Rushing back to the palace meeting room with my secretary, I found Along and A-Hu waiting anxiously on-screen. Spotting me, they shouted, "Boss!"
"When did you notice this?" I asked them.
"You go first, big bro," A-Hu said to Along.
"Alright." Along knew now wasn't the time for deference. "We spotted them yesterday. A Blue Dragon Army Group patrol fleet, cruising our border with the Wushite Empire—a system empire neighboring Kamet Alliance in the Second Cosmos, always eyeing Kamet but too weak to act—noticed Wushite troops massing at the borderline. We didn't think much of it; our sudden presence would naturally spook them. But this morning, our second patrol reported they're still gathering, far beyond normal defense levels. Shockingly, we spotted Pandoran warships among them. I suspect Pandora's teamed up with them."
"Hah, heaven won't let us rest. Cursed genius!" I rubbed my nose. "A-Hu, what'd you find?"
"Boss, our zone covers the Milky Way and the Heaven-Earth-Mysterious-Yellow, Universe-Primordial small systems. This morning, a patrol caught something odd. At the Milky Way's edge, we spotted warships from another system—small, just a squad of 100. We didn't know whose they were and kept a friendly distance, monitoring. Once they saw us, they bolted," A-Hu recounted.
"Interesting." Two incidents at once raise red flags. The Milky Way, cosmic center or not, is tech-backward with scarce life planets, far from other systems, rarely drawing cosmic attention. Otherwise, Earth's population alone would've lured invaders.
If these are alien warships, why leave after reaching the Milky Way? Even spotting us, they'd at least hail us to avoid trouble. Sneaking off like thieves caught mid-heist? What's worth stealing here?
Seeing me deep in thought, Along and A-Hu speculated on the twin incidents. Snapping out of it, I told A-Hu, "Send over the warship images."
Every warship has imaging gear to record battlefields or surroundings for tactical analysis. "Got it," A-Hu said, transmitting the footage.
"Along, are these Wushite Empire warships?" I asked.
"Majesty, here's Wushite's warship profile. They're distinct but feel similar—hard to pinpoint. Both seem built for the same purpose. Wushite wouldn't make multiple ships for one role, right?" Along analyzed.
"Your take?" I turned to A-Hu.
"Boss, I feel the same as big bro but can't nail it down," A-Hu said, scratching his head.
"Our instincts align," I said gravely.
"Boss, what's off? We're no pushovers—afraid of them?" A-Hu boasted.
Ignoring him, Along scolded, "A-Hu, don't get cocky. Our young empire beat the Second Cosmos' top nation, but countless unknown civilizations lurk out there. We're not invincible. Stay sharp."
"Fine, just lightening the mood," A-Hu muttered.
"Enough. If we sense a connection, their tech shares roots. From design and tech, A-Hu's warships are clearly more advanced than Wushite's," I said.
They nodded, comparing closely. I continued, "What does this tell us? Two powers are watching us. One's Wushite Empire. The other? Likely the tech supplier to Wushite. No Second Cosmos nation has that capability, so it's probably a First Cosmos power. Our recent wars have exposed us, drawing eyes."
"Another big fight?" A-Hu grinned, itching for action after missing the last campaign.
"You war junkie—battles kill, you know?" I laughed, cursing. "If it comes to blows, we may not dominate, but we won't lose. Their caution shows our strength. Weaklings don't get spied on—they get crushed openly."
"Boss, your analysis is spot-on," A-Hu said.
"Alright, whatever demons or gods come, we can't bar the door. We prep early. A-Hu, I'm assigning another legion to your army group, plus the new second Space Fortress and 200,000 God-Demon armaments."
Before I finished, A-Hu's eyes gleamed, shouting, "Boss, I love you! You're my life's beacon!"
"Cut it—I'm getting goosebumps. To bolster Milky Way defenses, I'm moving Purple, Red, and Green Army Groups, plus a reserve legion, to form a unified command zone," I said. Seeing A-Hu's excitement, I warned, "Don't celebrate yet. Screw up, and I'll have your hide. The Milky Way's our backyard—no one sneaks in. Earth's situation isn't fully under control."
"To counter Wushite's potential strike, I'm sending two reserve legions to you, Along, as mobile support. If it kicks off, unleash the Space Fortress for a lethal blow—no mercy," I ordered.
"Boss, what if that First Cosmos nation joins in?" Along asked, worried.
I smirked. "You're too clever. Whether they join or not, a nation with no stake in us won't lead the charge. That's why I said hit Wushite hard at the first shot. Show our might, and they'll think twice about jumping in for no gain. Their Milky Way stealth shows caution—they won't rashly fight. Supplying Wushite likely checks other First Cosmos powers in the Second Cosmos. As long as we don't strike Wushite first, we're safe. But prep as I said."
"Boss, you're a genius. Under your lead, I see my flaws. I envision enemies bleeding at your feet," A-Hu gushed, oddly hyped today.
"A-Hu, listen up. I'm sending troops, but if you mess up, don't cry brotherhood. Earth's defense is priority—no third parties meddling, got it?"
"Got it, Majesty—haha," A-Hu grinned.
Leaving the meeting room, I rejoined the Kamet delegation's banquet. As Wushite's neighbor and rival, they'd know something.
"Speaker Panku, how much do you know about Wushite Empire?" I pulled him aside.
"A bit, but not much. We haven't fought in a century. Why ask—have they stirred?" Panku said.
"They're massing troops at your border. No conflict with us, so I'm prepping defenses. Hence my question," I said.
"Really?" Panku was stunned, staring for seconds, realizing I wasn't joking. No wars with Wushite in ages, but post-Kamet-Sky Dragon war, we're weakened. They might exploit it. Opportunism's universal.
Seeing Panku's reaction, I knew he'd spill. If I mentioned Pandoran warships with Wushite, he'd guess they're targeting us. Now, it's unclear.
Panku whispered to an official, then said, "I'll have Chair Kesa prepare. Better safe than sorry."
"Exactly—avoids being caught flat-footed," I said, inwardly gleeful. Kamet's defensive mobilization would stall Wushite, buying my troops deployment time.
"Captain, the central system's people spotted us," an observer reported to the captain.
"Don't panic. Watch their moves. No firing," the captain ordered his crew. "We're here to scout, not fight—understand?"
"Yes, sir."
This was a small First Cosmos squad from Kangjia Empire, detected by Sky Dragon Empire's Silver Dragon Army Group's First Fleet, Ship 2-1-100.
Vinia, a Kangjia Empire major general, was tasked with scouting the rising Sky Dragon Empire in the central system. They hadn't located its base, but finding patrol warships was a start.
When assigned, Vinia was livid, grumbling as he left a woman's embrace. Duty-bound, he reported to Fleet Commander General Ross, listening to mission details.
"Major General Vinia, this is critical. You're scouting a new empire, likely from the central system. Do not engage. Intel says they're powerful, breaching and occupying Pandora and Kamet in the Second Cosmos swiftly. Beyond military strength, study their culture—it's vital. We aim to ally first, but only if they're worthy," Ross briefed.
"A new empire? Why bother? Kamet's the Second Cosmos' top dog, but to us, it's nothing. We could crush them easily," Vinia muttered, unimpressed.
Ross, reading his expression, snapped, "We don't waste time on nobodies, same for nations. Their near-equal strength justifies this. Prove they're worth it."
Chastised, Vinia feigned attentiveness, relieved to escape Ross's lecture. "Wonder what Sky Dragon's like. Hope it's not a letdown," he mused, adjusting his cap and boarding his shuttle.
"Captain, our techs analyzed their warships—they're far advanced. If Pandora's claims of a blue shield are true, they're at least two tiers above ours," a researcher reported.
Vinia inhaled sharply, glad he hadn't acted rashly. Would've died clueless. His initial excitement faded. Scouting their planets now seemed impossible with such advanced ships. Should've been stealthier—now they're alert. Sneaking in would be tough. What a headache.
"Order all ships to maintain formation and cloak—withdraw," Vinia decided. He'd return when Sky Dragon lowered its guard, smirking at his own cleverness.
"Commander, we reached the central system but got spotted. We gathered some warship data—experts say they're two tiers above ours. Their alertness blocks planetary scouting. We'll try again when they relax. Awaiting orders," Vinia reported to Ross via screen.
"Good work. Return," Ross said, baffling Vinia. Obeying, he saluted, "Yes, sir."
"Set course home." With lingering doubts, his 100 warships vanished into the cosmic depths.
Simultaneously, a stealth Wushite Empire ship bypassed Earth's defense fleet, landing in South America's primal forests.
Bang. The hatch opened, a ladder extending. "Those bastards, too scared to come themselves, send me," Lieutenant Colonel Slin, the ship's commander, cursed, stepping out. Coughing, he spat, "Gods, the air's awful here."
Damn those idiots—die already. Sent to this backwater for no gain, Slin wanted to strangle someone. Mentally defiling his superior, General John's female kin for three generations, he felt better.
Grumbling, Slin ordered his crew, "Scan this planet. Find what's got those fools so worked up." Thinking of the culprits—Pandorans—Slin nearly cursed their women too but stopped, shuddering. He'd tried "enjoying" a Pandoran beauty, only to be "enjoyed" back. Her four-armed embrace nearly killed him, the empire's finest general prospect. Regret. Still, their taste was… something. Shaking it off, Slin surveyed the forest.
An alarm blared from the ship. "What's that? How'd they spot us?" Slin rushed to the control center.
"We scanned too broadly, and their low-orbit satellite caught us. We retreated fast, avoiding pursuit, but it triggered the alarm," his deputy reported.
"Be careful. Orders were to stay discreet. A nation that crushed Kamet isn't a pushover," Slin sighed, relieved it was just a warning. Captured on his first mission? No face to live. "Scan results?"
"Not done. Mineral mapping's slowing us—two minutes for a framework," the deputy said.
"Got it. Tell them to be cautious—no second detection," Slin said sternly. Verbose idiot. If not for the deputy's connections, Slin would've ditched him. Sharing women's bills with this "brother"? Infuriating.
As Slin calmed, the deputy reported, "Captain, scanning's complete. View it here or transmit?"
Slin strode to the scan screen, cutting him off. "Pull up the surface map."
The Earth's surface unfolded. "My gods, so many people on this tiny planet!" Slin gasped. Cosmic norms cap planets at 10 billion to protect environments and limit war casualties. Earth's crowds stunned him.
"Incredible. Their tech's barely spacefaring, yet they beat Pandora?" Slin puzzled. When the scan hit China, his eyes lit up—spaceports dotted major cities. Unfathomable. How could one planet's civilization vary so wildly? Was General John sending him to unravel this?
If so, China's people likely defeated Pandora. Other regions lagged millennia. Two coexisting civilizations, undisturbed? Impossible. (Slin didn't know Earth's unique history.) A spacefaring nation not unifying its planet, yet conquering distant systems? Unthinkable. Or was this Sky Dragon's local dominion? No spacefaring nation rules just part of a planet—that defies logic.
"Show the mineral map," Slin said, shaking off the chaos. The screen displayed varied mineral deposits in vibrant colors, shocking him again. So many resources on this small planet—why aren't they spacefaring?
Turning to his deputy and officers, Slin asked, "Your thoughts?"
"The key's the spacefaring region. Oddly, others lag centuries. Even if Sky Dragon conquered here, ruling just one area's unheard of," the deputy said, scratching his head.
Slin nodded. "That's my puzzle too. The alarm suggests their defenses spotted us."
Waving them off, he said, "Think it over. Stay cloaked—dismissed." Frowning, Slin sat, lost in thought.
Reader's Corner: Wushite's scheming with Pandorans, and First Cosmos spies lurk! What's Sky Dragon's next move against these cosmic thieves? Will Feitian crush Wushite or outwit the shadows? Drop your galactic gambits in the comments—unleash this dragon epic!