Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high!-Chapter 975 - 681: War Begins!

The group swiftly passed through heavily guarded corridors, entering the core area of the "Shield of Defense" space station—the Planetary Defense Command Center.

This place was more than a hundred times larger than the rudimentary command center on Mine Star. The gigantic circular main screen displayed segmented real-time information flows of planetary orbits, outer domains, fleet deployments, ground anti-air arrays, and more.

Hundreds of officers and technical personnel were busy in front of holographic consoles, the atmosphere as tense as a taut bowstring.

President Edwin personally led Bai E to the central command console, ordering the responsible general, "General Aleksey, report the situation comprehensively to Mr. Bai Er. From now on, Mr. Bai Er's commands have the same level of priority as mine."

General Aleksey, whose hair was grayed but eyes were sharp, saluted Bai E, then brought up the star map and began to report quickly and clearly:

"Mr. Bai E, the current situation is as follows:

First, the Bug Race fleet: Confirmed to have six biological giant ships, one more than previously reported, presumed to have been constructed using resources after devouring the Lorin Colony Star. They are currently located at the outer Kuiper Belt of this star system, advancing in a direct line at a constant speed towards Dawn City.

Based on their current velocity, it is estimated they will enter the inner planetary orbit of this star system in 5 days and 16 hours, and reach the edge of Dawn City's near-Earth defense perimeter in 7 days and 8 hours.

Second, our defensive power:

On the orbital level, we have four large Orbital Defense Platforms, all equipped with heavy Plasma Cannon arrays and missile silos; a native defense fleet, including one heavy battleship, three cruisers, eight destroyers, and several frigates. Additionally, some hastily modified armed merchant ships from adjacent Star Domains have limited combat power.

On the ground, Dawn City has the 'Sky Dome' Energy Shield system covering major global cities, capable of momentarily withstanding main battleship-class bombardments, though with immense energy consumption. The underground bunker network can accommodate about 70% of the population, and there are over three hundred anti-air missile sites and laser interception towers deployed globally. Army and orbital airborne units have been placed on maximum alert.

Third, major issues:

Our fleet and defense platform firepower, after evaluations from the last Alliance Fleet report, are considered insufficient to directly pierce the specialized armor of the Bug Race's biological giant ships, especially with their potential rapid repair and adaptive evolution capabilities. The 'Sky Dome' shield cannot be sustained indefinitely, and the Bug Race may employ biomass projection or spiritual energy erosion to penetrate it. Public panic is severe, and the exodus of elite and technical personnel affects logistics and morale."

Having completed his professional report, General Aleksey looked at Bai E, his eyes complex.

He was a traditional soldier, more inclined to trust fleets and heavy artillery, instinctively feeling doubt and anxiety about pinning hopes on a super individual.

Yet, the President's orders and harsh reality forced him to suppress these emotions.

Bai E did not immediately give an opinion but instead walked to the master control console.

With the highest authority granted directly to him, more detailed and foundational data streams began to open up to him.

His gaze quickly swept over the vast information regarding energy distribution, weapon cooling cycles, shield generator loads, fleet fuel and ammunition reserves, personnel deployment statuses, and more.

Catherine, Black Beast, and others also found positions, accessing the system to analyze the areas they specialized in.

Victor, somewhat nervously, followed behind Bai E, striving to absorb this massive amount of information beyond his previous experience.

A few minutes later, Bai E raised his head, looking towards President Edwin and General Aleksey.

"The foundational defensive system is solid, but the tactical approach needs adjustment. The Bug Race is not a traditional fleet; they are a living, thinking, learning biological collective. Using static defenses and array bombardments meant for mechanical fleets will yield even worse results than the last Alliance Fleet."

He pointed to the predicted path of the Bug Race fleet on the star map: "They will charge directly, using biomass and spiritual energy to withstand our firepower, then, like devouring Lorraine Star, insert appendages into the planet's surface. Our goal is not just to repel but to weaken and stall their movements as much as possible before they make contact with the planet while seeking opportunities to destroy their core."

"How exactly do we do that?" General Aleksey couldn't help but ask.

"First, adjust the orbital defense platform and fleet formation."

Bai E brought up the deployment chart and quickly made marks, "Abandon the traditional linear interception formation. Arrange the four defense platforms and main fleet in a multi-layered, staggered dynamic defense net with Dawn City as the center. The platforms should no longer focus on maximum fire coverage but instead emphasize high-frequency, precise point defenses and harassment fire, aiming to disrupt the coordination and external sensory organs of the Bug Race's giant ships.

The fleet should act as a mobile strike force, avoiding direct confrontations, utilizing small detachment formations for high-speed harassment, targeting potentially weaker energy node points—I'll guide you in real-time on this."

Since the last close encounter with a Bug Race biological giant ship, Bai E, the 'Insect Race Killer,' had become acutely "aware" of certain weaknesses on some of the Bug Race biological ships.

"Second, re-plan the 'Sky Dome' shield." Bai E brought up the shield energy distribution map, "Do not keep it at maximum power throughout. Instead, based on the cyclical fluctuations of the Bug Race's spiritual energy impact, implement intermittent and regional enhanced defenses. The saved energy should be prioritized to supply the weapon systems of the orbital defense platforms and the precision interception units of the ground anti-air arrays."