The faint fluctuations in the Hyperlane drew no attention from the automated dreadnought. The enormous warship continued its silent patrol, showing no response to the barely perceptible energy signatures at the Hyperlane exit.
Although the sensors installed aboard the dreadnought detected the anomalous fluctuations, the ship's Combat Computer did not identify them as hostile vessels. Instead, it classified them as irrelevant information and dumped them into the recycle bin.
The cloaking field provided complete light deflection and concealed energy signatures. Forty Stealth Torpedo Cruisers operated by Synthetic citizens of the Empire emerged from the Hyperlane into the system and immediately headed straight toward the patrolling dreadnought.
Meanwhile, the Celestial Dragon waited inside the Hyperlane, sending out calls on an energy level while the Fleet periodically reported its status.
The Dragon had no cloaking force field, nor could it detect cloaking fields.
Once they were close enough, the Synthetics nodded and immediately brought their ships out of cloak. At the same time, a barrage of Space Torpedoes shot straight toward the dreadnought.
Attacking required disengaging the cloaking field. Naturally, the moment the fields went down, the dreadnought's sensors detected this unidentified Fleet, followed by the Space Torpedoes closing in from every direction.
Although the Combat Computer from countless years ago had little autonomous awareness, it still reacted immediately, designating the Fleet as hostile and launching a counterattack.
But the Stealth Torpedo Cruiser Fleet had already taken up its assigned positions, surrounding the dreadnought completely.
The dreadnought was equipped with a Line Combat Computer and had not invested a single point in evasion. It simply swung its bow around and aimed the enormous muzzle of its T Slot Titan weapon at the nearest Cruiser.
A blue Titan Lance streaked across the starry void. Its energy beam engulfed the Cruiser from bow to