Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 122: After Modification: Volume 3 Chapter 30 Battle of Jump Point_2

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The space battle has reached this point, and it’s no longer up to Russell and Liebgoet; the fate of both fleets is now entirely in their own hands.

Admiral Brown was drenched in sweat! The 4th Fleet was almost in a desperate situation! Due to the engine stall when the 1st and 2nd Mixed Fleets broke through the space jump point, they needed to flank rapidly before the two Imperial fleets behind could catch up, but their speed was not enough. This was the greatest predicament the 4th Fleet had ever faced. Brown was a smart commander and had never led his fleet into danger during the harassment in the Galileo Star System.

But now, it seemed unavoidable, as the Empire’s fleets were rapidly advancing both in front and behind the 4th Fleet. What could be done?

In war, momentary hesitation leads to greater losses. Fortunately, someone made a decision for Brown. Sixteen battleships and one hundred and ten cruisers broke away like the tails of geckos. They positioned their warships between the two pursuing Imperial fleets and the main force of the 4th Fleet, to intercept them on the spot!

A battleship captain connected to the communication channel, his face trembling, but he tried his best to stand straight and said to Brown, ”General, it’s an honor to fight under your command. Goodbye.”

Experiencing the true command of a large mixed fleet for the first time, truly feeling the cruelty of war, having never imagined sacrificing the lives of warriors, Admiral Brown knelt on the bridge, painfully clutching his hair and shouting, ”No!”

The commanders of the 1st and 2nd Mixed Fleets frantically urged, ”Increase speed! Charge!!” The soldiers in the power cabin had exhausted their efforts, as they opened all the drives and set the propulsion to the maximum but could only watch the warships accelerate slowly. If they could, they’d wish to put themselves into the auxiliary power energy engine as fuel.

Sixteen of the latest battleships and one hundred and ten cruisers staunchly resisted, their desperate struggle only delaying the advance units of the pursuing fleets by a dozen minutes. Like fireworks suddenly blooming in the universe, after the splendid light, they turned into nothingness, along with tens of thousands of officers and soldiers, disappearing into the vast cosmos without leaving a trace.

The two fully powered Federation fleets practically crashed into the Imperial fleet. The cruisers reacted fast; some captains pushed aside the fire control operators, frantically firing to vent their anger, while others pushed aside those controlling the direction, maneuvering the warships deeper into the Imperial fleet, pushing forward continuously.

The Imperial fleet was equally unyielding, refusing to let their prey escape, they charged forward madly despite the Federation cruisers’ penetration, with many ships colliding and being destroyed.

The battleships’ long-accumulated main cannons suddenly fired simultaneously, recklessly, without any regard, firing in this high-speed collision, destroying everything in sight. The proximity of both sides was so close that they could see their opponents through the windows watching them from the other warships.

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Tian Xingjian sighed, the answer was indeed only sacrifice.

He understood it slightly earlier than Brown, the first time he encountered Demon Tiger, those Federation soldiers who charged against them with their bodies had told him that without sacrifice, there could be no victory.

He looked up at the calm Bernadotte and Russell, who seemed not to be looking at the delayed battle report for an hour or two but rather at the interstellar map as though their gaze had already reached the battle thousands of light years away.

The result of the struggle between the 1st and 2nd Mixed Fleets and the enemy was evenly matched, but the victory would depend on the outcome between the 4th Fleet and the ambushing Imperial fleet.

Before Fatty lowered his head to stare at the battle report, he seemed to catch a glimpse of a slight smile at the corner of Russell’s mouth.

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Admiral Brown raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, staring at the approaching Imperial fleet as if he intended to hold them in his mouth and bite them to pieces with his teeth! He opened the fleet’s communication channel and said to everyone, ”I once promised to bring you back, to bring back a glorious fleet! Now, our comrades have sacrificed themselves to fulfill my promise; they have gone ahead of me, to heaven. Now it’s the moment to send them off, follow me! Charge, for the heroes!”

Brown’s flagship led the entire fleet in a high-spirited charge at the forefront, sacrifice was a Federation tradition, and leading by example was as well! The red-eyed Brown led a group of red-eyed warships that suddenly increased their speed, their fierce charging stance instilling fear in the approaching Imperial fleet!

The effective firing range of the new Federation warships was slightly longer than that of regular ships. The 4th Fleet’s training had paid off, as they fired the first round in the most appropriate position; the Imperial fleet entered their range only after suffering this round of firing. However, the 4th Fleet had already dispersed like a rain of arrows flying in the air, maintaining a high-speed charge. The third round of volleys, the fourth round of volleys, both sides charged desperately at each other like ancient knights, trying to pierce through each other with spears. Both sides were constantly bleeding, and warships kept exploding.

The Imperial fleet’s commander sneered, such advantageous warships charging directly against them was simply absurd! Brown’s bloodshot eyes radiated a fierce light, he suddenly punched the railing on the bridge and ordered, ”Fighter group, it’s your turn! Strike!”

The 4th Fleet shifted 45 degrees to the right, and the fighter group that had been hidden behind the fleet soared up like a peacock spreading its tail, rushing towards the startled Imperial warships!

The Imperial fleet was in chaos, everyone was shouting in shock, ”Impossible! How can these fighters keep up during this high-speed charge! Impossible! The carrier can’t release fighters so quickly! Our fighters! Release the fighters quickly!”

It was already too late; the Federation fighter group swarmed into the formation of the Imperial fleet, firing wildly, energy cannon fire, mixed cannon shots, missile guidance, communication interference devices, like a rain of flowers scattered over the Imperial battleships. The gigantic bodies of the battleships couldn’t cope with such a fighter group; they could only rely on their thick hides and strong armor to withstand. However, the fighters’ role wasn’t just to attack; they were like lingering ropes, continually entangling the warships, making them angry, driving them crazy, disrupting their communication, and preventing them from distinguishing friend from foe, allowing slower but more powerful guided missiles to accurately hit them!

The two pursuing Imperial fleets finally disengaged from the entanglement with the Federation’s 1st and 2nd Fleets and charged straight forward. However, they didn’t continue to pursue the 4th Fleet but left the battle directly.

The ambushing fleet suffered the most significant blow. They didn’t know that the new battleships and cruisers were designed with parasitic fighter attachments, and the fighters released in batches from the carriers were hanging on these warships. With the support of the other two fleets, only forty percent of them could eventually leave the battlefield.

The 4th Fleet’s outburst, along with the 1st and 2nd Fleets’ entanglement, ultimately reduced the breakthrough of the space jump point’s loss ratio from two-to-one to zero point eight-to-one. A brilliant victory.

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Tian Xingjian repeatedly looked at the command records sent back from the front and watched the live footage. For the first time, he sat in the room feeling the battle in distant space so close, close enough to touch!

On the command terminal computer, the final statistics of this battle were displayed in a line of bright red characters.

Casualties: 273369 An eye-catching victory.

Russell and Bernadotte were discussing something in low voices, their expressions remained calm.

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