749: Chapter 749 will be added tomorrow.

"The model codes of these missiles, the output waveforms of the energy cannons, and even the response logic of the weapon System, all match the records in the Empire's armory perfectly; there are no traces of imitation."

He Dong also nodded, his expression gradually turning grave.

"That's right, they are all authentic Imperial military weapons, not black-market modifications, nor imitations from other civilizations."

Several officers nearby exchanged glances, all showing expressions of confusion.

"That's strange..."

One person couldn't help but whisper.

"So, that means... the other side is actually our Empire's fleet? But why disguise their starship as this ragged wandering fleet? They clearly saw our insignia, yet they neither responded to communications nor hesitated to open fire on us?"

One must know, the entire fleet under Li Yang's command had distinct hulls, with the Empire's emblem and Military Region insignia large and eye-catching; it was impossible for the other side to have misidentified them.

Even if there were a misunderstanding, normal friendly forces would never adopt such an attitude of starting a war immediately without saying a word.

Li Yang was silent for a moment, countless clues rapidly connecting in his mind.

The next moment, his entire face suddenly turned cold, the pressure around him dropped, and a cold snort carried a bone-chilling coldness.

"Hmph... I smell a thick scent of conspiracy."

As the words fell, the command cabin instantly went silent.

Everyone's eyes changed abruptly, and they all realized it almost simultaneously.

It was not an accident, nor was it a misjudgment.

This was someone carefully laying a trap, deliberately trying to frame them, to set them up, to force them into a situation of eternal damnation!

After all, accidentally killing friendly forces could be a major incident!

Meanwhile, on the other side, in the command cabin of every starship in that small fleet, all the crew members were frozen in place, completely dumbfounded.

One second they were frantically trying to repair communications, desperate and at their wits' end; the next second, the entire ship's weapon System autonomously activated without anyone giving an order or authorization, without any warning.

The cannons automatically charged, the missiles automatically unlocked, and the launch sequence was forcibly executed; the entire process was so fast that there was no time to cut it off.

They watched helplessly as their own starship involuntarily unleashed all its firepower toward that endless Imperial main fleet.

Even though that disorganized wave of attacks was eventually completely blocked by Li Yang's fleet's energy shields, leaving not even a scratch, seeing all of this happen before their eyes, all the crew members in this small fleet could no longer hold back the fear and despair in their hearts.

Some people's legs went weak, items slipped from their hands, and they collapsed heavily onto the cold floor, their faces pale as paper, their eyes hollow and terrified.

Others couldn't stop trembling, clutching their heads tightly with both hands, their lips quivering, unable to even say a complete sentence; the entire command cabin was instantly completely enveloped in dead silence and panic.

"It's over... We are completely finished... We actually launched an attack against our own Military Region fleet..."

A crew member slumped on the ground, staring blankly at the unscathed figure of Li Yang's fleet on the light screen, his voice filled with a crying tone, brimming with despair.

They were originally friendly forces of the Empire, but now they had inexplicably opened fire on their own main fleet; this act was equivalent to treason, and even if it was unintentional, they could not escape military justice.

And most importantly, this would cause the friendly forces on the other side to treat them as enemies and open fire.

"Who on earth opened fire without authorization?! Who issued the launch command!"

The captain, who had finally regained his senses, was instantly filled with rage, his entire face flushed red, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at all the crew members present, shouting and questioning them sternly.

He couldn't understand at all how anyone could make such a crazy move at such a life-and-death moment.

Everyone present looked at each other, all looking confused and terrified; no one dared to respond, because from beginning to end, no one had actually issued any fire command.

"Report, Captain... It wasn't a manual fire; it was... it was the ship's weapon System, which activated fully automatically and fired autonomously without any authorization or receiving any commands..."

The crew member in charge of the weapon System, with trembling hands, quickly checked the data on the light screen in front of him, his voice full of disbelief and terror, stuttering as he reported the bizarre situation before them.

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire command cabin instantly fell into a dead silence, everyone froze in place, and even their breathing stopped for a moment.

After a brief silence, a glimmer of realization flashed in everyone's eyes, followed by even deeper fear.

"The communication System has completely failed; whether it's the ship's communication or personal smart brains, nothing can connect, and now the weapon System is firing automatically without control..."

A crew member said with a trembling voice, his tone full of lingering fear, speaking intermittently.

"This... this is definitely not an accident; this is clearly a conspiracy against us!"

These words were like a thunderclap, waking everyone present.

They finally realized that from the total paralysis of communications to the autonomous attack of the weapon System, every step had been carefully designed by someone; from the very beginning, they were pawns pushed into a desperate situation.

"But... but why frame us? We are just a group of ordinary grassroots officers and soldiers, with no position or power; there's nothing worth someone going to such great lengths to frame us for..."

A crew member sat slumped on the ground, speaking with a bewildered and aggrieved face, his tone full of confusion, but just as he finished speaking, he seemed to be suddenly struck by something, his words stopping abruptly, his eyes suddenly shocked, and he froze in place.

The others in the command cabin also paused their movements at this moment, the terror and anger on their faces gradually fading, replaced by extreme astonishment and lingering fear, looking at each other, clearly all having thought of the same terrible truth at the same time.

"It's not... it's not to frame us..."

The crew member who reacted first, his voice trembling uncontrollably, every word carrying a bone-chilling coldness, struggled to say that cruel fact.

"They want to use our lives as stepping stones, and use our hands to frame that Military Region unit on the other side!"

One word awakened the dreamer; everyone instantly understood completely.

From beginning to end, they were pawns being manipulated; the disguise, the communication failure, the automatic firing of weapons, all were a carefully laid trap, with the goal of making them actively fire on Li Yang's fleet, forcing the other side to counterattack, and then using this to pin the charges of "accidentally killing friendly forces and slaughtering comrades" on that Military Region unit, completely destroying them.

"Simply insane! This is a crime through and through! If it really succeeds, involving the lives of so many soldiers, the person in charge is enough to be tried at the highest military court! I'm not reconciled; I must expose him, I must report him!"

A crew member with a fierce personality suddenly stood up from the ground, eyes bloodshot, clenching his fists and roaring at the Void Realm, the anger and unwillingness in his heart completely erupting, his voice echoing continuously in the empty command cabin.

"Report? What's the use of saying these things now!"

A cold and desperate voice suddenly rang out, instantly breaking everyone's rage.

An experienced old crew member, his face pale, looked at the crowd with hollow eyes and reminded them in a deep voice.

"Stop thinking about reporting for now; think carefully about how we can survive! Don't forget, just a moment ago, our starship did indeed open fire on the fleet on the other side; this is a fact that cannot be erased!"

These words were like a basin of ice water, fiercely poured over everyone's heads.

The crowd, who were originally furious and indignant, instantly calmed down, and the tiny spark of rebellious anger that had just been ignited was also instantly extinguished completely.

Everyone froze in place, the anger on their faces fading, leaving only endless despair and powerlessness.

That's right, whether they were manipulated or not, no matter how big the conspiracy behind it was, the fact that they attacked friendly forces had already been established, and the fleet on the other side could not easily let them go.

At this moment, they were already deep in a dead end, and even surviving had become a luxury, let alone exposing the truth and accusing the mastermind behind the scenes.

The command cabin fell into dead silence again, with only the heavy and desperate breathing of everyone remaining.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes locked firmly on the light screen in front of them, staring intently at that endless Imperial main fleet in the distance, possessing an imposing Aura.

The opponent's warship formation was neat, and the galaxy-class starship radiated a daunting pressure; by comparison, their own dilapidated small fleet appeared incomparably tiny and vulnerable.

"May the Emperor bless us! I pray for the Emperor's blessing! I hope the Commander on the other side is clear-headed enough to see through this conspiracy against them at a glance, and can understand that we never intended to attack friendly forces..."

Someone in the crowd, with a crying tone, began to mutter prayers.

At this moment, the ship's internal communication System was completely paralyzed; they had no way to transmit messages, no way to explain the reasons, and couldn't even send a single word of clarification to the other side.

Driven to a dead end, these officers and soldiers could only close their eyes one by one, clenching their hands tightly, silently praying over and over in their hearts, hoping with all their might that the Commander on the other side would notice the strangeness of this series of actions and spare them, these innocent pawns.

They all knew clearly in their hearts that according to the standard rules of the interstellar battlefield, if an unknown fleet fired first, the other side would definitely launch a counterattack without hesitation, using artillery fire to completely annihilate them.

Everyone had prepared for destruction, their hearts hanging in their throats, quietly waiting for the arrival of lethal artillery fire.

But as time passed second by second, the anticipated overwhelming energy cannons and dense missile attacks never came, and the entire airspace remained calm.

Everyone was full of surprise, slowly opening their eyes. Before they could react, the crew member responsible for detection suddenly stared at the light screen, stood up abruptly, and with an uncontrollably excited and astonished tone, hurriedly shouted at the captain.

"Captain! There's a situation! The fleet on the other side is moving; they have sailed out a single starship and are slowly heading towards us!"

This shout caused the entire command cabin to instantly erupt, everyone immediately perked up, looking at the light screen in unison, and a glimmer of hope for survival finally ignited in their previously dead-silent eyes.