In the space of a mere three minutes, the T3 Phantom Assassin-class Light Interstellar Stealth Bomber had poured out, on the ships around it, 170 heavy short-range particle torpedoes, 15 short-range heavy anti-ship missiles, and 15 short-range heavy cluster bombs.
And the results were plain to see. In three minutes: destroyed one T3 Arkham-class Medium Interstellar Battleship and three T3 Gargoyle-class Medium Interstellar Frigates; gravely crippled one T3 Arkham-class Medium Interstellar Battleship and one T3 Porcupine-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer.
In three short minutes, to strike six same-tier warships single-handed and win such a result — likely only a special class like the interstellar stealth bomber could manage it.
"Warning! Star shield under attack — star-shield energy at 41%."
Zhao Wan'er watched the flashing green figure before her; below 30% it would turn yellow, below 10%, red. Once the star shield vanished, the T3 Phantom Assassin would in an instant be blanketed by powerful fire and reduced to ash!
"Fire the remaining 30 heavy short-range particle torpedoes, five short-range heavy anti-ship missiles, and five short-range heavy cluster bombs at these three directions, respectively. And once these missiles and torpedoes are away, fire five optical-mimicry missiles at these five directions."
Torpedo after torpedo, missile after missile, began streaking toward their target regions along preset trajectories. At the same time, the five optical-mimicry missiles launched soon after.
First, these five optical-mimicry missiles, having flown a certain distance, suddenly burst, forming a scene like a bank of white mist that shrouded the T3 Phantom Assassin's hull. This white-mist visual effect lasted only a few seconds; then, as it dispersed, six T3 Phantom Assassins appeared, of all things, within that region — and began sailing off in six different directions at once.
"It's mimicry missiles — this ship means to flee!" Han Tianwang caught the stealth bomber's intent at once. This accursed warship had destroyed four of his T3 warships right under his nose; how could he let it swagger off? That would be a slap in his face!
"Stop it for me! Don't let it escape! All-around shield or no — I refuse to believe that, with this many warships, we can't burn through its shield!" Han Tianwang roared.
At the same time, the torpedoes and missiles the Phantom Assassin had loosed ahead of time detonated at their preset positions. The five short-range heavy cluster bombs burst over a fairly dense region of warships. Any T1 warship struck by those splitting bomblets was basically scrapped — a T1-grade warship simply couldn't withstand a T3-grade warship's weapon, not even a single split bomblet from a cluster bomb. And T2 warships fared little better. One T2 destroyer, its luck poor, happened to sit within a cluster bomb's coverage zone; dozens of splitting bomblets fell on its hull, and then came blast after unceasing blast — until, in the end, this T2 destroyer was reduced to wreckage.
And now those several true-and-false T3 stealth bombers, after a few seconds, all entered cloak at once. To the naked eye, the stealth bomber's hull began to vanish! The whole process took but a second — from visible, to half-transparent, to utterly gone. As though this T3 stealth bomber had never appeared here at all. In this process, several of the "T3 stealth bombers" were blanketed by the enemy fleet's fire and gradually dissipated — those were the disguised "phantoms."
"Find it for me! Find it! Don't let that stealth bomber escape!" Han Tianwang roared like a madman. But the situation now grew awkward, for that T3 stealth bomber had already cloaked. Though, going by its position a moment ago, they could fire on prediction — at first they could strike a little of its track, but soon part of the fire began landing on their own friendly ships. Don't forget: this whole area was warships Han Tianwang had assembled; firing toward the middle, if it hit the enemy, well and good. But if it missed — one can imagine where those rounds went. Who suffered but the friendly ships!
"Young Master Han, we have no interstellar anti-stealth ships. We can't find that stealth bomber anymore," the pirate boss said helplessly. To deal with a stealth bomber in cloak, one relied either on the anti-cloak devices installed at certain military fortresses and starports, or on dedicated interstellar anti-stealth ships. But the interstellar anti-stealth ship was an obscure class! Apart from some regular Imperial fleets, which fielded a small number of them, would this lot of the Reef Star Region have interstellar anti-stealth ships?
"Damn it!" Han Tianwang shook his fist in fury — his mood, just then, exactly like the feeling of a fist smashing into empty air.
"Young Master Han, a stealth bomber can only make one round of attack; reloading and resupply afterward take a long time. In the fighting that follows, it basically poses no more threat to us. The most important thing now is to win this battle. That warship can cloak — but the fleet opposite can't cloak!" the pirate boss said, talking him round.
Han Tianwang stared at Zhao Chen's interstellar fleet opposite; now he'd shifted his fury onto Zhao Chen. "Zhao Chen…" Han Tianwang ground his teeth. The battle had scarcely begun, and it had already cost him four T3 warships — a slap in his face!
"Attack! Attack at full speed! Destroy every one of those accursed warships for me!" Just as Han Tianwang was giving the order—
An alarm sounded on his bridge. "Warning! Interstellar missiles detected inbound!"
Han Tianwang watched the enemy's interstellar missiles already beginning to fall toward his fleet. Though his fleet's warships had begun to intercept, the effect was unremarkable. The first volley of interstellar missiles detonated within a region of his fleet, fireballs blooming one after another, devouring his warships. The scene was magnificent indeed.
Watching it, Han Tianwang's heart bled!