"Set up the communication," I said, gesturing toward the tower. "And take over the base."
The leading demon stepped forward immediately and lowered his head slightly.
"Yes, General."
He began issuing orders to the soldiers behind him while several units moved toward the tower to secure the control systems and establish the communication line Primus had instructed them to activate.
With the base now under control, the operation could continue.
Without wasting another moment I walked back onto the portal ring and activated it. The light surged around me and carried me back to Abor.
********
When I stepped out of the portal this time the scene was different.
Instead of the constant movement that had filled the teleportation hub earlier, a large circular building now stood nearby. The building had been erected quickly using Primus’s rune masters, its smooth dome rising from the ground like a command center built specifically for the operation.
Several soldiers stood guard outside.
They straightened the moment they saw me and opened the entrance as I approached.
Inside the dome the space was wide and filled with floating projections.
Screens hovered in the air throughout the chamber, each one displaying the location of a different base that had once belonged to Hollow Star. Symbols flickered across the projections while streams of information updated in real time.
All seventy-one bases were visible except the one I just conquered. And every one of them now displayed the same image.
A black flag with the emblem of the Order of Absolute. The towers that once belonged to Hollow Star now carried our symbol.
Communication lines had been established across the network, allowing every captured base to report its status directly to Abor. The old communication system was replaced entirely by Primus.
Around the room stood the commanders and leaders of the assault.
Primus and several demon officers studied the floating projections while my summons stood nearby.
Aurora stood beside North, both of them watching the screens quietly.
As I entered the chamber several heads turned toward me.
I looked toward Ash first.
"Well done, Ash," I said with a small smile. "I was expecting you to get second place."
Ash gave a small nod, his expression as calm as ever.
"I was aiming for the first position," he replied in his usual steady tone, "but it seems I overestimated myself."
I chuckled softly.
"That’s alright. You’ll get more chances in the future."
"I came third," Ragnar said from the side, lifting his club slightly with a half smile.
"Yes, you did," I replied with a nod. "Good performance."
Aurora and Lyrate had both finished fourth, and at the moment they seemed to be making a very deliberate effort not to look at each other. Aurora carried a faint amused smile on her face, while Lyrate rolled her eyes slightly, clearly dissatisfied with the result.
I shifted my attention back to the floating screens around the chamber.
"All seventy-two bases secured," I said.
Primus nodded from beside one of the projections.
"The network is stable," he replied. "Communication between the bases is now under our control. The base you just captured should appear on the system shortly as well."
I patted Primus’ shoulder.
"Great work, Primus."
He inclined his head slightly, though the faint glow of satisfaction in his eyes showed he appreciated the acknowledgment.
"The rune masters performed well," he replied. "The portal stabilizations were completed faster than expected. Once the remaining base finish synchronizing their communication arrays, the network will operate like a single system."
Before I could say anything further, General Kharzun stepped forward.
His expression was serious.
"I am sure you have heard by now that there is movement."
The room grew quieter immediately.
I turned toward Kharzun.
"Yes," I said. "Where?"
Kharzun raised one clawed finger and pointed toward one of the floating projections.
The screen shifted instantly, enlarging the sector map.
"Three of the bases are positioned very close to the main cluster of Naga planets," he said. "They have always monitored activity in that region."
The projection zoomed further inward. A single location pulsed with red light.
"Base thirty-four."
Several markers appeared on the display, showing incoming trajectories.
Kharzun continued.
"Our observers report that Naga fleets have begun mobilizing. They are moving toward that base."
A murmur spread through the room.
Aurora folded her arms slowly as she studied the projection.
"They must have detected the change in control," she said calmly. "Hollow Star maintained those bases for years. The moment communication shifted, the Nagas would notice."
Ragnar snorted.
"Good," he said with a grin. "I was starting to think this whole operation was too easy."
Primus stepped closer to the display.
"How many ships?" he asked.
Kharzun gestured toward the incoming markers.
"Only two."
Ash spoke quietly from behind me.
"They will likely assume Hollow Star has lost control of the base, but they may not realize that the entire network is gone."
"Unless someone there was connected to Abor and already knows Abor has fallen," I added, recalling the observatories we had destroyed on the moons.
I looked at the highlighted projection for a moment. The Naga were one of the apex races of the Blue Spiral Galaxy, and I was not entirely sure how they would react to this development. But in truth, it did not matter much to me.
With the Hollow Star bases now under my control, I had gained access to a network that could be used whenever I needed it. The problem was not taking the bases, it was holding them.
I did not yet have an organization large enough to maintain control over all of them.
The demons could assist for now, but they were not truly my forces. I trusted Primus, but that did not automatically mean I could place the same trust in every demon under his command. At some point I would need to address that problem properly, otherwise the network we had just seized could easily become vulnerable to rogue groups or opportunistic factions from other races.
It was something I would have to think about carefully.
I finally shifted my gaze away from the projection and looked around the room.
"Alright then," I said calmly. "Since they are coming, let us go and welcome them."
My eyes returned briefly to the highlighted base.
"Their attitude will determine how this goes. If they behave, then good. If they don’t..." I shrugged lightly. "I don’t mind teaching them a lesson."