126 Expedition Arc 11 Re-invasion 2

When I warp-outted from the 8B system, the inhabitants were scrambling to flee ahead of me.

The Imperial Navy's 348th Fleet, on defense, was shuttling civilians back and forth using supply ships and capital vessels under the orders of their commander, Lord Howard.

Even with a fleet of ten thousand ships, it still wasn’t enough to transport two hundred million people.

And even the evacuation destination isn’t exactly safe. The Dimensional Jump Gate could lead straight to the next invasion target.

Maybe it's better to buy time for evacuation than try to defend the system directly?

First objective: delay combat until the civilians are evacuated. Second objective: delay combat until the Emperor’s main fleet arrives.

To do that, you gotta know your enemy.

First thing’s first—I figured out the enemy’s strength and situation.

The enemy fleet performs a dimensional jump—warp—once every day.

A one-light-year warp takes about eight hours, followed by a sixteen-hour rest period for energy replenishment.

That’s how we spotted their invasion—their movements during those sixteen hours were observed.

I pulled data from the space observations made in the 8B system.

By comparing daily readings, we noticed anomalies—something was happening.

What we found this time was a dimensional anomaly caused by a warp-out event.

It was purely coincidental—the enemy just happened to interfere with the Dimensional Radar.

Optical observation can’t catch them in time, since they arrive before the light even reaches us.

After that, we go straight to direct observation—approach and scout using ships equipped with warp drives.

Only possible because the enemy’s warp capability is so low.

Ah, so the enemy fleet's been jumping through dimensions—warping—one light-year at a time along this route, huh.

That means we can predict where the next dimensional jump—warp out—will land...

The enemy's mechanical lifeform—precisely one light-year, simultaneous dimensional leap (warp).

A perfect straight-line course. Ideal for setting traps.

The enemy seems to be securing the safe zone for their dimensional jump—warp out—during their sixteen-hour energy recharge.

And after eight hours of dimensional leap—warp—arrive one light-year ahead.

What if something got in the way of the dimensional jump—out point—within those eight hours?

Our ship’s warp-out point has a small debris field, but it’s kept from falling between dimensions by the dimensional defense field—easily avoided.

But let’s be honest—warping out from a massive object isn’t gonna end without a scratch.

Don’t know how their warp mechanics work, but one thing’s for sure: when it comes to distance and timing, their warp is definitely lagging behind ours.

I pick out a few convenient asteroids and stash them in the Dimensional Storage Vault.

Once the enemy warps in, I’ll place one right at their predicted warp-out point.

Enemy has warped in.

I warp to their predicted warp-out location and deploy an asteroid—diameter about ten kilometers—from the Dimensional Storage Vault.

This asteroid’s been retrofitted with propulsion and turned into a mass bomb.

Can’t exactly line up a point-blank collision with the enemy, though. Not even I’m that precise.

Sure, you can track the enemy’s dimensional jump (warp) trajectory with the Dimensional Radar—but there’s no way a one-light-year movement error stays within ten kilometers.

Enemy’s not moving for sixteen hours. That’s the window to shift the mass bomb and ram it into them.

That’s the whole point of this delay tactic.

“Time.”

The enemy’s about to dimensional jump (warp) out.

I hide behind a shielding field, keeping watch from a vantage point above the predicted warp-out location.

Activate the Tactical Weapon Integration Control System. Take control of the propulsion unit on the asteroid-turned-mass bomb.

The enemy, tracked via Dimensional Radar, begins showing signs of a dimensional jump (warp) out.

Right near the position where I’d placed one small asteroid.

Can’t be—just slightly adjust the propulsion unit to nudge the asteroid.

The space shudders—then, right where the asteroid was, the enemy flagship-class vessel warps out of the dimension.

The enemy flagship’s Defense field buckles under the asteroid’s mass.

The flagship-class vessel materializes right on top of it—then, in an instant, a massive explosion erupts. The flagship-class vanishes.

Enemy flagship-classes one after another warp out of the dimension. No more luck this time, obviously.

But I can still fire the mass bomb.

I aim the mass bomb’s propulsion unit straight at the flagship-class.

The flagship-class, still recovering from its recent warp-out, moves sluggish—energy depleted, maybe.

The mass bomb hits it dead-on.

Just as I’m about to finish it off with the antimatter particle cannon, thousands of enemy ships turn toward my Personal Ship.

Looks like the surviving flagship-class launched its escort vessels. My position’s been exposed.

“Time to cut and run,” I mutter.

I cut and run with an emergency dimensional jump—beam fire from the enemy fleet just grazing the edge of my shield.

"Alright, how much time did that little stunt buy us?"

I'm already thinking about what to do when I jump out of the next dimension.

Two light-years left until they reach the 8B system—nearly the range of two enemy warp jumps.

Thank you for reaching 6,200 pts.

First time ever hitting 100 pts in a single day.

Reviews and bookmarks fuel the writing. Really means a lot.