Chapter 177: Quantum Bombs and the Siege of Resk

Federation Year 337.

Ten massive transport ships cruised slowly into orbit around Proxima Centauri V and docked at the spaceport.

These weren’t ordinary transports. Their cargo holds brimmed with doomsday weapons—a staggering one hundred thousand quantum bombs and twenty-four specialized railgun batteries to launch them.

As for why the very first batch was sent here of all places…

The reason’s simple: only Lin Yu’s group could deploy them in real combat, giving them a chance to see how they performed in a real interstellar war.

“Lin Yu, have you decided where to run the field test?”

Inside the conference room, Lin Yu, Serena and George huddled together, planning how to use these experimental weapons.

“One month from now—the royal court of the Blue-Eye Tribe on Resk. What do you think?”

After thinking it over for a moment, Lin Yu asked.

According to the latest report from Parlo, after nearly five years of fighting, they’d already conquered over half of the Blue-Eye Tribe’s territory and were closing in on the royal court itself—located on the star Resk.

At the same time, Parlo’s expeditionary legion had already entered the interstellar current when the message went out.

By the calculations, it’d be thirty-three days until the main assault on Resk began.

Even though Parlo was certain they could take Resk, it wouldn’t come cheap. For years, the Blue-Eye Tribe had pulled nearly all their forces back to defend their last stronghold.

Estimates put their fleet at no fewer than twelve thousand warships.

On top of that, Resk only had a single interstellar current connecting it to the outside—a choke point that had earned a reputation as an impenetrable fortress.

That made it easy to simply mass all twelve thousand ships at the mouth of the current, backed by wave after wave of orbital defense cannons.

General Staff crunched the numbers: if Parlo wanted to take this place, his two thousand warships might lose at least thirteen thousand in the process.

Not that Lin Yu felt any pity—it was all Ziyang Empire soldiers on the line.

But still, Parlo was working for the Federation. He’d be essential for swallowing the entire Desolate Star Region one day.

If Parlo lost so much here and now, it’d only bog down the Federation’s plans.

Clearly, that wouldn’t do.

“Resk, huh? Agreed. With so many Blue-Eye Tribe ships amassed there, it’s the perfect spot to field test the quantum bombs.”

Serena nodded in approval, and George beside her did the same.

“Then it’s settled—Resk. But once again, only the Houyi can make this run. No other warship could possibly get through.”

Resk was about thirty-two light-years from Proxima, with eleven star systems in between.

Taking the long route could take years.

And charging straight through the current, right into overlapping crossfire from twelve thousand enemy warships…

Even the Houyi would be torn apart.

In minutes, the Houyi could be reduced to scrap.

So, this would be a mission only the Houyi was built for.

“George, inform Parlo. At the battle of Resk, we’ll help him break through the current’s defenses.”

“Understood!”

“Also, let him know the Federation isn’t thrilled with their pace. Once Resk falls, he has two years to seize every remaining inch of Blue-Eye Tribe territory.”

“Will do!”

With the Federation’s industrial might, it took just three days to install all twenty-four sets of specialized railgun batteries.

Once that was done, Lin Yu waited—waited for just the right departure window.

Day after day slipped by…

“Commander, it’s time.”

“Bai Jun, activate the hyperspace engine. Open a quantum window. Our target: Resk, thirty-two light-years out!”

“Yes, Commander!”

At five hundred and five times the speed of light, covering thirty-two light-years would take about twenty-three days.

With precise timing, they’d arrive about half an hour after the main battle broke out on Resk.

Just as the defenders focused all their attention on the current’s mouth, the Houyi would appear in their rear and strike a devastating blow.

——

Blue-Eye Tribe territory, Royal Court—Resk.

“My king, any day now!”

Inside a colossal warship, a four-limbed, crawling creature dropped to the deck in deference.

Towering above it sat a beast easily twice its size—ferocious and imposing, thickly furred, blue eyes burning with intent.

That was…

Labeil, king of the Blue-Eye Tribe.

Truth was, this difference was why the Wasteland Alliance had never welcomed the Blue-Eye Tribe.

No one knew why, or if it was some cosmic coincidence, but in the Milky Way, over eighty percent of intelligent species were humanoid.

Like the Klein—bones outside their muscles, sure, but still roughly human-shaped.

Same for the Ziyang and Xitolese—short maybe, or wildly colored, but, just like the Klein, still human in form.

Maybe they were shorter, or had strikingly different skin tones, but their basic shape still counted as humanoid.

Species like the Blue-Eye Tribe, non-humanoid through and through, were a rare sight.

So even though the Blue-Eye Tribe had long wanted to join the Alliance, they’d always been kept out.

Because…

To the rest of the Alliance’s civilizations, the Blue-Eyes were simply outsiders.

“Let him come!”

Labeil’s voice boomed with fearless confidence.

After all, they ruled a civilization with over thirty star systems. Who wouldn’t keep a few cards up their sleeve?

Although the Blue-Eye Tribe lived a nomadic life, being shunned by the Wasteland Alliance had always left them uneasy—constantly preparing for the day the Alliance might try to wipe them out.

That ever-present fear kept them ready for anything.

Especially here on Resk.

Why else set the royal court in a place connected to the outside by a single star current?

If the worst came, they could use Resk as a last-ditch fortress.

Parlo thought there were only twelve thousand ships at Resk?

He couldn’t be more wrong.

In addition to the twelve thousand recalled from elsewhere, Resk itself hid another ten thousand active warships, and a further thirty thousand mothballed—old ships, kept in storage, but fix them up a bit and you could still drag them onto the line if desperate.

In short, Parlo had no idea that Resk didn’t just have twelve thousand ships—it actually had more than fifty thousand defenders.

Over fifty thousand in total.

Granted, three-quarters were ancient ships, rundown and long overdue for repairs—just coaxing half their firepower would be a miracle.

Still, that number…

With only one choke point to defend, even those thirty thousand old relics could be packed in as stationary batteries.

That was more than enough to engulf Parlo’s entire fleet.

Small wonder that with his enemies closing in, Labeil could still hold his head high, exuding unshakable confidence.

He truly had every reason to.