"Fuck," Commander Alfons cursed out. Their ambush has been spotted beforehand, and instead, the Empire managed to sneak up on them till it was too late. Twenty ships, a fifth of Alfons' whole fleet, was eradicated in an instant.

"Disperse and regroup at location 84-32-57 when you have shaken off any possible pursuers." Commander Alfons ordered.

Normally an ambush won't lead to total annihilation as it did with the Empire. The factor that sealed the Empire's pilot's fate was the missing space to run away. They were cramped up in a tight canyon, which allowed the Federation to concentrate on aiming instead of chasing.

The Federations troops, on the other hand, have the advantage of the open field. They quickly dispersed in different directions, each on their own, as trained.

Commander Alfons wondered why they were discovered when he spotted a huge egg-like construct in the sky, an Orbiter.

"Chief Commander Reymon, Commander Alfons here. An enemy Orbiter spotted our prepared ambush. Please work out a change of plans and send me fairly safe locations where the Orbiter won't spot us as soon as possible."

"Thank you for the information. I will inform everybody else and transmit you new safe locations as soon as possible."

One hour of hair-raising dodging, deflecting, and fleeing later, of the original hundred ships, only forty found themselves grouped in a newly designated safe zone.

Commander Alfons pulled down his green helmet, revealing his middle-aged brown skin, black stumps as hair, and a frowning face.

"I know that you are all tired, I'm as exhausted as you are, but we have to keep pushing. We were ambushed because we didn't know the Orbiter's existence, but now we do, and something like that won't happen again. We have to keep tirelessly buying time, and we can't do this from the ground. We have to take off again and show them that they can't mess with the Federation! Our corps is renowned for its capability in all Federation-controlled territory. Let's stand up to our reputation, and bring the Empire down! Whether you will live to see another day entirely depends on yourself, but regardless of whether you make it out alive, the whole galaxy will know your honor and courage! And those of you who come out of this alive will be rewarded with enough land on this planet you fought so hard for that you and your families can live in luxury for the rest of your life."

"For the Federation!"

The gathered pilots shouted passionately.

"Great job, these Orbiters are surely useful things." General Randov (Galactic Empire) remarked.

"How many fleets are we still chasing, Chief Commander Kayle?"

"One, Sir. I'm fairly sure they will get caught soon."

"Good, start gathering our sparse troops and prepare for a new attack on Scaria. Also, bring the Orbiters. They will be useful."

"Sir, the Orbiters can be easily destroyed when the battle unfolds. It's too chaotic; we won't be able to defend them sufficiently. High Councilor Hildebrandt especially noted that they are to survive; their extreme cost surely the reason."

"You are right; I got carried away. Station the Orbiters in a safe distance away."

"As you command, General."

Two hours later, the last chase ended.

The Galactic Empire suffered far more casualties than expected, considering the fleeing ships were outnumbered one to five.

The surprise attack through the clouds, combined with the quick escape, allowed most Federation pilots to escape. The ambushed ones, who thought they were the ones ambushing, were devasted in comparison; only twenty ships returned at the end of the operation. All of the Empire's casualties were also through ambushes resulting in a devasting loss of hundred sixty ships.

The Empire's remaining four hundred sixty ships positioned themselves near Scaria, taking on an Eagle-Formation specialized in making enemy ambushes, or fire in general, that is concentrated on one point, useless, while providing an impressive damage output. A disadvantage of this formation is the missing unity, which would be required against a numerically even enemy.

Thirty minutes into the siege, not a sign of resistance. The jets keep bombarding the resilient shield with volley after volley, but it has yet to crumble.

'Have they given up?' General Randov wondered. Why would they not even bother to give up a resistance? The plasma shield is strong; that's true, but it won't be able to last long under the unhindered concentrated fire of four hundred sixty ships. They were up to something; he knew it. If only the Orbiters were in range, they could scan for suspicious activities.

Simultaneously, Chief Commander Reymon was sitting in the governers seat in the administrative building, looking worriedly through the window wall at the plasma barrier, which seems to lose its luster more and more.

"Rico, we broke through!" A familiar joyful voice resounded in his SDC.

Rico, Chief Commander Reymon, let out a long breath he didn't know he was holding.

"Finally, took you long enough, Nico," Rico answered his friend Chief Commander Bonanza with a laugh.

"Everyone, the tunnel is finished; proceed to evacuate, as planned."

Chief Commander Reymon announced to every soldier simultaneously.

Cries of relief and happiness were heard shortly afterward.

Engines started as the run against the time continued.

Half an hour later, the plasma shield finally yielded.

And a suspicious loud bang resounded.

Shield generators don't explode when their shield is destroyed.

Though the Empire's troops leaders shrugged it off as some odd occurrence in delight that the tenacious shield has finally fallen.

They quickly realized that something is horribly wrong.

"Sir, there is no one inside," a confused pilot reported.

"What do you mean, 'there is no one inside'?" Chief Commander Kayle asked with an audibly annoyed voice.

"Scaria is empty. There is not a single living being there."

"How did they do this?" General Randov asked his trusted subordinates.

Sadly they were as clueless as he was.

"Anyone?" The general looked at every person sitting on the round table, though all he got as a response were confused faces.

*knock* *knock*

"What is it? Come in!"

A lieutenant entered the vast room, clearly nervous.

"General, we spotted a filled-in tunnel at the west side."

"There are no drawn tunnels in or out of Scaria." An older man, a commander, remarked.

"The plasma shield only activated when we were in range, which means someone was here and operated it. How did they get away without us noticing?" Another commander added to the conversation.

"Are you sure it's a tunnel?" General Rostov asked the lieutenant.

"Yes, we are sure. It seems like the explosion we heard when we destroyed the shield was, in fact, this tunnel collapsing on itself."

"The only possible solution to our problem is that they dug this tunnel, and it collapsed on themselves." A commander concluded.

"But what if the collapse of the tunnel was intentional? Letting us believe that they died when they are in fact alive?"

"Also, we don't know how much of the tunnel collapsed or where it is leading."

"What if they have evacuated long ago? They had thirty thousand men to dig; they maybe are already outside!"

"Get these Orbiters here; I don't care what Hildebrandt said! Also, send out all available troops out; we have to find them!"

'If they escape, I will be a laughing stock. I can be happy when they only strip me of my title when that happens.' General Randov shuddered at that thought.

"It worked; they really believe we dug our way out!" a triumphal shout echoed through a big cave, where tens of thousands of humans were hiding in.

"Prepare the invasion!"

Twenty minutes later, several explosions occurred in Scaria.

An endless swarm of Soldiers entered the city from all sides.

The city was mostly empty, just some service personal and the occasional guard. They quickly surrendered when they spotted the numerical disadvantage.

"General, we are under attack!" A scared soldier entered the governing room.

"You mean those explosions?" The general inquired.

"Yes, the Federation entered our base through the newly created holes and overran our leftover troops. We are currently surrounded."

"How could this happen?" General Rostov thought out loud in a shaky voice when he looked out of the window. Thousands of armed Federation soldiers stood around the administrative building, clearly knowing that they have won.

"General Randov, we know you are in there. Open the doors and come out unarmed, together with every other person in the building. I guarantee that no harm shall befall any of you, as long as you cooperate."

The heavy doors to the tall building opened two minutes later.

A bald, middle-aged man with brownish skin and a straight posture led the charge of the surrendering men and women.

"General Rostov, I assume?"

"Indeed, and who are you?"

"Chief Commander Bonanza."

"Alpha and beta squad, enter the building and secure it." He ordered.

"General Randov, order your troops to back off from Orio. If they come near Scaria, we will kill you and your commanders."

General Randov gulped at that.

"To every unit. Leave Orio and return to your cruisers. Scaria has fallen, and we are held, hostage. Do not come near Scaria! I repeat, do not come near Scaria!"

"Chief General Rostov, we managed to capture the enemy general with his commanders. Orio is ours now. How should we proceed?"

"Great job, Chief Commander Bonanza!" The holographic image of Chief General Rostov held a joyful face.

"Even though we have their command chain, one can't be too sure what they will do. Therefore you will have to stay in Scaria till the promised reinforcements arrive. They will ensure safety."

"As you command, Chief General."