Time continued to pass.
The defining characteristic of interstellar war gradually became apparent-its immense timescale.
When the scope of a war was measured in light-years, its ever-lengthening timescale became perfectly normal.
As Human Civilization's Expeditionary Fleet drew closer to the Alliance's border defense line, the exchange of fire between the two sides grew increasingly intense.
The Enrojet Alliance paid for it with countless warships and lives.
As for the results...
Unfortunately, it accomplished very little.
The Human Fleet was like a bulldozer fitted with rocket engines, quietly and relentlessly clearing every obstacle as it rapidly approached the border defense line.
The sight undoubtedly placed immense psychological pressure on the Enrojet Alliance.
Some crew members with weaker nerves even followed Hume down the same path.
Disorder gradually spread within the Alliance as well.
The Enrojet Alliance's greatest weakness had surfaced-an alliance composed of more than three hundred civilizations was far too loosely bound.
When facing an enemy stronger than itself, internal turmoil often drastically weakened the Alliance's strength.
The Enrojet Alliance Council was no pushover, either.
Before fighting an external enemy, they had to restore order at home.
Watching the Alliance descend into chaos, its relatively inexperienced leader finally steeled himself.
A series of swift, decisive measures barely managed to suppress the internal unrest. At the same time, almost every available worker was forcibly assigned to the appropriate production facilities.
Although these compulsory measures created considerable resentment within the Alliance, disaster was looming, and the Council could no longer afford to worry about that.
Survival had to come first.
The Enrojet border defense line.
Kisling's eyes were slightly bloodshot as he stared fixedly at the screens on the control console.
At some point, the once-ceaseless flashes of explosions outside the porthole had quietly vanished.
The border defense line seemed to