Counterfeit Hero

The Demon’s Eye had just parted ways with the Bullfighter Mercenary Group Fleet, and Barbarossa immediately began to move closer, whether intentionally or unintentionally. In the past, Steelman would never have allowed Barbarossa to threaten him. But this time, he only took slight precautions before accelerating away.

What exactly did Steelman encounter to act so out of character?

Chekov stared intently at the radar cursor, his brows tightly knit together. ”Any news from the reconnaissance ship sent to the DE-4541 star system from the base?”

”Not yet!” The liaison officer, who had been staring at the console, shook his head and reported. But soon, he jumped up: ”It’s here!”

Everyone in the control room tensely watched the liaison officer as he stood up, quickly retrieved the electronic folder from the encrypted communication device, and swiftly inserted it into the decoder. After a brief wait, the decoded electronic folder popped out. The liaison officer grabbed the folder and ran towards Chekov, quickly scanning it before handing it over.

”An unidentified cruiser appeared in the DE-4541 star system! It attempted to launch an attack on the Demon’s Eye pirate base. The electronic reconnaissance ship is currently conducting a hidden backtrack search from the location where the cruiser appeared. The search radar has detected fleet reflection signals. It’s preliminarily suspected that this is a military fleet from an unknown nation, consisting of at least one battleship and one cruiser! Further verification and identification are needed.”

”A military fleet from an unknown nation?!” Chekov’s eyes went wide. His first thought was that the Suss Empire Fleet had entered the Freedom Channel through some connection point. But he quickly dismissed this thought. At this time, the Suss Empire had no reason to engage in a large-scale conflict with a Pro-Western Alliance pirate base!

Besides, the DE-4541 star system, where the Demon’s Eye base is located, is part of the Mars Free Port commercial route. Though giant transport ships cannot pass through, aircraft carriers or battleship-class vessels can navigate it freely! On the surface, this commercial route appears to extend from the Northern Odin Free Channel through Mars Free Port to the Saleria Longbow Star Domain. However, in the legends of the Free World, this network-like channel connects almost all the nations in the Southeast Star Domain!

Besides the Suss Empire, which occupies the main channel, there are also connections through the Longbow Star Domain to Leray and Gazalin. There is a connection through the Chuckna Republic to the Feiyang Republic, and it is said that a hundred jump points to the south can reach the Tatania Commercial Federation and the neighboring Desic Empire!

In the current situation, any nation’s fleet could appear here. This even includes the Leray Fleet, which was forced to retreat to the Public Star System during the Battle of Bermuda!

”Send a command to the Second Fleet!” Chekov quickly made a decision: ”Order Barbarossa to approach and harass the Demon’s Eye main fleet, delaying their speed! The First Fleet must accelerate immediately and covertly head to the DE-4541 star system!”

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”Report!” Markovich quickly walked into Fatty’s office and handed over a document: ”Colonel, the electronic mecha has just received a communication from Colonel Chekov. The main fleet of the Demon’s Eye suddenly left the Mars Star System and headed to their base. According to our reconnaissance ship’s report, an unidentified military fleet is attacking the Demon’s Eye base. It is believed Steelman is leading his fleet back to reinforce the base.”

”Oh?” Fatty looked up from a miniature precision lathe, removed his microscope glasses, and took the report from Markovich, carefully reading it.

Markovich looked around Fatty’s office and couldn’t help but shake his head and smile wryly. This wasn’t an office; it was a chaotic workshop! Various materials and parts filled the floor. Lathes, welding machines, miniature non-heat metal furnaces, and molding machines crowded the room. On the desk were half-eaten dishes and bowls.

As a naturally meticulous soldier, Markovich himself preferred order and cleanliness. Usually, he maintained an upright, serious, and meticulous demeanor. Back in the 4th Fleet, he couldn’t stand anyone looking disheveled. As his subordinate, one would get scolded, and even as his superior, one wouldn’t get a good face from him.

However, Markovich couldn’t muster a sneeze at Fatty’s behavior. If there was one disheveled person in the world he genuinely admired and respected, it was Fatty. Markovich never believed political proclamations, and he rarely paid attention to Fatty’s past accomplishments. He only trusted what he saw with his eyes!

Since the attack on the Blue Rose, everything Fatty had done had turned Markovich into his follower! Always taking national honor as his duty and never currying favor with superiors, Markovich even felt proud of his follower status.

If Fatty was the craziest madman in Leray of this era, Markovich would surely strive for second place! Through all the dangers and hardships, Markovich remembered everything vividly. Leading everyone persistently and repeatedly creating miracles was this Fatty before him!

After reading the document, Fatty looked up with his usual blank expression, seemingly lost in thought.

”Colonel!” Markovich pondered over the information in the report and asked, ”Could this be a trap set by the Western Alliance and the Tai Sect?”

”No.” Fatty shook his head and said, ”The Demon’s Eye Pirate Group’s base is very secretive. They don’t know we’ve already located their base, for one. And two, the Tai Sect’s biggest enemy right now is the Northern Commerce Alliance. After being ambushed last time, the fleets of the Three Major Schools suffered a damage rate of up to thirty percent, and the Tai Sect lost six space ports in a row! At this moment, the Demon’s Eye Fleet should be joining forces with the Bullfighter Mercenary Group Fleet to defend, not setting up traps.”

Markovich nodded. Fatty’s meticulous thinking pointed out the flaws in the trap theory. Indeed, if Steelman didn’t know the bandit army had found his base, he couldn’t use the base as bait.

”Then who could this fleet be?” Markovich muttered.

”Look at this!” Fatty walked to the central computer and brought up a newspaper.

Markovich looked closely at the highlighted headline— ”Suss Settles in the Longbow Star System.” The detailed report underneath had a section marked by Fatty’s finger: ”Saleria Longbow Local Fleet Defeated, Remaining Ships Retreated to the Public Star System!”

”You mean, the attacking Demon’s Eye is the remnants of the Saleria Longbow Local Fleet?” Markovich asked in surprise.

Fatty opened an interstellar map and marked the large jump points that could accommodate battleships and aircraft carriers from the Longbow Star System. These jump points connected several intertwined routes, with the Demon’s Eye base located at the northern part of these routes!

”A fleet without supplies, lost in the complex network of the Freedom Channel, can only seek out large jump points while avoiding the main channel. If by chance they discovered pirate traces and followed them to the pirate base, what would you do?”

”Take over the nest!” Markovich’s eyes lit up!

”Exactly!” Fatty said. ”Only this explanation makes sense of the fleet’s origin and their reason for attacking the Demon’s Eye base! Any other possibility doesn’t hold up. This isn’t a trap by the Tai Sect, and other nations’ military fleets couldn’t appear here.”

”Then what should we do?” Markovich asked.

”Inform Chekov of my guess.” Fatty’s greasy face shone with determination. ”Immediately verify the fleet’s identity to avoid any conflict. If the identity is confirmed, the First Fleet must seize the Demon’s Eye base first! Also, order the reconnaissance ships to expand their search range. Send out two more reconnaissance ships from our base to assist! We must locate the main fleet of this force! They can’t just have these two warships!”

Markovich recorded the orders. Before leaving, he couldn’t help but ask, ”If we seize their base, won’t it easily cause a conflict?”

”How could it? We’re natural allies!” Fatty smiled as he looked at the interstellar map, his face beaming with excitement. ”I’ll seize it first, then lend it to them.”

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As usual, please vote for us! It’s already nine o’clock by the time I got back from taking my daughter to dance. I’m so tired!

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