The Angel Fleet's firepower was indeed formidable. Their Energy Cannons fired almost like Rapid-fire Cannons, unleashing volleys every few seconds. With the support of secondary guns, within the mere dozens of seconds it took to activate the Jump Engine, not a single intact Katon Warship remained within hundreds of thousands of kilometers.
Under increasingly concentrated fire from the Katon Fleet, the Angel Fleet forcibly warped space and jumped away.
"We can't keep doing this. Pulling off two surprise attacks and accidentally taking out Katon's Fortress was already absurd. Trying to push our luck and scatter their fleet is impossible."
The fleet reappeared in the void five light-years away. After checking the fleet's damage, Liu Hai quickly dismissed his wild idea.
Though the nearly two hundred Tier-5 Angel Battleships boasted overwhelming firepower and devastating damage, the gap between them and Tier-4 Warships wasn't insurmountable.
In just those few dozen seconds of warping, the Katon Fleet, gradually regaining its footing, had already inflicted noticeable damage on the outer Corvettes. Had the Katon Fleet reacted faster and concentrated their fire more effectively, the Angel Fleet might not have escaped intact.
Once back in safe territory, Liu Hai immediately reviewed the battle, pulling up detailed data for careful analysis. He cross-referenced this with the intelligence gathered on the Katon Warships to assess the situation.
Half an hour later, a freshly drafted battle plan lay before him.
However, due to the fleet's shortage of Material Ammunition, Liu Hai had no choice but to abandon the idea of deploying several large transport ships to replenish their Armament.
During this resupply period, he contacted Irina and laid out his battle plan in full.
When Irina and Elena saw Liu Hai's insane strategy, they stared at his projection as if it were an Antimatter Bomb.
"Are you sure you want to execute this mutually destructive plan?" Irina waved the virtual document uncertainly.
"Of course. This is also the ultimate test for my Angel Battleships. They're still immature prototypes with many areas needing refinement. I hope this battle will provide as much data as possible for research."
Liu Hai was determined to see his plan through. And though it was called "mutual destruction," the destruction would be theirs—the damage would be his.
Seeing Liu Hai's matter-of-fact expression, Irina felt a pang of heartache. She hadn't even felt this way after losing dozens of Military Warships.
By the Star Queen Overlord, those were Tier-5 Warships! All-Energy Weapon Systems, Forced Warp Engines, Tier-5 High-Energy Alloy Armor—every component was priceless!
And here was Liu Hai, casually squandering them for testing. Worse yet, just as the Queen Mother of the West had said, this guy had somehow gained the capability to produce Tier-5 Warships in just over a decade in the Brolly Star System. What on earth had he been feeding on?!
His development speed was even more outrageous than manufacturers within the Federation. Building a High-Level Shipyard alone took them decades, followed by years—sometimes over a decade—of parameter adjustments before trial production could even begin.
You directly led a fleet composed of Tier-5 Warships to execute a decapitation strike and successfully retreated unscathed. Did some Tier-5 civilization pour their heart out to teach you these skills?
Despite still being in the midst of their escape, Irina hurriedly consulted with Elena about whether they could even keep up with Liu Hai's combat style.
Elena held the battle plan hesitantly. Fighting by leveraging technological superiority was the most conventional and comfortable combat system, but jumping right into the enemy's face to deliver damage was pushing it. Even worse, you're planning to throw literal "mudballs" at them.
"Let's regroup with the Garrison Fleet first. Only by ensuring our own safety under their protection can we find opportunities to coordinate our attacks," Elena finally decided to play it safe. If they fully followed Liu Hai's plan, the Transport Fleet simply couldn't operate at that speed.
Irina frowned. Her Garrison Fleet was currently locked in fierce combat with a Katon Fleet. Apart from losing dozens of Corvettes in the initial ambush, the fleet had remained virtually unharmed for over an hour.
But with the Katon Fleet blocking their path, there was no way through!
If they detoured, the Katon Fleet—whose command center had been destroyed—would madly pursue them from behind. The Transport Fleet couldn't withstand that level of assault.
"Elena, we should let Liu Hai test the waters first. Whether the tactic succeeds or not, it'll buy us some time. Though I do feel a pang for those Tier-5 Warships."
As Irina gazed at the projection of the winged humanoid warships, she secretly vowed to wheedle a few out of Liu Hai—even if it meant selling herself. Such formidable firepower, and so beautiful to boot!
Comment from a user:
Protagonist: You? Step aside.
While Irina and Liu Hai were discussing tactics, the battle between the 3rd Garrison Fleet and the Katon Fleet reached its climax.
After over an hour of strategic deployment, both sides had fully expanded their combat formations. Under volleys from hundreds of warships firing in waves, the void's dark curtain was torn open like curtains, with light pouring through the gaps.
Though the Garrison Fleet was only the military's second-line force, their training and command systems were impeccable, handling emergencies with ease.
After the initial ambush, they quickly adjusted their fleet formation. Sub-fleets under officers' commands rapidly concentrated fire for counterattacks, while outer fleets provided alternating cover to protect ships with damaged Shields.
With their formation fully deployed, the Garrison Fleet unleashed their firepower in relentless waves—like musket volleys in linear tactics—overwhelming the Katon Fleet with sheer intensity.
The Energy Shields of the Katon Fleet's outer warships were failing one after another, creating temporary gaps in their firepower. The terror of having two Legion Fortresses wiped out by an unknown fleet compounded their panic.
A series of mishaps caused the Katon Fleet's counterattacks to weaken progressively, with tactical coordination repeatedly faltering and missing critical opportunities.
By the time the Garrison Fleet suffered losses again, the Katon Fleet's casualty ratio had reached a staggering 5:1—despite their numerical and firepower advantage.
Two furious Katon Fleets were still hot on the heels of the Transport Fleet. Irina wanted to rendezvous with the Garrison Fleet, but at their current speed, it would take several hours just to approach the battlefield. Actually joining forces would be even more difficult—after all, the Katon Fleet wasn't blind and certainly wouldn't let such an easy target as the Transport Fleet slip away.
Several light-years away, Liu Hai was still busy loading ammunition onto the warships. Fortunately, in the space age, they didn't need to rely on individual Landing Crafts for transport. Instead, the transport ships opened their cargo bay doors and used Tractor Beams to transfer the Armament and ammunition directly to each warship according to their needs.
Several, even dozens of warships clustered around the transport ships, receiving supplies via Tractor Beams before using Force Fields to secure the Armament and deliver it to designated compartments for loading.