Warhammer: Striving to Be a Grinding Man

Chapter 172 The Internet Project (4)

A chilling aura of psionic energy rippled outside the portholes. The massive, mountain-like hull of the Eternal Bulwark lay nestled within the network hub, the Pale Judgment moored beside it. Bathed in the pale, golden light emanating from the Eternal Bulwark, the Gothic-class cruiser resembled a child's toy. This was a cruiser modeled after the Black Pearl, hastily constructed by Cohen in the Garros network port over a month. The two ships were essentially identical; the only difference was that it hadn't been artificially aged—it was now brand new, perfect, and far more intelligent, and Cohen had named it the Pale Judgment.

It did not use the sacred bone and boundary membrane structures employed by the Eternal Bulwark. The reason is that the protective systems of the sacred bone and boundary membrane rely on a continuous power supply of psionic energy from the network. If the Pale Judgment were to maintain equivalent protection, it would either need to absorb psionic energy directly from the network walls while in a defensive posture, like the Eternal Bulwark, temporarily sacrificing its mobility, or it would need to employ thousands of psionicists to continuously burn energy—capturing Eldar slaves from the Ark could theoretically solve the energy problem, but maintaining this consumption with human psionicists would be far too costly. The Eternal Bulwark's operational logic is that of a static fortress—it can absorb psionic energy from the network walls when defending, using the network's psionic energy circulation to construct an extremely high-strength defensive barrier, boasting astonishing defensive capabilities but equally astonishingly clumsy mobility. Garros needs it to block or seal off a certain network node, and this would be a competent solution.

Marcus will lead a highly skilled crew to take over the Pale Judgment. This crew, all urgently transferred from the Black Pearl, will be familiar with the Black Pearl and will naturally adapt to its sister ship more quickly.

The interior of the Eternal Bulwark was far larger and more complex than that of traditional Imperial ships, filled with Gothic domes, massive bronze pipes, and armored bulkheads engraved with prayers. The air was thick with the mixed smells of engine oil, ozone, and cooling metal. The interior structure was rough, with later-added pipes layered and intertwined. Although living quarters, industrial areas, and guard areas had been designated, most of the compartments remained empty and unused. Its most striking feature was its sheer size: a robust hull and a menacing array of weapons, like a thicket of iron thorns. Whether those arrays were actually used was another matter. Every detail revealed the haste Cohen had when he designed it.

The dock area is probably the busiest place on the entire Eternal Bulwark. Huge robotic arms swing through the air, precisely docking tons of components: sparks fly, plasma cutters shriek, and countless servants and technical priests move between four nearly completed artillery barges. These barges are roughly the size of the Eldar Nightscythe-class scout ships, equipped with macro cannons, long-range light spear arrays, and a small number of anti-aircraft weapon arrays. Their highly intelligent design allows servants to pilot them, and during critical mission phases, several technical priests can be directly assigned to manual piloting.

"Access confirmed, Director Cohen Severus, messenger of the great Ohm Messiah, human pioneer of the Webpath." A deep, mechanical voice echoed in the empty space. The energy shield of the isolation barrier flickered briefly before shutting down. All personnel within the Webpath were rigorously vetted and loyal. Their address to Cohen became increasingly exaggerated; the fanaticism of the Mechanicus cultists was growing more pronounced in the Webpath's closed environment, which he did not stop.

"Bombardment barge 'Anvil One', structurally stable, weapon systems synchronized, Shadow Field Array initialized." The senior technical priest in charge of the dock reported to Cohen, his voice calm and even, as if he were simply stating a fact.

"The core flight protocol has been loaded and the basic navigation logic has been injected. Temporarily docked at Port 019, Garros Network Channel."

""

The mechanical voice of the high-level technical priest rang out again.

A accompanying technical priest immediately operated a terminal to transmit the pre-set program to the barge. Soon, the barge slightly adjusted its attitude, its engine nozzles spewing out pale blue plasma streams, slowly propelling itself into the net-like vacuum zone outside the dock, like a newly brought-to-life steel behemoth, hovering in the darkness awaiting instructions, while its carrier-based aircraft silently operated inside.

Over the next few days, four identical artillery barges were completed one after another and lined up neatly in the Netway harbor. Their appearance was full of pragmatic, violent aesthetics; every inch of armor served survival, every void shield array was ready to meet the enemy, and every cannon was aimed at destruction.

"The servant pilot unit test is normal, and the weapon system cold start is complete," the technical priest reported. "Chief, the barge group is ready to carry out basic patrol and attack missions at any time."

"The progress is commendable," Cohen instructed. "The procedural instructions need to be clear. Servant mode is only suitable for simple single-ship patrol and reconnaissance missions. When formation operations, complex tactical maneuvers, and coordinated fire strikes are required, the technical priest must be assigned to pilot the ship, and the servant will become an auxiliary operator."

"Command confirmed!" the mechanical voice announced.

This is the core logic of the Lucis design blueprints. The mechanical servant's logical framework is too rigid and cannot cope with the ever-changing battle situation. Only by combining the organic judgment of the Tech-Priest with the precise control of the mechanical body can the firepower projection capability of the artillery barge be squeezed to its limit.

Meanwhile, news of everything being ready inside the Web of Wangshu reached Garros. Several hours later, Marcus's team had assembled in the dome of the Web of Wangshu's deepest gate.

Marcus stood at the forefront, the blue halo of his right mechanical eye glowing steadily in the dim light of the ripples in the void. Behind him was a highly skilled crew—bridge operators, damage control team, gunnery officers, and communications officers—all elite personnel drawn from the Black Pearl, dressed in standard Type 100 power armor and covered by dark gray tactical cloaks.

Sera stood in the middle of the line, her third eye glowing a pale purple through a gap in the metal disc on her forehead. Hera stood beside her. Their mission was to prepare for entry into the Reality Tribunal—once the main gate was secured and the area confirmed, Sera would lock onto the direction of the star torch, and Hera would broadcast the coordinates back to Garros in Star Language.

"Let's go," Marcus said.

Marcus turned and stepped into the void ripples, followed by the procession behind him.

Inside the network of passageways, a five-meter-diameter tunnel stretched out in the cold glow of psionic energy. The walls gleamed with the unique, cool white psionic light of the sacred bones, and psionic pulses flowed slowly along capillary-like patterns. The transport servants automatically made way as they entered; priority logic was ingrained in the cognitive core, prioritizing personnel over supplies. The servants automatically paused, moved aside, and cleared the main passage. The procession advanced along the marked directions, the soles of their power armor boots striking the sacred bone ground in a rhythmic beat. At intervals along the way, there was a terracotta airtight door that automatically slid open as the procession approached, closing again afterward; each section of the tunnel could be independently sealed.

After walking for several tens of minutes, the passageway suddenly widened at a certain point, transitioning into a corridor several tens of meters wide. The pristine white walls of the sacred relics extended from both sides to the upper levels, the cold light fading into hazy shadows over a greater distance. Electromagnetic tracks were laid along the center, and the railcar stopped at the starting point, its doors opening. Marcus boarded the first carriage, and the line took its place in turn. The railcar started moving, and outside the window, the walls of the sacred relics transformed into a rapidly receding pale white band of light.

The railcar arrived. Suddenly, the view outside the porthole opened up—the Garros A-Netway Port stretched out in a cavity hundreds of kilometers in size. The dome was so high that it could only be seen with the extended field of vision array of a power armor. The edges were littered with the remnants of Eldar ruins, and numerous engineering munitions were clearing away the debris, moving the cut components to designated warehouses. The silhouette of the Eternal Bastion emerged on the side of the cavity, the three-thousand-kilometer-long behemoth gleaming with a dim golden sheen in the cold psionic light.

The group entered the Eternal Bulwark through a connecting passageway. The passageway walls were lined with ceramic steel panels and life support pipes, maintaining the air temperature and humidity within a habitable range. Escort aircraft lined up at key points, their optical lenses lighting up and then turning off sequentially as the group passed by.

The Foundry Hall is located midway across the Eternal Bulwark, accessible only by a dedicated shuttle vehicle. The nearly 10,000 square meters of space unfolds under a cool light, with a high-hanging dome. Cold white light pours down through the gaps in the adamantine skeleton, illuminating the central adamantine-cast statue of Om Messiah—a composite of gear and skull, half intricately meshed gear train, half the outline of a human skull, with eternally burning psionic cores embedded in the empty eye sockets. Huge Gothic murals adorn the walls, decorating the entire hall. Service servants are already lined up at the entrance, waiting.

Cohen sat at the head of the table, surveying the room. Isa Velen, Marcus, Sera, Hera, two high-ranking technical priests, a dozen or so high-ranking members of the Apostolic Guard, dozens of ordinary technical priests, and key personnel drawn from the Black Pearl had all gathered on the Eternal Bastion. Of the tens of thousands of men Marcus had brought, most had already gone to the Pale Judgment to familiarize themselves with the ship under the guidance of their servants, while the core personnel sat down on either side of the long table with Marcus. Kara's main Stormstrike force had been stationed on the Eternal Bastion for several months, and Kara was currently leading a small squad on a mission to guard the Forge Hall. Isa Velen sat to one side, wearing a dark gray robe, the silver light of the shielding runes on her forehead faintly visible—the Netpath Psionic Force had long been stationed there, and she was the commander of this force. Sera and Hera sat at the end of the long table.

"Marcus, begin the mission briefing."

Marcus flipped open the data panel: "Four artillery barges, the specialized Gothic-class cruiser, the Black Pearl's sister ship, the Pale Judgment, will be carrying out special operations. Now, let's begin the overall tactical briefing." He paused briefly, looking at his old crew from the Black Pearl, "This is why you were selected. The Pale Judgment is easier to operate; we only have two weeks to familiarize ourselves with the ship."

He swiped on the holographic projection, and the three-dimensional cross-section of node 0124 unfolded above the table.

"Continuous observation records show that the recent passage pattern of main gate 0124 has exhibited new characteristics." Marcus swiped on the holographic projection, and observation data with timestamps popped up at the edge of the screen.

"A total of four passage events were recorded at this node. The first three were short-range patrols by a single Yashin-class reconnaissance ship, with round-trip intervals of about two to three weeks—typical characteristics of reconnaissance or liaison missions. The time window for such operations is usually no more than one month from departure to return."

He turned to the next page, and the data projection switched to a timestamp from a month ago.

"Fourth observation: In the tenth month of Imperial Calendar 944, a Dark Eldar fleet was observed to be setting out. The fleet consisted of one Torture-class cruiser, two Nightscythe-class frigates, and one Nightscythe-class reconnaissance ship. All of them entered the real universe through Main Gate 0124, with their direction unknown, but it is speculated to be a large-scale raiding operation."

"Based on the analysis of the Eternal Bulwark Intelligence Department and the Supreme Command of the Garros Fleet regarding the Dark Eldar's past raiding patterns, a fleet of this size—led by a cruiser, escorted by frigates, and with scouts deployed ahead—typically stays in the real universe for about two to three months. This fleet has been at sea for about a month and is expected to return within the next month to a month and a half. Upon return, it will be fully loaded: cargo holds and decks will be piled high with spoils and slaves, and the crew will be exhausted and relaxed after weeks of raiding, with their vigilance at its lowest. The return voyage is considered a safe phase, during which the ships may increase spacing depending on their load and damage, with greater spacing between them than when they set sail."

He paused for a moment, the blue halo of his right mechanical eye shining steadily.

"The ambush window has been identified—the enemy formation is expected to return through this gate within the next month to one and a half months. We will complete our deployment within a few days and enter a period of silent waiting. The earlier the window, the shorter our waiting time and the lower the risk of exposure; the later the window, the longer the infiltration time and the higher the risk of exposure."

Cohen picked up the thread: "The mission timeline is clear—the Pale Judgment fleet must reach node 0124 within twenty days."

The deployment at the network hub commenced, followed by a period of silent observation. The window of opportunity is two months. If the enemy fleet returns within this period, the operation will proceed as planned. If there is still no activity after two months, the fleet will be withdrawn to the Garros network port for reassessment.

Marcus continued, "The enemy formation is larger than the single reconnaissance ship previously observed. A Torture-class cruiser, along with two frigates and a reconnaissance ship as escorts—if they are allowed to pass through the main gate and deploy in the cavity, our fleet's firepower will not be sufficient to quickly suppress the entire formation."

He drew a few lines on the projection, and a set of preset firepower schemes popped up on the cavity 3D model.

"Our goal is not to repel them—the communication environment of the Web dictates that information blocking is already accomplished by the Web itself. The Eldar transmit information through the psionic channels in the Web's walls, essentially using the Web's framework as a signal carrier. This communication method requires pre-set resonant nodes; that is, the Eldar must know the other party's psionic frequency and the target node's location to complete targeted transmission. The Dark Eldar typically only maintain this communication between fixed patrol routes and known nodes. Random encounters, non-predetermined nodes, and non-preset frequencies make communication virtually impossible within the Web."

"Gammo is a separate space located deep within the network, and its connection to the external network is established through specific nodes. Fleets that leave Gamo to carry out raids can only establish a communication link with Gamo on their return journey after passing through a predetermined return node and entering the outer area of ​​Gamo."

He paused, allowing his words to fully resonate with everyone present.

"This is the first network node outside of Garros that we have discovered. The fact that there has never been any activity from the Dark Eldar fleet before indicates that this node is not within the coverage area of ​​Gamor's regular communication network. The fact that no communication signals were observed in the four observations also corroborates this. Unless a single enemy ship physically leaves this node, they cannot send any information to Gamor."

"This means the tactical focus is on ensuring that no enemy ship can physically escape. The network has already done the information blockade for us; we only need to complete the physical blockade. Therefore, all enemy ships must be completely destroyed. Leave no survivors, no signals, and no traceable wreckage. Letting even one enemy ship go could mean that Garros' foothold in the network will be overwhelmed by a swarm of enemies."

He drew out a new firepower plan on the projection.

"The core logic of the artillery barge and the Pale Judgment's fire suppression is this: if a reconnaissance ship enters first through the window of the main gate before it has fully deployed within the cavity, concentrate all firepower to destroy it; after each enemy ship enters, immediately target the newly entering ship. The key is that the enemy is not yet firmly established, and the sensory confusion when passing through the main gate will delay their reaction. Prioritize precision strikes on the engine nozzle base and attitude thruster connection to completely paralyze their maneuverability. First, ensure they cannot escape, then clear them out one by one. Valuable enemy ships that have not yet been destroyed can be boarded and cleared out depending on the situation. But remember, the prerequisite for boarding is that the fourth warship must have been completely destroyed or disabled."

"Once the enemy formation is completely paralyzed, each ship can freely decide whether to open the boarding gates. Storm Assault Team, Escort Force, Armed Servant, Starfortress Marines, all set off fully loaded this time."

Marcus surveyed the group. "Before this, everyone, keep your eyes wide open. After all the enemy ships have entered the network, the Director will pilot the Stormbird through the main gate into the real universe to perform the gate structure disassembly and data acquisition mission. At that time, the fleet needs to pay attention to the coordination of firepower to ensure coverage gaps. Most of you have already experienced what happens next in Chogris."

"The enemy formation cannot maintain a dense formation when crossing, so they must pass through one ship after another, requiring a roll call one by one."

Our fleet's firepower at close range is sufficient to cripple all four ships. We possess absolute superiority in an ambush position; we must not allow any enemy ship to deploy or disengage within the cavity.

"If an enemy ship attempts to accelerate away after being shelled during transit, the Pale Judgment's Adamantite Ram will come in handy—especially enemy cruisers, which may not be instantly disabled. At that point, boarding and clearing them out will be carried out. The Commander's Stormbird will pass through the main gate after the last enemy ship enters; the rest is up to you."

Cohen picked up the conversation, swiping across the holographic projection. The map switched to a 3D cross-section of node 0124, with a massive cavity unfolding in the projection. Scattered at the bottom were remnants of the Eldar ruins. On the far left side of the wall, slightly to the left, the outline of a three-kilometer-high Baroque-style doorway was marked in striking red. Along the edge of the projection, several dotted lines marked pre-designed concealed routes and potential firing positions.

"The mission must be ensured to succeed." Cohen's voice was not loud, but every word was as clear as if it were engraved on a metal plate.

"Close-in and concealed deployment. The fleet remains silent before entering the node cavity, the Shadow Field is activated at full power, and all non-essential systems are shut down. The artillery barges deploy before the Pale Judgment enters the cavity, occupying the shadowed areas on the flanks of the main entrance and the ruins at the bottom of the cavity. Each position has been pre-confirmed by Stormbirds, with a field of view covering the entire sector in the direction of the main entrance, while avoiding mutual obstruction of firing lines. The Pale Judgment enters last, sliding along the edge of the cavity wall into the pre-designated shadowed area."

It is the main force, requiring light lances and plasma macro cannons to ensure accuracy and full power output.

Marcus stood up and walked to the projection table, tracing his finger across the hollow 3D model: "There is no direct visual contact between these four positions. The bombardment barges' servitor systems cannot make independent operational decisions without the intervention of the technical priests. When the Dark Eldar main gate is activated, each ship must simultaneously activate its engines and weapon systems to create a multi-angle fire blockade of the main gate exit. Therefore, once in position, each bombardment barge must not adjust its position independently. Fire control calculations are completed autonomously by the technical priests on the bombardment barges after receiving unified instructions—transmitting calibration parameters via a pre-set short-range laser link to reduce the risk of communication signals being intercepted by Eldar sensors."

As the projection switches, a pop-up window with a timeline appears on the side of the screen.

"The gate opens and firepower is paralyzed. Based on the previous six observation records, the entire process of the main gate, from the initial ripples in the void to its full opening and then closing, takes about twenty to thirty minutes. Once the main gate begins to activate, the entire fleet's artillery will be preheated to ensure immediate detection and destruction."

Cohen looked at Isha. "Isha." Cohen didn't raise his voice, but as he uttered those two words, the commander of the psionic force looked up.

"Your psionic forces are all waiting on the Pale Judgment. After I transmigrate, the main gate will close. Count the time from the moment I transmigrate—activate the main gate 0124 using the Garros Network psionic frequency in twenty minutes. If unsuccessful, try again every ten minutes, for a total of ten times. If still unsuccessful, abandon the activation and wait for the fleet to clear the enemy before retreating to base together."

He turned to the end of the long table.

"Sera and Hera. Your mission is to enter the real universe with the Pale Judgment after Isa successfully activates the network and the fleet eliminates the enemy. Sera, confirm the coordinates; Hera, await further orders. Now, let's see what the next step is."

Isa nodded slightly: "Understood."

Sera's fingers tapped the edge of the table: "Understood."

Hera's hoarse voice continued, "Yes, Director."

Cohen turned to Marcus, Kara, and the others: "You will command the entire fleet. The boarding raids will be coordinated and handled by Kara and the other Legion Commanders and Data Craftsmen. I will be responsible for the Stormbirds and the Main Gate."

Marcus's right mechanical eye zoomed out slightly before returning to normal focus: "Understood."

The projection switches to a formation timing table, with each row marked with the time allocation nodes and task windows after arrival.

"Emergency plan." Cohen's voice didn't rise, but the instructions were as clear as if etched into metal. "If the firepower paralysis fails to prevent any enemy ship from breaking away from the node—any one escaping into the depths of the network could lead to Gamor discovering the node has been exposed—the Pale Judgment will abandon its crossing and begin pursuit. All artillery barges concentrate fire to intercept any enemy ship breaking away, destroying it at all costs."

He paused for a moment.

"If the pursuit fails, the ships will take turns providing cover for the retreat. If the boarding action encounters unexpected resistance, then retreat and use naval guns to completely destroy the enemy ships—Gallos does not have high expectations for the value of the enemy's equipment."

Marcus closed the data panel: "The fleet's departure window is clear. Whether they return within a month or two, the firepower plan and boarding clearance strategy are ready and will not change due to the length of the wait. Network communication eliminates the risk of information leakage, so we don't need to complete the operation before the enemy ships send out distress signals—we only need to ensure that no enemy ship physically leaves this point. This is a purely physical blockade and clearance mission, and the time window is relatively favorable to us."

"This is the revised mission plan. Everyone, prepare yourselves."

Cohen glanced around: "Any questions?"

Kara sat on one side of the long table, her finely crafted helmet resting on the surface: "If all four enemy ships are disabled simultaneously, should our forces deploy in unison?"

"No need. The only task for the boarding team is to take charge of the Torture-class cruisers, and whether or not to board will be executed as previously stated. If the enemy cruiser is not disabled immediately, the Pale Judgment will have to use its ram to keep it pinned down, in which case boarding will be the only option. You will coordinate the boarding team's clearing rhythm. The Starfortress machine gunners and the Cleric will fully cooperate with you. After the other enemy ships are disabled, they should be destroyed first, and boarding should only be considered if there is an opportunity."

Kara nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

Marcus asked, "What if we're detected by the Dark Eldar while we're in silent waiting? For example, through psionic scans or anomalies in the Webpath walls?"

Cohen's answer was brief: "No. The Shadow Field is more effective within the Web than in the real universe—the psionic background noise of the Web will mask anomalous signals. But if anything goes wrong, retreat. If any signs of exposure appear, the entire fleet immediately evacuates the node, returns to the Eternal Bulwark, cancels the mission, and waits for the next window."

Marcus closed the dashboard: "Understood."

Cohen stood up: "That's settled then. Twelve hours of rest. Then boarding for drills. Departing in two weeks. Meeting adjourned."

Over the next two weeks, the five ships completed the item-by-item debugging and joint drills of their internal systems. Marcus led his crew to board each ship one by one, repeatedly testing formation maneuvers and the coordinated coverage of the Shadow Field in the cavities surrounding Netway Harbor. The artillery barges were commanded by the Technical Priest, with servitors assisting with navigation and fire control. The Pale Judgment was personally commanded by Marcus. Cohen participated in every sea trial, every formation adjustment, and every round of ship debugging and correction.

Two weeks later, five ships sailed out of Garros Netway Port and entered the main Netway channel. Four artillery barges advanced in a diamond formation, with the Pale Judgment in the center. Cohen was not on the Pale Judgment; he was in a Stormbird at the very front of the formation. Isa Velen and the psionic forces had taken up their specially designed compartments on the Pale Judgment, where the magnified and directional structures of the psionic arrays were in place, ready to be reactivated after the main doors closed.

The entrance to the massive tunnel 029 loomed ahead of the formation. Its diameter of tens of kilometers was enormous—it was unimaginable how the Old Ones had laid out such a network across the entire galaxy, and this was merely a typical passageway. In any case, it was large enough to accommodate the entire formation. Out of caution, the plasma thrusters maintained half power. The speed was still considerable. After several hours of sailing, signs of corrosion began to appear on the walls. Cohen briefly hovered the Stormbirds, and the fleet behind slowed down. The field covered the damaged areas, the chaotic sediment was stripped away, the sacred bone structure was repaired layer by layer, the outer boundary membrane was reshaped, and the psionic energy channels were reconnected. Sometimes he needed to clear out the lurking chaotic creatures, their forms varied—some like twisted shadows, others composed of pure energy fields, which he then covered, decomposed, and their remains were converted into atoms and stored in the warehouse. The ships behind him maintained a distance of thousands of kilometers, barely staying at the edge of the electromagnetic communication link. Only after he cleared the passage did the formation resume its advance.

To ensure the rear passage remained unobstructed, Cohen continuously repaired the network along the way, taking four days to reach the hub. At the end of the passage, the network hub unfolded in a cold, white glow, its dome approximately 300 kilometers high, its base scattered with the ruins of Eldar ruins. On the far left side of the wall, a three-kilometer-high Baroque-style doorway outline was embedded in the wall—the large node main gate 0124, inactive.

The Stormbird on duty at the front slid out of the niche at the edge of the cavity. It then conducted an intelligence exchange with the fleet. Current status: The Nightscythe-class reconnaissance ship has returned without any unusual activity; the main gate remains closed. Enemy formation—one Torture-class cruiser, two Nightscythe-class frigates, and one Nightscythe-class reconnaissance ship—has not yet returned.

The Stormbird on duty entered the Pale Judgment's hangar. On the holographic tactical platform, the markers for the four artillery barges were already displayed in their designated positions—two in the shadowed area on the flank of the main entrance, one in the ruins at the bottom of the cavity, and one behind the upper relic beam. The technical priest markers on each ship were green and ready.

Cohen's Stormbird was moored close to the Pale Judgment's side armor, the Shadow Field merging the signal characteristics of both into one.

Through the porthole, aided by the power armor's field of vision array, one could see the main gate sleeping in a cold white halo.

"The Pale Judgment's entire ship system has passed self-check." Due to the close proximity, electromagnetic communication remained smooth, and Marcus's voice was steady and precise. "The four artillery barges have entered their designated positions, all technical priests are in position, and the servant squadron is online. The Shadow Field array has been activated synchronously, and silence has been established. According to calculations, there are approximately forty days left until the target window ends."

Instead of moving to the more comfortable cabins on the Pale Judgment, Cohen chose to remain on duty inside the Stormbird, issuing orders via communicator: "All fleet, silence. Shadow Fields at full power. All non-essential systems shut down, communications silent, active sensors offline. Waiting for the window. Duration—until the enemy formation returns, or the forty-day window ends."

"Pale Judgment understands."

"Anvil Number One understands."

The ships responded cleanly and efficiently, and the channel subsequently fell silent.

The ambush has begun. All that's left is to wait.

Meanwhile, in the shadows of the outer berths of Wangshu, the Garros fleet had begun to assemble, dividing into several sub-fleets to adjust the scale of the expedition as needed, awaiting Cohen's orders. The star-speakers in the Garros star-speaking relay tower raised their alert level.

At the spaceport, Phyllis stood on the bridge of the combat transport ship, Valiant. She was on a mission to the Turenstein adamantite route to verify whether the portable network portal could be activated in the target sector.

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