Super Mechanic: The God of Superpowers!

Chapter 150: Fighting and besieging Ashes
"Are we going to take any countermeasures?" asked a deputy.

"Hmph, no need. Just send a message and explain that we're just passing through to do some business and will be leaving soon. They won't do anything."

Sarotta looked calm and composed, as if he had everything planned out for himself.

The jurisdiction of this disputed star region has always been a gray area.

If the Dark Star appeared within the official territory of either side, it would be warned of expulsion, but given the special nature of the area, both fleets exercised restraint.

Inside the "Liuguang", the flagship of the third squadron of the Holy Stone Border Guard.

A solemn atmosphere enveloped the bridge as they faced the notorious Dark Star and the Black Crow Fleet, with whom they had always been at odds.

Commander Siwadi tightened his jaw and gave a deep command: "Everyone, enter the highest state of alert and maintain standby formation."

When the Streamer received the negotiation message from the DarkStar mothership, Sarota specifically stated that this was only a special operation to hunt down the mercenary group and promised that it would not affect the forces of either side.

Xiwadi's tense shoulders relaxed slightly, and he made a quick decision:
"Reply to them that the Holy Stone can remain neutral, but must monitor their movements throughout the entire process and require the Dark Star fleet to withdraw immediately after the operation."

The commander has multiple considerations when choosing to compromise:

First, they were wary of DarkStar's guerrilla tactics—the long history of hostility between this organization and Godora had long proven that any grudge against them would result in endless retaliatory attacks.
Secondly, he was more worried about a tactical misjudgment with the Black Crow Fleet. If this triggered a border conflict, the war crimes charges brought by the military court would be enough to end his career.

Given the special relationship between the two civilizations, the Holy Stone Empire has a slight advantage in resources, diplomacy and military power.

However, the highly militarized Black Crow civilization has formed a strategic balance with its iron-blooded style - any accidental clash of guns could turn into an uncontrollable war of attrition.

At this moment, the Black Crow Fleet also remained silent, and it was obvious that the other commander also held the same tacit understanding.

When the reconnaissance screen displayed the logos of the three major mercenary groups, Siwadi raised his eyebrows slightly. "The background is quite strong, but it's a pity that we provoked the wrong people."

He turned to his adjutant and ordered, "Have the monitoring team continue to track the ground situation. I hope they can put an end to this farce as soon as possible."

The same trade-off is playing out aboard the Black Crow command ship.

Meanwhile, on the DarkStar mothership, a sneer crossed Sarota's lips—just as he expected, both sides chose the most self-serving option.

……

time flies.

On the bridge of the Streamer, Siwadi tapped the control console anxiously. The Dark Star fleet had been stranded here for over six hours.

He repeatedly issued stern warnings, but the other party kept delaying by claiming that "the mercenaries abandoned the ship and fled, resulting in a delay in the arrest."

Just as he was about to take coercive measures, a shrill alarm suddenly rang out.

Suddenly, dense light spots appeared on the radar interface. A new fleet was rapidly approaching through warp, and its size was expanding exponentially.

"Whose reinforcements are these?!" Siwadi's pupils suddenly shrank.

Through the viewing window, the star field behind the DarkStar mothership bloomed with faint blue halos one after another, and the shifting lights condensed into a torrent of steel.

This fleet, which was a mixture of warships of various types, seemed disorganized, but when the officers of Holy Stone and Black Crow saw the emblems on the ships, their breath was taken away.

The joint emblem of the three major mercenary groups, Tianhuan, Daofeng and Zijin, is clearly visible.

Following behind were the emblems of dozens of secondary mercenary groups, and nearly three hundred armed ships were deployed in a pincer formation.

"What kind of planes do these mercenary legions have?" Siwati felt something was wrong.

If a conflict breaks out between these mercenaries and DarkStar, the fleets of Holy Stone and Black Crow are likely to be drawn into the conflict.

For a moment, Siwati's face looked as ugly as if he had eaten excrement.

Damn it, if these mercenaries had been caught earlier, this troublesome situation wouldn't have happened.

At this moment, the Dark Star mothership had completed its tactical turn, and thousands of escort ships filed out from its belly, weaving a honeycomb defense network in the star space.

Both sides in the confrontation started the weapon preheating program at the same time, and the energy readings instantly exceeded the critical value.

The public channel was suddenly connected to encrypted communications, and the mercenary coalition issued an ultimatum: immediately terminate the pursuit operation, otherwise they will conduct "physical negotiations" with a swarm of particle cannons.

These war groups without fixed territory have always adhered to the principle of fighting violence with violence.

Because they do not need to protect the so-called territory, they naturally do not need to be cautious like interstellar civilizations, nor are they afraid of retaliation at all.

If you dare to touch our people, we will kill you.

Love so and so!
Seeing this scene, Sarota had to re-evaluate his understanding of the mercenary industry.

The Combined Fleet issued an ultimatum with only ten minutes remaining, demanding that DarkStar immediately withdraw all its troops or face direct war.

His relaxed attitude was gone, and Sarota's expression became serious.

He was not afraid of the Combined Fleet - after all, the Dark Star Mothership, as a mobile space station-level base, had a variety of defensive measures.

However, if a head-on conflict breaks out, the casualties will certainly exceed the expected threshold of this operation.

To DarkStar, honor and fame have never mattered.

Even if retreating at this moment would be interpreted as fear of mercenary forces, it would not have any substantial impact.

The real question Sarotar was weighing was the core question: Was it worth confronting the entire fleet to seize the Whispering Pearl, or should he hold off for a while and wait for another opportunity?
Will there be such a perfect capture opportunity in the future?

After careful deduction, Sarota came to a negative conclusion.

Allowing these mercenaries to return to the organization would mean the search area would expand exponentially.

Even if they are dispersed and incorporated into other combat units, the difficulty of tracking them will be doubled, which is still within the controllable range.

What we really need to guard against are unpredictable variables:

It is possible that the Whispering Orb was transferred to a new host without Dark Star noticing, or that the Holy Orb was lost due to an accidental death during a mission.

Now that all the mercenaries who have come into contact with the secret beads are here, it is the best time to launch a comprehensive crackdown.

At this moment, Xiwadi issued a formal statement to both sides of the confrontation through the global communication channel:
"As the commander of the Third War Zone of the Holy Stone Border Defense Force, I solemnly declare that if you start a war in this star region, we will regard it as a military provocation and will not rule out the possibility of intervening in the conflict."

This statement had an immediate effect—the Combined Fleet launched a saturation attack on the DarkStar mothership without hesitation, demonstrating their sheer determination.

Colorful particle glow burst out from the dark universe, battleships launched tactical encirclement in disordered maneuvers, and high-energy rays swept across like a rainstorm.

The mercenary group and the Dark Star Legion are fighting fiercely!
Siwati's knuckles turned white, and anger surged in his chest - these people completely ignored his warnings!
The adjutant anxiously asked, "Commander, do we need to intervene?"

"Intervene what? Stay where you are!"

He stared at the holographic star map and gritted his teeth.

The two sides in the confrontation are a vengeful interstellar terrorist organization and a profit-seeking mercenary group. No matter which side you support, you will suffer losses in troops.

What’s more crucial is that the Black Crow Fleet is still watching closely, and any unusual movement could trigger a chain reaction.

It would be better to watch the two forces consume each other.

As for the previous statement, just treat it as bullshit.

On the other side of the battlefield, the silver fleet of the Holy Stone Civilization and the dark array of the Black Crows formed a subtle confrontation.

Both sides spontaneously deployed defensive formations and built a circular isolation zone to block the war zone.

The starship array is like two arc-shaped Great Walls, confining the violent flames of war in a vacuum cage.

Allowing foreign forces to engage in a firefight in the buffer zone is already the biggest concession. If any party attempts to break through the blockade, the star-destroying artillery arrays of the two civilizations will be activated immediately.

……

The conflict has broken out!

In terms of overall combat power, the DarkStar flagship clearly suppressed the hastily assembled Combined Fleet.

However, the Alliance Fleet did not choose to attack head-on, but instead dispatched light ships to try to break through the defense line in a roundabout way and attempted to implement ground personnel support operations.

However, with his keen tactical sense, Sarota commanded the mobile squadron to accurately block the waterway, and the two sides fell into a strategic stalemate.

The affiliation of the surface mercenary forces becomes the core factor that determines the outcome of the war - whether they successfully evacuate or are captured, it will directly end this space game.

As the casualty data continued to update, Sarota's face became increasingly gloomy.

This should have been a routine operation that was almost certain to succeed, but it completely went out of control due to the performance of the Tianhuan spacecraft.

If the enemy pilots had not shown such stubborn resistance that delayed the critical time window, he could have accomplished all his set objectives before the arrival of the Alliance fleet.

Damn alien planet!
Ye Xiu: So, am I the scapegoat?
Torrents of energy intertwined and collided in interstellar space, and the jumping readings on the detectors were comparable to stellar explosions.

Observing from a distance, the energy turbulence here is as bright as a miniature nebula, attracting passing ships to activate their observation arrays.

Real-time images were rapidly transmitted through the quantum relay station, making this encounter between the Dark Star Legion and the Mercenary Alliance a hot topic in the seven surrounding star fields within three hours.

After watching for most of the day, Xiwadi suddenly received a set of unexpected communication requests.

zizi...

The face of a pure-blooded Godoran appeared in the light curtain, and said solemnly:
"On behalf of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Godora Civilization, as its official plenipotentiary representative, I urge the Holy Stone Civilization to immediately intervene in the military operation to encircle and suppress DarkStar."

Siwadi's expression suddenly grew serious, and he responded in a deep voice, "This is the defense of this star region. You have no right to interfere."

"The DarkStar Organization has committed numerous crimes and is the public enemy of the entire interstellar society! Tolerating their rampant abuses is a serious dereliction of duty!" The Godora envoy's words became increasingly harsh.

"According to the Holy Stone Military Regulations, I only accept direct orders from the Marshal's Office," Siwadi said firmly. "You may submit a formal application to the Joint Defense Department."

In fact, as the commander of the Third Fleet, he had the power to make decisions in the theater, but he deliberately moved the decision-making level up, which was clearly a way of wrangling.

He was well aware of Godora's plan—to use the power of the Holy Stone to eliminate their old enemy. However, since the two sides had no military alliance, and the jurisdiction of a sensitive star region was involved, as a border commander, he could never respond to the informal request of an alien civilization.

After negotiations failed, Godora turned to pressure the top management of Holy Stone.

However, the aristocratic organization of Holy Stone is best at shirking responsibility, rambling on, and never expressing its position. It is simply a fighter among scumbags.

As a last resort, Godora issued a diplomatic note warning that if DarkStar was allowed to escape, they would be condemned at the Shattered Star Ring Council.

Even so, Holy Stone continued to quibble, its intention to avoid intervention obvious, unwilling to provoke Dark Star.

It is worth noting that as news of DarkStar's rare appearance spread, the strategic monitoring system of the twelve surrounding star regions has been activated.

Countless observation equipment is quietly aimed at this battlefield, waiting for the final outcome of this interstellar game.

……

laugh! !

In the gloomy underground space, arcs of electricity flashed and instantly pierced through the chests of DarkStar warriors, harvesting their lives as cleanly as cutting through rotten wood.

When the warrior stumbled and fell to the ground, the remains of the entire Dark Star search team lay on the ground.

Boom!

The tunnel ahead suddenly collapsed, and the spherical chariot braked suddenly.

New pursuers emerged from the gap in the rock wall, and energy ripples lingered around the leader Ashes.

"I've caught you. I won't make the mistake of underestimating the enemy this time." A cold light flashed in Ashes' eyes, and the pressure of his supernatural powers climbed to its peak.

The obsession of hunting Ye Xiu for a long time now turned into boiling fighting spirit.

Seeing this, a strong fighting spirit appeared on Ye Xiu's face.

With all his clones around him, he could finally give it his all.

"Han Xiao, give me a hand."

"Okay." Han Xiao thought about it and agreed. If it weren't for Ye Xiu, he would naturally be unwilling to take action.

The next second, Ye Xiu rushed towards the ashes with the Night King Sword in his hand.

"You're looking for death." Ashes sneered, and terrifying carbon particles gathered around him.

The next second, an extremely terrifying power fluctuation appeared in the ground, and dozens of brilliant superpowers came out.

The clone can share the original's skills and expertise.

In other words, the most powerful aspect of Ashes is ineffective against clones.

Therefore, after just a few minutes, the balance of victory had tilted towards Ye Xiu.

……

Meanwhile, about ten minutes ago.

"Hello everyone, this is Broken Ring News Express. I'm Brimurna, a field reporter, bringing you live updates on the conflict surrounding Sector 122 in the Fourth Sector of the Fevin Galaxy."

A media shuttle hovered outside the war zone and rushed to the scene to report.

As the host of this special live broadcast, Brimurna's program is being simultaneously transmitted via the Shattered Star Ring Event Tracking Channel.

This channel focuses on reporting star field dynamics, covering audiences across the galaxy, and is currently attracting the attention of countless interstellar citizens and various forces.

"It is worth noting that Planet Fewen-122 is located in the buffer zone between the Holy Stone Federation and the Black Crow Federation."

"In this sensitive airspace, a rare clash is unfolding between the DarkStar Organization and the three major mercenary groups."

"According to reliable sources, this confrontation has lasted for nearly 12 hours. The trigger was DarkStar's attempt to capture some mercenaries.
And the target happens to belong to the prestigious interstellar mercenary groups such as Tianhuan, Daofeng, and Zijin."

"The current situation shows that the combined fleets of Holy Stone and Black Crow are on alert. Dark Star and the mercenaries are in a stalemate, and on the surface battlefield, the pursued mercenaries are still engaging in astonishing tactical maneuvers."

"The latest developments indicate that the Godora civilization in the Gardon galaxy is urgently dispatching a rapid response force."

"As an interstellar regime that has long fought against DarkStar, Godora has always been plagued by the organization's elusive guerrilla tactics."

"DarkStar's rare public appearance undoubtedly provides Godora with an excellent strategic opportunity."

Just as Brimurna was concentrating on explaining, a huge unidentified object suddenly appeared at the edge of the monitoring screen and was cutting into the combat airspace at high speed.

"Wait, the situation seems to have changed. A third party has emerged. Is that... uh, Longtan Floating Island?!" She opened her eyes wide in surprise.

Countless viewers watching the live broadcast across the Broken Star Ring were thrilled. As the territory of [Dragon Throne] Ames, Longtan's reputation was well-known throughout the Broken Star Ring.

Just as everyone was wondering why Long Tan appeared, Brimurna paused and gave a speculative explanation.

"According to the latest navigation data obtained by our station, Long Tan's current trajectory is passing through the fourth star region of the Feiwen system. It is speculated that this close approach is a coincidence."

"Given that the Holy Stone and the Black Crow Fleet have formed a double blockade, I believe that after necessary communication..."

Before the explanation was over, Long Tan had already rushed straight towards the defense area of ​​the Holy Stone Fleet, showing no signs of evasion.

At this moment, on the outskirts of the battlefield, the fleets of Holy Stone and Black Crow were tightly deployed in a pincer-like manner, with densely packed gun barrels locked on the two sides fighting fiercely in the center of the battlefield.

Siwadi was concentrating on monitoring the changes in the battle situation, his nerves always tense.

Dealing with border conflicts has always been tricky - blindly intervening will not only bring no military achievements but also incur all the risks.

Siwati knew very well that if his decisions resulted in damage to the fleet, his political enemies would certainly take the opportunity to attack him.

In the complex aristocratic system of Holy Stone, this political risk is far more deadly than the threat on the battlefield.

Just as he was secretly praying that the situation wouldn't escalate, his adjutant suddenly reported: "A large object has been detected approaching at high speed. It is expected to enter the airspace of our fleet in three minutes!"

Xiwadi was shocked and quickly called up the surveillance footage.

When the golden ellipsoid, which looked like a planetary fragment, was seen approaching, emergency communication was immediately initiated:

"Warning from the Third Squadron of the Holy Stone Defense Force: Military control has been implemented in the current airspace. Please adjust your course immediately!"

A moment later, Jenny's voice, flat and steady, came through the communicator, responding with just two words:
"Give Way."

Shivadi clenched his fists with a grim expression.

Faced with this behemoth that was straddling the planet, he finally gritted his teeth and gave the order: "Remove the blockade formation, everyone get out of the way!"

The Holy Stone Fleet hurriedly dispersed its formation to make way for the passage, and Long Tan sailed through the formation and into the battlefield as if no one was around.

When this scene was captured by the news ship's camera, Brimurna's usually fluent commentary suddenly stopped, and after a two-second pause, she hurriedly changed her words:

"Well, the audience can see that the Holy and Holy Stone fleets have taken the initiative to retreat. It seems that the negotiations have broken down."

"Longtan clearly doesn't care about the situation on the front lines. The subsequent developments are unpredictable."

The audience who witnessed the broadcast were all amazed at Long Tan's strength, but no one thought that they had deliberately intervened in the battle.

At this time, the combined fleet was still unable to break through the Dark Star blockade. Although they had contacted the hunted mercenaries, they were unable to provide assistance.

They could only watch as the communication channels went silent one by one, and as their team members were arrested one after another.

The anger directly translated into an increase in the fleet's attack intensity, which had evolved from the initial attempt to circumvent the enemy to the current brutal and desperate fight.

Boom! !
The ground suddenly bulged and cracked somewhere, and a giant ice crystal column broke out of the ground.

Geya and her teammates returned to the ground on an icicle. Her dusty blue and white robe was torn in many places and she looked exhausted.

After being forced into a desperate situation by the pursuers, the final attack released with accumulated strength finally led them to escape from the underground.

When she looked up, her azure eyes reflected a shocking scene:

Against the backdrop of the deep black universe, the fleets in the sky were intertwined with energy beams and laser fire nets. The Dark Star warships hovering at low altitude were approaching, stirring up a sandstorm, and the tail flames of their thrusters were burning and distorting the air.

"Rescue still hasn't arrived?"

As if all his strength had been drained away, Geya slumped to his knees, his staff slipping from his palm.

She looked up at the scene of the Combined Fleet, which was supposed to rescue them, being caught in a tough battle, and a haze of despair spread in her eyes.

The three legions, which serve as the spiritual pillars of the rebels, originally thought that fleet support would bring hope.

But when the long-awaited reinforcements arrived, they were unable to provide any rescue. Watching their companions fall one after another, their last spiritual pillar collapsed.

In this desperate situation, who can we rely on?
When the floating ships surrounded them, Geya's teammates dropped their weapons and gave up resistance.

Suddenly, the Longtan Floating Island cut in from the flank of the battlefield. Both sides hurriedly avoided it, and the fierce battle suddenly stopped as if the pause button was pressed.

Sarata was shocked and said, "Where did this troublemaker come from? Didn't the Holy Stone and Black Crow seal off this place? How could this be Dragon Tan?!"

Everyone's attention was focused on the still Dragon Tan Floating Island. Whether it was Dark Star, the United Fleet, or the Holy Stone Black Crow, they all hoped that this untouchable "stranger" would leave as soon as possible.

But the floating island just stopped in the middle of the battlefield and didn't move at all.

"Why does it stay?"

"What exactly are you going to do?"

While the commanders on all sides were in confusion, all the warships suddenly sounded a shrill alarm:
"Alarm! Space vibration detected! Energy reading continues to rise. Calculation failed! Value out of range!"

(End of this chapter)