Warhammer, I really didn't intend to form a second empire!

The seams of the armor plates were reinforced with additional layers, and multiple layers of energy conduits were laid around the base of the turrets. The giant space stations suspended in orbit were arranged very densely...

Their fire coverage completely overlaps, leaving no gaps for penetration.

This is a very troublesome defensive line. This all-around, no-blind-spot tortoise-shell formation means that no matter how outstanding the commanders on the Qin side are, as long as the dwarves don't make any foolish mistakes in command, it will be impossible to take this place without spending enough time and money.

Han Xin magnified the images to the extreme resolution, trying to find some flaws on these planets. He captured some irregularly distributed protruding structures on the surface of the armor plates.

The raised surfaces were covered with a material different from the surrounding alloy, and the weld marks and details on the edges differed slightly from the dwarves' usual rough craftsmanship, making them seem more like some kind of later-added upgrade module.

He glanced back at the adjutant standing to the side of the command platform.

“Mark the coordinates of these protruding structures and send them to the 19th Army Corps so that they can prioritize identifying their purpose during the infiltration phase.”

Li Zuoche responded immediately, encrypting the coordinate data and transmitting it to the communication channel of the 19th Army Corps.

Han Xin turned his gaze back to the surface of the gray armor, tapped his fingertips slowly on the edge of the main control panel a few times, and frowned.

The battle in the river region has lasted for a long time, from the outer ring road to the core entrance, and now to the Wotan Alliance central fortress complex. The resources consumed along the way have been enormous, but the pace of the battle has never slowed down.

If there was anything that Han Xin was concerned about, it was the dwarfs' increasingly resilient resistance.

After the core entrance fell, Han Xin speculated that the dwarves might surrender or retreat en masse.

But the opposite was true. The orders to retreat and retreat were indeed given, but the dwarves did not collapse or surrender. Instead, they concentrated all their remaining strength in these last lines of defense and built each planet into a fortress.

Han Xin didn't know what to say about these stubborn mules. There are very few races that would rather be genocide than surrender, especially since they are indeed mutants, which is an indisputable fact.

What made these people, who were once fellow countrymen, refuse to surrender despite repeated attempts by the Qin Dynasty to persuade them to do so?

Han Xin didn't understand. The environment in the middle of the river was already so harsh. Wouldn't it be more promising to follow the Qin army to conquer the Milky Way than to stay here?

In an environment where people would probably fight over a piece of bread and yell "I'll get my revenge next time," how could following the Qin Dynasty really be a loss?

Han Xin pondered that if the leaders of the Wotan Alliance decided to hold out to the bitter end, then these fortresses might be more difficult to conquer than any defense line they had encountered before.

He had already keenly sensed something: the dwarves might still try to run away, and they were already carrying it out.

They probably wanted to wander through the Milky Way or escape the range of the starlight, so that the Qin Dynasty would be unable to continue hunting them down.

Han Xin's speculation was gradually verified by the infiltration reports of the 19th Army Corps over the next few days.

Farr personally led a team to conduct a close-up reconnaissance of one of the thirteen fortress planets, discovering a large number of fuel storage tanks and prefabricated modular compartments inside the irregular protruding structures on the surface of the armor plates.

The protruding welded joints are equipped with snap-fit ​​structures for quick disconnection, and the standardized transport barges are moored in the small dock on the back side of the fortress, ready to be started at any time.

That was definitely not part of the defensive fortifications; it was disguised as a retreat platform for the defensive fortifications.

Han Xin stood in front of the tactics panel, looking at the report, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

The dwarves were indeed preparing to flee, and they had been preparing for quite some time, starting their operation before the outer ring collapsed.

"Trying to run now? Too late!"

Chapter Forty-Two: Ancestral Core

On the night Han Xin confirmed that the dwarves were preparing to retreat, he did not issue any new attack orders.

He stood on the bridge of the command ship, looking at the images of the thirteen fortress planets, and continued to await further reports from the Nineteenth Legion.

Farr's infiltration team remained on the shadowy side of the planet marked "Fortress One" for nearly six Terran standard times.

After confirming the detailed layout of the retreat platforms disguised as fortifications, they quietly moved to a second adjacent fortified planet and conducted a similar close-range reconnaissance.

After completing his mission on the second planet, Far sent a brief oral report to Han Xin and the marshals via an encrypted channel.

"This evacuation is unlikely to be a small-scale one. These evacuation platforms are large enough to accommodate the population of an entire planet, and their fuel reserves can support long-distance interstellar travel. It is highly likely that they are preparing to lead the remaining population of their race to evacuate together."

After listening to the report, Han Xin did not make a judgment immediately, but cross-verified the contents of Far's report with the intelligence he had obtained from the battlefield in the previous few months.

On the conquered dwarven planets, engineering teams did find some abandoned prefabricated cabin components and fuel container remnants during post-war cleanup. At the time, they treated these as ordinary post-war waste and did not attract much attention.

However, it now appears that those abandoned parts were not randomly discarded waste, but rather surplus supplies that the dwarves did not have time to take with them during their retreat or that they deliberately left behind. They may even have been used to mislead the Qin Dynasty.

They have been carrying out two parallel actions over the past few months.

One force was resisting the Qin advance head-on, while another was secretly taking stock of their people and supplies, preparing for a large-scale migration.

Han Xin even suspected that the dwarves should have been ready to retreat when their core defense line was breached, but if they retreated like that, all their efforts in the river region over the years would have been in vain.

So they haven't run away during this time, presumably to take all that they've accumulated over the years with them, and maybe even take some of their people with them on their way.

They're about to run away, yet they're still thinking so much. Tsk, why didn't they run away while the Qin Dynasty was conquering these areas? Now they're only running away when the Qin army arrives.

Han Xin was speechless at the dwarfs' clumsy actions; they were still thinking about such things when their lives were hanging by a thread.

He quickly seized this rare opportunity to take some advanced technology and some of his people and escape, leaving another group of daredevils to hold off the enemy. As a result, the dwarves wanted everything.

People who want everything often end up with nothing.

However, this maneuver also gave Qin enough time to take them down.

Supporting such a large-scale migration operation for the Wotan Alliance's central command is an extremely complex and time-consuming process. The evacuation platforms are very large, and even with the dwarves' industrial efficiency, it would take a considerable amount of time to build and load them.

If the Qin Dynasty accelerates its offensive now, it may be able to break through the dwarves' last line of defense and prevent the ancestral core from being transferred before the dwarves complete their migration preparations.

On the night Han Xin confirmed that the dwarves were preparing to withdraw, he spent nearly two hours re-analyzing the entire battlefield situation.

He adjusted the advance routes and nodes of each fleet on the tactics panel, marked every route that the dwarves might use as an escape route, and then assessed the feasibility of blocking them and the required troop strength.

Those evacuation routes are distributed in all directions of the central fortress complex.

Most of the entrances to the passages are hidden in the shadowy areas of the asteroid belt or behind the shielding layer of nebula radiation. If Han Xin had not known in advance of the dwarves' intention to evacuate, he would likely have marked those areas as "low-threat zones" and ignored them during the normal clearing process.

When he finally finished his plan and looked up at the star map again, the gray planet outside the window had already turned nearly sixty degrees under the starlight, and the dense array of turrets on the surface had a uniform silvery-gray luster in the reflected light.

"Send word to all marshals and fleet commanders to come to my command ship before dawn to discuss this matter."

In the hours before dawn, the bridge of Han Xin's command ship was crowded with the main commanders of various fleets.

The holographic tactical panel projects three-dimensional models of the thirteen fortress planets, along with detailed terrain markings of the asteroid belt and nebula radiation zones surrounding them.

Company Commander Far of the 19th Army Corps stood to the side, with the reconnaissance records of his infiltration squad completed over the past week floating in front of him.

The retreat platforms, marked in orange, are distributed on the shaded side of each fortress planet, and their spacing and arrangement show a high degree of planning and consistency.

Han Xin stood in front of the main control panel and waited until the bridge was completely quiet before speaking.

"You have all seen Company Commander Far's report. The Wotan Alliance is preparing for a large-scale migration."

"The evacuation platforms on the thirteen fortress planets have completed the construction of their main structures and fuel storage. Judging from the loading progress of the prefabricated compartments, they will need some more time to complete the assembly of personnel and the preparation of supplies."

"With a one-week window, if we can break through their defenses before they finish loading, we can prevent them from transferring the ancestral core out of the river's core and even the galaxy."

"Everyone, let's share our thoughts. How should we fight this battle to take down these dwarves as quickly as possible?"

After Han Xin finished explaining his assessment, he opened up control of the tactics panel to the marshals and fleet commanders, allowing them to freely adjust and overlay their respective tactical plans.

The bridge was quiet for about half a minute, and then the marshals and commanders began to draw up attack routes on the star map with lines and marks of various colors on the tactical panel.

Wang Jian spoke first.

"They concentrated most of their defensive resources on the front and flanks of the planet, with significantly lower firepower density on the shaded side, in order to conceal the presence of the retreat platforms."

"This is to prevent their true intentions from being exposed too early, but it also means that the defensive capabilities of those retreat platforms themselves are limited. If we can launch a strong attack from the front, and if a few more fleets can cut in directly from the side of the shadows, we can destroy those platforms before they finish loading."

Sun Tzu continued.

"But the layout of the asteroid belt blocks the entrance passage on the shaded side. If we are discovered by a surprise attack from the rear, and our intentions are exposed in advance, the dwarves will speed up the loading process, or even abandon the loading in advance and directly evacuate with the unprepared supplies and personnel."

"So this time we not only need to attack from two sides, but we also need to be fast!"

Li Jing stood to the side of the tactical panel, his gaze fixed on the densest area of ​​the asteroid belt. He tapped his fingertips slowly on the edge of the armrest for a moment before speaking.

"If we launch a simultaneous attack on the front of those thirteen fortified planets, putting enough pressure on them, we can force them to focus all their attention on the front."

"Once they get used to this rhythm and think we will continue to launch a frontal assault as before, the infiltration forces of the 19th Army Corps can sneak in through the previously scouted backlit routes."

Han Xin did not immediately express his opinion after listening to Li Jing's advice.

He drew a new route on the tactics panel, starting from the landing point of the Thirteenth Legion, extending northward along the gray armor surface of the fortress planet, and finally stopping at the shadowy area of ​​a planet marked "Fortress Seven".

The orange markers for the retreat platforms were concentrated in that area, with a denser spacing than in other areas, and their defensive strength was also significantly greater than that of other fortresses.

"The highest density of evacuation platforms here indicates that the Wotan Alliance's command center is likely located on the surface of this planet. If we can cut off their command chain first, the operations of other fortresses may be disrupted for a short period of time."

Bai Qi silently stepped forward, without saying a word, but drew a red-marked attack route on the side of the star map, cutting in from the front, passing through the asteroid belt in an almost straight path, and reaching the frontal armor layer of that planet.

"I will launch a frontal assault and reach the surface of the armored layer of Fortress Seven within three hours. At the same time, the Ninth and Thirteenth Corps will begin landing from the shaded side, and the Nineteenth Corps will complete its infiltration fifteen minutes before landing and simultaneously destroy the evacuation platform base."

"At the same time, you launch a general offensive, and the dwarves' command chain will be cut off at the same time. Their evacuation routes will fall into chaos. Without a command center and means of evacuation, they will continue to resist and will certainly be unable to organize an effective defense and counterattack."

Bai Qi's plan was simple, but it also fit his style: fast, accurate, and ruthless.

Han Xin glanced at the plan, then turned to all the commanders present, summarized the plan that had been discussed several times, and, incorporating the suggestions of the marshals, readjusted the battle plan.

"The final plan is as follows: the feint attack on the front will be carried out by the Fourth Army, the various heavy fleets, and Sun Tzu's fleet. The goal is to draw the main firepower of all the dwarven defenders, creating the illusion of a frontal breakthrough, while covering the actions in other directions."

"Li Jing, your fleet, as the main attack force, is to stand by at the gap in the southeastern part of the asteroid belt."

"Once the feint attack begins and all the dwarves' defensive firepower is drawn to the front, you should lead the main fleet to cut in from the shaded side, cross the asteroid belt, and head straight for the evacuation platform area on the shaded side of Fortress Thirteen. The primary objective is to destroy the evacuation routes and prevent them from transferring the Ancestral Core."

"Bai Qi, your fleet will cut in from the front, according to your plan, reach the surface of the armored layer of Fortress No. 7, and advance directly towards the command center of the Wotan Alliance to disrupt their command chain."

"Wang Jian, after your fleet launches a feint attack from the front, deploy it into a horizontal blockade line to block those potential retreat routes. Those pre-arranged retreat routes all need to pass through the transit area near your side."

"Fal, your infiltration forces will be deployed two Terras before the start of the general offensive, dispersed to the evacuation platform areas on the shaded side of all fortresses, and simultaneously destroy the evacuation platform bases after the signal for the general offensive is given."

After Han Xin finished speaking, he paused for a moment and glanced at all the commanders present.

"Gentlemen, the key to this operation is whether the dwarves will manage to evacuate during our attack or be blocked by us before they can evacuate. We have a week to win this battle, and I hope everyone can complete the mission."

No naval battle can be completed in a week. The direct confrontation may not take more than three days, but the subsequent guerrilla warfare and cleanup of the remnants are the most time-consuming.

In the past, defensive lines like those of the dwarves would never have been breached in less than one or two months. Even if heavy firepower were used to force them down, those planetary orbital defense platforms would not be to be underestimated.

Therefore, the casualties in this battle must have been very high.

No one spoke; everyone just nodded.

The operational plan was finalized and confirmed within the next two hours.

The formation deployment plans for each fleet were issued level by level, and the firepower allocation and route planning for each warship were detailed down to specific coordinates and time points.

The 13th Army Corps' ground landing plan and the 9th Army Corps' airborne coordinates were checked three times to ensure that the time difference between the 13th Army Corps' ground landing plan and the 9th Army Corps' sabotage operation did not exceed five minutes.

As the preparation signal was transmitted to every warship through the command channels of each fleet, the starry sky in the river center remained as quiet as ever.

The defense platforms in the asteroid belt operate in passive scanning mode. The gun mounts and sensor arrays disguised as natural celestial bodies remain in a low-power standby state on the shadow side of the starlight, without emitting any unusual electromagnetic signals.

The first infiltration units of the 19th Army Corps activated their thrusters the moment the signal was given, using the small propulsion devices in their individual power armor to glide along pre-planned paths toward their respective target areas.

They traversed the sparse region at the edge of the asteroid belt, moving slowly in low-power propulsion mode through the scanning gaps of the defense platform, circling at precise heading angles at the edge of the blind spots of the dwarf sensor array.

As they gradually entered the shadowed area on the inner side of the asteroid belt, the dwarfs' defensive platforms still did not issue any alarm signals.

The surface outline of the Thirteenth Fortress planet slowly unfolded in their field of vision, with the prefabricated cabins and fuel containers of the evacuation platforms appearing densely packed in the dim light of the shadowed side.

After confirming that all infiltration units had reached their designated positions, Far sent a short confirmation signal to Han Xin via an encrypted channel.

When the confirmation signal from Planet Thirteen was also received, Han Xin straightened up from in front of the tactics panel and issued the order to begin the general offensive.

The barrage of artillery fire poured out from the ranks of the Fourth Legion and Sun Tzu's fleet at the same instant. The main guns of thousands of battleships and cruisers fired at maximum power simultaneously, and light spears and macro cannons drew dense light trails in the vacuum, accurately striking the turret arrays of the fortress planets' frontal armor layers.

The incredibly powerful Nova Cannons, with their living metal barrels, were impervious to preheating, and the torpedoes, so numerous that three storage compartments had to be specially cleared in the warships, were also bombarding the dwarves as if they were free.

The dwarves' defense system took slightly longer to react after being hit because they had so many turrets deployed in the frontal direction that the order and angle of their rotation required a complex coordination process to manage them.

As the first burst of fire exploded on the gray armor, the turrets' rotating mechanisms began to activate one by one, turning their cannons toward the Qin fleet.

Fifteen minutes after the start of the frontal bombardment, Li Jing's fleet accelerated through a gap in the southeastern asteroid belt, rapidly traversing the gaps between the defensive platforms disguised as natural celestial bodies along a pre-planned route in dense column formation.

The Nineteenth Legion's infiltration units initiated sabotage from the shadows the instant the dwarven defenders' attention was drawn to the frontal fire.

Small explosive devices, pre-installed at weak points in the evacuation platform's base structure, detonated in a synchronized sequence, precisely destroying the platform's securing clips and fuel delivery pipelines.

The supporting structures of the prefabricated compartments were destroyed, the fuel tanks being loaded leaked, and the evacuation platforms tilted and collapsed after losing their base support, falling onto the gray armor layer on the planet's surface.

Some of the dwarven warriors who had been loaded onto the evacuation platform were thrown out as the cabin tilted and tumbled, struggling to fall onto the gray ground.

The 13th Army's assault ships followed closely behind, cutting into the atmosphere through the passage opened by the 19th Army on the shaded side, and landing at high speed between the destroyed evacuation platforms.

Their landing pods slammed into the gray armor on the ground. Before the dwarven defenders could fully react, the hatches had already sprung open, and the sounds of heavy explosives and thermoelectric weapons firing suddenly rang out among the wreckage of the evacuation platform.