"The Yu Clan ships are fast approaching Planet Nemo. We... we have under four hours to prepare for their arrival," the soldier informed, as Veyr turned his gaze toward Leo with sheer panic in his eyes.
He could scarcely believe what he had just heard, as the thought of Juxta being attacked at the very same time that Nemo came under siege made his chest tighten.
"This has to be the universe conspiring against us..... surely we can’t be that unlucky—" He said, while pressing his palm on his face, as Leo let out a deep sigh.
Objectively, their conquest of Nemo could not have come at a worse time, for not only were they absent from their homeland while an enemy force invaded, but they now found themselves stranded on a freshly captured planet whose defences were little more than skeleton frames and half-finished towers, which could be torn apart easily.
"If we turn back now, we abandon everything we’ve poured into Nemo and flee like cowards.
If we force the men to push at full speed, perhaps we can be gone in under two hours, but then the Yu Clan will claim the planet without hesitation, and taking it back later will be just as costly, if not harder." Leo calculated, his tone grim, as he shook his head.
"We can’t head back without a fight, and we don’t want to be dragged into a space chase. So I guess we have no other option but to fight," Leo concluded, his voice calm yet absolute, as his words made Veyr clutch his hair in raw frustration.
"Are you insane, Cuz? You can’t be serious about this... We can’t just sit here while Juxta burns. That’s our home!" Veyr shouted, his panic spilling over, but Leo only narrowed his eyes and locked him with a sharp stare.
"Are you forgetting who stands watch over Juxta? Are you forgetting who shields the Cult?" Leo said, his tone cold and measured.
"If you are, let me remind you. It’s COMMANDER Charles, and it’s GOD Soron.
Soron may not step in if the attack is contained to the military bases, but the moment civilians are touched, he will descend. The Cult is always safe as long as he remains there."
The weight in Leo’s words cut through Veyr’s panic, the reminder steadying him, if only slightly, as the wild edge in his breathing began to ease.
"You’re right...." He muttered softly, as Leo gave him a gentle tug on his shoulders.
"Gear up, we need to prepare for a big fight, and the men need a leader to boost morale.
You go handle the public speeches, I’ll go over to the observatory and get a hold on enemy numbers....
Perhaps try and come up with a rudimentary defence plan." Leo instructed, as Veyr nodded and the two parted ways.
—-----------
(Meanwhile above Planet Nemo, Yu Clan Fleet, Commander Yu Day’s POV)
"Commander, Cult banners have been confirmed. The Dragon’s Army appears to have taken Nemo. Their forces are still in the process of constructing planetary defences, which suggests the conquest happened less than a day ago."
The soldier’s voice carried tightly across the command deck, his report clipped and urgent, as all eyes turned toward the man seated at the center.
Yu Day pinched the bridge of his nose, the weight of the news settling heavily on his skull, as though the words themselves had sparked a migraine.
"Fucking Evil Cult bastards..." he muttered, his tone low but venomous, as the curse echoed faintly against the steel bulkheads.
He dragged a weary hand down his face, glaring at the tactical display that now showed Cult Destroyers patrolling the skies above Nemo.
As he realized that this was not what he had signed up for.
He and his fleet had departed their home planet nearly fifty hours ago, feeling confident and unhurried, since the reports they had received declared Nemo as a soft target that had been abandoned by its commander and was vulnerable without its planetary shield.
For weeks, his officers had painted the mission as a quick strike, a clean capture, and a chance for the Yu Clan to expand its influence without meaningful resistance.
But what awaited them here was no abandoned planet.
What awaited them was the Dragon’s Army, their black banners already planted across the various continents and their ships moving in tight defensive lines above the planet’s surface.
"Commander, if we withdraw now, the Cult will finish what they’ve begun. Within days, they will have a planetary shield erected, and once that happens, Nemo shall become untouchable without us committing a full-scale war fleet to capture it."
Another officer spoke grimly, his hand sweeping across the tactical holo-map where glowing pink sigils marked the half-completed defensive structures that the Cult was currently erecting.
Yu Day nodded slowly, though the gesture was more resignation than agreement, his mind running over the hard arithmetic of war.
"If they consolidate here, it will be very difficult to uproot them in the future..... so that certainly can’t be allowed."
Yu Day calculated, as he clicked his tongue in frustration.
"But our current strength is not enough for certain victory either, so stubbornly choosing to fight might backfire as well..."
Yu Day continued, his voice sharpening, as he weighed the consequences of what way to go.
"We have eight thousand ships in total.
Only fifteen hundred of which are Destroyers, with the rest being Frigates, Scouts, and Cargo refits.
It’s hardly a hammer strong enough to shatter a fortress, even one half-built."
He said, as he leaned forward in his chair, elbows resting on his knees, while his eyes narrowed at the blue-green sphere rotating gently on the main screen.
"This legion was sent here because the reports promised a crippled planet, not a military showdown against the Evil Cult.
We were expected to waltz in and hang our banners by the end of the day, not bleed ourselves dry against a freshly victorious army."
A murmur of agreement rippled across the bridge, yet none dared to speak openly against the situation, for all knew the truth of his words.
"If we retreat," Yu Day said at last, his voice dropping lower, more thoughtful now, "we will appear weak, not only to the Cult but to our own allies. Nemo will become a fortress under their control, and every clan in the universe will know that the Yu failed to claim it when we had the chance."
Silence pressed down like lead within the room, broken only by the hum of consoles and the faint crackle of mana conduits.
"And yet if we stay and fight, our losses may be so severe that we cripple our legion for months. With eight thousand ships, we cannot guarantee victory against the Dragons Army, not without reinforcements which will take 50 hours at the least to arrive....."
Yu Day’s eyes flicked to the comms officer, who hesitated but then spoke softly.
"Shall I send a request to High Command for immediate reinforcements, Commander?"
He asked as Yu Day shook his head and rejected the request.
"Not yet," He said, before letting out a deep sigh, for this was a truly complicated decision to make.
"Let’s first analyze how long it will take for the Cult to get the planetary shield up and running.....
If the speed of construction is slow, and we can afford to wait for 50 more hours before starting an assault.... We shall wait.
However, if we can’t afford to wait that long, then we fight.
For I would rather die trying to capture Nemo, than turn back away in shame." Yu Day concluded, as all telescopes turned to the Central Military Base, where a new mana shield facility was being constructed.