed to apply to Maple Leaf Mining; the company rejected the application.
• As the war continued, Pegasus Group received more warships, but List’s fleet kept taking territory and Maple Leaf Group broke through two more planetary defense lines.
• The Blue Star Federation government passed a resolution to contact Maple Leaf Mining, and a deputy minister from the Ministry of Commerce arrived to inspect it.
• The old chairman negotiated policy subsidies and government help obtaining raw materials, and the deputy minister agreed to provide them.
• The delegation toured Maple Leaf Mining and examined its warship production factory to assess its capacity and determine whether its technology came from the Blue Star Federation or an alien civilization.

The Federation Ministry of Commerce's Vice Minister inspected Maple Leaf Mining's warship factory to assess suspicions about its technology and capacity. After seeing a nearly completed Dominator-class Battleship, he began to believe the company was genuine, while Chairman Lin hinted that its growing production could challenge the current monopoly.

• Maple Leaf Mining escorted the Vice Minister's inspection team to its warship factory, where he judged the Fortress Cannons to resemble Federation designs.
• The Vice Minister asked Chairman Lin to show him the Dominator-class Battleship production process, and Chairman Lin agreed while forbidding photos and recordings.
• The Vice Minister and accompanying experts toured the space dock and examined a nearly completed Dominator-class Battleship.
• The experts inspected the ship closely and left after seeing evidence of Maple Leaf Mining's technical and industrial capabilities.
• Chairman Lin invited the Vice Minister to ride the battleship during its upcoming trial voyage and said five more would be completed within three months.

The deputy minister reconsidered Maple Leaf Mining’s potential and agreed to pursue closer cooperation, while its leaders discussed using Federation officials to protect the Empire’s secrecy. List approved expanding the plan to draw more officials into the arrangement and eventually reveal the Empire openly.

• After learning that Maple Leaf Mining might rival Pegasus Group in warships, the deputy minister offered policy support and arranged a meeting for the Dominator Class vessel’s delivery in one week.
• The deputy minister’s experts reported finding no evidence of an Interstellar Passage and said further investigation would likely confirm its absence.
• The deputy minister returned to his residence and waited to meet the capital behind Maple Leaf Mining, hoping to build a cooperative relationship.
• The old chairman reported the meeting to List and proposed cultivating Federation officials to conceal the Empire while it expanded into more star systems.
• List approved increasing the investment and urged the Lin Family to tell the deputy minister the truth, draw more officials into the collusion, and work toward the Empire’s eventual open arrival in the Federation.

List met Deputy Minister He aboard the Dominator-class Battleship to begin negotiations over political support and cooperation with Maple Leaf Mining. He proposed a limited first arrangement in which Maple Leaf Mining would give He its votes in exchange for his support.

• Old Chairman Lin agreed to increase investment to win more forces for the Empire, while List decided to request additional personnel after the Federation delegation left.
• A week later, Deputy Minister He boarded the Dominator-class Battleship with Old Chairman Lin, noticing the mechs but not suspecting their true purpose.
• List greeted Deputy Minister He and explained that he had only recently returned to work with his father, presenting himself as an unknown heir.
• Deputy Minister He proposed receiving votes from List and promised commercial favors, including access to embargoed materials.
• List suggested that Maple Leaf Mining give He its votes in a cautious first cooperation, with He providing support in return.

Deputy Minister He helped Maple Leaf Mining secure strategic materials after agreeing to cooperate with List, and List ordered the Empire to buy them in bulk. As Pegasus Group’s losses mounted, Ma Zhi was removed as Chief of Armed Forces and realized the Group had made him its scapegoat.

• Deputy Minister He reached a preliminary agreement with List and selected basic battleship materials to help strengthen Maple Leaf Mining.
• Old Chairman Lin told List that suppliers could provide the resources Maple Leaf Mining had struggled to buy, and List ordered him to purchase as much as possible.
• Maple Leaf Mining bought supplies on a massive scale while Pegasus Group watched its profits fall and military expenses rise.
• Ma Zhi focused on assembling and training Pegasus Group’s new fleets, hoping to prove himself in a future attack.
• Group officials informed Ma Zhi that the board had removed him as Chief of Armed Forces and suspended his authority.
• Ma Zhi accepted the decision and asked whether he should hand his duties over to the new chief.

After replacing Ma Zhi as Head of Security, Ma Jiahe planned to attack Maple Leaf Mining before his predecessor’s role in preparing Pegasus Group’s forces could be recognized. He persuaded the shareholders to approve an early war, and Ma Zhi was asked to give his opinion.

• Ma Zhi accepted his dismissal and settled into life as a Minor Shareholder of Pegasus Group.
• Ma Jiahe monitored Ma Zhi and planned to use the forces Ma Zhi had prepared to defeat Maple Leaf Mining and claim the victory for himself.
• Ma Jiahe ordered closer surveillance of Maple Leaf Mining and weighed the Group’s growing military advantage against the risk of waiting.
• Ma Jiahe argued to the shareholders that starting the war now would protect their interests despite slightly lower odds of victory, and they called for war.
• A Minor Shareholder asked Ma Zhi what he thought, and Ma Zhi hesitated because he did not want to take responsibility if the war went badly.

Ma Zhi staged an objection at the Pegasus Group shareholders' meeting, then secretly contacted Maple Leaf Mining to bargain for power in exchange for helping it claim Pegasus Group's legacy. List's confidence in Maple Leaf Mining's strength led Ma Zhi to consider building influence from the Group's remnants.

• Ma Zhi argued that Pegasus Group should avoid rushing into war with Maple Leaf Mining, but the other shareholders dismissed him and proceeded to vote.
• Ma Zhi returned home pleased with the connections he had cultivated and used a crude communicator to contact Maple Leaf Mining.
• List introduced himself and offered Ma Zhi a place in Maple Leaf Mining, with his future position depending on his contributions and the Pegasus Group legacy he could take over.
• List told Ma Zhi that Maple Leaf Mining's strength was beyond his understanding and that Pegasus Group operated on too low a level.
• Ma Zhi realized that controlling Pegasus Group's remaining influence could earn him more power and considered using it to establish a force of his own.