Super Mothership
Two small fleets, each composed of more than thirty warships, were lined up in formation, fully prepared and awaiting departure.
To demonstrate how seriously he regarded this operation, Girard personally came to the site to boost morale.
“Beckman, Arthas, you are both the most outstanding young talents of our Gemini Star. This mission will take you deep behind enemy lines, and the risks are extremely high. However, in warfare, quality matters more than quantity. I believe that with your abilities, you will return safely.
For this mission, I grant you one hundred percent freedom of action! I have only one requirement: place your own safety above all else, and do not engage the enemy head-on!
On the premise of preserving yourselves, gather as much intelligence as possible from the enemy’s rear and disrupt their supply system as much as you can.
I promise here and now—when you return in triumph, you, and every single person under your command, will be rewarded according to merit!”
Girard’s words were polished and inspiring, giving morale a strong boost.
“Yes, sir!”
The two men standing before Girard saluted solemnly. Behind them stood several key officers from their respective commands.
After receiving their encouragement, the two leaders headed toward their respective flagships with their subordinates.
In the long corridor, with Beckman and Arthas at the head, the two groups marched in clearly separated formations, both sides silent, the atmosphere faintly strange.
Even the most obtuse observer could sense the thick air of competition between the two fleets on this mission.
The Sea Clan and the Winged Clan—two of the most outstanding figures of their younger generations—were tasked with the same extremely difficult operation, and there were already signs that the two did not quite get along.
This was not merely a rivalry between two individuals; it also concerned the pride and reputation of their respective races.
In fact, this mission had already attracted considerable attention within Gemini Star, to the point that some bookmakers had even opened betting odds on it.
“Arthas, what’s your view on this mission?” Beckman suddenly asked.
Nie Yun glanced at the man beside him with some interest.
My view? My view is that you’re trying to scheme against me again.
“May I ask what insights Lord Beckman has?” he replied.
“I wouldn’t dare call them insights,” Beckman said sincerely. “I just think that since we’ll be venturing deep into enemy territory together, the dangers will be immense. Although our positions differ, public matters are public matters, and private matters are private matters. I hope that when necessary, we can set aside our prejudices and watch each other’s backs.”
“Hm?” Nie Yun studied Beckman carefully. The man’s expression was earnest; he really did seem sincere.
Could it be that, with a great enemy before them, this fellow was truly willing to put aside personal grudges and cooperate?
“And how exactly would we ‘watch each other’s backs’?” Nie Yun asked.
“It’s simple,” Beckman explained. “Both our fleets are limited in size. That helps with concealment, but when we encounter particularly tough targets, we’ll inevitably be outmatched.
“If at such times our forces combine, our strength will double, giving us far more options in choosing targets.
“Although General Girard didn’t want to put all his eggs in one basket and deliberately sent out two separate fleets, our tactics can be far more flexible—splitting and regrouping, feints and real strikes. That would give the enemy an even bigger headache.”
Indeed, if the two sides truly cooperated, the range of available tactics would expand greatly—encirclement and reinforcement traps, diversionary attacks, and more.
Of course, that was only possible if both sides could genuinely work together.
Nie Yun was convinced Beckman had his own calculations, but outright refusing would seem shortsighted and against the bigger picture. If word got out, it would hurt his reputation.
Whether he agreed or not, it seemed Beckman could still turn the situation to his own advantage…
“Very well!” Nie Yun nodded. “I completely agree with your proposal. With powerful enemies ahead, personal interests are minor; the interests of civilization come first. I agree that our sides should watch each other’s backs. Come—here’s to a pleasant cooperation!”
He smiled as he extended his ‘righteous’ right hand.
Hm? Beckman’s eyebrow twitched slightly.
He hadn’t expected Arthas to agree so readily, but this was the outcome he preferred.
“Heh! To a pleasant cooperation!” Beckman replied with a smile, extending his own right hand.
The two clasped hands, both smiling warmly—while in their eyes flashed hidden blades, and in their hearts each plotted their own schemes…
The aides behind them all fixed their gazes on their noses, their noses on their hearts, pretending they had seen absolutely nothing.
What no one noticed was that beneath the two men’s clasped hands, a tiny silver spider silently slipped into Beckman’s sleeve, then swiftly merged into the metallic button on his cuff…
If Gustav were still alive, he would surely be shouting at the top of his lungs to warn Beckman.
His entire tragic life had begun after a single evil “handshake”…
…
If it weren’t for Beckman having schemed against him before, Nie Yun might actually have helped this fellow out for the sake of the Wolf Empire’s overwhelming strength, and set a proper blaze in the enemy’s rear.
But a leopard can’t change its spots—these young nobles who loved to play dirty behind the scenes could never be that pure!
It was always better to be prepared for anything…
“Lord Arthas, do you really believe Beckman will cooperate with us wholeheartedly?”
Only after both sides had parted and returned to their respective flagships did Catherine voice her concern.
“Heh! Of course not,” Nie Yun chuckled. “Even if that guy genuinely wants to use our strength to expand the results, that would just be a bonus. If he gets the chance to screw us over, he definitely won’t hesitate!
“That said, one thing he said wasn’t wrong—cooperation benefits both sides. He wants to make use of us, but there’s no reason we can’t make use of them in return. In the end… it just depends on whose methods are more refined.”
Nie Yun’s smile carried a deep, inscrutable meaning.
…
An hour later, Gemini Star launched a small-scale offensive against the Wolf Empire.
Thanks to the earlier “Tidal Surge” operation, the Wolf Empire’s wormhole expansion devices had not only been damaged and rendered temporarily inoperable, but even their ace Bronze Legion had suffered heavy losses.
As a result, Gemini Star still held a certain advantage on the surface, forcing the Wolf Empire into a defensive posture.
Such attacks from Gemini Star had been ongoing for several days now. Their intensity was not particularly high—more like routine probing exchanges—and the Wolf Empire intercepted and resisted them as usual.
Following Gemini Star’s previous pattern, after pushing forward for a while, once resistance intensified, they would voluntarily withdraw back to the other side of the wormhole.
But just as the Wolf Empire assumed today would be no different, this wave of attacks from Gemini Star suddenly surged in intensity, pushing the battle line forward by several hundred thousand kilometers!
Yet just as the Wolf Empire believed Gemini Star was about to get serious and began reinforcing the front lines, the opposing forces withdrew again like a receding tide…
…
“Hm? What’s going on? Are they toying with us?”
The old clan leader of the Ryan Race, who was in charge of command, frowned as he read the reports coming back from the front.
Was this meant to lull them into a false sense of security? Or a war of attrition?
No matter how he looked at it, such tactics seemed to serve little purpose.
“Has the enemy made any unusual moves?” the old clan leader asked.
“No. Same as before—they’ve all withdrawn… wait! That’s not right! Two enemy fleet signals detected! They… they haven’t withdrawn into the wormhole!”
“What?!”
The old clan leader was startled and immediately rushed to the radar.
On the outskirts of the battlefield, two red signal points had split into separate directions and were rapidly fleeing deeper into their star domain…
“Oh no!”
Realizing something all at once, the old clan leader’s face changed drastically.
These past few days of attacks had never been probing at all. From the very beginning, the enemy had been using them as cover for those two fleets!
But by now, it was already too late to pursue them…
TL Note- Attack time...
Comments
Post a Comment