Counterfeit Hero Chapter 60

The battle in outer s.p.a.ce started initially at Newton Starfield Area 6, with the Federation's 4th, 6th, and 7th s.p.a.ce Fleets grouping together as the 1st United s.p.a.ce Fleet met the incoming well-prepared enemy, a group formed from four Empire outer s.p.a.ce fleets.

Both nations started moving in formation when they were at a distance tens of thousand kilometers apart. This was a cruel battle that could not be avoided. The mothers.h.i.+p's outer s.p.a.ce fighter aircraft were launched out akin to bees coming out as a result of an attack on their hive [1]. These outer s.p.a.ce fighter aircraft made up a dense number within moments, fluttering as they separated into their a.s.signed groups.

In the vast outer s.p.a.ce that was filled with myriads of stars, the scene portrayed was truly grand. For the sake of ensuring a safe distance in between, the various battles.h.i.+ps of the fleets had to maintain a required distance, ensuring they had enough s.p.a.ce to dodge and turn, thus, the united s.p.a.ce fleet seemed extremely huge, and the outer s.p.a.ce fleets' blinking signals brightened up the dark s.p.a.ce that was akin to a school of sardines, swimming together seamlessly.

As usual, the very first battle even in outer s.p.a.ce was an electronic battle. Both fleets' electronic interference systems gave it their all, though because the outer s.p.a.ce fleets had enough energy and s.p.a.ce to implement anti-attack equipment, and furthermore, due to the thick armor that was equipped with the capabilities of resisting against the interference attacks, the electronic war of an outer s.p.a.ce battle had transformed into an announcement for the start of a battle.

This battle announcement was similarly intense, as n.o.body could be careless; once a side became careless, then the communication and commanding system would be captured or destroyed by the enemy. If that's the case, there was no need to continue fighting the battle.

The gap between the two nations' fleets started diminis.h.i.+ng as battles.h.i.+ps entered firing range. Both sides' battles.h.i.+ps had long finished charging their main cannons, firing almost simultaneously. Huge rays of photon energy shots were akin to condensed meteors, flying out in between the battles.h.i.+ps of the two nations towards their targets.

Those battles.h.i.+ps who were shot by the photon energy shots would have their energy s.h.i.+elds flickering continuously; as if they were the ponds under the effect of rain, ripples constantly formed.

Several battles.h.i.+ps that went first had almost instantaneously disintegrated before being accompanied by a great explosion induced from the inherent energy, ammunition, and oxygen that spread out in all directions as it disappeared in the boundless cosmos.

Both nations' cruisers had pulled to the wings of the fleets and charged ahead like the cavalry. These were the medium-sized light cruisers that had weaker weaponry but greater nimbleness. Their mission was to charge into the enemy fleets and kill them amidst their group as well as protect the battles.h.i.+ps behind them.

The current battle was intense, as both sides took on a similar tactic, colliding with each other continuously. The main cannons of the battles.h.i.+ps would have to recharge for 4 minutes every time they shot out once. As for the cruisers from both nations, after charging at high speeds for 5 minutes, they finally started clas.h.i.+ng. Their main motives were not of killing each other, as that was left for those cruisers of similar size or the fighter aircraft battle groups. After shooting at each other rapidly twice, the cruisers then continued travelling at high speeds, as if they were arrows crisscrossing each other, leaving behind the remains of several unlucky cruisers that were destroyed.

The aircraft that was much more nimble than the cruisers was none other than the fighter aircraft battle group. These aircraft that held no resistance at all against the photon energy shots from the main cannons had nimbleness as their main characteristic; they were akin to fluttering poisonous wasps—stronger organisms that were attacked by a dense group of poisonous wasps would still die eventually.

Being at a disadvantage in terms of military power, if the Federation continued with this situation where they destroyed one enemy s.h.i.+p at the expense of one of their own, they would enter a predicament if they lost more than half of their forces. It would slowly increase to one of the enemy's in exchange for two of their s.h.i.+ps, then one to three, and so on until the widening gap culminated to the extermination of their fleets by the Empire's fleets.

Watching his cruisers and fighter aircraft battle groups, the supreme commander of Leray Federation's 1st United Fleet, Vice Admiral Snyder, made a decision; they were to burn all routes of retreat. He ordered to let go of the cruisers, and for the fighter aircraft battle group to go all out in supporting the cruisers in breaking apart the stalemate, so as to maintain their local dominance and extinguish the fighter aircraft battle groups of the enemy.

This command was termed as the order that saved the entire Leray Federation later on in future generations' of war research, causing 1st United Fleet Supreme Commander Vice Admiral Snyder to become famous from a single battle.

The fleets of both nations were akin to two shoals of fishes confronting, swimming at high speeds in the vast s.p.a.ce. Relying on the anti-lock system to make the right decision of evading the incoming cannon fires, the two wings of the shoals had soon tangled up with the main force comprised of battle s.h.i.+ps and maintained their distance.

The scales that determined the victor of the war had tipped to the other side at this fleeting moment. Originally, the Federation s.p.a.ce fleets had made a huge mistake—their cruisers and fighter aircraft were too far apart; this type of arrangement was clearly not in favor of the rhythm that came like a tide. However right now, this flaw had transformed under the keen senses of the Federation commanding officer into a tactic that gave them a great advantage!

Who would have thought that the fighter aircraft battle group would let go of the group of enemy's cruisers before flocking up and causing the Gyaca Woods fighter aircraft group to suffer from bitter destruction? The Federation cruisers that suddenly separated concentrated their firepower and used a forceful arrow piercing formation to force the Empire's fighter aircraft to disperse in order to avoid the attacks. At this moment, the Federation fighter aircraft appeared from behind the dispersed group of cruisers. Moving in a neat and orderly formation, they picked off the Empire's fighter aircraft groups that were dispersed. They would never let down the trust of the officers on the main battles.h.i.+ps who had decided to use their bodies to resist against the enemy's cannon fire, resulting in them grasping hold of this fleeting opportunity!

That's right, the Federation battles.h.i.+ps were currently using their bodies to withstand the cannon fires so as to procure some time for the cruisers and fighter aircraft battle groups that battled on the two wings.

Without having any obstructions, the aggressive Empire's group of cruisers charged at high speeds towards the Federation battles.h.i.+ps. Meanwhile, the Federation fleets that were at a disadvantage in terms of military strength began to use their lives to change the formation to put themselves into a better positions to defend the aircraft carriers. The main battles.h.i.+ps no longer cared about the enemy's cannon fire and placed their focus on killing the incoming cruisers that were getting closer at top speed instead.

If the Federation's formation of battles.h.i.+ps were infiltrated by the enemy's cruisers and the mixed group of Federation's cruisers and fighter aircraft could not sufficiently damage the enemy's fighter aircraft battle group, then the scale of victory would fiercely tip in favor of Gyaca Woods Empire.

The Federation warriors had made it. Their mixed group had rapidly eradicated the enemy's fighter aircraft. The coordination between the cruisers' main cannons and the fighter aircraft battle group was quite good, as they had exchanged a cruiser teamed with a formation of fighter aircraft with several formations of the Empire's fighter aircraft, producing an obvious outcome.

The Empire's cruisers were increasing their speed as they tried to make use of every single moment, as they had to destroy the defense of the enemy battles.h.i.+ps before their own fighter aircraft groups were entirely wiped out. As long as they were able to achieve that, then their battles.h.i.+ps would be able to exhibit an even greater firepower under the lack of cannon fire threat. If they were successful, they could even leave the firing range and stall until their own fighter aircraft battle group and cruisers returned.

But what they did not know was that their own aircraft battle group could no longer help them. From the moment they split, the aircraft group had fallen into a trap where they were forced to fight in disarray without any coordination or designated target. There was only one outcome for them after being marked by the well-coordinated cruisers and fighter aircraft battle group from the Federation—becoming a ball of fire in the black outer s.p.a.ce.

Before the enemy reached 500 kilometers away from the Federation's battles.h.i.+ps, they had completed changing their formation. Two-thirds of the battles.h.i.+ps retreated backwards while using their main cannons to continue attacking the enemy battles.h.i.+ps in an attempt to maintain the firepower confrontation with them. The remaining one-third turned with their sides facing the cruisers; using the battles.h.i.+ps' body to cover, they also used the numerous auxiliary cannons to withstand against the onslaught from the Empire's cruisers.

[1] I decided to change aircraft carrier into mothers.h.i.+p so as to suit the overall outer s.p.a.ce battle theme.