Everyone in the spectators' seats looked at that derelict asteroid set within the duel zone, where one could see the ship, its hull severely deformed — not a single stretch of hull armor left whole, one might say.
Several spots had "great holes" bored clean through them, and the culprit behind those great holes was, of course, that T2 Black-Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy-Assault Frigate's big black horn.
Several interstellar barges and small interstellar medical craft had already begun sailing over to carry out rescue work on the ship's crew.
This scene was a good deal graver than the earlier state of Zhao Wan'er's T2 Fire-Crow-class Heavy Interstellar Battlecruiser.
The arbiter accordingly declared the winner of this starship duel: the Northstar Academy's Zhao Wan'er.
"Aiya, I'm so terribly sorry. Our academy's students simply have no sense of restraint, and have gone and left your student's ship in such a state. Tell you what — our academy can carry out basic repairs, to make sure it can sail safely back to your Heaven's Glory Academy's starport." Vice-Dean Hong, at this moment, was drawing himself up in triumph, looking at Vice-Dean Jia beside him with a face all smiles.
Vice-Dean Jia gave a muffled snort. "No need."
With that she turned straight around and left the spectators' seats.
The rest of the Heaven's Glory Academy's cadets all cleared off in defeat as well.
"Hey, don't go. Weren't you all so very arrogant a moment ago — how come now you haven't a word to say?"
"Your Heaven's Glory Academy's ships aren't up to much either — can't even beat one interstellar frigate of ours."
"An interstellar battlecruiser hammered to bits by an interstellar frigate — if it were me, I'd have found a pit and buried myself long ago."
The Northstar Academy students were, each of them, as excited as if they themselves had won the battle.
"These Heaven's Glory Academy people are just too high-and-mighty; leaning on being an academy directly under the empire, they look down on every other military academy." Vice-Dean Hong gave a cold snort.
At this moment his mood was thoroughly splendid; over these days he'd suffered no small measure of these Heaven's Glory Academy folk's insufferable arrogance.
Still, that T2 Black-Rhino a moment ago had been truly strong; the ship's armor strength was terrifying past belief, and there was that short-range accelerating assault ability once it closed on the enemy ship besides.
Hard to believe so small a ship should have such powerful acceleration and defense.
How was it he'd never heard of any such T2 interstellar frigate on the market?
Just as Vice-Dean Hong was thinking to have a word with that Cadet Zhao Chen about this ship, he found Zhao Chen and his group had long since vanished without a trace.
Truly a mysterious student.
……
"Look, look! The latest report's out — the T2 Purple-Rose-class Medium Interstellar Battlecruiser's hull armor overall damage reaches 60%, with the worst spots pierced clean through! 37 compartments damaged and sealed. Even the ship's main frame-structure strength is damaged 20% — past 30% and it'd be on the brink of coming apart! Captain Zhou Min injured, her face severely deformed… hahahaha… so it turns out this woman had a surgically altered face. Seven crew of the whole ship dead, 26 gravely wounded, 57 wounded to various degrees. By estimate, the repair bill for this T2 Purple-Rose will reach an astonishing 3 million star coins! Hahaha… that's near enough to buy a brand-new T2 interstellar frigate or destroyer."
On the way, as Zhao Chen and the others went to find Zhao Wan'er, Xue Xiaoxiao rattled on without cease about the reports on this starship duel.
"Old Zhao, this interstellar frigate's simply too impressive — a few thumps, bam bam bam, and it knocked that T2 Purple-Rose right to pieces. Where'd you get this interstellar frigate of yours!" Li Wei looked at Zhao Chen, curious.
"Want one?" Zhao Chen didn't answer directly, but asked back.
Li Wei was taken aback, then nodded without cease. "So fine an interstellar frigate — who wouldn't want it! Not even fazed dueling an interstellar battlecruiser!"
"When I have the time, I'll fix you one up," Zhao Chen said.
Right now he hadn't such production capacity — but building one more T2 Black-Rhino in the future would be the easiest of things.
"Truly! Brother Zhao! You're my true brother." Li Wei, no time now to inquire into the ship's origins, had already fallen to imagining owning such an interstellar frigate himself.
"Brother Zhao, you're still single, aren't you! Would you consider my sister? Her temper's bad, and she's a bit on in years, and not as gentle as a girl ought to be. But she's a great beauty all the same!"
Zhao Chen didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Over one interstellar frigate you'd sell off your own sister?
"Brother Zhao, fix me up a T2 Black-Rhino too, and I could consider…" Xue Xiaoxiao said temptingly, "telling you Senior Su Lan's contact details, and her measurements, and her likes and dislikes! You should know, that Han Tianwang promised me no end of benefits for this information, and I haven't breathed a word!"
Well now — here was another selling off her senior.
"Don't you love giant ships and giant guns? How could so small a ship ever catch the young lady's eye?" Zhao Chen teased Xue Xiaoxiao.
Xue Xiaoxiao said with a grin, "I've come to find there's something to what you said before — being a bit hard is quite nice too; though of course giant ships and giant guns are still what I love best! When the time comes, my giant gun paired with your little steel cannon — wouldn't that be splendid!"
For these two, who lived for nothing but starships, and would sell off sister and senior alike, Zhao Chen could only offer a moment of silence on behalf of the sister and the senior.
"For the short term I have no means for it; when I have a supply line in the future, I'll think of you two first thing," Zhao Chen promised.
"One of these can't be too pricey, can it?" Li Wei asked, feeling him out.
His family had just gotten him a T2 Hyena-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer; too pricey and he couldn't bear it.
"Not pricey; market price won't top 3 million star coins, and I can give you a discount when the time comes," Zhao Chen said.
This was the plain truth; the profit range for a general T2 ship ran around twentyfold.
Take the T2 Hyena-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer, priced around 4 million star coins — its build cost was only 200,000.
But this T2 Black-Rhino of Zhao Chen's was rather special; taken to market, a thirtyfold profit would be no excess.
The one shortcoming, perhaps, was its want of firepower.
Soon the three reached the berth where the T2 Black-Rhino was docked.
Li Wei and Xue Xiaoxiao first thing circled round the ship for a look.
"The hell — truly not a single major wound. Plenty of small scuffs, but the only large-area damage is this one, 50 centimeters across and 10 deep!" Li Wei exclaimed.
"Wow, wow, wow… this big black horn…" Xue Xiaoxiao stood at the position in front of the bow, tipped her head back, and gazed with shining eyes at that gleaming, polished big black horn.