Five hours later, on the dark side of Campbell's near-Earth orbit:
The remnants of the expedition fleet—consisting of twelve escort transports and one Paris-class frigate—were in close coordination with four orbital defense stations, standing ready for the imminent challenge.
Each member of the fleet was at their post, their expressions solemn, as they awaited the coming onslaught.
Aboard the Paris-class frigate's bridge:
Through the forward-facing reinforced portholes, the endless black void of space stretched outward, punctuated only by the faint glow of distant nebulae, hundreds of light-years away.
However, Captain Delatier, seated in the commanding chair, stared intently at a holographic display to her right. On it, a shocking image unfolded:
A massive Arachnid bio-fleet of at least 100,000 transport bugs surged toward their position like an unstoppable tide.
While these transport bugs were roughly the size of the Federation's escort transports, the Federation could never match such overwhelming numbers.
The Arachnids, by contrast, wielded their numerical superiority to devastating effect.
Scattered amidst the bio-fleet were countless meteorites, hurling through space at breakneck speeds.
These meteors were packed with dormant Arachnid eggs, their surfaces bristling with writhing tendrils. Should they breach Campbell's atmosphere, they would wreak catastrophic havoc on the planet.
These meteors could bury themselves deep within the planet's crust. If the bio-fleet gained the upper hand, the Hive Mind would immediately command the eggs to hatch, bolstering their forces.
If the Arachnids were pushed back, the eggs would remain dormant, lying in wait beneath the surface for the perfect moment to erupt.
This was a strategy the Arachnids had previously attempted at New Hope, aiming to act as a hidden threat that would later strike unexpectedly.
However, the Red Tears, the Blood Angels' Gloriana-class Battleship, had completely obliterated the bio-fleet before any meteors could reach the planet, leaving no hidden dangers behind.
Had it not been for the Intelligence Division's objective of capturing live Arachnids to elevate Leon's reputation and secure control over the mobile infantry, the Red Tears could have annihilated the entire bio-fleet effortlessly.
The difference in firepower between the Federation and the Empire was simply too vast.
Accompanying the transport bugs were thousands of space plasma bugs.
Unlike their lumbering counterparts on planetary surfaces, these plasma bugs moved with surprising agility in space, their eerie bioluminescence making them appear like spectral apparitions drifting through the void.
The holographic display estimated the number of plasma bugs at around 10,000.
Even so, this was not a force the expedition fleet remnants or Campbell's orbital defenses could hope to face head-on.
Captain Delatier, entrusted by Leon to command the Paris-class frigate, couldn't help but feel a twinge of anxiety.
Still, Delatier knew she had to remain calm and lead the fleet to the best of her abilities.
Leon had chosen Delatier—a former captain of the Rodger Young—to command the Paris-class frigate based on recommendations from the Intelligence Division.
Even Carmen Ibanez, who had often clashed with Rico and Dizzy and resorted to unscrupulous methods to advance her career, was appointed as the Paris-class's helmsman.
Despite Leon considering Rico a close friend, among the naval officers who had escaped New Hope with them, Carmen's piloting skills were unmatched.
Whatever her flaws in character, Carmen was the only one capable of pushing the Paris-class frigate to its limits.
As for Zander Barcalow?
Though his history with Rico—stealing Carmen's affections—was far from amicable, Zander remained an exceptional bridge officer. His success in "stealing Carmen" was arguably just as much her doing as his.
Thus, Zander served as Delatier's deputy, ensuring the Paris-class frigate could perform at its peak.
To spare Rico the pain of interacting with Carmen and Zander, Leon assigned him full responsibility for leading the enhanced assault battalion equipped with mechanical exoskeletons.
Rico himself had no objections.
After all, their true enemy was the Arachnids.
Beep—beep—beep!
Alarms blared throughout the bridge.
Warning indicators lit up across the holographic displays, accompanied by real-time data updates showing the enemy's rapid approach.
Every crew member focused intensely, fine-tuning the ship's weapons systems in preparation for the life-and-death struggle ahead.
Ahead of them, through the portholes, the black void seemed endless.
As the bio-fleet entered firing range, Captain Delatier raised her voice and commanded:
"All hands, prepare to fire!"
Her voice broke the tense atmosphere on the bridge.
"Yes, ma'am!"
The crew responded in unison, concentrating on their tasks to ensure the ship could unleash its full combat potential.
Each silently prayed that after three volleys, they would successfully retreat from the battlefield and reenter the planet's atmosphere.
They also hoped the Human Empire's promises of "humanitarian values" would hold true, and that Imperial reinforcements would arrive in time to help defend Campbell against the Arachnid onslaught.
Soon enough, the holographic display shifted from yellow to green, indicating that the bio-fleet was now within firing range.
Delatier wasted no time, shouting:
"Fire!"
At her command, the gunners immediately activated the controls, pressing physical buttons and toggles on their consoles.
Ri—Zzzhhhht——!!
BOOM—BOOM——!!
Whoosh—whoosh——!!
In an instant, the vibrations of the ship carried the deafening roar of railguns, plasma and gauss secondary batteries, and missile launches throughout the bridge.
Blinding blue ballistic trails, glowing plasma projectiles, and missile contrails streaked across the portholes, lighting up the void like brilliant meteors.
The railguns' needle-like tungsten-steel rounds traveled at supersonic speeds, piercing through clusters of transport and plasma bugs in rapid succession.
BOOM—BOOM!!
Plasma bugs hit by the rounds went into a chain reaction of catastrophic self-destruction, creating dazzling blue fireballs that lit up the black expanse of space.
As secondary battery salvos and missiles followed, the bio-ships of the Arachnids exploded like fireworks, brightening the void with fiery bursts. Hundreds of transport and plasma bugs were obliterated in the initial volley.
Although the Federation's escort transports couldn't match the Paris-class in firepower, their conventional artillery and missile systems still contributed to a formidable barrage.
Meanwhile, the plasma bugs, whose firing range was inferior to that of human weapons, began dispersing in response to Hive Mind commands to avoid concentrated fire.
At the same time, the bio-fleet accelerated. As soon as Campbell's defenders were within range, thousands of plasma bugs unleashed a barrage of their own.
A brilliant storm of blue plasma projectiles filled the void, streaking toward the remnants of the expedition fleet and the four orbital stations.
Seeing the incoming plasma barrage, Carmen needed no orders from Delatier. Acting on instinct and years of experience, she maneuvered the Paris-class frigate in an evasive pattern, as if in perfect synchronization with the ship itself.
It was a testament to her skill, hinting at why she would later become a fleet commander in the Starship Troopers timeline.
The escort transports followed suit, weaving through the void to minimize the chances of being hit.
However, the orbital stations were far less agile than the warships, moving sluggishly like lumbering giants, unable to adapt to the rapidly shifting battlefield.
The stations had already launched their nuclear and hydrogen-tipped missiles in the opening volley and were now retreating behind the expedition fleet.
Evacuation protocols were initiated aboard the stations, ensuring personnel could escape in the event of destruction.
Fortunately, despite their numbers, the plasma bugs' accuracy was nowhere near the precision of the fleet's fire-control systems.
Thousands of plasma orbs streaked through the void, but 99% missed their targets, failing to inflict significant damage on the remnants.
However, two escort transports weren't so lucky.
BOOM—BOOM!!
One transport was struck directly in the midsection, its hull torn in half and scattered into the endless void like shredded paper.
The other lost all propulsion, drifting lifelessly.
The harsh reality of war was evident—no matter how imprecise the plasma bugs' attacks were, their overwhelming numbers compensated for their lack of accuracy.
The two stricken transports were beyond saving, forcing their crews to abandon ship and escape to Campbell's surface in emergency pods.
While the loss of ships was painful, it was still within acceptable limits from a strategic perspective, allowing the fleet to retain enough strength to continue fighting.
As the battle raged on, the tension aboard the Paris-class frigate only grew.
Captain Delatier, her eyes fixed on the holographic displays, calculated her next move.
The plasma bugs showed no signs of letting up. Guided by the Hive Mind, they staggered their barrages to avoid synchronized firing gaps.
With the bio-fleet closing to less than 100,000 kilometers, Delatier knew she had to act decisively to ensure the remaining ships could complete their firing runs.
Her voice rang out, steady and commanding:
"Divert shield power to 160% and reduce main battery output to 45%!
Helmsman, accelerate toward the enemy and draw their fire. Hold for three minutes!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Carmen and the rest of the bridge crew responded in unison, quickly executing her orders.
The Paris-class frigate's golden energy shield shimmered into view as it accelerated toward the massive bio-fleet like a radiant sword, cutting through the darkness with speed and resolve.
Delatier's bold move worked. The Paris-class frigate immediately drew the Arachnids' attention, shifting their fire away from the rest of the fleet.
Taking advantage of the diversion, the fleet unleashed a second volley, focusing their fire on the plasma bugs capable of orbital bombardment.
Once again, streaking missiles and glowing projectiles lit up the void, buying Campbell precious time.
Despite Carmen's skillful evasive maneuvers, the Paris-class frigate couldn't escape unscathed.
BOOM—BOOM!!
Several plasma orbs struck the shield, exploding in a blinding cascade of blue sparks that enveloped the ship.
The impact caused the ship to shudder violently, and the glowing plasma lit up the bridge like an ethereal blue mist.
Delatier's forehead glistened with sweat.
She knew that without the shield, even the Paris-class frigate's robust hull couldn't withstand sustained plasma fire.
The shield's collapse would spell the ship's end.
Every second was critical—there was no room for error.
"Captain!" a crew member called out urgently.
"Shields are down to less than 50%! Another concentrated barrage will overload them!"
"Gun crew!" Delatier shouted, ignoring the report as she focused on the task at hand.
"How much longer until the main battery is charged?!"
"Seventy-five percent! Twelve seconds remaining!" the gunner replied swiftly.
Hearing this, Delatier turned to Carmen and barked:
"Helmsman! Adjust our heading for optimal firing position for the third volley!"
"Understood!"
Carmen's grip tightened on the controls, her veins standing out against her skin as she maneuvered the ship with unwavering focus.
Though her character was questionable, her skill was undeniable. In this moment, she was every bit as capable as an elite Imperial pilot.
Under Carmen's deft control, the Paris-class frigate evaded several incoming plasma orbs and lined up its bow with a plasma bug over two kilometers long.
"Fire!!!"
Delatier's voice rang out with all the force of her resolve.
Ri—Zzzhhhht——!!!
The needle-like tungsten-steel round shot forth, cutting through the void toward its target.
Their mission complete, it was now time to retreat into the atmosphere.
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