As the year 883 of the Commonwealth drew to a close on December 10, the first battle to defend and retake the Sede Fortress also came to an end. The Blue Star Commonwealth, defending the fortress, had paid a price of 87,000 dead, but killed nearly three times as many enemy troops. Once again, it had stopped the Imperial army beyond the Far Shore Line—and, in a stroke of remarkable ingenuity, captured a Titan ship.
Whether judged by the evolution of tactics or by the final outcome, this had been a magnificent victory. In truth, though, before the battle began, perhaps neither side had expected events to unfold this way.
The great battle had originally been no more than one part of a grand occult plan devised by the Empire's leaders. Yu Lian had turned the tables on them by using their own scheme against them.
Of course, the Empire had not failed to anticipate that its plan might be discovered and countered. Vellent had even prepared himself for the possibility that Yu Lian would board the Natural Crest, and had made ready to turn the tables in turn. The four veteran Starrealm Knights waiting aboard the Crest, Duke Garibeyan, who oversaw the entire formation, and King Vellent, lurking behind the scenes, had all been prepared for that eventuality.
They had been ready to ambush Yu Lian aboard the Crest, but never imagined that a "cosmic rolling log" would ruin everything.
...Of course, if one looked at the battle between the transcendent forces itself, the "cosmic rolling log" had not really been responsible. The one they had ambushed had simply overcome everything with sheer force.
More importantly, even King Vellent's family heirloom, the "Spatial Courtyard," had been stolen.
Although King Vellent and Duke Garibeyan, who had orchestrated all of this,