Twenty minutes later, the Zero Blizzard and the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship arrived at the preset coordinates one after another.
Zhao Chen was the first to wake up. He left the hibernation pod and sat in the captain's chair, ready to issue orders when a voice sounded beside him.
"All personnel on the bridge, return to your posts within one minute and check all starship data.
All personnel on the starship, return to your posts within three minutes and stand by.
The starship will immediately enter Level Two Combat Readiness Status. Stellar Drones are to be prepared for deployment at any time."
Zhao Chen looked over and saw that Secretary Officer Lilith had already begun issuing commands.
Secretary Officer Lilith noticed Zhao Chen's gaze and said somewhat awkwardly, "I... I... Did I do something wrong?"
"No, you did very well. I didn't expect you to recover so quickly. Your physical fitness is quite impressive," Zhao Chen praised.
The duty of a Secretary Officer is to assist the captain in issuing orders and, when necessary, to issue commands that do not require specific captain's authority even before the captain does.
Just like the orders she had just given.
Secretary Officer Lilith replied, "I previously served on a starship of the Succubus Kingdom and even participated in the war to resist the invaders... but we ultimately failed."
"The Succubus Kingdom Battle... I remember that was over fifty years ago, right? You were already serving back then? So how old are you now?" Zhao Chen began to speculate about his Secretary Officer's age.
Secretary Officer Lilith said, "Yes, I am seventy-five years old this year."
Zhao Chen was taken aback. Seventy-five?
Looking at Lilith's appearance, she could easily pass for twenty.
Secretary Officer Lilith guessed Captain Zhao Chen's doubt and explained, "Under normal circumstances, we succubi can live up to three hundred years. If we use some technological assistance like your Human Race, we might even live to four hundred."
Four hundred years?
Zhao Chen swallowed hard. By that calculation, Lilith would indeed be equivalent to a twenty-year-old girl in human terms.
The maximum lifespan for humans now can reach one hundred and fifty years; of course, only those in the privileged class can enjoy this.
The average person's lifespan is still around seventy or eighty years.
"Captain, the Zero Blizzard has successfully completed warp navigation. Awaiting further instructions," Charlotte's communication window popped up.
"What is the travel distance from our current position to the P331 asteroid?" Zhao Chen asked.
Secretary Officer Lilith quickly replied, "Based on the speed of the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship, we can reach the P331 asteroid in approximately half an hour at the fastest.
As for the Zero Blizzard, it can arrive in 10 minutes."
Because warp navigation can only reach an approximate location, in non-combat environments, it is possible to get closer to the destination.
However, when heading into a combat zone, interstellar fleets generally decelerate in advance, stopping warp navigation while still some distance away from the combat area, and then use conventional engines to enter the combat zone.
"The Zero Blizzard will first form a formation with the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship and proceed to the P331 asteroid. The specific combat plan will be discussed upon arrival," Zhao Chen ordered.
"Yes." Charlotte and Secretary Officer Lilith responded simultaneously.
Subsequently, the two starships maintained the same speed and sailed in one direction.
After sailing for about ten minutes, they spotted a group of interstellar transport ships moving at a very slow speed.
"What kind of starships are those?" Zhao Chen looked puzzled at these interstellar transport ships, whose speed was estimated to be only 10 knots stellar speed—clearly not their normal cruising speed.
"Based on the serial numbers of these interstellar transport ships, they should be part of the interstellar transport fleet under the Arctic Fox Star System Lord's Fleet. The model is the T2 Seahorse-class Medium Stellar Transport Ship. Their presence here is likely to evacuate civilians from the P331 asteroid," Secretary Officer Lilith quickly replied.
Zhao Chen looked at Lilith with some surprise.
Secretary Officer Lilith explained softly, "It was in the materials I studied."
"Contact their starship and ask why their speed is so slow," Zhao Chen frowned.
Soon, the communication was connected.
"What fleet are you from?" the opposing fleet commander asked first.
"We are the Black Dragon Fleet, tasked with supporting the evacuation operation on the P331 asteroid. You are the interstellar transport ships responsible for evacuating the P331 asteroid, right? Why is your speed so slow!" Secretary Officer Lilith inquired.
The opposing fleet commander paused for a moment: "Our starships are damaged, so our speed is relatively slow. Since you are here to provide support, you should go ahead."
After saying this, the fleet commander cut off the communication on his end and chuckled softly to his adjutant beside him: "There are actually people foolish enough to take on this mission. They must be out of their minds. We're not fools. If we rush over now and the interstellar zergs attack while we're evacuating people on the planet, what then? We'll just take it slow. When the Imperial Army can't hold out anymore and tells us not to come, we'll retreat directly."
"Our ship warns your fleet: Please carry out your combat mission and proceed at full speed to the P331 asteroid," Secretary Officer Lilith's voice sounded.
The fleet commander frowned: "Who are these people, meddling in our affairs?"
Since communication was not open on this end, his words could not be heard on the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship.
The adjutant beside him smoked calmly and said nonchalantly, "Ignore them. We'll do our own thing. They're not the Imperial Army—what can they do to us?"
"Report! The unidentified starship has aimed all its secondary cannons at the ships in our fleet!" a bridge crew member suddenly reported.
The fleet commander snorted coldly: "What, do they dare to fire at us? We are a subordinate fleet of the Arctic Fox Star System Lord's Fleet."
Suddenly, outside the bridge floor-to-ceiling window before the commander, streaks of "shooting stars" flashed by, with the closest passing less than a hundred meters from his bridge!
That starship actually dared to fire!
"This is our final warning: If you continue to neglect your mission, you will bear the consequences," the female voice sounded again.
The fleet commander swallowed hard: "Madmen! They must be madmen! They want to die themselves and insist on dragging us down with them!"
"What do we do now? They're serious about firing! We don't have an escort fleet, and the firepower turrets on our Interstellar Transport Ships are no match for them! Ouch... my hand..." The adjutant was also terrified, not even noticing his cigarette had burned his hand until the pain made him yelp.
The Fleet Commander scowled darkly. "I'm unlucky this time, but I'll remember this grudge! Full speed ahead to the P331 asteroid."
On the bridge of the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship, Zhao Chen watched as the previously sluggish Interstellar Transport Ship fleet accelerated to full speed. A satisfied smile spread across his face.
He knew exactly what these guys were thinking.
Normally, he wouldn't care what they did.
But unfortunately, this time it was his System Task, and he wasn't about to let them drag their feet on purpose!