It must be said that the quality of the Imperial Army's fleet was quite high.
Following Commander Chu Xuan's orders, the thirty starships withdrew from combat at the fastest possible speed, maintaining a very safe retreat formation as they pulled back.
The T2 Guardian-class Medium Interstellar Escort Ship remained in the rear to provide cover, just in case.
However, the contingency they feared did not materialize.
One hundred T2 Killer Bee-class Medium Stellar Drones escorted twenty T2 Hornet-class Heavy Stellar Drones as they approached the attacking zerg swarm.
The one hundred T2 Killer Bee-class Medium Stellar Drones immediately opened fire with their autocannons and missiles, unleashing a barrage that tore the zergs apart in droves.
Simultaneously, the twenty T2 Hornet-class Heavy Stellar Drones released their pre-prepared timed explosives, after which all stellar drones withdrew completely.
The zergs naturally would not let these prey before them escape, surging forward like a black tide.
Just as the swarm gave chase, the timed explosives detonated one after another, forming a 'firepower net.'
The pursuing zergs were momentarily blasted into disarray.
Bridge of the T2 Hornet-class Heavy Stellar Drone
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair, watching the magnified battlefield imagery provided by the deep-space telescope.
Although he had studied materials on the Interstellar Zergs in the textbooks of the North Star Starship Military Academy, witnessing the combat methods of this interstellar race firsthand still evoked a sense of awe and sent a tremor through one's heart.
Especially for those with trypophobia, seeing such a scene would likely cause them to break down on the spot.
The combat style of the Interstellar Zergs was rather unique.
The Hive Mothership was relatively large, belonging to the category of biological starships.
However, its mobility was average. Its primary combat weapons, such as the Biological Plasma Cannon and Biological Torpedoes, offered little advantage compared to starships of the same class.
Yet, its unique hive structure endowed it with specialized combat styles and tactics.
Swarm Tactics!
A T1 Hive Mothership typically carried around ten thousand T1 Flying Insects.
A T2 Hive Mothership, on the other hand, carried one hundred thousand T1 Flying Insects and one thousand T2 Spike Snakes.
Flying Insects and Spike Snakes were the worker units of the Hive Mothership.
The former resembled winged mantises, roughly the size of a human, and possessed only close-combat capabilities.
The latter were serpentine creatures with zerg features, standing about a person's height but stretching nearly ten meters in length. They could spray highly corrosive acid at close range.
Both could leave the Hive Mothership to survive and fight in the cosmic environment, moving with remarkable speed!
Among vessels of the same class, only the speed of interstellar frigates could barely match theirs; all other starships were slower.
These units were commonly referred to as 'Zergs.'
Although these Zerg Workers were classified as T1 and T2, their actual combat capability fell far short of that level.
For instance, in a one-on-one confrontation between a T2 Spike Snake and a T2 Hornet-class Heavy Stellar Drone, the T2 Hornet-class Heavy Stellar Drone could easily overpower it!
However!
When these zergs attacked, they did not come singly, in tens, or even hundreds. They came by the thousands and tens of thousands, surging forward like a tidal wave.
Unless you can eliminate them all, as long as some of the Zergs manage to latch onto your ship hull and bite through it, the interstellar warriors inside that starship will almost certainly be doomed!
Moreover, these Zergs know no fear; they are driven solely by instinct and the commands of the Hive Mothership!
They attack their target relentlessly, wave after wave!
In a way, this combat style somewhat resembles that of a Carrier Starship.
Those Zergs are essentially the Hive Mothership's stellar fighters.
"Report, the first wave of T2 Hornet-class Heavy Stellar Drones and T2 Killer Bee-class Medium Stellar Drones have completed all bombing runs and are preparing to return to base," Secretary Officer Lilith reported from the side.
"Have those Hornets and Killer Bees land, resupply, and prepare for a second wave as quickly as possible.
Simultaneously, deploy three hundred T2 Larval Bee-class Light Stellar Drones in three rotating waves," Zhao Chen ordered.
"Yes, sir," Secretary Officer Lilith began relaying the Captain's commands.
The Imperial Fleet, which had initially been worried about whether these stellar drones could hold off the Zergs, was now astonished by their performance.
"The combat capability of these stellar drones is not inferior to stellar fighters of the same class!" Commander Chu Xuan praised.
The female adjutant also noticed the Carrier Starship at this moment. Its hull paint scheme was yellow and black, and its design style somewhat resembled an insect, bearing an uncanny resemblance to the Interstellar Zergs on the other side.
"What kind of Carrier Starship is this? I've never seen it before," the female adjutant said, pulling up the starship database. She scanned the image of the Carrier Starship before her, but the search returned no records.
"There's absolutely no record of it in our database," the female adjutant said in surprise.
Commander Chu Xuan looked at the Carrier Starship, recalling the words of that man. Her expression grave, she murmured, "I hope that Captain can truly turn the tide of battle."
The female adjutant thought to herself: How could just two starships possibly manage that?
Unless they were two T3 Starships, maybe.
"Wait a minute, weren't there supposed to be two starships? Why is there only one Carrier Starship here? Where's the other one?" the female adjutant suddenly exclaimed in confusion, looking at the starship radar.
There was no energy signal for a second starship on it.
Where was that other starship?
...
P331 Asteroid
Dozens of T2 Seahorse-class Medium Stellar Transport Ships hovered in the space above the asteroid. Shuttles were continuously ferrying evacuees to the interstellar transport ships.
"Thank goodness! You've finally arrived," the asteroid administrator said, nearly in tears as he looked at the transport fleet commander before him.
"We're just carrying out our orders. Hurry and organize the evacuation.
We're pressed for time. Once the Interstellar Zergs approach within the warning perimeter, we must leave immediately!" the fleet commander forced a smile.
"Yes, yes, yes! We'll expedite the evacuation immediately. Two hours! No! We'll complete the evacuation mission within an hour and a half!" the asteroid administrator vowed earnestly.
"Just make it as fast as possible!" the transport fleet commander said impatiently.
It wasn't that he wanted to come; a bunch of maniacs had forced him here at starship cannon point.
But since he was here now, he had no choice but to obediently carry out the civilian evacuation mission.
He only hoped that detestable man could hold out a little longer, allowing them to evacuate safely and smoothly.
But deep down, a dark thought surfaced.
He wished that man and his damned starship would end up as food for the zergs on the distant battlefield!
"Best if they become zerg fodder only after we've evacuated safely! Yes! That's it!" he cursed inwardly.