"The enemy is preparing to enter the wormhole. Begin!"
"Yes! K01-10 Pursuer phalanx batteries, begin charging in sequence. Coordinates XXX, XXX, Solar System No. 2 Wormhole. Open fire with unrestricted range!"
As invisible signals spread, ten artillery emplacements built on massive asteroids in the Kuiper Belt, on the outskirts of the Solar System, began loading!
These asteroids had been completely converted into honeycomb structures, resembling blocks of honeycomb coal.
Soon, black, nonreflective needle-shaped projectiles weighing just 60 grams each were fed onto the rifled rails by automated ammunition belts.
Bzzzt! Vast amounts of power converged from several large nuclear fusion stations, and energy surged within the artillery emplacements!
The next moment, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Streaks of light shot out of the honeycombs and vanished into the void in the blink of an eye.
Firing nearly a hundred rounds per second, this artillery emplacement roared continuously into the distant void. Three minutes later, the barrage finally stopped, and the now-red-hot No. 1 battery began cooling down.
Then the No. 2 battery began to roar.
The ten batteries spat tongues of fire in sequence, without pause...
Solar System No. 2 Wormhole.
All 3,000 Imperial warships had passed through the wormhole into this unfamiliar, distant region. Behind them, the Void Vortex continued to turn slowly.
Just as Viscount Ironwall had anticipated, everything on the other side of the wormhole was quiet, with no sign that anyone had discovered it beforehand. The small cargo ship that had inexplicably wandered in seemed to have been a mere accident.
"Viscount, we've located the wormhole leading to the Gemini Civilization. However..." The adjutant hesitated as he brought up a star map.
"In the Inner Solar System, we detected signs of fleet movements dating to exactly three days ago."
The wakes of large fleets left distinct trails