Hearing Zhao Chen's command at this moment, everyone reacted differently.
Zhao Wan'er was startled and quickly said, "They've already surrendered. Why do we still need to destroy them?"
Zhao Chen's expression was cold. "Surrender? From the moment they launched this battle, surrender was never an option in their fate. If we were the ones defeated now, have you considered what would happen if we surrendered?"
Zhao Wan'er's expression turned complicated. She thought about that outcome—perhaps it would be better if they all died in battle. Once captured, she and the female crew members on the ship would face a fate worse than death!
Zhao Chen continued, "Earlier, I took a moment to connect to the communication network of the Fierce Dragon Star System. During the two months these interstellar pirates stayed in the Fierce Dragon Star System, they forced the nobles to send them at least five hundred women from various planets. You should know very well what kind of treatment these women would endure once they were sent to those pirate starships."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Wan'er bit her red lips lightly. Although she had combat experience, she had never faced such a situation before, especially destroying surrendered starships, during the Academy's combat training missions. After all, according to textbooks, this violated human rights and morality.
"Charlotte, if Zhao Wan'er is unable to continue commanding the battle, transfer the command authority of the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship to you now. Continue executing the combat orders," Zhao Chen said coldly.
Deputy Captain Charlotte replied, "Yes!"
At this moment, the complex emotions in Deputy Captain Charlotte's eyes vanished completely. Instead, she strongly agreed with Captain Zhao Chen's decisive command. As someone who had long been on the battlefield, she understood very well that to survive in the interstellar battlefield, one must be ruthless!
"Miss, Captain Zhao Chen's command is correct. On this battlefield, there can be no trace of mercy, especially when facing these scum without any bottom line. They have no attachments, no limits—if they survive, they are capable of anything. The crimes they have committed are enough for them to die a hundred times over. The vile things they have done are beyond your imagination," Deputy Captain Charlotte advised Zhao Wan'er, standing beside her.
"But... there are still those captured women on those pirate starships..." Zhao Wan'er expressed her concern.
Deputy Captain Charlotte said solemnly, "For those women, death is actually a release."
Zhao Wan'er understood Deputy Captain Charlotte's meaning. She took a deep breath and looked at Charlotte. "Can I continue commanding the battle?"
Deputy Captain Charlotte showed a faint, relieved smile.
Zhao Wan'er stared at the six pirate starships ahead. At this moment, a hint of coldness appeared in her eyes.
"All stellar drones, prepare for the final round of attacks."
The bearded pirate captain was currently waiting for the enemy starship to take over their ship. Instead, what arrived was the swarm of interstellar drones approaching from afar and the 1200mm cannon fire from the Zero Blizzard.
The vibrations from the ship hull being attacked made the bearded pirate captain immediately realize what was happening.
"Zhao Chen! You bastard! You went back on your word!" the bearded pirate captain roared in anger. These were his final words.
The next moment, his T2 Gray Shark-class Medium Interstellar Cruiser was struck by the Zero Blizzard's 1200mm cannon.
The remaining five starships also fell under the barrage of artillery fire.
By the time they thought about restarting their starships, it was already too late.
Under the assault of the Zero Blizzard and the bombardment of the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship's interstellar drone swarm, these six pirate starships fell one by one.
In the end, they all became starship wreckage scattered across the battlefield.
The battle was over.
"Take a ten-minute rest here. Charlotte, tally the combat consumption for both starships. If there are no issues, we'll head to the core region of the Fierce Dragon Star System in ten minutes," Zhao Chen ordered.
Most of those nobles resided in the core region of the Fierce Dragon Star System, and this matter was far from over.
"Yes, sir," Deputy Captain Charlotte immediately began her work.
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair and let out a long sigh. This could be considered his first real space battle. Although the opponents were merely interstellar pirates, it was far more thrilling than the mock starship duels he had experienced back at the Academy.
Two starships had completely annihilated thirty-five pirate starships. The results were quite impressive.
Especially the combat capability displayed by the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship in this battle. Even without an escort fleet, it had handled the fight with ease, showcasing its formidable strength.
Zhao Chen leaned back in the captain's chair and closed his eyes, appearing to rest. In reality, he had opened the system interface.
There was another reason why he had chosen to wipe out this group of interstellar pirates—the existence of a system task.
[Task Content: Eliminate the interstellar pirate fleet in the Fierce Dragon Star System
Task Difficulty: C-grade
Task Reward: Three Task Points and 600 points
Task Status: Task completed, reward available for collection]
That's right, it was for this system task.
Zhao Chen clicked to collect the task reward, adding three Task Points and 600 System Points to his account.
Combined with the previously completed Quarterly Mission, Zhao Chen now had quite substantial "resources."
[Host: Zhao Chen
Occupation: Top Starship Engineer
Special Attributes: Fleet Luck Bonus, Eye of Insight
Points: 1100
Task Points: 8
Starship Count: 2
Tasks: None
Warehouse: T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser Technical Blueprint, T1 Wolf Louse-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer Technical Blueprint, T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship Technical Blueprint, T2 Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ship Technical Blueprint]
He now had 8 Task Points and a full 1100 System Points.
"I can consider exchanging for another T2 commodity later," Zhao Chen thought with a hint of anticipation.
As his strength grew, he was gradually laying the foundation for establishing an interstellar fleet.
Deputy Captain Charlotte's post-battle report interrupted Zhao Chen's thoughts.
He opened his eyes and looked at Deputy Captain Charlotte on the video screen.
"In this battle, the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship's hull sustained no damage. Losses include 107 units of T2 Larval Bee-class Light Stellar Drones, 39 units of T2 Killer Bee-class Medium Stellar Drones, and 5 units of T2 Hornet-class Heavy Stellar Drones. Ammunition and supplies were depleted by 67%. There were no personnel casualties."
T2 Zero Blizzard's hull armor overall damage level is 7.5%, primarily located on the port-side hull armor, which does not affect the starship's navigation and combat capabilities.
Ammunition and supplies consumed: 46%, with no personnel casualties.
Subsequent repairs to the starship armor, manufacturing of stellar drones, and ammunition consumption; total combat losses amount to a market value of eight thousand Star Coins." Deputy Captain Charlotte reported.
In just one hour of combat, eight thousand Star Coins were consumed.
Although this is nothing compared to the million Star Coins Zhao Chen has accumulated.
For ordinary people, this is wealth they could never save in a lifetime.
"However, we destroyed thirty-five starships in this engagement, including five T2 starships. We can later recycle the wreckage of these starships.
It is estimated to generate a value of six hundred thousand Star Coins." Deputy Captain Charlotte delivered another piece of news.
This delighted Zhao Chen greatly.
"Six hundred thousand Star Coins? That much?" Zhao Chen was startled.
Deputy Captain Charlotte explained, "Although these thirty-five starships are all outdated models, if sold, their value would be at least around six million Star Coins."
Thinking about it, that makes sense. For a pirate fleet originally worth six million Star Coins, the remaining wreckage yielding six hundred thousand Star Coins seems about right.
"However, the six hundred thousand Star Coins is based on the profit from re-smelting them ourselves. If sold directly to others, we might only get three hundred thousand Star Coins." Deputy Captain Charlotte added.
Right, it seems the Fierce Dragon Star System lacks industrial facilities to process these starship wrecks.
Zhao Chen helplessly held his head. It's all because the Fierce Dragon Star System is too backward, lacking everything.
Its technological level remains entirely at the T1 technology level.
"Let's leave these starship wrecks here for now; no one will steal them anyway.
Prepare the Zero Blizzard and the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship for departure. We will engage warp navigation to the core region of the Fierce Dragon Star System.
It's time to meet my uncles and elders. They prepared such a grand welcome-home gift for us.
I must properly return the favor." Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes, his gaze filled with cold indifference.
The time to cleanse the Fierce Dragon Star System has arrived.
Although this cleansing may shake the foundation of the Fierce Dragon Star System, as many families are entangled in its interests.
However, it's better to endure short-term pain than long-term suffering.
For the future development of the Fierce Dragon Star System, Zhao Chen would rather inherit a clean Fierce Dragon Star System than take over a corrupt and decayed one.