Several days later.
In the Desolate Universe Belt, the small spaceship carrying Han Xiao and his group approached a massive Crimson Dynasty fleet. This force belonged to the Imperial Border Defense Army and was designated the Thirty-Sixth Legion. It was the very force responsible for clearing out the Fallen Ark and was waiting to rendezvous with the Beyond Grade A combat power dispatched by the Empire.
After checking all passes and confirming the identity, the small spaceship entered the fleet formation and docked with the Guardian Class heavy armored flagship, which had a boxy appearance resembling a coffin.
laugh--
The hatchway opened, and Han Xiao and his group stepped into the main ship's cabin, where they were greeted by several officers.
"Your Excellency Black Star, Your Burning, Your Dragon Emperor Throne, I am the adjutant of Commander Mu Lieriqi, and I have been ordered to greet you." An officer said respectfully.
Although Ames is not an ally of the Empire, she is, after all, a neutral Beyond Grade A who came with Han Xiao, and the Empire will not neglect her.
Han Xiao nodded, and the group followed the adjutant. After walking for a while, they found themselves in the living quarters, not on their way to the bridge command room.
"The commander isn't meeting with us?" Beoni asked, puzzled.
The adjutant smiled apologetically and said, "The commander means that everyone should rest and recharge. He will handle the tactics, so you don't need to worry about it."
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't want to discuss this with us?"
"The commander is still discussing with his staff and can't leave for the time being. He'll inform you once the tactics are finalized, so please don't disturb him until then." The adjutant urged, "The enemy could break free of our lock at any moment, and the troops shouldn't be on standby for too long. We need to set off soon and will be engaging the enemy soon. Please rest well, as we'll need your combat power then."
Upon hearing this, Han Xiao and Beoni exchanged a glance and shook their heads. They clearly understood that Commander Mu Lieriqi, who had not shown himself, did not want them to interfere with the tactical arrangements and did not even intend to consult with them.
"Then let's rest." This was Han Xiao's first time fighting alongside the Imperial army, and since Beoni hadn't said anything, he had no objections either, and settled in as arranged.
Seeing that the three Beyond Grade A had no objections, the adjutant visibly breathed a sigh of relief, instructed his subordinates to settle Han Xiao and the others, then said goodbye and left, walking straight back to the bridge command room.
The command center was quiet. The personnel operating the instruments worked silently. Mu Lieriqi, the commander of the Thirty-Sixth Legion of the Border Defense Force, stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the huge star map. The staff officers around him were all silent.
"Commander, all three Beyond Grade A combatants have been settled in." The adjutant stepped forward to report.
Mu Lieriqi didn't even turn his head. "Do they have any objections?"
"No."
"Hmm, not bad. I don't like people who boss others around." Mu Lieriqi nodded slightly. "Notify the entire army to depart immediately."
He was in charge of this routine clearing operation. His troops had been on standby for a long time while waiting for the Beyond Grade A combat forces dispatched by the Empire. The Beyond Grade A combat forces arrived late, which displeased Mu Lieriqi. In his view, they had missed the opportunity to fight. However, the Beyond Grade A combat forces held a superior status and were not soldiers of the Empire, so he could not say anything.
He didn't have much affection for the Beyond Grade A that weren't directly affiliated with the Empire. As a fleet commander, he viewed things from a tactical perspective. In his eyes, although these Beyond Grade A ships held high positions, once stripped of their aura Pillar of the Nation, they were nothing more than highly destructive tools on the battlefield.
Mu Lieriqi didn't want these Beyond Grade A beings to meddle too much and take away his command authority. The Empire had entrusted these tools to him, so naturally he was to use them. Therefore, he felt there was no need to waste his breath discussing tactics with these Beyond Grade A.
No matter how high their status is outside, a fleet can only have one commander, and these Beyond Grade A soldiers only need to follow his orders.
He sent his adjutant to receive the Beyond Grade A personnel because he was too lazy to give them a perfunctory welcome and didn't even want to see Han Xiao and his group step into his command room.
Under Mu Lieriqi's command, the fleet sprang into action, transforming into streaks of light as it traversed the Desolate Universe Belt in pursuit of the enemy.
Inside the cabin, Han Xiao, Ames, Beoni gathered together, chatting casually.
"The commander of this fleet seems to be hostile towards us," Ames shook her head.
Beoni remained noncommittal, saying, "The Imperial Army places great emphasis on discipline, but Beyond Grade A are not part of the military organization and have never been able to unconditionally obey orders. Commanders' words carry little weight, so some Imperial officers have always disliked having Beyond Grade A like us bossing them around."
After a pause, Beoni added with some dissatisfaction, "Even so, this guy named Mu Lieriqi is too arrogant. He wouldn't even come to greet us personally, and told us to obediently wait for orders. Does he think we, the Pillar of the Nation, are his soldiers?"
Beyond Grade A soldiers are all powerful figures with immense influence. They have never been so disregarded before. If it were an outsider who dared to act arrogantly in front of him, he would crush them with a flick of his wrist. Unfortunately, this is an Imperial soldier, and he cannot be touched. Beoni was displeased.
Han Xiao, however, took it in stride, waving his hand dismissively, "After all, he's the commander. He needs to maintain his authority. There can't be a second voice in a unit. Although we hold high positions, it's not wrong for him to treat everyone equally. If we were to offer our opinions arbitrarily, he wouldn't be able to handle it. So, it's better to clearly define responsibilities from the beginning and not let us interfere with command."
Beoni glanced at him. "You really don't consider yourself a Beyond Grade A."
Han Xiao shrugged.
Some veteran Beyond Grade A officials, because they are superior to others and used to being bossy, do not tolerate any disobedience or disrespect. Their mentality is different, and they don't have that much temper.
After all, everyone has their own expertise, and he is a professional commander who doesn't want to be instructed by an amateur... However, although the reasoning is correct, Han Xiao also felt that Mu Lieriqi indeed arrogant.
No matter what, it's not too much to show some respect to the top powerhouses of the Galaxy. It's fine not to fawn over them, but why put on such airs? Do you think you're an Imperial Marshal?
Shaking his head, Han Xiao stopped dwelling on this point. He knew he would most likely encounter the true form of the Sorokin on this trip, so he needed to think things over.
"The Sorokin deliberately lured the imperial army, partly to test me."
Han Xiao thought to himself.
The Sorokin once offered to help him complete a task unconditionally in exchange for the right to use the Evolution Cube. He was tempted, but after thinking it over, he realized that he couldn't jump into this fire pit.
This person is wicked. The transaction itself is a trap. The identity of the Sorokin is so sensitive. If he really made the transaction, he would give them leverage. The Sorokin can survive in the cracks between the Three Universal Civilizations. Han Xiao simply doesn't believe that he has no connection with the Three Universal Civilizations. If he agrees to the Sorokin's request, the other party might betray him and report the matter to the Empire. He won't keep it a secret for him.
Once the Evolution Cube is used up, the Sorokin can turn his back on you at any time. He has little credibility, and the uncertainty is too great. Even if he fulfills his promise, he has plenty of ways to push himself to the opposite side of the Order. The Sorokin is not afraid to do bad things, and it would be too easy to drag him down.
Han Xiao had another worry: the fact that the Sorokin stole the Evolution Cube from Sisko revealed that he possessed data on the Evolutionary Civilization civilization, and since he could also use the Evolution Cube, it was easy for people to make connections, which must have aroused suspicion long ago. The Crimson Dynasty hadn't interrogated him, perhaps because they had secretly investigated and trusted him, but if the Sorokin were to be ruthless and frame him, it would still have some impact.
If this drags on, you can't hide forever. The Sorokin isn't dead; he won't be willing to be ignored forever. Once he loses patience, he'll definitely do something. At that time, I won't be in the Central Galaxy, making it difficult to clear my name and putting me in a passive position.
Joining the empire would lead to long-term development, so why take the risk? He had thought it through and was determined to make a clean break. He would never jump into this fire pit, since they wouldn't let him off the hook anyway. This time, he was going to completely oppose the Sorokin!
Some people's butts look tempting, but they actually have barbs!
"Your Sorokin, we have detected the Crimson Dynasty's forces behind us. At our current speed, they will soon catch up. Should we accelerate and outrun them, or turn around and engage them?"
On the flagship of the Fallen Ark branch fleet, the Sorokin avatar listened to his subordinate's report and waved his hand.
"Turn around and meet the attack."
He had this branch fleet loitering on the imperial border to lure the imperial army into action, so they naturally wouldn't run away.
The Fallen Ark has tens of millions of spaceships, and there are many hidden bases in the Desolate Universe Belt constantly assembling new spaceships. The Sorokin Gods are so powerful that they don't hesitate to use a branch fleet as bait.
If Black Star hadn't come, the Sorokin planned to capture some superhumans and take them back during this clash with the Imperial Border Defense Army, so as not to lose their fleet for nothing.
The Fallen Ark fleet turned to face the direction from which the Imperial forces were pursuing them, preparing for battle. Before long, the Thirty-Sixth Legion of the Imperial Border Defense Army appeared on the observation radar.
Although the Fallen Ark was a group of undisciplined thugs, they were not a mob. They immediately opened fire, launching a long-range volley at the Imperial forces, while simultaneously activating their thrusters at full power, charging fiercely towards the Imperial troops.
The Three Universal Civilizations and the Sorokin are old rivals. When they meet, they don't need to exchange words; they immediately start fighting.
The two fleets rushed towards each other, intersecting their respective formations, their lines locked in a fierce and chaotic battle.
Spaceships exploded in space, turning into dazzling fireworks, a beautiful yet cruel spectacle.
On the side of the battlefield lies a desolate planet, where wrecked ships fall like meteors to the ground, creating craters.
The Thirty-Sixth Legion's Guardian Class flagships unleashed their full firepower, firing endless streams of dark red annihilation rays of dark energy, destroying one Fallen Ark warship after another.
Looking at the 3D battlefield view, with the entire battle situation laid out before Mu Lieriqi, he stared at the enemy's flagship and spoke coldly:
"Strike first! Send those three Beyond Grade A out together and force the Sorokin out!"
The command rang out over the communication channel. Beoni frowned and said in a deep voice, "Sending all three of them into battle at once would immediately expose our trump card, wouldn't it?"
"You have no right to question me, carry out my orders!" Upon hearing the reply from the channel, Mu Lieriqi's tone turned serious, filled with unquestionable firmness.
Well, he'd run into a tough one... Han Xiao sighed helplessly.
The Crimson Dynasty is good in every way, except for this one thing: its civilization is too powerful, giving some of its officials too much of a sense of superiority and confidence.
A hint of displeasure flashed in Beoni's eyes, but it was best not to argue during the battle, so he held back and didn't say anything more. He turned around, jumped out of the hatch, and went straight into the battlefield, charging towards the enemy flagship where the Sorokin was located.
Ames was also somewhat unhappy. She shook her head and was about to step into the battlefield when Han Xiao suddenly called out to her and sighed.
"Sorry, I didn't know the Commander was like this. I've made you suffer because of me."
Upon hearing this, Ames paused in her steps and turned to look at him.
Her beautiful eyes sparkled, and any slight displeasure vanished, leaving only teasing.
Do you think I'm a child? Do I need your comfort?
His tone was full of laughter.
Having said that, Ames took to the air and joined the battle, flying towards the location of the Sorokin from another direction.
With a helpless smile, Han Xiao followed closely behind.
As soon as the three joined the melee, the battle situation immediately changed. Wherever Beoni passed, enemy warships suddenly burst into flames, emitting multicolored flames. Even the highly heat-resistant armor alloys were ignited on their own, turning into molten steel, and the entire ship melted and exploded.
Ames used her force field to grab countless enemy ships and sweep them left and right. The ship's shields collided and exploded with blinding arcs of electricity. The collision of the ship's hulls left huge gaps and swept out countless blank areas. Warships that got too close were squeezed from the outside in by the force field and exploded with a bang.
Both of them excel at area-of-effect (AOE) attacks, making them formidable weapons on the battlefield!
Han Xiao didn't need to lift a finger; he was happy to lead his mechanical legion to fish behind the two, only occasionally delivering a finishing blow to complete part of the mission requirements.
As the three approached the enemy's flagship, inside the flagship, the Sorokin's avatar looked at Han Xiao and his spirits lifted.
"They actually showed up..."
Buzz!
The next moment, his figure vanished from the spot and teleported in front of the three. Without even glancing at Ames and Beoni, his gaze was fixed on Han Xiao, and he eagerly sent a private telepathic message, his tone filled with anticipation.
"Black Star, you really do have an understanding with me. Have you decided to make a deal with me...?"
Bang! Without hesitation, Han Xiao unleashed a barrage of concentrated fire, bombarding the Sorokin's clone with endless Psionic Energy, sending sparks flying as he slammed it onto the surface of the desolate planet.
The three followed closely behind, hovering in the air above the desolate planet. Ames pulled out the Sorokin's clone that had been smashed into the ground with a tug, and the force field compressed the Sorokin's clone into a twisted black shadow, which was then rapidly pulled toward the three of them.
Beoni aimed his hands at the Sorokin's avatar from afar, and suddenly, raging flames erupted from the Sorokin's pitch-black body.
Han Xiao clasped his hands together and activated [Gene Liberation], and the mechanical legion opened fire on the immobilized Sorokin clone.
hiss hiss hiss--
The eerie blue light, like Rainstorm, pierced through the Sorokin's avatar time and again, disappearing into the depths of the universe along the gravitational arc of the desolate planet.
Snap!!
The Sorokin's avatar exploded into a cloud of black mist, which slowly dissipated.
Even Sisko could easily take down two Sorokin clones in a one-against-two fight. Faced with three legitimate Beyond Grade A beings working together, a single Sorokin clone with limited energy would only be crushed and annihilated.
"Good."
In the distance, on the flagship Mu Lieriqi nodded.
With Thunder, the enemy's Sorokin avatar was wiped out; all that's left is to destroy the enemy fleet...
Just as he was thinking this, a vortex of spatial energy suddenly appeared at the spot where the Sorokin's clone had perished, and an ugly man wearing a hood stepped out from the air.
The moment this person appeared, it seemed to bring boundless pressure, and the surrounding space and time seemed to freeze for a moment.
At that moment, Mu Lieriqi's expression changed drastically.
Beoni's relaxed body tensed up instantly.
Ames frowned.
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes.
What arrived was not a clone, but the true form of the Sorokin!
A notorious thug feared by even the most Beyond Grade A fighters!
The Sorokin stared indifferently at Han Xiao, and slowly spoke, his tone cold.
I am very disappointed with your reply.
"But... you shouldn't have been so close to me when you rejected me."