The position of Star System Number 5 was indeed very special. According to the starmap, the first four star systems occupied by Xiao Yu lay on the outer periphery of the Molian Civilization’s sphere of influence, whereas Star System Number 5 did not. Star System Number 5 was more than six light-years from Star System Number 1, but less than one light-year from another large-scale residential planet within the Molian Civilization’s domain. At one point three light-years away there was another very important industrial planet, and at one point six light-years away there was a planet for both tourism and residence.
It could be said that occupying Star System Number 5 would grant a bridgehead for gradually nibbling away at the Molian Civilization’s territory, a solid springboard for advancing into the interior of the Molian Civilization’s sphere of influence. Therefore, from any perspective, the Molian Civilization could not possibly abandon Star System Number 5.
What Xiao Yu wanted to attack was precisely a place the Molian Civilization could not abandon. With strength, in a real head-on battle, make the Molian Civilization understand that they were no match for him.
“Very well. I will redeploy two million five hundred thousand ships to participate in the battle for Star System Number 5. The China, the Russia, and the United States, the three ships equipped with space weapons, will personally take part. This will certainly be a hard battle. Preparation will take about three months. Then, three months from now, I will dispatch the troops and seize Star System Number 5.”
“As your personal vessel, the China should not be risked in person.” Luka Two said. “With the United States and the Russia, plus one million five hundred thousand ships, that is already sufficient.”
“No, that is not my consideration.” Xiao Yu shook his head and said. “The position of Star System Number 1 is too remote. Although the effect is not yet perceptible, when we move to occupy Star System Number 15 and beyond, even at such distances Superluminal communication will experience attenuation, resulting in signal distortion. This is not conducive to my commanding from the center. I intend to make Star System Number 5 the central star system. After taking it, we will use Star System Number 5 as a base. I will command the entire battlefield from the center here. Do not worry. I will pay attention to the safety of the China.”
Seeing Xiao Yu’s firm attitude, Luka Two had no choice but to shut his mouth and no longer attempt to persuade him.
The next phase of the battle plan was thus arranged.
At this moment, Xiao Yu was engaged in intense pre-war preparations. The newly occupied Star Systems Number 2, 3, and 4 needed large-scale development and construction. Ships damaged during the war needed refitting. Star system defense systems needed to be built. New ships needed to be constructed to replenish the fleet. Affairs in all respects plunged Xiao Yu into busy work without pause.
After formulating the strategy of having the Japan engage in a decisive battle with the Molian Civilization’s Nation-Class flagship, the Nation-Class fleets of the United States and the Russia that had intended to come to support halted their departure and instead returned to their respective star systems. Only now had they once again received Xiao Yu’s orders and begun preparations for a new expedition.For these three newly occupied star systems, Xiao Yu made the following arrangements. He dispatched the Thailand, the Indonesia, and the Nepal, three ships not equipped with space weapons, to set out separately to assume responsibility for the defense of these three star systems. For a single star system, such Nation-Class ships were already more than sufficient.
Time passed slowly, and half a year flashed by. During this half year, Xiao Yu had managed the four current star systems until they were like iron buckets. Various star system defensive weapons filled every corner of the systems as if they cost nothing, with the farthest points reaching as much as two hundred billion kilometers from the star. In any case, for Xiao Yu, as long as raw materials and computing power were sufficient, these things were truly costless, and he felt no distress at their loss.
Facts proved Xiao Yu’s wisdom. Proper star system defensive arrangements repelled at least thousands of calculated harassment operations over this half year. The Molian Civilization had not been at peace during this period. Xiao Yu knew very clearly that after a crushing defeat, the Molian Civilization also needed to make corrections. In the short term, they did not have the ability to launch large-scale campaigns, but such harassment operations would not cease. In fact, Xiao Yu was doing the same.
A star system’s defensive capability was displayed precisely in responding to one harassment operation after another. This was an important avenue for obtaining intelligence, and neither side would let it pass. In truth, Xiao Yu was even harsher in this regard than the Molian Civilization. His reach had already extended as far as Star System Number 12, thirteen light-years away, where more than three thousand ships, led by a City-Class ship, were concealed in the void, ready at any time to conduct harassment against Star System Number 12.
Harassment of bases was only one part; fiercer engagements were taking place in the void. During this period, both sides respectively dispatched harassment groups in units of thousands or even hundreds of ships to conduct concealment, ambushes, interceptions and annihilations, and intelligence-gathering operations in the void. Exchanges between star systems were indispensable. One star system might be rich in one kind of element, while another star system produced a different raw material. Mutual exchange between star systems was also crucial. Logistics necessarily involved transport ships, which meant that large formations of transport ships, weak in defense and with low maneuverability, became excellent targets for harassment. Xiao Yu strove to harass the opponent’s transport fleets while clearing out the enemy fleets harassing his own, and the Molian Civilization was doing the same.
In this void, who knew how many schemes and stratagems were entangled, how many battle songs forged by blood and fire were being sung.
According to Xiao Yu’s statistics, within this vast star domain spanning twenty light-years, small-scale engagements, meaning battles with fewer than one thousand ships participating, had occurred several hundred thousand times over the past half year. In these engagements, both sides had victories and defeats and took losses, but overall, Xiao Yu’s side held the advantage.
War between two civilizations was not a simple matter. Such small-scale battles were the necessary complement behind large-scale campaigns. As the saying goes, the accumulation of small amounts becomes much. A slight advantage slowly accumulates and in the end becomes an advantage sufficient to determine the course of the war.
Both warring sides understood this clearly, so both attached great importance to it.
“Half a year has passed. It is time for a decisive large-scale campaign. I wonder what surprises your Molian Civilization have prepared for me over this half year.” Xiao Yu pondered slowly as he piloted the China, leading as many as one million three hundred thousand ships of various types, setting out on the journey.
The Home ships was also among them. After drawing off these one million three hundred thousand ships, there were fewer than two hundred thousand combat ships remaining in Star System Number 1. But Xiao Yu believed that, together with the star system’s defense system, these ships were already sufficient. After all, Star System Number 2 did not have significant strategic value, and the Molian Civilization was unlikely to mount a high-profile attack on Star System Number 2.
Across Star Systems Number 2, 3, and 4, a total of more than one million eight hundred thousand combat ships were garrisoned. Calculated at two hundred thousand ships stationed in each star system, a further one million two hundred thousand ships could be redeployed. At this moment, these one million two hundred thousand ships had also set out for Star System Number 5. Calculating by distance, the first to reach Star System Number 5 would be the five hundred thousand ships led by the United States, followed by the Nation-Class fleet that had lost its flagship and had now been renamed the Thailand fleet, formerly the Nation-Class fleet of the Japan, with roughly one hundred ten thousand ships. After that would be the Nation-Class fleet of the Russia with six hundred thousand ships, totaling about one million two hundred thousand.
The China, carrying one million three hundred thousand ships of decisive significance, would arrive on the battlefield last. Once the four forces assembled, Xiao Yu’s total strength would reach the scale of two million five hundred thousand ships. In Xiao Yu’s estimation, the total number of warships possessed by a Level 5 Civilization would not exceed five million.
One point could be confirmed. Even with the Molian Civilization enjoying the advantages of defense, in order to respond to his vast strength, they would at minimum dispatch two million ships to Star System Number 5. In other words, in the coming period, the whole strength of a Level 5 Civilization would converge on Star System Number 5. These forces would wage a world-shaking decisive battle over the ownership of Star System Number 5.
“This battle will decide the victory or defeat of the entire war. If I win, the Molian Civilization will be unlikely to recover in the short term, and it will become possible to coerce them by force to hand over the complete Level 5 civilization technology tree. If I lose, the construction task for more than one million ships is not something I can complete in the short term. By then I would have to retreat to Star System Number 1, and might even have to temporarily abandon Star Systems Number 2, 3, and 4. However, how could I lose? I possess weapons more powerful than yours, possess powerful defensive weapons such as the Four-Dimensional shield. Even in ship coordination and fleet formations, I possess capabilities far exceeding yours. There is even a fleet as many as five hundred thousand warships en route to launch a surprise attack on your capital star system. Having made such proper arrangements and gathered such a powerful force, how could I, the Divine Ark Civilization, possibly lose?”
Xiao Yu pondered silently, his heart filled with absolute confidence.
“Such a large-scale fleet movement cannot possibly escape your eyes. If you do not want to abandon Star System Number 5, a star system of great strategic significance, then concentrate your forces. Let me see, as an old, established Level 5 Civilization with a heritage of tens of thousands of years, just what trump cards you have, what strength you possess.”
More than one million three hundred thousand ships had already set out on the journey, entering curvature flight. After more than half a year of curvature flight, this fleet would arrive at Star System Number 5.