Upon arriving at Tau Ceti e, Luna first dispatched Kate soldiers to initiate negotiations.

This civilization, calling themselves the Lelera, resembled insects rather than mammals. Their bodies were encased in exoskeletons, their movements slow, except for their manipulators.

They could be described as a cross between a spider (lower body) and a mantis (upper body), but their abdomens were more slender, their limbs more robust. They lacked mandibles, possessing instead eight legs and six arms, each joint having six degrees of freedom.

Each limb ended in seven "fingertips," each with 1518 joints, allowing for dexterity comparable to human hands.

They were relatively short—about 1.1 meters tall.

Surprisingly, they possessed membranous wings, not insect wings but fleshy ones, forming thin membranes when extended. However, their considerable weight prevented flight; they could only glide.

Like Earth insects, they reproduced through oviparity. Each family could produce 10–15 offspring per brood, averaging 35 broods. Their current population was 36.2 billion—a number seemingly controlled by the Purple Thorns; at their peak, their population had exceeded 51.6 billion.

Facing such a weak civilization, Luna acted swiftly and decisively.

First, they clarified their identity—not conquerors, but liberators, the force that had defeated the Purple Thorns.

Second, they demanded the Lelera join the galactic federation. This wasn't optional; it was mandatory. Refusal would mean the system held no value; they would withdraw, leaving the Lelera under Purple Thorn control.

Third, they offered aid to the Lelera's lower classes, creating a pro-Federation faction and pressuring the leadership to choose between cooperation and resistance. Any resistance would be met with swift and decisive retribution.

Luna implemented a policy of both reward and punishment.

Neither overly lenient nor excessively harsh.

This was to minimize internal conflict, avoiding a situation like the Multi-eyed planet, where a significant portion of the population was lost. This population was, in effect, Luna's asset.

This process took approximately six years before the Lelera stabilized and accepted the federation.

Based on the remaining Purple Thorn technology, Ayla began researching their advancements.

Since the warships had been destroyed in the supernova and subsequently consumed by the star's gravity, Luna and Ayla could only rely on speculation and extrapolation.

With these remnants, Ayla could analyze and, combined with her own advancements, extrapolate the Purple Thorn's technological weaknesses.

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The Purple Thorns were incredibly advanced.

Their mastery of the four fundamental forces surpassed Ayla's, providing her with considerable insights.

Having initially been a nascent Type 2 civilization, Ayla had now reached the mid-Type 2 level, mastering the technology behind the barrier.

The barrier was a sophisticated electromagnetic disruption device.

If electromagnetism is a block of iron, a lower-level civilization might use it to create swords; a higher-level civilization would use it to create guns. The power difference is immense.

The barrier represented a technological leap.

In its closed state, it utilized electromagnetism and the strong nuclear force to block nuclear energy.

In its open state, to prevent the strong force from affecting entering and exiting ships, the strong force was deactivated, utilizing only electromagnetism.

To remain hidden, the barrier also manipulated gravity, bending light to create gravitational lensing effects.

The barrier could theoretically incorporate the weak force, but the weak force operates at a subatomic level; its energy output is insignificant compared to electromagnetism and the strong force, rendering it unsuitable as a primary weapon.

Even Purple Thorn, while researching the weak force, have only used it for specialized attacks, such as the neutrino-scale organisms.

Furthermore, energy consumption wasn't directly proportional to the force's strength, which is why the Purple Thorns hadn't focused on the weak force.

This further research overturned many of Ayla's earlier assumptions.

For example, the depth of the Purple Thorn's understanding of the weak force.

It turned out to be a matter of technological disparity affecting the analysis.

The Purple Thorns' true strength lay in their comprehensive understanding of all four fundamental forces.

Incorrect assumptions weren't uncommon in science; progress involves constantly refining and overturning previous theories.

After studying the barrier, Ayla was confident in her ability to disrupt it from the inside.

This paved the way for Luna's plan to eliminate the remaining Purple Thorn forces on Tau Ceti f.

They couldn't leave them there.

They might have already contacted other Purple Thorn forces; in a few centuries, reinforcements might arrive, creating significant problems.

In the 41st year after arriving at Tau Ceti, after confirming the absence of any further Purple Thorn reinforcements, Luna ordered an attack on Tau Ceti f.

The earlier asteroid impacts had significantly depleted the Purple Thorns' energy reserves.

This attack lasted only four years. At a cost of seven warships, they destroyed the orbital defenses around Tau Ceti f. The fleet completely surrounded the planet. If Luna hadn't wanted to preserve Tau Ceti f, she could have simply fired a single shot from the main cannon.

"Surrender?"

"They want to negotiate?"

Two years into the assault, Ayla intercepted a surrender message.

Luna considered this.

"They have no right to negotiate."

"Continue the bombardment. We need to completely neutralize their ability to resist."

The attack on the Purple Thorns wasn't just about eliminating them; the prolonged conflict allowed the Kate and Multi-eyed to vent their centuries-old rage.

It also ensured the Lelera's loyalty.

The remaining Purple Thorn forces on Tau Ceti f held out for another year before finally realizing their predicament.

Ayla received a blueprint.

It was a map of the Purple Thorn's territory, marking resource locations and coordinate anchor positions.

In space, a star chart is just as important as a planetary map!

This allowed Luna to expand her exploration and gradually assert control over these areas.

The map showed 26 star systems and six civilizations.