455: The situation is changing again.

Three weeks had passed since the end of the "Battle of Osha."

The news that "Jiuzhou won a pyrrhic victory while the main forces of the allied fleet were nearly annihilated" swept through every corner of New Eden at faster-than-light speeds.

From the most bustling trade hubs to the most remote mining outposts, from the towering imperial palaces to the grimy underground black markets, everyone was talking, everyone was trembling, and everyone was re-evaluating the star map with eyes full of terror or fanaticism.

Jiuzhou had won.

It was a tragic win, but an indisputable one.

The allied forces had lost.

They lost completely, losing the fleets they had staked their national fortunes on, as well as the aura of hegemony they had maintained for a century.

The "Seventh Pole," a title carrying the weight of blood and power, spread like wildfire and was bestowed upon "Jiuzhou."

No official announcement was made, but everyone knew in their hearts that starting today, the scales of power in New Eden needed a seventh—and heaviest—weight.

The flames of war in the Osha Star Domain were gradually dying out, but the sparks it ignited were burning fiercely across New Eden.

In the "Sharpening Sword" base command center, the lights had returned to normal, but a trace of exhaustion and solemnity from the great battle still remained in the air.

The massive main screen showed footage from a new industrial zone within the "Domain Outer Corridor."

New frames for "Tiangong" fortresses were being erected, damaged ships were being sent into repair bays like an assembly line, and newly built vessels were filing out of the drydocks.

In a corner of the screen was a star map of all New Eden, marked with hundreds of newly appeared light points representing chaos and conflict using different colors and symbols.

"Latest orders: consolidate existing gains, repair defensive lines, and pause expansion into the core regions of New Eden."

"Current core mission: digest the results of the Battle of Osha, accelerate technological iteration, and maintain the security and development of the 'Sharpening Sword' base and the 'Domain Outer Corridor.' For New Eden's internal affairs, adopt the principle of 'non-interference, no proactive contact, and maintaining controllable low-intensity border friction.'"

Lin Yizhou finished reading the summary and looked up at everyone in the command center. "In short, the higher-ups mean this place is great for training troops, but don't actually get ourselves bogged down. Let them have their chaos; we'll do our training."

Zhao Youcheng nodded. "So, we just watch from the sidelines, occasionally stepping in to smack a few who don't know any better to keep our edge?"

"Pretty much; you can understand it that way," Lin Yizhou nodded. "New Eden falling into chaos isn't a bad thing for us. A monolithic imperial Alliance is the real trouble. This current situation, with a bunch of powers too busy with their own problems to organize another expedition on the scale of the Battle of Osha, is the best scenario."

Mu Wan selected a new report and flicked it toward the main screen. "According to the 'Diting' System's monitoring, internal turmoil within the six major powers has fully erupted. The devastating loss of flagship power is not just a military blow, but a destruction of their ruling legitimacy and deterrent capability."

Her fingers tapped on the virtual keyboard, and on the star map, regions representing the major powers were highlighted.

Then, hundreds of crimson light points lit up like festering wounds across the territories... Amarr Empire, Capital Star.

The glory of Dam-Torsad could not hide the spreading panic and bloodshed. Canidys had locked herself in the inner palace; rumors were rife that she hadn't appeared for several days.

The Empire's fifteen most elite main fleets had vanished, and only one supercarrier escaped back, heavily damaged.

Within the Empire's territories, those star zones, noble fiefs, heretical sects, and slave races that were already dissatisfied with the central government's harsh policies and had been forcibly conquered or suppressed sensed a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"The God-Emperor no longer favors Dam-Torsad! The Imperial fleet is buried in the sea of stars!"

"Freedom! Independence! For our own gods and homeland!"

On the Empire's northwestern frontier, a long-suppressed sect called "Pure Angel" declared its secession from the Empire, occupied a star System, and began massacring the bureaucrats and state clergy sent by the Empire.

"Amarr's shackles have rotted! It is time for Tacoma to restore its rightful glory!"

In the wealthy Tacoma Star Zone in the east of the Empire, several powerful local governors jointly declared independence, seized the imperial tax fleet, and began making eyes at the neighboring Gallente smuggling syndicates.

"Slaves! Take up arms! The master's whip is broken! The warships are destroyed! This is the only chance!"

Across hundreds of major slave planets and mines throughout the Empire, an unprecedented great slave uprising erupted. The rebels seized weapons, captured orbital stations, and some even successfully took over old imperial patrol ships left behind.

The imperial center mobilized troops, but there were few main fleets available, so they had to rely on local garrison forces and noble private armies to run around exhausted, putting out fires everywhere.

Suppress one place, and another rises. Across the Empire's vast territory, beacons of war rose; the once-arrogant golden banners were burned and trampled in many Systems, then replaced by new flags.

The Caldari State was not doing much better.

A collective united by interests began to show cracks in the face of absolute power loss. The Supreme Military Commission fell into endless mutual finger-pointing and buck-passing.

Representatives of the military-industrial complex lashed out at the incompetence of the intelligence and research departments, which led to the total loss of precious Dreadnoughts and the latest Wyvern-class supercarriers.

The commercial faction lamented the total loss of massive investments and the heavy blow to the State's economic lifeblood, using this to seize power from the military-industrial faction.

Many mega-corporations possessed nearly independent armaments and territories. In the past, they relied on the powerful Caldari Navy for deterrence and interest-binding to maintain balance. Now, the essence of the Navy was lost, and the balance was broken.

"The Sukuuvestaa Group believes that in the current situation, continuing to concentrate defensive forces on meaningless border confrontations is a serious misallocation of resources. We will take responsibility for the security of our group's core Systems ourselves."

A giant primarily focused on shipbuilding and mining was the first to issue a statement, essentially taking back command of its fleets and no longer following central orders.

"Given the serious strategic failures shown by the central government, Hyasyoda Corporation announces the suspension of special defense tax payments to the central treasury until a new, reliable defense plan is presented." Another financial and information giant followed suit.

The chain reaction began.

In star zones controlled by corporations, patrol teams began intercepting central tax ships, and security checkpoints set up numerous barriers for central investigators.

Some small enterprises even began openly recruiting former Caldari Navy veterans to form "Corporate Security Forces," with scale and equipment rivaling the regular army.

The Caldari State, a nation glued together by capital, was experiencing marginal fragmentation under the self-preservation instinct of capital.

The Minmatar Republic was also among them. The brave Minmatar did not fear sacrifice, but the crushing defeat at Osha lost not just a fleet, but the most elite generation of warriors and leaders accumulated over centuries.

Their Eggman technology was already relatively backward and resources were insufficient; many ships were piloted by Immortal Masters. The essence of the young and strong generation of many tribes had fallen.

Roars for revenge were still loud, but internally, disagreements and old grudges arising from the distribution of war losses and subsequent strategies quickly surfaced.

In border regions, smaller tribes or those long suppressed by mainstream tribes began quietly contacting interstellar pirates or even certain rebels of the Amarr Empire, trying to seek independence or greater autonomy in the chaos.

In the Republic's heartland, voices questioning central authority grew louder, and calls for re-electing the Great Chieftain and reforming the Council of Elders arose.

The relatively pragmatic Gallenteans also suffered heavy losses but reacted more quickly. The Federal Parliament quickly passed a series of wartime acts to strengthen central power while secretly contacting other forces. Publicly, the Federation contracted its defensive lines and emphasized defense, but privately, the intelligence department became active.

"Pay attention to receiving technological and political refugees from the directions of Amarr, Caldari, and Minmatar, especially engineers, scientists, and military personnel dissatisfied with the current regimes," the Federal President instructed in a secret meeting. "We need everyone who can help us rebuild and understand information about 'Jiuzhou.'"

"If necessary, we can promise asylum and even unlimited funding."

Thus, in certain remote Systems or space stations under Federal control, new "research outposts" or "refugee resettlement points" quietly appeared.

Personnel composition was complex, equipment sources unknown, and research projects shrouded in secrecy.

The Earth Federation and Human Union had not invested much flagship power in this expedition, so their losses were relatively minimal. But this did not make them feel fortunate; instead, it deepened their worries. The terrifying strength of Jiuzhou made them see a threat far exceeding their estimates.

The Earth Federation's reaction was the most direct and "pragmatic." The Supreme Command issued a secret order to accelerate the 'Ark' project.

All non-essential resources were shifted toward the construction of long-distance fleets and colonial technology R&D. Exploration of known and potential habitable star Systems was strengthened. New Eden might no longer be a place to stay for long.

Meanwhile, the Earth Federation opened its doors.

"Regardless of race or origin, as long as they possess the skills we need—engineers, scientists, skilled workers, experienced fleet commanders or soldiers—anyone who passes a background check and swears allegiance to Earth Federation law can obtain asylum and citizenship."

The Earth Federation's recruitment messages spread through hidden channels like a black hole, attracting the frustrated, the fugitives, and the technical elites from the "ruins" of the Empires.

The Earth Federation was using this chaos to frantically absorb population and technological nutrients, preparing for a possible "Great Migration."

The Human Union maintained its usual exclusivity.

Besides increasing analysis of Jiuzhou's technology to find its weaknesses and learnable points, the military commission also re-evaluated defense plans.

Regarding refugees, the Human Union's stance was clear: only pure-blooded humans who passed strict genetic and background screening would be accepted. Priority was given to high-level intellectuals, professional technical talents, and those with excellent military quality.

The Human Union was consolidating its "Human Bastion," attempting to maintain the "purity" and "superiority" of the species in a troubled world.