The massive command chamber fell silent.

A soft chime echoed as the Red Empress activated the fleet-wide broadcast system. Across the thousands of ships—including battle carriers, cruisers, dreadnoughts, battleships, and numerous auxiliary vessels of the Imperial Fleet (among them the Obliterato and its escort of Super Enters-class battleships)—a singular figure began to materialize. Kallus, the Imperial Commander, appeared simultaneously throughout the fleet.

His image shimmered into existence aboard every hull of the Void Fleet—projected before command crews on massive visual holographic screens and glowing brilliantly on the modular watches worn by officers and soldiers alike.

His holographic figure, bathed in radiant golden light, radiated authority and power. Kallus sat upon his Grand Throne at the heart of the Obliterato’s main command center—his presence both awe-inspiring and absolute.

The projection towered before every officer, engineer, and soldier, each of whom had already been notified of the broadcast. Moments later, Kallus’s full holographic image appeared on their modular watches and on the massive display in front of them. A hush slowly swept through the fleet as they all waited for him to speak.

Then he spoke—calm, deliberate, undeniable.

“This is your Imperial Commander.”

“For months, we have lived in a locked star sector—untouched, unknown. Not in hiding, but simply unseen. While others looked elsewhere, we forged our foundation.”

“We were not preparing for the Minotaur’s. We weren’t even meant to be part of this war. But fate brought us here. And now, by the will of what guides this universe, we stand between them and what they assumed would be theirs.”

Across the fleet, data feeds had long since been paused. Every system, every terminal, stood still. Over 1,000 ships and ten thousand members aboard fell into complete silence. Each member of the fleet listened with calm focus, their attention wholly devoted to the words of their commander.

“The spatial barrier that kept this region sealed is fracturing. The silence of this place is ending. And soon, the galaxy will feel it.”

“Our enemies believe this region is easy prey. That there’s nothing here but scattered remnants and forgotten systems. If not for our arrival, they’d be right. But they don’t know we’re here. And by the time they realize it, we won’t be waiting—we’ll be at their doorstep. With weapons primed. With fleets ready.”

As I spoke, the holographic visuals behind me shifted—rippling like waves in the void. They began to showcase the full strength of our battle fleet. Row after row of dreadnoughts appeared, their armored hulls gleaming with majestic brilliance, energy cores pulsing like the heartbeats of giants.

They were followed by cruisers, battle carriers, and the vast array of support vessels, each in perfect formation.

Finally, the view centered on our foundation—my flagship, the Obliterato, standing like a titan among stars.

Then, as my words continued, the projection smoothly refocused, the imagery collapsing inward until it framed me once more—seated upon the Grand Throne, the golden light casting long shadows of command.

“And let this be clear to all of you: the Minotaurs are not our goal. They are just the first step—an obstacle on the path to something far greater.”

“We are not simply fighting a battle. We are laying the first stone of an empire. My empire. One that will become your future. A future not shaped by treaties or compromise—but by will, strength, and clarity.”

“A place where true peace can exist, carved from the chaos of this fractured galaxy.”

“And yes, blood will be spilled. Destruction is inevitable. But it is the price of creation. For only after fire can something enduring rise.”

“To any who challenge that vision—Minotaurs or otherwise—we will show them that this galaxy will bend… or it will break.”

The silence across the fleet turned electric.

“This is not just war. This is foundation. And each of you—every ship, every unit, every mind—is part of it.”

“Today, we leave Regal Star behind. Today, we step forward. For the purpose. To forge a legacy that lasts. Into our future that I hope to build for us, For the void fleet, For the void empire.”

His holographic image began to flicker—light folding back into itself, signal starting to close.

But then his voice rang out one last time, steady and direct.

“Before I go… let me ask you—are you all with me in this?”

The image paused—stabilizing briefly.

“Are you ready to fight for something that could truly last? A future that isn’t just survival, but something better—for us, for you, and for those who will join us along the way?”

“Are you ready to build something great?”

The silence across the fleet was total.

Then came the first chorus of responses—short, sharp affirmations from officers and bridge crews. Everyone across the command decks to their separate quarters turned in unison, voices syncing across the whole fleet interlinks. The roar of confirmation rippled across thousands of channels.

“Yes, Commander!”

“With you!”

“To the end!”

“For The Future That Lasts.”

“For The Void Fleet.”

A flash of light as his holographic image faded at last, gone now that he had achieved his purpose for this fleet-wide speech.

The countdown to fleet departure began.

Though his image had faded from the interlink, his presence lingered.

Across the entire fleet, the echoes of his words still burned. Crews, officers—each one caught in the surge of shared purpose. Some chanted his name. Others called out for the fleet. Many simply shouted for the future.

It didn’t matter what they said—it all meant the same thing.

His speech wasn’t elaborate. It wasn’t grand for the sake of grandeur. But it hit. It reached every soul aboard those ships. And it lit something inside them.

Meanwhile, aboard the Obliterator, in the Grand Command Room…

I exhaled slowly, a quiet sigh of relief.

On the wide command interface, I saw the fleet’s reaction still unfolding. Energy was high. Morale surged. They were fired up—more than I’d anticipated. Which meant I had done what I needed to. The meeting may have masked it, but the true purpose had landed. I had set the course.

Beside me, the Empress watched with a slight shake of her head. She glanced over, her tone light but sincere.

“You’ve done well, Kallus. The speech—maybe not perfect—but real. They’re motivated.”

I smiled, just a little. “Thanks for the compliment, Empress.”

But the smile didn’t last long. My expression returned to its usual seriousness.

“Now… let’s move. Everyone’s ready.”

“Understood,” she replied, turning to the control panel. “Target: Rigid Star System. Distance: 28 light-years.”

She tapped into the console. “Calculating route… done. Setting speed: one hundred thousand times light velocity. Estimated arrival time: 2.5 hours.”

“Activating fleet-wide jump sequence.”

From the Obliterator’s hull, a dark, shimmering membrane began to expand outward—rippling across space like a veil of ink in water. Within seconds, it blanketed the entire Void Fleet—thousands of ships swallowed in perfect synchronization.

“Fleet positioned for phase envelope,” the Empress reported. “Transcendent Dark Matter FTL systems online. Charging propulsion.”

The chamber subtly vibrated as Obliterator’s engines surged to life.

“Propulsion power at ten percent… climbing. Twenty. Thirty. Locked. Systems stable. No anomalies detected.”

“Fleet is green for FTL transition.”

I nodded.

“Then what are we waiting for, Empress? Take us in.”

She raised her hand over the control glyph, eyes locked on the system countdown.

“Executing jump. In three… two… one…”

JUMP.

The Obliterator vanished in a silent flash—followed by the eruption of dark energy across the fleet. Thousands of ships tore through the edge of the Regal Star System, phasing into the void of faster-than-light travel in perfect formation.

Heading straight for the Rigid Star System.

And what awaited them there?

Meanwhile, outside the Forbidden Zone… just minutes before the barrier collapsed.

Rigid Star System – Aboard Tauros Prime, flagship of the Minotaur 7th Light Fleet.

For days, their sensors had been picking up spatial tremors from the region surrounding the Forbidden Zone—a sealed region the Minotaurs referred to as The Breath.

It was a name passed down through records they had inherited—and seized—from the civilization that was long since consumed by the ravages of time, and they, the Minotaur, were able to claim it as theirs. That ancient race had called the zone sacred, its origin tied to their mother star—Minotaur Prime. It was said to be rich in resources, once a thriving system of immense value, now locked away and forgotten for millions of years.

But the Minotaur hadn’t forgotten, and how could they forget about it for it had its own attraction and value toward them, a race that sought to rule over the galaxy, not a sector in the corner of it….

They waited. Camped just outside the seal, watching. Ready to claim it the moment it cracked.

Now, that moment was coming.

⸻

Inside Tauros Prime’s command chamber—massive, armored, filled with tiered control systems and dark crimson displays—dozens of officers and bio-warriors stood at their posts. The tension was thick, like the air before a coming storm.

“Status?” a voice barked—low, rough, like grinding stone.

It belonged to Grand Admiral Jarkon, son of Brax, head of the first supreme elder family of the current Minotaur generation. His horns gleamed with a faint inner glow, twisted with battle etchings and ancestral markings. He wore a formal command uniform, though it looked more like armor than attire—built for war.

His eyes, glowing red, swept across the bridge as he stepped into view.

“Same as yesterday, Grand Admiral,” replied his second-in-command, the High Admiral. “But the strain on the barrier is increasing. Cracks have started to multiply. It won’t be long.”

Jarkon said nothing at first. He didn’t need charts or reports. He could feel it. The weight of the galaxy—the pressure of universal forces—was bearing down on the lock.

The galaxy was reclaiming its silence.

He walked toward the massive viewport, ignoring the scrolling data. The light around The Breath shimmered like water under pressure.

And then—it happened.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep