Compared to the vast area between the nine planets of the solar system, the density of celestial bodies in the Kuiper ring is too high. In the Kuiper Belt, where the fleet is currently located, the ship's radar has scanned 100,000 large celestial objects with a diameter of more than 100 kilometers, and those small celestial bodies and micro-ice crystals are countless. In addition, because the Kuiper ring is the birthplace of short-period comets in the solar system, there are also a large number of comets moving in the Kuiper Belt, coupled with the chaotic orbit of the celestial bodies in the Kuiper Belt, comet impact celestial bodies occur from time to time, just like those in the distance like fireworks suddenly burst into bright brilliance, most of which are produced by comets hitting celestial bodies, and the energy generated by the impact and the debris of celestial bodies that are thrown away can be described as a fatal blow to the spaceship in navigation.

In addition to the celestial threat, the aurora-like bands of light that diffuse between the celestial bodies are equally dangerous.

These bands of light, which appear colorful depending on the temperature, are gases floating in the universe. The main components are nitrogen and hydrogen, as well as various cosmic dust and tiny Xiaoice particles. Compared to large celestial bodies that are large enough to knock a ship into directly, these small debris floating in the universe has limited lethality. However, everything in the universe is in motion, so when such a dense gas and fragments move rapidly, the effect is simply a high-speed file. If it weren't for the ship's magnetic field device, which could use the ship's motion to form an electromagnetic field fluid, and had enough ionosphere thickness, the fine particles dispersed in the gas would be enough to instantly grind a ship into powder.

This seemingly beautiful, snow-like Kuiper Belt is actually a place of death wrapped in beauty. Here, there are countless fallen spaceships, and almost every fleet that goes to the Kuiper Belt for exploration and gathering missions will lose one or two ships here, but because there is a wealth of wealth comparable to the value of the entire solar system, the Republic still sends fleets to pour in here at any cost, tearing the mystery of the Kuiper Ring layer by layer with blood and bones.

In addition, in addition to the official fleet of the Republic, the Republic stowaways who wish to escape from the Republic and yearn for the fame and fortune of the Federation are also frequent visitors to the Kuiper Belt.

Since the Massai Space Fortress guards the Kuiper Fault Passage to the R-N black hole, and the Kuiper Belt is the only safe route outside the solar system, the Kuiper Belt is the only way to leave the Nine Star Republic and travel to other galaxies.

Those stowaways who have ventured to steal spaceships on various space stations will often sneak into the vast Kuiper Belt before approaching the R-N black hole, use the countless celestial objects in the Kuiper Belt to hide, wait for the patrol team of the Marseille Space Fortress to end their patrol, create a gap in the handover, and take advantage of this short time difference to venture close to the R-N black hole before the patrol comes to intercept it.

In addition to taking advantage of the time difference to leave the R-N black hole at the risk of being destroyed by the patrol, many stowaways will choose to smuggle into other star fields by long-distance voyages.

For example, the Raymond Federation, the closest to the Nine-Star Republic, contains the Centaur α System, which is only 4.3 light-years away from the Solar System, and the Barnard System, which is 5.96 light-years away. Theoretically, it should only take four to five years to sail before you can leave the solar system and reach the Centaur α system, where the Raymond Federation is located.

Therefore, stowaways who dare not offend the patrol often choose this way to leave the solar system. But they didn't know that they were doing so in a way that was more dangerous than offending the patrol directly.

The Kuiper Ring, the Land of the Dead, is the first cage that imprisons the solar system. At present, the progress of the Nine Star Republic's exploration of the Kuiper Ring is less than one thousandth, so there are still large unknown danger areas in this vast area, and no one knows what will happen if they enter it rashly. What's more, even if the Kuiper Ring is safely passed, the outer periphery of the Kuiper Ring is still wrapped in the Ultra Nebula with a diameter of more than one light year.

The Ultra Nebula is a large globular nebula that envelops the solar system and Kuiper rings like a protective film. According to the latest discoveries, the Ultra Nebula has been confirmed to have a large amount of gas and large and small celestial bodies, in addition, a total of 23 trillion comets move within the range covered by the Ultra Nebula, which makes the Ultra Nebula no so-called safe passage at all, and any ship that rushes into the nebula may be torn apart by various celestial bodies in the nebula at any time.

All this, those stowaways are not unaware. However, the thirst for fame and fortune and the yearning for a new life make them almost crazy to choose adventures. According to the records of the Marseille spaceport, nearly a million citizens leave the Nine Star Republic by smuggling every year, but less than one in a thousand can actually leave through the R-N black hole, and this is only the monitoring data of the Marseille spaceport, counting the spaceships that have not been discovered by patrols and fortress radars, this number may increase several times.

Therefore, the TR-735 fleet, which is carrying out gathering and exploration missions in the Kuiper Belt, does not rule out the possibility of encountering stowaways, and in this extremely complex environment, those Republic fugitives lurking in the shadows are also a potential threat.

"Arrive at the designated area, armed and on alert."

More than ten minutes later, Cecilia, who was the captain of the flagship, led the fleet to the target location of the mission, and commanded each ship to take the TR-735 ship as the center, and arrange the remaining six transport ships into a hexagonal defensive formation, while the gunners of each ship were in position and entered a state of armed alert.

Subsequently, countless bee-like automatic collectors flew out of each ship in dense clusters, and according to the pre-set program, flew to the nearest celestial bodies and gas belts. When the storage chamber of the automatic bee collectors is saturated, these automatic collectors will automatically return to each ship according to the navigation program, like a colony of bees returning to the nest.

In the process of automatic acquisition, which is fully matured, the transport fleet only needs to be moored in the open space and wait. But in the process of waiting, the fleet also had to guard against the large celestial debris that was constantly moving in the Kuiper Belt, and the gunners in position on the rotating turrets were tasked with shattering or deflecting the debris of the ships before they approached the hull.

As the only fleet flagship equipped with carrier-based aircraft, the TR-735 must complete additional exploration missions in addition to the regular gathering missions. So, when the thousands of Bee Autocollectors have all flown off the ships, Robin's Air Marines will fly on the carrier-based aircraft of the TR-735 to the large celestial bodies with a diameter of more than 2,000 kilometers to carry out field exploration missions.

In fact, the carrier-based aircraft on the TR-735 is the Federation F-4 space shuttle captured by Robin's team during the Battle of Pluto. As a space shuttle pilot, Second Lieutenant Angus was also transferred to the Air Force Transport Unit after the Battle of Pluto, and became the only carrier-based pilot on the TR-735.

In addition, due to the deployment of carrier-based aircraft, the function of the TR-735 in the 7th Integrated Transport Formation of the Marseille Spaceport has also been transformed into an armed transport ship, so not only have many ship-based aircraft guns and short-range missiles been added, but also three additional Republic Skywalker 2 aviation armor has been transferred.

At this moment, carrying the equipment box of three Skywalker 2 aviation armors, Robin personally led the first team of the TR-735 ship to carry out the collection mission, and the command of the second team was transferred to Andrew, the only surviving marine who had experienced several battles with Robin, who was responsible for the security and defense of the TR-735 ship.

At the launch port of the carrier-based aircraft at the tail of the ship, Robin, who came with the crowd, saw Angus chatting with Martha with his back against the wall and a cigarette in his mouth.

During that raid on Pluto, Angus suffered extensive burns on half of his face as a result of the crash. Originally, with the current medical technology of the Republic, it was not difficult to help him restore his handsome appearance. But to commemorate that thrilling battle, Angus decided to keep that terrible scar as a memorial. He usually wears half of a silver mask to cover his scars, and this unique feature has earned him the nickname "Masked Man" on the TR-735.

"Hey, 'Masked Man' stay away from my woman! ～”

Maybe it was because Angus was also good at messing with flowers, so when Lee saw Angus chatting with Martha, he immediately ran up anxiously and pushed Angus away.

"Your woman?" A playful smile appeared on half of Angus's face, and he spread his hands and said, "I've never heard of such a thing. ”

"You guy! ～”

Feeling that Angus wanted to provoke, Lee hooked Angus's neck and flicked his metal mask with his fingers: "Do you want to change the whole piece?" ”

"Okay, I'm leaving, I'll make trouble when I come back."

Robin took out the demeanor of a captain, dragged the two who were still lifting the bars to each other, turned back to Li and instructed: "Martha will go on a mission with us this time, and her safety will be handed over to you in a while, after all, God knows what is in those big ice cubes." ”

"Okay, wrap it up on me." Lee made an ok gesture and helped Martha, who was smiling wryly from time to time, into the cabin.

When Robin's Air Marines were ready, Angus snuffed out his cigarette butts and slipped into the cockpit with a space shuttle pilot's helmet.

Subsequently, the ground crew lit up the green sailing lights and opened the launch port of the carrier-based aircraft of the TR-735.

In the shrill hum of the space shuttle engine, the carrier-based aircraft launcher ejected the space shuttle violently. The space shuttle that shot out like an arrow suddenly lit up with a bright X-shaped tail flame, pulled a beautiful arc in the dark starry sky, and flew towards the huge diamond-shaped celestial body like a floating mountain not far away.

(To be continued)