Stonefang, who had been stripped of his position as the fleet's supreme Commander and forced into hibernation, was emergency-awakened again less than half an hour after lying down in the hibernation pod.
"Your Excellency Stonefang, according to the resolution of the Supreme Council and the ten Elders, all your positions are to be immediately reinstated, and you are to resume command of the Devourer Fleet."
What happened?!
Stonefang, who had just been awakened, was completely bewildered, his mind a jumble.
He glanced at the hibernation time; less than a day had passed since he was forced into hibernation. In such a short time, to make those old fogeys of the Supreme Council change their minds... Thinking of this, Stonefang was suddenly overcome with an extremely ominous premonition.
"What exactly happened during my hibernation?"
"After Your Excellency Broken Jaw took over your duties, he continued the Supreme Council's decision and launched a full fleet offensive against the Earthlings," the AI said.
"This—there's no problem with that!" Stonefang said, his face full of doubt.
But then, the series of operations that the AI described Broken Jaw performing, enough to make him suffer a cerebral hemorrhage, almost made Stonefang faint from anger.
"Are you saying that after he discovered the Earthling warships approaching, he didn't immediately choose to intercept them, but instead activated the Quantum Resonance Barrier, is that right?" Stonefang asked, almost gritting his teeth, his eyes bloodshot.
"Yes, Commander Broken Jaw initially considered using a Matter Disintegration Beam, but due to the weapon's close-range use affecting 15% of the population in the living quarters along the Devourer Ring Warship's equator, he decided to switch to the 'Quantum Resonance Barrier' for passive defense," the AI reported truthfully.
"Useless! Useless!" But it was better for it not to speak; the more it spoke, the angrier Stonefang became. He furiously smashed the control panel, murderous intent surging in his amber pupils.
"Idiot, how did he even graduate from the military academy? Even Earthlings understand the principle of not losing the big picture for the small, and that war must never be soft-hearted. Does he not know that?!"
As a Commander, the most taboo things are losing the big picture for the small, and personal pity and compassion.
Such morals, for an individual, are commendable qualities, but for a Commander leading the lives and deaths of tens or even hundreds of thousands, they are the most useless qualities, the ideas that most need to be discarded!
Upon hearing that Broken Jaw, for the sake of a mere 15% of the population, allowed the Earthling warships to penetrate their core, Stonefang wished he could immediately kill that bastard for such a weak and ridiculous move!
But since things had come to this, Stonefang could only suppress his anger and ask about the aftermath.
"And then? A few Earthling warships alone shouldn't have made the Supreme Council change its mind, right?"
He knew very well that for those people to change their minds, it meant the situation had become so severe that he was indispensable!
Even on the brink of the Devourer civilization's demise!
"Yes, Commander Stonefang." The AI immediately played a visual, its normally emotionless tone even tinged with a hint of sadness.
"The Earthlings used 'Space Teleportation' technology to summon a large army, including pure silicon-based lifeforms. Radiating outwards from the landing zone, they have already taken control of the living quarters, ecological zones, and supply areas, cutting off our energy supply."
Looking at the map provided by the AI, with large areas marked in glaring red after being captured, Stonefang's heart sank deeper and deeper.
Could it be that the vision in his dream was about to be confirmed here?
"No—I absolutely cannot let such a thing happen to us!" Stonefang suddenly awoke from that nameless rage, took a deep breath, and then said in a deep voice.
"Announce to all Devourers that I have awakened from slumber and officially resumed command!"
"Welcome back, Commander Stonefang."
"The First Fleet salutes you, Commander Stonefang, may you lead us to glorious victory!"
"The Second Fleet salutes you!"
"The Seventy-Eighth Regiment salutes you, you're finally back, Your Excellency Stonefang!"
In the Devourer military communication channel, voices from various fleets and even resistance legions continuously echoed. The original despair of every Devourer seemed to be ignited by him!
Stonefang, the legendary Commander of the Devourer Fleet, his personal prestige alone was enough to overshadow the Supreme Council. The Devourer soldiers firmly believed that as long as Stonefang was present, they would surely achieve victory!
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Emrys, who was at the front-line command post, frowned slightly, noticing that the opponent's resistance and will had suddenly increased significantly.
The Devourers, who had been retreating steadily, were now fighting stubbornly and desperately, as if injected with a stimulant, even vowing to defend every inch of their position to the death!
Even with the addition of major forces like the Transformers, the Avengers Warband, the Dark Angels Warband, and the Silver Templar Warband, it would be difficult to break through the Devourer's hundreds of thousands of troops in a short period.
Unless he could mobilize a large army.
But if that were the case, the massive army's struggle would mean they would be slowed down!
"A change of personnel?"
The Devourer army's sudden surge in combat power temporarily stalled the front-line siege regiments. Emrys thought for a moment, and it wasn't hard to guess that the opponent must have replaced their Commander.
From the deployment, the outer Devourer army, from its initial chaotic positions, began an orderly retreat, hiding in the massive building complexes.
This tactic, without a doubt, was the Devourers attempting to drag the Earthlings into a brutal urban warfare, using their lives to buy them time!
The Earthlings' tactics were essentially a form of "Surprise attack," excelling in quick decisive battles. Once dragged into a prolonged war of attrition, it would only lead to the Earthlings running out of ammunition and supplies, eventually being completely annihilated.
After all, in terms of numbers, the Devourers held an absolute advantage. This was their home ground, with an endless supply of manpower and provisions. A war of attrition was undoubtedly a result Emrys did not want to see.
If it were just a simple urban battle, Emrys had many ways to deal with it.
For example, bombing every inch of the alley flat, sending the damned Devourers and their cover flying into the sky.
But two points restricted him.
Firstly, the amount of shells needed to completely flatten the Devourer city was an astronomical figure, and it would take a very long time!
Secondly, it went against Emrys' original intention. He stormed into the Devourer warship with the goal of seizing control of this warship!
This warship, with a diameter of fifty thousand kilometers, was a planetary-class warship built by the Devourer civilization over millions of years, embodying countless essences. It was no exaggeration to say it was his biggest and most valuable gain from this trip!
Unless absolutely necessary, Emrys was absolutely unwilling to abandon the idea of seizing this warship. This also meant that he could not use world-destroying weapons, nor could he cause too much damage, otherwise, it would be a net loss.
Similarly, the Devourer side also had the same concerns. This warship was their place of survival. Once destroyed, it would mean the demise of the Devourer civilization, no different from extinction!
Thus, under a strange tacit understanding, neither side used large-scale weapons of mass destruction.
While the Earthlings focused on how to eliminate the hundreds of thousands of Devourer troops blocking their way, Stonefang's gaze was fixed on that azure world.
"All fleets, accelerate forward!"
A fierce glint flashed in Stonefang's eyes.
"I want you to capture the Earthlings on Earth as quickly as possible, regardless of the cost. Massacre as many of them as possible to force the Earthlings to surrender!"
Yes, he understood from the beginning.
The Devourers were a stellar civilization, not good at engaging in such ground battles, let alone brutal tug-of-war offensives and defenses, with these insane Earthlings. He wanted the sharpest spear to pierce the Earthlings' 'heart'!
Suddenly, in Stonefang's mind, the scene from that day when he met Emrys flashed, the latter holding a chess piece, and the words he said to him.
In the Earthling's translation, this phrase meant the end of the game—check!
But at this moment, Stonefang's lips curled slightly, revealing a hint of ferocity.
"Checkmate"—this time, I've got you in check, Earthlings!"
After getting dressed, Stonefang took a deep breath and, guided by the intelligent system, re-entered the fleet's Command Center.
"Report battle status."
His gaze was extremely sharp, majestic, and domineering. He methodically began reading the intelligence reports that 'Liè' had set aside, while promptly responding to orders from various battle zones, actively mobilizing ground troops, and executing and deploying defensive systems.
"Currently, the enemy has occupied the equatorial position of the battleship, over 80% of the area, including the ecological, living, and supply zones. Multiple defense lines have been cut off."
The intelligent system presented the current battle situation in a graphical mode, marking the positions of various ground forces and real-time dynamic maps.
Stonefang glanced at it, then said, "How long will it take for the outer fleet to reach Earth?"
"Three hours, Marshal."
"Marshal?"
Hearing this title, Stonefang paused for half a second, then immediately guessed the reason.
"Is it—the decision of the Supreme Council Elder?"
"Yes, Marshal Stonefang," the intelligent system said emotionlessly. "Just half a minute ago, the Devourers's Supreme Council, ten Elders, jointly voted to appoint you as the Devourers's Supreme military Marshal, with the authority to command, mobilize, and requisition all resources belonging to the Devourers."
"Wartime promotion, ha ha—"
However, upon hearing the news of his promotion, Stonefang felt no excitement at all, only a touch of bitterness. He turned his head to look at the desktop, where there were pictures of his beloved and daughter.
That nightmarish scene impacted his sanity, causing Stonefang to lower his head in pain, bite his tongue, and let the bitter blood flood his throat. He used the pain to forcefully calm himself down.
"I will never let the Devourers be destroyed—never, I swear!"
After calming his mind, Stonefang's brain began to churn wildly.
"Regiment 177 and Regiment 178, immediately flank the enemy's salient from the east and west. The 8th Guard Regiment, retreat and create a gap!"
Under his command, the Devourer troops, who had previously been unable to truly cooperate and utilize their combat power due to chaotic command, gradually began to counterattack.
If one were to look down on the entire battlefield from above, the Devourers were like an open pocket, with their two wings gradually closing like a pincer, aiming to cut off the human offensive!
"Will you—dare to come?"
Stonefang stared intently at the battle map.
"Marshal Stonefang, according to my analysis, this plan has a very low success rate. The enemy will not fall for such an obvious trap," the intelligent system said from the side.
Yes, anyone with even a little war common sense could see the current situation, which clearly indicated that the Devourers was deliberately luring the enemy deep, then using its flank forces to cut off the humans, divide the battlefield, and form an encirclement!
"If it doesn't succeed, even better."
Stonefang, however, was not worried at all. His bloodshot eyes watched the battlefield, and he sneered.
Emrys, who noticed the sudden orderly command of the Devourer forces, also keenly discovered the 'trap' they had set.
But, wasn't this too obvious?!
Emrys frowned deeply, suddenly a little hesitant. He believed that with the strength of the three main regiments, even if they were heavily besieged, they would still be able to break out.
But the question was—would the Devourer's Commander really be so foolish as to think they couldn't see through such a simple ploy?
Emrys had one advantage: he never underestimated any enemy. He deeply understood that even a lion uses its full strength to catch a rabbit, and the price of underestimating the enemy—is the fall of tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of lives!
"No, it's definitely not that simple."
Emrys was extremely cautious. Judging from the Devourer forces' sudden, orderly defense and the coordination between their units, they were clearly not as rigid as before, indicating a change in Commander.
This was like a game of chess.
When an enemy's seemingly foolish move might very well be a deliberate weakness!
So what exactly did the other side want?
Emrys fell into deep thought but did not stop or interfere with the front-line command. After all, apart from a certain principal, no one would directly interfere with front-line command, as doing so would only cause more chaos.
"Lord Emrys, urgent communication received.
Suddenly, the war intelligent system transmitted a communication.
"It's from Moss. Just now, the base on the Moon observed hundreds of Devourers fleets detaching from the main battleship, with Earth as their target."
"The Devourer fleet, targeting Earth?"
This news, like a flash of lightning, pierced through the fog in Emrys' mind, instantly revealing the truth to him.
"So that's it, the Devourers' target is Earth. They are stalling for time!"
He finally saw through the other side's move!
The Devourer's ground forces deliberately opened a 'pocket,' setting such an obvious trap, not to cut off or annihilate the invading humans. They did it on purpose, precisely to let the humans discover it!
In other words, the Devourer's Commander wanted them to be hesitant, not daring to advance further, preferably attacking from the periphery, thereby stalling their offensive and buying time for the outer fleet!
Once the outer fleet arrived in Earth's orbit, the situation would be instantly reversed!
With humanity's current strength, it was completely unable to contend with the Devourer's space fleet cluster. In just a few hours, they could completely destroy the billions of people and social organizations on the surface!
This way, even if the Devourers ultimately could not escape its fate of destruction, it could at least drag humanity down with it!
And if they didn't want such a mutually destructive outcome, the humans invading the battleship could only choose to retreat.
But if they retreated, it would mean handing over the initiative to the Devourers.
It must be said that the other side's plan was indeed formidable, almost a 'self-destructing' tactic, which made Emrys couldn't help but admire it.
But unfortunately—he had too many trump cards!
From the beginning, this was not an equal war. Emrys held an information advantage; the Devourer civilization was transparent before him!
"I'm sorry—there is no hope there."
Emrys' face showed a slight smile as he looked at the battleships heading towards Earth, full of hope and the vision of saving the Devourers. His eyes held a cold, chilling gaze.
"There is only despair—your plan is destined to fail."
How could someone as cautious and timid as him leave such a weakness as Earth, waiting for others to break through it?
There was only one answer.
Just as he had said before: when an enemy's seemingly foolish move might very well be a deliberate weakness!
"Notify the 'Lancelot' deployed at the Moon base, and also the Decepticons, it's time for them to make their appearance. Intercept those battleships; don't let a single one through!"
"Yes, Ancestor."
The Devourer fleet swarmed towards Earth, confidently believing that once the fleet reached space orbit, they would be able to help the Devourers achieve glorious victory and annihilate these tiny bugs!
However, as the fleet traveled to the Moon's orbit, they suddenly saw a sight they would never forget!
That colossal fortress-like structure actually stood up!
Yes, the creation that was a steel fortress just a second ago, like a living being, stood on the soil of the Moon. From its mechanical body, countless dark muzzles appeared, roaring at the fleet!
Beams of light containing death tore through the dark universe, a dense and terrifying assault that caused heavy losses to the fleet in an instant!
And what was even more terrifying was that within the giant structure, mechanical life forms similar to space battleships were continuously flying out, wantonly cutting, impacting, and destroying the Devourer fleet!
In just over ten minutes, the Devourer fleet was turned into space debris under the concerted attack of the Decepticons and Lancelot!
Looking at the blue mother world, so close yet so far, the Commander of the fleet roared in despair, exploding into a fireworks display with his ship!
The Moon became the grave that buried the last shred of hope for the Devourers!