Chapter 18: ch 18 They were equipped to fight—and fight well
And just like that... the battle began.
Though the human fleet stationed at R-10X wasn’t a dedicated war fleet, it would be a grave mistake to think them incapable of defending themselves. This was no ragtag convoy of research vessels—they were, in fact, one of the finest examples of humanity’s dual-purpose designs.
Most of the ships, even those labeled under research designations, were battleship-class or destroyer-class, be it tier 3 or even tier 5 class. Only a minority were escort vessels or non-combat transports.
In simple terms, they were equipped to fight—and fight well.
Despite being outnumbered nearly ten to one, the fleet didn’t falter. They held the line against a wave of nightmares: insectoid ships that swarmed the battlefield with unrelenting ferocity.
These beings were infamous across the galaxy—if not the universe. Born not of nature but of a rift torn open by a clash between two cosmic titans, the insectoid race spilled into reality like a plague.
Biomechanical and ever-multiplying, they brought ruin with them: towering motherships, corrosive energy blasts that pierced tier-5 hulls, and endless waves of reinforcements that only ended with the fall of their command-tier vessels. Even after millions of years, the galaxy still bore the scars of their invasion.
But this time, they weren’t facing a full fleet of humanity’s warships. This was a scientific expedition with military capabilities—strong, but not overwhelming. And retreat wasn’t an option.
The reason? The R-10X system was home to extremely rare resources vital to building tier-6 warships and sustaining the human race’s crumbling supply lines. If they let this system fall, those resources would be consumed and corrupted by the insectoids. Waiting for reinforcements wasn’t a choice. It would be far too late.
And so, the humans chose to fight.
The true surprise, however, lay not in the warships—but in the mecha.