Chapter 352: Countermeasures
With the loss of their defensive advantage, close-range combat now required meticulous energy allocation.
“All units, engines online! Maintain formation and adjust heading 50 degrees to port! Inform all ships to prioritize energy supply to the main cannons. Secondary priority to the engine systems, and channel any remaining energy into the auxiliary weapons—fire everything!” Diallo commanded with authority.
The Swarm’s energy beams had not been particularly effective against the Daqi warships, likely due to their initial strikes targeting the ships’ bows. These sections, in addition to housing the repulsion fields, were fortified with layers of high-resistance reactive armor designed to endure energy-based attacks.
Among the civilizations the Daqi had encountered, energy cannons were the predominant weapon of choice. Electromagnetic railguns, while occasionally used in planetary defense systems, were rarely mounted on warships due to the logistical challenges they posed. For long-range fleets, hauling the ammunition required for such weapons was a significant burden.
For instance, a single salvo from the Swarm’s thousands of Primordial-class units could launch tens of thousands of projectiles, with several salvos depleting the resources equivalent to a warship.
Beyond the cost of the munitions themselves, replenishing such a massive supply was a logistical nightmare. Only a civilization like the Swarm, with their fungal carpet replenishment systems, could sustain this scale of consumption.
Consequently, Daqi warships were designed primarily to counter energy-based attacks, with reactive armor tailored for this purpose.
“Your Highness, the flagship has sustained 11% damage. The bow’s reactive armor is heavily compromised; sections three and five have been breached. Multiple compartments behind the damaged areas are exposed, and 31 crew members have been ejected into space. Emergency sealing procedures have been completed, and the ship’s structural integrity remains intact,” Aslit reported calmly, collating the data received from damage control teams.
“Have the Chisaya cover the flagship’s damaged sections! Those crew members without suits are likely lost; dispatch a few drones to confirm, but don’t let it interfere with fleet operations,” Diallo ordered.