Counterfeit Hero

”These pirates are courting death!” Chekov coldly stared at the virtual screen on the main console and shouted, ”Main cannon, fire!”

A beam of white light shot straight at the armed merchant ship Oklahoma. In an instant, the nearly two-thousand-kilometer distance vanished. There was no sound to be heard; only the sight of a dazzling flash followed by a large hole blown open at the tail of the targeted armed merchant ship. Countless fragments and body parts were hurled into the void.

Minutes later, the armed merchant ship, spinning erratically in space, was utterly annihilated in a violent explosion.

This was the fourth armed merchant ship lost by the pirate fleet.

With the Federation Fleet only having lost one escort ship, the pirates’ numerical advantage was fading. Devoid of the armed merchant ship’s cover, two old Phoenix destroyers were now exposed. The flagship Castle Lily had locked onto one of them and was relentlessly pursuing it.

Judging by the battle situation, the pirates’ failure was almost certain.

Despite successfully cutting into the escort ship formation, they had to endure the precise volleys from the main cannons of two new Federation destroyers time and again.

There was always an insurmountable distance between them and the two Federation destroyers. No matter how they tried to break through, the pendulum-like Federation destroyers always managed to hide behind the escort ships and launch long-distance main cannon attacks.

”Excellent!” Helen couldn’t help but pump her fist in excitement as she saw another torpedo boat shredded by the crossfire of two escort ships’ secondary cannons.

The command center was filled with the sounds of urgent shouting and issuing commands. Every five-minute interval of main cannon salvos rocked the battleship violently. The thunderous roar from the engine exhausts amidst high-speed evasive maneuvers. The breathless intensity of the battle played out on the main console’s virtual screen... Everything was so exhilarating!

As victory approached, Helen could see through the camera the smiles creeping up on the lips of every fighting warrior. The sense of victory was intoxicating. Dancing on the edge of death, fighting desperately in blood and fire, and then emerging as the victor at last.

Helen immediately fell in love with this feeling. In the past, she would cheer and get excited seeing the Federation’s victories in the news. But now, she felt proud to be part of a victory herself.

If it weren’t for that Fatty constantly mumbling nervously about ”retreat, hurry and retreat, it’s safer for us to run. The enemy has tricks, big tricks,” this would be a perfect war movie!

”Charge forward!”

Fatty’s sudden shout startled Helen, who was mulling over how to delete his voice. Next, she saw Fatty, who had stayed to the side, leap energetically to Chekov’s side, veins bulging as he roared, ”Captain, order full speed ahead immediately! Castle Lily is in danger!”

”Danger?” Chekov didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Right now, Blue Rose was guarding Castle Lily from the rear flank, and the enemy fleet had already been thrown into disarray by the escort ships. With only these wrecks left, how could Castle Lily be in danger?

The one in danger should be that old Phoenix destroyer being pursued by Castle Lily, right? Clearly, its rear propulsion system damaged and moving slowly, it had already been locked onto by Castle Lily. Just one main cannon attack would make it a trophy for Castle Lily.

”Colonel Tian.” Chekov glanced at Fatty nonchalantly and said, ”I think you better head to the escape zone. You don’t quite understand space fleet matters.”

”Who says I don’t understand?” Fatty jumped up, furious. ”You’re an idiot! Can’t you see they’re forcing us out of the obstacle zone towards the jump channel? Do you think they’d charge with just a few armed merchant ships if they were stupid? The Castle Lily folks are even bigger idiots! Why advance the flagship so far ahead? Aren’t they afraid of an ambush at the jump channel?”

”Jump channel?” Chekov paused and instinctively looked at the interstellar navigation map.

”Tricks! Big tricks!” Fatty shouted wildly.

Just as Fatty’s sudden outburst left everyone bewildered, the warship radar suddenly sounded a sharp alarm.

On the radar view window at the side of the main console’s virtual screen, a bright spot appeared, followed by a second, a third...

The ship’s telescope took only seconds to focus on the space where these bright spots emerged.

Upon seeing what appeared in the lens, everyone’s hearts sank.

Fatty was right. At the end of that jump channel where the fleet was heading, a Desic Empire cruiser and four Binart Empire destroyers emerged from their jump, appearing like ghosts right in front of Castle Lily!

And the pirate’s remaining ships had entangled the entire fleet tightly.

.(To be continued. To know what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com, more chapters available, support the authors, support legitimate reading!)