Having redeemed the auxiliary-type T3 warship, what came next to be chosen was, naturally, a combat-type T3 warship.
Zhao Chen cast an eye over the ship-types of the interstellar warships he possessed: carrier starship, interstellar battlecruiser, interstellar frigate, interstellar missile ship, interstellar stealth bomber. In the future Zhao Chen was to build an interstellar fleet of strong comprehensive strength, and so, naturally, the ship-types would need to be comprehensive as well. At present, by the look of it, the ship-types he lacked were the three major types: the interstellar battleship, the interstellar cruiser, and the interstellar destroyer. And, as it happened, the performances of these three ship-types were precisely each distinct.
The interstellar battleship was the main-force warship of the interstellar battlefield; its chief combat task was the advance on the frontal battlefield — colloquially "the flat-push" — and it was renowned for high armor and sustained high firepower.
The interstellar cruiser was the support-type warship of the interstellar battlefield; it generally sought high speed, so the weapons and armor aboard it would be somewhat the lesser. Its chief tasks were supporting a local battlefield, interpenetrating enemy formations, long-distance raids, and the like.
As for the interstellar destroyer — that needed no great explaining; it was the all-purpose salve of the interstellar battlefield.
"To speak the truth, I want them all. But at present, on the capacity side, there's no mass-producing so many models of warship at once." Zhao Chen rubbed at his chin. This was, in truth, a most vexing problem.
"Building interstellar destroyers would, beyond doubt, expand a great number of warships in the shortest time — for the interstellar destroyer's build efficiency is second only to the interstellar frigate's. But at present I can't build too many warships; a tall tree catches the wind. As for interstellar cruisers… the Blizzard is enough for now, too. On the contrary, for the frontal-battlefield advance — the Owl Dragon Fleet's present combat system is one of missile ships matched with frigates, and then carrier starships in support. Against an enemy fleet small in number, it can still, through high firepower output, end the fight in a short time; but if the enemy fleet's numbers are too great, and the battle drags into a tug-of-war — then there must be a warship that commands and steadies the whole scene." Zhao Chen at last settled on his choice.
A man's romance!
The giant-ship, giant-gun series!
Zhao Chen leafed through the various models of interstellar battleship, and in the end settled on the one he was fondest of.
Expend 15,000 System points and 15 task points to redeem the item "T3 Imperial-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship" technical blueprint?
"Confirm."
Congratulations — acquired the "T3 Imperial-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship" technical blueprint.
Before — System points: 178,000
Before — task points: 310
Spent — System points: 15,000
Spent — task points: 15
After — System points: 163,000
After — task points: 295
"This name… if word of it gets around, might it not displease that certain someone in the Starlight Empire?" Zhao Chen muttered under his breath. Happily, though the Starlight Empire was a monarchy, it wasn't so feudal as to come making trouble for you over the giving of a name.
And this T3 Imperial of Zhao Chen's was the interstellar battleship most suited to the Owl Dragon Fleet just now.
Imperial-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship
Ship-type: Interstellar Battleship
Tech grade: T3
Hull armor strength: 10,000–12,000 units
Shield energy value: 59,000 units
Cruising speed: 110 star-knots
Warp engine: tier-6 warp engine
Length: 3,580 meters
Mass: 980,000 tons
Crew posts: 500
Ship weapons: one Imperial-class heavy cluster-pulse bow cannon; six 5,600mm-bore heavy railgun main guns; sixty-eight quad-mount heavy pulse-laser rapid-fire cannons; three hundred fully automatic medium-density point-defense guns.
Zhao Chen had only taken a brief glance at this T3 Imperial's performance data, and he felt his own heartbeat had quickened by no small measure. This interstellar battleship could well be called armed to the teeth; the weapon modules it was fitted with, by count alone, were several times the T3 Blizzard's! Of course, in speed it was under half the T3 Blizzard's cruising speed.
This interstellar battleship had no particular black-tech; it merely pushed each of the T3-tech-grade interstellar-battleship technologies to their very peak! Among the T3 interstellar battleships known to be in the Galactic Alliance's active service, not one was its match. Zhao Chen even dared say that, in the matter of a warship one-on-one, the T3 Imperial had no rival within its tier! Indeed, facing some small- and medium-sized T4 warships, it had, too, odds of winning a cross-tier challenge!
And the T3 Imperial's build cost was around 100 million star coins; built by a T3 Furnace-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ship, the build cycle needed about two months. Its single-unit build cost already exceeded the T3 Phoenix's.
"This time I go back, there's another great batch of interstellar warships to build. Whatever the Starlight Empire may kick up in the future — so long as one's own strength is sufficient, one can sit as steady as Mount Tai!"[1] Zhao Chen thought inwardly.
Beep, beep, beep, beep.
Zhao Chen opened his eyes and looked at the comm window that had popped up — it was sent by Chu Xuan. Zhao Chen tapped it open.
"I hear you're going back to the Owl Dragon System?" Chu Xuan asked, going straight to the point. Chu Xuan knew of the matter of Zhao Chen leaving because, for Zhao Chen's Owl Dragon Fleet to return to the Owl Dragon System, the procedure required a report to the North Wind Governor's command system. For, after all, your lord-fleet had taken part in the fighting; were you to leave without a word, then when the time came to arrange your fleet into the fighting, wouldn't that lead to a whole string of problems?
"That's right. Just now the hive-race disaster's been brought under control, and my fleet, after this stretch of fierce fighting, needs to return and regroup a while too. So there's no need to linger here any longer," Zhao Chen said.
"True enough." Chu Xuan blinked at Zhao Chen. "Your Owl Dragon Fleet has done no small merit this time. I heard my grandfather say he's preparing to petition the Empire's side to request merit for you; a promotion in office and rank is a certain thing. And besides, the related rewards for the hive-race campaign won't be few either. Though these approvals coming through will, by all estimates, take a month or two. Let me offer my congratulations in advance."
"Eldest Miss Chu's killing of a T4 Hive Mothership this time is no small merit either." Zhao Chen came out with a round of mutual business flattery.
Chu Xuan rolled her eyes. "That's enough — stop flattering me. In that situation at the time, had it not been for your Owl Dragon Fleet's coordination, then relying on the 300 warships in my hands alone, there'd have been no possibility whatsoever of destroying that T4 Hive Mothership."
Zhao Chen smiled and said nothing.
As for the battle report upon that blitz campaign, the account he sent up to his superiors laid every scrap of the outward credit upon Chu Xuan.
This was a thing he had talked over and settled with her: any substantial reward might come to him, but the empty fame and the like could simply go to her.
Chu Xuan was in future to inherit the title of Governor of Chu River, and so she naturally needed some accumulation of prestige besides.
And so the two of them had agreed to this manner of "distribution."
"All right, no more idle talk with you. In truth I've got to make ready to head back too; by all estimates, for a stretch of time after this we won't be seeing each other." Chu Xuan flicked back a lock of her lovely hair.
"Oh? What's this — you're going off to become a nun?" Zhao Chen ribbed.