Primary and main combat batteries are now 94% offline—either destroyed in the aftermath or crushed and melted during the final surge of the Oblivion Maw’s assault.

Hull integrity is critically compromised. The vessel remains spaceworthy, but only marginally so.

The command bridge is partially functional, but remains unstable due to insufficient energy support.”

“What about the crew inside the Tarrus Prime Eclipse?” asked Admiral Ezzra, his eyes locked on the tactical feed displaying the battlefield from above.

“According to the readings…” his officer responded grimly, “we’re still receiving intermittent data. Despite the Eclipse’s life support systems being heavily damaged, they’re somehow still operational. However, the impact and the resulting energy backlash from the Oblivion Maw strike have been devastating.”

Ezzra’s eyes narrowed as the data continued to stream in.

“Over 80% of the deployed crew inside the Minotaur vessels are either dead or unconscious. But the Grand Admiral of the Minotaur Fleet and his senior officers are still alive—barely. They’re standing, but only out of sheer willpower. They make up part of the remaining 20%—approximately 20,000 personnel still active and conscious.”

“Twenty thousand…” Ezzra turned to the live feed of the Minotaur flagship, watching the damaged vessel drift in space, flickering with dying lights and scattered fires.

He nodded, calm. “That’s slightly more than I expected. But no matter…”

He turned away from the screen. “Notify Chief General Marcus Corrs immediately. Tell him to prepare his assault divisions. Divide the troops into three strike groups. They’ll be teleporting directly onto the three vessels we intend to capture. Have them fully equipped for hostile resistance—minimal margin for error.”

“Yes, Admiral. I’ll have him notified at once.”

“Over 80% of the deployed crew inside the Minotaur vessels are either dead or unconscious. But the Grand Admiral of the Minotaur Fleet and his senior officers are still alive—barely. They’re standing, but only out of sheer willpower. They make up part of the remaining 20%—approximately 20,000 personnel still active and conscious.”

“Twenty thousand…” Ezzra turned to the live feed of the Minotaur flagship, watching the damaged vessel drift in space, flickering with dying lights and scattered fires.

He nodded, calm. “That’s slightly more than I expected. But no matter…”

He turned away from the screen. “Notify Chief General Marcus Corrs immediately. Tell him to prepare his assault divisions. Divide the troops into three strike groups. They’ll be teleporting directly onto the three vessels we intend to capture. Have them fully equipped for hostile resistance—minimal margin for error.”

“Yes, Admiral. I’ll have him notified at once.”

⸻

Elsewhere aboard the Eclipse-class warship

In a dimly lit chamber lined with tactical holoscreens, Chief General Marcus Corrs of the Void Fleet sat calmly, reviewing the battlefield in silence. His stern features were unreadable as he watched the Minotaur flagship neutralized on the projection before him.

“This battle is already over in all meaningful aspects,” he muttered to himself. “Some minor cleanup remains, but that won’t take long.”

He leaned back in contemplation, considering the implications—the first true engagement of the Void Fleet, and the final, crushing fall of the once-proud 7th Light Fleet of the Minotaur Clan.

But before his thoughts could continue, a subtle fluctuation pulsed through the room—an Eclipse materialized in his same virtual form.

The officer straightened and saluted. “Chief General,” he began crisply. “Admiral Ezzra has ordered immediate preparation. You and all deployable armed forces are to stand ready. The fleet will execute teleportation insertions onto the target vessels momentarily.”

Marcus Corrs stood there tall and composed as expected of him.

“Oh? It’s you, Eclipse,” Corrs replied, standing. “So, the Admiral wants my forces to capture the Tarrus Prime—the Minotaur flagship?”

“Yes, sir. The Tarrus Prime and its two escort ships are the targets.”

“I see… very well, we can handle that.” He turned toward the chamber’s central table and activated a deployment schematic. “I’ll split our strike force into three units: Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. But before we finalize that, I need intel on enemy numbers.”

Eclipse nodded and accessed his data node. “Current readings show approximately 20,000 active Minotaur troops aboard the Tarrus Prime. The two escort ships are estimated to carry an equal or greater number, making the total around 60,000.”

“Sixty thousand…” Corrs did a quick mental calculation. “We’re fielding 3,500 soldiers. That’s over 17 times our number.”

“Yes, sir,” Eclipse confirmed. “Also, approximately 50% of the enemy personnel are Evolvers. The rest appear to be trained combat support and fleet specialists.”

“So, we’re still outnumbered by at least 8.5 to 1, factoring in power scaling…” Corrs said, thinking aloud. “Still manageable. Good.”

He input a few tactical scenarios, then turned back to Eclipse. “Tell command that my forces will be ready for deployment once we finish clearing the outer battlefield.”

“Yes, Chief General,” Eclipse replied, saluting before disappearing in a shimmer of light.

Corrs immediately summoned his top lieutenants—General Kevin Ethan and General Nikolas Varn.

“The Admiral has issued his command,” Corrs began, wasting no time. “You’ll each lead a unit of 1,000 soldiers—Beta and Gamma units. Your targets are the two escort ships flanking the Tarrus Prime. Your mission: capture them intact. We want whatever tech or research data they may hold.”

Both generals nodded with sharp salutes.

“I’ll take the Alpha unit—1,500 strong. We’re heading for the Tarrus Prime itself. It’s the largest threat, both in firepower and in command structure. Expect resistance from higher-ranking Evolvers and diehard loyalists. We’ll be walking into the heart of a cornered beast.”

Corrs paused, eyes narrowing.

“They’re already surrounded. They know they’ve lost. That makes them dangerous. Desperate. Expect them to attempt mutual destruction tactics if pushed too hard. We go in fast, clean, and brutal. Understood?”

“Understood, sir,” both generals said in unison.

Corrs gave them a nod. “Then get your units prepped. Deployment begins the moment our fleet finishes securing the perimeter.

Move out.”

Meanwhile, back on the command deck of the Eclipse’s Wrath

Eclipse reappeared in a flicker of light, just as swiftly as he had vanished. He bowed slightly before delivering his report.

“Chief General Marcus Corrs has acknowledged your command, Admiral,” he said. “He stated that his units will be fully prepared once the remaining vessels of the Minotaur 7th Fleet are either destroyed or permanently neutralized, and the perimeter is secured. He is confident that he and his forces will handle the remaining crew aboard the Minotaur flagship and its two escort ships with relative ease, though the process will take time.”

“That’s perfectly acceptable,” Admiral Ezzra responded with a nod. “Let him take the time he needs. We must prioritize the preservation of the technology aboard those vessels. If the internal systems or hardware are too damaged, it could be problematic to deconstruct, study, and ultimately reengineer or integrate.”

He turned to the other gathered admirals on the command deck.

“Furthermore,” he continued, “the data stored within the Tarrus Prime’s core should contain a vast repository of intelligence about this region of space—information that is likely far beyond what we’ve already extracted from the other ships before their destruction. That flagship may hold a critical edge.”

Admiral Elira of the Second Fleet, who had been quietly listening, stepped forward.

“I agree,” she said. “This operation is vital. The knowledge archived within that ship could help us map the local powers and give us context for our position within the galactic stage. So far, we’ve relied heavily on the intel provided by the Imperial Commander, but even that doesn’t paint the full picture.”

Admiral Thorne and Admiral Bajmini nodded in agreement.

“We need that data,” Thorne added. “The Commander has given us direction—but we’re still blind to the larger scale. The Minoru, Genom, and even the Asura clans are merely fringe empires, scattered across the galactic rim. None of them are core-level superpowers.”

Admiral Ryn Vlos crossed her arms, her tone firm and resolute. “Exactly. They are powerful, yes—but not the apex. And as much as we respect and follow the Imperial Commander, we cannot afford to depend solely on him for fundamental information. We need to become self-reliant.”

“Agreed,” Thorne said. “Victory in this battle should not breed arrogance. The Minotaurs, despite their numbers and strength, are not a true benchmark of the galaxy’s elite powerhouses.”

“Just as Admiral Ryn said, this is only the beginning,” Admiral Alrial added, her voice passionate but clear. “We’ve seen a fragment of what this galaxy holds—but it’s blurry, vague. The Minotaurs are strong, but if they were placed against the real titans of this galaxy, they would be mere insects.”

She looked around at her peers, her eyes gleaming with fire.

“So we must proceed with deliberate caution,” she said. “We walk in darkness. We have no clear map of tomorrow. This mission is about more than victory—it’s about building something enduring, not just for us, but for the generations who will follow.”

Silence settled over the admirals as they took in her words, the gravity of their campaign deepening.

They were winning this battle—but their true war had only just begun.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep