Chapter 355: Ambush?
Translator: ryuxenji Editor: H2dH2mr
Just then, the surveillance radar operator announced with a shout, "Unidentified flying objects detected, number, preliminary estimation nineteen."
This announcement caught the captain's attention and he promptly ordered, "Get me visual, maximum magnification."
The person manning the scanner screens, upon receiving the coordinates provided by the radar operator, began searching and quickly located the targets, and then began zooming in. Soon, an image appeared on the main screen in the control room. What first appeared as nineteen black dots expanded gradually until rough silhouettes could be discerned. Despite the low resolution, everyone could see that the outlines of these unknown flying objects belonged to warship-class vessels.
Civilian and military ships were vastly different and could be easily distinguished based on their outlines. At the sight that greeted them, everyone felt alarmed. These mysterious warships, where had they come from and why had they never received any warning of any warships approaching their sector?
"Send the signal, request ID," the captain commanded through gritted teeth. He had a bad feeling about this, but hoped against hope that this fleet would turn out to be friendly.
"Alert ground control, report status," the captain prepared for the worst, directing communications personnel to brief the ground-level defensive troops on the situation.
"Sir, we've lost contact with ground control, the satellites are all dead," the communications team leader paled visibly as he informed his captain of the harsh reality of their situation.
Hearing this, the captain stood up fiercely and bellowed, "We must re-establish contact. This is definitely an enemy attack!" It was clear as day to the captain that this was undoubtedly an enemy offensive. Their only hope was to report this situation to the ground troops, otherwise ... the thought gave the captain chills, and he broke out in cold sweat.
If the enemy ambush succeeded, the First Men's Military Academy, situated on planet Newline directly below, would be done for!
The signalman, having tried repeatedly to contact the other fleet to no avail, anxiously asked the captain, "Sir, the other side is not responding. Your orders?"
Acting on a flash of insight, the captain clenched his jaw and commanded, "Alter course immediately, turn ninety degrees, full speed ahead!"
On receiving the order, every last technical operator in the main control room leapt to action. The patrol ship executed a flawless 90-degree turn, tracing a beautiful path against the sea of stars, then sped away towards the west. The vice-captain, standing beside the captain, could not help but ask softly, "Captain, is this really for the best?" The crime punished most severely by the Federation military was that of fleeing without even putting up a fight. If the military found out, the captain would surely be court-martialled.
"There are 19 military vessels in the enemy fleet, engaging them head-on is suicidal. I cannot allow my subordinate brothers to die in vain. Besides, we have a more important mission, which is to make contact with the ground troops and warn them of the impending danger. To do all this, we must survive! Even if it means getting court-martialled, I will have no regrets." With determination in his eyes, the captain went on, "Vice-captain, if planet Newline is ambushed, all the instructors and students at the First Men's Military Academy will be doomed ..."
"No matter which faction the enemy is from, I fear their goal is to sever the Federation's production line of future soldiers. The faculty at the First Men's Military Academy is the cream of the Federation's crop, we absolutely cannot allow the enemy to succeed," said the captain in steely tones.
By now, the fleet of 19 warships had discovered the fleeing Federation patrol ship. The supercomputer of the leading warship outputted a warning message: "ONE PATROL SHIP IDENTIFIED AHEAD, TARGET LOCKED FOR PURSUIT. PLEASE ISSUE NEW ORDER - PURSUE/IGNORE?"
In response to this news, the fleet commander decisively ordered, "Ignore it, proceed according to plan." Did that patrol ship think running westward would ensure their safety? The fleet commander flashed an icy smirk, clearly contemptuous.
As if on cue, two more fleets of warships suddenly appeared from either side, one with nine ships and the other, thirteen. Despite the emergency change of course, the Federation patrol ship was headed straight for the 13-ship fleet.
"Curses! Fire the cannons!" Realizing they had already fallen into the enemy's trap, the captain knew they had no chance, but a savage fire burned in his eyes. "Even if we die, we're taking some of the bastards with us!" screamed the captain.
The patrol vessel finally fired its main cannon, the missile's brilliant, glimmering tail arcing across the starry skies in an instant, barrelling straight towards one of the warships. Faced with the patrol ship's surprise attack, the warship moved to avoid it. Wherever the missiles scratched the sides of the warship, the once-glowing beam shields suddenly darkened ...
With just one more shot, perhaps they really could have dealt the enemy a terrifying blow, but the patrol ship never got the opportunity to do so. The enemy fleet never gave them any chance; they were faced with the overwhelming cannon fire of the enemy salvo. With missiles blanketing the sky before them, even though the patrol ship tried desperately to dodge and weave with their beam shields turned up to maximum power, they could not hope to win. BOOM! The patrol ship was blasted by multiple missiles. The ship blew apart in an instant, the ship and its crew swallowed by a sky-piercing, fiery explosion, like a fireworks display. The next moment, all that was left were debris in the emptiness of space.
"Reporting! One patrol ship destroyed in the east!" the fleet entering from the east wasted no time in reporting to the main fleet. Following that, the western fleet also reported that the patrol ship that had tried to flee had been destroyed by them. All told, they had destroyed two patrol ships.
The fleet commander received the two fleets' reports and nodded in satisfaction. "The three patrol ships mentioned in our intelligence have all been destroyed, and the signals from the satellites in the area have also been silenced. It's time we made our next move. On my orders, let Operation Kill the Fledgling officially begin!"
Following the commander's order, the three fleets merged into one massive fleet. All the warships positioned themselves in the airspace above the First Men's Military Academy on planet Newline and began opening their launch ports. Soon, innumerable black metallic spheres dropped speedily down towards the planet ...
"This technology granted by the Twilight Empire ain't bad at all. We're undetectable by radar, and on top of that, it's the dead of night. I think by the time the anti-air ground troops realize it, our men will have landed. What happens next will be a test of the strength of our forces," said the commander-in-chief, unable to suppress a gloating smirk as he watched the metallic spheres populate the skies above the First Men's Military Academy like spring rain.
"Indeed, Commander, this time, we shall teach the Huaxians a bloody lesson!" haughtily replied the adjutant by the commander's side, his eyes glinting with vengeance and bloodlust. The blood of the Caesar Empire must never be spilled in vain!
********
"Boss, wake up! Boss, wake up!" Ling Lan woke with a start but kept her eyes closed, maintaining the pretence of being in deep sleep while activating her spiritual power. Quickly probing the state of the room and finding everything normal, no threats present, only then did she ask mentally, "Little Four, what is it?"
"I just lost contact with every satellite around the planet all of a sudden. This is highly unusual," Little Four hurriedly briefed Ling Lan of the situation.
"Can't you just re-connect?" Ling Lan was shocked to hear this.
"I can't reach them. I've already activated all the radars on the ground and all the monitoring equipment in the academy ... I haven't found anything unusual yet, but something just feels off, like something bad is about to happen," Little Four replied anxiously. "I learnt about a similar incident recorded in the academy mainframe's database, this could be an attack on our communications system by an enemy nation ..."
"Blindfolding us to keep us in the dark about the situation in the outside world ... Could they be planning an ambush?" Ling Lan furrowed her brow, her mind flashing back to the events at the Swift Dragon base. Could this have something to do with that? Could it be that she had made a mistake somewhere and the enemy had discovered them?
On hearing Ling Lan's words, Little Four's eyes lit up and, nodding away, he said, "Yup, yup, their objective is most likely to pull off an ambush!"
Ling Lan made a snap decision and instructed Little Four, "Little Four, immediately report any changes in the situation to me, especially anything transpiring in the skies. You haven't forgotten what happened six years ago, right?" Ling Lan couldn't help but recall the incident on planet Demonbeast, where the Twilight Empire had managed to pull off an airborne offensive.
Ling Lan thought so, because the First Men's Military Academy in its current location was closely monitored by the ground forces, which made it impossible for any enemy nation to successfully invade it with large armies. Instead, they had employed such extravagant tactics as to create a total transmission lockdown, showing that their ambush this time was no petty skirmish. Since a ground invasion was impossible, a direct approach from the air was very likely. This was precisely why Ling Lan had especially notified Little Four to observe the skies.
As soon as Ling Lan was done instructing Little Four, her eyes sprang open, and with a shove of her right hand, she leapt down from the bed. She rapidly put on the academy uniform, opened the door to her room, and in a few steps, she arrived at the room closest to hers.
Ling Lan did not choose to knock politely, instead kicking the door in with a ferocious stomp.
With a violent "BANG!" Ling Lan blew the doorway open, the door itself crashing into the room from the force of the kick.
A crack was heard as the door was smashed to smithereens by some force mid-flight, the aftershocks sending the splinters exploding outward.
The first thing Ling Lan saw was a fist, and then someone on the bed somersaulted to the floor. Qi Long, who was naked above the waist and wearing only a pair of boxers, had one hand against the ground, poised like a cheetah waiting for any opportunity to strike.
Ling Lan glanced coolly at the sculpted, powerful body of Qi Long and his rippling muscles, and suppressed her envy. She said emotionlessly, "Enemy invasion, prepare for combat!" Such a formidable physique would never be hers in this lifetime, thought Ling Lan regretfully.
The tension Qi Long felt upon his rude awakening had abated when he saw that his own boss was the one standing in the doorway, but at his boss's words, his heart started racing again. He stood up quickly and, retrieving the academy uniform hanging by the bed in one fluid motion, dressed rapidly before catching up to Ling Lan, asking anxiously, "Boss, what happened?"