The first warp navigation concluded on the seventh day after the fleet's departure, with everything proceeding normally.
After the T1 Starships had completed their rest and maintenance, the fleet once again entered a state of warp navigation.
However, this time, Zhao Chen and the others were not awakened on the preset fourteenth day. Instead, they were roused by the warning alarms of the starship systems.
"Warning! Warning! Warning! Warp Interference Devices detected along the warp navigation route. Starships will exit warp navigation state simultaneously! All starship personnel, return to battle stations immediately!"
"Warning! Warning! Warning! Warp Interference Devices detected along the warp navigation route. Starships will exit warp navigation state simultaneously! All starship personnel, return to battle stations immediately!"
"Warning..."
Zhao Chen was the first to awaken. The entire bridge was bathed in a glaring red light, and the mechanical female voice of the warning system echoed incessantly in his ears.
Zhao Chen immediately stepped out of his hibernation pod.
"Cough... cough..." Secretary Officer Lilith stumbled out of her hibernation pod. The abrupt awakening under such urgent circumstances required her body a moment to adjust, though it took only a few seconds.
"Lilith, order all personnel in our fleet to man their battle stations within three minutes! All starships are to enter First-Level Combat Readiness Status!
Simultaneously, the Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship is to deploy all Stellar Drones immediately!" Sun He swiftly issued the commands.
"Yes, sir!" Lilith promptly began relaying the commander's orders.
At that moment, Zhao Chen deactivated the flashing red lights on the bridge, and the piercing warning alarms ceased.
The starship crew members hurriedly returned to their respective battle stations.
Zhao Chen, meanwhile, carefully examined the suspicious signals on the starship radar.
"Damn it, how can there be Warp Interference Devices here!" A video window popped up directly, revealing Smoking Uncle cursing angrily.
The flagships of the several fleets had been integrated into a Fleet Command Network, allowing the fleet commanders to quickly initiate video communications for efficient coordination.
As the name suggests, the Warp Interference Device functioned like a roadblock. Once activated, it generated an interference field that prevented warp navigation. Any starship traveling via warp along a preset trajectory intersecting this field would be forcibly ejected from warp navigation state.
"Dispatch Interstellar Frigates immediately to conduct reconnaissance of the surrounding area!" The Leather-clad Woman, shedding her usual provocative demeanor, spoke with a serious expression.
"No need for reconnaissance. The enemy has already appeared." Zhao Chen's deep voice resonated. On his starship radar, suspicious energy signals had emerged first.
He shared this radar intelligence with the other starships, including those of Smoking Uncle, the Leather-clad Woman, and Shen Bing.
Shen Bing immediately fed these energy signals into the database for filtering and comparison.
A match was soon found with signals of identical frequency.
"It's the Mechanical Race's Starships!" Shen Bing exclaimed in alarm.
The other commanders received the same data.
"Damn it all, why are we encountering Mechanical Race Starships here!" Smoking Uncle's face darkened.
"Should we retreat?" the Leather-clad Woman asked gravely.
"It's too late. They came prepared. The Mechanical Race Starships appearing on the starship radar are approaching from five different directions, encircling us. We've been ambushed," Zhao Chen stated somberly.
Smoking Uncle threw away the cigarette in his mouth, his face darkening as he said, "Since we can't escape, we have no choice but to fight! Tell me, how do you plan to fight!"
Zhao Chen remained silent, continuing to stare at the Starship Radar, muttering something under his breath.
"I knew this noble brat had no combat experience. The moment it comes to a real fight, he's scared out of his wits," Smoking Uncle said disdainfully.
The Leather-clad Woman glanced coldly at Zhao Chen. Her earlier attitude toward him was also because he seemed like a rich kid, but she knew that most of these wealthy young men were all show and no substance on the battlefield.
Shen Bing opened her mouth, wanting to speak up for Zhao Chen.
But with only a single T2 Starship to her name, she had almost no say here.
"Damn it, if you don't want to die, listen to my orders.
Immediately gather all Combat-type Starships together. We'll first eliminate the Mechanical Race Starships from one direction, then deal with the others!" Smoking Uncle directly issued the command.
The Leather-clad Woman nodded in agreement.
Shen Bing, however, worriedly said, "But if we do that, one side of the Interstellar Transport Ship Fleet will be left defenseless. If the Mechanical Race Starships attack there, we'll suffer heavy losses!"
"Little girl, this is a battlefield, not some classroom. In war, you have to pay a price for victory, and those Interstellar Transport Ships are the price we must bear.
If you don't want to die here, do as I say!" Smoking Uncle looked downright ferocious at that moment.
He scared Shen Bing half to death.
"Let's do as he says," the second-class officer in charge of the Interstellar Transport Ship Fleet stepped forward, agreeing. "I've already sent distress signals to both the Quicksand City Starship Fortress and the Northern Three Star System.
The nearest interstellar fleet support will take at least 24 hours to arrive. As long as we can hold out for 24 hours..."
"What nonsense, 24 hours? My starship will be blown to pieces by then!" Smoking Uncle retorted.
The second-class officer fell silent, knowing it was the truth.
"No, I think we have a better option."
Zhao Chen, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up.
"Kid, if you want to live, shut up now!" Smoking Uncle lit another cigarette, his tone aggressive.
Zhao Chen, however, remained unfazed, speaking calmly, "Right now, the Mechanical Race Starships are divided into three groups, each in a different direction. I've labeled them Groups One to Three.
Each group has ten Starships, making a total of thirty Starships, all of them T2 Starships!
If we follow your plan, Uncle, and concentrate our forces to attack one group of Mechanical Race Starships, do you think the enemy won't gather their forces to encircle and annihilate us?
If just two groups of Mechanical Race Starships converge, that's twenty T2 Starships—a significant threat."
Thanks to the advanced Starship Radar, Zhao Chen had already allowed everyone to see the detailed coordinates of the enemy ships.
In three directions, ten markers each were rapidly closing in on the Interstellar Transport Ship Fleet at the center.
That was the intel Zhao Chen had been waiting for earlier.
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Smoking Uncle frowned, clearly annoyed that Zhao Chen had disrupted his deployment plan.
"Rather than concentrating our forces in one place, I believe we should adopt a divide forces tactic!
We can use our weaker fleet to delay several units of the Mechanical Race's starships, while our stronger fleet first eliminates one unit of the Mechanical Race's starships. After that, they can support the
other battlefields, ultimately annihilating all these Mechanical Race starships!"
Zhao Chen pointed at the three dots on the Starship Radar, like a hunter eyeing three prey.
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 80+ advance chapters.
Just search for "LegendaryTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!