Counterfeit Hero

Chapter 113: Original text: Volume 3, Chapter 23, 4th Combined Fleet, Modified:

Admiral Bernadotte asked in a deep voice: ”Distance!”

Vice Admiral Fei Ouwen responded: ”Forty-three thousand kilometers.”

”Number of enemy ships.”

”One fleet, a total of six thousand seven hundred ships, combat power level B, including seven hundred battleships, one aircraft carrier, four thousand cruisers, two thousand destroyers.”

”Vice Admiral Brown’s plan for the 4th Mixed Fleet.”

”Lure and annihilate!”

Admiral Bernadotte laughed, glanced at Russell nodding repeatedly, and said to Fei Ouwen: ”Notify him that the front command doesn’t provide guidance, he can decide on his own.”

Vice Admiral Fei Ouwen stood at attention and said: ”Yes, sir! No guidance from the front command!” After repeating the order, Fei Ouwen was about to turn around when Admiral Bernadotte suddenly said: ”Wait! Tell Vice Admiral Brown that General Russell and I wish him success in his first battle!”

”Yes!”

Fatty looked at the interstellar map, at the icons representing the Space Fleet, feeling a bit unbelievable. Before, on the front line, he wouldn’t know what the rear command was like, constantly being transferred here and there, escaping in one defeat after another. During the escape, looking at the sky, he would wonder if there were eyes watching him, while he was just a negligible pawn.

Then he arrived at the Staff Department, where soldiers in war became cold data strings. Behind these numbers were life and death. But in the Staff Department, the fierce battlefield atmosphere was no longer felt. Even interns like Carl would calmly handle these cold data.

The most absurd thing was, sitting here now, he had become one of those eyes in the sky! What he saw and heard was not complicated command or emotional declarations, just a few simple words determining the victory or defeat of a battle, deciding the outcome.

Maybe the fleets in space had already begun fierce fighting, and all officers and soldiers were like dice in the gambler’s cup, waiting for the moment the result would be revealed during the intense collision.

This is a manipulating power. Fatty, who originally wanted an excuse to leave, suddenly didn’t want to go anymore. He wanted to watch here, like a gambler who had placed a bet, eagerly awaiting the battle’s result.

The battle naturally wouldn’t end quickly, but everyone knew the outcome. As a super mixed fleet composed of three new warship formations, the 4th Fleet played the vanguard role. They had to wreak havoc in the Galileo Star System, constantly harassing planets and the Imperial Fleet stationed at the entrance to the Newton Space Jump Point. Under such circumstances, not to mention being defeated by a medium-sized second-rate fleet, even not achieving an absolute victory would make the 4th Fleet’s officers and soldiers unable to show their faces!

Russell looked at the sweating Fatty’s forehead and smiled: ”In terms of composure, you’re no match for me. But when I was your age, I didn’t have the chance to be present at such a level of military command scene. Why don’t you go to my office and look at some battle case studies I put on the computer? You need to calm your mind and think clearly about what you want to gain from this battle!”

Fatty obediently went to the office to see the battle cases. When he calmed himself down, he realized that an ordinary soldier, someone who didn’t like war, a lieutenant studying behind a General, standing at the command platform overseeing the whole battle situation, would also immerse themselves in the feeling of controlling the lives of many people. How absurd! How terrifying! Thinking back to Russell and Bernadotte’s calmness, the nouveau riche Tian Xingjian felt a sense of shame.

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The 4th Fleet received the encrypted message from the front command. Vice Admiral Brown stood on the bridge, smiled slightly, and said to the Deputy Captain of the flagship: ”Open the fleet channel, I want to speak to all officers and soldiers.”

All warships of the mixed fleet simultaneously received the communication signal. Every officer and soldier on board could hear Vice Admiral Brown’s voice broadcasting. This most outstanding fleet commander of the Federation, who graduated alongside Admiral Snyder at the top of his class at the Capital Military Academy, was giving his first speech in life.

”All officers and soldiers of the 4th Fleet, I am the Chief Commander, Vice Admiral Brown!”

In one of the battleships, several cooks who were cooking turned off the stove. They wanted to hear what Vice Admiral Brown, known for his troublemaking and yet graduated alongside Admiral Snyder with top scores despite receiving seven severe warnings, had to say.

”I am honored to inform you all that we are about to face the first battle of the 4th rookie fleet.”

”We’re soon going to engage in a big fight. To be honest with you, Leray Federation lads, I can’t wait any longer!”

Several maintenance soldiers checking the backup power system smiled at each other; Brown’s words matched his reputation.

”This is the first task we need to do in the Galileo Star System.”

”Then we have to handle the second, the third. Our job is singular! Fight!”

Some people laughed, but more were listening intently.

The broadcast continued with Vice Admiral Brown’s voice.

”Remember the Newton Local Fleet? The one that first broke through the Newton Jump Point, the fleet that held off a powerful enemy equipped with six aircraft carriers for several hours during the second battle!”

All officers and soldiers were silent, of course they knew this heroic fleet.

”Yes, now the Newton Local Fleet is the first to be awarded the Federation Guard Army title! They entered the ranks of the first-grade fleet, their achievements being: the Newton Star System!”

”And we! We came here to complete our mission! The 4th Fleet’s achievements will undoubtedly be... the Galileo Star System!!”

All officers and soldiers of the mixed fleet tried hard to remain quiet, listening to Vice Admiral Brown’s voice continuing to echo in every corner of the warship.

”I brought you here to destroy anything daring to obstruct us! I brought you here to reclaim this place. I brought you here to enter the ranks of an elite fleet from here!”

Brown’s voice became increasingly forceful, increasingly loud and clear.

”I promise! I will eventually take you back! Take back the dignity of the Leray people! Take back an unafraid, unyielding fleet! Bring back your glory, your pride!”

”Tell all enemies with our achievements, the Leray Federation is not easy to bully. What they owe us, we will eventually reclaim! We’ll become a nightmare for Gazalin. We are the fiercest, most savage Avengers! Let’s tell everyone, long live the great Leray Federation!”

The officers and soldiers, stirred up with full enthusiasm, could no longer suppress it, bursting out with a roar that echoed in the sky: ”Long live the Leray Federation!”

”Lads, follow me! Don’t fall behind!”

The 4th Fleet, like an octopus, spewed its ink into the pitch-dark night sky.

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This Chapter was written slowly, took quite some time, and revised repeatedly.

Thank you all for the moon ticket support, we are only about 80 votes away from the top three! Haha