The jurisdiction over affairs in this border region has always been ambiguous. If DarkStar were to appear on the official territory of either civilization, it would certainly be warned and driven away. However, due to the sensitivity of this area, neither fleet has taken any rash action.
The Holy Stone Border Defense Army, Third Squadron Command Ship, Streamer.
The atmosphere was solemn and tense. DarkStar was infamous, and Black Raven had an even more strained relationship with them. Commander Sivadi of the Third Squadron, his face stern, ordered in a deep voice, "All troops on high alert, stand by."
At this moment, the Streamer received a message from the DarkStar mothership. Sarota explained the purpose of the message, emphasizing that DarkStar had no intention of offending the Holy Stone or the Black Raven, but was only carrying out a capture operation targeting some mercenaries. Once the mission was completed, they would leave immediately.
Sivadi's tense expression relaxed slightly, and he replied without hesitation, "Reply to them that the Holy Stone can refrain from interfering in DarkStar's operations, but DarkStar is not allowed to engage in any suspicious activities during this period. We will monitor them from here, and hope they leave as soon as possible."
Sivadi is unwilling to engage in battle for several reasons. First, they don't want to provoke the DarkStar. The entire Shattered Star Ring knows about the history of conflict between the DarkStar and Goddora, and nobody wants to get involved. The most terrifying thing about the DarkStar is their unpredictability; if they can't win, they can run away, and their retaliation afterward can cause devastating losses in no time. Second, if they open fire, it could easily cause misunderstandings among the Black Raven, turning into a melee and igniting a territorial conflict. If they are convicted of intentionally provoking war crimes by a military court, the penalties are severe.
Due to territorial disputes, relations between the two civilizations are tense, with everyone on edge and on edge Holy Stone Civilization operates under an imperial system, ruled by a monarchy and nobility. Its political structure is complex, its decision-making efficiency is generally low, and it dislikes war, excelling in diplomacy and mediation. In terms of resources, connections, and military strength, it is slightly superior to the Black Raven Civilization. However, the Black Raven Civilization, due to its limited resources and arduous development process, has cultivated a resilient spirit and a high degree of collectivism. It has a centralized military system and high execution capabilities. Even though its national strength is not as great as the Holy Stone Civilization, the Holy Stone Civilization cannot defeat them. A large-scale war would inevitably result in mutual destruction, and both sides are intentionally trying to control the scale of the conflict.
Therefore, Sivadi was not only wary of the DarkStar, but also afraid of causing misunderstandings. The risk was too great, and he was hesitant to act rashly.
The most important reason why Sivadi decided to stand aside was that DarkStar's target was just a group of mercenaries, insignificant passersby. If they were not citizens of their respective civilizations, the two armies would not have gone to such lengths. Seeing that the Black Raven army was also waiting in place, Sivadi knew that the opposing commander had made a tacit decision not to intervene, but only to keep watch from the sidelines.
After all, the life or death of those mercenaries was irrelevant to both civilizations, like a drop of water falling into the ocean, insignificant.
So the fleet that rushed over remained silent and watched. Sivadi waved his hand, ordering his men to Reconnaissance the targets fleeing on the planet.
"Oh, so they're members of three large mercenary groups. They certainly have powerful backers, but unfortunately they've messed with DarkStar."
Upon seeing the observation report, Sivadi was slightly surprised, then shook his head and said, "It's best if they get caught quickly so DarkStar can leave sooner..."
From his own perspective, he would rather the mercenaries surrender than risk any complications.
The same scene also occurred on the Black Raven Civilization's command ship.
On the other side, the DarkStar mothership received a reply, and Sarota remained unfazed, as if she had expected that neither side would attack.
In another part of the planet, the Blades ship was Pursuit numerous floating vessels, Danger at Every Turn. Its shields were riddled with holes, and the repair speed could not keep up with the rate of destruction. Urgent system alarms kept the Blades mercenaries on edge.
"Faster, faster." Porter was covered in sweat and muttered to himself. As the situation worsened, he pushed past the original pilot and took control of the spaceship himself, but the situation did not improve.
Suddenly, a laser beam shattered the shield.
Bang!!
The shield flickered twice, reached its limit, and then disappeared instantly.
Everyone on the ship froze, Porter's expression changed drastically.
Without a shield, the main body is completely unprotected, and if it is targeted by concentrated fire, the spaceship will definitely crash.
Boom boom boom!
Just as the floating fleet was about to unleash the next wave of laser rain, a series of laser cannons shot out from the side, hitting the array and causing a chain of explosions.
Caught off guard, the floating fleet hastily dodged, their attacks completely missing their mark, narrowly missing the Blades ship.
In the distance, the Sky Ring spaceship sped towards them, followed by a Pursuit force. It was Han Xiao who had detoured back and hastily rescued his teammates. The Pursuit force posed no threat to him, and he led them around in circles. With this in mind, Han Xiao did his best to support his teammates.
The presence of teammates can share the firepower, and the longer teammates hold out, the less pressure you will face.
Han Xiao briefly halted the enemy, then immediately turned and fled. The Blades's shields recovered in the process, Porter nearly collapsed, his face a mask of relief at escaping death. "That was dangerous! I was almost dead."
At this moment, Han Xiao sent a message to the other two ships, "Don't run around recklessly. You can't handle the Pursuit alone. I'll send you the route. Even if you split up, don't stray too far apart. I'll provide support from time to time to maintain coordination."
"Why are you driving the boat now?" Porter asked in surprise.
"We trust him to sail the boat."
Goya's voice came from the side. Porter looked in the direction of the voice and was immediately shocked. He saw that the lower bodies of all the mercenaries in the Sky Ring cabin were frozen solid and firmly fixed to the deck, like half-body ice sculptures. It was Goya who used magic to help them stand up.
They don't seem at all at ease!
Porter's eyelids twitched violently.
However, Han Xiao's proposal was accepted without question. The Blades and Purple Gold teams agreed to carry out Han Xiao's plan, quickly change their route, and maintain contact with each other. If they were in danger, Han Xiao would switch to their aid.
Having resolved several urgent crises in succession, Han Xiao proved to be an excellent interstellar teammate. Other ships also recognized his piloting skills, expressing their amazement and gaining his complete trust.
Han Xiao temporarily stabilized the situation. The three ships, leading hundreds of floating vessels, wandered aimlessly around the planet. Half an hour passed in a flash, and the floating fleet could not catch up, resulting in a stalemate.
On the DarkStar mothership, Sarota looked impatient.
"Over three hundred floating ships are fighting against three ships, how come they still haven't caught them?"
The original plan was to finish the battle in ten minutes and then retreat quickly. Sarota was very dissatisfied with the current situation and stared at the Sky Ring spaceship on the screen with a hostile look in his eyes.
"It's all because the ship's pilot is too skilled that they've delayed us... Send more medium-sized warships to surround this area and cut off their escape route."
The order was given, and more warships detached from the DarkStar mothership and sailed towards the planet in droves.
Sivadi, seeing this scene from the bridge of the Streamer in the distance, was somewhat surprised.
"Faced with Pursuit DarkStar and trapped on the planet, those three small spaceships managed to delay for half an hour, not only avoiding capture but also forcing DarkStar to send reinforcements..."
"But if this continues, it will only drag on longer and longer..."
Through the ship's porthole, everyone saw that the DarkStar mothership, which was hovering in outer space, was making some moves, with more warships descending to the surface.
"Oh no, DarkStar has reinforced its forces!" the weapon pilot exclaimed.
"It was bound to happen sooner or later, no need to make a fuss."
Han Xiao glanced out the window, unsurprised, as if he had expected it; his eyes flashed.
'Reinforcements started arriving in just half an hour. DarkStar is changing tactics faster than I expected. In game terms, this means the difficulty levels of this mission are changing very quickly. How am I supposed to stall for the next two days...?'
Han Xiao sighed helplessly. Currently, piloting the spaceship seemed quite safe, but in reality, he was still dancing on the edge of a knife. Once DarkStar became completely impatient and didn't care about resource consumption, causing a big commotion, such as forming an encirclement, he would have nowhere to escape. After all, piloting skills have their limits, and he was only piloting a small spaceship, not an interstellar mech.
After regaining his composure, Han Xiao decided to proceed with the next phase of the plan. However, at that moment, all three spaceships received the same message.
"This is the Third Squadron of the Holy Stone Border Defense Army. We have received your distress signal and have arrived near the planet. We request that you assemble at the coordinates, where we will meet you and provide shelter."
Accompanying the message was the coordinates, not far from here. This news acted like a shot in the arm, instantly boosting everyone's spirits.
"The Holy Stone is willing to lend a helping hand; we are saved."
All the mercenaries on the three ships were overjoyed.
Han Xiao frowned, thought for a moment, and immediately poured cold water on everyone's enthusiasm.
"I feel something's off..."