The Imperial fleets, mobilized and on high alert, remained completely still for hours even after the new allies had departed. This inaction spoke volumes about the empire’s deep-seated mistrust of newcomers. Every movement, energy fluctuation, and spatial distortion within their monitored zones was being meticulously scrutinized.
Only after ten hours had passed, with no abnormalities detected by any of the empire’s sensors, did the fleets finally begin to take action.
The first sign of movement came from the emperor himself, issuing a direct command to reduce the empire's situational readiness by three grades. This adjustment brought a visible shift in operations, as the fleets began to reorganize themselves into three distinct groups.