As the alert sounded in the command room, Lawrence murmured in panic, "Three quasi-T5 starships, over three hundred T4 starships… The Demon fleet doesn't stand a chance. What should we do? What should we do?"
Qiao sneered at his reaction and scoffed, "The Demon Lord, frightened by such a scene? It's just three quasi-T5 starships with some reinforcements. According to Federation data, with proper command, every fifteen T4 starships can counter one quasi-T5."
"Besides, we still have over a thousand T3 ships. We can exhaust them with sheer numbers. Encircle and reinforce—right now, the Storm Fleet is surrounded."
Qiao continued confidently, "I'll personally take eighty T4 ships and two hundred T3 ships to hold them in place. The rest of the fleet is yours, Lord, to intercept their reinforcements."
Lawrence nodded repeatedly. "You're right, Master Qiao. As long as you keep the Storm Fleet pinned, I'll have the time I need. Even if it takes attrition tactics, we can drain the reinforcements."
With their plan in place, they split the forces, with Qiao leading a smaller group to maintain the encirclement on the Storm Fleet while Lawrence directed the majority of the ships to engage the approaching reinforcements. What they didn't realize, however, was that encircling a fleet like the Storm Fleet was akin to surrounding a tiger ready to strike—an arrangement that would only serve to feed it more prey.
Inside Hurricane's command center, Feng Mo chuckled at their strategy. It was the correct tactic in theory, but they had drastically underestimated the strength of the Storm Fleet.
Had he been in their position, he too would have divided his forces to avoid a pincer attack. But in doing so, he would have also formed a suicide squad, using a small contingent to hold off the reinforcements while focusing most of the firepower to overwhelm the Storm Fleet in one go.
"Yunjian, Yucheng, hold out for two hours at most, and the Storm Fleet will reinforce you!" Feng Mo said to them over the video link.
"Rest assured, my Lord. We can hold out for four hours if needed. Yucheng is an outstanding fleet commander!"
"Feng Mo, take care of yourself."
The two did not hang up but kept the video connection open, as they moved to fortify their fleet. Even with over 1,300 mixed T4 and T3 ships approaching, they would not take any chances.
Feng Mo's side, in contrast, was in an advantageous position. A total of ninety ships stood against three hundred, of which two hundred were T3—a relatively modest engagement by the Storm Fleet's standards.
"Hua Qin, report on the ammunition status of the T3 Boxers, and the positioning of the T4 Scorpions and biological starships."
"Commander, the two T3 Boxers have seven thousand missiles remaining. The four T4 Scorpions have reached their designated positions for a decapitation strike, but the enemy fleet is heavily guarding the flagship. The Melo Sisters report that it would be better to switch to a broad bombardment."
Feng Mo nodded. "And notify Ai Er to bring in the support fleet. By the time she arrives, the battle here should be nearing its end. She can get right to the cleanup."
"Yes, sir!"
Feng Mo's penchant for frugality was unmistakable—he was already planning the spoils of battle. Bringing Ai Er with the support fleet also had a strategic purpose: he knew that a skilled commander should not be swayed by personal vendettas, which could cloud judgment in critical moments and lead to missed opportunities.
"Now for the tactical deployment. All ship captains, listen up! T4 Blades and Shields are to intercept the enemy and disrupt their formation with pulse torpedoes. T4 Kangaroos, focus main cannons on T4 ships and secondary cannons on T3s—take careful aim. Whoever scores the most kills will earn double the military merits back home!"
"Melo Sisters, it's time for your show. The fleet will coordinate with you."
At Feng Mo's command, the sisters onboard the T4 Scorpions immediately responded, "Scorpions 3 and 4, proceed as planned!"
"Understood!"
Qiao had anticipated the Storm Fleet might use two T4 stealth bombers, and his analysis of Feng Mo's tactics suggested he liked to start battles with a stealthy ambush. Thus, Qiao concentrated a large number of ships around his flagship to intercept any surprise attacks and mitigate first-wave casualties.
When Scorpions 3 and 4 briefly appeared on radar, launching T4 shock missiles and kinetic beam torpedoes, Qiao remained unfazed. He had expected the stealth ships would expose themselves if they initiated an assault.
As missiles and torpedoes rained down, Qiao issued orders calmly, "Raise the shields to maximum and activate close-range defense cannons to intercept the incoming missiles."
Following this first strike, the majority of missiles and torpedoes were indeed intercepted, failing to penetrate the shields or cause significant damage. Watching the radar, Qiao grinned as he saw that only fourteen ships had been taken out. His preparations had paid off—or so he thought.
After the initial assault, the Melo Sisters gave the next order: "Scorpions 1 and 2, unload all remaining ammo, target all T4 ships in the enemy fleet, and commence area bombardment!"
"Scorpions 3 and 4, engage the enemy flagship with T4 antimatter annihilation missiles!"
The sisters still held out hope for a decapitation strike. In the first assault, Scorpions 3 and 4 had held back their most powerful weapon—the T4 antimatter annihilation missiles—saving them for a targeted shot at the flagship.
When Scorpions 1 and 2 appeared on radar behind the enemy fleet, the sudden repositioning momentarily delayed Qiao's response. Before his forces could react, the bombardment was already underway.
The first wave of fifty shock missiles and fifty proton torpedoes shattered numerous T4 shields, followed by kinetic beam torpedoes that tore through armor plating. Then came the antimatter annihilation missiles, decimating hulls, with pulse torpedoes finishing the job.
This perfectly executed assault tore into Qiao's fleet. By the time it ended, at least forty T4 ships were left aflame, and if not for their rapid countermeasures, the casualties would have been even higher.
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