The fortress of Iserlohn, the most important military stronghold of the Galactic Empire, is located 6,200 light-years away from the Empire's capital, Star Odin, where there is a star in the prime of life, Yatina, originally a lone star with no planets. Thirty years ago, an artificial planet with a diameter of 60 kilometers, known as the Iserlohn Fortress, was built here as a base for the Galactic Empire, mainly due to its geographical importance.

If viewed from the zenith, Iserlon's location is near the point of the triangle formed by the marginal portion of the Galactic Empire's power that extends in the direction of the Free Planetary Alliance. This area is the "Devil's Triangle" in space navigation, and it is the "cosmic graveyard" that once caused the founders of the Free Planets Alliance to lose many comrades. And this fact also satisfied the Empire's authorities, and strengthened the intent to build a military stronghold in this region to intimidate the Alliance. Thus the fortress of Iserlohn came into being.

Variable stars, red giants, anomalous gravitational fields...... In the dense area of these stars, there is a small safe zone, and Iserlohn sits in the center of it, and the whole corridor is like an hourglass, and in the middle of the hourglass is the fortress of Iserlon. The only way to get from the Alliance to the Empire without going through here is to take another route through the Dominion of Fraser, which of course is not for military operations. These two routes are also known as the "Iserren Cloister" and the "Fraser Cloister" respectively.

The Iserlohn Cloister and the Fraser Cloister. Apart from these two, could there be no other route connecting the Alliance and the Empire? The Alliance's rulers and military personnel have tried their best, but their intentions have been thwarted by the incompleteness of the star map and the visible and invisible obstacles of the Empire and Fraser. As far as Fraser is concerned, since it has the value of being a relay trading place, of course, it does not want the alliance to discover the "third corridor".

Due to various factors, the Alliance's intention to invade the realm of the Empire evolved into a strategic battle for the fortress of Iserlon. Over the course of four and a half centuries, six large-scale raids were fought, each of which was repulsed, leaving the Imperial Army with "the Iserlohn Cloister made of the dead bodies of rebel soldiers."

In the year 487 of the imperial calendar and the year 796 of the cosmic calendar, the "Seventh Iserlohn Raiders" is about to be staged again. And this time only half of the allied fleet appeared, the thirteenth fleet, and the commander was also a rookie rear admiral, the one named Yang Willy.

At the same time, the capital of the empire, Odin. "Finally made up the troops!Wait!What's the matter with this list?Why are they all second-rate and thorny, junk troops?Ah!Are you bastards of the Ministry of Military Affairs using my fleet like a garbage can!!!" shouted Admiral Rudolf von Fafnier in the commander's office, looking at the screen in front of him.

At this moment, his fleet had just been replenished according to the number of the Empire's numbered fleet, but more than half of the fleet of more than 12,000 ships was composed of former defeated troops, local garrisons, and some problematic troops in other fleets. So after that, there was constantly "garbage" thrown into his fleet, and today, the Seventeenth Fleet of the Empire, which was supposed to be 12,300 ships at full capacity, was eventually reorganized into a reinforced fleet of 14,700 ships......

As for the classification of ships, there are not many old ships - it is all about not letting this guy shout all the way to Odin's star. The main force of the whole fleet is 3,000 standard warships of the 480 type, 4,500 cruisers, 5,000 destroyers, and 2,200 mother ships, and the rest are 1,500 work ships and 1,500 supply ships, excluding combat ships, as well as 1,000 assault landing ships and 200 hospital ships. In terms of numbers alone, it is the largest of the eighteen regular fleets of the Empire, but its combat effectiveness is not favored - there are no high-speed warships, there are not many cutting-edge ships, commanders and soldiers at all levels are not competent, and most of the personnel are waste and scum.

Now, Fafnir has been ordered to stay in the Shahchen Domain, "Fuck ×!

The Shahen system is a galaxy about the same distance from the Iserlon, Valhalla, and Ejenhertz systems, and is a notoriously rural place...... The command also left this fleet there, but also saved the idea that out of sight is clean, anyway, at least there is no problem for the galaxy to have enough to eat......

Located between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance, the Iseron Fortress is a contest between two powerful forces.

The fortress of Iserlohn is sixty kilometers in diameter and has a thick layer of fluid metal on its surface, a huge man-made celestial body with a mass of more than a hundred megatons. Moreover, there is also the most powerful firepower in the universe - the giant cannon known as the "Thor's Hammer". As long as this fortress exists, it will be impossible for the Allied forces to enter the Galactic Empire.

There were two Imperial Army generals in the fortress of Iserlohn. One was the commander of the fortress, Admiral Thomas von Schuttchäujan, and the other was the commander of the garrison fleet of the fortress, Admiral Hans Dietrich von Jackett. Both men were in their fifties, and both had tall builds, but Shotek Haughan was a little smaller than Jack.

The relationship between the two is not so much a personal factor as a tradition, and it would be strange if there were two commanders of the same rank in the same office, if there would be no conflict.

Of course, the emotional antagonism also affected their soldiers. In the eyes of the garrisons of the fortress, the fleet is a brazen eater, and when it is dangerous to fight outside, they flee back to this safe place, like a loser.

The pride of the warriors who supported the impregnable fortress of Iserlohn and the fighting spirit of the "rebel army" were reluctantly built a bridge between the two. In fact, although they scorned and scolded each other, whenever the Allied forces came to attack, they competed with each other for the merits, and often achieved considerable results.

The military and political authorities have also proposed several organizational reforms, with the same person serving as both the commander of the fortress and the commander of the garrison fleet, in order to integrate the chain of command, but the proposal has been rejected each time. The reduction of one rank of commander was a major problem for senior officers, and on the other hand, because the antagonism between the two had not yet led to any fatal incidents.

May 14th.

The two commanders, Shotek Haughan and Jackett, were in the meeting room. Originally, it was a saloon for high-ranking officers, but because it was located at the same distance from the offices of the two companies, it was used for meetings, so it was completely soundproofed. This is because neither of them likes to go to each other's rooms, and they can't only rely on TV communication in the same fortress, so they do this.

For the past two days, communications around the fort have been disrupted, and there is no doubt that the rebel forces are approaching. But there was no attack. Today's meeting between the two was to discuss how to respond to this state of affairs, but there was nothing constructive about the conversation between them.

"You say you're going to attack an enemy, but you don't know where they are. Then there will be no way to fight! The attack is also in vain. ”

Schuttchaughan said so, and Jackett made the counter-argument.

"That's why I'm going out to see, to find out where the enemy is lurking. If the rebels attack this time, then more troops should be mobilized, right?"

To what Jack was saying, Schutkhowjan nodded confidently.

"Then this time they will still be repulsed, the rebels have attacked six times, and all six times they have been repulsed. If I come back this time, I'll just turn six times into seven. ”

"This fortress is just too great. ”

There was something in the words of the fleet commander, which implied: "It's not because you're capable!"

"In short, the proximity of the enemy is a fact. Anyway, send out a fleet to investigate. ”

"But since I don't know where the road is, there's no way to find out, so let's wait and see!"

Just as their conversation gradually turned into a circle, a call came from the communication room. In the middle of the loop, a strange communication was received. The interference was intense, the communication was intermittent, and it was not easy to judge the following situation.

“...... In order to convey important contact matters from the capital of the Empire, a Bremmen light cruiser was sent to Iserlon, but was attacked by the enemy in the cloister and was on the run, requesting rescue from Iserlon......"

The two commanders looked at each other face to face.

"I don't know where the corridor is, but I can't do it without attacking. Jackett spat out the sounds from his fat throat.

"But is that good?"

"What do you mean? My subordinates are different from the cosmic moles who care only about safety. ”

"What does that mean?"

Both of them appeared in the common war room with unpleasant expressions. Jackt gave the order to his staff to make a sortie of the fleet, and as he explained his reasoning, Shotekhoujan took a look at the general situation.

When Jack's speech ended, one of his staff members rose from his seat.

"Please wait, Your Excellency. ”

"Is it Colonel Oberstein......

Admiral Jackt said, but there was not a hint of affection in his voice. He hated the new staff. His half-white hair, his bloodless complexion, and his occasional prosthetic eyes with strange brilliance all made him look unpleasant, as if he were a man depicted by yin.

"Do you have any comments?"

Colonel Oberstein didn't mind, at least on the surface, the disdainful tone of the chief.

"Yes. ”

"Okay! ”

Jackett urged him in an impatient tone.

"Then I'll just say it, I think it's a trap. ”

"Trap?"

"Yes, the enemy's purpose is to lure the fleet out of Isellon. We should not move for the time being, and see the situation first. ”

Jack scoffed unhappily. "Are you saying that if you go out, you will be ambushed by the enemy, and if we start a battle, we will lose?"

"I didn't mean it......"

"What does that mean! As soldiers, it is our duty to fight! Shouldn't we all the more advance to attack the enemy before we demand the safety of our body? Not to mention what is it to ignore friendly troops in danger?"

On the one hand, it is a refutation of Oberstein, and on the other hand, it is also deliberately pretentious to show Schutkhao Jane, who is watching the fire from the other side with a sneering expression. Moreover, Jackett was originally the kind of fierce general type soldier who had to fight when he saw the enemy, and it was not in his personality to ask him to stay in the fortress and wait for the enemy. And in his mind, this practice itself loses its value as a warship general.

"How? Admiral Jackett, there is some truth to what your staff said. Whether it is friend or foe, I don't know the exact location of the road, and the danger is quite great. How about a little longer?"

It's okay not to mention it, but the opinion put forward by Shutekhao Jian next to him decided the situation, and Jack's determination to attack was even stronger. "No, lead the whole fleet in an hour!"

Jackett gave the order.

Soon after, the Iserlon Garrison Fleet, consisting of 15,000 warships, large and small, began to leave the port.

Schutkhajan watched from the entry and exit control display in the fortress headquarters. The sight of warships lying like giant towers and streamlined destroyers heading out for space in an orderly manner is truly spectacular.

"Hmph, it's better to go and suffer a little and come back. ”

Shotek Haughan cursed in his mouth. Things like "Die!" and "Lose the battle!" he doesn't even joke. For his part, there is restraint in this regard.

Six hours later, another message came. It was from the bremen light cruiser that they had managed to reach the vicinity of the fortress, but were still being pursued by the rebels, asking for artillery cover - the above was heard from the noise.

On the one hand, he asked the gunner to prepare for escort, and on the other hand, he felt unhappy in his heart. Where the hell is Jackett, an imbecile creature still wandering? It's okay to talk big, but can't you even do something as trivial as rescuing a lonely friendly army?

"There is a ship shadow on the screen!"

The subordinates came down with a report. As the commander, Shotekhaughan ordered the image to be enlarged.

I saw the Bremon light cruiser approaching the fortress as if drunk. There are many points of light behind it, and of course, it should be the enemy.

"Prepare for shelling!"

Shotek Haughan gave the order.

However, at the moment when they were about to enter the range of the fortress's main guns, the Allied ships all stopped, timidly drifting on the invisible border, and when it was confirmed that the Bremon light cruiser had accepted the signal from the fortress control room and gradually entered the harbor, they gave up and began to turn away.

"What a smart guy, you can't beat us!"

The soldiers of the Empire burst into laughter. The sense of unity between the strength of the fortress and the strength of oneself constitutes their psychological fulfillment.

After entering the port, the Bremmen light cruiser, which was moored in mid-air controlled by a magnetic field, looked rather miserable.

Just from the outside, you can see more than a dozen damages. The cracks in the shell showed the white cushioning material like the intestines of an animal, and the number of tiny cracks seemed to be too great to be counted even by the hands and feet of a hundred soldiers.

A nuclear-powered vehicle loaded with rearmament approached. They were not fortress soldiers, but subordinate to the commander of the garrison fleet, and they felt sympathy when they saw this tragic situation.

The hatch of the light cruiser opened, and a young officer with a white strap-on appeared on his head. Although he was a handsome man, his blue face was stained with dried red and black blood.

"I'm the captain, Rear Admiral von Laken. I want to see the Fortress Commander's Palace. ”

This is the lingua franca of the Empire.

"I see. But what happened to the situation outside the fortress?"

One of the rearmament officers inquired about this concern, and Major Raken gasped in grief.

"We don't know much because we're from Odin. However, it seems that your fleet has been wiped out. ”

Looking gloomily at the people who had swallowed a mouthful of saliva as if they had been slapped, Major Laken cried out almost in his heart.

"It seems that the rebels have come up with some unimaginable way to get through the corridors. This is not only a matter of the fortress of Iserlohn, but also the survival of the empire. Take me to the commander!"

The request was immediately accepted.

Admiral Shotekhaugian, who was waiting in the command room, straightened up and stood up when he saw the five light cruiser officers surrounded by the garrison entering the room.

"I am the commander of the fortress, Admiral von Schutekhajen. Explain the state of affairs, what the hell is going on?"

Striding closer, the Commander of the Fortress said in a voice that was more than necessary. If, as the rumors just said, the rebels had figured out a way to pass through the cloister, then the significance of the Iseron Fortress would be questionable. In fact, it was necessary to come up with a countermeasure to the actions of the rebel army.

Just because the fortress of Iserlohn cannot be moved, it is necessary to garrison the fleet. But Jack was that brave and thoughtless fellow...... Thinking of this, Schutekhaojan's mood could no longer calm down.

"Here's the thing......"

The Lacken Major's voice gradually faded in relative terms, and Schutkhowjan sensed this and naturally pressed his upper body close to his face.

"That's the way it is. You've become our captive!"

Everything was in the flash of lightning, but a momentary freeze quickly dissolved, and in a shrill shout, the garrisons drew their pistols while Major Laken's wrist was strangled by Schuttchaughan's neck and a composite pistol that did not respond to metal detectors was held against his temple.

"You ...... guy"

The crimson face of Lieutenant Colonel Remla, the head of security in the command room, became even more red.

"You are an accomplice of the traitors! How dare you ...... so boldly"

"I'll let you know you, I'm Colonel Kob of the 'Rose Knights' company. Now that I don't have my hands empty, there's no way to remove my makeup to greet you. The Colonel smiled calmly and boldly. "To be honest, I didn't expect it to go so smoothly! I even forged my ID card without even checking it...... No matter how strong the system is, it depends on how people use it, which can be regarded as a good lesson for you. ”

"Whose lesson is it to whom?"

With the sound of gnashing teeth, Lieutenant Colonel Remra's pistol was aimed at Shotek Haughan and Cenkob.

"You want to take him hostage, don't think of the Imperial soldiers as traitors like you, Your Excellency the Commander values honor more than life and death. I'm not going to be a shield to protect your lives!"

"Your Excellency Commander seems to be confused by your overestimation!"

Laughing loudly at their prefectural Kobu, he glanced at one of the four men who were entrenched in his encirclement. The subordinate pulled out a palm-sized disc-shaped object from under the Imperial Army's uniform. This is also made of composite materials.

"Do you know the way? This is the Jiefu particle generator. ”

As soon as Kobu spoke, there seemed to be a burst of electricity in the vast room. Everyone's bodies on the Imperial side trembled like an electric shock. They understand what it means to be a particle generator.

Jiefu particles are a chemical substance named after the inventor Carl Jiefu. As an applied chemist, he invented it for planetary scale mineral mining or civil engineering work, and its main characteristic is that it can react in a certain amount of heat or energy, and ignite and explode within a controlled range. But no matter what kind of industrial technology it is, humans still use it for military purposes.

Lieutenant Colonel Remla's face was dark. The pistol that fires the beam of energy is no longer usable, and if you shoot it, you will be killed. Once the particles in the air are ignited by the beam, everyone in the room will be burned to ashes in an instant.

"Lieutenant and Lieutenant Colonel ......"

One of the guards let out a helpless cry. Lieutenant Colonel Remla could only look at Admiral Shutkhaugan with empty eyes. Korblio let go of his arm slightly, and after two heavy breaths, the Commander's Palace of the Iserlohn Fortress succumbed.

"You won. No way, I surrendered. ”

Xiankoubu secretly breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

"Okay, everyone will act according to the plan!"

The subordinates of the first Kobu began to act according to the instructions. Changing the program of the control computer to disable the various defense systems, and then dissipating hypnotic gas through the air conditioning system to the entire fortress. The sorcerers lurking in the Bremmen light cruiser rushed out and carried out the above operations perfectly. When discovered by only a handful of people, the fortress of Iserlohn was eroded by cancer cells, losing its original function.

Five hours later, the Imperial generals woke up from their chaotic sleep to find themselves disarmed and taken prisoner. The total number of the Imperial Army, including combat, communications, supplies, medical care, maintenance, control, and technical skills, totaled 500,000. In addition, the huge food factories and other facilities that support more than 1 million people, including the garrison fleet, are well equipped, and the Empire's intention to build Iseron into a permanent fortress worthy of the name can be seen.

However, here today, the generals of the Allied Thirteenth Fleet are everywhere.

In this way, the fortress of Iserlon, which had sucked the blood of millions of officers and soldiers of the Confederate army like a vampire demon in the past, was replaced with a new owner without shedding a single drop of blood.

In just a few hours, with the three launches of Isellon's main gun, Thor's Hammer, the commander of the stupid fortress garrison fleet, Jackett, along with his battleship, turned into cosmic dust.

On 16 May, Admiral Fafnir received a report from the Imperial Army, "The fortress of Isellohn has been occupied? I remember that the commander of the fortress was your cousin, right?"

The Chief of Staff, Major General Gustav von Schutkhauljan, who was immersed in astonishment, replied: "Yes, he is my cousin. ”

"What was your cousin's IQ test back then? Did he score more than 60 points? Why did he lose the fortress so easily?"

"I don't know how he lost it. However, the report of the defeated officers and soldiers does not show how the fortress was lost at all. Schutkhowen said, full of frustration, for their family was likely to be affected by their cousin......

"yes, I really can't see it. That's how it was lost anyway. This report is nothing but the fact that we lost the fortress. How did you lose it? What method did the enemy use at all! It was still by the enemy's good news that he found out that the enemy commander was a major general named Yang Willy!" Faveniel was fully aware of the method Yang used to capture the fortress, and he was still at first glance at the brain-dead aura of the protagonists of this world, but—why bother?

"Damn! The commander of the fortress and the commander of the fleet are all kinds of brain-dead! I used to look at them as quite normal minds, but I didn't expect that as soon as I met the guy who was the protagonist, I immediately became this kind of imbecile, hum, hahaha. Tanaka, are you only going to play this kind of trick to devise tactics for the protagonists, and you just expect them to come to me!" Fafnir thought.