Chapter 184: Storm Over Barnard’s Line

Rumor has it—

The position of Commander for the Barnard Warzone was hotly debated by the Three Leaders for over ten days.

At last, after much compromise from all sides, a decision was finally reached.

Blair Fairchild.

Female, born in Federation Year 168, she succeeded Jonas as the Second Fleet’s Commander in Year 210.

She served in the Three-Year War and has large-scale interstellar combat experience.

She now stands as the most respected and capable commander among the North American officers.

Her skills far surpass those of her predecessor, Jonas.

Originally, she was to lead the Second Fleet to Proxima next month and serve under Lin Yu. However, with this new arrangement, she’ll instead head to the Barnard Defense Circle as Warzone Commander. The Second Fleet’s new Commander will be someone else.

This shuffle was part of a larger set of compromises. The reason Mu Xingchen and Vladimir agreed was because…

Ryan promised Mu Xingchen that once Blair left the Second Fleet, the North American side would relinquish control of that fleet and let Mu Xingchen appoint its next Commander.

And he made Vladimir a promise too.

Once the Federation’s Third Warzone is established, he’ll back a Slav as the new zone’s Commander. As for who, that’s up to Vladimir.

So here’s how things shook out.

The North Americans gained control of one warzone. The Chinese side gained another, plus, on top of owning the Fifth Fleet, they now get to appoint the Commander of an extra fleet. As for the Slavs…

Though they didn’t benefit immediately, they’ve locked in the Commander position for the future Third Warzone—a slot destined for someone among their own.

Despite their friendly showings most days, when true interests are on the line, the Three Leaders still argue fiercely—until everyone bends a little for a deal.

As for choosing the new Second Fleet Commander, Mu Xingchen left it open and asked Lin Yu for a recommendation.

But Lin Yu offered up another plan—instead of picking the new Second Fleet Commander himself, he suggested swapping the Second and Fifth Fleets’ postings, and letting Mu Xingchen pick the Commander.

So why do it this way?

Lin Yu said simply—the Fifth Fleet fits his needs far better.

After all, he knows their top officers inside out.

Mu Xingchen agreed to this, and even Ryan had no objections.

It’s true—though Ryan traded away the right to name the Second Fleet’s Commander, that fleet is still made up of more than ninety percent North Americans.

Just as the Fifth Fleet runs smoothly for Lin Yu, the Second Fleet is Blair’s home turf. She’s already at the helm, after all.

Even if, in the future, the Second Fleet slowly transitions away from North Americans and becomes a majority-Chinese fleet—

That kind of transformation will take at least ten or twenty years. It’s not happening overnight.

Ryan had no reason whatsoever to refuse.

So with this round of reshuffling, Proxima is now protected by the Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Fleets.

Barnard Warzone, meanwhile, gets the Second, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Fleets.

Only the First Fleet remains unchanged, still guarding the Solar System.

——

While the Federation Fleet was busy setting up new warzones—

Seventy-eight light-years from the Barnard Defense Circle, a massacre was underway.

Over a hundred thousand warships were running rampant. Even precious life-bearing worlds were blasted to ash.

Their mission: leave no survivors.

Look closely at that vast armada and you’ll spot five utterly different design styles—a clear sign they hail from five separate civilizations.

And that’s exactly the case. These fleets represent five entirely different civilizations.

Level-Two Civilization: Syndicate Collective.

Level-Two Civilization: Quirta Alliance.

Level-Two Civilization: Selinm Union.

Level-Two Civilization: Autik Coalition.

And then—

Level-Three Civilization: Venus Empire!

The numbers: The Syndicate Collective deployed 10,000 warships (or 15,000, counting those currently in Federation territory); Quirta Alliance sent 15,000; Selinm Union, 17,000; Autik Coalition, 18,000; Venus Empire—

Venus Empire alone fielded 50,000 warships.

All together, this joint fleet counts 115,000 warships: 65,000 from the Level-Two civilizations and 50,000 from the Level-Three Empire.

Lurking behind these ships are transport and support vessels of all types, totaling more than 300,000.

Their current target: a world called Dodovina.

It’s no famous place. There is a life-bearing planet, but its quality is mediocre and its whole star system is painfully lacking in resources.

Add to that, there’s nothing valuable nearby—no prime territory—and it’s cut off from the bustling region of the Orion Arm.

Normally, none of these Level-Two or Level-Three powers would give this place a second glance.

But—

A newly formed wormhole just so happened to open right here.

Thus, a civilization that had only just stepped beyond its homeworld, barely begun exploring its own star system,

Was engulfed by utter disaster.

Within moments, the civilization was wiped out completely.

Once the slaughter was done—

The joint fleet left a handful of ships behind to garrison the place, then set off again.

Their next destination, of course—

The Barnard Defense Circle.

Calculations show they’ll reach Struve in eight years and rendezvous with Zuo Reis over there.

Then, they’ll strike at Ross 248.

The two civilizations that lie in their path have no idea—

Their doomsday is coming.

To keep the colonist flow coming and prevent any word from getting out,

The five-civilization joint fleet will grind everything from the wormhole’s edge all the way to Struve underfoot, leaving no survivors.

They won’t even spare the animals. Not a single living thing will be left behind.

For them, this path of destruction isn’t even much of a detour. It’s just on the way.

Meanwhile…

The Drac Empire’s once-a-century tribute collection was also beginning in full force.

Dozens of tribute fleets set out from the Empire, each loaded with over a million transport ships.

Using jump drives, they hop from civilization to civilization, hauling away massive stores of valuable resources.

For every civilization, the Empire conducts an assessment, calculates the total resources they could produce in a hundred years, and demands seventy percent as tribute.

Pay in full, and you survive, winning yourself another century of peace.

If there’s a small shortfall, then a number of your people will be taken for the slave trade to make up the difference.

But if the gap is huge—nowhere near enough—

The tribute fleet doesn’t hesitate. The entire civilization is annihilated, a grim warning to the rest.

So what about those devastated worlds left behind—does the Empire care if they’re unexploited, or if that means more loss?

That’s not even a consideration.

Because, without fail, other civilizations will swoop in, seizing those ownerless territories.

By the next tribute century, new rulers will have claimed these lands and will pay up as required.

That—right there—is reality in the Orion Arm.

Nowhere is safe except the Desolate Star Region. That’s just the rule of survival out here.