Ratatatatat…
Ratatatatat…
The dense barrage of heavy machine gun fire streaked through space. Though it seemed insignificant against the vast cosmic backdrop, the dogfight between seven Bluebirds and two modified Bluebirds was intensely fierce, with speeds so fast they were almost impossible to follow.
The drones from TerraNova3 had survived, but their monitoring capabilities were limited. The modified Bluebirds seemed aware of this, cautiously keeping their distance from TerraNova3, making it difficult for Maughan and Ryan, who were lurking below deck, to find a suitable moment to intervene.
Maughan's hands were on the triggers of the aerial cannon and heavy machine guns, but without sufficient computational support, he wasn't confident he could hit his targets accurately.
The distance was too great…
Even if he tried to predict the enemy's movements, their chips might detect his calculations and adjust their trajectories to avoid his fire.
In the current situation, every shot consumed a significant amount of bio-energy. Maughan couldn't find a good opportunity to strike, his palms sweating with tension, unable to sit still.
Ryan faced the same dilemma.
With the aircraft's chips unusable, they couldn't directly draw on the aircraft's power and had to rely on bio-energy for brief combat engagements.
Ryan was confident he could quickly engage and take down the two modified Bluebirds, but he knew the real threat wasn't these two fighters.
The main ship of the space pirates had yet to appear; these two modified Bluebirds were just bait.
Even if they took them down, another wave of modified Bluebirds would soon follow. The space pirates always fought using wolf pack tactics.
From the moment the battle began, Ryan had deployed all the drones, hoping to find a breakthrough in the chaotic battlefield.
The drones spread out away from the battlefield, like hunting dogs searching for the main ship of the space pirates and gathering intelligence on other pirates.
Time ticked by slowly, each moment feeling exceptionally long. Ryan felt unprecedented tension.
The transport fleet was in a dire situation—they had fallen into an ambush, TerraNova3's power was cut off, and all defenses and firepower were passive.
The enemy was like a lurking viper, ready to strike at any moment.
TerraNova3 had only one chance to act. If they could concentrate all their bio-energy, they might be able to destroy the main ship of the space pirates—because, as far as they knew, the main ship wasn't invincible.
But if they made a mistake, this transport mission would face a catastrophic failure, an irretrievable disaster. The situation was extremely critical.
Ryan took a deep breath, clearing his mind of all distractions, forcing himself to stay calm and carefully observe the information coming from the drones.
At that moment, a member of Carlos's attack squad encountered a problem. His bio-energy suddenly plummeted, and his aircraft's maneuvering speed dropped sharply.
A modified Bluebird's chip, with its excellent computational capabilities, immediately detected this flaw and quickly locked onto the target.
Bang! The locked Bluebird made a rapid ascent at the critical moment, putting immense physical strain on the pilot, far beyond his tolerance.
Buzz!! His bio-energy hit zero instantly, and alarms blared.
Boom!!!
The cannon shell exploded on the Bluebird's left wing, sending flames and debris flying.
The Bluebird, heavily damaged, lost control, one wing blown off, unable to resist or struggle. The pilot fell into a deep coma, spiraling down towards the planet.
The defense line was breached.
Maughan could no longer stand it and took immediate action.
"I'm going to support!" he shouted.
"Ryan, stay here, keep an eye on the battlefield, and look for opportunities!" Carlos ordered.
Whoosh! With a roar, Maughan's Bluebird shot into the battlefield, suppressing the modified Bluebirds with firepower to prevent them from launching a strong counterattack.
Carlos felt helpless. If Torres were here, the situation would be much better.
The two veteran warriors could counter more effectively, but the team he brought this time lacked experience and skill, with much room for improvement.
Carlos felt a sense of hopelessness.
Gabriel, David, and another Bluebird pilot simultaneously rushed out from TerraNova3, joining the battle.
The space pirates in the modified Bluebirds laughed loudly and arrogantly.
"Haha," they said, "TerraNova3's fourteen Bluebirds are their entire security force."
"Two Bluebirds are deploying drones, eleven are here, and one is hidden below… All fourteen Bluebirds are out."
"Hold on for two more minutes, and we'll complete the task of disarming TerraNova3."
The pirates in the modified Bluebirds were so pleased with themselves that they even opened their communication channels, eager to show off their current achievements.
"Remember our names!" they announced loudly. "The ones who defeated you are Ethan James Carter and Evan Michael Carter of the Galactic Tempest Syndicate."
"What are you trying to do?" Ryan's eyes gleamed as he heard their taunts.
The enemy had opened their communication channels, an unexpected surprise.
"Astra!" Ryan quickly commanded.
"Activate the computational system!"
"Analyze all feedback positions from the enemy's communication signals and locate the farthest signal!"
"Send the coordinates to the nearest drone and direct it there!"
To most, opening a communication channel might seem like a simple act, but Ryan, a seasoned space military officer, knew that this move by the modified Bluebirds inadvertently revealed the location of their main ship.
Sure enough! Astra quickly demonstrated its powerful computational abilities, instantly pinpointing all feedback signals and specific coordinates from the modified Bluebirds.
Excluding the signals from the modified Bluebirds' companions, there were thirteen frequently changing signals from the Bluebirds and TerraNova3. Additionally, there was a very clear signal source from 500 kilometers away in deep space.
The enemy's main ship had a highly concealed exterior and coatings that absorbed various detection signals, moving silently towards the battlefield. This was the flagship of the Galactic Tempest Syndicate.
Originally undetectable, the main ship was now locked onto by Astra due to the modified Bluebirds' oversight.
Five hundred kilometers… This distance was within TerraNova3's attack range.
Ryan remained calm, directing the drones to quickly approach the space pirates' main ship while quietly uploading the data to TerraNova3.
In TerraNova3's command hall, Vicente Rojo Lluch and others had fallen into despair. The space pirates had yet to appear; the bio-energy of twelve Bluebirds was depleting. The two modified Bluebirds had completed their task and were about to destroy the entire security team, threatening TerraNova3's main ship.
At that moment, Bluebird No. 37 suddenly uploaded an image. On the main screen, in the pitch-black deep space, a bizarre warship over a hundred meters long, carrying a giant Gravitational Wave Detector, appeared unexpectedly in everyone's view.