The logistics fleet mainly consists of transport ships, cargo ships, and industrial ships. They are relatively large and, although equipped with weapons and shields, their flexibility and firepower are not comparable to combat ships of the same technological level. Therefore, they are tucked away in the center of the camp and protected by the outer armed fleet.
At this moment, some of the logistics ships were virtually hacked and rammed into the escort ships from the inside out, instantly tearing apart the Expeditionary Fleet's formation. The shipborne weapons were also not idle, frantically firing from behind and attacking the rear of the escort ships.
Because the outer armed fleet did not inject much energy into the tail shield, its rear was instantly hit hard, and multiple formations fell into chaos.
"Get those out-of-control ships under control! Stabilize them! Other ships, immediately reinforce your intelligent defenses and increase the frequency of system self-checks!" Roddick had no time to think about anything else, and hurriedly directed the fleet to deal with the emergency.
Beyond Grade A virtual mechanics have always been a major weapon in interstellar warfare; any fleet would have a headache if it encountered such an enemy.
The only permanent solution is to shut down all ship intelligence, which would paralyze the command system, essentially tantamount to committing suicide with the fleet.
Currently, spaceship control and communication systems based on quantum networks are the most usable in the universe. Other artificial intelligence and communication systems, such as those based on magic or biology, exist, but they have more drawbacks.
For example, using magic to transform a spaceship into a sentient alchemical organism would result in a cost many times higher, a control efficiency far lower than quantum network technology, and incomparable communication distance and efficiency. Furthermore, it would have many more weaknesses. In a parallel comparison, its encryption is not as good as the firewall of a quantum network, and it would be completely useless against magicians and telekinetic practitioners.
Civilizations throughout the universe have methods to prevent virtual intrusion, but whether these methods are effective depends primarily on the strength of the adversary.
Faced with Han Xiao, who is now at the Peak Beyond Grade A, the intelligent defenses of the Modo Civilization are obviously no match. They can only delay the intrusion of other ships, but cannot truly keep Han Xiao out. No matter how hard they struggle, the defenses will still be breached one after another, and Han Xiao will inject data into them.
Taking back the spaceship, which Han Xiao has already seized control of, is virtually an impossible task.
On the battlefield, the Expeditionary Fleet was attacked from both the front and the rear, forcing it to sever a portion of its fleet to turn back and contain the chaos caused by the out-of-control ships. The scene became extremely chaotic, with attacks coming from both ends, and the Modo Civilization fleet was gradually becoming overwhelmed.
Some of the out-of-control ships broke through the formation and escaped, only to be captured by the attackers. Others, however, ran amok, launching suicide attacks, targeting not only the escorting ships that surrounded them but also other logistics ships that were not out of control.
To cut his losses, Roddick had no choice but to have some logistics ships destroyed. Watching these ships, carrying a large amount of critical resources, turn into fireworks in space, his face was incredibly grim, his expression almost contorted.
The Shattered World now teeming with people, and although this route is secluded, people still pass through it. The energy fluctuations emanating from this battlefield spread outwards, quickly attracting the attention of many passing fleets.
Most people, seeing such a large-scale interstellar war scene, were afraid of getting involved and dared not linger, quickly taking a detour to leave.
However, some forces cautiously approached and observed from a distance. Upon seeing the insignia of the Modo Civilization fleet, they couldn't help but discuss it among themselves on the wide-area communication channel.
"The Modo Civilization's fleet was attacked?"
"Who did this? How dare they provoke the Supercluster Civilization, and they even seem to have the upper hand."
"We've only just entered the Shattered World, yet they've managed to mobilize so many troops; it's almost certain the attackers are from the Empire."
"The attackers concealed their faction's insignia; we don't know who they are."
"Tsk tsk, people hide their identities to avoid leaving evidence. Don't speak carelessly, or you'll get into trouble."
These passing forces may watch the show, but no one will get involved; nobody wants to get involved.
The battle was fierce, Roddick ordered the fleet to move while fighting, with the battlefield constantly approaching the location of the next stargate station.
The Imperial fleet was stationed at the Stargate Station. Although Roddick knew that the attackers were inextricably linked to the Empire, the Empire could not openly attack the Modo Civilization. Otherwise, the negative impact would be too great, not only damaging the Empire's commitment to the free and open rules of the Shattered World, but also leaving a political handle against it.
Influenced by the Supercluster Civilization, he knew the true nature of the three major cosmic civilizations all too well. In his eyes, the Three Universal Civilizations were not only scoundrels, but also hypocrites who insisted on making their dominance legitimate.
With so many onlookers present, Roddick knew that the Imperial fleet at Stargate Station would have to come to their aid, so getting close to Stargate Station would force the attackers back.
The fierce battle continued for a while before the attackers finally stopped their attack and withdrew from the battlefield. They entered warp mode and disappeared in a series of streaks of light, leaving the radar field of vision and vanishing without a trace.
"The enemy has escaped." Seeing this, Lagos's tense body relaxed, and he hesitated, "Should we pursue them?"
"We can't chase them, this isn't our territory."
Roddick's face was grim. Though furious, he hadn't lost his composure. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Clean up the battlefield and take stock of the losses."
The losses were quickly tallied, and the adjutant walked to the side, not daring to look at Roddick's face, and cautiously reported.
"Report: Our side has lost 8% of its armed frigates, and 29% of its armed frigates have suffered varying degrees of damage and are undergoing Nano Repair. The Logistics Department has lost 37% of its ships, of which 15% were captured by the enemy, primarily transport ships..."
Roddick's vision went black.
The Logistics Department was wiped out by more than a third, and a huge amount of resources were lost. This ambush caused them a devastating loss!
Huge loss!
"This is outrageous!" The Three Kings of Modo were as black as the bottom of a pot. Their communications had been maintained the entire time, and they had witnessed firsthand the devastation suffered by the Expeditionary Fleet.
The three kings had high hopes for the Expeditionary Fleet and Roddick, but now, having just entered the Shattered World, they had suffered such a great loss. Their disappointment and anger towards Roddick were palpable.
"I'm sorry, this is my negligence." Roddick hurriedly turned around, gritting his teeth and accepting the blame.
As the commander, Roddick couldn't shake off the blame no matter what. He had fallen into the trap himself, so he couldn't blame the enemy for setting one at the Tu Shu. Even if he had a reason, the loss was a loss, and it was a fact that he hadn't protected the Logistics Department. If he tried to make excuses, he would easily leave the three kings with the impression of "shirking responsibility." So, no matter how frustrated he was, he could only swallow it down.
"We entrusted you with command of the Expeditionary Fleet because we trusted your abilities, but your current performance makes us question whether this appointment was the right one..." the Three Kings of Modo reprimanded sternly.
Roddick didn't dare to talk back to the leader. He stood up straight and took the scolding, being reprimanded like a grandson. He could only keep promising to be more careful in the future.
After giving him a dressing down, the Three Kings of Modo finally instructed him to handle the follow-up issues as soon as possible before hanging up the communication with a dark face.
Roddick straightened up, his face ashen, utterly seething with frustration.
He knew that this incident had left a bad impression on his superior, and if he couldn't redeem himself, his future would be bleak.
A chilling atmosphere filled the room. Everyone present watched Roddick with trepidation. Roddick was supposed to give orders to the fleet to carry out the next operation, but no one dared to provoke him.
Lagos coughed and forced himself to speak:
"The Empire only has a handful of Beyond Grade A mechanics. Although the other party used virtual intrusion, they haven't shown themselves. Based on the efficiency of their virtual intrusion, I estimate Black Star is the most likely candidate."
"No need to guess, it's him!" Roddick's tone was icy, filled with anger.
"Unfortunately, we have no evidence, he..."
"So what if we have evidence?!" Roddick interrupted him, gritting his teeth.
Even if they knew the attackers were most likely from the Black Star Army, it wouldn't make a difference. The Shattered World was their territory, and with their small force, going after the Black Star Army would be tantamount to suicide.
Roddick had just attempted to board the enemy, hoping to capture their crew as evidence, but the attackers maintained their distance, preventing him from succeeding. However, in his view, even with evidence, it wouldn't have much impact on the Black Star Army —in the Shattered World, the Black Star Army, this local tyrant, could do almost anything!
Although the Modo Civilization is a supercluster civilization, its main base is in the Ancient Star Desert, far away from the Shattered Star Ring and the Shattered World, making it difficult for them to reach. No matter how powerful they are, they cannot do anything to the Black Star Army. Moreover, they are not a cosmic civilization with a large number of Beyond Grade A allies, so they have no way to deal with Black Star himself.
As a result, despite knowing his opponent's identity, Roddick was unable to retaliate and could only watch helplessly as his enemy targeted him, leaving him so frustrated that he was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
Thinking of this, Roddick's mood worsened. He took a few deep breaths, turned sharply to glare at Lagos, and roared, "Contact Garoze! I want to personally question him about why he didn't come to fight!"
Now the only thing to do is to vent your anger on someone else, but Garoze does bear some responsibility. He was so close yet didn't join the fight. I don't know what's wrong with that little guy. Roddick has every reason to be angry.
Lagos had no choice but to contact Garoze again. The call was quickly connected, and Garoze's image appeared on the screen.
Roddick preemptively roared, "Give me a reason!"
Garoze frowned, his face expressionless, and said calmly, "Watch your attitude."
Facing the formidable Black Star, he was filled with awe and lacked confidence. However, when facing Roddick, he instantly regained his Beyond Grade A aura, practically wearing the word "aloof" on his face.
In short, it's authentic.
Why were you watching from the side?
"I'll talk to your boss and terminate your employment then." Garoze hung up without explanation.
When he accepted the job, he thought the mission was just to deal with competition from other external forces, but he didn't expect to provoke Black Star. The job became unprofitable, so he didn't want to continue. Even if he breached the contract and suffered some losses, it was better than getting involved in the conflict between the Modo Civilization and the Black Star Army.
Since they were about to terminate his employment, he naturally wouldn't reveal Black Star's existence—offending both sides would be incredibly foolish. Since he had chosen to stand on one side, he would see it through to the end.
Besides, he didn't want to admit that he was afraid of Black Star, so he didn't want to tell outsiders the reason.
But this arrogant and condescending attitude caused Roddick's blood pressure, which he had finally managed to lower, to spike again!
--Oh, so they think I'm not important enough, and they're too lazy to even explain why?!
"A bunch of bastards!"
Roddick was trembling with rage, repeatedly clenching and unclenching his fists, his expression as ugly as if he had eaten shit.
Lagos looked distressed. "We've lost a lot of equipment and resources, and we can only draw on the inventory from our rear bases. This will inevitably slow us down, and the impact on our strategy is enormous..."
All forces are competing, and being behind from the start means losing a huge amount of potential benefits. Lagos didn't dare to think about it; his heart was bleeding.
It can be said that the Modo Civilization's development plans in the Shattered World were completely disrupted by this attack!
Just then, the Imperial patrol fleet, tasked with maintaining order, finally arrived late and sent a communication request, with the image of an Imperial officer appearing on the screen.
"We Detection energy reactions from a battle. What just happened here?"
Roddick took a deep breath, his face grim, and recounted what had just happened.
The imperial officer nodded. "We are aware of the situation and will immediately send people to track it down. We will notify you as soon as we have any news."
Having said that, the Imperial patrol fleet turned and scattered, chasing after the attackers.
They appeared to be diligently fulfilling their duties, but Roddick and Lagos both knew perfectly well that the Empire's pursuit would be fruitless.
Meanwhile, a group of attackers stopped in a certain area, entered Stealth mode, gathered the captured logistics ships together, and began to move the resources on board.
The captured crew of the Modo Civilization were all herded into a spaceship with its communication signals blocked, all their equipment was confiscated, and they stared in fear at the armored warriors holding weapons all around them.
At that moment, an armored soldier stepped forward from the crowd, took off his helmet, revealing a baby face—it was Nero.
Upon seeing him, the crowd stirred immediately. Some who had seen Nero's file immediately recognized that the attackers were from the Black Star Army.
Nero looked around at everyone, trying to put on a dignified expression, but this only made his baby face look even cuter.
"Now you have two paths before you: first, death; second, to give up your freedom in exchange for life, to work for us forever."
The crowd fell silent, and then a voice suddenly rang out:
Aren't you afraid we'll betray you?
Nero narrowed his eyes. "Who's speaking?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a short Modo People stepped forward and said in a low voice, "I am the deputy head of logistics accompanying this mission, and also the leader of the engineering and technical team. I am a Engineer."
Nero's eyes lit up.
It seems they've captured one of their senior technical officials?
"You don't need to worry about this. You will never have the chance to contact the outside world and will forever remain in the shadow of the Legion," Nero said slowly. "Those who are unwilling, we will not force them. The hatch is right next to you. Jump into space yourself. Choose now."
"It seems we have no other choice." The deputy logistics manager looked helpless.
The group looked at each other, and without much hesitation, everyone chose the second path.
Soon, Nero selected the technical talents among them. These people were useful and would secretly serve the legion in the future, squeezing out any remaining value.
As for the other non-technical crew members, according to Han Xiao's instructions, they would be sent to the Kunde Race's planet. Whether they became slaves or were torn apart by the Kunde Race, it didn't matter to him, since they were all just for the Kunde Race to vent their anger on.
These people who participated in the expedition of the Modo Civilization were mostly soldiers. They may not have known about the Kunde Race incident, but they can't be considered innocent. It's only right that they should repay the debts of the civilization... Revenge should be carried out with the spirit of Revenge; there's no room for soft-heartedness.
Han Xiao, who was on his way to the Black Star Palace, received the good news from Phillip and nodded, quite satisfied.
"Now, it will be even more difficult for the Modo Civilization to develop in the Shattered World."
Han Xiao ordered his fleet to attack the Modo Civilization's expeditionary force under cover of darkness. As long as he didn't leave behind any solid evidence, even if the enemy knew it was him, it wouldn't affect him.
He did not intend to annihilate Roddick's fleet, nor could he completely extinguish the hopes of the Modo Civilization.
Only by ensuring their continued investment of resources in the Shattered World can we launch a long-term revenge. Otherwise, if they truly stop coming to the Shattered World, we'll have to go to their territory, the Ancient Star Desert, to deal with the Modo Civilization, which will be much more troublesome.
Now, the Modo Civilization will replenish its resources, ensuring a steady and sustainable supply.
Cutting flesh with a dull knife is the most agonizing thing... Don't ask, it's pure torture.
In the previous version 4.0, the competition among external forces will become increasingly fierce, and there will be more and more incidents of people concealing their identities and attacking other forces.
Today, I've fired the first shot in my quest to Shattered World...
A glint of light flashed in Han Xiao's eyes.
"Just you wait, kid. This is only the beginning. You'll get your share of good juice later."