From cannon fodder to sweeping across thousands of stars.

Chapter 385 No One Can Sleep Tonight (End)

"What's the current situation of the 66th Brigade? Why can we only contact such a small number of troops?!"

In the camouflaged command cabin, Van Fleet stared at the electronic sand table nervously and yelled. The bloodshot eyes and flushed cheeks well explained his current state.

This lieutenant general, who is good at mobilizing troops in a 'ghostly' manner, gathering superior forces in exercises and counterinsurgency battles, and overwhelming the enemy with fierce firepower. He has always been known as a 'wise general' in the Federal Army, but at this moment, the word 'wise' has basically nothing to do with him.

"General, the large-scale electronic interference has never stopped, and the military network has been attacked by electronic warfare viruses. Many units have had to switch to quantum encryption communication, so we can only contact units that are closer, and the communication efficiency is not high."

The communications staff officer said nervously that everyone in the command cabin, including him, now knew that they were being targeted.

After all, the situation arrows on the electronic sand table pointed very clearly. The enemy that suddenly appeared was madly breaking through in this direction.

According to the message sent by the 13th Fleet before the communication was interrupted, a new type of HCP from Atlas broke through the atmosphere alone and reached the surface.

Soon after, the 56st Medium Battalion and st Heavy Battalion, which were attacking the gap in Highway , reported that they were under an "uncontestable" attack. Before Van Fleet could mobilize other troops for support, large-scale electronic interference and attacks on the military network began, and the headquarters also lost contact with the two battalions.

To be honest, at first Van Fleet could hardly believe that the two battalions had suffered a devastating blow.

因其作为范弗利特嫡系部队的关系，不管是装备还是人员都是优先补充，而且在原先4重、1火力、1防空、1侦查、1支援、1保障的营级单位基础上，又被加强了两个中型合成营来增加战术穿插能力.
However, as the defense force of the general headquarters, the 66th Brigade has never participated in any offensive operations at Van Fleet's request, so the troop organization has remained relatively intact and the morale has been maintained relatively well.

In this context, a heavy synthetic battalion with more than 600 people, 20 main battle tanks, 8 HCPs, plus armored infantry fighting vehicles and other vehicles, and a medium synthetic battalion with more than 600 people, 14 wheeled assault vehicles or multi-legged vehicles, 46 wheeled armored vehicles, 6 self-propelled mortars, and 2 electronic jamming vehicles.
Such a strong force was crippled by an HCP?

Under normal circumstances, Van Vleet would have given the other player a slap in the face without hesitation to wake him up.

But when the drone captured a large number of HCPs and vehicle wreckage near Highway 56, as well as a red machine advancing at an inhuman speed and posture in the center of the battlefield, the Federal Army Lieutenant General had to believe it.

Immediately afterwards, including this drone, the reconnaissance drones and communication relay drones flying over the war zone were shot down one by one.

Except for the long-flight drones hiding in the high altitude that escaped due to their high altitude, the drones released by the 66th Brigade in previous battles were basically cleared out.

At this point, Van Fleet also realized that he had run into a tough opponent, so he immediately issued an order for the 66th Brigade's original encirclement troops to withdraw, intending to overwhelm the target with manpower and firepower.

"If two battalions can't handle you, can I really not handle you with a brigade?"

Then Van Vleet found that he really couldn't figure it out.

Because when it comes to the scale of a brigade-level unit, no matter how high the degree of mechanization is, it will still be somewhat bulky.

At the same time, the other side had no intention of engaging with these combat units, but relied on high mobility and high firepower to make continuous breakthroughs.

The HCP unit of the 166th Heavy Combined Battalion even tried a tactic of concentrating all HCPs for interception, but this red machine with blue light under its armor demonstrated combat power that was beyond the comprehension of these pilots.

Unbeatable prediction, terrifying reaction ability, instant reverse maneuvering that normal people can't control, and those two 'light blades' that can cut through steel and iron.
The eight HCPs were chopped down by the dancing lightsabers at a mere encounter. The last scene these pilots saw was the red phantom sending the "light blade" into the cockpit after avoiding all attacks.

What is "integration of signals and fire" and "armor-bullet confrontation"? Those are concepts that are only used when fighting against other conventional forces.

When you face a psychic like Amber who uses the cutting-edge HCP, the best way is to call in your own 'ACE' to fight against her, or to suppress her with saturation firepower or even tactical nuclear bombs.

Van Fleet or the Federation Army did not have any ace psychic pilots available at this time. According to Amber's memory, the Federation and the Empire did not use all psychics for special operations until the middle and late stages of the war, but instead allocated some for HCP piloting.
This is why Amber can charge into the battle alone so confidently, because he knows that Van Vleet does not have a pilot who can suppress him.

The only remaining option at this time is to rely on saturation fire coverage or directly drop tactical nuclear bombs.

But what Van Vleet can think of, Amber can naturally think of as well.

The reason why he kept breaking through the 66th Brigade's defense line was to prevent the enemy's long-range artillery and self-propelled artillery units from launching effective attacks while finding Van Fleet.

No matter how urgent the situation was, Amber knew that the federal army could not launch a fire attack on its own troops.
This kind of charge all the way is a test for both Amber and the machine.

At this moment, almost no part of the outer armor of the "Giant" was intact, and it was covered with various bullet holes and signs of burning.

Although Amber's prediction and reaction abilities are far superior to those of ordinary people, this does not mean that he can "pass the level without any damage" when facing enemies of this magnitude.

Maybe if the psychic power level is higher and the body performance is stronger, it can be done. But at least not now.

Ammunition and weapon supplies can be airdropped by the Ikaros support module, but Amber herself can only rely on potions and willpower to hold on.

Fortunately, after this series of battles, it is time to end the single-player battle.

As Lilith completed her secret invasion of the federal military network, the command cabin where Van Fleet was located was finally located.

When the "Red Devil" reappeared, the only ones standing between it and the command container vehicle were the guard company's troops.

Although these federal soldiers still bravely fired at Amber under such circumstances, unfortunately most of their attacks were in vain.

Just as the last three HCPs were about to rush forward and perish together by melting their cores and self-destructing, the hatch of the command container vehicle was opened.

Van Vleet, who had taken off his military cap, walked out of the car expressionlessly, and then said on the public channel:
"Stop, we surrender."
-
The live broadcast of 'Eye of Truth' ended shortly after the cat girl said, "The battle on Pyra IV and in the planet's orbit has come to an end."

The almost all-day non-stop live broadcast can only be achieved by the Roma people, a race with a physique that surpasses that of humans.

Although no one knows what happened on the ground in the final stage that caused the ground battle to end suddenly, for the audience who were fortunate enough to watch the live broadcast, especially the climax of the second half of the live broadcast, they just felt that this live broadcast was really worth watching.

There were position assaults, land battles, single-plane breakthroughs into the atmosphere, and thrilling fleet battles. These first-hand battles that ordinary people would hardly be exposed to on a daily basis, this time spread throughout the Federation and the Empire in an unprecedented form.

Especially for those viewers in the night hemisphere of their planet, tonight is destined to be a sleepless night. People gather together with great interest to discuss the live broadcast just now. Whether it is in a bar, night market, or in the local forum, the topic of "Atlas vs. Federation" must be the most discussed one.

Similarly, on the federal capital planet, a large number of people will also not be able to sleep tonight.

Federal President Brandon, who was in the conference room of the Ministry of Defense building, was stunned for a few seconds when he saw the corporate promotional video being played again after the live broadcast of "Eye of Truth" ended on the screen. Then he burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha"

In the originally silent conference room, everyone's attention was drawn to Brandon's laughter.

Although the senior officials from the federal government, military, and CIA in the conference room had been here for almost a day, not only had they not rested, but they had also only eaten large amounts of fast food delivered, but no one dared to complain at this critical juncture.

"The regular army of the Federation was beaten up by a private enterprise, and the whole process was broadcast live. Does anyone here have any idea?"

Brandon's tone gradually turned cold, and the smile on his face slowly disappeared. Everyone knew that this was a sign that the president was going to explode, and no one dared to respond at this moment. "When I signed the general mobilization order, you said that the Star Dragon Empire was already shaky and would collapse if the federal army kicked it. As a result, the fleets could not continue to advance after entering the other side's territory for a short time, and they kept "burning money" on the front line every day.
When we started the communication business cooperation with Atlas, I asked you whether you can completely control the enterprise and technology? You all said that it was just a private enterprise, nothing to be afraid of, and the Federation could completely control it with a little effort.
When you persuaded me to agree to build more unmanned fleets, you said that this technology is absolutely safe, the combat effectiveness of the fleet is absolutely worth the investment, and it can reduce precious casualties. "

Brandon said as he slowly stood up and looked around at everyone in the conference room.

"Can anyone tell me how you manage to make everything go in the worst direction?"

Seeing that no one in the conference room said anything, Brandon shook his head and continued:

"I know that many of you don't take me seriously, thinking that I am just a 'meat trumpet' of the military-industrial complex, a 'human stamp' responsible for signing and stamping various bills and resolutions. But what I want to say is that as long as I am in office, I have the right to be held accountable for these things."

"Your Excellency the President," said CIA Director Bernard, who was the first to speak, because he knew that Brandon, who was standing in front of the main seat, was indeed the kind of person who would drag everyone to death with him.
"We can't trust the live broadcast of the Eye of Truth. It is very likely that this is some kind of public opinion control method used by Atlas. We have deployed a lot of troops on Pyla IV. I believe that under the command of General Van Fleet, the situation should not be that bad."

"Thank you for your speech, Chief Bernard."

Brandon sat down again, his face regaining its calm expression.

"I hope you can get the information of Pyla IV as soon as possible and tell me what happened there?"

"I'll do it right away."

Bernard stood up and nodded to Brandon, then left with the CIA people. After all, what happened next had nothing to do with them.

After Bernard and his men left, Brandon looked at Defense Secretary Miller who was sitting on his left.

"Minister Miller, do you have anything to say about the unmanned fleet? I saw it clearly in the live broadcast just now. The three unmanned fleets stopped where they were after completing the jump. They did not maneuver or support the Thirteenth Fleet in combat."

After hearing Brandon's question, Defense Secretary Miller didn't know how to answer for a moment. After all, he didn't expect such a situation to happen, and in the end he could only resort to the tactic of procrastination.

"I will investigate immediately, Mr. President."

Miller stood up and nodded.

"Go ahead, I hope you can find out~" Brandon waved his hand, obviously not wanting to say anything more to the Minister of Defense.

Although he was unhappy seeing Brandon's current attitude, Miller knew that he couldn't say anything now. The federal ground forces, navy, and even the unmanned fleet were all "shocked" just now.

If the matter is really to be investigated, he, the Minister of Defense, must step down immediately.

Defense Secretary Miller also left the meeting room soon. After he left, the remaining people in the meeting room dared not say anything when facing President Brandon.

But Brandon was obviously not going to let them go and soon found the next target to "fire at".

"Finn, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, do you have any idea about the Thousand Star Empire's weapons appearing on the battlefield and firing at our troops?"
-
"So the three unmanned fleets of the Federation are really out of control?"

A few days later, in the fiefdom of the Regent in the Star Dragon Empire, Norton II, who was sitting in the study listening to Astral's report, was unusually excited after hearing the news from the latter.

"We cannot confirm that they are out of control at the moment, but according to the information from our informants, the Federation seems to be unable to contact these three fleets for the time being, and is unable to recall them."

Astral shook his head, his tone somewhat uncertain.

"Anyway, this is really surprising. I originally thought that Mr. Amber and his Atlas would at most cause a little trouble to the Federation, but I never thought he could do this."

"So you still think that Atlas did something that caused the Federation to be unable to control these three unmanned fleets?"

"What else?" Norton II raised his eyebrows.

"Do you want me to believe that Amber is the son of destiny, so he is extremely lucky and happened to encounter the unmanned fleet out of control at the critical moment?"

"This"

After hearing the regent's words, the expression on Astral's face became somewhat interesting, because he really didn't want to believe that the reason for all this was that Amber was too lucky.

However, he quickly adjusted his expression and continued to ask:
"As for the unmanned fleet, do we need to continue our activities behind the scenes of the Federation and try to get relevant intelligence?"

"No need." The Regent waved his hand and continued:

"The Federation will definitely strictly control information recently. Don't touch the secret line at this time. It will be more useful in the future. As for the relevant intelligence, I have other ways to find out the truth."

A few days later, the imperial fleets on various fronts began to maneuver one after another and soon launched a large-scale counterattack.

Norton II's method was also very simple, because the Federation often used unmanned fleets as mobile forces to fill gaps on the front lines, and the loss of three unmanned fleets would make their forces deep into the Star Dragon Empire become somewhat tense.

So under the 'suggestion' of the Regent, the Imperial Royal Navy launched a fierce attack on several key nodes on the front line, wanting to see whether the Federation would still use these unmanned fleets to 'put out fires' as usual.

You won’t know the result until you try it, and you’ll be shocked once you try it.

Not only the three unmanned fleets that lost contact, but also the original unmanned fleets on the front line were withdrawn by the Federal Navy. The entire front line is now maintained by conventional fleets.

After receiving the news, Norton II was so excited that he didn't sleep the whole night, and laughed and thanked Amber for the "big gift".

Then, the Imperial Royal Navy, which had figured out the situation, finally swept away the shadow of the long tug-of-war, began to continuously create advantages somewhere on the front line, and connected these "advantage points" into lines, and began to push the entire front line back.

The Federation seemed to know that they might be at a disadvantage at this time, and began to move flexibly under the command of Marshal Trafalgar. Finally, after meeting up with two mobile fortresses that arrived at the front line, they stabilized the front line again.

But even so, the Federal Navy’s battle results in the previous few months were basically wiped out.

In addition, after the news suddenly broke that the two federal lieutenant generals who were the commanders of the federal ground forces and fleet of Pala IV had been controlled by Atlas, public opinion in the federation, under the instigation of those with ulterior motives, could no longer be controlled.

The autonomous governments of various galaxies, especially those controlled by the opposition, also launched a new round of attacks against the federal government.

A series of chain reactions occurred, and the situation began to develop in a direction that was completely incomprehensible to current affairs commentators.

But Amber and Atlas, who were at the center of the vortex, suddenly became "low-key", as if all this had nothing to do with them.

(End of this chapter)