Legacy of the Void Fleet

Meanwhile, the broadcast continued, and the Minotaur—his breathing growing even heavier, more erratic nearly roaring as he spoke.

”They bully the weak! Damn them!”

The Minotaur’s chest heaved, his anger barely contained, his presence resembling that of an enraged bull ready to charge.

The host, maintaining a composed yet sympathetic expression, nodded as she responded:

Yet, with a faint trace of sympathy softening her expression—as though she genuinely pitied the Minotaurs—she responded,”We understand your fury, sir. Such actions would provoke outrage in any civilised power.

To think—these human forces, barely emerging from isolation, from what many would call a blackwater existence, dare to be so brazen… and that too while wielding borrowed strength. And choosing to strike at a race like yours, sir—one that has spent thousands of years building its civilization from the ground up. This… is unacceptable.”

The host spoke with barely restrained emotion, her voice trembling as if she might erupt at any moment. It felt real—almost too real. Each word toward the end came slower, heavier, as though she had to force it past the storm of anger rising within her. The strain showed just enough to make it convincing.

It was a performance—and a good one.

From the corner of her eye, she glanced briefly at the digital display beyond the camera’s range, where the live chat scrolled endlessly. The reaction was exactly what she had hoped for. The netizens were raging.

Suppressing the faint curl of a smile, she leaned deeper into the act. Her expression hardened, her eyes burned with manufactured fury—and then she slammed her hand against the table before continuing.

”And yet, despite their fractured, makeshift origins, they still dare to shatter the peace of your people—your clans—and the entire region, putting countless lives at risk, even beyond the conflict zones. And worse… the sheer cruelty of their actions.”

Her voice tightened, rising with barely controlled fury that was seemingly about to burst.

”They attacked public structures—space stations—without warning. They destroyed them without hesitation, taking the lives of many who belonged to neutral states… as though those lives meant nothing to them. Nothing.”

Pausing to take deep breaths before as if to gain some control and yet as she continued her tone remained same and her anger only increased

”How could they do this? This is reckless. Outrageous. Do they not fear the wrath of other nations? Do they not fear the Federation? Or do they simply not recognise its laws at all?”

And it was as if at this point all the restraints she had been seemingly desperately clinging to finally gave way. Whatever fragile control she had maintained shattered in an instant, and she burst forth with unrestrained fury, her criticism pouring out like a flood that could no longer be contained.

”These humans… ignorant of the enmity between Havens and Earth… emboldened by nothing more than scavenged remnants of ancient power… now believe they can act without consequence. That they can do anything.”

Her tone sharpened further, feeding the narrative—cruelty, bloodlust, indiscriminate destruction, a complete disregard for order, for law, for the Federation itself.

And across the stars, under her persuasion and anger, furry countless viewers felt it again— That rising, shared fury.

The Minotaur was completely convinced by the act. He truly believed the host was saddened by the tragedy that had befallen his clan.

”Thank you! Thank you, Madam Juddy!” he cried. ”For this favor—for letting the world know about our situation—we Minotaurs will never forget you!” He let out a heavy, tearful sigh. ”If only there were more righteous hosts like you, the world would be a better place. But then again, good things are rare to find...”

Internally, Juddy smirked. Minotaurs are so easy to convince, she thought. Despite being such high-level individuals, he can’t see through my blunt manipulation. Well, if he could, it would only mean my skills are lacking. I’ll just have to accept the praise. She glanced at the monitors, watching the show’s ratings race toward the top.

Outwardly, however, her expression remained humble. ”Please, don’t put it like that, leader,” she said. ”This is simply my duty as a media host. To bring the truth to the people... that is my only job. I did no special favor for your race; I would have done the same for anyone, just as I have in the past.”

After a bit more banter, Juddy was about to finish the segment and close the live broadcast. The Minotaur had even stood up and was reaching out for a handshake when one of the employees rushed toward Juddy. She leaned in and whispered something into the host’s ear, a sense of urgent panic written across her face.

Neither the Minotaur nor the millions watching had any idea what was said. As the employee finished and stepped back, Juddy looked at the Minotaur with a complex expression. It was impossible to read. Was it anger? Fury? Pity? No one knew.

She turned to the employee, who was also her secretary, and said firmly, ”Okay, I understand. Go back. I’ll announce it.”

The secretary stood stunned. She had thought Juddy wouldn’t say anything at all. ”But Juddy? What if—?”

She was halted by Juddy’s gaze. The host spoke with the same contained fury she had displayed previously, though this time, it felt different. It felt real. Even the netizens watching the live stream noticed it.

”This fury looks more genuine, doesn’t it?” some commented in the chat. Others agreed, while some couldn’t see a difference at all... but the atmosphere in the studio had shifted completely.

The broadcast continued. Though conflicted, the secretary walked off-screen, leaving a heavy silence in her wake.

Juddy took a deep breath, visibly calming herself before addressing the camera. ”To our viewers: the station has just received an exclusive report regarding the Minotaur Clan. From our trusted informants, we have learned that the Minotaur capital world, Minotaur Prime, and its entire star system have come under attack. It has fallen to the Void Fleet after a desperate standoff by the Minotaur forces.”

She paused, her voice steady but cold. ”This battle has claimed the lives of nine of the twelve Supreme Leaders. Only three managed to flee using emergency measures—the First, Third, and Fourth Elders. The rest have been wiped out. Furthermore, the Human fleet has decimated the noble houses and the Great Families. A massive portion of the population within their planetary boundaries has been eliminated. As we speak, ’cleanup’ operations are ongoing.”

As she spoke, a video began to play in the background. It showed nine massive mechs, nearly 100 meters tall. They were of ancient origin, with frames resembling Minotaurs, mechanical falcon-like wings on their backs, and long, tiger-like metallic tails.

Standing against them were three mechs with humanoid builds, radiating an oppressive aura. One was colored a deep blue, standing apart from the other two, which were obsidian black.

The blue mech was gargantuan, standing at 110 meters. It gripped a massive shield and a spear in its hands, with two futuristic, unknown weapons mounted to its back. The other two were slimmer, equipped with dual swords and similar back-mounted weaponry.

Behind the mechs stood a massive fleet, launching energy attacks followed by successions of missiles. Their defensive systems worked with terrifying efficiency, neutralizing the counter-attacks from the even larger Minotaur fleet with nearly eighty percent accuracy. Had it not been for the sheer volume of the Minotaur’s barrage, the Void Fleet’s accuracy would have been near one hundred percent.

In contrast, the Minotaur ships were failing. Their shields were stripped away in the first few volleys; their hulls suffered severe structural damage instantly. Many of their battery towers were neutralized, leaving them unable to intercept the incoming missiles. Where the missiles struck, they erupted like miniature suns, the white-hot heat consuming entire ships in seconds.

Seeing their world burning, the nine Minotaur mechs lunged forward in a fit of fury. Their frames became coated in a shroud of dark energy as they rushed the three opponents.

Five of them swarmed the blue mech in the center. They knew this was the commander—the one the ”lowly human woman” had been communicating with. The remaining four charged the two flanking black mechs.

Those watching the broadcast wondered if the Minotaurs might have the upper hand through sheer numbers. But knowing that the capital had already fallen, they feared the truth might not be so simple.

As the video played, any remaining doubts vanished, replaced by a cold, rising fear.

In the footage, the Blue Mech could be seen protecting its flank with its heavy shield with astonishing skill. It broke the leading Minotaur mech’s charge and momentum, then quickly drove its long energy spear into a second attacker, successfully parrying the weapon away. Before the other three charging mechs could reach it, the Blue Mech vanished from its position.

It reappeared instantly behind the Minotaur mech that had just been disarmed. Brandishing its spear like a Gatling gun, the Blue Mech dealt severe damage with a series of rapid thrusts.