"Interstellar warfare is different from ground warfare, once they take over and set up defense bases on those mining planets we will have a hard time repelling their fleet, or do you have another plan?"
Edward didn't understand why the old general, who had always been the main fighter, would ask this question.
"I don't have another plan, I just don't want to pull the fleet out to die for nothing." The General said shaking his head.
Edward understood, the General was making one of the mistakes that all older men in power make.
When the battle stretched out into the stars away from the ground the General knew, he lost the warlike demeanor he had when commanding the ground war and degenerated into a droopy old man who became afflicted with a sense of entitlement.
"Dad, you're getting old." Edward decided to pick it out directly.
"You boy, I'm not so old that I can't teach you a lesson." The General froze, he hadn't expected Edward to come right out and say it.
Edward was just about to bring out the set of words he had thought of to argue his case, when a white hand appeared on the screen and pressed the interrupt button.
"Ugh, Edward, what are we going to do?" Ariana said in frustration.
"Yeah, what are we going to do about our future if we lose those three mining stars." Edward shook his head helplessly.
The white sandy beaches of Penland were pleasantly scenic, and General Barr sat in a beach chair staring at the communicator that had been interrupted by Brenda.
"This kid is going to start lecturing me now!" General Barr tossed the communicator.
"I think you should listen to his plans, after all he is the newly appointed Commander in Chief of the TAF." Brenda placed a hand on the General's shoulder and continued, "Not to mention, losing the resources on those three mining planets, is that a loss we can afford?"
"So we'll just send our newly arrived fleet out to die? Without the mining planets, we can switch back to the agricultural planets."
Baal stubbornly continued, "Without the fleet, how are we going to defend Dosas Planet? Will we be able to keep our economy if we repeat what happened three years ago?"
Brenda's hand increased in intensity, causing the General to grimace in pain.
"I don't want you to become a tyrant, much less a dimwitted ruler, when we established the resistance twenty years ago, I don't care if you forgot the oath you made then, I have mine in mind."
Brenda lowered her head and narrowed her eyes as she stared at General Barr then said, "It seems necessary to repeat my oath, if you go to depravity, I will kill you."
The General threw up his hands and said, "I know, I know, I won't let up okay, hey after twenty years your temper hasn't changed at all."
The General said, picking up the intercom and connecting Edward.
"Alright, I want to hear your plan." General Barr said as he got right to the point.
The cool sea breeze blew across the sandy, warm beach and the planet's supreme ruler froze in front of the communicator for a long time, unable to speak.
"Hey, you kid can't be serious!?" General Barr sat up from his beach chair.
"If we lose the Mining Planet, we won't just lose our economic lifeline, we'll also lose our interstellar status, and from then on we'll be completely reduced to Federation vassal status and have no say whatsoever."
Edward continued, "If we win, we will have a good economy, and with that economy we will build a fleet that is truly our own, and a higher interstellar status as well as a voice in the Federation."
"And once the Starfield's borders are breached, the Federation will surely use the pretext of assisting in the defense of the borders to send a fleet to permanently station in our galaxy, so what sovereignty will we talk about then." Brenda placed her hand back on the General's shoulder, her gentle voice traveling along the gentle hand.
"But this battle plan is too risky." The General shook his head.
"But it's worth a try." Brenda said.
"Alright, I'll have all departments fully cooperate with you and have the Lucchese up to your minimum operational standards within ten days." The General finished by cutting off the communication.
He turned his head to Brenda and said, "It seems that I'm really getting old."
In the starport, countless transportation shuttles shuttled back and forth.
The several kilometers long gigantic hull of the Lucchese was bound in her port position by a force field, all kinds of mechanical arms and tubes were like tentacles all over her body, and countless arcs of electricity flickered in various parts of her body.
Countless crews floated around her, the massive hull of the new star-class main gun was reattached to the gun bay, and she was experiencing a nirvana.
In several of the neighboring port positions, the older cruisers and destroyers of the fleet were also undergoing a complete overhaul.
These two kinds of ships are the indispensable existence of the fleet, the cruiser has a very high speed and stellar-class main guns, the shield is not as thick as the version of the interplanetary battleships, but it is also enough to withstand the planetary artillery below the direct fire, but also has a shuttle hangar and other configurations, it is an excellent star area overlord.
Destroyers have a unique advantage in the degree of flexibility, firepower, although the use of planetary-class main guns, but they are extremely fast, rotating and flexible, but also has the title of shuttle killer.
Above the star tower, Edward looked down at the busy starport below returning the folder to Elina.
"If there's no way to fix both the main gun system and the shield system, then we'll focus our resources on repairing the main gun system." Edward said.
"Okay, I'll set it up." Ariana made her approval on the document.
"Also, I won't allow you to participate in this battle."
Edward patted Aelina's shoulder and turned to leave.
"I'll follow you to heaven if you go to heaven, and I'll chase you to hell if you go to hell." Elina said firmly from behind him.
Edward looked at Aelina and sighed as he felt her burning and determined eyes and said, "This time, our good neighbor, the Golgan Star State, will definitely take advantage of the Federation to mobilize its fleet to encroach on our territory, and we have a 1:3 ratio of battle power to the enemy.
And with the Rüchel in that state again, you'll do as you're told and stay in Dossas."
"That's precisely why I'm going with you." Ariana stubbornly forced his gaze back.
Edward sighed and said, "Who's going to stay with the old man if we both go if there's an emergency?"
"He has Aunt Brenda with him, I'm going to stay by your side." Alina walked over to him and hugged him.
"Okay fine." Edward obediently wrapped her in his arms as well.
Far away on the frontier of the Golgan star state, Serki Rahman Khan stood on the bridge's of the Tyndal, watching with satisfaction as his petty officers busied themselves in their maneuvering positions.
"Raphael, how many star-hours do we have left with the Pars sector?" Thirky asked as he removed his snow-white gloves and placed them on the command console.
"Lord Commander, 2.2 star hours to go." Raphael maneuvered on the command console and displayed the path.
"Hmmm, good, when can we start the folding leap?" Thirky asked.
"We are far enough away from the nearest star to make the folding leap at any time, Lord Commander." Raphael said respectfully.
Thirky made a motion to split his hand under him and said, "Then let us move."
"Only, Lord Commander, you have not yet deployed the battle orders to us for our trip." He said and gave a military salute.
Thirky said, "Target the Dosas star system in the Pars star field, the combat objectives are 1) to destroy the Dosas star fleet, and 2) to capture the mining stars in the star system."
"But my lord, our star state has always been friendly with the Pars star field, and both sides trade frequently, attacking so rashly I'm only afraid that when the time comes, the Free Liberty Federation will send a fleet to support us." Raphael said with a worried face.
"There is no need to worry about those condescending brutes of the Free Federation, I have already received accurate intelligence from the Empire, the Dosas system is currently defended by only one starfighter that has been beaten to a sieve and five old and worn out ships." There was a note of impatience in Thirky's words.
Raphael was a bit puzzled and said, "My lord, we have not been very good at carrying out the Empire's orders in recent years, so how come this time ..."
Without waiting for Raphael to finish, Sergei slapped the table and said angrily, "Raphael, what do you know! This time, the Free and Liberal Federation is afraid that it won't be able to carry it.
If we don't go get those mining stars are we going to wait for the imperial starships to take them away? Communicate the combat order to all departments combat begins! Execute the order!"
"Yes!" Raphael gave a military salute and turned to leave.
Inside the conference room of the Sars Starport, Edward was listening to the report.
"We expect that we will be able to repair thirteen of the sixteen Nova-class main cannons before we depart, and the energy shield system will be roughly twenty-five percent functional.
We've replenished the shuttle fighters by three hundred, and we've abandoned those stellar and planetary class secondary cannons for the time being, which has resulted in a certain amount of firing dead space on the Rüchel.
I've marked up the approximate location of the dead center, and I'd like to ask the commander to take a look at it." The Quartermaster Ready Officer handed the document over with both hands.
Edward took the document and looked at it carefully and asked, "Where are the soldiers?"
"The soldiers are replenished and have been urgently trained by Federation professionals." The readiness officer said.
He turned his face to Aelina and asked, "How much will those modifications we have help the cruisers and destroyers?"