The previously composed and confident Liang Guan began to panic. Now, he was about to experience what it felt like to be surrounded and attacked from both sides. Seeing the oncoming Storm Fleet and the T4 Wildcat with only 27% shield energy remaining, he clenched his teeth and commanded, "Retreat! If you value your lives, follow my orders. Disable the engine restrictions, put the T4 Wildcat into maximum speed mode, and get out of here. Leave everything else behind!"
One of the adjutants hesitated, clenching his teeth. "Commander, those are our brothers out there. Abandoning them… isn't that too cruel?"
Before he could finish, Liang Guan shot him with a laser pistol, killing him instantly. His eyes turned bloodthirsty, and he glared around the command center. No one dared to meet his gaze. "Execute the order! Full-speed retreat!"
"Yes, sir!"
What happened next in front of Feng Mo was almost comical. The enemy flagship accelerated and fled by itself. A T4 ship at full throttle was certainly not something his T3 fleet could chase down.
Feng Mo wasn't concerned, though. He knew that the T4 Wildcat would not escape for long.
With the flagship gone, the enemy fleet's formation collapsed. Feng Mo immediately issued orders: "Both T3 Guardians, continue launching full-scale missile attacks on the enemy fleet. Storm, T3 Mantises, target and eliminate fleeing ships. All other ships, surround and annihilate. These are our spoils."
"And remember, this is a total annihilation order. Leave no survivors!"
It was a harsh command, but war in the interstellar age demanded such brutality. These sailors had been with Feng Mo since he built the first Storm ship two years ago, and losing even a fifth of his crew in this battle weighed heavily on him.
Feng Mo's crew didn't begrudge the command; instead, they felt satisfaction in avenging their fallen comrades. They knew that if they had lost today, their entire fleet would have been mercilessly slaughtered in turn. This was the brutal reality of space warfare.
Panic gripped the enemy fleet as they broke formation and scattered. The Storm United Fleet began its merciless pursuit.
The T3 Guardians unleashed relentless firepower, while the Storm and T3 Mantises chased down any escaping ships. With their superior speed, the Mantises were unmatched in this kind of pursuit.
After two hours of relentless chase, the battle that had begun with intense head-to-head confrontation and ended in a desperate pursuit was finally over. The entire engagement, from the opening shots to the final explosions, lasted three and a half hours.
As the battle concluded, Feng Mo ordered his crew to clean up the battlefield meticulously, collecting every piece of debris. These remnants could be melted down and used to construct new ships, and there was no room for waste. The sheer volume of wreckage was so overwhelming that Feng Mo borrowed the Chu Family's fleet to help transport it back to Storm Prime.
One hour later, after the battlefield had been cleaned up, Laika gave Feng Mo a report: "Commander, we have achieved a decisive victory. We destroyed nearly 1,300 enemy ships. Our losses include 136 ships, eight T2 Black Bears, and one T3 Mantis. The Storm suffered heavy damage, and we've lost 20,000 crew members."
Feng Mo listened with a heavy heart. He nodded solemnly and issued three directives: "First, upon returning, instruct Alisa to construct a memorial on Storm Prime called the 'Martyrs' Monument.' Inscribe the names of our fallen crew members."
"Second, the Storm System will pay death benefits to the families of fallen crew members. We will also ensure their families receive annual pensions."
"Third, from now on, after every battle, we will recover the bodies of our fallen and give them a proper burial. Announce these orders to the entire fleet."
"Yes, Commander!" Laika responded and began spreading the message throughout the fleet.
Only then did Feng Mo turn to the Elven Queen, Kaelan. "Kaelan, the Storm Fleet is short on personnel. I need you to deploy the reserve fleet stationed on Elven Prime to occupy and guard the various planets under the Bisai Clan. We'll need your support until our fleet is expanded enough to rotate."
The Elven Queen smiled and replied, "As you command, my Count! It is an honor to serve."
Kaelan knew that after this battle, the 23-year-old man before her was now the undisputed ruler of this star system. He was the sole king.
Seeing the obedient Elven Queen, Feng Mo wasn't in a hurry to claim her devotion. Like a fine vintage wine, she was to be savored slowly. A man's ambition should stretch far beyond the confines of one star system, and he wouldn't let anything hinder his progress through the galaxy.
Meanwhile, in the border region between the Storm System and U3 System, the T4 Wildcat was speeding away. Liang Guan, now exhausted, sat slumped in the command chair. His new adjutant approached with an energy drink, saying, "Commander, you're not to blame for this loss. Firstly, it's the Bisai Clan's faulty intelligence. No one knew that damned Storm Fleet would have reinforcements. Secondly, there must be a traitor among us who leaked information."
"Thirdly, those two fleets that deserted or disobeyed orders during the battle… well, they're dead now. You can frame them however you like."
The adjutant knew his role well: to anticipate the commander's needs and provide comfort. Liang Guan needed a way to explain this disaster to the Bai Family, who had funded this expedition.
Maintaining a T3 fleet costs a million star credits per year, excluding ship construction expenses. Building even a small T3 fleet could easily cost ten million. This entire investment was now lost, and Liang Guan had to answer for it.
The adjutant's suggestions were simple: blame the Bisai Clan for poor intelligence and claim a traitor was involved. Liang Guan understood. He would twist the truth and hope his silver tongue could persuade the Bai Family to trust him again—or at least spare his life.
However, Liang Guan still had doubts. Would the Bai Family believe him? He would need more compelling lies, perhaps even claiming that the reinforcements were from the powerful Tianqi Yue Clan or the Glory Chu Clan.
Ironically, those very excuses would turn out to be true. But
whether he would live to tell the tale remained uncertain.
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