Later
Aotearian Rift.
The star-speckled darkness of deep space suddenly twisted, and a monstrous human warship emerged from beyond normal space. In an instant, a hundred blazing searchlights looked down from above, while every shuttle-sized gun battery swung into position. Moments later, amid the white light unleashed by folding space, more behemoths burst through the currents of spacetime, cleaving through them and charging onward like countless lead weights dropped into water.
None of the warships' armor bore markings identifying their affiliation, meaning these vessels had never been listed among the Empire's public fleets. Yet without exception, they were welcomed when they joined the Empire's fleet channels.
Another Imperial fleet arrived almost at the same time. The massive emblem of the Terran Empire had been proudly painted onto every warship—solemn and grand—and their loyalty to the Emperor burned as brightly as the blazing sun.
For a time, this stretch of space was packed with newly arrived warships. The incoming soldiers stared wide-eyed, both astonished and proud. Even veteran spacers swore they had never seen so many warships in a single day.
Their own ships could be seen in every direction. Just sorting out their names was enough to drive one to despair, while frigates, troop transports, medical ships, and space fighters were too numerous to count. Even vessels returning to their motherships could easily lose their bearings. Naturally, should an enemy happen to stray into this place, they would immediately find themselves targeted by tens of thousands of naval guns.
The Tal'darim Death Fleet faced the Empire's battle groups from afar, forming a vast and magnificent formation. Throughout every century of the past, the Death Fleet had been a symbol of death and destruction, terrifying all who heard of it and draining the color from the faces of all who saw