The audacity of Bruce's space pirate gang to offend the Federation was decidedly not a simple act of plunder; there had to be forces backing them from beyond, perhaps Pross, maybe Saudi, or possibly some sort of conspirator.

Outside of space station Dragon Gate No. 3, the White Pig spacecraft streaked a blue wave behind its tail fins as it vanished into the distant cosmic ocean. Trailing behind the White Pig were two shuttles, slightly faster, with two escort ships bringing up the rear for protection.

Before long, the pirate warship, at an astronomical unit away, was closing in. Periodically, it sent warnings to the shuttle to halt immediately. Failure to comply would result in them facing the consequences upon entering effective firing range.

The crew of the Freedom Dancer, including Athena, had just received the news. For a moment, they fell into despair, confusion, and fear. It was unheard of for space pirates to ambush them just as they were about to reach the Dragon Gate Space Station.

Based on their current speed, it would take two hours to reach the Dragon Gate Space Station. But the space pirates would catch up to the Freedom Dancer in about 20 minutes. This was terrifying. Yet, aside from those on the Freedom Dancer, the information was kept secret. The refugees on the civilian vessels were unaware of the situation. Announcing the news might have consequences. Right now, they were not yet in effective firing range. Once they were, the space pirates would surely attack the fleet, and it would be all over.

Meanwhile, the captain of the escort ship had sent a red distress signal to Dragon Gate Space Station No.3, indicating the coordinates and requesting immediate support.

Upon receiving the message, the Dragon Gate Space Station quickly assembled an armed force for a rescue operation. Unfortunately, they were too far away. Their efforts like distant water unable to quench a nearby thirst. All they could do now was wish everyone good luck.

Soon, the Dragon Gate Space Station sent the news to the Capital Military Department via Star Domain Broadcast. Athena's existence was of unique significance. Not even the commanding officer of the Dragon Gate Space Station dared to act arbitrarily, for fear of the consequences if the rescue failed.

The Military Department was shocked to receive the news. Greedy Wolf, the general, sprang up in anger. Who dared to target Athena? Did they intend to make an enemy of the world? Moreover, they had the audacity to behave so recklessly within the Federation's territory. Smart money was on this being the Pross Empire providing the space pirates with stealth technology. Damn Pross!

However, how could the Federation not provide Athena with emergency teleportation equipment? But no matter what, Greedy Wolf just couldn't swallow this. "My orders," he gritted out. "Alive or dead, at all costs, bring me those space pirates!"

"Yes, sir," replied the intelligence officer tersely.

A quarter of an hour passed in the blink of an eye, "Commander, why hasn't our support arrived yet?" Fat Tiger Zhang Xiaobo was almost in tears on the escort ship.

"Captain Zhang, maintain your composure as a soldier," the ship's commander replied coldly. He was also anxiously hoping for the arrival of the support troop. Seeing Fat Tiger's pale face, the commander found it both amusing and frustrating: "Soldiers on this ship, prepare for battle."

"Yes, sir!" the soldiers replied in unison.

On the other two civilian shuttles, the occupants could only feel a slight shudder as their craft accelerated, yet they received no explanation. This was unusual. It wasn't until they were less than 5 minutes from the space pirates' effective firing range when the refugees on the two shuttles received shocking news.

"Dear passengers, we regret to inform you of some unfortunate news. We have encountered space pirates near the Dragon Gate Space Station. Rescue personnel are rushing toward us at full speed. Now, all we can do is pray for God's protection."

The announcer's voice was strained. At first, there was no necessity to share the news, but these last few minutes were different. It was about letting people understand what they were facing, perhaps giving them time to send a final message home, settle any unattended business, or have a last smoke without anyone objecting.

As soon as the words left his mouth, the shuttle was thrown into chaos. Despite the uproar, there were no signs of riots. After all, in this war-ravaged nation, many people had already experienced the pain of personal loss. Compared to that, perhaps the prospect of imminent death might seem like an escape. Oddly, many people seemed calmer.

Of course, there were genuinely terrified individuals. Like Charlotte, who did not want to lose her loved ones, who did not want to die. But she was so terrified that any attempt at resistance seemed woefully insufficient.

Traveling on the same shuttle as Charlotte was her old partner, Little Wu. Unlike Charlotte's naive clumsiness, despite often playing the role of a quiet, soft-spoken girl in their conversation, Little Wu was very stoic in reality, even comforting Charlotte that the space pirates wouldn't dare to go too far within the Federation's territory. Even though she was outwardly calm, Little Wu was privately anxious.

"Mommy, is that big sister comforting her friend?" a little girl asked, pointing to Little Wu.

Little Wu gave a small smile at the child, her face as pale as her forced cheerfulness.

"Don't worry, everything is going to be alright." A young woman held her infant child tightly, taking comfort from the warmth of the little life in her arms.

Just as everyone was at their wit's end, a familiar virtual projection flashed into existence, and the next moment, Athena appeared on screen. With her long eyelashes, purple hair, and eyes that seemed to reflect the dazzling light of countless stars.

Instantly, the shuttle fell silent. Perhaps no one else in the world held such a compelling presence as Athena. It wasn't the kind of influence that came from celebrity status, but a mysterious aura of something unknown.

"My friends, I am Athena. Even though we don't know each other personally, I hope you can trust me in this special moment. Our warriors will definitely come to protect us - of course, the soldiers are still a long distance away. If they can't make it in time, don't worry. The space pirates are only after me. So Nana will protect everybody," she said.

While others might consider these words as mere comfort, who can truly understand the value of life? Common people may not fully understand who Athena truly is, but does it really matter? She has a heart filled with as much love as Athena. Being a celebrity, she decided to do something in this crisis. Despite the officers and crew on the Freedom Dancer trying to dissuade her, she remained steadfast.

Lastly, Athena offered words of encouragement to the soldiers on the escort ship, squeezing her tiny fists shut and shouting, "Fight on!"

This simple phrase became a powerful stimulant to the soldiers on the verge of combat. Right, they were part of the Normandy fleet, a regular army, how could they back down because they were outnumbered by space pirates? Screw that - to be praised by Athena was worth dying for in this lifetime.

After three minutes, the speed of the escort ship began to slacken. Two rows of mechanized soldiers were launched out into outer space from the landing bay. They could not let the space pirates get any closer.

Unfortunately, in a space battle, two rows of mechanized soldiers were impossible to match against a warship. Within 50 seconds, more than half of the Gun Riders were already lost. In space combat, the soldiers only had auxiliary thrusters on their backs, and their maneuverability was very limited.

Watching one mecha after another vanish into cosmic dust, everyone could no longer keep their tears from falling. The brave soldiers had done everything they could to protect everyone, but all they could do was watch.

Now, where were our heroes? They said time and again that they were the protectors of the nation. But when push came to shove, only the lower-ranking officers were at the forefront of the battlefield. While those super soldiers, who were wage recipients of the royalties, didn't make a single useful move at the critical moment. Screw those super soldiers. Some even slammed down their light screen phones in rage.

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