"Saintess, the enemy fleet has locked their cannons onto us. What are your orders?" The officer in charge of the carrier''s defenses was already redirecting power from the main reactor to feed the shield generators, his hands trembling slightly as he awaited her response.


    Li, seated calmly in the captain''s chair with her usual poise, let out a small, serene smile that somehow diffused the tension in the bridge. "You already know what I''m going to say," she replied, her voice soft yet brimming with confidence.


    "I trust in the capabilities of everyone here. Do as you see fit."


    "Understood, Saintess!" The officer saluted sharply, his chest puffing with renewed resolve. "Powering up the experimental deflector! Countdown to activation: 10 seconds!"


    "10..."


    "9..."


    "8... 7..."


    "Enemy fire iing!" another officer shouted, his voice cutting through the tension like a de.


    The enemy fleet unleashed a salvo of long-range artillery, missiles, and sma beams toward the human fleet''s gship carrier. The ammunition streaked across the void of space like a deadly rain of fire, colliding with the carrier''s shimmering energy shields.


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    It was both a dazzling and horrifying sight, like fireworks of destruction cascading across the shield''s surface, lighting up the ckness of space.


    "Energy shields at 64%!" reported the officer in charge of defenses. "At this rate, we can withstand two more full salvos, three if we''re lucky! I rmend switching to an evasivebat stance. Static formation is too risky!"


    The officer''s suggestion carried weight. In traditional space warfare, staticbat stance was preferred for its precision and tight formations, ideal for maintaining control over the battlefield.


    However, it also made ships easier targets for overwhelming firepower. By contrast, the evasivebat stance prioritized mobility and survival, but at the cost of uracy and coordination.


    "How long until the deflector is online?" Li asked, her calm voice cutting through the rising chatter like a melody. Unlike the officers, some of whom were visibly panicking, there wasn''t a trace of fear in her tone.


    "The experimental deflector is online, Saintess!" The officer called out, standing straighter as he delivered the good news.


    "Good," Li said with a nod. "Ry my orders to the destroyers: switch to an evasive stance. Have them harass the enemy fleet, circling around their formation. We''ll proceed to test the new experimental defense Professor Oscar provided us."


    Her voice was steady, decisive, and strangely reassuring. Even the most nervous officers seemed to regain theirposure at hermand.


    As if on cue, Professor Oscar stepped forward, his whiteb coat ring dramatically as he approached Li''s chair. His silver hair shimmered under the bridge''s lights, and his excitement was palpable.


    "Saintess," he said with a respectful bow, "may I have the honor of giving the first activation order for this device? This is, after all, its grand debut in battle!" His voice was brimming with anticipation, like a child about to unveil a prized invention at a science fair.


    Li gave him a small smile and nodded. "Go ahead, Professor."


    Oscar pped his hands together, his face lighting up with enthusiasm. "Officer! Get your finger ready! When I give the signal, press the activation button!"


    "Yes, sir!" The officer in charge of the device snapped to attention, his finger hovering over the control panel.


    "Saintess! Enemy main cannons are fully loaded! Another salvo is imminent!" shouted one of the officers, his voice tense but controlled.


    "Iing missiles and long-range explosive rounds!" another officer added, his fingers flying over his console as the enemy barrage closed in on the fleet.


    Oscar raised his hand dramatically. "NOW! Activate the experimental deflector!"


    He punctuated hismand with a firm p to the officer''s back, urging him to press the button without hesitation. The officerplied, and the moment his finger hit the button, the experimental device roared to life.


    Secondster, the enemy''s barrage struck, not the shields, but something else.


    The iing rounds and missiles collided with an invisible barrier that shimmered faintly in the darkness of space, as though reality itself had bent to deflect the attack. The missiles ricocheted wildly in random directions, detonating harmlessly away from the carrier.


    Their trajectories were warped by the deflector field. Only a fraction of the enemy fire managed to reach the carrier''s shields, leaving the rest to careen uselessly into the void.


    Gasps of astonishment filled the bridge as the officers witnessed the device''s power firsthand.


    "Damage report," Li asked, her voice calm and measured, breaking the stunned silence.


    "Right away, Saintess!" The officer in charge of defenses quickly scanned the readouts before delivering the news. "Energy shields are at 63% and charging. Only minimal damage sustained!"


    A collective cheer erupted across the bridge as officers and crew alike celebrated their survival. The experimental deflector had performed beyond expectations, turning what could have been a devastating blow into a mere scratch.


    "Brilliant, Professor," Li said with a nod of approval, her serene smile returning. "Once again, you''ve delivered exceptional results."


    Oscar beamed with pride, his excitement nearly bubbling over. "Ah, Saintess, it''s merely the fruits of science and ingenuity! But to see it work so beautifully in livebat... Oh, this is a historic moment! I must document this in my logs!"


    "Save the celebrations forter, Professor," Li said gently, though her tone carried a hint of amusement. She turned her attention back to the battlefield.


    "Ry my gratitude to the destroyer captains for their swift maneuvering. Now, let''s show our enemy that the new human empire is not to be underestimated."


    "Orders, Saintess?" one of the officers asked eagerly.


    "Begin counteroffensive maneuvers," Limanded, her voice steady yet firm. "Destroyers and frigates are to disrupt their formation. Target their battlecruiser with precision strikes. Let''s remind them why we''re not to be trifled with."


    As the human fleet moved to execute her orders, the bridge hummed with renewed determination. With the deflector now operational and the fleet switching to aggressive tactics, the tide of battle was beginning to turn.


    From her seat, Li gazed at the enemy ships through the main viewport, her gray, sightless eyes seeming to see far beyond the physical. Her calm confidence was infectious, bolstering the morale of everyone around her.


    "Sir, not good!" The officer at the radar console shouted, panic evident in his voice. "The enemy fleet that retreated a few moments ago is back! And their main cannons are aimed directly at us!"


    On Valis, captain of the Harbinger-ss Battlecruiser, grimaced as he nced at themand screen. rms red throughout the bridge, red alerts shing across every console. For a moment, he sat in silence, letting the weight of the situation settle over him.


    Then, to the surprise of his officers, heughed with a sharp, bitter sound that echoed over the chaos. "Ha! So, it seems that our own damn strategy has finallye back to bite us in the ass!"


    He mmed his hand onto the armrest of his chair, rising to his feet. His sharp, weathered eyes swept over the room, taking in the panicking crew.


    "Enough gawking! Get us out of here already! This battle is lost. I want coordinates for a retreat NOW!" On shouted, his voice cutting through the noise like a whip.


    "Sir,munications are being jammed!" another officer called out, beads of sweat running down his face as he worked frantically at his console. "And... and the wormhole crew isn''t responding!"


    "What?! Put the wormhole device room on the main screen! Now!" Onmanded.


    The officer hesitated for only a second before pulling up the camera feed. The holographic disy flickered, and the image of the wormhole device room filled the screen.


    The bridge fell deathly silent.


    The engineers and guards stationed in the wormhole room were sprawled across the floor, their lifeless bodies strewn about like discarded dolls. The walls were sttered with blood, and the wormhole device itself was eerily silent, its usual hum reced by an ominous stillness.


    "What the hell..." On muttered, his voice low and hollow. He could feel a cold dread creeping into his chest, but he shoved it aside. He didn''t have time to process the horror.


    "Enemy fire is iing! Brace for impact!"


    The officer''s shout snapped On back to reality. He grabbed the edge of his console as the Harbinger shuddered violently. Explosive rounds smashed into the ship''s energy shields, the bright shes of impact lighting up the bridge.


    Some rounds missed the Harbinger entirely but struck the other ships in the fleet formation, turning them into fiery wrecks.


    "Shields at 47%! They won''t hold much longer!" The defense officer shouted, his hands flying over the controls as he rerouted power.


    "Divert all power to the engines and shields!" On ordered. "Forget about firing back! Take us out of here NOW! We''ll flee until we''re out of range and can initiate a warp jump!"


    On wasn''t just any captain; he was a seasoned veteran who had survived more battles than he cared to count. He knew that ifmunications were being jammed and the wormhole device was offline, the jamming device couldn''t have a massive range.


    If they could escape the enemy''s range, they could regroup and survive. Running without looking back was the only option.


    "But... but, sir!" one of the junior officers protested, his voice shaking. "What about the soldiers and mechanized cavalry we sent to the? And the civilians down there?! Are we just going to abandon them?!"


    On''s expression hardened, his jaw clenching as he locked eyes with the officer. His voice, when he spoke, was cold and unyielding. "There''s nothing we can do for them. They''re already doomed."@@novelbin@@


    The officer flinched at those words.