Counterfeit Hero

The matter of coming to rendezvous with the Leray Hidden Blade Fleet, Fang Xiang already knew about it on the first day of departure. This news made her both surprised and delighted.

The surprise was because the Leray government, in such difficult circumstances, was able to accumulate this last force and conceal it from everyone’s eyes. The delight was because once the bandit army joined forces with the Hidden Blade Fleet, they could be expected to grow rapidly.

Fang Xiang had never considered the distinction between Saleria and Leray from start to finish; she had long regarded herself as a member of the bandit army! She was filled with anticipation for the future of this group. Ever since she met Fatty, along the way, she had already received too many surprises. Everything she had now was something she never dreamed of when she left the Longbow Star System, exiled on Mars.

”Jump Points are not necessarily all under Douglas’s control.” After listening to Fang Xiang’s analysis, Fatty shook his head and said, ”If I were Douglas, after destroying the Western Alliance’s Blue Stone Star Base, I would engage their counterattack forces in a guerrilla battle. Turn the Longbow Star System into one of the battlefields among several nearby star systems, rather than a fortress! For the current Feiyang Fleet, a broader strategic maneuvering space is far more worthwhile than controlling a Jump Point.”

”You mean.......” Fang Xiang asked in surprise, ”Douglas would abandon Blue Stone Star?”

”I don’t know if he would. If it were me, I would!” Fatty looked at Fang Xiang, saying, ”Whatever can be destroyed has been destroyed, whatever can be stolen has also been stolen. To control this Star Domain, it’s not necessary to control the Jump Point, and there’s no need to stay at Blue Stone Star. You should know, Douglas doesn’t have a large ground force, and here, it is in the core of the Western Alliance’s territory; within a week, Jiepeng can organize a large-scale counterattack.”

”One week’s time.” Fang Xiang said thoughtfully, ”Then your agreement with the Hidden Blade Fleet.......”

”The best opportunity for a rendezvous is after Jiepeng’s main counterattack fleet enters the Longbow Star System.” Fatty said resolutely, ”Right now is when the Western Alliance troops stationed in the Bermuda Star System are extremely tense; according to the current situation, they must be prepared for Douglas and Fiscella to launch attacks on Bermuda and the Leray Central Star Domain simultaneously. Only when their main fleet is deployed into the Longbow Star System, will their attention be diverted from the passage between Bermuda and the Longbow Star System. No one will expect we still have a fleet lurking behind them. The Western Alliance fleet, having lost the Blue Stone Star Base, will inevitably need a supply line. And this supply line is the key to disrupting their formation, assisting Douglas, and successfully rendezvousing.”

Fatty paused and continued, ”Douglas’s successful surprise attack on the Longbow Star System, the Hidden Blade fleet must already know, because we need to minimize contact, so we can only follow the pace of the Hidden Blade Fleet. We must ensure that before Jiepeng launches a counterattack, the Longbow Star System is under Feiyang’s absolute control. And, we must ensure the safety of the route from Bermuda to here.”

”Since we’re here, we naturally cannot just leave like this.” Fatty’s finger unconsciously tapped on the railing, his honest face with eyes spinning quickly: ”Chuckna has already launched a full-scale counterattack on Resk. At this time, Douglas’s surprise attack on the Longbow Star System is very obvious, just to choke the Western Alliance’s neck, to buy time for Chuckna. Why not take advantage of the fire at this moment.......”

”The plan is quite good.”

Fatty and Fang Xiang turned around in surprise, only to find Margaret standing demurely behind them.

”You eavesdropped on our conversation?!” Fatty sternly said, ”Do you know that such behavior is very unethical?”

”No matter what, we are Allies.” Margaret said with a slight smile, ”Since I am now on this ship, I am also a member of this army. Your conversation, I just unintentionally overheard a sentence or two while walking by, besides, is there anyone who understands the strategic deployments of both camps better than me?”

”You little girl. You know nothing.” Fatty dismissively waved his hand, ”Go play elsewhere.”

”Hmph!” Margaret snorted, retorting sarcastically, ”Douglas leads four elite Feiyang A-Class fleets. The troops Jiepeng will deploy for the counterattack are even more numerous. Can’t figure out how a Ragged Fleet can make any difference in such heated battlefields between the two major camps. Discussing the situation here, attempting to take advantage, don’t you find it ridiculous?”

”Do large numbers make you powerful?” Fatty sneered, ”In my life, I’ve always fought battles where the fewer beat the many!”

”The Allied Command Center has an overall battle plan!” Margaret said with disdain, ”With your current capabilities, I doubt even if you were given an A-Class fleet to fire at will, you’d take half a year. Working here in cooperation with General Douglas, I don’t object, but if you go alone and disrupt the whole battle, I must intervene. I don’t want one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch!”

”You are the bad apple!” Fatty exclaimed with rage, ”Are your eyes blind? This is at least a B-Class fleet!”

”Who is the bad apple knows themselves best.” Margaret said indifferently, ”Along the way, when competing against my simulations, how many times have you won?”

”That’s because I fear you’d cry if you lost!” Fatty said angrily, masking his shame. Truthfully, in the simulations with Margaret, he had indeed lost more than he won. Although he was learning every day, the vast sea of military knowledge and basic command techniques were still beyond his reach compared to Margaret who grew up beside Hastings.