The quota of fifty people was the most basic number Tang Lang could think of to maintain a medium-sized starship sailing in the vast starry sky. For this reason, Tang Lang even gave up all the assistant gunners and damage control maintenance personnel. If he encountered the enemy,
It’s hard to say whether the combat effectiveness can be even one-fifth of what it was before.
However, Tang Lang wanted to take the comrade he had only met twice home, but he could not use morality to kidnap everyone to be noble. Whether it was the air pirates or the officers and soldiers of the independent regiment, they had already completed their duties.
However, the quota of fifty volunteers who dared to put themselves in dangerous situations was far less difficult than Tang Lang thought before. It was almost overcrowded in less than a minute. Not only that, with some hesitation,
, perhaps seeing that his friends had also signed up, the number of signups surged to 100 within two minutes.
Making a choice is very simple, but knowing that you may never come back and still making this choice is not simple.
It may be too noble to describe these officers and soldiers with the brilliance of human nature. It may be better to explain this phenomenon by saying that heroes often come from the ordinary.
This reminded Tang Lang of what a famous person in his time and space said about his country and race: The people of that country and race have always been very lucky, because they are always well protected by a group of brave people.
Now, these brave people, like their ancestors, choose to stand bravely in front of him.
"Fat Vice Captain, I want to earn these 10,000 blue gold coins. If you don't accept me, you will cut off your career and wealth."
"I figured it out, the Phoenix is my home, and I won't go anywhere but here!"
"Yes, I have liked Lieutenant Hao for a long time. Maybe after we have been together for a long time, she and I will see eye to eye. Her and my personal problems will be solved."
"Go away, I remember Chu Heizi, you bastard, you vowed to leave a message to Sergeant Li on the Qinglong before the war, saying that as long as you can survive after the war, you must marry her, don't use me as an excuse!"
"Didn't Sergeant Li reply to him? He said that I should just die in the battle!"
"Ha ha!"
...
As the officers on the bridge joked with each other in order to be able to sign up, the previous solemn atmosphere suddenly disappeared, and there was actually a sense of joy, as if they were going to dig a gold mine.
This made the fat man in charge of the registration unusually emotional. He rubbed his eyes fiercely and shouted loudly: "Shut up, you mother-in-law. You are a fat deputy captain. My surname is Zhu Yidao. Call me deputy captain."
You can be a captain or an officer. Also, for those of you who always call yourself me, I’m telling you, I’m going to get married soon and buy a house in the capital star with 1 million credits for decoration. Don’t even think about running away if you take advantage. I have to
I’ll see you wait for the war and I’ll come to you one by one to collect some money!”
"Haha! Sir, I must join in." There was a burst of laughter at the scene.
The dark-skinned lieutenant, who he called Chu Heizi, was honestly puzzled: "Why does a house cost 1 million credits? How could I remember that it only costs 100,000 credits?"
"You're a bumpkin! You're talking about prices ten years ago. You don't know what it's like to play in real estate? One price per month can only be considered occasional, but one price per day is routine." The fat man curled his lips.
, dealt a heavy blow to a group of "country bumpkins" who had been away from the Federation all year round.
Perhaps, it strengthened their determination to go. They had no money and no face to go back to see their parents!
In the end, the number of applicants reached 208, accounting for one-eighth of the current personnel on the Phoenix. Among them, there were even three members who were not members of the original independent group who arrived in the Meteor Star Sky from the Federation, but after occupying Lexa Space Station. Absorbed air pirates.
"Sir, we are not here for the 10,000 blue gold coins, but we just want to experience the feeling of having comrades." A soldier who sent a video from the secondary battery compartment said his reason somewhat "cowardly".
Tang Lang smiled and waved his hand, "As long as you have the courage, no matter what the reason, let's come together!"
...
Under the gaze of hundreds of starships floating quietly in the starry sky, the "Phoenix" turned its bow, with some difficulty, drew a huge arc in the aftermath of the energy tide, heading towards the disappearance of the "Golden Eagle 3" Position forward.
"Salute!" Shen Chengfeng, standing on the command seat of the "Qinglong", roared.
No matter where they were, the officers and soldiers of the Independent Regiment on the starship to which the Regiment belonged stood straight and saluted solemnly. But the air pirates also flashed their sidelights to salute the starship and the people on the starship that were leaving alone. .
This is not only a farewell to comrades, but also a tribute to bravery. It is the simplest and most solemn way for tens of thousands of soldiers in the starry sky at this moment.
It wasn't until the "Phoenix"'s tail flame light became farther and farther away, until it completely disappeared from sight, that the starships began to get busy again.
The last order given by Tang Lang before stepping down as supreme commander was carried out meticulously, even by the once unruly air pirates.
Although there is no electronic communication in this terrible magnetic storm, there are optical rescue facilities on the lifeboats. The special rescue light source can reach thousands of kilometers with the support of energy batteries and is enough to be detected by the optical systems of nearby starships. Sensed.
Of course, in the starry sky that is far vaster than the ocean, thousands of kilometers are just a drop in the ocean. The prerequisite for being seen is that there are enough starships participating in the rescue, and there are still more than 100 assault ships left in the meteorite starry sky. The coalition meets exactly this necessary condition.
Even so, the rescue operation lasted for a full 48 hours, until it was finally determined that there were no more lifeboats of our own in the million-square-kilometer airspace. The combined fleet then calculated the magnetic fluctuation map based on the central brain of the Phoenix before leaving. Returning to the outer reaches of Bermuda.
During the battle, the Jiepen people also ejected many lifeboats, but they were on the verge of being exploded by antimatter bombs. No one thought they had a chance of survival. But miraculously, a few lifeboats were not destroyed by the terrible energy. The tide is destroying, and the luck value is completely exploded.
But their luck ended here. Not to mention that Shen Chengfeng would never leave the Jiepen people alive in order to keep it secret. Even the air pirates who were already red-eyed because of the heavy losses would not tolerate an enemy. Survive.
Without Shen Chengfeng's orders, the air pirates had already spontaneously targeted all the surviving Jie Pen lifeboats.
The entire First Squadron of the Sixth Army, starting from Major General Sei Itagaki and below, was completely wiped out, with no one surviving. This outcome is probably the first time in a hundred years since the war between the Southwest Federation and the Jiepen Empire a hundred years ago.
On the way back, the battle report had been placed on the desks of Shen Chengfeng and the senior leaders of the Independent Regiment.
The combined fleet dispatched a total of 188 assault ships and three destroyers. In the end, only 125 assault ships and 2 destroyers were able to make it back home, resulting in a loss of more than 63 assault ships, nearly one-third of the force. However, search and rescue efforts
More than 5,000 people came back. If we just look at the personnel losses, it should be about 6,000, which only accounts for one-seventh of the total number of troops. Although the losses are heavy, they are still acceptable.
If compared with the results of the Jiepen Empire's menacing jump of a fully-organized squadron of 11 large starships and the annihilation of more than 50,000 troops, this loss is simply negligible.
You must know that small starships such as assault ships, which are only 150 meters to 200 meters long, are mostly used as transport ships for carrying mechas to airdrop to planets in the main fleet. In fleet-level bombardment operations, they are basically cannon fodder.
Let alone one destroyer, the cost of building ten or twenty ships is not as expensive as one destroyer.
But now, they have only used a mere 63 cannon fodder-class starships to bury four Jepen destroyers, six frigates, and even a more expensive cruiser in the starry sky. If the sacrifices are not included,
, just from the comparison of equipment losses, it is like throwing a few sesame seeds but smashing the opponent's watermelon. If this is not a big victory, what else can be considered a big victory?
The sacrifice is naturally sad. Not counting air pirates, the independent regiment alone lost three assault ships. Another assault ship rushed too far forward and was unfortunately hit by the main gun of the destroyer Jepen.
The lifeboat disintegrated in the starry sky before it had time to eject. More than 400 people died in the battle. A colonel who had followed Shen Chengfeng for more than ten years and became the battalion commander and more than 20 promoted lieutenants were among the casualties.
Shen Chengfeng, who had been an air pirate for nearly ten years and was already accustomed to life and death, could not help but remain silent for a long time when he saw the long list of victims. Chen Shi even lost his temper in public and burst into tears. He then led the entire squadron to rush towards
The Jiepen fleet is so resolute.
Soldiers are not afraid of death, but they are afraid of separation.
Once we meet our comrades on the battlefield, we may never see them again.
Compared with the officers and soldiers of the Independent Regiment, the air pirates who have long been accustomed to walking on the edge of life and death are obviously more receptive to death. Faced with the heavy casualties, they only felt a moment of sadness and then threw themselves into crazy celebrations of victory.
The air pirate leaders of various forces began to have a carnival mode. The wine carried in the assault ships was distributed, and the reward of 200,000 blue gold coins for each assault ship promised by the "Phoenix Legion" will be paid after leaving the Bermuda Star Territory.
Make payment.
No one doubts that the "Phoenix Legion" will default on its debt. There is no reason, it's just intuition, the intuition that comes from all sky pirates.
They did not realize that after this battle, the Phoenix Legion had completely become the backbone of the entire Meteor Star Territory without even realizing it, instead of just the previous situation where they were the boss due to their strength.
Perhaps even the Jiepen people themselves did not expect that their dispatch this time was like a hammer, gradually forging a rough steel embryo into shape. When they came back next time, what was originally a piece of loose sand was now gone.
The meteorite starry sky that gradually begins to merge will be harder than they imagined. If you bite it, your big teeth will break.
In fact, compared with this unexpected fusion, the various arrangements Tang Lang made before the war were the most impressive.
Tang Lang, who seemed to have foreseen this in advance, promised many forces when he issued the summons that he would release frigate construction technology. As long as these air pirates provide enough minerals, they can obtain frigates and even destroyers.
If they don't have enough materials and technical personnel, the "Phoenix Legion" can even provide finished ships as long as they can pay enough.
After Tang Lang's report, Changsun Hong had agreed that the Southwest Federation would transport some of the decommissioned and sealed old destroyers and frigates to the meteorite sky via Jiang Cheng.
These old-fashioned destroyers may not be able to deal with the main fleet, but if placed in the hands of these air pirates in the meteorite sky, they can become a terrifying force.
Of course, Tang Lang is not afraid that these guys will rebel if they have a destroyer. Apart from Jie Peng, a big foreign enemy, almost no one can force these "outlaw thieves" to get together. Just talk about the people who provide weapons.
It would be too stupid not to save a hand.
Starships are not assault rifles and cannons that you can turn around and recognize people. In addition to people, this high-tech gadget also needs a central intelligence brain. Unless the air pirates have the ability to replace all the intelligent systems in the starship.
Once, otherwise, the 100% existing backdoor will be somewhere in the starship.
It's a pity that if they had that kind of technical ability, they would have gone out and become big names long ago, so why would they still need to hang out in the Meteor Star Territory?
Tang Lang didn't need to say anything about this, the air pirates knew the truth well.
The destroyer that I bought with all my money has to be controlled by others. No one with any sense will fall into the trap of Tang Lang, a thief who is even more vicious than an air pirate. But unfortunately, the most lacking thing in the world is...
Just an idiot.
The fact is that one moment everyone was still swearing at the wine table that the alliance would never engage in this loss-making deal. Whoever buys the grandson would be the one to buy. The next moment, several orders flew to Irving's personal brain.
Not only does it cost a lot to build a destroyer, but you also don’t have the skills to do it. How can it be better to buy the finished product directly? Anyone who places an order will 100% buy the finished ship directly.
In fact, Tang Langding's price is really not cheap. If the precious minerals listed on the list are even comparable to the price of blue gold and are valued outside the star field, it would be enough to build a new cruiser, let alone an old destroyer.
.
Even a Hebrew like Irving, who views everything like money, feels that Tang Langding's price is too high, and a slight decrease of 10 or 11% might be the right approach.
But what makes Shen Chengfeng and the senior leaders of the independent group dumbfounded is that they really underestimate this group of air pirates who have blood heritage. Do you think they only started doing this business recently? That's not true. They have been doing this for generations.
Damn it, the century-old stores here are so weak. They are old brands that have been around for thousands of years. Grandpa's grandfather saved a little, grandpa's father saved a little, and grandpa saved a little more...
I heard that for a guy who ordered two destroyers at once, the blue gold and tungsten gold delivered even had a storage history of more than 500 years...
"My dear mother!" Fatty learned later that he had the urge to command the fleet to rob the meteorite sky.
If I had known that these guys still had so much inventory, why would I have bothered to dig mines? Why not just grab them one by one and it would be over!
Tang Lang, who was still trying to restrain his greed, stopped him. If they just wanted to take advantage of others, they wouldn't have to do anything. After they finished robbing, the war would probably be over. In the days to come, they would be here.
Want to be a big pirate leader, sitting in the sky of meteorites and counting ores?
The chain reaction brought about by the orders for five consecutive destroyers was terrifying, setting off an unprecedented arms race in the meteorite sky.
In the past, the reason why air pirate leaders showed off when they met was "I have three assault ships." However, at this time, two destroyers are just standard equipment that is not despised by others. Only three destroyers can be installed on a gun. As for
Even those who live alone are too embarrassed to go out and meet people.
In just one month, the 2nd Fleet of the Southwest Federation, which had already entered the rotation and withdrawn from the third star field, actually dispatched 18 large transport ships to the meteorite star field, not to transport supplies to the independent group, but from the Karama star to the
Pull back the mine.
In the past two months since the independent regiment was formed, the Southwest Federation's strategic reserves of various rare minerals have increased by 15%, which is equivalent to the input volume in the past five years.
The Southwest Federation only paid for the 15 mothballed destroyers and 22 frigates.
It is said that even Ming Donglai, who saw the report later, took the initiative to ask a certain admiral in the capital of Yuan Dynasty. It seemed that the maintenance cost of the cruiser "Tian Dan" that had been mothballed for 30 years was a bit too high. It was better to sell it as scrap metal!
A certain admiral was speechless, and he didn't know who it was. When faced with several first-level members' proposals to destroy starships that had been mothballed for more than 30 years at the recent meeting of first-level members, he righteously and angrily scolded them for doing so.
A few self-interests actually put national security at the expense of treating the honor of the federal military as trivial. All starships are witnesses of military honor. Veterans do not die. Once the war begins, those starships will set sail again to fight for the federation, let alone being mothballed for 30 years.
300 years, that's what the federal government should do.
The deafening words of a head of state are still ringing in my ears, but now, are they just gone?
Of course, these are all unofficial historical records.
Unofficial history, what credibility does it have? Those are all unrealistic imaginations of history by latecomers.
According to official records, perhaps the then-head of state Min Dong-lai apologized for his too sharp remarks against members of the People's Assembly that day. The head-of-state and the chief of military affairs had a friendly exchange on military and people's livelihood issues and
After various weighings, he personally authorized the Ministry of Military Affairs to officially launch the "destruction" plan for the cruiser "Tian Dan".
The Southwest Independent Regiment located in the meteorite sky welcomed their second largest ship, the "Phoenix" cruiser, one month later. The Science and Technology Department of the Independent Regiment located on the Karama Star mobilized more than 8,000 people and spent a month on it.
Carry out a comprehensive transformation of the armor, the size remains unchanged, and the defense power is increased, unknown!
Of course, these are unknown changes in the meteorite sky in the coming months.
None of this is known to the Jiepen Empire in the outside world or Tang Lang and others who are still in the Bermuda Star Territory due to the magnetic storm that has completely cut off communications.
........
PS: Today’s update is late, so it’s just two chapters combined into one, a big chapter of 5,000 words. Also, I would like to thank the leader of the book friend “Facing the Wall and Thinking of Sadness and Absolute Love” for the reward, thank you!