In the command hall of TerraNova3, voices of astonishment echoed. People stood up from their seats, their eyes filled with shock and confusion.
"What is this…" someone exclaimed.
"The main ship of the space pirates?" another person asked uncertainly.
"What's going on?" someone else wondered.
"Why are they revealing themselves now?" someone questioned.
"It's the data uploaded by Number 37," someone quickly responded.
But soon, doubts arose: "Bluebirds don't have strong reconnaissance capabilities. The coordinates are about 500 kilometers away. With Number 37's personal chip, it's impossible to detect that far."
"Could it be a decoy from the space pirates?" This hypothesis also seemed reasonable.
Vicente Rojo Lluch suspected it might be a ploy by the space pirates to deplete TerraNova3's firepower and computational resources, aiming to seize control completely.
However, this suspicion lasted only a second in Vicente Rojo Lluch's mind. He thought of the identity of Number 37's Bluebird pilot—Ryan, the security rookie who had swiftly cleared out the Lacertoclaweus during the escort mission.
Vicente Rojo Lluch was very interested in this newcomer. He had reviewed Ryan's records after joining the security team. Although he had only been employed for half a month, Ryan already had three notable actions:
The first action was eliminating a fierce beast, the Ripple Wolf; the second was a recent meteorite incident, where he executed a textbook rescue operation, saving Maughan and six other security personnel, earning commendation from TerraNova's headquarters; the third action was the escort mission…
Despite his short tenure, Ryan's record was impressive. Coupled with the sudden upload of the image and the detailed coordinates of the space pirates' main ship, Vicente Rojo Lluch felt that this information was likely genuine.
If the space pirates had deliberately released a decoy, the signal would have been received by the frontline, Carlos and others, or TerraNova3… Why would it be Number 37?
As the captain of TerraNova3, Vicente Rojo Lluch knew that every decision he made was a matter of life and death for everyone on the ship. Time was pressing, and he had to make a quick decision.
After a brief hesitation, Vicente Rojo Lluch decisively activated his chip and issued a command: "TerraNova3, conduct a full scan of the specified coordinates immediately!"
"Fire control system, ready!"
"Once the main ship signal is detected, lock onto the target and execute a saturation fire strike!"
The order was quickly relayed, and TerraNova3's fire control system was fully activated. The bio-energy of all personnel on the ship began to be consumed rapidly by the chips for computational purposes. The scanning waveguides repeatedly scanned the area around the coordinates.
Various signal information quickly fed back on the main screen:
F-class transport ship, modified.Equipped with D-class high-frequency pulse main cannon, but with severe energy loss.Displaying the enemy's speed, current coordinates, and movement trajectory.
In an instant, TerraNova3 seemed to come alive. Everyone on the ship felt an unusual excitement, their faces showing genuine joy.
"It's real!" someone shouted.
"It's a real signal!"
"We found the main ship of the space pirates!"
"Haha…" Cheers and jubilation erupted among the crowd.
Suddenly, a red light flashed, and the command hall slightly trembled. The fully prepared fire control system automatically followed the captain's command and fired a devastating plasma cannon.
…
On the battlefield near TerraNova3, two modified Bluebirds and ten increasingly exhausted Bluebirds simultaneously sensed a strong energy wave. The Bluebird pilots, though surprised, instinctively thought it was Vicente Rojo Lluch intervening in their battle. They focused, preparing to retreat to the main ship.
However, the pilots of the two modified Bluebirds saw through their split screens in horror that the previously calm TerraNova3 suddenly released a strong energy wave.
"Retreat quickly!" one pilot shouted.
They immediately opened fire, heavy machine gun bullets and cannon shells raining down on TerraNova3, then the two modified Bluebirds began to flee desperately. This was completely contrary to their expectations. TerraNova3's firepower shouldn't be exposed so easily.
Firing not only wouldn't save TerraNova3 but would also deplete their bio-energy, rendering the ship completely defenseless against the Galactic Tempest Syndicate's main ship. They might lose all their cargo and even this E-class transport ship.
As the modified Bluebirds fled, the energy wave behind them grew stronger, beams of light shooting into deep space. The pilots were stunned by what they saw.
"How could this be!" they exclaimed.
"That's… the main ship!"
"The main ship is exposed?!"
Suddenly, a blinding light pierced the dark space, hitting a small black dot, followed by a loud explosion, and a circular fireball blossomed—the main ship had exploded.
The Galactic Tempest Syndicate's main ship, only F-class, was pierced by TerraNova3's powerful firepower, causing a series of explosions. The pilots of the two modified Bluebirds were dumbfounded, their faces ashen.
The Galactic Tempest Syndicate's main ship was gone. Without the main ship, they would either exhaust all their energy and become space dust or…
TerraNova3 had destroyed the space pirates' main ship with one shot. The command hall instantly turned into a sea of joy.
"We won!" people cheered.
"Haha…"
"Captain, you're brilliant!"
The staff hugged each other excitedly, experiencing a true escape from despair to joy.
Vicente Rojo Lluch's face beamed with a victorious smile, but his gaze was fixed on a split screen showing a Bluebird—Number 37, silently heading towards the battlefield to rescue other Bluebirds.
The key to this battle's reversal was the valuable information sent by Number 37.
After the battle, everyone began repairing the components damaged by overheating according to the established procedures.
As the captain, Vicente Rojo Lluch gathered all the security personnel. Carlos, Maughan, Gabriel, and others, despite their exhausted bio-energy and tired bodies, were filled with the joy of rebirth. They responded to the call with respect for Vicente Rojo Lluch.
"Captain!" they entered the special lounge prepared by Vicente Rojo Lluch, filled with various delicacies and fruits.
Vicente Rojo Lluch, accompanied by two staff members, greeted them with a smile: "Welcome back, heroes!"
Even the security personnel injured by the cannon fire were present, their wounds simply bandaged and no longer serious.
"You are the true hero, Captain," Carlos saluted respectfully.
Vicente Rojo Lluch smiled and turned his gaze to Ryan: "The greatest credit for this battle goes to the warrior of your security team, Number 37, Ryan. Step forward."
"Yes, Captain." Ryan stepped forward confidently, his head held high.
The security personnel present showed surprised expressions. They remembered that Number 37 was the only one who hadn't participated in the frontline combat. Even Kazemi had gone out to deploy drones.
Facing the puzzled looks, Vicente Rojo Lluch explained Ryan's achievements in detail: "The reason we could reverse this battle was thanks to Ryan. He helped us locate the main ship of the space pirates and determined its exact coordinates."
The crowd was in an uproar, everyone showing disbelief. Carlos was stunned, and Maughan was even more shocked.