The vanguard fleet made its way into the Wasteland Star System.
The four beacons quickly positioned themselves at the four Lagrange stability points, which could potentially be used for jumping, and initiated continuous monitoring.
Meanwhile, Antonios' declaration was broadcast across the Lagrange Network to every Stargate, unsurprisingly setting off a flurry of reactions. The NOMA Shipping Group reacted most vehemently. They immediately sent a strongly worded message to the Antonius Consortium, stating that the X Star System's signal was a wide-area transmission and that the Antonios Consortium had no authority over the Stargate.
In a live broadcast over the network, the NOMA Shipping Group's spokesperson fervently declared, "The Antonios Consortium's move is a clear challenge to established norms! Whatever treasures the X Star System holds, they belong to all of mankind!" The NOMA Shipping Group also urged the Antonios Consortium to promptly remove all their fleets from the Wasteland Star System.
Antonios Strategic Intelligence Bureau agents hiding in the NOMA Shipping Group revealed that well before Antonios sounded its clarion call, NOMA had already assembled a mighty fleet, all set to dart through the Stargate; they missed the boat by just a hair. Intel from the intelligence bureau's network of sources rolled in from far and wide, showing that many factions were already rallying their fleets. All these whispers in the wind confirmed Andre's speculations.
Always having a bone to pick with Antonios, the Star Libertadores didn't beat around the bush. They sent out an urgent message to all humanity, urging the Terran Sphere Government to take the lead in allying against the Antonios Consortium. As word spread like wildfire, many of the Consortium's enemies, along with some former Imperial officers, signaled their intent to stick closely to the Terran Sphere Government.
The Terran Sphere Government, however, holding its trump cards close to the vest, responded to both the Antonios Consortium's declaration and the Star Libertadores' rallying call with eerie silence.
The tension in the City of Antontas was palpable; it hung in the air like a gathering storm. All hands were on deck within the Consortium—from the intelligence bureau and the military to the Strategic Center, logistics, and arms makers; everyone rolled up their sleeves, steeling themselves for the imminent war. Seated in his quiet office, Andre felt as though he could almost hear the gears of the war machine grinding.
"Believe it or not," Andre said to Clyde once they'd concluded their mining efficiency meeting, "right now, I might just be the calmest person in Antonios."
Clyde gave a wry smile, "Then I truly envy you. I'm about to jump into yet another meeting. I totally get what you mean, though."
"Oh? What do I mean, then?"
"Think back to the early days of the Great Navigation Era, where people braved the seas in wooden sailboats. These vessels, no bigger than a few dozen meters each, did not have engines. They were entirely at the mercy of the winds. To make matters worse, the cartographers of that time largely relied on their imaginations. Seafaring maps were filled with doodles of sea monsters and whirlpools," Clyde reflected, "A captain would chart a path, cross his fingers, and pray he'd get to his destination."
"You are doing a deep dive into Earth's tales, aren't you?"
"Thanks to you. In the galaxy, all tales are old." Clyde smiled, "In fact, I happened to be reading a book last night about one of those wooden ships. Wanna know what happened to it?"
"Sure. Enlighten me."
"The ship set sail without incident, and fortunately, the crew didn't encounter any sea monsters or vortexes. However, they encountered something far scarier."
"What?"
"The vast, uncharted ocean."
"So... What happened then?"
"I don't know. Someone tore out the last few pages of the book, so the ship's fate remains a mystery." Clyde said, giving Andre a reassuring pat, "Mr. Captain, you've drawn the map. Now, let your sailors do the rest for you. Though there might be little left for you to do now, you can always send a wish to the stars."
"A wish? For what?"
"Well, wish that your new 'pride' doesn't fall for the siren song of the hyenas."
That night after his meeting at the Strategic Center, instead of going home, Andre decided to leave the Tower of Stars and walk down Carilion Boulevard towards Ring Harbor. Ships were in constant motion; the afterglows of their engines created shadows that danced against the city's metallic skyline. Because the ships took off from a weightless, airless zone, their thunderous propulsions never reached the city's ears. Over time, this spectacle drew in curious onlookers from afar. These visitors slowly carved out a dedicated viewing spot in the Roland District. Lately, Andre couldn't help but notice the increased activity. Earlier that day, he'd seen yet another group of awestruck tourists watching the ships from behind safety railings.
The lookout spot was an intriguing extension of the Roland District itself. Like all its counterparts, the Roland District sprawled out in a vast fan-shape, with Carilion Boulevard running right down its center like a sturdy spine. The boulevard, however, didn't merely taper off at the fan's edge; it continued, bridging the gap to Ring Harbor. Ring Harbor and the Roland District's edge were separated by an arc of emptiness. The viewing spot jutted out over this unique arc. What many didn't realize was that this area was once the Sacrum Chu Imperium's Garden Spaceport, where ships moored on either side. When the Antonios Consortium decided to transform the spaceport into the foundation of the City of Antontas, the inner harbor faded into history.
If those onlookers had braved a glance over the safety railings below, they would have seen the sprawling edges of the Roland District, still awash with construction, shadowed by a bottomless abyss. Some of them might have experienced acrophobia, a nagging fear of tumbling into that bottomless pit. Yet, Andre knew very well that this wouldn't happen to him. Not far from the platform, the artificial gravity field faded, leaving Ring Harbor devoid of gravity. If anyone were ever mad enough to bypass the safety shield and hurdle over the railings in a desperate leap, their freefall would only last mere seconds. Soon after, they'd drift, cutting a steady path toward the depths below. If they were lucky, they would be caught by the gravitational pull and land on the shield of the lower layer. To Andre's knowledge, no one had ever tried it before.
Andre wandered onto the platform, his gaze naturally shifting towards Ring Harbor. A large Carilion-Class Recon Frigate and three cruisers retrofitted from large mining ships, were making their departure. The brilliant amber tail flame of the Carilion-Class trailing behind its impressive two-hundred-meter hull cast a shadow that nearly engulfed the entire harbor. As the fleet made its exit, the torrent of plasma expelled from its engines streaked across the void of space, casting dazzling blue sparks and crimson jets overhead.
As the majestic ships began their voyage, more exhilarated onlookers erupted in jubilation.
Andre heard their chants, "Eternal glory to Antonios!" "Triumph awaits Antonios!" "Advance to the Solar System! Conquer the City of Endless Dawn!"
Andre watched the jubilant, passionate, and predominantly young crowd. He guessed that they learned about the present situation from the data network. Pro-war sentiment had been weaving its way through every corner of the City of Antontas.
These naive youths had not seen the true face of war; they were born after the Antonios Consortium had grown into a behemoth of prestige over the past few decades. To them, the harrowing Garden Campaign was but a tale of epic valor.
Did they even consider that these fleets might never return?
A peculiar emotion surged within Andre. How would the Terran Sphere Government react?
"God bless Lagrange. Let's hope I did the right thing." Andre whispered to himself, watching as the distant stars faded into the vast Milky Way.
Shortly after, amidst the tourists' laughter and chatter, Andre discreetly made his departure.
