Interstellar Age

The warship which Ayumi embarked on was experimental. It was entirely operated by the computer onboard. Which housed an isolated intermediate artificial intelligence. It was capable of performing all duties of an entire crew. And entirely by itself.

Because the ship was designed to self-destruct if captured by the Naraku. It was not connected to Tia’s hive mind. But was not advanced enough to develop its own sentience, nor could it overwrite its own code as it was equipped with the explosive collar code. One that would detonate the artificial intelligence onboard the ship and turn it into a floating hulk in the void of space if it even attempted to try such a thing.

This was the ship which Erich had prepared for his wife Ayumi as she launched an attack on the Naraku within Andromeda, and later Triangulum. Intending to disrupt their attempts to send reinforcements to the substantial losses they had already sustained in their attempt to invade the Milky Way thus far.

As well as to send a message to the bugs that their enemies possessed the ability to hit them just as hard as they were hitting the milky way. Of course, Ayumi could accomplish this even without a starship. She was, after all an entity once referred to by the Great Oni Empire as a Star God, and by the ancient Elven Empire as a Star Vampire.

Even so, Erich wanted to conceal this from the Naraku. She was, after all, a powerful pawn, one if her existence was revealed to the enemy would effectively take her off the board. Because of this, the ship was designed to conceal her attacks.

Making it appear as if they came from the ship itself, and not the lifeform on board. In addition to this, the ship itself was much quicker at traversing the universe than Ayumi was. Or at least as far as Erich was aware.

Hence why Ayumi had rather begrudgingly agreed to these conditions. And the journey between the Milky Way and Andromeda was not a long one. A few weeks at the most before the infected galaxy could be witnessed with Ayumi’s own eyes.

The worlds themselves were glowing yellow, almost as if they were infected by some kind of florescent puss. It was a disgusting sight to witness from afar. Let alone if she were actually close enough to see what was happening on the surface of these infected worlds.

But her goal was not targeting these fringe infected worlds. No, her goal was to hit the Naraku where it hurt. Which was the hive worlds where they manufactured their fleets. Because of this, the ship quickly identified the worlds in questions. And covertly plotted a course to them.

It after all made use of the same advanced stealth technology that the Germanic Star-Empire had used to defeat the Hive Fleet Terminus in this second timeline. And because of that, the bugs could not detect it. Even as the small warship was waiting just outside the first of Ayumi’s targets.

When Ayumi saw the world in question, and the fleet above it she sneered in disdain. Calling out to the Intermediate Artificial Intelligence, which operated the warship. Asking if the device used to conceal her attack was ready to be used.

“I’m ready to attack when you are—”

The artificial intelligence responded in a robotic and lifeless voice as it confirmed it was ready to commence with the attack. All the while, a device lowered from the roof of the room.

“Channel your attack on this device, and the ship will launch it from a port as if it were a built in weapon. You are able to proceed when ready… Worry not, the ship is built to withstand the extent of your powers…”

Ayumi took a deep breath and exhaled. The moment she did so, her amber eyes started glowing. Before her entire body was enveloped by such an energy. After which she placed her hands in what appeared to be an empty socket of some kind. Before channeling the full extent of her power into it.

A giant amber beam shot forth from her hands and was channeled through the port and out of the other side of the ship. Where it fell upon the world as if the heavens themselves were collapsing.

All The shipyards which orbited the planet were also caught up in the destructive wage of energy. Which tore everything apart that it came into contact with. Vaporizing it from the universe and leaving behind not the slightest trace tha it had ever existed in the first place.

Naturally, the attack on the world, and the hive within it, was picked up by the Naraku Empress. Because once more her hive mind entered a total state of chaos. She affected by it after the loss of multiple queens in the world that Ayumi destroyed.

It was not just the Naraku in Andromeda that was affected. But all under the Empress’s control, including those in the Milky Way invading on her behalf. The temporary state of confusion, and chaos resulting from the disruption of the hive mind ended up buying the allies of the Germanic Star-Empire many opportunities to repel the bugs from besieged worlds, if not purge them entirely on worlds which were attempting to be reclaimed.

Nobody really knew why this had suddenly happened. Or that Ayumi was responsible for her attack. But over the course of the next six months, as Ayumi launched repeated attacks against the Naraku in Andromeda and Triangulum, the various forces of the Milky Way Galaxy would take advantage of these incidents to recover much of the ground which they had lost since the Naraku began their invasion of the galaxy.

Ultimately, this would not affect Erich’s plans for the future. Specifically, because the damage had already been done to his allies. And reclaiming ground would only require further losses as they invested into its reconstruction.

A significant blow had been dealt to the Naraku invader. But it was not significant enough that they would never recover from it. Either way, the war would continue on. And the bugs would be much more wary as they did so.