This situation was somewhat unexpected to Yu Lian.
So far, after half a year of exploration by the scouting fleet, two stable routes had been confirmed from NR18, in the middle of the New Continent Highway, to the Devil's Maze star sector. Naturally, these had become the expeditionary fleet's supply routes. The two routes intersected at three star systems: DL07, DL14, and DL17.
Of course, the expeditionary fleet was now divided into two major groups: the Imperial faction and the Commonwealth faction. Even if the relationship between these two sides couldn't be called neighborly, they were certainly sworn enemies. Though both were member states of the Galactic Civilization Council and, in the legal sense, friendly allies, everyone involved was a clearheaded, respectable person. To avoid provoking consequences too dire to speak of, both sides had tacitly agreed to use one route apiece as their supply line, keeping strictly to their own sides and leaving each other alone. When their supply fleets occasionally crossed paths in the systems where the routes overlapped, they kept a safe distance and exchanged sanctimonious well-wishes for each other's safety.
But no matter what, both supply routes ended at the star system where the Commonwealth's Thirteenth Fleet had once fought a fierce battle against the marauder fleet. It was now under military control and had been temporarily named "Demon's Border."
This Demon's Border system had now become the forward command center for both expeditionary fleets. More than two thousand warships were gathered there for extended periods. Various semi-permanent orbital military installations were under construction, including two temporary fortresses. Temporary mining bases and military supply production lines were also being established on the system's only two terrestrial planets, one frozen and the other barren. Most specialized military consumables had to be produced at dedicated facilities in the