You must organize a lean strike, infiltrate the area to confirm, and if possible, destroy or mark it, providing guidance for subsequent United Fleet orbital strikes.

This mission is extremely high-risk, but once successful, it will greatly alleviate the pressure on Jade Stone Star and the entire star system.

Executing team: New Bauhinia Republic Representative Team.

Characteristics: High risk, high reward, deep behind enemy lines, requiring strong assault, survival, and adaptability. At the same time, the position of the "Traveler" platform makes it possibly one of the transfer stations for other teams to retreat or resupply after completing their missions, with the possibility of intersecting routes with other teams.

"Alright." Seeing each team had received their own exclusive mission, the major general scanned the crowd once more.

"Mission briefs and more detailed planetary data, as well as known Bug Race unit information, will be sent to each team shortly. The fleet will also arrive at the outskirts of the Aisera Star System in 12 hours, at which point each team will transfer to rapid assault ships or transport aircraft to reach their respective target areas. Communications will be interfered by the Bug Race’s spiritual energy and the battlefield environment. Each team must maintain the highest level of readiness and independent combat capability.

The Star Alliance command will provide remote intelligence support and limited orbital fire support when possible. Remember, your primary goal is to complete the mission, and secondly, to preserve yourselves as much as possible. Human civilization needs you, these future hopes, to come back alive. Any questions?"

The briefing room was silent, only the slight hum of the holographic star map and the sound of team representatives swiftly browsing mission details on their data boards broke the quiet.

Eight teams, eight entirely different missions with varying degrees of difficulty and risk, will unfold in the star system shrouded by the insect swarm.

Among them, "Dawn’s Edge" action is undoubtedly the most dangerous, testing comprehensive strength.

It not only has to shoulder the responsibility of rescuing the critical platform but also has to conduct a decapitation strike deep in the Bug Race’s occupied zone.

Yet, at the same time, this also grants them the greatest autonomy and potential for huge battle achievements.

Bai E looked at the mission details on the data board, his eyes calm.

High risk often also means high rewards.

...

When the task force fleet completed the last warp jump, emerging from the twisted space, the scene of the Aisera Star System presented itself in an incredibly brutal way through all the ships’ portholes and observation screens.

Through the massive observation window of the flagship "Falling Star," and the real-time images transmitted to tactical screens of various ships, Bai E and all team members saw a scene far more shocking than the Star Alliance’s official announcements.

The first sight was the Kuiper Belt region at the edge of the Aisera Star System, a battlefield as chaotic as a stirred beehive, filled with flashes and debris. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The iron silhouettes of the Star Alliance United Fleet interwove with the enormous, wriggling, living asteroid-like biological capital ships of the Bug Race.

Their numbers far exceeded the ten ships in the intelligence, roughly scanning revealed as many as fifteen.

Energy beams, plasma clusters, acid barrages, biological missiles poured down silently like a storm in the vacuum, exploding.

From time to time, Star Alliance warships would turn into glaring fireballs under the concentrated fire, their wreckage scattering in all directions due to inertia.

Also, the thick armor of Bug Race capital ships would be torn open by heavy ship cannons, spewing thick tissue fluid and internally combusting flames.

But more Bug Race units would surge out from the capital ships’ openings, like a tide, filling the defenses.

What’s more heart-wrenching is the interior of the star system.

Planets that originally should have blue oceans or green vegetation now have their surfaces covered with large, ugly, fungus-infection-like dark purple patches—the spreading marks of Bug Race biomass mats.

Among them, a smaller rocky planet was even missing a small part, with a giant wound, as if gnawed, exposing the hot core material inside.

Fragmented planetary debris and suspected building remnants formed a thin, slowly spreading band of rubble in orbit.

That was clearly direct evidence of the Bug Race’s devouring behavior. A celestial body could indeed be completely eaten after sufficient time and enough Bug Race units.

"Multiple high-intensity biological energy reactions and intense crossfire signals detected within Aisera III’s atmosphere... several city areas on fire, defense shields flickering frequently."

"Large-scale ice layer pollution and signs of unknown low-temperature lifeform activity detected on Aisera IV’s surface."

"Unusual energy fluctuations and massive biological migration signals appeared in Aisera V’s jungle area, inconsistent with Bug Race invasion patterns, with unknown variables present."

Reports from front-line reconnaissance units and survivor intermittent communications scrolled in the fleet channel, depicting desperate and bloody scenarios.

The Bug Race’s invasion was not a simple fleet bombardment but accompanied by systemic pollution, devouring, and modification of planetary ecosystems.

"This is... the real Bug Race war." Catherine stood beside Bai E, her voice deep.

She experienced the capitulation of her home planet, witnessed the Bug Race tearing human warships apart, but such a large-scale, multi-planet simultaneous descent into war still suffocated her.

Kuang Xin clenched his fist, his face pale, but with a burning rage in his eyes.

Rose silently wiped her carrying dagger, her gaze sharp as ice.

Zero closed her eyes, adjusting her breathing, while Gu Lan quickly recorded various environment parameters and Bug Race unit features flashing across the screen.

Bai E’s gaze calmly swept over all of this.

His "Insect Race Killer" sense was as sensitive as the sharpest radar, able to "feel" more clearly, without instruments, the tidal wave-like vast and hungry malice coming from the starry sky, and the pain and despair of countless lives struggling on the brink of death.

The scale, indeed, far surpassed past encounters on Mine Star or Karian.

"All special operations teams, note that we have arrived at the edge of the battle zone in the Aisera Star System." The fleet commander’s voice echoed in the broadcast.

"The United Fleet’s main force will try to clear a path for you to enter the star system’s interior, but can’t guarantee full safety. All teams proceed according to the planned schedule, transfer to rapid assault ships, and head to their respective mission areas. Good luck, may the light of humanity never extinguish!"

According to the Star Alliance’s arrangements, all eight finalist teams are fully participating in this actual combat mission.

The New Bauhinia’s assault transport ship was temporarily named "Thorny Bird," a multifunctional ship urgently modified and reinforced with armor and short-range warp capabilities.

It not only needs to carry twenty competing mech pilots, including Bai E, Catherine, Kuang Xin, Rose, Zero, Gu Lan, Ares, Xiliu, Ash, Anvil, but also the corresponding twenty "Dawn’s Edge" series mechas, as well as a large amount of ammunition, energy, repair parts, and survival supplies.

Boarding the "Thorny Bird," the heavy hatch closed behind, temporarily isolating the external battlefield’s clamor and chaos.

Once each team was ready, the giant main vessel’s side opened multiple hatches.

Eight assault transport ships or small rapid support craft slid out like a swarm leaving the hive.

They quickly adjusted, then with staggering acceleration, shot like arrows towards those war-torn planets within the Aisera Star System.

Bai E and others found themselves in the slightly turbulent "Thorny Bird," with the main bridge screen displaying the scene ahead in real-time—

They were moving at extremely high speed, along a narrow and dangerous "safety corridor" barely maintained by the United Fleet, heading swiftly towards the interior of the star system.

Just a short distance from the corridor’s sides lay the intense crossfire zone, with stray shots or uncontrolled debris occasionally passing by, causing the craft to tremble slightly.

"From now on, the mission officially begins."

Bai E’s voice sounded in the bridge, calm yet powerful, transmitted to every team member’s ear via internal broadcast.