60-odd interstellar warships?
Those 60-odd warships in the display all bore a uniform gray paint; though one could judge the rough ship-types from their shapes and styling, in the database there was simply no record of information on these models of warship at all. And among them were several suspected T3 warships!
For interstellar warships of unknown origin like these, by rights one ought not to launch an attack rashly. But there was nothing to be done — the other side had a T3 heavy carrier starship, and if this mothership couldn't be destroyed, then those fighters and drones would keep coming on in wave after wave, without cease. That would only leave their own warships to a slow, lingering death.
"There's no time to drag it out. Relay my order — the whole fleet is to assault; at any cost, that T3 carrier starship must be destroyed!" The boss, the Big-Eye King, gave the order to the five interstellar fleets.
The five fleets' commanders each held some fear of these unknown-origin warships before them — for that earlier bout of attack had genuinely left them wary indeed: the terrifying destructive power of the interstellar missiles, and the dense swarms of fighters and drones! — yet the boss was not wrong. In this battle, if they were to defeat the attackers, that T3 heavy carrier starship was a threshold they simply had to cross!
2,000 warships began, of their own initiative, to launch their assault, their target pointed straight at the T3 heavy carrier starship opposite.
T3 Phoenix-class Heavy Carrier Starship · bridge.
"The enemy fleet is charging toward us! If they go un-intercepted, it's projected that in 15 minutes they could directly threaten our T3 heavy carrier starship," Deputy captain Chitong said from the side.
"Don't intercept them too tightly — you can let a little come through." Zhao Chen raised a hand and, within the whole defensive formation, deliberately laid out several gaps.
Chitong at once grasped the Commander's meaning. Were it a flawless defense with no gaps, then the enemy fleet would be sure to break through at any cost, seeking to tear open a rent. But if the Owl Dragon Fleet deliberately laid open a few gaps, then that would be choosing an attack route for the enemy fleet — and the Owl Dragon Fleet could make its arrangements around it well in advance, and prepare a few "little surprises" for the other side. Of course, a tactic of this kind carried risk; without control enough to command it, it could all too easily be a case of failing to steal the chicken and losing the handful of rice besides. But Zhao Chen had great confidence in his Owl Dragon Fleet, and Chitong, too, agreed with this arrangement of Commander Zhao Chen's.
"Have the T2 Queen Bee begin deploying its drone swarm, to work in concert with the warships on the defensive line. 50 T2 Black Rhinos form the first defensive line; 10 T2 Snow Mastiffs may choose their own opponents freely. 10 T3 Blizzards adapt as circumstances change — relying on their high mobility, they go wherever they're needed," Zhao Chen said.
"Yes." Lilith and Chitong refined Zhao Chen's thinking a touch and relayed it down.
One Owl Dragon Fleet warship after another stood at the ready, arrayed for battle!
Meanwhile, the T3 Phoenix's ship deck welcomed the first batch of returning fighters. The first to return was a T3 Fire Phoenix-class heavy interstellar stealth bomber; it swiftly set down on the hull deck, then, by way of the lift equipment, entered the hangar. The whole process was smooth as flowing clouds and running water — needing a bare span of under three seconds!
Within the hangar, a fighter-maintenance team of three had long been ready. Seeing the T3 Fire Phoenix slowly descend, the three exchanged a glance and at once set about their work.
"Logistics team 022, begin the servicing of Fire Phoenix No.12. Number Two, you're responsible for the energy resupply; Number Three, you're responsible for replenishing the interstellar bombs." The team leader swiftly laid out each of their tasks.
Worker Number Two tapped a few times on the operating panel before her, and an energy-resupply port docked onto Fire Phoenix No.12's energy-resupply port, and began replenishing Fire Phoenix No.12. Worker Number Three was at the belly of the craft; she raised her head and looked at the now-emptied concealed bomb bay for the interstellar bombs.
"By the look of it, our 'candy' is quite popular — pity there's no feedback on the user experience." As she spoke, she'd already begun working the new interstellar bombs into place, replenishing them one by one. Though the vast bulk of both of their tasks was handled by machines, the two of them still had to observe closely at hand, making certain there was not the slightest error!
Number One, the team leader, meanwhile operated a single-person hover platform, and circled once around Fire Phoenix No.12, her eyes sweeping over every panel of the craft's outer shell. Her task was, together with the machines, to inspect the returned Fire Phoenix No.12 — a double safeguard, each checking the other — and then to make emergency repairs to any damaged spots. Meanwhile, several lines were plugged into Fire Phoenix No.12's body; this was the testing of the various software modules within the craft, making certain that its every system had suffered no damage in the battle just past.
Click.
Fire Phoenix No.12's cockpit canopy opened.
"Whew…" The co-pilot removed her helmet and let out a long breath; though the combat suit had ventilation equipment, her head was nonetheless drenched in sweat.
"How are the two of you doing?" Worker Number One rose to a height level with the cockpit and asked the two pilots.
The main pilot removed her own helmet. "I'm doing just fine."
"Do you need resupply fluid?" Worker Number One asked.
"Get me a bottle." The co-pilot said, panting for breath, her whole face flushed a feverish red.
"Just look at your poor showing. Back at the Goddess Academy, for a battle like this, I could sortie five times over!" the main pilot said proudly.
The co-pilot, unwilling to be bested, said, "I'm just a little nervous — before, it was all simulated combat; I'll adapt in a bit."
Being an interstellar-fighter pilot was no simple work. Beyond requiring the relevant piloting skills, it made extreme demands on one's physical constitution. For within so small a fighter, there could be no comprehensive personnel-protection system such as a large interstellar warship had. With the fighter at high speed, the pilot's body had to bear enormous pressure. What seemed an easy sortie of under 10 minutes might be the equal, for an ordinary person on a planet's surface, of climbing 50 flights of stairs in a single breath!
"Anyone who can become a fighter pilot aboard this carrier starship must, at the least, have completed five echelons of sortie missions — and that's only the most basic requirement." A voice came from opposite.
Everyone's gaze turned to look, and there, docked opposite, was a T3 Phoenix-class interstellar fighter, with the number 001 inscribed upon its body. That was the fighter flight wing-commander of the T3 Phoenix-class Heavy Carrier Starship, Pei Shengnan.
"Wing-Commander Pei!" The whole group at once laid a hand over their hearts and saluted.
Set against their state, Pei Shengnan, just now, showed not a change of expression — only a few strands of the bangs on her forehead were stuck to it by the sweat.
"This is our first combat mission; don't go making a disgrace of yourselves," Pei Shengnan said coldly. Then she put her helmet back on and once more sat down into the cockpit of her interstellar fighter.
Set against the T3 Fire Phoenix-class heavy interstellar stealth bomber, the T3 Phoenix-class interstellar fighter completed its resupply faster.
"Phoenix 001, requesting a second sortie!"
"Sortie permitted; you'll use Channel 7."