Legacy of the Void Fleet

Chapter 378: Ch

After a full ten minutes, Kallus finally grasped the situation building around the 6th Defence Command on the Outer Rim...

"So what should we do, Imperial Commander? Shall we take advantage of this situation, gain control of their one-time hypergate, and then use it to send our own forces before exterminating them?" Commander Alex said...

Kallus didn’t immediately reply to his question, nor did he react in any way. He simply drummed his fingers on the table, a thoughtful expression on his face...

Then, with a calm and neutral tone, he spoke:

"We all had to accept something like this would happen already, didn’t we, Commander Alex? If not, would we have established eight defence commands surrounding the Sol region, forming a protective shield around it... with almost 30 percent of our total strength deployed there?"

"But I didn’t expect them to be this hasty... and desperate. To think of attacking us without even knowing what kind of situation awaits them out there..." Kallus said with a sigh. "I don’t know where they get the guts to move blindly into someone else’s domain, without fearing the home-ground advantage..."

"Well, no worries. Now that we know their move..." he said as he slowly stood up from his seat, "...we shall, like a good host, welcome our guests. Even if they are coming uninvited."

Saying that, he looked at the almost real figure of Commander Alex. Had it not been for knowing it was a hologram, he would have thought Alex was standing right there instead of within his battle fortress.

Pushing that thought aside, he continued, "I hope you have answers, Commander..."

Commander Alex nodded in understanding, though he did not speak, as Kallus still had more to say.

"I’ll leave this to you and your command, Commander. How you handle these upcoming ’guests’ will depend entirely on you and your forces. You won’t receive any reinforcements. I believe your forces are more than enough to deal with this bundle of ’threat’... and prove that the resources provided to you all have been more than worth it."

At that moment, unknowingly, Kallus projected the aura of a ruler... an authoritarian presence.

Commander Alex bowed, excitement evident within him. Though he didn’t get the chance to invade the worlds of the orcs, what he received now was far more than what he had initially come for. The burden was heavy, but he was ready for it.

"I accept your order, Imperial Commander! And I promise you, I will do my utmost to make you proud of your forces’ achievements!" he declared, placing his right fist against his chest. His voice was resolute, his eyes filled with confidence and fighting spirit—showing he meant every word.

"Good then, Commander. Make maximum preparations for the welcoming event. I wish you and the entire 6th Defence Command my heartfelt regards. May you achieve absolute victory," Kallus said with a faint smile.

Saluting once again, Commander Alex vanished from his position...

Back within the main battle fortress, excitement surged uncontrollably through Alex’s body.

"This is what I’ve been waiting for," he clenched his fist as he said that.

With the full authority granted by the Imperial Commander, he could now do anything and everything needed to achieve an overwhelming victory over the uninvited guests. A smirk formed on his face at the thought.

Quickly, he opened the comm and issued orders to his secretary:

"Call every high official to the meeting room. Put the fleet on Level 2 battle alert. And yes—quickly pass down my message to Captain Max. He is to hold position and not attack the ragtag forces the orcs and others have deployed around the border star system. Let them do their work—just keep eyes on them."

"And have him, along with his battle group, return as soon as possible."

"And await further orders... no, scratch that," Alex said, correcting himself mid-sentence. "Tell him—if he can return immediately, he is to join me at the meeting. His presence will help when explaining his findings... and the orders the Imperial Commander has issued for us."

"As you command, Commander," replied his secretary, a Major-ranked officer.

Within moments, orders were relayed across all fleets stationed under the 6th Defence Command. From their previously scattered and loosely dispersed formations, the fleets began reorganizing with precision. Each unit aligned under their respective admirals, forming structured formations surrounding the battle fortresses...

Patrolling battle groups shifted into systematic movement patterns, covering designated zones with increased vigilance. Entire star systems were placed under complete lockdown. Civilian transports were halted immediately, and only essential vessels were permitted to move—each one closely monitored under the watchful eyes of the defence forces.

Only after ensuring that all high-ranking officers had departed from their ships and outposts—heading toward the central fortress commanded by Alex—did the situation stabilize. Even then, uncertainty lingered among them. None were fully aware of why they had been summoned, only that the alert level had been raised to Tier 2...

Meanwhile, far away from the Sol region...

Within an inconspicuous star system under the control of the orc race—one that had, not many days ago, welcomed a new overlord after a brutal and bloody internal conflict, fueled by both hidden manipulation and open interference from powerful factions—

A grand reception was underway.

The newly risen Orc Overlord stood in a formal welcoming posture, awaiting the arrival of a destroyer-class ship bearing the unmistakable flags of the Star Empire...

From the vessel emerged the Empire’s representative—Lord Kameshki—followed closely by the Lord Commander of the Alchemy Guild, Brach Corvus, along with several other notable figures stepping out behind them and alongside them ...

Seeing the contingent of his supporters approach, the Orc Overlord quickly moved forward, his expression eager and respectful.

"This one welcomes the graceful friends from afar!" he declared warmly. "And offers his deepest thanks for your support... for without it, I would not stand where I do today..."

"No need to be so polite, Orc Overlord... we are all friends here, are we not?" said Lord Kameshki with a smile.

Though inwardly, he scoffed. ’Ahh... what days have come. That our grand Empire now has to become ’friends’ with such lowly races... ones that once had no brains at all. Oh well... if we can achieve what we came for, using them as a borrowed shield to cover our losses... then it is worth it, I suppose...’

The Orc Overlord laughed loudly. "Indeed! We are all friends now..."

He nodded and turned toward the others. Just like Kameshki, they too acted ’friendly’—not overly so, but enough to give face to the new Orc Overlord. It was more than sufficient to keep him pleased... even satisfied.

"Come, friends from afar. Let me take you to the meeting hall, where we can discuss our collaboration further..."

The Orc Lord then led everyone toward a large complex not far from the private air base...

Inside, a grand chamber awaited them.

At its center stood a round table made of polished white marble, surrounded by twelve seats—one for each individual present. There was no main seat, no elevated position... giving the illusion that all were on equal footing.

Though, in truth, they were not.

No one voiced it aloud. They simply let the Orc Overlord indulge in that illusion...

Once seated, it was Lord Commander Brach Corvus who spoke first, bringing up the matter most important to everyone present. "Have the forces you deployed moved toward the Holy Region? Have they gained any footing within?"

"Yes, tell us, Orc Lord..." Kameshki added, his tone slightly tense. "Has your party made any progress this time... or was it another failure?"

The Orc Overlord burst into laughter. "Ha! My friends, I finally have good news to share with you all!"

"The force I sent this time—though it suffered severe losses—has successfully stepped onto a border star system of the Holy Region! And more than that... they have already begun constructing the hypergate channel there, using the technicians you all provided!"

"I was informed of this just a few hours ago," he said, unable to hide his excitement.

Hearing this, the others visibly reacted—relief washing over them as quiet excitement spread across the room.

After all... they had attempted this five times before. And each attempt had ended in failure. Almost complete losses—materials, fleets, and the highly specialised personnel sent along with them—all gone.

Each faction present had contributed heavily to those efforts. The resources were not cheap... and with every failed attempt, they had felt the loss deeply.

But now...

Relief came with a shadow of unease. Because, expecting yet another failure this time, they had only sent lower-grade resources... along with less capable technicians to construct the hyper gate transmitter point.

One among them belonged to a relatively newly risen Tier One power—the Shadow Moon Empire, a religious state that had ascended barely a thousand years ago. Yet despite its short history, its influence had already spread far and wide—surpassing even some Tier One empires that had stood for hundreds of thousands of years...