In the communications channel, Magelyn spoke up without the slightest restraint.
“Your fighting style has changed a lot but your strategy is still just as devious! First, you used the new detection system to scare the rebel army into a state of suspicion and uncertainty. Then you deepened that fear, shook their morale and conveniently cut off Donald’s supplies. In two consecutive battles, you not only successfully terrified them and depleted Donald’s fighting strength, you also took the opportunity to figure out their current capabilities!”
She sighed.
“Thank goodness we’re on your side.”
Pojun spoke.
“Miss Magelyn, the word ‘devious’ means appearing kind and harmless on the surface while scheming, deceiving and harboring ill intentions behind the scenes. I believe this word is not applicable to the General.”
Because Pojun had addressed her as “Miss,” Magelyn was uncharacteristically modest.
“Pojun, what part of it do you think doesn’t apply?”
Pojun answered, “The General does not appear kind and harmless on the surface.”
Magelyn laughed so hard she almost stopped breathing.
“Commander, see? Pojun has a pair of wise eyes!”
Pojun replied very politely, “Thank you for your praise, Miss Magelyn.”
Lu Fenghan finally realized that even the pure and innocent Pojun from before had been corrupted by this group of people.
He could not help looking toward Qi Yan.
Qi Yan looked back at him in confusion, his eyes as clear and clean as spring water.
Under the table, their fingers were still hooked together.
Lu Fenghan thought that a person could not be too greedy.
At the very least, he still had Qi Yan beside him, a piece of pure, untouched land that belonged only to him.
In the communications channel, several people continued their verbal sparring without pause but none of it interfered with the actual business at hand.
After Pojun precisely detonated another eight enemy ships that had attempted to approach and carry out self detonation attacks, the rebel army finally stopped resorting to those low level tricks.
Duchamp, charging at the very front, called out over the communications channel,
“The rebel army’s vanguard is cowering and refusing to come forward. What the hell, is there a magnet inside that turtle shell of theirs? Is it sucking them back in so they can’t even stick their heads out? Magelyn, let’s form a team. I’ll go shake them up a couple of times and lure them out. The moment they stick even a little bit of their heads out of that shell, you hit them hard!”
Magelyn immediately agreed.
“No problem!”
Long Xiyun joined in.
“Once you lure them out, I’ll take a squad and cut diagonally into their formation, then sever their retreat.”
Duchamp said, “We’re brothers!”
Long Xiyun replied, “The supplies we confiscate, ”
Duchamp immediately changed his tune.
“Don’t mention the supplies. If you leave those out, we can barely still call ourselves brothers!”
At the same time, beneath the curtain of space, Duchamp commanded the Jiangling to pretend to dodge the missiles flying diagonally past them.
“Accidentally,” the Jiangling entered the firing range of the enemy vanguard.
Then it pretended to be unable to evade in time, allowing the tail of the ship to be grazed by an incoming laser cannon.
A streak of charred black was left across the outer layer of its armor.
Looking rather disheveled, the Jiangling abruptly swung its bow around and hurriedly retreated to one side. The entire fleet, including the escort ships and fighter ships, moved in unison, their formation curving as they attempted to pull themselves out of firing range.
How could the rebel army’s vanguard possibly let such a good opportunity slip away?
The fleet that had been cautiously hiding like turtles finally emerged, opening its sharp beak like a vulture about to peck out its prey’s eyes and lunging toward the Jiangling!
In the blink of an eye, the Chanyuan and its accompanying ships pushed their propulsion systems to maximum output and came rushing in like a long blade freshly quenched in cold water. Particle cannons opened the way. In an instant, they blasted the enemy ships trailing behind the Jiangling until not even ashes remained.
There was even a gap in the enemy formation, as though a vulture had had its head and neck severed.
Before the rebel army had even had time to determine what was happening, Long Xiyun was already leading the line of fighter ships into position. They plunged straight into the center like a volley of arrows blazing with dazzling cold light!
Immediately afterward, the ships simultaneously turned their bows ninety degrees and unleashed laser cannons as though the ammunition cost nothing at all. After the silent explosions, all that remained was a scattered field of wreckage.
On the rebel army’s monitoring screens, the formation that had originally resembled an eagle lost its “head” and “chest and abdomen” in the blink of an eye, leaving only its wings and tail feathers intact.
The entire thing had happened in no more than the space of a breath!
Donald shot to his feet, his face turning ashen with anger.
“What happened?”
The person delivering the report had gone pale with terror.
“Report! The Chanyuan fleet came far too quickly. We couldn’t retreat in time and the fighter fleet behind us has cut off our route. The vanguard has no way to retreat backward, while the forces in the rear have no way to advance and provide support!”
His voice grew quieter toward the end.
What he did not dare say outright was that the enemy’s morale was so overwhelming that, putting it nicely, their own side was being cautious. Put less nicely, they were simply too frightened to advance because they could not win.
Seeing that the fleet had been scattered and that even after half a minute there was still no sign of them restoring their formation, Donald connected to every communications channel and barked,
“Anyone who dares evade battle will be executed together with their entire formation!”
On the Dingyuan, Lu Fenghan looked at the multidimensional star map displayed on the virtual screen and issued his orders.
“Duchamp and Magelyn, Wayne and Long Xiyun, switch to a V shaped encirclement. Each group, surround one of the enemy’s flanks. Raise every missile booster you’ve got. We’re grilling chicken wings. Understand?”
Magelyn responded cheerfully at the top of her voice.
“Understood!”
Long Xiyun also answered.
“Yes!”
The virtual starlight from the star map reflected in Lu Fenghan’s eyes.
“Seal the encirclement tight. Don’t let a single enemy ship escape.”
“No problem!” Duchamp asked another question. “Commander, are you going after Donald yourself?”
“Mm. I’ll deal with him personally.”
Donald was currently considering whether he should fight desperately to the end or withdraw from the battlefield.
His adjutant stood beside him, his gaze fixed straight ahead as he gave him a discreet reminder.
“Legion Commander, you don’t have much time left to make your decision.”
The rebel army’s vanguard had been completely wiped out by the Expeditionary Army, while both flanks had already been surrounded. Donald was positioned at the very rear, so he still had some room to breathe but the moment he entered the Expeditionary Army’s firing range, he would become an obvious target.
Seeing that he was still hesitating, the adjutant continued persuading him.
“The outcome of the battle is already decided but you can still make a comeback.”
He phrased the words “we’ve already lost” as tactfully as possible.
Donald had his own considerations.
“We all know what happened to the previous legion commander. I’m not one of the Wise One’s trusted direct subordinates.”
The adjutant understood what he was worried about.
Unlike the commanders of the Third and Sixth Legions, who enjoyed the Wise One’s deep trust, Donald had certainly accomplished a great deal in the two major battles last year. He had crossed the Lisbon Star Front and successively seized Turin Star and York Star.
But his achievements could not make up for his failures.
He still could not withstand the Wise One’s fury over a defeat.
He would die.
And he would likely die without the slightest shred of dignity.
Although the Wise One constantly spoke of “God’s love for all mankind” and “God’s mercy,” Donald knew very well that the Wise One possessed no such thing as mercy.
The adjutant was Donald’s trusted confidant. He lowered his voice until it was barely audible.
“We don’t have to go back.”
Donald suddenly turned to look at him.
In that instant, Donald thought through countless possibilities.
He could temporarily lie low and avoid the storm. Later, when he returned, he could claim that he had accidentally been swept into a temporal turbulence, or perhaps negotiate some sort of cooperation with interstellar pirates…
He quickly made his decision.
“Retreat immediately. Withdraw from the battlefield!”
One of his subordinates hurriedly asked,
“Do we need to recall the remaining forces?”
Donald’s expression was cold.
“There’s no time. We can’t worry about them anymore. We’re leaving directly!”
The subordinate wanted to say something but his long standing fear prevented him from contradicting his superior’s order.
“…Yes.”
Once the decision to retreat had been made, Donald’s anxiety eased somewhat.
“The fleets on both flanks can help hold off the Expeditionary Army for us. If necessary, push the accompanying escort ships forward. They can serve as human shields and provide cover. There’s no problem with the main ship withdrawing from the battlefield.”
The adjutant nodded in agreement.
Just then, the entire monitoring screen suddenly became saturated with red light and someone shouted,
“Enemy attack! They’ve entered firing range!”
Donald’s throat tightened.
“The Dingyuan?”
“Not the Dingyuan. It’s a formation of medium sized ships! They’re circling around and attacking from the side and rear. There’s an asteroid belt over there, which is interfering with our radar detection!”
Donald breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as the Dingyuan had not arrived and Lu Fenghan himself had not appeared, there was still a chance for him to escape alive!
His mind settled.
“Put the escort ships in the rear. Use missiles to strike them and cover the main ship’s retreat!”
The moment the order was given, however, he realized that something was wrong.
If the Chanyuan and Jiangling were attacking the left flank while the Pingning and Feilian were attacking the right flank, then the Dingyuan, which was supposed to be covering the rear, could not possibly still be sitting in place.
According to Lu Fenghan’s usual style of fighting,
He had never been afraid of dying and charged to the front every single time.
In other words, Lu Fenghan had definitely come.
Donald’s airway seemed to constrict.
“Check again! The Dingyuan might be hidden among the medium sized fleet!”
Before he could even finish the order, the starship beneath their feet suddenly shook violently!
“Report! The main ship has been hit by a high energy particle cannon! The starboard artillery platform has been destroyed! Awaiting instructions!”
“Report! We’re under enemy fire! A breach has appeared in our defenses! Awaiting instructions!”
A high energy particle cannon?
Amid the chaos and shouting all around him, Donald’s mind struggled to process the information.
Only the main ship could be equipped with a high energy particle cannon. A medium sized ship simply could not bear the energy requirements.
That meant,
“It’s Lu Fenghan! Report! The attack came from the Dingyuan! We’ve lost contact with the escort ships! The stern has sustained severe damage! The propulsion system has been affected! Awaiting instructions!”
When the three words “Lu Fenghan” were called out, even the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
The gray black Dingyuan was like a ferry drifting across the River Styx, while Lu Fenghan himself was a grim reaper capable of making anyone’s heart tremble.
No one could forget how the previous legion commander had once seized a rare mineral planet, only to immediately order every single miner there to be tortured and slaughtered.
Less than two days later, Lu Fenghan had personally led his fleet there. Not only had he reclaimed ownership of the mineral planet, he had also forced the former legion commander into such a desperate state that, with neither men nor warships left to him, he had fled in disgrace with his personal guards.
The former legion commander had once tried to negotiate peace with Lu Fenghan, arguing that several thousand miners were nothing more than insignificant weeds and that there was no need to make such a huge issue out of their deaths.
Lu Fenghan had replied indifferently, “They are all citizens of the Alliance. No one’s life is insignificant. Blood debts must always be repaid with a life.”
It was also on that occasion that Lu Fenghan had issued the order to “clear the ships”, to wipe out every enemy vessel.
For a very long time afterward, the three words “Lu Fenghan” seemed steeped in a heavy crimson hue. Even when spoken aloud, it was as though one could smell the reek of blood.
The video call forcibly connected into the ship.
On the screen, Lu Fenghan’s lips curled with undisguised mockery. “A year has passed since we last crossed swords yet Commander Donald, you still haven’t made any progress. All you know how to do is use other people as stepping stones while paving the way for your own escape.”
Donald tightened his grip around the armrests of his seat, anger churning inside him.
The man’s intentions were far too obvious.
Was he trying to provoke a mutiny at the front line with a single sentence?
Yet when Donald turned his gaze around, he found that all the subordinates nearby had lowered their heads and turned their faces away, making their expressions impossible to see.
Lu Fenghan no longer wasted words. “I told you before. Blood debts must always be repaid with a life. When you ambushed us at the exit of the jump point, you should already have been prepared for me to come looking for revenge.”
His eyes were as deep and still as an ancient well, his tone casual and almost indifferent as he gave the order.
“Fire.”
Three seconds later, concealed behind a medium sized warship, the Dingyuan used its central control system to calibrate its cannons. Two high energy particle cannons fired in succession, plunging toward the enemy’s flagship like comets descending from the heavens!
One round completely tore through its defenses and armor.
The other reduced the entire starship to clouds of ash and smoke.
The explosion was soundless.
Layer upon layer of firelight reflected across the Dingyuan’s dark gray hull, resembling the glow of the setting sun yet also like the rising dawn.
The dust settled.
Several minutes later, in the communications channel, Magelyn faced the camera, her back stretched straight as she reported, “Reporting to command, mission accomplished!”
At the same time, Long Xiyun, Wayne and Duchamp also reported one after another that their missions had been completed.
The wreckage left behind by the explosion drifted silently through space.
Lu Fenghan issued an order over the entire communications channel. “All members of the Expeditionary Force, assemble.”
Countless starships moved through the smoke and debris, forming ranks amid the silence until they were gathered together in one place, like an impenetrable shield.
From the command ship that had remained behind, Erich reported, “Weiss Chadwell and seventeen others betrayed the Alliance and leaked classified information. All have been killed.”
Across the vast expanse of the starry sea, darkness served as the curtain, while distant, unnamed stars served as its embellishments. Every warship belonging to the Expeditionary Force still bore traces of cannon fire, clearly bearing witness to the fierce battle they had just endured.
The cannons, still retaining the warmth of battle, rose one after another.
At the command, countless missiles simultaneously rose into the sky.
The flames were blinding.
Lu Fenghan’s voice rang out in a low, solemn command.
“Salute!”
Across the assembled fleet, countless people moved at the exact same moment. Dressed in white military uniforms, their military boots struck together at the heels as they straightened their fingers and raised their hands in salute.
Among the countless stars, they paid tribute to the departed souls, offering them comfort in death.
The humiliation of having once retreated thousands of kilometers had now been washed away in the blood of victory.
Rest in peace.
After the new base had been established, Lu Fenghan ordered that the list of casualties be compiled and the extent of the battle damage reported.
“The Jiangling was serving as the vanguard. Its propulsion system has been damaged and the matter has already been reported to the technical department. Six escort ships, three medium sized ships, four reconnaissance ships and eleven assault ships were lost. Starships that suffered only minor damage have not been included.”
“The bow of the Chanyuan sustained twenty five percent damage. Four escort ships and three assault ships were lost…”
“The main vessel of the Pingning remains intact. Escort ships…”
“The Feilian… lost twenty seven assault ships.”
Lu Fenghan was the last to speak. “The Dingyuan’s main vessel remains intact. Two escort ships, three medium sized ships and nine assault ships were lost.”
After the reports had been completed, Magelyn rubbed her nose. “It’s over. Once we get back, we’re definitely going to have to endure another round of cold stares from Lorenz. Fine, I’m a coward. I’ve decided that for the next half a month, I’m going to stay as far away from the technical department as possible!”
Duchamp sighed. “Same here, same here. When there’s trouble, we share it together. We’ll avoid them together.”
After a moment of silence, Magelyn suddenly spoke again. “It’s still more comfortable fighting battles like this. Once we receive the order, we can put our heads down and charge forward with our whole hearts. Once we get there, we just exchange fire head on. Because we know that no matter whether it’s to our left, right, or behind us, someone will be there to protect us. There’s absolutely no chance of charging halfway forward only to take a cannon shot in the back.”
Lu Fenghan knew what she was referring to.
The situation after the great defeat.
Wayne picked up the conversation. “Who doesn’t like it? I only know how to fight battles. I can’t handle playing mind games. Back then, you couldn’t even tell who was an enemy and who was an ally internally. Anyone could have stabbed you in the back at any moment. Long Xiyun even had me pretend to be someone else together with Weiss. Commander, you know the First Military Academy never taught us acting! There wasn’t even a single acting class!”
Long Xiyun cast him a sidelong glance. “Was it really that difficult for you to pretend to be mute?”
Magelyn immediately burst into laughter without showing him the slightest mercy.
After communicating with Erich, who was stationed aboard the command ship and arranging the latest defensive deployment, Lu Fenghan shut down the communications channel and loosened one button at his collar.
He then looked toward the sofa that had been placed nearby.
During the entire period in which he had been dealing with the post battle matters, Qi Yan’s personal terminal had remained lit with its virtual screen still glowing yet Qi Yan himself had already put on his noise canceling earplugs and fallen asleep.
Knowing perfectly well that Qi Yan could not hear him, Lu Fenghan still instinctively softened his footsteps.
He knelt beside the sofa on one knee and leaned closer. Faintly, he caught the crisp, clean scent of a snowy night.
At that moment, Qi Yan woke up.
His eyes were only half open. He pulled Lu Fenghan’s hand over and used his palm as a pillow beneath his cheek, his words slightly slurred with sleep. “Are you going to Tulan for class?”
A few scattered traces of amusement suddenly appeared at the corners of Lu Fenghan’s eyes. He had wanted to say, “You remembered it wrong again,” but then he thought that perhaps, just for this moment, it was enough.
Enough to let Qi Yan avoid remembering the life and death separations that had happened in the past.
His rough palm covered Qi Yan’s eyes as he spoke softly, soothingly.
“Go to sleep. I’ll stay with you.”
✦ ✧ ✦
Vynellia
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
Somewhere, a translator stares dramatically into an empty coffee cup. ☕
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 50 · I am Pojun.Chapter 51 · Unable to deceive oneselfChapter 52 · Resurrected from the deadChapter 53 · Hello, General!Chapter 54 · My hand is injured.Chapter 55 · Come to my place.Chapter 56 · First VictoryChapter 57 · Self-introductionChapter 58 · Never changedChapter 59 · One reasonChapter 60 · Gentle and restrainedChapter 61 · Only you are allowed.Chapter 62 · To the Souls of the FallenChapter 63 · His reliefChapter 64 · His ambitionChapter 65 · Date TimeChapter 66 Part 1 · Abducting PlanetsChapter 66 Part 2 · Abducting PlanetsChapter 67 · Did not leaveChapter 68 · Perceiving EmotionsChapter 69 · My own effortsChapter 70 · Bright FlameChapter 71 · Dress codeChapter 72 · Take me with you!Chapter 73 · MirageChapter 74 · I’m used to it.