Starting from the Planetary Governor - Chapter 553

Chapter 551, Unknown Battle Group

In Chapter 551, three Alliance battlecruisers from the Unknown Regiment

suffered further damage under the fierce firepower of two battle barges.

Instead of prioritizing engines and shields, the enemy chose to focus their firepower systems, locking onto targets and concentrating their firepower. This was a rather impulsive approach,

but it was effective.

Under the damage, Bai Qifan, as the fleet commander, realized the situation was almost hopeless.

Although all three battlecruisers quickly activated their engines and shields, the Wing, one of them, had sustained significant damage from the previous attack.

Unfortunately, the damage to the Wing had indeed impacted its speed.

After activating their engines, the three battlecruisers fled, but the two battle barges of the Fury Fleet pursued them relentlessly, opening fire fiercely before they could pull away.

Of course, the three battlecruisers didn’t just run without fighting back.

Didn’t they take a risk by activating their firepower and engines first, slowing down their shields?

This was a prime opportunity for a counterattack.

The two battle barges also took several solid hits.

However, the two chapters’ flagships were armored just as well as regular battleships. Even without shields, one took one hit, the other two, with no noticeable damage.

This was even more pronounced when their shields were deployed.

This further confirmed Bai Qifan’s earlier assessment that relying solely on three battlecruisers was incapable of engaging the enemy head-on.

Even worse, during the subsequent pursuit and retreat, the Alliance’s damaged Flying Wing not only failed to resolve the issue, but its damage only worsened!

According to reports, the recent blast damaged not only one engine compartment but also several areas housing damage control teams, causing internal explosions and heavy casualties.

The lack of timely manpower deployment meant the damage could not be immediately contained, and the subsequent intense operations by the ships further spread the damage.

In this situation, Bai Qifan faced a painful choice: abandon the Flying Wing?

If the Raging Owl, himself aboard, and the nearby Koroja, had continued at full speed, they could have escaped the pursuit of the Fury Fleet. However, if the increasingly damaged Winged were left behind, its fate would be certain.

If they continued to shield each other, the entire fleet, severely slowed down, would likely be entangled by the two Space Marine battle barges all the way to the jump point, unable to escape.

Before the jump point, they could probably just barely stay within range, making the enemy’s overall chance of hitting them low. But reaching the jump point, entering warp mode, and switching engines would be a critical moment.

If they couldn’t escape the enemy, all three warships might be destroyed!

What should they do?

Abandon one and save the other two, or risk all three?

Bai Qifan’s anxiety made his body numb.

Then, an unfamiliar communication request came through.

“Are you an Alliance ship?”

A hoarse, oddly accented voice echoed throughout the bridge as the signal was connected.

Simultaneously, before Bai Qifan’s eyes, the speaker’s “face” appeared on a virtual screen.

The quotation marks indicate the face was visible due to the helmet he wore. However, the helmet itself was recognizable:

it was the helm of a Space Marine MK.8, Aquila-pattern Power Armour.

However, the livery was unlike anything Bai Qifan had ever seen.

The most numerous and only Space Marine he had ever seen was, naturally, the Phoenix. Each of his three battlecruisers contained a hundred.

But now, with only the head visible, the full livery was hidden from view. All that was visible was a silver-gray helmet with a streak of blood-red on the top, etched across the forehead.

The unfamiliar Space Marine, and his emotionless, cold words, made Bai Qifan nervous, yet also, this unusual turn of events, gave rise to a glimmer of hope.

He admitted, “Yes, we are an alliance. Excuse me…”

Before he could even finish his question, the other party interrupted him with another question: “Are the ones chasing you, the two traitors, the Fury and the New World Torch?”

Hearing the word “traitor,” Bai Qifan felt a little more at ease.

He replied, “Yes, please…”

But this time, before he could even finish his question, the other party silently cut off the communication.

Bai Qifan was confused. What was going on?

From the word “traitor,” he could roughly guess that this group of unknown Space Marines who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere were probably from his side.

But beyond that, he knew nothing.

Who were they? Where did they come from? What was their purpose? How strong were they? Could they help him?

All of this remained unknown.

But the unknown had its benefits.

Given the fleet’s current situation, any help was welcome.

Five minutes after the communication ended, the Astropathic Psyker transmitted a message: A fast fleet had been detected, suddenly appearing alongside both ships.

A large, blood-red shark silhouette graced these silver-gray ships.

Their fleet wasn’t large, only eight, but there were practically no smaller vessels. Leading the way was a vessel that truly resembled a giant shark swimming through space; it was likely a battle barge. The other seven were all Space Marine strike cruisers.

The Alliance also had a few of these, belonging to the Phoenix Chapter, directly assigned to the Chapter but under the joint command of the Alliance Navy. That’s why Bai Qifan recognized them.

Strike cruisers were superior to Moon-class cruisers in terms of firepower and maneuverability. As Space Marine-exclusive vessels, they were also equipped with neural connectivity equipment that could only be used by genetically modified Space Marines.

Aside from slightly less armor thickness, the strike cruisers were superior in almost every way.

The moment this fleet appeared, its objective was clear: it was heading for the Fury Fleet behind them.

Bai Qifan was overjoyed!

They were saved!

But then, he hesitated.

Even so… could they win?

It’s hard to say!

Calculating this way, excluding small and medium-sized vessels and focusing solely on the main battleships, it’s now four to two. Three of our battlecruisers can counter one battle barge, and this new group of unknown Space Marines is trading one for one with another.

So, the two sides are roughly evenly matched.

However, the enemy’s Moon-class and strike cruisers outnumber the unknown Chapters. They also have over thirty destroyers and fast frigates.

A confrontation isn’t just about the comparison between the main battleships, but also the overall strength of the fleet.

Our side is inferior.

Moreover, Bai Qifan didn’t forget that the enemy still had a battleship and an even larger fleet, only struggling to catch up due to their slower speed. If the current battle dragged on a little longer, with both sides scrambling, they might actually be able to delay until the enemy battleship arrived.

Then, the situation on the battlefield would change dramatically.

So, seeing that unknown warship charging relentlessly toward the enemy, couldn’t we just… run away?

In their recent communication, they didn’t disclose their identities, nor did they request any cooperation from the Alliance fleet? So, retreating wouldn’t be a big deal.

While this unknown group was engaged in battle, wouldn’t it be safe for me to lead my own team and flee? Wouldn’t that achieve my ultimate goal of preserving all three battlecruisers?

However, Bai Qifan felt embarrassed to have escaped while others were helping him, betraying his allies.

It’s common sense that a general shouldn’t be too kind. It’s time to cut off the arm, especially since it’s a friendly arm, not your own…

However, purely from a profit perspective, this isn’t a very appropriate move.

On the one hand, there’s the Alliance’s reputation at stake.

On the other, if this unidentified, seemingly friendly force is sold off, will the Alliance ships be safe? If the Fury Fleet destroys or drives back this unknown Chapter at a relatively low cost, they might still have to pursue us. With the Wing already lame, they might still be caught up.

Furthermore, if we flee, what if the unknown Chapter, seeing the Alliance’s disloyalty, decides to stop fighting?

Furthermore, if this is a friendly force, we could gain an additional fleet, centered around a battle barge, and an unknown number of Space Marines to join our forces against the Fury Chapter, which would be a significant advantage in future battles.

Helping means gain, not helping means loss; helping carries risks, not helping also carries risks.

Weighing the pros and cons, Bai Qifan cast aside his hesitation and made a decision:

Go for it!

Of course, this wasn’t a foolish move to turn around and charge head-on.

Strategy was crucial.

A battlecruiser should leverage its inherent strengths. A head-on engagement with an enemy clearly superior in frontal combat would be foolish.

The three battlecruisers maneuvered and gradually distanced themselves.

The Koroja protected the damaged Flying Wing, and together they cruised along the edge of the battlefield, engaging in a desperate struggle and firing at extreme ranges. Whenever the enemy wasn’t targeting them, they would swiftly close the distance, unleashing greater firepower and making their threat impossible to ignore. However, if the enemy’s target shifted towards them, they would quickly retreat, leveraging their maneuverability and avoiding the enemy’s optimal range to increase their survivability.

This tactic, a classic tactic developed from the battlecruiser’s characteristics,

was disparagingly referred to as the “fly tactic” by naval theorists of the “Decisive Battle Doctrine.”

It sounds unpleasant, but it does have a certain meaning.

The fly tactic isn’t limited to battlecruisers; any ship or formation lacking direct combat power but superior maneuverability can employ this tactic.

However, if a battlecruiser is a fly, then it’s a much larger fly, and its bite isn’t as minor and harmless as a mosquito’s.

As for another Alliance warship, the Wrathful Owl, commanded and captained by Bai Qifan himself, it broke away from its previous formation and moved in close behind the gray fleet.

This is another use for the battlecruiser.

For any ship, with the exception of aircraft carriers, the closer the range, the greater the firepower it can unleash.

After all, it takes time for firepower to hit; firing isn’t the only way to achieve a result, even with lances.

The closer, the more accurate the firepower lock, but also the less room for evasion.

Battlecruisers are relatively fragile and lack the firepower they carry. So how can they leverage their firepower advantage?

Get in close.

But as they got closer, their maneuverability diminished, their vulnerability increased. What could they do?

They could find a capable force to lead the charge.

The best scenario, of course, was a battleship at the front. The battlecruiser could then unleash its firepower from behind, unleashing half a battleship’s worth of firepower without taking damage. Failing that, they could deploy a swarm of frigates. While the frigates would be lost, it was cheaper and preferable to leaving the battlecruiser vulnerable.

And that’s exactly what Bai Qifan was planning.

He treated the Gray Fleet’s battle barge like a “big brother.”

He planned to transform the Raging Owl into a “shadow,” accompanying it and increasing its firepower.

The Raging Owl would follow the Gray Fleet’s battle barge wherever it targeted them. Working in tandem, they aimed to rapidly reduce the enemy’s numbers.

To achieve better coordination, Bai Qifan repeatedly attempted to establish contact with the Gray Fleet.

Constant communication between the two sides would undoubtedly improve their coordination.

However, nearly all of his attempts were denied.

However, the Grey Fleet made no move to resist his arrival.

Their attitude was as if to say, “Do whatever you want, but don’t expect me to cooperate. Just stay out of my way. “

Bai Qifan felt a little helpless.

This unknown warband that had suddenly appeared was truly… quite unique.

But he had no other options.

Now, out of gratitude, he could only hold his nose and cooperate as best

he could. Doing his best.

The Raging Owl, following the Grey Fleet’s battle barges, concentrated its fire on the Triumphal Flame, the flagship of the Raging Flame Warband.

Furthermore, the Koroja and the Flying Wing, engaging in a tug-of-war in the distance, were also targeting the Triumphal Flame. While their firepower was scattered and their accuracy was low due to their scattershot tactics, as two battlecruisers, they were certainly still effective.

The Triumphal Flame was certainly doing its best to return fire.

The Torchlight, another flagship of the New World Torch, also fiercely attacked the Grey Fleet’s flagship. However, their firepower only lasted a short while before suddenly pausing.

The entire ship’s movements became chaotic and sluggish, as if it were sick or drunk.

————

There is one more chapter, probably later.

(End of this chapter)