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.

Unlike many races that viewed mechs as auxiliary units, the Human Federation treated them as an elite class of weaponry. These weren’t just machines of war guided by cold calculation—they were extensions of the pilots themselves. Each pilot was trained to bond with their mecha through an advanced neural interface and something else... something deeper.

It was called the Will Link—a phenomenon bordering on spiritual cultivation.

Through intense training and awakening of one’s inner will, pilots connected with their machines on such a level that their willpower itself could enhance the mecha’s performance beyond expected technological limits. This wasn’t just data-driven synchronization. It was a merging of soul and steel.

Pilots who reached the threshold of this discipline were known as "Advanced Mech Pilots." And among them, the strongest were revered as "Wielders of Will"—warriors who could defy the odds, push their machines beyond design constraints, and even challenge capital ships head-on with enough numbers and coordination.

Some likened them to gods in the making.

And even though this fleet was technically just a research fleet, it was anything but weak.It was outfitted with Tier-5 multipurpose and terrain-adaptable mechas, piloted by some of the most advanced warriors in the empire.

Ten of them were Master-Class pilots—seasoned veterans who had survived countless battles.

And two of them... were Domain-Class.

Pilots whose willpower had grown so dense, so refined through endless conflict, that they had forged personal Domains—manifestations of their will that warped the battlefield around them.

Within these Domains, enemies found themselves suppressed, slowed, and broken, while the wielder’s strength, reaction time, and weapon efficiency were amplified to terrifying degrees.

So overwhelming was their presence that most enemies didn’t even resist—they panicked.

Because a Domain-Class pilot didn’t just fight you...They fought you inside their own kingdom.

And it wasn’t just intimidation—these Domain-Class mecha pilots had the power to go toe-to-toe with even Tier-5 Annihilation-Class battleships, the most devastating vessels in the empire.

And if given time?

They could win.

That was the terrifying truth. These were not just pilots.They were aces, legends made flesh in steel and fire.

And two of them were here.Standing guard. Holding the line.Protecting the human fleet.

As the order was given, thousands upon thousands of mechs launched from the fleet—a storm of steel, fire, and propulsion.

Out of the 400 ships, nearly 50 were dedicated fleet carriers, each capable of deploying close to 10,000 mechs. It was a sight few ever witnessed and lived to speak of—a wall of T-5 category war machines flooding into space, their engines igniting like stars across the void.

Roughly 80% were all-purpose T-5 mechas, designed to adapt to any battlefield condition—whether land, sea, air, or vacuum. Brutally efficient, endlessly flexible.

The remaining 20% were specialized T-5 models, finely tuned for unique combat roles.

There were Knight-Class mechs, armored juggernauts built for close-quarters devastation.Gunner-Class mechs, long-range artillery platforms capable of leveling fortresses from miles away.Protector-Class units, heavily shielded defenders designed to guard carriers, command ships, or VIP assets.And others—assassins, jammers, engineers, and recon units—each serving a vital role in the sprawling theater of war.

Even as insectoid motherships released endless tides of acidic beam strikes and spike-tipped kamikaze drones, the human mechs fought back with brutal elegance.

Tier-5 specialized and Tier-5 all-purpose mechs zipped between enemy salvos, carving through the chitinous armor of their foes with blades of plasma and cannons powered by will-based amplification systems.

Leading the charge were the two ace mecha pilots, each commanding a specialized Tier-5 war machine unlike any other.

One was a Swordmaster-Class Mecha, built for close-combat devastation.The other, a Long-Range Artillery-Class Mecha, a mobile fortress capable of vaporizing capital ships from across the battlefield.

The Swordmaster surged forward first, blazing a trail through the void as he made a direct charge toward the enemy’s vanguard—specifically targeting the T-4 class motherships of the insectoid race, which had drifted dangerously close to the research fleet.

And then—With a single slash from his Tier-5 Destroyer-class blade, the Swordmaster Mecha cleaved through the mothership’s energy shield as if it didn’t exist.Not even a flicker of resistance.The blade continued its arc—slicing through the thick hull of the massive vessel like it was butter, splitting the ship cleanly in two.

Explosions bloomed in the vacuum behind him, but the Swordmaster didn’t pause.Unbothered. Unmatched.He dove deeper into the insectoid formation, a predator among prey, carving a path through their inner lines.

Meanwhile, the Artillery Mecha took position—anchoring itself on the upper hull of one of the forward assault cruisers. Its targeting systems locked in.One main cannon. Eight auxiliary turrets. All aimed. All charged.

The main cannon locked onto a Tier-5 mothership, while the secondary weapons targeted the lesser T-4 motherships.

And then—it fired.

A coordinated barrage of radiant projectiles tore through space like divine judgment.

The main shot punched straight through the T-5 mothership’s shielding, bending its hull inward before the entire ship erupted in a cascade of explosions.

At the same time, the secondary shots obliterated the T-4 vessels, their shielding offering no resistance whatsoever.It was like watching ants crushed beneath titans.

They had no chance.Not against these two.

This was the might of Domain-Class Pilots in action.And this was just the beginning.

Meanwhile, the other specialized mechas—numbering in the thousands—moved into strategic formation.

1,000 of them were Tier-5 Protector-Class mechs, each built for maximum defense and piloted by advanced, battle-hardened soldiers. These units took up positions around every vessel in the fleet, forming a tight, layered perimeter designed to intercept and absorb incoming attacks.

Their mission was clear:Shield the fleet. Hold the line.

With their immense durability, they could withstand most direct hits—so long as the insectoid forces remained distracted and didn’t focus all firepower on a single point. Their presence alone allowed the core of the fleet to maneuver without fear of being overrun in the opening volley.

Another 1,000 mechs were artillery or sniper-class units, designed for long-range fire support. These mechs aligned themselves behind armored capital ships and heavy cruisers, using them as natural cover while they rained hell upon the enemy formation.

From these positions, the snipers and artillery units provided precise and devastating cover fire, softening up enemy flanks and targeting key vulnerabilities in the insectoid motherships and formations.

At the heart of the formation was the main legion—8,000 multi-role mechas, the backbone of the attack force. These Tier-5 units, versatile and deadly, surged forward in waves.

They were the spearpoint.

Fast, efficient, and adaptive, they made up the front lines of the Star Empire’s offensive—supported on all sides by shielding Protectors and raining fire from the distant artillery and sniper units.

Together, they formed a perfect war machine.

And just like the elite aces leading the charge, the main legion of 8,000 multi-role Tier-5 mechs were no passive support. Each of them, piloted by highly trained warriors and enhanced by cutting-edge systems, was capable of single-handedly dismantling insectoid motherships and soldier-class vessels.

They didn’t charge blindly.

They launched in disciplined formations of five, moving as tightly-coordinated assault squads. Their maneuvers were brutal and efficient—cleaving through the T-3 soldier-class insectoids with ease, their energy weapons and melee systems tearing through chitinous armor like it was paper.

Even the T-4 motherships, once considered major threats in past conflicts, offered little resistance.Their shields flickered, cracked, and then collapsed under the synchronized fire of five mechs.They didn’t stand a chance.

The battlefield was a symphony of destruction—flashes of plasma, streaks of railgun fire, and the shimmering trails of blade-light as mechs engaged in every direction.

But...