Chapter Thirty-Five: The Great Victory of the Solar System

Under the assault of the Celtic army’s Black String weapons, the Kua forces had been beaten into a complete rout. Though the Kua army had suddenly chosen to withdraw from the battlefield, the remnants of their fleet still lingered near the solar system. Supreme Commander E of the Tar military understood all too well that supply lines at the front were critically depleted and the alliance needed to secure a swift victory. They could venture to Earth for food and use Europa’s water to generate oxygen, but that would require immense manpower, resources, and time. Should the enemy launch a surprise attack during such an operation, the consequences would be disastrous.

Moreover, Commander E had learned his lesson from his predecessor, Commander M, and at this critical moment, he refused to hesitate any longer. He ordered the Tark Alliance to launch a proactive assault, to use any means necessary to annihilate the Kua’s remaining large interstellar carrier formations still loitering near the solar system.

Upon receiving Supreme Commander E’s orders, the commanders of the Tark Alliance convened aboard a large Tar battleship to discuss strategies for eliminating the Kua forces and to plan defensive measures should their mission fail.

The Tar commander said, “We must strike quickly. The enemy’s withdrawal is a ploy to exploit our weaknesses, for they know our situation—if we delay, we will soon deplete our food and oxygen supplies.”

The Celtic commander replied, “I agree! Though our homeworlds are closer to the solar system, our ships are far slower than the Kuata’pa fleet, making reinforcements and resupply extremely difficult. Aside from their fear of our Black String weapons, which keeps them from engaging us head-on, the Kua forces are clearly trying to stall for time. We must attack without delay.”

The Tar commander added, “According to the latest intelligence, after withdrawing, most of the Kua’s technical personnel are currently repairing a damaged battleship in a dense dust region of the Walter Cloud. Our civilization must seize this precious opportunity to strike.”

Given that the Tark Alliance’s ships were slower than the enemy’s, both commanders agreed this was a rare chance for a surprise assault. The alliance had to act immediately.

After a series of studies and consultations, the alliance devised a new plan: based on current intelligence, the Celtic forces would first deploy Black String weapons at a specific spatial coordinate, while the entire Tark fleet would spread out and encircle the enemy from multiple directions, driving them into the Celtic Black String trap. The Kua army had never been able to pinpoint the exact locations of these weapons, nor which ships carried them. When suddenly attacked, the Kua would have no choice but to scatter in panic, likely blundering into the traps. Of course, the Celtic supply of Black String weapons was limited, so they had to be used efficiently. Any Kua battleships not ensnared could still deal deadly blows to the alliance’s fleet.

At the vast edge of the solar system in the Walter Cloud, the harsh space environment—strewn with asteroids, comets, meteorites, and ice fragments—hindered the allied fleet. Clearing ships fired high-energy lasers ahead to remove obstacles. Both sides deployed their most advanced unmanned micro-drones to expand their search for Kua intelligence.

Data relayed from the swarm of micro-drones allowed the alliance to pinpoint the Kua fleet’s location and spatial coordinates. Following their plan, and mindful not to alert the enemy, the Tar ships used their pyramid-like functions to cloak several Celtic light battleships, allowing them to deploy Black String weapons undetected. The alliance then dispersed its ships to form a wide encirclement, and dispatched their fastest attack ships to strike the Kua fleet, withdrawing after several swift assaults. Whether the Kua chose to flee or pursue, they risked being caught in the Black String.

Shaken by their earlier defeat at the hands of Celtic Black String weapons, the Kua forces were thrown into chaos by the sudden attack. Fortunately, their advanced quantum communication system meant that, almost simultaneously with the surprise assault, they received orders from their high command, Saad, on Kuata’pa. To avoid total annihilation, Saad instantly transmitted orders via quantum communication: abandon resistance and retreat at once. But even with their superior speed, the Kua found escape difficult—not knowing where the enemy’s Black String traps lay, and surrounded on all sides by hostile ships.

For the Kua, there was little difference between fighting and fleeing; their commander ordered all ships to scatter, forbidding any to group together. If enemy ships appeared, fire immediately; otherwise, continue to escape. This tactic greatly reduced the risk of total destruction.

Fearing a direct confrontation, the Tar commander ordered his forces to yield when facing oncoming Kua ships, avoiding head-on clashes. He instructed the Celts to first use unmanned drones to harass and lure the enemy, hoping that, once the Black String had ensnared the Kua ships, they could then open fire. Throughout this attack, the Tar ships refrained from firing directly, always staying beyond the Kua’s firing range to preserve their strength. The Celtic commander, however, was proud and confident, determined to use this opportunity to further enhance the reputation of his forces.

The Tar forces’ timidity and their avoidance of the Kua’s escape routes allowed some enemy ships to slip away before the encirclement was complete. Celtic unmanned ships then pressed the attack, forcing the Kua to deploy flying tanks for interception. The Celtic vanguard deliberately exposed their position to lure the Kua into pursuit. But the Kua, intent on self-preservation, again tried to flee, falling once more into the Celtic trap—multiple Black Strings had been set in various locations. Whenever a Kua ship, large or small, was caught, the alliance unleashed a hail of fire, repeating the previous bloody pattern. In their desperate struggle, the Kua managed only to destroy two small unmanned alliance ships. The Kua’s own large interstellar carriers suffered even heavier losses than before, with only a third of their fleet escaping thanks to their speed.

The massive Tark Alliance fleet blocked the way back to Kuata’pa, leaving the Kua remnants stranded at the edge of the solar system. It took them a long time to regroup, and those survivors now found themselves in constant peril—one misstep and they would be utterly destroyed.

The allied soldiers reveled in their victory. The two commanders met again to discuss how to completely eliminate the Kua remnants.

When news of the decisive victory in the solar system reached Tar, the whole society erupted in celebration. Yet the king remained unmoved, still anxious for the safety of his homeland. The Tar people’s mission to protect Earth was rooted in their religious faith—a divine mandate that drove their solar system and Earth initiatives. But if their own home were threatened, unable to protect themselves, how could they protect the people of Earth? Though their mother star was aging, and their planet would eventually perish in its final eruption, that day was still far off. For Tar civilization, with its deep religious convictions and acute sense of crisis, the immediate priority was to safeguard the Tar homeworld. The king’s concerns, then, were anything but unfounded.