As the fleets in the inner parts of the Orion Arm bent space around them, the outer powers watched with glee.
All is going as planned, good.
They would wait for the war to end, and then launch one final assault on the dominant power, conquering them in one fell swoop before they could mount a resistance.
They could attack sooner, while they are still divided, but that would be very annoying and inconvenient.
It is easier to kill an anteater than to kill thousands of ants no? Well, the same applies here.
If they attacked now, they would scatter all over the place, becoming incredibly inconvenient for them by raiding them and using any and all means available to make their life more difficult, so they would simply kill one bigger entity rather than thousands of smaller ones.
This could backfire on them, but their superior intellect would render the odds of such a thing happening minimal, effectively zero percent.
Still, they were quite pleased with themselves, not only did they manage to pit these fools against one another, but even If they wanted to band together against them, there was already a traitor in their mists! Truly, these nations are doomed.
So they would continue to watch for the following years as the conflict ignited, nations growing and shrinking.
-x-x-x-
On Earth, within the Sol system, one of the most reputable systems in the Orion Arm, the Emperor stood next to a large window, looking at the sprawling metropolis below him.
Humanity in this world is incredibly wise, unlike the one he hails from, and Adam held admiration for his predecessors who managed to unite it through all the challenges posed by their rivals.
Greenery could be seen on every street, with trees and flowers adorning the capital with a beauty profound.
Strength was found in difference, and unity forged in common goals and enemies, the many becoming a working unit together, achieving the potential humanity always had, in this universe and his own.
His wife, Empress Serenity Valencia, was at his side, one of his anchors to this world, and the reason his mind did not break when the Hive enacted its sorcery upon his mind.
His son was currently outside in the large gardens the palace boasted with his girlfriend, soon-to-be wife, and he felt pride at being the father of someone so brilliant.
His genes are remarkable, every member in the history of the Empire has been brilliant in their own way, any weak links never even sat on the throne, ousted by their more capable peers or loyal nobles who saw their shortcomings.
The first Emperor must have been someone incredible, as he built the foundations of the modern system, a vast majority of his ideas and ideals still enforced, not losing out to the ocean of time.
Yet as Adam and his wife stood together, thinking about such things, quadrillions of other individuals were doing the same, praying that their way of life would prevail over the others.
Leaders knew that most would not survive this, and their families might not survive this, By fighting, they were putting everything on the line, they were throwing even the fate of their species into the unknown.
All in the hopes that their nation would triumph, and become a nation worthy of the "Galactic Power" title.
Such is the risk and reward of war, and their odds were low.
Everyone's odds were low, and they all knew it.
Months flew by, fleets positioned themselves, and the Azburgian people's roar echoed in the void, not to be outdone by the millions of others.
Fleets were ready, armies were mobilized, and the war had once again begun.
The Azburgian territory was protected by its subjects, each a meat shield for the crown.
That is not to say they weren't helped by the royal fleet, each one was promised protection, and now they would receive it.
Most battles were not actually within the borders of the champions themselves, but instead, their subjects took the brunt of the assault, some of which saw success.
Adam returned to the front with his son, being the one-man army he is, along with his son, The two together were unstoppable, entire planets conquered twice as fast thanks to their aid.
The nations that excelled in speaking and negotiating used every connection they had made to strengthen themselves, Now more than rivaling the military-focused Empires and Republics, they became the only hope for true democracy to reign supreme.
The first month of the conflict proved to be the most brutal, as nations experimented with their new weaponry, completely tearing each other apart with no countermeasures in place yet.
Battleships the size of cities were seen, they might be immense and cost even more so, but the firepower prowed the nation's martial prowess.
There were even ships made specifically for glassing planets, the nations owning them vehemently denying their existence until they were forced to that the horrific thing existed, which made them a big target for the others.
Of course, the Azburgian Interstellar Empire found itself a big target, as they were seen as the most menacing and dangerous, many, including the Great Shield alliance, joined together to suppress them.
The Great Shield alliance was also very "happy" to have been deceived, so this was payback.
The Azburgains were up to the challenge however, and even pushed back against their assailants, managing to conquer more worlds and becoming even more feared as a result.
The other champions were fairing similarly, all surrounded by enemies on all sides, their might stretched on all the fronts, a few even being pushed back by the individually inferior powers.
Fleets scurried about like ants, pirates fled before the conflict even started, all hiding away so they don't get slaughtered like livestock.
Adam reminded the universe why he was called the bloodied hand of Azburgia, and his son the Royal executioner, The royal family earned themselves a reputation in the stars.
Now, it was time to live up to the name.