Zhao Chen looked at the T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser before him, just then undergoing its final painting; the whole hull employed a paint-scheme design of a red ground with gold trim.
At a sudden glance, it was for all the world like a crimson divine bird soaring the star-sea.
At this moment, the industrial robots in charge of the painting were carrying out the last step of the work.
A crimson Owl Dragon Legion crest was spray-painted upon the hull, and behind it, besides, was the hull-number "001."
This would be the Owl Dragon Legion's first T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser — but it would absolutely not be the last.
"Reporting, Commander — the T4 Vermilion Bird No. 1 ship is completed; next it will undergo the trial-voyage testing," Chief Engineer Annie reported to Zhao Chen over video, in a properly formal manner.
"I mean to take part in the first trial voyage." There was a heat in Zhao Chen's gaze.
As the first voyage of the Owl Dragon Legion's first T4 Vermilion Bird, how could Zhao Chen miss so important a "first"?
Annie hesitated a moment, but in the end agreed to Zhao Chen's request.
"Lord Commander…" Chitong, at his side, looked at Zhao Chen with an eager, imploring gaze.
What this fellow was thinking in her heart — how could Zhao Chen not know?
Any starship captain whatsoever yearned for the day they might board a T4-grade interstellar warship; that was a thing all captains looked to with longing.
"Make ready — you'll board the ship together with me," Zhao Chen said.
"Yes!" Chitong at once went to charge others with taking over her own duties, and thereupon set out together with Zhao Chen.
The two of them boarded a shuttle and headed for the T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser; at the same time, there were, besides, several small transport craft attempting to dock with the T4 Vermilion Bird.
Because what these transport craft were conveying was, precisely, the first batch of the T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser's crew.
Early on, back when the T4 Vermilion Bird's construction was first greenlit and begun, the relevant crew training had already started.
They were all elite crew members transferred over from the various starships.
"Lord Commander, the T4 Vermilion Bird's acting captain reports to you: the crew are boarding the ship, entering their various department posts. It's estimated that two hours from now we can begin the trial-voyage operation." Charlotte had gotten into position early, to receive Zhao Chen.
"Then I'll go to the bridge first," Zhao Chen said.
Zhao Chen and his party came to the brand-new bridge.
A T4-grade interstellar warship's bridge was more comprehensive and advanced than a T3-grade's; everywhere one could see hovering crystal windows.
Zhao Chen walked to the position of the captain's chair and sat down; the captain's chair hovered two meters off the floor, and Zhao Chen swept a look around the whole bridge.
He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath — this, just this, was his T4-grade interstellar warship.
Chitong, who'd come along after him, was likewise holding down her excited mood, looking at the bridge of this T4 interstellar warship.
She had never, in all her life, imagined that she'd, of all things, have the chance to board the bridge of a T4-grade interstellar warship.
Indeed… in the future, she was more than likely to, moreover, have the good fortune to command a T4 interstellar warship into battle.
Charlotte, at this point, walked into the bridge at a slow pace; before this, she'd made an inspection tour of all the departments within the ship.
"Reporting, Lord Commander — all departments are now standing by. The trial voyage may proceed." Charlotte looked toward Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen nodded.
"Begin the trial voyage."
"Yes." Charlotte raised a hand, and the command system was, in an instant, presented three-dimensionally before her; her words could be conveyed at once to the various department posts.
"The trial voyage begins; conduct a self-check of the full ship's system modules."
"Energy system self-check complete; running normal."
"Transmission system self-check complete; running normal."
"Weapon system…"
"Plug-in system…"
"Life-support system…"
"Master-control system…"
"Reporting — all the ship's system modules are entirely normal, without any problem." a crew member reported to Charlotte.
"Begin conducting all 121 trial-voyage items," Charlotte said.
The next second, the whole bridge's walls turned transparent, and one could clearly see the cosmic scene outside — for all the world like a huge 360-degree glass porthole.
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair, admiring this beautiful sight.
The T4 Vermilion Bird's trial-voyage items were completed, one after another.
"Conduct the speed test — enter normal-navigation mode, maximum speed!" Charlotte ordered.
Before Zhao Chen's eyes there thereupon surfaced a speed figure.
Current speed: 360 star-knots.
And thereafter, this starship accelerated at an astonishing speed, reaching 630 star-knots in the space of a few breaths.
"Deploy the target units; use the weapon systems to fire." Charlotte handed down the order.
Target-drone after target-drone was now deployed; the weapon systems on the exterior of the T4 Vermilion Bird took aim at these target drones, and thereupon opened fire.
Even under the astonishing sailing speed of 630 star-knots, these weapons ran normally, and could precisely wipe out the targets.
"Enter gear-one Vermilion Bird mode, deploy the target drones at the same time, and test the weapon systems." Charlotte carried out the next test item.
The T4 Vermilion Bird's speed climbed further, going straight from 630 star-knots to 910 star-knots.
At the same time, the three bow cannons automatically retracted into the interior of the hull; at the position where the three bow cannons had originally been, there remained only smooth hull armor — not a trace of a single seam to be seen.
After a series of weapon tests, this item, too, was again completed to perfection.
Right after came the gear-two Vermilion Bird mode test: the 12 main guns retracted into the hull's interior, and under 1,400 star-knots, the weapon systems ran normally.
"Activate gear-three Vermilion Bird mode." Charlotte handed down the final test order.
Chitong, seeing this, couldn't help but hold her breath.
She'd heard that the T4 Vermilion Bird's gear-three mode could reach, at fastest, 2,100 star-knots!
This was a normal sailing speed that, in the whole Galactic Alliance as it now stood, not a single interstellar warship could touch!
Indeed, one might say it left the second-place ship several streets behind!
The whole T4 Vermilion Bird's weapon modules were all retracted into the hull's interior; the T4 Vermilion Bird was for all the world like a crimson-flame divine bird, its feathers drawn in, racing at full speed.
Zhao Chen and Chitong, situated within the bridge, could very plainly feel that the speed at which the surrounding star-bodies fell away behind them was quickening!
"This… this speed!" Chitong felt her own blood surging to a boil.
Imagine so swift an interstellar warship appearing upon the battlefield.
If you hadn't the ability to seize the chance to destroy it in a single blow — or else to form, with several hundred, even several thousand, times the interstellar warships, a seamlessly tight ring of encirclement — then you would bear the ceaseless harassment and assault of this interstellar warship, and you wouldn't even have any chance whatsoever to strike back.
Because your sailing speed simply couldn't catch up to the other's!
At the last, the T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser maintained a sailing speed of 2,100 star-knots for a full hour, all its data normal.
And this proclaimed, too, that this T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser's trial voyage was complete!
"Reporting, Commander — the T4 Vermilion Bird's trial voyage is complete; all trial-voyage items are fully finished. Report complete!" Charlotte looked toward Zhao Chen, her eyes filled with excitement.