Chapter 2: The Arrival of the Federation

Kyle was piloting the stolen Interstellar Federation spaceship, fleeing in a panic through the vast universe. His hands tightly gripped the control stick, his knuckles turning white from the strain. His bloodshot eyes were fixed on the endless darkness ahead. Outside the spaceship, the stars twinkled, yet they couldn't dispel the fear and confusion in his heart. He was well aware that he had gone from being an ordinary scrap sorter to a fugitive hunted by the Interstellar Federation in the blink of an eye, all because he touched that mysterious stardust crystal. His life's path had been completely rewritten since then.

In the command center of the Interstellar Federation, various data and images flashed on the huge holographic screen. Rain stood in front of the screen, his posture tall and straight, and his face as cold as ice. He stared intently at the blinking dot representing Kyle's spaceship on the screen, with a determined look in his eyes that showed he wouldn't give up until he achieved his goal.

"Have we confirmed the target's location?" Rain asked coldly. His voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the spacious command center.

"Yes, sir!" A technician replied promptly, his fingers flying across the console. "The target spaceship is fleeing towards the edge of the Andromeda Spur. It's estimated that in another fifteen minutes, it will enter a dangerous asteroid belt."

Rain frowned slightly. After a moment of thought, he gave a decisive order, "Pursue at full speed. We can't let him escape! Once he enters the asteroid belt, the difficulty of capture will increase significantly."

With the order given, the Federal Fleet was immediately activated. One spaceship after another shot forward like arrows leaving the bow towards Kyle's direction. As the fleet passed, the space seemed to be torn apart, leaving behind distorted streaks of light.

At the same time, Kyle felt an unprecedented pressure inside the spaceship. The energy monitor of the spaceship let out rapid alarm sounds, indicating that a large number of energy reactions were approaching quickly from behind. His heart tightened, and he knew that the Federal Fleet had caught up.

"Damn it!" Kyle cursed under his breath and tried to accelerate again. However, the spaceship had been damaged to some extent during the previous escape. The roar of the engine became extremely harsh, but the speed was hard to increase.

Soon, the Federal Fleet came into Kyle's sight. One warship after another was neatly arranged, exuding a daunting aura like steel giants. On the leading flagship, Rain looked coldly at Kyle's spaceship ahead through the observation window, as if watching a trapped prey.

"Prepare to attack!" Rain gave the order through the communication channel. "But don't directly destroy the target spaceship. I want him alive."

The Federal Fleet quickly adjusted its formation. Several small spaceships broke away from the formation and surrounded Kyle's spaceship. The weapon systems on the spaceships were all activated, and the energy cannon muzzles glowed with a deadly light.

Kyle watched the approaching Federal spaceships, his heart almost leaping out of his throat. His mind was in chaos, and he didn't know how to deal with this sudden desperate situation. Just then, one of the Federal spaceships launched an attack first. An energy beam shot towards Kyle's spaceship like lightning.

Kyle instinctively maneuvered the spaceship to dodge. The beam passed by the spaceship's hull, and the powerful energy shock made the spaceship shake violently. Kyle held onto the control stick tightly, trying his best to keep the spaceship balanced. He knew that he couldn't just sit and wait for death; he had to find a way to fight back.

In a state of extreme fear and despair, Kyle suddenly felt a power surging within his body. It was the power of the stardust, the mysterious power that had been latent in his body since his awakening. Without time to think, he subconsciously concentrated and guided this power.

The power of the stardust circulated rapidly in his body, and his hands began to glow faintly. Kyle raised his hand and waved it towards the attacking Federal spaceship. An energy wave condensed from stardust shot out instantly and hit the Federal spaceship.

The energy wave exploded on the surface of the spaceship, generating a strong impact. The shield of the Federal spaceship lit up immediately, withstanding the attack of the stardust power. The crew members inside the spaceship were caught off guard by this sudden counterattack and exclaimed in surprise.

"What kind of power is this?" A crew member shouted in horror.

"Don't panic!" The spaceship commander quickly regained his composure. "Keep attacking. He won't be able to hold out for long."

The Federal spaceship launched another attack. Several energy beams shot towards Kyle's spaceship simultaneously. Kyle maneuvered the spaceship to dodge while continuously releasing the power of the stardust for defense. Protected by the power of the stardust, most of the attacks from the Federal spaceships were blocked. However, Kyle's spaceship also suffered more damage from the continuous attacks.

At this time, Rain's flagship had approached the battlefield. Standing on the command deck, Rain witnessed the whole process of Kyle using the power of the stardust. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, but it quickly returned to its cold expression.

"This young man actually has the power to control the stardust." Rain murmured to himself. "However, this won't change his fate."

Rain gave another order, "Concentrate firepower, weaken his defenses, and then send in the landing force to capture him alive."

After receiving the order, the Federal Fleet immediately adjusted its attack strategy. The energy cannons of all the spaceships were aimed at Kyle's spaceship simultaneously, and a round of intense salvo was launched. The powerful energy beams intertwined, forming a deadly fire net that enveloped Kyle's spaceship.

Kyle looked at the overwhelming attacks, his heart filled with despair. He knew that although the power of the stardust was strong, it would be difficult to withstand such powerful firepower. At this critical moment, he suddenly remembered the scene in the scrapyard when the scrap was spinning around the stardust crystal.

An idea flashed through Kyle's mind. He concentrated all his mental strength and released the power of the stardust to the maximum. He used the power of the stardust to create a huge whirlpool around the spaceship, sucking in all the energy beams fired by the Federal Fleet. The energy beams collided and canceled each other out in the whirlpool, emitting a dazzling light and deafening explosions.

The crew members of the Federal Fleet were stunned by this scene. They had never seen such a powerful and strange power before. Rain's face also became very solemn. He realized that this young man was much more troublesome than he had imagined.

"Increase the firepower!" Rain shouted. "Don't let him get away!"

The Federal Fleet increased its attack intensity again. Energy beams rained down continuously towards Kyle's spaceship. Although Kyle's stardust - power whirlpool was powerful, under such intense attacks, it began to show cracks.

Kyle felt his power quickly draining away. His body became weak, and his consciousness gradually blurred. But there was a belief in his heart supporting him: he couldn't be caught by the Federation; he had to survive.

Just when Kyle was almost at his limit, he suddenly noticed an asteroid belt ahead. The asteroids were of different sizes and shapes, drifting randomly in the universe. Kyle's heart skipped a beat. He knew that this might be his only chance.

Kyle used his last bit of strength to maneuver the spaceship towards the asteroid belt. Seeing this, the Federal Fleet quickly chased after him. However, the environment inside the asteroid belt was very complex, and it was extremely dangerous for spaceships to navigate through it. The Federal Fleet had to slow down and move forward cautiously.

Kyle's spaceship dashed around in the asteroid belt, using the asteroids as cover to avoid the attacks from the Federal Fleet. Although his piloting skills were not proficient, at this critical moment of life and death, he unleashed amazing potential.

Rain watched as Kyle's spaceship disappeared into the asteroid belt, filled with anger. He knew that if Kyle escaped in the asteroid belt, it would be extremely difficult to capture him again.

"Keep chasing!" Rain said through gritted teeth. "Even if we have to turn this asteroid belt upside down, we must find him."

The Federal Fleet cautiously entered the asteroid belt and began the search for Kyle. And Kyle, in this dangerous asteroid belt, continued his escape journey. He didn't know if he could escape the pursuit of the Federation, nor did he know what awaited him in the future. But there was only one belief in his heart: survive and figure out the truth of all this.

Deep in the asteroid belt, a battered spaceship slowly moved forward in the darkness. Kyle sat in the pilot's seat, his body exhausted but his eyes still determined. He knew that his fate was closely linked to the stardust, and this escape was just the beginning of his legendary journey.