Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 541

Chapter 539, Hundred Days and Twenty Worlds

Chapter 539:

The outcome of the Guangfeng Star Naval Battle during the Hundred Days and Twenty Worlds was undoubtedly a victory for the Alliance.

However, judging by the battle losses on both sides, the Alliance didn’t gain a significant advantage; in fact, they suffered the greater losses.

Of the eight main battleships, the ‘Fire Nova’ suffered the most damage. While its combat effectiveness is largely maintained, it’s best to pull it back for repairs. Otherwise, the damaged void shield generator, breached armor, and damage to its internal interconnected systems will become hidden dangers. In the event of a high-intensity naval engagement, it’s unclear which of these hidden dangers will become a fatal weakness.

Regardless, the fact that the ship didn’t explode is a good thing. The current damage shouldn’t take too long to repair, and it doesn’t even need to be towed back to the shipyard. Finding a place to dock it later allows the internal mechanics and technicians to repair and replace any necessary components.

However, other vessels also suffered considerable damage.

The primary cause of the losses was the immediate aftermath of the warp, when it withstood enemy fire.

After the Fury Fleet fled, it wasn’t expensive to deal with the garrisons at the jump points.

Once all the jump points along the Shangdong-Guangfeng line were cleared, the only remaining resistance in the system was the fortified Guangfeng itself. The

Fury Fleet didn’t even defend Guangfeng. They left some ships hidden in Guangfeng’s orbit and starports, while the main fleet retreated to the deeper reaches of the Proud Claw Sector. The

Alliance didn’t attempt to attack Guangfeng, which was even more fortified than Shangdong.

After a brief refit, the fleet set off for the next jump point.

The next set of interstellar tunnels lacked the robust defenses of the previous jump points from Shangdong to Guangfeng.

While powerful star fortresses were much cheaper than battleships, that was only when compared to warships. Even if they were only one-third or one-fifth the price, they still cost a considerable amount. Moreover, like battleships, space facilities like star fortresses and space stations required regular maintenance, which cost money.

Moreover, their uses are too narrow, limited to defensive defenses, with no ability to launch offensive attacks.

Even if they had the money, planets would prefer to place these defenses in their own orbits. Firstly, this significantly reduces maintenance costs, eliminating the need to send engineering ships to the jump point for constant operations. Secondly, it’s driven by profit. Isn’t defending one’s own planet more direct than defending or blocking jump points? Furthermore, placing defenses like star fortresses in planetary orbits can be linked with ground-based orbital artillery batteries,

which means that the defenses of most jump points are relatively inadequate. A few armed space stations for border control are considered adequate. Only jump points that need to guard against space pirates will have more armed space stations, or even a single light star fortress.

Only key corridors connecting two star regions, like Shangdong-Guangfeng, would be equipped with heavy star fortresses and so many armed space stations.

So, when the Alliance fleet once again crossed the difficult Guangfeng Star and continued to advance towards the Proud Claw Star Region, they became unstoppable.

In just four months, the Alliance had conquered two star regions and more than twenty worlds in the southern part of the Proud Claw Star Region.

The reason for such a record was mainly because the Fury Fleet had been avoiding.

There was no fleet protection, and the Fury Fleet did not deploy any ground defenses in this southernmost star region. The ground resistance mainly relied on the local planetary defense forces, at best assisted by the military instructors from the Royal Princess Legion. With such combat power, it would definitely be blinded if it directly encountered the main force of the Alliance.

In order to expand the results of the battle, the Alliance fleet was also split up.

The battlecruiser “Raging Owl,” the aircraft carrier “Hippogriff,” and the repaired battleship “Fire Nova”—the three main vessels that comprised the main fleet—followed the trail of the Fury Fleet, driving them all the way.

With two massive ships and a battlecruiser to support them, the fleet’s main battle force was already slightly stronger than the Fury Fleet. Furthermore, Fury Fleet also had to consider Gu Hang, who commanded the fleet, and the Storm Mages he led. A

fleet engagement would be a loss. Unless, after dividing its forces, the Alliance fleet foolishly jumped to a location filled with additional space facilities like star forts and armed space stations to engage the Fury Fleet.

While maintaining a clear advantage over the Fury Fleet, the other four battlecruisers each led a squadron and attacked in four different directions.

With the main force of the Fury Flame Fleet tied down, the entire Proud Claw lacked a space force capable of confronting a single battlecruiser-led squadron. Even if the Fury Flame Fleet managed to slip away under Gu Hang’s nose and find an opportunity to attack the Alliance squadron, given the battlecruisers’ capabilities, even if they couldn’t defeat them, they could still escape.

Furthermore, it wouldn’t have been easy for the Fury Flame Fleet to slip away from Gu Hang’s sight.

It was precisely because of these factors that the Alliance was able to launch such a rapid offensive in the Proud Claw star field.

Over a hundred days, over twenty worlds were captured, averaging five or six days per world.

Of course, at this stage, the Alliance’s offensive suddenly slowed.

Gu Hang sensed something was amiss.

While this swift offensive had undoubtedly created a significant gap in the southern front, reclaiming twenty Imperial worlds in one fell swoop, it seemed like the Empire’s best performance in recent years.

However, it also left many hidden dangers.

First, the enemy’s main force remained, merely avoiding engagement. The Alliance hadn’t yet secured a decisive victory.

Given this, the Alliance’s current gains were largely ineffective. A single defeat could mean the entirety of their gains would be lost.

Secondly, the Alliance had overextended its engagement.

These two sectors, these twenty worlds, weren’t completely capitulated. Many still resisted. On some worlds with strong resistance, the Alliance’s army didn’t even attempt to advance. The navy cleared the orbits and secured the starports, ensuring the planets were of little use in the interstellar battle. A few token ground bombardments were then delivered, and the capture was considered a precarious outcome. However,

such a capture was precarious.

The Alliance could hardly secure these twenty worlds, ensuring they would support them in the ensuing war.

Furthermore, the unresolved Shangdong and Guangfeng planets, like two choke points on the Alliance’s offensive, remained untouched.

(End of Chapter)