"Greetings, Commander of the Black Dragon Fleet. I am Chu Xuan, commander of the Fifth Fleet under the Third Battalion of the Seventh Legion of the Stellar Glory Empire's Imperial Army.
Your support is truly timely. May I ask how many starships you have brought?" Commander Chu Xuan inquired excitedly.
The arrival of reinforcements meant that the five million people on that planet could be safely evacuated!
"Our fleet consists of two starships," Zhao Chen stated plainly.
Two?
Chu Xuan wondered if she had misheard. She glanced at her female adjutant beside her and whispered, "Did I just mistake twenty ships for two?"
"I... I think I also heard two," the female adjutant replied, her expression blank.
Chu Xuan hesitated for a moment before confirming again, "Did you just say your fleet only has two starships?"
"Yes," Zhao Chen replied.
"Are you perhaps just an advance fleet, with the main fleet still on the way?" Chu Xuan tried to cling to a sliver of hope.
Zhao Chen said, "Only our two starships have come to provide support this time. As for the mission you issued, aside from us, no one else was willing to accept it."
Two?
Only two starships?
Chu Xuan felt her hopes plummet from their peak to the depths of despair.
"Are they... T3 starships?" Chu Xuan pressed on, unwilling to give up.
"Two T2 starships," Zhao Chen answered.
Chu Xuan's expression was now completely blank. Perhaps... she really shouldn't have chosen to hold Planetoid P331. She shouldn't have let her fleet sacrifice itself here just for her so-called sense of justice and responsibility.
"Thank you very much for coming to support us, but with just your two starships, you cannot turn around this dire situation," Chu Xuan said, her voice tinged with despondency. "So I have decided to abandon..."
"Are you going to give up without even trying?" Zhao Chen countered.
Chu Xuan was taken aback.
"You defied your lord's orders, insisting on covering the evacuation of five million civilians on Planetoid P331. Although this has put your fleet in danger and may even jeopardize the safety of tens of millions of people in the rear, risking greater loss for a smaller gain...
You may not be a qualified commander, but you are a soldier worthy of respect.
I don't believe that, without completely losing hope, you would willingly abandon the conviction you have held onto." Zhao Chen looked directly at Chu Xuan.
Even through the virtual window of the video communication, Chu Xuan felt as if she had been struck by an electric current.
Goosebumps rose all over her body.
Chu Xuan opened her mouth to speak...
But her female adjutant interrupted, "Commander, perhaps you don't understand the current situation.
With just your two T2 starships, you cannot possibly turn things around.
You must understand, there are thirty T2 starships from the Imperial Army here! Two starships alone..."
The female adjutant had initially felt some admiration for this man, but now she mostly thought he was a fool as well. She had finally managed to persuade her young lady to retreat, and now this guy, out of nowhere, was trying to sway her again with just a few words.
Did he even know who her young lady was? If anything were to happen to her here, the entire Arctic Fox System might have to pay a heavy price.
"Then why don't you first explain the current situation," Zhao Chen said, turning his gaze to Commander Chu Xuan.
Commander Chu Xuan stopped her female adjutant from speaking further, speaking seriously, "The current situation is like this.
This group of Interstellar Zerg comes from a Level 2 Cosmic Zerg Nest, which has already closed.
A total of four T2 Hive Motherships and thirty-five T1 Hive Motherships appeared; so far, we have destroyed four T1 Hive Motherships and severely damaged one T2 Hive Mothership.
But the number of Zerg is simply too overwhelming, and we can no longer maintain the defense line."
Zhao Chen inquired, "What is the combat loss situation of your fleet? How much combat capability do your starships still have?"
Commander Chu Xuan was taken aback but still replied, "All thirty starships in my fleet are still intact, with two having sustained some damage, but it doesn't affect their combat capability.
The weapons on board still have over 50% remaining.
But our firepower is insufficient... the number of Zerg..."
"I understand. I believe we still have a chance to fight," Zhao Chen interrupted Commander Chu Xuan, speaking with unwavering determination.
The female adjutant covered her face, wondering where this reckless youth had come from, acting just like her young lady... tsk tsk tsk, what status did her young lady have? How could he compare?
"Hey, do you even understand the current situation?
We can't just risk thirty starships alongside your two starships here because of your words!" The female adjutant now omitted any formal address for Zhao Chen, shouting directly.
Zhao Chen ignored the female adjutant, only staring at Chu Xuan.
"What's your plan?" Chu Xuan asked Zhao Chen.
"There's no time to explain too much now. You just need to have your fleet follow my instructions.
Defeating the Interstellar Zerg ahead is impossible, but buying another two hours or so for the P331 asteroid behind us shouldn't be a problem."
Zhao Chen looked at the young and beautiful commander before him. "You just need to tell me, are you willing to trust me? Are you willing to gamble once more for the beliefs in your heart?"
Chu Xuan clenched her fists, biting her lip. It was clear she was deeply conflicted.
"Are you done yet? No one's stopping you if you want to throw your life away!" The female adjutant couldn't hold back any longer, pointing at Zhao Chen and yelling.
Zhao Chen added, "If you still don't believe me, I can give you a guarantee.
When you truly believe this battle is hopeless, you can retreat at any time."
"Alright! I agree! My fleet will now follow your command!" Commander Chu Xuan's eyes once again shone like gemstones.
"Young Lady!" The female adjutant stamped her foot in frustration.
"Let me be willful one more time. If... it truly can't be changed, we can still retreat in time," Commander Chu Xuan whispered.
The female adjutant sighed helplessly, knowing that once her young lady made a decision, she couldn't change it.
Her young lady was full of a sense of justice and had an especially stubborn temper.
"My drone swarm will provide cover for you. Now, have your fleet retreat at full speed. At this position, form a unidirectional carrier combat formation with my T2 carrier starship as the core," Zhao Chen said seriously.
"There are so many Zerg. Are you sure your Stellar Drone swarm can really hold them off?" Commander Chu Xuan asked worriedly.
Zhao Chen said with an unchanged expression, "Please believe me, Commander Chu Xuan."
Commander Chu Xuan looked at the man before her. For some reason, she felt as if there was a light emanating from him.
She began issuing orders to her fleet: "All fleets, disengage from combat and retreat at full speed toward coordinates . At position , form a unidirectional carrier combat formation with the friendly carrier starship as the core!"