A space fleet was usually made up of one Chancellor class mothership, four to eight Commander-class giant ships, thirty-six or more expeditionary class capital ships, over two hundred battleships, and countless patrol ships.
Even if the five fleets were spread out, they still had ten thousand ships in total.
It was a vast force that could flatten anything in its path.
The Sixth, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Fleets were stationed around Tyrannosaurus, acting as its protectors.
Off in the distance, the Shattered Starfields came into view. It was a sea of asteroids that seemed to blot out the sky.
Tyrannosaurus' main thrusters died down, and its stabilizers opened up. Soft light sprayed out from them, and the giant war machine slowly came to a stop.
"Admiral, we've arrived at our destination.
The 1st and 3rd Space Fleets are closing in on us, "the staff officer reported to Kang Hui.
"Skyfire Squad, begin your reconnaissance," Kang Hui said.
A tunnel opened up on one side of Tyrannosaurus. There was a flash of blue light, and a small, unremarkable ship shot into space.
Zeus -1 was about the size of a patrol ship, and in the midst of the fleet it didn't stand out at all.
No one noticed it, and it used a legal signal to clear a path for itself. It slipped through the ranks of the fleet.
It headed straight for the Shattered Starfields.
Ling Ya sat in the cockpit, looking curiously at her surroundings.
The ship was smaller than a normal patrol ship, but it had plenty of space.
It wasn't suitable for long range travel, so it must have been used by many people.
The controls in the cockpit were different from the Northern Alliance's patrol ships.
Ling Ya didn't have much of a good impression of the scouting party.
She knew the Eastern Alliance was a nation of low productivity and outdated warship technology.
But as soon as she entered Zeus -1, her opinion began to change.
Zeus -1's interior was incredibly advanced.
Some of the equipment she didn't recognize, even as a staff officer.
There was someone she hadn't seen before in the ship. She'd scanned the ship, but hadn't found anything!
Unknowingly, Zeus -1 had developed a sense of mystery in her heart.
Lan Jue stood next to Su Xiaosu, who was in charge of the ship's controls.
The Paragons retreated to their resting areas.
Only Lan Jue, Su Xiaosu, Lin Guo-guo, Wu Qiu, and Ling Ya were in the cockpit. Even the Driver was cultivating in the rest area.
The Driver had come with Lan Jue in order to continue his cultivation. He wanted to complete the fusion of the yin-yang lightning as soon as possible.
Once the fusion was complete, he would have the foundation to break through to Paragon.
He could take that step at any time.
Of course, the Driver listened to Lan Jue's advice. He suppressed his cultivation so he wouldn't break through too early.
Now that he'd come this far, his goal was no longer the same. Becoming a Paragon was no longer his goal. He wanted to become a Reflection of Heaven and Earth, and perhaps even Nirvana.
Finally, Ling Ya's eyes returned to Lan Jue. He was dressed in a well-ironed uniform, and looked gentle and refined. He'd left a deep impression on her.
Especially when Lan Jue smiled. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was a hint of mockery in his smile.
Hmph!
I'll challenge him when I get the chance.
Of course, I'll have to wait until the mission is over.
I'd like to see what this guy has to do to spy on the aliens.
Zeus -1 continued to accelerate as it entered the Shattered Starfields.
While Ling Ya was watching Lan Jue, Wu Qiu was more focused on Su Xiaosu.
Su Xiaosu was the only one in control of the ship.
Of course it was because the ship was advanced.
But to control a battleship by yourself wasn't just a matter of advanced technology.
Knowledge of the big picture, familiarity with the ship, flying experience – none of these were lacking.
But this girl looked so young.
His Esper Ability was also a combat type, not one that could assist in piloting a warship.
He was very curious about Xiaosu.
When Zeus -1 entered the Shattered Starfields, Wu Qiu's opinion of Xiaosu went up another notch.
Zeus -1's spirit was like a swallow. It didn't slow down in the slightest after entering the Starfields. Instead, it dodged and dodged.
It weaved in and out of the asteroid belt.
As far as Wu Qiu could remember, not many of Tyrannosaurus' smaller battleship pilots were capable of such feats.
Her reflexes were too fast!
But she gave off the feeling that she could do it with ease.
So strong!
If she'd joined the Northern Alliance, she'd have been an excellent pilot.
She was a ninth level Adept. What a talent!
Wu Qiu glanced at Lin Guo-guo, who sat in the main seat behind him.
Lin Guo-guo had a noble air about her, her eyes bright.
She was beautiful, and had an otherworldly air about her.
She sat on the main seat, reading a novel in her hands. She looked as relaxed as she could be.
This reconnaissance team was really weird!
There was only one pilot, and the captain didn't interfere.
Another was reading a novel.
The rest of the people had gone to the resting area, so they wouldn't help at all.
But Wu Qiu didn't underestimate them.
The fact that he'd been sent here meant he had a good grasp of the big picture.
Although Xiaosu was the only one who'd shown off her power, Wu Qiu was more curious about the others.
They were all part of the same team, so they had to be useful.
Especially since they hadn't revealed their tracks, there was no way to tell who they were.
Lan Jue walked back to Wu Qiu's side and sat down. She wore a faint smile. "Minister Wu, we've entered the Shattered Starfields.
It'll take us about two days to reach the Starfields.
We may encounter aliens along the way, so please keep in contact with Tyrannosaurus. "
Wu Qiu nodded. "Don't worry, Captain Lan. We'll keep an eye out."
They'd brought the Northern Alliance's most advanced communication system with them.
The Shattered Starfields' magnetic field was strong, but the Northern Alliance's system was no ordinary device.
Tyrannosaurus could emit a magnetic field, so even if they were deep in the Shattered Starfields, they'd still be able to get word out.
Ling Ya turned her beautiful eyes to Lan Jue. "Captain Lan, there's nothing special about your scouting method.
What do you plan to do if we encounter aliens? "
Lan Jue replied. "We're here to scout. If we encounter aliens, we'll do our best to avoid them.
Once we're done, we'll head back. "
Ling Ya pressed on. "You told General Kang that aliens have psychic abilities. They can detect a ship within a certain range.
How do we make sure we're safe? "
Lan Jue smiled calmly. "Please allow me to keep you in suspense, and ask Colonel Ling Ya to observe carefully.
You'll know soon enough. "
Ling Ya scowled and didn't say another word.
Her eyes, however, were filled with disdain.
Zeus -1's flight was fast, but steady.
Its internal stabilizing system worked well.
Lan Jue didn't say another word. She closed her eyes and rested.
Six hours later, Lan Jue opened his eyes. His brows were furrowed.
He rose to his feet and walked over to Su Xiaosu.
"Strange!" Lan Jue muttered.
Su Xiaosu nodded. "Strange indeed. We haven't encountered any aliens.
Could they have left the Shattered Starfields already? "
Lan Jue's voice was low. "If that's the case, then it's the worst possible outcome."
Su Xiaosu couldn't help but frown. Of course she knew what Lan Jue was getting at. The North had assembled such a massive force to destroy the alien home worlds.
At least they'd be able to inflict serious damage.
If the aliens had left the Shattered Starfields now, then the effort would have been in vain.
The unknown was the scariest. Who knew where the aliens would appear?
Ling Ya walked over to Lan Jue's side. "What is it?
Did something happen? "
Lan Jue's voice was low. "It's strange. We haven't encountered any aliens."
Ling Ya asked. "Maybe they've already left?"
Lan Jue nodded. "That's what we're worried about."
Ling Ya frowned. "You're saying the aliens might have teleported again?"
Lan Jue nodded. "It's possible.
Based on our calculations, each jump will consume a great deal of energy.
But it's been a while since their last teleportation. We can't rule out the possibility of a second.
We've been keeping an eye on the aliens, but they've probably been keeping an eye on us as well.
There's no way they didn't notice the Northern Alliance's presence. Perhaps they've already fled to avoid you. "
Ling Ya went on. "This operation is a secret. According to your previous reports, the aliens have been rampaging through the Shattered Starfields, haven't they?
Even if they wanted to leave, they wouldn't be able to leave so quickly.
It'll take time for the scouts to return! "
"We know too little about them," Lan Jue said. "We can't be sure if they're capable of long-distance communication."