Chapter 18: First Battle!

Yu Minghao's voice had barely faded before the video screens of the cadets lit up with excitement. Opportunities like this, where they could easily rack up combat merits, were rare and highly coveted.

Originally, there had been nearly five or six hundred Zerg Hive Motherships. After the Moxue Squad's three rounds of drone bombardment and coordinated laser cannon strikes, only fewer than a hundred Motherships remained, many of them already damaged. This presented an excellent chance for real combat experience, and Director Lui wasn't going to let it slip by.

However, he didn't issue commands for formations, allowing the cadets to organize themselves in squads, ensuring the training's effectiveness.

"Everyone, I know you've all formed teams privately. You'll have two hours of free combat as squads. Regroup after two hours!" Director Lui announced.

Cheers erupted from the cadets. Those who made it into the Command Department of Yunshan Military Academy were the cream of the crop, and they carried a natural pride. Choosing to go to the front lines showed that these cadets were driven, understanding what they wanted from this experience.

"Storm will take the lead," Feng Mo instructed, "Old Wang and Moxue, your T3 White Eagle-class destroyers should keep an eye on Xiao Meng. This time, she'll be the main force. I've heard her T3 Hyena-class interstellar carrier packs more punch than the Moxue Squad's T3 Hive-class carrier. Let's see what it's got."

"Sure thing, Captain! Watch closely. My Hyena might not have as many drones as the Hive, but they pack a much bigger punch!" Xiao Meng chirped confidently.

"Good. We'll avoid the main battlefield and flank from the left," Feng Mo planned, a spark of excitement in his eyes. "We're going to pull a Zhao Zilong and charge in and out seven times!"

"Let's do it!" he declared, his gaze blazing with determination.

"Reporting, the fleet has arrived at the battlefield," Elpan, the Vice-Captain, informed. "But as your Vice-Captain, I suggest we remain on the periphery for safety. Facing the Hive Motherships head-on is riskier, even if the potential for destroying more Motherships is high."

As a seasoned interstellar commander, Elpan's advice was sound.

"That's unnecessary," Feng Mo countered. "If we want to grow, we can't stick to easy victories. Full speed ahead!"

Elpan, understanding the danger, personally controlled Storm's navigation, managing every angle and trajectory. Though starships had autopilot capabilities, the unpredictability of battle often demanded a pilot's quick thinking. Elpan knew that one misstep could lead to disaster, so she took command.

"Storm and both White Eagles, raise the Star Shields to maximum power. Charge the main cannons but hold fire. Let's give Xiao Meng the stage first," Feng Mo ordered.

"Got it, boss! Watch me work!" Xiao Meng replied. Her T3 Hyena-class carrier, positioned in the center of their formation, opened over a hundred side cannon hatches, releasing a swarm of T3 interstellar bombers.

The drones sped toward the nearest Hive Motherships. Upon arrival, they unleashed a barrage of cannon fire and missiles, blowing apart clusters of suicide and corrosive insects clinging to the Motherships. The drones then left behind cloaked antimatter timed bombs and retreated.

The attacked Motherships reacted violently, spewing bioplasma and organic laser fire in a desperate counterattack. However, Xiao Meng's drones drew them toward the edge of the battlefield, far from their reinforcements. As the Motherships gave chase, the cloaked bombs detonated one by one, obliterating three of the five Motherships.

"Nice work, Xiao Meng!" Feng Mo cheered. "All right, everyone, time for our turn! Aim the main cannons and fire!"

Upon his command, the two White Eagle-class destroyers fired their laser cannons, striking the sides of the two remaining Motherships. Storm's massive 2600mm turbo laser cannon, with its luck-boosting effect, punched clean through the hull of a Mothership, splitting it in half.

"You're the best, Captain! Big guns really are the best," Xiao Meng gushed, her eyes sparkling. "I wish I had a 2600mm laser cannon like that."

Feng Mo chuckled, shaking his head. Little did she know he envied her Hyena-class carrier just as much. Despite her innocent, soft appearance, Xiao Meng had a serious obsession with big ships and big guns, making her a charming mix of cuteness and chaos.

With five Motherships destroyed, Feng Mo's small fleet caught Director Lui's attention. Watching through his surveillance feed, Director Lui nodded approvingly. "As expected of one of our academy's top talents," he thought.

The tide of the battle began to turn. The Zerg forces, seeing their losses mount, started to retreat. Feng Mo noticed this and seized the opportunity.

"Full speed ahead!" he commanded. "Intercept their retreat and cut them off!"

Previously, it was mentioned that the Hive Motherships were massive but slow. Relying on the fact that most of the retreating Motherships were T2 and T1 class, Feng Mo ordered his fleet to accelerate to 160 star speed, tracing an arc around the battlefield to cut off their escape. He refrained from using Storm's full 200-star speed to keep pace with Wang and Moxue's ships.

The initial swarm of nearly a hundred Hive Motherships had been whittled down to seventy during the cadets' bombardment. Despite being outnumbered, Feng Mo's four-starship formation exuded a formidable aura, as if it could hold back an entire fleet.

Storm's bow faced a T2 Hive Mothership, which seemed to sense danger. It unleashed a relentless stream of bioplasma, but Storm's close-defense laser turrets intercepted most of the blasts. Any shots that got through were absorbed by the Star Shield.

"Charge the three auxiliary laser cannons and fire at will once ready!" Feng Mo commanded. The two starships were close enough that accuracy was a given.

Ten seconds later, the three cannons roared, sending beams straight into the Hive Mothership's bioplasma storage. The resulting explosion split the Mothership into three pieces, scattering its remains across space.

"That was lucky, hitting the plasma reserves," Feng Mo laughed, marveling at his innate talent's usefulness. He had doubted it at first, but it had proved invaluable in battle.

Despite their success, the small fleet was quickly surrounded. Or, one could argue, Feng Mo had surrounded the enemy. Faced with overwhelming odds, he remained unfazed.

"Full speed ahead! Ram them if you have to! We have shields, and they don't. This is our chance to rake in some merits. Let's see how many we can take down!"

"Feng Mo's right," Moxue chimed in. "Charge! Don't worry about repairs; if the military doesn't cover them, I'll pay for everything. The Moxue family is filthy rich! This is so thrilling!"

Old Wang sighed, feeling exasperated. "That's my fiancée," he thought, watching Moxue revel in the action. "A complete battle maniac."

Moxue's declaration was no idle boast. The currency she referred to, Star Coins, was the interstellar federation's standard, accepted even by alien species. And the exchange rate?

One Star Coin to one hundred Imperial Cloud Coins.

Knots = Star Speed