Vicente Rojo Lluch stood calmly in front of the main screen.
"Captain!" a crew member shouted.
"The security team has engaged the interstellar pirates attacking us," the crew member reported nervously.
"What are their numbers and scale?" Vicente Rojo Lluch quickly inquired.
"So far, we've only detected two modified Bluebird fighters. Their chips seem intact, with very strong computational capabilities. If this drags into a prolonged battle, I'm afraid our fourteen Bluebird fighters won't be able to hold them off," the crew member replied, his tone revealing concern.
Vicente Rojo Lluch snorted coldly.
One of the vice-captains gritted his teeth and said, "They're trying to use two small fry to bait us into using our main ship's firepower support. Captain, we can't fall for it."
"Exactly," another vice-captain chimed in. "Our fire control system is our only trump card against the main ship of the interstellar pirates. All of us combined can only launch a maximum of three attacks. These attacks must all hit the pirates' main ship precisely. If our fire control system's power is depleted prematurely, the pirates' main ship will be able to advance unimpeded and board us."
The female vice-captain's expression was exceptionally grave.
Vicente Rojo Lluch was well aware of all this. He knew that even if they could easily destroy the two modified Bluebird fighters, they could only watch as the enemy flew freely in space, evading the security team's fire and trying to exhaust their bioenergy.
Carlos was also closely monitoring the battle. When he saw all the drones destroyed and the enemy using superior computational power to engage in space combat, his heart sank.
"Damn it," a crew member's voice carried a hint of panic.
"No wonder these interstellar pirates dared to attack TerraNova3. They mean business," the crew members murmured, the atmosphere tense.
Carlos's face was unusually grim. Gabriel and David were already entangled with the enemy. Lacking strong computational support, they could only rely on their rich experience, constantly performing high-evasion maneuvers to avoid enemy fire and prevent their aircraft from being destroyed.
Such continuous maneuvers put a tremendous strain on their bodies. Their bioenergy was depleting rapidly; in just half a minute, their bioenergy had already dropped by a third.
"Boss!" a crew member called out urgently.
"Gabriel and David can't hold on much longer," he reported the dire situation on the battlefield.
"I'll go support them!" Maughan volunteered resolutely.
"What good will you do? Your bioenergy is even lower than theirs," Carlos calmly retorted, knowing that impulsiveness would only lead to more losses.
"What's the panic?!" Carlos's voice was low and powerful. "Watch closely. When they can't hold on any longer, I'll step in myself."
His face darkened as he continued to issue orders, "Kazemi, Jane, replenish the drones and prepare for a second reconnaissance mission. I will dig out these cowardly rats!"
Carlos remained unflustered, his calm and composed demeanor steadying everyone's nerves. Kazemi and Jane took their orders and set off to execute the mission.
Carlos then contacted the other six Bluebird pilots, his voice firm and unquestionable, "In the past, I didn't bother with you, not because I feared the forces behind you, but because it wasn't necessary. Now the situation is critical. If anyone disobeys orders or retreats in the face of the enemy, I won't hesitate to take you down with the ship's cannons!"
"Prepare to join my formation. When Gabriel and David can't hold on, follow me to reinforce them!"
"…" There was no response from the other end of the communicator, the air thick with tense silence.
Three seconds passed, the atmosphere heavy. Suddenly, Carlos's Bluebird fighter jet shot into the air, the cannon extending, aiming directly at the six Bluebirds on the other side.
"Disobeying orders in battle, death!!" Carlos's voice was firm and cold.
A flurry of frantic communications followed:
"Leader Carlos, don't misunderstand!"
"We're willing to follow orders."
Seeing Carlos's genuine anger, the six pilots immediately complied, hurriedly joining the formation and handing over control.
Ryan stood by, dumbfounded. He had never imagined that the usually mild-mannered Carlos could be so forceful.
These pilots had some background at headquarters. Carlos dared to offend them yet still held his position as the security team leader at TerraNova, making Ryan reassess Carlos's strength and background.
Perhaps the higher-ups also understood that the security team leader had to be a decisive and tough character.
As Ryan was lost in thought, Gabriel and David had already exhausted their efforts but were still suppressed by enemy fire, drenched in cold sweat. They couldn't lock onto the enemy aircraft, couldn't effectively counterattack, and their bioenergy had plummeted below fifty, their physical strain increasing, and their combat state deteriorating.
"Go!" Carlos ordered. Seeing the Bluebirds' maneuverability deteriorating, he led his seven-man squad out of the transport ship.
At the same time, Carlos's orders reached Ryan, Maughan, Kazemi, and Jane:
"Kazemi, lead the team to deploy drones!"
"Maughan, you and Ryan, act from the other side of the transport ship, find an opportunity, lock onto the targets, and destroy those two modified Bluebirds!" Carlos's voice carried a hint of killing intent.
Although Maughan and Ryan had low bioenergy, their combat skills were among the best in the team. Especially Ryan, whose performance was crucial.
Rat-a-tat-tat… The sound of battle echoed through the fuselage into the cockpit, heralding an intense space showdown.
Nine Bluebird fighters swarmed out, and under Carlos's precise control, their firepower sealed off the surroundings, forming a dazzling death cage.
The two modified Bluebirds pursuing Gabriel and David finally felt the pressure. Their firepower ceased, and they darted left and right within the web of fire, trying to find an escape route.
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, a strange ship, only a hundred meters long, was slowly approaching TerraNova3. The ship was equipped with a massive radar-like device, aimed directly at TerraNova3.
"Heh heh." The interstellar pirates' laughter echoed in the ship's command center.
"It worked," one pirate said smugly. "The high-frequency particle emitter, though expensive and single-use, was enough to cripple TerraNova3 when it was unprepared. This D-series weapon is indeed extraordinary."
On the large screen in front of the pirates, the two modified Bluebirds were performing various maneuvers, desperately dodging the dense fire.
"The cost of modifying a Bluebird is a million, but to toy with a group of Bluebirds like this, it's worth the money!" another pirate said. "In at most two minutes, those security personnel's bioenergy will be exhausted."
"Heh!" another sneered. "TerraNova3's security team has only fourteen members. I wonder how Vicente Rojo Lluch will hold out."
From their tone, it seemed the modified Bluebirds' predicament was just a ruse, and they weren't worried about any real danger.
"As long as one modified Bluebird gets into TerraNova3, all the cargo on TerraNova3 will be ours," the pirate leader laughed.
"Hahaha…" The others laughed along.
"That Bluebird carries a specially prepared directional EMP bomb, enough to disable all of TerraNova3's power systems and pry open the transport ship's storage compartments," the leader continued.
"At that point, no matter how Vicente Rojo Lluch struggles, he can only watch as we take all the cargo and wait for the Earth Alliance's rescue," the pirates laughed even more wildly.
"Continue approaching TerraNova3, everyone prepare for boarding!" the leader ordered.
"Pass it down!" he continued to shout, "Once this mission is complete, everyone will get at least two million! So, get your spirits up!"
In the ship's cabin, dozens of interstellar pirates, dressed in various combat suits and armed to the teeth with shotguns, exuded an intense sense of oppression in the silence.