The Giant Corporations that Started in Night City

Chapter 329– Proactive Assault! The First-Generation FTL Suppressor! Mobilization!

Especially since, in the Transformers universe, Earth's embodiment is none other than Unicron. His remains are a critical resource for Quintessa to revive the Primus .

If the Megacorp is forced to retreat and relinquish control of the solar system, then Quintessa could immediately harness Unicron's remains to awaken the Primus .

By then, empowered by Unicron's might, the revived Primus might even acquire the ability to traverse the multiverse—and launch reverse invasions into other universes under Megacorp control!

It's important to remember: one of Unicron's abilities is unrestricted multiverse travel, allowing him to plunder resources from other universes to continuously grow stronger.

If Quintessa succeeds in merging the Primus with Unicron's power, the Megacorp would inevitably face high-dimensional incursion from the Supreme himself!

This is a battle the Megacorp cannot afford to lose. A single defeat could spell the collapse of the interstellar empire Li Ang spent decades building.

"We've successfully deployed 369 large-scale detection bases throughout the solar system, thanks to the high-efficiency coordination between our logistics and engineering divisions over the past several days."

"Each base is equipped with the latest spatial warp detectors, capable of forecasting various warp maneuvers and giving frontline personnel sufficient reaction time."

At the Megacorp's Earth-based forward command center, overall director V was hosting a high-level war council. He used a holographic screen to report the deployment status to the senior officers of the Frontier Division.

After completing the brief on the solar system's detection, firepower, and defense systems, V invited the Frontier Division's top officers to share their thoughts on upcoming tactical decisions.

Before long, a somewhat unexpected proposal came from the rising younger faction, spearheaded by David Martinez.

"Gentlemen, I propose we dispatch an elite vanguard force to take the initiative. Ideally, we'd aim for a decapitation strike on Quintessa herself."

"Even if we fail to defeat them outright, as long as we can probe their actual strength, the mission would still be considered a success. In short—we must try to confront them head-on rather than staying passive!"

David's perspective aligned with Jack Wells': waiting around and relying solely on reactive defense was not the Megacorp's style.

While the enemy had yet to arrive in the solar system, they could deploy a vanguard fleet to probe the outer perimeter—perhaps even capture Quintessa outright and end the war in one swift blow.

"A decapitation strike on Quintessa…"

Admiral Terrence's brows furrowed at the mention. He didn't think it was a good idea—especially since the Megacorp's intelligence division hadn't yet located Quintessa's current whereabouts.

"We don't even know where she is. How exactly do you plan to lead a strike team for the kill?"

So far, Megacorp had only gathered vague data on Quintessa's forces' movements—there was no pinpoint intel on their coordinates, let alone her personal location.

Sending a lone force into the solar system's outer edge blindly would be tantamount to serving them up for slaughter.

Losing a whole vanguard force before the battle even starts would deliver a severe blow to morale on the home front.

Terrence tapped the table and said gravely, "According to intelligence, Quintessa possesses spatial-jump capabilities. We currently lack the tech to capture such a highly mobile target."

In the original Transformers storyline, after her attempt to drain Earth failed, Quintessa vanished without a trace—never reappearing even by the finale.

Her ability closely resembled Megatronus's instant teleportation—likely a form of advanced, localized spatial-jump tech.

Without solid intel, the plan to decapitate Quintessa was nothing but a pipe dream. David Martinez's proposal was completely unfeasible.

"The outer regions of the solar system are vast. Even if we go on the offensive, there's no guarantee we'll encounter her fleet—let alone capture her in person."

Terrence's tone was resolute. He rejected David's suggestion outright—he wasn't about to sacrifice his navy in a blind gamble.

But David didn't take offense. He understood Terrence's concerns. Still, this proposal wasn't made on a whim—it was the result of careful deliberation by the Vanguard Command.

Risk and reward always come as a package. As long as it benefits the Megacorp, it's worth a shot.

"General Terrence, hold on—please hear me out first."

Wearing a calm and confident smile, David continued, "We wouldn't be suggesting this unless we had a sound rationale behind it."

He then swiped across his holographic screen, pulling up records of the Megacorp's interstellar wars over the years—breaking down the numbers between annihilation battles, guerrilla raids, and defensive campaigns.

"Gentlemen, over the past thirty-some years, the establishment of our interstellar trade ring has seen no shortage of conflicts."

"But the vast majority were one-sided annihilation operations or mop-up guerrilla campaigns."

David displayed the statistics in clear data graphs and distributed them to the assembled military leaders.

The data didn't lie—the Megacorp's forces had rarely fought any evenly matched tug-of-war battles. Even in the Halo universe, they took only a few years to completely purge enemy territory.

The Prophet forces and the Flood were obliterated almost immediately upon contact with the Allied Coalition.

This would be their first real test in a drawn-out war, requiring full-scale strategic preparation.

"This is a rare opportunity for live-combat training. No matter the enemy's strength, this is our home turf. Even if we lose the initial engagement, we can still draw them into the antimatter cloud region."

David's reasoning gave Terrence and the other Frontier Division officers pause.

Was all this caution truly necessary for just one Creator Civilization? Historically, Megacorp always steamrolled its way to victory in galactic warfare.

Why was everyone suddenly being so timid?

Besides, Quintessa's army was little more than a band of bounty hunters and freelance mercenaries—not exactly a well-trained fighting force. Against the Megacorp's steel legion, the outcome was hardly uncertain.

"While we haven't yet pinpointed the enemy's position, the Covenant has extensive experience in enemy-search operations. We can put them to use."

David's tone remained steady and confident. The old-guard generals may balk—but he wasn't afraid.

After fighting for so long in the Halo universe, David didn't fear any civilization.

"As for Quintessa herself, HQ data shows she's arrogant and prideful. There's no way she'd sit by and watch her army get destroyed."

"If we can locate and thrash her fleet, I'm confident we can draw her out!"

"And once she shows herself, I'll have the Preacher lead his Prometheus Legion to instantly surround and neutralize her—securing the kill!"

The Preacher and his Prometheus Legion specialized in infiltration warfare. Their planetary leapfrog tactics relied on constant jumps and high mobility to strike high-value targets with surgical precision.

In simple terms, the Prometheus Legion was the Megacorp's elite light cavalry—top of the line.

While they weren't necessarily the most destructive unit, they were definitely the most agile.

As long as David's vanguard could pin down Quintessa's main force and uncover her location, the Preacher could instantly deploy his troops to encircle and capture her.

"Additionally, our Science Nexus Division has just completed a first-generation prototype of the FTL Suppressor."

"This device can seal off a 0.01-light-year range from any warp activity. As soon as Quintessa appears, we'll be able to trap and arrest her!"

At that moment, Jack Wells also spoke up in support, presenting the latest report from the Science Nexus Division.

Its current director, Alt Cunningham, happened to be an old acquaintance of Johnny Silverhand—Jack's trusted second-in-command.

Thanks to this connection, Jack often received cutting-edge intel on tech developments ahead of others. As soon as he learned the FTL Suppressor prototype was ready, he quickly formulated this new tactical strategy.

Naturally, as a senior Megacorp executive, Jack understood the proper procedures. That's why he had David introduce the idea first—so he could step in later for the final push.

This smooth play—subordinates pitching the plan, the boss delivering the decisive blow—was second nature to Jack.

Even Director V was taken aback by the news that the FTL Suppressor prototype had been completed. He hadn't been briefed about it at all!

And when the rest of the Frontier Division heard that the device could block warp travel within a 0.01-light-year radius, they were stunned.

It might not sound like much—but in kilometers, that's nearly a hundred billion!

To instantly shut down warp access across a hundred billion kilometers? Not even Quintessa could escape that.

"Jack, are you sure this FTL Suppressor actually works? Why haven't I heard anything about a completed model?"

V didn't let excitement cloud his judgment. He calmly questioned Jack.

As the lead executive for the Transformers 006 universe, V's clearance level was second only to Li Ang. He had priority access to all departmental intel—including R&D breakthroughs.

If the Science Nexus Division had really completed the suppressor, there was no way he wouldn't have heard about it.

Yet Jack Wells had the info before he did?

V had previously served as the interstellar governor of the Edge of Tomorrow 003 universe. He knew full well that after the Megacorp claimed that realm, they'd been investing heavily in superluminal tech—including FTL engines and warp suppressors.

But among these, the FTL Suppressor was by far the most difficult and expensive device to develop and operate.

If they'd truly pulled it off, the shockwaves would be comparable to the unveiling of the Einstein Equator just recently.

"Ahem… the device hasn't undergone full-scale testing yet. Director Alt can confirm it's stable—but not whether it's fully effective."

"Maybe the actual suppression range is only 0.001 light-years—or even less."

Faced with V's questioning, Jack responded frankly.

He knew deploying untested tech was risky and against protocol. That's why he had David start by pitching the strategic value before unveiling the wildcard tech.

After that, he would step forward himself to present the only real challenge to the plan: acquiring that first-generation FTL Suppressor!

"V, this plan has been in the works for a long time. All we need now is your approval—and we stand a real chance at taking down Quintessa in one decisive blow."

"That way, our rear forces won't have to endure the brunt of an enemy assault."

Jack Wells spoke in a low, deliberate tone.

Over the past few days, watching the Megacorp scramble to fortify the solar system and construct forward bases had left him deeply dissatisfied.

Back in the Halo universe, when he and Reed led the Covenant coalition on a sweeping rampage, they were never reduced to such a defensive posture.

The best defense is a good offense. Now that Earth's rear defenses had been reinforced to the point of near-impregnability—cutting off all possibility of a flanking surprise—it was time for the Megacorp to think about striking first!

"David and Jack's proposal is risky, sure—but I support going on the offensive. At the very least, we'll get a read on their strength."

"It's better than sitting around waiting for the enemy to arrive, only to panic and flee when we find out we're outmatched."

Reed, normally a calm and measured voice who rarely took sides, chose this time to stand with his old comrade Jack. In his eyes, the Megacorp needed bold and proactive leaders.

Besides, if Quintessa truly led her forces into the solar system unchallenged, there would inevitably be casualties across all Megacorp divisions.

Better to strike them hard up front than turtle up— even if the vanguard took a hit, it would buy time for the rear to regroup.

"As long as we can secure the FTL Suppressor, I won't object to the plan."

Admiral Terrence also voiced his stance. He had no issue with Jack or David—in fact, he often discussed naval strategy with them.

But if they were going to take the initiative, they needed to bring the elite—if they couldn't hurt the enemy badly in one strike, there was no point in fighting at all.

Seeing the room begin to align, V nodded slightly and signaled for a formal vote: should they proceed with the offensive strike?

"I support Commander Jack."

"I agree."

"I have no objections."

"..."

In the end, over 80% of the Frontier Division's leadership voted in favor of the operation. After a moment's pause, V gave his response:

"I'll report this to the boss. But regardless of whether we secure the FTL Suppressor or not—I will support your decapitation strike."

Victory requires unity of will. If the generals had this kind of resolve and morale, then it was worth the gamble.

As for CEO Li Ang—V would do everything in his power to persuade him. He'd try to secure approval for Jack to deploy the untested prototype FTL Suppressor to the front lines.

"Then from this moment forward, all departments are to immediately form the vanguard legion and prepare for deployment!"

"Yes, sir!!"

---

Meanwhile…

As time passed by the second, Lockdown's bounty hunter fleet began drawing steadily closer to the solar system.

The majority of these bounty hunters were mercenaries hastily recruited by Lockdown, along with a few additional forces summoned by Quintessa.

In the cold, silent expanse beyond the solar system, the fleet surged toward its destination. While their ships came in all shapes and designs, they shared one unifying trait—an overwhelming, oppressive presence.

To the broader Transformers universe, the solar system was a remote backwater—a galactic "countryside."

But this was a pack of interstellar pirates from the big city—ruthless, battle-hardened monsters from hell and high water. Aside from the Creators themselves, any civilization that encountered this fleet would be paralyzed with fear.

These were the most vicious bounty hunters and interstellar mercs in the Transformers universe. When these greedy, brutal Cybertronians swarmed together, they became a walking apocalypse.

Fortunately, they weren't roaming and looting as they usually did. That was the only reason civilizations along the way hadn't yet suffered.

Under orders from Quintessa, they were advancing at full speed toward the solar system. She had shelled out big this time, promising these pirates a fortune in rewards.

And so, these bounty hunters didn't bother with petty side profits—they were laser-focused on completing this mission and claiming Quintessa's generous payout.

Now, they were already nearing the outskirts of the solar system. The fleet's logistics crew was doing one final inspection and weapons check on every ship.

The moment they breached the system, the war would begin.

"Make damn sure those engines are working! If I catch one of you crawling in a dogfight, I'll shove a spanner down your intake!"

"The solar system could have a Creator ambush lying in wait. Even if we can't win, I expect you to tear off a few chunks of armor before bailing!"

"Tch! Those old clunkers may have range, but if we get in close, I'll turn them into scrap just the same!"

"How much farther? These old joints are creaking already."

"..."

The internal comms were a mess—dozens of languages from different planetary systems overlapping in chaotic chatter. Some Cybertronians even fried their processors trying to parse all the signals.

Internally, the fleet was a disaster.

From the outside, Lockdown's bounty hunter armada looked massive and intimidating—but in truth, it was a ragtag coalition of wildly uneven quality.

Plenty were just opportunists looking for a quick score.

Only a handful—like Lockdown himself—were truly deadly and ruthless. Most of the Cybertronians in the group had some skill, but not much more than that.

Had Quintessa not offered such a massive reward, this patched-together warband would have disbanded long ago.

Few mercenary legions had the patience for a non-stop march. By nature, this lot was used to plundering as they moved—if not for the payday, they'd have started looting weeks ago.

Worse, the longer they marched, the looser their discipline became. Tensions flared between mercenaries from rival factions.

Old grudges resurfaced. Mercenary groups with past beef started settling scores mid-transit, leading to scattered explosions and damaged warships within the fleet.

As for Lockdown—he was a lone wolf, a top-tier assassin—not a leader.

The internal chaos had long worn down his patience. At times, he felt like scrapping the entire mission and walking away.

> [Ironhead, your guys stole a whole shipload of my slaves last run. I haven't even started with you. Now you're picking another fight? You think I can't tear you apart?!]

> [Ha! Then pay back the fire-control system you owe me. A few slaves? I'll steal more next time, I guarantee it.]

> [I'll kill you!!]

The fleet comms erupted in another round of deafening shouting.

"Shut the hell up!!"

Lockdown finally roared, silencing the bickering with an override.

This time, he issued a final warning:

"We're about to enter the solar system—and could be attacked at any moment by humans or the damn Creators."

"I don't care what beef you've got. Until the mission is over, you put that crap on hold. Settle it after."

This was exactly why Lockdown preferred working alone—he couldn't stand being around these fools. Just smelling their cheap-grade energon oil was enough to make him gag.

They were on the brink of a major assault, and these rustbuckets were still bickering?

Lockdown didn't give a damn about humans or Transformers—he just wanted to get the job done and collect his reward.

"Listen up—all of you bottom-feeders!"

He activated the full-fleet broadcast and roared, his voice booming across every deck:

"If any of you weaklings have a problem, come face me in the flagship. I'm Lockdown—I'll be waiting."

"If marching has you whining like scraplets, get out of my sight before you slow us down."

"And if anyone starts shit again—I'll kill you myself. Don't believe me? Try me."

"..."

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