Fortress No. 2 was less than half the size of Fortress No. 1, but it was still a proper Imperial military space station.
Its outer layer was still wrapped in a force-field shield formed by an energy-neutralizing magnetic field. Its layered armor, made of mirror-treated ultra-hard composite ceramics, crystalline fibers, and reinforced alloys, showed no sign of cutting corners.
Even against a battleship's main guns, such defenses could be called sturdy.
But in the face of a fortress gun of this scale, that impregnable fortress shield finally failed after barely managing to resist for several seconds.
Surging beams pierced the fortress's outer wall and ignited the air within.
Violent explosions erupted.
Tremors accompanied by deafening rumbles shook Fortress No. 2 from end to end. The more than one hundred thousand people inside felt as if they had been dragged into a thunderous earthquake.
"Fortress No. 2 has been hit! Fortress No. 2 has been hit by a fortress gun! Requesting support! Requesting support!" The fortress communications officer's panicked voice echoed through the communications channels of every Imperial military department in the star system.
However, half a minute later, when he issued a clearer and more detailed report, his voice had already turned miserable. "Area A of Fortress No. 2 has been hit! There are no signs of life left in Area A. All soldiers in Area A have perished..."
In fact, there was no need for him to make the report. The garrisons of every fortress and warship in the star system had all seen the fierce flames flowing across the surface of the space city.
Brigadier General Hatcher aboard the heavy cruiser Copperclad City was naturally among them, but he had no time to mourn his comrades in Fortress No. 2.
After all, the soldiers of their valiant Sobek