"Report, all sea trials for the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship have been completed, with a 100% completion rate. Awaiting the Captain's orders," Deputy Captain Charlotte reported via video communication from the bridge of the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship to Zhao Chen, who was on the bridge of the Zero Blizzard.
Zhao Chen nodded with satisfaction. "Since everything is ready, let's set off. Destination: the Fierce Dragon Star System!"
"Um... are we really going to eliminate those interstellar pirates? With just our two starships?" Zhao Wan'er asked from the other end of the video call, sounding somewhat worried.
Zhao Chen smiled at Zhao Wan'er. "You've seen all the performance data for the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship. What... still don't believe it?"
"It's not that I don't believe it... it's just... we only have two starships... isn't that too risky? I... I'm just worried about the 'what ifs,'" Zhao Wan'er muttered.
Zhao Chen's lips curved upward. "There are no 'what ifs' for this mission. Oh, before we depart, send a message to Jiang Hongfa. Ask him in detail about the starship data of the interstellar pirate fleet and the starship fleets of those nobles. It would be even better if we could get information about their starships."
"Alright, I'll contact him," Zhao Wan'er agreed.
The communication ended.
Zhao Wan'er sat in the captain's chair on the bridge of the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship. She looked around, still finding it hard to believe she was actually aboard a T2 carrier starship. And... one with such terrifying performance at that.
"Charlotte, do you think... there's any danger in this mission?" Zhao Wan'er asked, turning to Charlotte.
After more than two months of interaction, Zhao Wan'er and Charlotte had developed a good relationship. Zhao Wan'er often sought Charlotte's guidance on starship command and combat techniques. Charlotte, who did not feel discriminated against by this girl who showed no prejudice toward the beastman race, shared everything she knew.
"If we go by the information your hidden sentinel relayed, the interstellar pirates combined with the rebellious noble fleets have fewer than fifty starships, most of which are T1 starships. In that case, this mission should pose no significant problems. Unless they have more than twenty T2 starships or a T3 starship. After all, you know just how terrifying the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship your brother built is," Deputy Captain Charlotte said seriously, looking around the starship bridge. "This isn't just a T2 carrier starship—it's a quasi-T3 carrier starship. After all, who has ever seen a T2 starship equipped with a stellar shield function!"
...
Zero Blizzard · Bridge
"Warp drive course pre-set complete. We will now enter the acceleration phase. In ten minutes, we will commence warp navigation. All crew members must enter deep-sea mode within ten minutes! I repeat, all crew members must enter deep-sea mode within ten minutes!" Zhao Chen announced over the ship-wide broadcast.
As he spoke, the hibernation pods on the bridge slid out. At that moment, a thought crossed Zhao Chen's mind: he wondered what the hibernation pods on the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship were like. They were probably much more comfortable than those on this assembled starship.
He never expected that the first person to experience his newly built ship wouldn't be himself.
However, once he constructed the T2 Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ship, it would be time to build that T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser.
By then, he would truly possess a genuine T3 Starship.
The T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser—this was the Starship Technical Blueprint Zhao Chen had been longing for in his System Warehouse.
The emergence of the T2 Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ship gave Zhao Chen the means to construct it.
"Report, out of the 101 Starship Crew members, 99 have already entered hibernation pods," reported a Half-Beast Female Starship Crew member beside him.
This was a temporary assistant arranged for Zhao Chen by Deputy Captain Charlotte.
"I understand. You should enter the hibernation pod as well," Zhao Chen said.
"Yes," the female crew member replied, entering the hibernation pod as liquid began to fill it.
Zhao Chen glanced at the dimly lit bridge, then at the Star Map, where the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship was also accelerating into Warp Navigation State.
This warp navigation wouldn't be like the previous one, which took only half an hour.
Instead, it would take a full two weeks!
This time, they were crossing between two Star Systems!
The Arctic Fox System and the Fierce Dragon Star System were adjacent, but because the Fierce Dragon Star System lacked a Stargate, they could only rely on the starships themselves to travel there.
This alone highlighted the importance of a Stargate to a Star System!
Between Star Systems lay a desolate expanse where, in most cases, nothing existed.
Crossing this desolate expanse required a significant amount of time.
It was akin to ancient times when a person had to traverse an endless ocean to travel from one continent to another.
This region also had its own name: "Interstellar Frontier Space."
Zhao Chen lay down in the hibernation pod. Just as the blue liquid rapidly filled the pod, a voice sounded.
"Task Triggered: Eliminate the Interstellar Pirates Fleet."
[Task Content: Eliminate the Interstellar Pirates Fleet in the Fierce Dragon Star System
Task Difficulty: C-level
Task Reward: Three Task Points and 600 points
Failure Penalty: Deduct 600 points]
What a coincidence. Without hesitation, Zhao Chen accepted the task.
Afterward, Zhao Chen fell into hibernation.
The Zero Blizzard and the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship departed from the Arctic Fox System, heading toward the Fierce Dragon Star System.
————
Fierce Dragon Star System
In a manor five kilometers above the surface of a Habitable Planet.
Jiang Shasha was currently having dinner with her family.
Although her Jiang family were nobles of the Fierce Dragon Star System, aside from their noble status, their living conditions were only slightly better than those of ordinary people.
Jiang Shasha looked at the food on the table.
Each person had a serving of rice, three portions of green vegetables—one of which contained minced meat the size of a fingernail—and these natural foods. The rest were Synthetic Foods.
These Synthetic Foods looked incredibly lavish, with large fish and meat, but their taste was nearly indistinguishable, like plastic.
Yet, even such meals were equivalent to a month's worth of food for ordinary people outside.
In the past, Jiang Shasha might have taken pride in her family.
But after attending the North Star Starship Military Academy and seeing the world beyond, she began to despise this kind of life.
"Father, why won't you join the Bao and Cui families' operation plan! Once the operation succeeds and that Zhao Chen is eliminated, our three families can control the entire Fierce Dragon Star System.
Whether we appoint our own lord or use the Fierce Dragon Star System as a stepping stone to pledge allegiance to other interstellar forces, it would be far better than the current situation!" Jiang Shasha's father looked at the old master, unable to understand why he hadn't made a decision. "Could it be that you still harbor foolish loyalty toward the Zhao family?"
Up until now, due to the influence of the Jiang family's old master, the Jiang family had not joined the Bao and Cui families' operation plan.