The Turning Point of History

As before, my senior sister was just as I remembered her, her slender navy uniform hugging her fit and tall body. She stood there quietly with her hands clasped behind her back, as beautiful as an elegant marble statue.

Of course, that was just on the surface.

Yu Lian remembered the first time he met this breathtakingly cool senior sister was on the training grounds during a combat class. She had thrown a senior from the Marine Corps Command department, who weighed twice as much as she did, with an over-the-shoulder throw. He landed right in front of Yu Lian, leaving him staring in awe.

"What do you mean, I can do it too," his childhood friend said to him grumpily by his ear.

Youth in rose red, how swiftly it flies...

Senior Sister's gaze swept across Yu Lian's face at lightning speed. Surprise and relief flashed through her eyes before she first addressed Captain Winter, "Captain, thank you for your hard work. May I have your report on our combat strength and position now?"

"All 127 mobile infantrymen of Company 101 have arrived, but without any vehicles," the Captain replied. "As for our position..." He looked at Yu Lian, who quickly brought up the holographic map on his terminal and pointed to the canyon where they were.

"This is essentially the rear of the enemy's main camp. Based on my observations, it's about 50 kilometers from the Sandfolk Headquarters, which is where Elder Hessen is located." Yu Lian first pointed to a spot amidst the dense Sandfolk encampments, and a red dot immediately appeared there.

"You already know the location of the enemy headquarters?" Eleanor raised her eyebrows, sharp and elegant like a rapier.

"Yes, it's right here."

"How can you be sure?"

"During our infiltration these past few days, Sergeant Major Sirica and I spent at least ten hours a day observing. Based on the banners and the size of the encampments, we've roughly figured out the camping locations of the enemy's various tribes and city-state forces. I will send the information to everyone's information terminals later. Yesterday, before the Sandfolk attacked Tulon, dozens of riders carrying colorful command flags departed from here and galloped towards the various camps. These are the Sandfolk's messengers."

The so-called banners and command flags were actually stone-like objects resembling totem poles. This planet lacked trees and vegetation, at least before humans colonized it. Thus, the Sandfolk, skilled at manipulating mud and stone, fashioned sandstone into long poles of various colors and forms to serve as banners.

It must be noted that the designs of these totem poles were very ancient and elegant, considered works of art, and were quite sought after in the galactic international collector's market.

It must also be noted that although the Sandfolk had armor, firearms, and even war chariots and cannons provided by the collaborators, their habit of using cold weapons was not so easily changed. After all, in the age of cold weapons, messenger riders who shuttled across the battlefield amidst gunfire were very admired and respected professions. Was it to be canceled just like that? Replacing them with a group of communicators feeding into machines would surely compromise the dignity and honor of the Sandfolk warriors!

It couldn't be helped. Weapons could be bought, but the organizational core of an army was a very detailed and grand systemic project, not something that could be accomplished in a day or two.

Eleanor nodded, finding it reasonable. However, she then looked at Yu Lian with a puzzled gaze, and then looked with keen interest at Ina, who was biting her lower lip, "I need your assurance!"

"I swear by the national emblem of Blue Star, I am willing to take responsibility for everything I've said! Furthermore, the psionic fluctuations there are the most obvious. As everyone knows, Hessen himself is already a third-ring 'Wizard', and he has several carefully selected Sensitives and even Awakened among his disciples. This must be his location!"

Hessen, who had activated the "Control" Star Ring and reached the third ring as a "Wizard," was not much of a secret. The Governor's Mansion's database contained detailed information, and every officer had permission to access it. However, the Spiritual Leader among the Sandfolk had always appeared quite submissive, so few people bothered to read it carefully.

"You've done quite a bit of homework. This is the style of us Moonfolk... Wait, psionic fluctuations?" Eleanor was about to praise him but then realized something was amiss.

"Uh... to let you know, I have awakened my psionics, and so has Sergeant Major Sirica. Moreover, she is a Sentinel with superb senses. Therefore, we can detect the opponent's psionic fluctuations."

Of course, because Hessen was now a "Wizard," as the name suggests, his spiritual abilities were diverse psionic arts. He was skilled at fighting a hundred with one, conjuring wind and rain, and gathering lightning fire. He was very prominent; but perhaps because he was too prominent, psionics of this path were not very adept at stealth before reaching the fifth ring.

Eleanor's expression was a little stiff, which was understandable. After all, the chance of two psionics emerging from a squad of dozens of people was about the same as digging up two nuggets of pure gold from your backyard vegetable patch.

"The feng shui of your barracks is truly excellent!" Lieutenant Parkin's eyes widened. He touched the large cluster of pendants hanging on his chest – Tai Chi symbols, Buddha statues, crucifixes, crescent moons, hexagrams, and so on. He was truly envious and jealous now.

Captain Winter was also somewhat unsettled. This young man was not only a Moonfolk but also a psionic. His future was truly limitless. It was difficult for him to put on airs of authority in front of him. Come to think of it, had he been impolite before? Hmm, it seemed not.

Eleanor clasped her hands and let out an unintelligible hum. Her gaze towards Yu Lian seemed to carry a hint of disdain, which made the latter shiver inexplicably. He quickly moved his finger across the holographic map again and pointed to a high ground northeast of Tulon, where another red dot appeared.

"Also, from here, it's 20 kilometers to Alchi Highland 6."

Eleanor finally stopped looking disdainful, a smile of approval appearing on her face. She nodded slightly, "Very good. It seems you've also observed that the enemy is setting up an artillery position there."

"Yes, it can be confirmed that there are at least ten high-power Ion Cannons or Electromagnetic Cannons. This will pose a huge threat to the city's shields!"

"However, this is also our opportunity..." Eleanor nodded in thought. She first looked at Yu Lian, but then addressed Captain Winter, "Captain, what do you think?"

The elite company captain of the Marine Corps carefully observed the map, especially the environment around Highland 6 and the enemy's deployment. After calculating, he affirmed, "We can capture and quickly destroy all of the enemy's heavy artillery, and then retreat before the enemy's main force surrounds us."

"No, I need you not to destroy the enemy's heavy artillery too quickly. Attract enough enemies to reinforce us, creating maximum chaos. Then, I will lead all the soldiers in the city to counterattack and kill Hessen. This person is the banner of these Sandfolk. Once he falls, these native rabble will naturally retreat completely. Captain, can you do it?"

Captain Winter's face darkened. He looked at the map without saying a word.

Everyone knew what that meant. No matter how elite they were, they were only a little over a hundred people. Attacking an artillery position heavily defended by the enemy was already extremely dangerous, let alone trying to attract Sandfolk reinforcements. If they were not careful, it could lead to the annihilation of the entire force.

In theory, the Captain had the right to refuse Eleanor's order. Firstly, he was from the Marine Corps and was not under the jurisdiction of the New Yumeng Garrison Command. Secondly, Eleanor had not received orders from her superiors and did not have the authority to command all reinforcements and be responsible for the entire campaign.

Captain Winter looked at Parkin, then at the other officers and senior sergeants of the company. After a moment of contemplation, he quietly nodded, "Yes."

Here it comes! Yu Lian's expression was calm, but his heart was beginning to surge with excitement. He knew that this was the beginning of the ambush that would later be studied in almost all military school textbooks across the galaxy, the start of a legend.

Captain Winter and the soldiers of Company 101 truly embodied the principles of swift as the wind, steady as the forest, fierce as fire, and thunderous as lightning. They stealthily approached the enemy's artillery position and launched a fierce assault, catching the defenders completely off guard. Within twenty minutes of the battle's start, they had completely routed the defenders, destroyed the ten newly set-up heavy cannons, and even captured a group of Karda Goblin engineers.

The subsequent defensive battle, though perilous, was not particularly brutal. This was because the Captain and his men quickly constructed fortifications on the high ground and destroyed several Sandfolk war chariots immediately. They rained down fire on all the approaching enemy forces from their commanding position.

On the other hand, Senior Sister Eleanor led all the troops within the city out, heading straight for the Sandfolk main camp and personally killing the Great Elder Hessen. His carefully trained disciples were also almost completely wiped out. The million-strong army immediately scattered like birds and beasts, and many city-state princes immediately knelt and surrendered.

The final casualties were less than ten wounded or killed on the side of Company 101. Tulon also suffered just over two hundred casualties.

However, there were, of course, regrets.

First, Hessen's most favored disciple, Kazhan, who later raised his banner and became a Sandfolk national hero and the father of Sandfolk independence, escaped and continued to lead the remaining Sandfolk forces in resistance, remaining a persistent thorn in the side of the Governor's Mansion. Later history proved that he indeed completely buried the Commonwealth's rule on New Yumeng Star.

Second, Senior Sister Eleanor was too reckless. She was not a high-ranking psionic capable of fighting a thousand single-handedly. She was merely a delicate and beautiful girl who had thrown a classmate from the Marine Corps Command department into the infirmary during combat class at the military academy.

Yes, she was not a psionic at all, yet she insisted on charging forward bravely. While she personally killed Hessen, she was also knocked unconscious by the psionic's final burst and ended up lying in the hospital for half a year.

If she had continued to preside over the overall situation, perhaps this major event would not have ended in an anticlimactic manner.

Thinking of this, Yu Lian spoke, "Officer, I have a small, immature suggestion."

All eyes turned to him, putting a little pressure on him, but more than that was an indescribable excitement and a tremor from the depths of his soul.

He knew that he was truly standing at a historical turning point.