Rebirth of the Super Battleship

Chapter 452: Gravitational Engagement

The Radiance and the Meson were still chasing each other in the void. This battle resembled a pursuit more than a decisive engagement. It was obvious that neither the Radiance nor the Meson was using full power. The Radiance’s goal was to pin down the Meson to prevent any possible next move it might make, while the Meson, for some reason, quietly shouldered the blame for attacking the Guardian Civilization’s fleet.

All of this was within Xiao Yu’s expectations. Xiao Yu knew the Taihao Civilization would act this way.

“Because of information asymmetry and because we do not understand the characteristics of the death ray, not knowing that deep freeze can delay or counteract its effects, our operational plan has already failed. We will continue to look for the next opportunity. To prevent the Guardian Civilization from eliminating Xiao Yu, we will hold down the Radiance and create favorable conditions for Xiao Yu’s escape.”

Inside the Meson, a nameless voice spoke faintly.

Within this eerie binary system, the white dwarf’s orbit had been completely altered, and the collision was imminent.

Because piloting that planet to impact the white dwarf had taken some time, Xiao Yu knew that the light signal of his having altered the planet’s orbit should by now have been observed by the Guardian Civilization. Xiao Yu believed that with these messages, the Guardian Civilization would easily infer what was about to happen next.

“It does not matter. So what if you know. You are powerless to affect what happens inside the star system. The Neutron War Star is right before your eyes, yet you cannot obtain it. I believe this anguish must feel wonderful, does it not?” Xiao Yu let out a slight cold laugh.

At this moment, the mutual gravity between the white dwarf and the neutron star had accelerated their orbital speed to a terrifying degree. Inside the Neutron War Star, the fierce struggle for control was still ongoing. If it continued, Xiao Yu’s defeat would be inevitable. But now it no longer mattered. As long as Xiao Yu held out for another half hour, everything would be settled.

The Guardian Civilization warriors inside the Neutron War Star, however, felt entirely different. Because of the signal-shielding mechanism present in this binary system, they could not communicate with the outside and naturally could not know the external situation. They saw only that in at most five hours they would gain full control permissions over the Neutron War Star, unaware that they needed not five hours but only half an hour for their doom to arrive.

“Temporary Formation One reporting. The operation to breach the external detection modules is proceeding smoothly. We estimate that in half an hour we will obtain control permissions for the external observation modules. At that time, we will be able to receive external information.”“Temporary Formation Two reporting. The operation to breach the death ray control modules is proceeding smoothly. We can already control adjustments to thirty percent of the death ray’s firing intensity. In half an hour, we estimate our control permissions will rise to thirty-five percent.”

“Temporary Formation Three reporting. The operation to breach the propulsion system control modules is proceeding smoothly. The Divine Ark Civilization lags far behind us in program efficiency and logic control modules. We estimate that in half an hour our control permissions will rise to forty-five percent.”

“Temporary Formation Four reporting. The operation to breach the Four-Dimensional Impact control modules is proceeding smoothly. We estimate that in half an hour our control permissions will rise to thirty-seven percent…”

“Temporary Formation Five reporting…”

“Very good, everyone, put in a bit more effort. This operation of ours is of paramount importance, and it is no exaggeration to say the fate of our entire civilization rests on us. If the operation succeeds, our names will be remembered forever by our people, our names will be passed down through the ages. Remember those comrades who died in vain because their teleportation failed. They are watching us at this moment, we are not fighting alone…”

Inside the Neutron War Star, these Guardian Civilization warriors were all fired up, while aboard the Radiance the atmosphere was completely different.

A voice was rapidly reporting the current situation, “Marshal. There is one matter I must report to you. We have observed a very bad development. We saw the Divine Ark Civilization actually activate Planetary engines, steering that planet to ram directly into the white dwarf, changing the white dwarf’s orbit. According to current projections, in about one and a half days the final collision will occur. Our research scholars predict this collision will release energy no less than a supernova explosion, and these two stellar bodies will ultimately merge into a black hole… There is one more thing to note, namely that here we have a signal delay of one and a half days relative to the interior of the star system. In other words, everything we are observing happened one and a half days ago. If nothing unexpected has happened, the final collision will occur in half an hour.”

The Marshal’s voice was still calm, but behind that calm there was a trace of helplessness. “What about our warriors?”

“Because we have lost contact with the interior of the star system, we have no way to inform them of the current situation. It is certain that our warriors are still proceeding according to the original plan at this moment, which means… we still need more than a day to obtain control permissions over the Neutron War Star.”

“Which is to say… we have failed, failed utterly, correct? We have no way to change this outcome, correct?” The Marshal’s voice sounded extremely powerless.

Another voice was silent for a moment before answering cautiously. “Given the current situation, that is indeed the case. Matters have reached an irretrievable point. When the two stars merge into a black hole, a very powerful amount of energy will be released in the process. Although our Radiance can withstand this energy, it will inflict some damage on the Radiance. Moreover, there is no need for us to suffer this loss for nothing. So I suggest, Marshal, that you consider what we should do next.”

“What to do… what can we do?” the Marshal said, utterly helpless. “Very well, the plan to seize the Neutron War Star is declared a failure. In this plan we have suffered huge losses. Then let us make up a bit of loss from other aspects.”

“Form a capture squad. After the Neutron War Star is destroyed, the death ray will completely disappear. Without the death ray, the Divine Ark Civilization cannot possibly escape our capture. The only factor to consider is that the Taihao Civilization may cover for the Divine Ark Civilization. Then the Radiance will continue to pin down the Meson and increase the intensity of attacks. The capture squad will be composed of the most elite and most advanced starships, and you must bring back the main body of the Divine Ark Civilization for me…”

“So be it.” the Marshal said faintly, and after these words there was no further word.

Inside the star system, the distance between the white dwarf and the neutron star had shrunk to less than five hundred thousand kilometers. At such a distance, the orbital speed of these two extreme stellar bodies had reached a terrifying level.

The situation was very bizarre. The white dwarf had a diameter of nearly ten thousand kilometers, not much smaller than Earth, whereas the neutron star had a diameter of only twenty kilometers. The contrast between the two was like a millstone and half a sesame seed. Their sizes were so wildly mismatched, yet in this gravitational tug-of-war the dominant party was, without a doubt, that half sesame seed.

Because of their own immense gravity, the surfaces of the neutron star and the white dwarf were very smooth, with basically little relief. But at this moment that smoothness was broken, and extremely obvious bulges appeared. The white dwarf, under the pull of the neutron star’s huge gravity, had become ellipsoidal, and the side facing the neutron star was drawn forward into a high protrusion. The neutron star was the same, with a mound-like bulge on the side facing the white dwarf.

The immense gravity also induced changes in the internal structures of these two extreme stellar bodies. As the stellar matter continuously deformed, compressed, and rubbed, tremendous energy was released. The white dwarf’s brightness further increased; at this moment it was in no way inferior to a true star. The neutron star still showed no change in the visible band, but in various radiations in other bands Xiao Yu observed intensities nearly ten times stronger than usual.

Changes in the strata meant the destruction of the internal structure of the stellar body. Xiao Yu saw that the interior spaces inside the Neutron War Star, constructed by that unknown silicon-based civilization through wondrous technology, finally suffered an annihilating catastrophe at this moment. All instruments inside the Neutron War Star, all compartments, and all living beings within those compartments all died.

Death came so suddenly. One moment these Guardian Civilization warriors were elated and overjoyed, and the next moment they simply lost consciousness, crushed to death outright.

In Xiao Yu’s view, it looked like this. He saw those transparent walls that had withstood the tremendous pressure inside the neutron star emit a piercing creak; horrifying cracks spread wantonly like serpents. In the end the walls ruptured, and black neutron star matter instantly flooded and filled those compartments. All instruments and all living beings inside were assimilated by the neutron star matter.

This neutron star finally became solid, and Xiao Yu completely lost his control over the Neutron War Star.