Chapter 397 - 356: The Undercurrent Beneath the War
"Why did the enemy’s artillery barrage stop?"
The Navy veteran, Kurs, frowned. He had never encountered a situation like this before.
He was about to connect to the command system’s Spiritual Energy comms to report the situation to Koller, but before he could speak, Koller’s order came through.
"Cease counter-fire. Tech team, do everything you can to accelerate and break through their defensive line."
Koller had spoken with the Technician Priests in charge of the ship’s controls. The ancient technology used to build and operate the Avenger Flagship was so far beyond their knowledge that, even with them sweating bullets and stressed to the max, the ship wasn’t performing at even a tenth of its capacity.
In fact, these Technician Priests, who had spent their entire lives tightening screws, couldn’t even figure out what kind of technology and components the ancient vessel was equipped with.
However, Koller didn’t give the grease monkeys a hard time. After all, he had borrowed them from the Fourth Fleet, and he was already satisfied that they could get the Avenger Flagship running at all.
As a thousand-year-old veteran, he knew full well how important the role of a Technician Soldier was.
It wasn’t just him. Even if the Grand Governor himself were leading a campaign, without the aid of Technician Soldiers and Mechanic Priests, these Ancient Creations with their incredibly complex control systems simply wouldn’t start. Period.
In contrast, civilian freighters or small Boarding Ships had simple, intuitive controls that he could pilot himself.
「On the upper command platform.」
After a quick estimate of their distance and speed, Koller said grimly, "Sir, at our current speed, even without the rebels trying to stop us, it will take an hour and twenty minutes at minimum to enter Cyrenaica’s low orbit.
I’ve already urged the tech team to accelerate as much as they can."
The Technician Soldier who betrayed the Administrative Region had been rooted out at Savenxis, which meant the Avenger Flagship was temporarily without a suitable pilot.
’But the good news is, at least no one will be flying us straight into the rebel flagship’s hangar bay.’
Before Reinhardt could respond, the navy veteran’s panicked voice suddenly cut through the Spiritual Energy comms.
"Damn it... have these traitors gone completely insane?! Forcing a boarding action now? Are their commanders all greenhorns with no military common sense?"
The Navy veteran Kurs had a wealth of combat experience, but even he had never fought such a bizarre war.
At this moment, thousands of small Boarding Ships filled his vision. Like a swarm of bees leaving the hive, they wove into a massive net as they charged toward the flagship at high speed.
’Instead of using their cannons, they just had to charge us, relying on the most primitive boarding tactics.’
Kurs almost thought his eyes were deceiving him.
What he failed to realize, however, was that a battle that seemed to fly in the face of all military common sense often concealed an ulterior motive.
Hearing the veteran’s cry of alarm, everyone on the command platform turned to look at the holographic display at the front of the bridge. Seeing this, Nelom let out a cold snort. "Now do you believe the intelligence I gave you?
I’m guessing Claudius must have promised rewards to his entire army. Otherwise, there’s no way he could command those high-and-mighty Knight Warlords to send their men on a suicide boarding mission at any cost."
As a rebel Knight who had seen the light, Nelom knew the makeup of Claudius’s forces well. Without the promise of a hefty reward, and having already lost the legitimacy granted by the Empire and the Emperor, the idea of commanding those Knight Warlords with the same authority as the Administrative Region’s Grand Governor was nothing but a pipe dream.
He also hadn’t expected Claudius to disregard the bigger picture for a single ship, sending his men to die in a boarding action for his own selfish gain.
Urus’s brow furrowed. He quickly realized this was far more complicated than Nelom’s information suggested. Launching a boarding action at any cost like this... it looked less like an assassination attempt on Reinhardt and more like they were after the Avenger Flagship itself.
’And considering the Technician Soldier who controlled this ship had already turned traitor...’
Urus looked up at Reinhardt. "Sir, I don’t think it’s that simple. This boarding action is very likely not aimed at assassinating us.
Claudius must know we’re short a Technician Soldier.
I’m worried they’ll storm the ship at any cost to seize control. If that’s their plan, we’re in trouble."
Even before Urus voiced his opinion, Reinhardt had already come to the same sharp conclusion. With Nelom’s prior failure, a continued boarding action was meaningless.
At this moment, Lu Jia, who had been listening in silence and diligently learning, spoke up, her delicate brows furrowed slightly. "My lords, if Claudius is willing to go to any length to seize control of this ship from us...
...then, might I speculate that he made some kind of deal with the Mechanist Cult to gain their support, and that the Avenger Flagship is his bargaining chip?"
’This was her first time speaking up on the command platform, and Lu Jia felt a knot of anxiety in her stomach. She worried she had interrupted the three lords, and that her analysis might be wrong and could misdirect their entire battle plan.’
After she finished, Urus stared at her in silence. Lu Jia appeared composed, but she nervously placed her right hand on the command console, only to snatch it back a moment later, as if she didn’t know what to do with it.
The sudden silence from Reinhardt and the other two, who had been deep in discussion just a moment before, was particularly unnerving.
’The pressure was mounting.’
Finally, Koller, who had been studying her for a moment with a slight frown, turned to Reinhardt. "Lu Jia’s analysis has merit. If she’s right, then we need to adjust the focus of our defensive strategy for when the enemy boards.
Sir, what do you think?"
Reinhardt’s voice was cold. "Then we’ll proceed with Lu Jia’s theory. Change our strategy. You and I will hold the bridge. Urus, have your people spread out through the ship and give us constant updates on the enemy’s advance.
As for Nelom..."
Hearing Reinhardt say his name, Nelom let out a heavy sigh. "Since I’ve put my trust in you, I have no intention of dying for Claudius.
Don’t worry. I’ll stay within your sight until the fighting is over."
Urus’s voice was chilling as he threatened, "I’ll be watching your every move, traitor."
Nelom bristled at being called "traitor," but on the bridge, in front of Reinhardt, he couldn’t lash out. Clenching his right fist, he retorted, "You can get lost too, little Night Demon. And you’d better make sure your own soul doesn’t get tainted by *that* traitor’s Legendary Power."
"You’re asking to die."
Facing Urus’s seething glare, Nelom burst out laughing. "What? Is the fact that your father was a traitor a sore spot?
Did I make you angry?"
Koller wanted no part in the long-standing feud between the Holy Temple of Justice and the Night Demons, so he just frowned and said nothing.
Urus couldn’t lash out in front of Reinhardt. He simply took two steps back and vanished on the spot, throwing a parting shot over his shoulder as he left the bridge.
"Still better than being a backstabbing lapdog like you, Justice-boy."
At this, Nelom flew into a rage.
"THAT’S FUCKING BULLSHIT—! I’LL RIP YOUR GODDAMN MOUTH OFF WITH MY BARE HANDS!"