Previously on Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!...
The Star Alliance Tournament is suspended as the top eight teams are tasked to form a Youth Task Force and immediately head to a dangerous Stellar District to fight an alien invasion. Their performance in this real combat mission will determine the tournament's final rankings. Meanwhile, some "Sons of the Empire" begin to plot against Bai E, seeing the battlefield as an opportunity for "accidents" to occur, while Bai E rallies his team to focus on survival and eliminating the enemy.
Amidst a universe-shaking catastrophe, the Star Alliance's swift response was remarkable. The rapid reaction fleet, carrying the eight elite youth task forces of the Star Alliance – specifically the "Dawn Edge" task force – was already hurtling at maximum velocity toward the embattled "Silent Frontier" stellar district.
Within the tense briefing room aboard the fleet's flagship, the "Starfall," a vast holographic star map dominated the space, vividly displaying the target stellar district, punctuated by ominous red markers indicating Bug Race fleet movements.
A liaison from the Star Alliance United Fleet's frontline command, a stern-faced Major General, was meticulously detailing the mission parameters to the assembled representatives from each of the eight participating teams.
Representing New Bauhinia, Bai E was present in person, accompanied by Catherine, Rose, and others.
"Esteemed ladies and gentlemen," the Major General's voice resonated through the briefing room's speakers. "Your prompt response in this critical hour is deeply appreciated. The 'Silent Frontier' stellar district serves as a vital vector for this Bug Race invasion. Within it lies the 'Aisera' star system, encompassing five planets and numerous satellites of varying sizes. Human colonies, research outposts, and resource extraction sites are situated on four of these planets and several of their moons. While the main Bug Race fleet is currently contained by our United Fleet's forward defense line in the 'Kuiper Belt' region, their vanguard units and countless spore drop forces have already breached the system's interior, inflicting severe devastation and posing significant threats to multiple planetary surfaces."
He activated a detailed holographic map of the Aisera star system, with each celestial body color-coded to signify its current status.
"According to the highest echelons of the Star Alliance, the Aisera star system must be preserved. This is not solely due to the presence of over two billion civilians and crucial industrial and research infrastructure, but also because its strategic position commands the jump routes leading to several key agricultural and industrial systems in the inner territories. Its loss would permit the Bug Race forces unfettered access to the stellar district's heartland, unleashing consequences too dire to contemplate."
The Major General's gaze swept across the young mech pilots, his tone deepening with gravity. "The United Fleet's main force will engage the Bug Race's primary fleet on the outer perimeter, seeking an opportunity for a decisive battle. Concurrently, all operations within the system – particularly the defense of vital points and facilities on planetary surfaces, the guidance of civilian evacuation efforts, and the eradication and counter-offensive against Bug Race ground forces – will fall primarily upon the shoulders of ground troops and elite mechanical forces such as yours."
He paused, specifically directing his attention toward Bai E, and added with a discernible implication, "As per Star Alliance regulations, rights and responsibilities are intrinsically linked. Teams that have earned a place among the top eight have been recognized by the Star Alliance, signifying their potential to shoulder greater burdens in the future. Contributing on a battlefield that directly impacts humanity's survival is not only an obligation but also the most exceptional arena to demonstrate your capabilities."
"Now, for your mission assignments." The Major General manipulated the star map, projecting eight designated mission zones onto the data screens before the representatives of each team.
"Mission One: Operation 'Anvil.'
Target Planet: Aisera III
Mission Type: Defense and Evacuation
Mission Details: Jade Stone Star, with its immense population of approximately 1.5 billion, represents the most populous planet in the Aisera system, boasting highly developed industries and numerous large spaceports. The Bug Race has deployed multiple spore pod clusters via air-drop, which have hatched and established ground nests on the periphery of major urban centers across several continents, gravely endangering these cities. The United Fleet has deployed substantial marine and local defense forces to establish a defensive perimeter, but the pressure is immense. Your objective is to proceed to the capital region of Jade Stone Star, 'New Athens,' aid the local defense forces in securing the central urban area and spaceport, ensure the safety and accessibility of evacuation routes, and execute precise strikes against the large-scale Bug Race ground nests to impede their advance."
"Mission Two: Operation 'Purification.'"
Target Planet: Aisera IV
Mission Type: Defense and Elimination
The Water Purification Satellite holds a vital deep ice sub-ecological research station alongside a medium-sized fusion power station for the Star Alliance, supplying energy to numerous adjacent facilities. Bug Race spores have infiltrated the satellite's icy exterior and sections of the research station's outer infrastructure, birthing units engineered for sub-zero conditions. Hundreds of scientists and their families find themselves trapped within the research station's confines. Your directive is to shatter the Bug Race's surface blockade, infiltrate the research station, aid internal forces in defense, eradicate the contamination's source, and if necessary, escort key personnel and data for extraction.
"Mission Three: Operation 'Harvest.'"
"Mission Four:…"
"Mission Eight: Operation 'Edge.'"
"All these objectives are provisionally established based on local circumstances, and during their execution, you may need to adapt flexibly to the prevailing situation. Now, let each team select a representative to randomly draw the operations assigned to their team."
Gong Yan stepped forward as the representative for New Bauhinia to perform the draw.
[Mission Eight: Edge
Designated Planet: Within the Aisera star system, situated at a crucial nexus where multiple planetary gravity wells converge lies the mobile deep space repair and supply platform known as the 'Traveler.'
Mission Classification: Rescue and Counteroffensive Staging Point.
Mission Parameters: The 'Traveler' platform, though lightly armed, occupies a position of critical importance, offering emergency repairs, supplies, and intelligence consolidation for all fleets and mobile units operating within the star system.
A Bug Race fleet detachment is en route, intending to capture or annihilate the platform.
Your objective is to arrive at the 'Traveler' before the enemy, bolster its defensive capabilities, and utilize it as a temporary base to undertake a specialized mission: intelligence indicates the Bug Race is suspected of constructing a vast 'primary nest prototype' beneath the continental shelf of Aisera III, presumably for incubating advanced species or command entities.
