Compared with the ferocity of the battle on that side, here the T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser was for all the world like a cat toying with a mouse. The T3 Blizzard drifted continually about the edges of the Fire Salamander First and Seventh Fleets, keeping, with exquisite precision, just the distance that held a portion of the enemy fleet's ships within its firing range. As for the T3 Blizzard's bow cannon — it kept it held back, unfired.
The flagship of the Fire Salamander First Fleet, that T3 Arkham-class Medium Interstellar Battleship, likewise dared only, under the escort of a pack of underlings, to try to close the distance with the T3 Blizzard. The chieftain had, after all, witnessed the scene of a T3 Arkham destroyed by the very T3 warship before him; he prized his own skin dearly and would take no risks. And so, facing this T3 warship, he'd shored up his defensive array early, making certain his command ship came to no danger. Seeing this, the T3 Blizzard didn't fixate on destroying the enemy flagship either; it simply kept the Fire Salamander First Fleet entangled, playing to its own strengths, the great killing device of its bow cannon in hand to hold the other side in awe.
Zhao Chen was, just now, enjoying the sight of that T3 Specter-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer taking a furious pounding. It had star-shield tech, true, but that could only ward off a single direction; even shifting position without cease, it could block only a few of the missiles. The rest all came calling on its hull.
"Warning! Warning! Warning! Port hull armor under attack — hull armor strength at 40%."
"Warning! Warning! Warning! Hull armor damaged in multiple places — the ship's main frame-structure strength down 20%!"
"Warning! Warning! Warning! The ship's belly under attack — hull armor punched through in part; 14 compartments sealed in emergency, 27 warriors dead."
On the bridge, the Fire Salamander general gripped his captain's chair with both hands, feeling the ceaseless shaking of the ship, his face pale — furious and terrified both. This was a T3-grade warship of his — and it was to end like this, before it had even charged the enemy's line.
"Fire! Fire back for me!" the general roared.
"Commander, our secondary guns are still outside attack range, and the main gun hasn't reached effective range either…" the adjutant beside him said.
"I don't give a damn about effective range now — fire, damn you!" The Fire Salamander general, hysterical, was the very picture of impotent rage. In his heart he'd already guessed the fate of this command ship of his. Rather than fall, stifled and wretched, like the Eighth Fleet's flagship, he'd at least have his main gun get off a single shot! For a T3 warship to fall on the battlefield without firing so much as one round — the mere thought was too shameful to bear.
"Fire!" The adjutant, helpless, could only relay the order.
The T3 Specter-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer's main gun powered up — a 1500mm-caliber medium railgun — and after a single shell fired out, its master, that T3 Specter, met its doom under yet another volley of interstellar missiles: destroyed, exploding, falling. From the unceasing chain of blasts and the way it split apart, the missiles had most likely struck its magazine. The wretchedness of it defied description.
And that single shell, into which its master had poured his hope, did its duty and flew toward the enemy ship opposite. In the end, it struck a warship.
On the bridge of Black Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy Assault Frigate Number Five, the system's voice sounded. "Alert! Our ship's frontal hull armor is under attack — frontal hull armor strength down 40%."
The woman captain blinked, then cursed outright. "Holy crap, all these ships — and out beyond effective range, it can still hit my ship, of all things! That's just unreal!" And of the dozen-odd warships on their side, the first to take combat damage was actually hers; the will to win in her heart left her thoroughly displeased. But then again, on second thought — a T2 frigate could take a T3 warship's main-gun round head-on, out beyond effective range though it was; that alone was proof enough of how ferocious its armor strength was.
Not 10 minutes into the battle, and the first fallen T3 warship was born — this very T3 Specter-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer!
At the same time, the 300-odd warships of the Fire Salamander Fourth Fleet had charged up to the front of the wolf-girl Baixue's line. But one could plainly see that these Fire Salamander ships' spirit was badly wanting — from the look of it, shaken by the scene of that endless missile bombardment moments before. Two Fire Salamander fleet flagships, decapitated at long range! The deterrent force of that could hardly be called small!
By this moment, the T2 Lion King-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ship's magazine had been emptied too. Its task in this battle had reached a stopping point; the ship glided slowly to the rear of the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier, becoming the first warship on the Owl Dragon side to "leave the field."
"500 interstellar missiles — reckoned by build cost, a full 300,000 star coins; reckoned by sale price, at least 5 or 6 million, however you count it." Zhao Chen muttered over the "star coins" he'd fired off in less than 10 short minutes. It had to be said, the missile ship truly burned money. But it had to be admitted too — used well, this warship was also quite the money-saver. Five or 6 million star coins, to destroy one of the enemy's T3 warships and destroy or cripple close to 100 T2 warships. That was a killing of a bargain!
And the battle that followed was handed over to the T2 Queen Bee and the T2 Black Rhinos.
At that moment, in the eyes of Charlotte before Zhao Chen, a sharp glint seemed to flash.
"Change heading — [redacted x,y] — full speed ahead! Deploy every interstellar drone; interstellar missiles, bow cannon, stand ready!" Charlotte rapped out her orders.
The T3 Blizzard, which had been circling and sparring with the Fire Salamander First and Seventh Fleets, now seized a sliver of opportunity! Perhaps it was the appalling scene on the other battlefield that had made the Fire Salamander Seventh Fleet's formation falter for an instant, opening a gap. And Charlotte caught that sliver of a chance, choosing to launch a high-speed strike straight at the position of the Fire Salamander Seventh Fleet's flagship!
"This is bad! That T3 ship's target is the Seventh Fleet's flagship!" The chieftain's face changed. For three of four fleet flagships to be destroyed in so short a span would be a thing that shattered morale utterly. He would absolutely not permit it.
"Full speed ahead! Main gun ready, sight on that T3 ship! The instant it enters range, fire!" The chieftain, with no more mind for sparring, at once rushed to the Fire Salamander Seventh Fleet's relief.