General Bernadotte gravely asked, "Distance!"
General Fowen answered, "43,000 kilometers."
"Number of enemy s.h.i.+ps."
"One fleet, a total of 6700 wars.h.i.+ps with a combat power of Grade B. Amongst them, there are 700 battles.h.i.+ps, a mothers.h.i.+p, 4000 light cruisers, and 2000 destroyers."
"The 4th United Fleet Commanding Officer's, Vice General Brown's, plan."
"To allure and annihilate!"
General Bernadotte laughed. Seeing Russell, who was nodding as well, he said to Fowen, "Inform him that the forward command is not proposing any directions. He can decide on his own."
Vice General Fowen immediately answered, "Acknowledged! The forward command is not proposing any directions!" Right when he finished repeating the orders and was about to turn around, General Bernadotte suddenly added, "Wait! Tell the vice general that General Russell and I offer our best wishes for him!"
"Yes!"
Fatty looked at the star chart and the different symbols marked on each of the outer s.p.a.ce fleets. He felt that some were quite unfathomable. In the past, the front lines would never know what the command in the rear was like, and they would be endlessly deployed over here and there, escaping with their lives after being defeated. While escaping with their lives, when they looked up into the sky, they would sometimes wonder if there were a few eyes currently looking at them and whether he himself was merely a chess piece being neglected.
After that, when he came to the combat planning department, the soldiers in war had become strands of cold, emotionless numbers. Behind these numbers were lives and deaths. But in the combat planning department, he could no longer feel that desperate atmosphere. Even an intern like Karl was treating these soldiers emotionlessly as numbers.
The most ridiculous matter was that he had to sit here and become the pair of eyes in the skies! Whatever he heard and saw were complex orders and emotionful declarations, but they were merely a few words. Just these few words were enough to determine if a military campaign would end in victory or defeat.
The outer s.p.a.ce fleets might have already begun their intense battle, with all the officers and men being akin to the dice being placed in a gambler officer's dice cup at that instant when the intense clash started until the moment when the outcome is revealed.
This was a power to control people. Fatty, who had originally wanted to borrow an excuse to leave, suddenly did not feel like leaving at all; he wanted to stay here and observe. He was just like a gambler who set down his bet, extremely anxious as he waited for the result of the battle.
The battle would naturally last for quite some time; however, everyone knew what the outcome would be. Being a united fleet comprising of three newly formed fleets, the 4th United Fleet would naturally have to shoulder the position of vanguard. They would have to create chaos in the Galileo Galaxy, disturbing the different planets and the Imperial Fleets that were stationed right at the Newton warp point. Under this situation, if they were to be defeated by a medium=scale second-grade fleet, then even if they could not completely triumph over them, it would still be enough to make every single officer and man of the 4th United Fleet to feel disgrace!
Russell gazed at Fatty, who was perspiring all over his forehead, and smiled: "You aren't my match if we are comparing who is calmer. However, I did not have such an opportunity when I was your age to access such a degree of real-time military command. Go to my office and have a look first. There are several explanations of battle examples which I've stored in the computer. You have to calm yourself and think carefully what you want to gain from this military campaign!"
Fatty obediently went off to his office to do his reading. Only when he was calm enough did he discover that as an ordinary soldier, a person who did not really like war, and a first lieutenant who was learning behind a general, once that person stood on the command stage, overlooking the entire military campaign, he would feel as if he was soaked in the power of controlling the ma.s.ses. That was how absurd it was! And truly overwhelming! Thinking back to the calmness which Bernadotte and Russell had, Tian Xing Jian could not help but sweat.
The 4th United Fleet received an encrypted message sent by the forward command. The commanding officer, Vice General Brown, stood on the bridge and smiled. He said to the vice-captain of the flags.h.i.+p, "Open all broadcasting channels to the entire fleet. I want to speak to all the officers and men."
Every single wars.h.i.+p of the united fleet received the same communication signal. Every single officer and man on all the wars.h.i.+ps could hear the voice of Vice General Brown being broadcasted. This outstanding fleet commanding officer, who cla.s.smates with the current 1st United Fleet Commanding Officer Vice General Snyder, was currently making his very first speech.
"All officers and men from the 4th United Fleet, I am the fleet' commanding officer, Vice General Brown!"
Several chefs on some of the battles.h.i.+ps who were cooking all switched off their stoves. They wanted to hear what this person, who had had not been dismissed despite receiving seven severe warnings because of fighting in the capital academy, would say. This person had then graduated with Vice General Snyder with a First Cla.s.s result and was called a scoundrel commanding officer by many.
"It is my honor to tell everyone that we, as a rookie 4th United Fleet, will soon be entering our first battle."
"Very soon, we'll be able to go all out against the enemy. Let me be honest with you, children of the Leray Federation. This father can't wait any longer!"
Several engineers who were inspecting the reserve energy system smiled at each other. This Brown spoke exactly the same as his monicker presented him to be.
"This is the first job we have after tunneling into Galileo Galaxy."
"After that, we'll have to do our second, and our third job. And there's only one thing which we have to do, and that is to fight!"
Some people were laughing, though even more were listening attentively.
The broadcast continued transmitting out the voice of Vice General Brown.
"Do you still remember the Newton Galaxy Regional Fleet? That fleet which was the first to rush past the Newton warp point's second cla.s.s fleet? During the second battle, they delayed a huge enemy fleet that had a total of six mothers.h.i.+ps for several hours!"
Many officers and men were silent. Of course they knew of this heroic fleet.
"That's right. And now, the Newton Regional Fleet has become the very first fleet to be conferred as a Federation's Defender military banner, stepping into the ranks of being a first-cla.s.s fleet! Their accomplishment was—Newton Galaxy!"
"As for us, we've come to this place! And we're here to complete the mission given to us! The 4th United Fleet's accomplishment will absolutely and certainly be… the Galileo Galaxy!"
All the officers and men from the united fleet were trying their best to keep quiet as the voice of the vice general reverberated in every single corner of the wars.h.i.+ps.
"I've brought all of you here to destroy anything that dares to obstruct us! I've brought all of you here to recapture this place! I've brought all of you here to take our first step of entering the ranks of being a trump card fleet!"
Brown's voice became more and more powerful and more and more resonant.
"I a.s.sure you! I'll definitely bring all of you back! Bring all of our dignity as people of the Leray! Bring with us that fearless att.i.tude deep in our bones back as a fleet! And I'll definitely bring back the glory and pride together as a fleet!"
"We'll use our accomplishments to tell the enemy that the Leray Federation isn't a nation they can easily bully. Those who owe us something will be those whom we will go and chase after, taking back what is ours! We will transform into the nightmare of the Gyaca Woods! We are the most ferocious and tyrannical avengers! Let us tell everyone—long live the great Leray Federation!"
The officers and men were incited by his words, so much so that they could not suppress their feelings back as they exploded out in a shout that filled the entire world, "Long live Leray Federation!"
"Children, follow me! Don't drop out of the ranks!"
The 4th United Fleet was just like an octopus, spitting out its ink amidst the pitch black night.