The expedition team's attention was focused on the alien base, and no one noticed the escape pod hidden deep within the hills. Even if an anomaly was detected, they would have assumed it was an earthquake that had toppled the capsule segment.
Just as everyone believed their side had secured victory, a golden light suddenly appeared deep within the pit. Although not as dazzling as a mushroom bomb, it was exceptionally bright, impossible to look at directly with the naked eye.
"High energy reaction detected—" a piercing roar vibrated through the command bridge. Only then did everyone notice the anomaly on the satellite's surface.
Luo Tu's face turned pale as a terrified shout echoed over the comms: "Evasive, evasive, dodge quickly—"
However, all efforts were in vain. In an instant, a brilliant beam shot out from the pit, traversing hundreds of thousands of kilometers of void and directly piercing into Jupiter.
The Barracuda narrowly avoided being hit by the beam. The cockpit flashed like a disco ball, all lights blinking frantically, and the alarm sirens nearly shattered eardrums.
Ou Zhanpeng instinctively performed an emergency evasive maneuver. The Barracuda suddenly veered to the side, narrowly avoiding the light beam.
But there was no direct impact, merely a glancing blow. The Barracuda's surface was already distorted, shrinking violently like plastic film exposed to hot oil.
Ou Zhanpeng's heart pounded. If it had been even a moment later, he would have met his end today!
The beam appeared and disappeared as quickly as it came, vanishing after only a few seconds. The pit from which it was fired had become a huge, irregularly shaped opening, with molten lava faintly visible flowing within.
Everyone was stunned by the sight. What kind of weapon was this?
The aliens had one last trick up their sleeve. It turned out the alien base wasn't the main focus; it was that inconspicuous capsule segment!
But weren't the aliens' aiming skills too poor? If this shot had targeted the battlefield, sacrificing half their alien spacecraft, the two expedition ships would have had no chance of survival!
Strangely, after the beam hit Jupiter, all the alien species lost the will to fight. Without hesitation, they abandoned the engagement and retreated to Io as if their lives depended on it.
Ou Zhanpeng suddenly felt something was amiss. The alien base was completely destroyed. At this point, they should either fight the expedition fleet to the death or quickly disengage from the battlefield and start anew. Retreating seemed illogical.
Luo Tu didn't think that far ahead. He merely uttered one word over the comms: "Pursue!"
"Continuing the pursuit with the might of victory, do not emulate Xiang Yu's self-inflicted defeat." No matter how lacking his strategic vision, he knew what needed to be done.
Human warships, fighter jets, and drones immediately charged forward, latching onto the enemy and using every ounce of their skill to bring down the enemy aircraft one by one.
The alien aircraft flying at the rear immediately turned around and re-engaged the expedition fleet.
A decisive move!
Ou Zhanpeng was filled with emotion. The once invincible alien species had fallen to this day!
Just as the expedition fleet was preparing to press its advantage and annihilate the rear-guard enemy, a startled exclamation suddenly came over the comms: "Look at Jupiter!"
Ou Zhanpeng turned his head and was astonished to see Jupiter's surface churning. Red streaks, varying in intensity, twisted and rotated, forming an eye within the storm at a visible speed and rapidly expanding outward from the eye. In no time, it had become a superstorm comparable in size to the Great Red Spot, and its scope was still growing!
And that eye was precisely where the beam had struck Jupiter!
No one knew what had happened, but a frantic alarm was blaring in everyone's minds.
But before the expedition fleet could act, a point of light flickered within the dark eye, suddenly blooming with a dark red glow.
It wasn't a single beam, but light spreading outward at an extremely high speed, like a spark igniting an oil field.
Its expansion rate far exceeded that of the storm itself. In a moment, it had engulfed the storm, then the Great Red Spot, and the varied streaks on Jupiter's surface.
Suddenly, the light intensified, blinding all observers. When the light dissipated, the red planet had transformed into a bright, shining, incandescent red star.
The flickering, rippling, boiling light shook everyone's very souls.
An invisible shockwave erupted. The thin Jovian rings, under the sustained impact of light and heat, vaporized from the inside out at a visible rate, turning into wisps of smoke scattering outward, like countless white ribbons encircling Jupiter.
In the blink of an eye, the Jovian rings were history.
This scene stirred Ou Zhanpeng's memories. He felt as if struck by lightning, his voice hoarse and uncontrollable over the comms: "Retreat, retreat! Hide behind the moon, hide behind the moon!"
The alien species had ignited Jupiter?
Ou Zhanpeng could hardly believe it was real; his mind almost shut down on the spot.
At this moment, all the aliens' strange behavior had a clear explanation.
The piercing screams instantly brought everyone back to their senses. The expedition fleet could no longer afford to engage the enemy. All aircraft desperately flew towards the far side of Io.
The Barracuda nimbly darted towards Io, using the moon's gravity to accelerate the fighter.
The thrusters of the two warships operated at maximum capacity, their trailing flames longer than the ships themselves. They also plunged towards Io.
The fleet had already reached the vicinity of Io. At this critical juncture, it was the second ship that led the way into Io's shadow. The moment the ship crossed the boundary, it performed a 180-degree turn, facing backward with its tail forward. The fiercely spewing flames immediately slowed the ship's speed.
The second to enter the shadow was the Barracuda, also performing a rearward turn to slow down.
Turning around, Ou Zhanpeng saw several Starhawks fly into the safe zone.
But the first ship was still outside the shadow, and the ice warships orbiting above had begun to emit wisps of water vapor, like drifting ribbons!
Not good, it's too late!
Ou Zhanpeng's mind buzzed: "Luo Tu, turn quickly, tail facing Jupiter—"
Before he could finish speaking, the solid smoke hull of the first ship showed clear signs of melting. Everyone witnessing this scene felt their hearts tighten.
It's over!
At this critical moment, the first ship laboriously turned, its head facing outward and tail inward, presenting its rear to Jupiter.
The impact intensified. The ice-made fighter jets in orbit began to emit wisps of smoke, then started to vaporize violently. The surface of the first ship also emitted ribbon-like trails of smoke under the high temperature.
On the bridge of the Expeditionary One, Luo Tu's forehead veins bulged, his hands gripping the helm tightly, his eyes wide like a wrathful Vajra.
The solid smoke hull was severely deformed, but the turn was only half complete!
Just then, a fierce wind suddenly swept across the surface of Io. Countless dust particles were kicked up, flying towards the far side of the moon at extremely high speeds, as if enshrouding Io in a light, white veil, mystical and hazy. Or like the moon suddenly trailing a thin comet tail, transforming into a comet from afar.