Section 494 Change (Part 2)
The "Green Arrow" was a medium-sized spacecraft and one of the twelve combat vessels. It carried 125 mech pilots. According to Ye Zhong's organizational structure, each combat vessel constituted one battalion.
Today, the direct commander of the Green Arrow was not the leader of the Fifth Battalion as usual, but their regimental commander, Xi Qing. Not only had Xi Qing personally come aboard the Green Arrow, but he had also brought the Fourth Battalion with him. This meant the total force on the Green Arrow now reached 250 mech pilots.
Xi Qing had boarded the Green Arrow while it was withdrawn into the fleet for rest and resupply.
"Everyone, you've worked hard!" Xi Qing solemnly saluted all the mech pilots and gestured for those resting not to stand up.
He looked around; all eyes were fixed on him.
"Now, we have a tough mission. Is anyone afraid?" Xi Qing asked with a smile.
"No!" "Afraid of what!" "Commander, when have you ever heard of anyone from the First Regiment being scared?" "Exactly, just tell us the mission!" ... The atmosphere was fervent. Everyone shouted at the top of their lungs, and many abruptly stood up.
"Good! The First Regiment truly never lags behind!" Xi Qing said with pride. "However, this mission is extremely challenging. So, the brothers from the Fourth Battalion will be fighting alongside us. I hope we can work together seamlessly and win this battle!" Xi Qing's clenched right fist slammed down fiercely through the air.
"Yes!" everyone roared in unison.
The Red-Tailed Beasts were numerous, like a swarm of locusts, while the fleet was also immensely large. The vulnerable parts of the spacecraft had been reinforced, leaving the Red-Tailed Beasts with few options. Both sides were locked in a stalemate. Although the Red-Tailed Beasts were numerous, they did not split up. They remained as a large main force. Ye Zhong's side, unable to fight outside the ships, could only defend passively. Overall, the initiative on the battlefield lay with the Red-Tailed Beasts.
At that moment, three spacecraft suddenly emerged from the dense fleet.
The moment these three ships appeared, they caught the attention of the Red-Tailed Beasts. Truth be told, Ye Zhong's fleet was so densely packed that over a thousand Red-Tailed Beasts were like an ant facing an elephant, feeling somewhat at a loss about where to start. Although some Red-Tailed Beasts, attracted by the energy modules, had broken away from the main group, the vast majority remained with it.
These three spacecraft suddenly emerging from the turtle-like fleet were extremely conspicuous in the entire battlefield.
Without hesitation, the main force of Red-Tailed Beasts swarmed towards them. In terms of both speed and agility, the Red-Tailed Beasts far surpassed the spacecraft. The three ships continuously performed evasive maneuvers, but it was utterly futile.
The crews inside the three spacecraft heard a sound like raindrops hitting a window. In moments, the ships were completely covered with Red-Tailed Beasts, densely packed, a terrifying sight.
Big Head's sweaty forehead dripped sweat down his cheeks. His breathing was rapid. He was in a state of excitement, his face flushed an unnatural red, his heavy breaths hot and panting. He knew this battle was more dangerous than previous ones, though he didn't know by how much.
"Open the hatch!"
The heavy hatch door before him opened silently.
Big Head straightened up, held his breath, and stared fixedly at the hatch. At that moment, he was like a beast poised to strike.
Five Red-Tailed Beasts, like tigers smelling blood, suddenly rushed into the passageway.
Behind them, a few more Red-Tailed Beasts were vaguely visible.
Big Head's pupils dilated sharply. "Attack!" he roared.
The five Guardian mechas had already formed an impact-resistant defensive formation. The swarming Red-Tailed Beasts surged forward like a black torrent, crashing directly into one of the Guardian mechas.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
A series of continuous impact sounds echoed as the five mechas were forcefully pushed back several steps! The impact force from the Red-Tailed Beasts this time was unprecedentedly violent. The five Red-Tailed Beasts also seemed dazed, their movements sluggish. However, they remained agile, swiftly moving aside to make space for their companions behind them.
"Hold the line!" Big Head shouted desperately, the veins on his bald head bulging like earthworms, yet his hand movements were incredibly nimble. He knew they absolutely could not retreat now. If they lost their footing, they would immediately be forced into a relentless retreat.
Whoosh! Big Head's Guardian mecha's rear leg forcefully pushed off the ground. Instead of retreating, it surged forward.
Their coordination was already seamless. Those on the front line were certainly no weaklings. Without Big Head's reminder, they knew they must not retreat now.
The other four Guardian mechas adjusted simultaneously, either pushing off powerfully with their legs or leveraging the inner walls of the passageway. Four steel shadows appeared behind Big Head.
"Die!" Big Head roared. His Guardian mecha clashed head-on with a charging Red-Tailed Beast without any fancy moves. The mecha's iron fist met the beast's arrow-like tail, sparks flying from the impact.
The tremendous force caused Big Head's mecha to wobble, threatening to lose balance. Suddenly, the mecha's left mechanical arm shot out, grabbing the Red-Tailed Beast's right ankle.
Caught by the ankle, the Red-Tailed Beast was startled. Its red arrow-tail shot towards the mecha's throat.
The prepared Guardian mecha narrowly dodged by tilting its head.
That brief moment was enough to seal the Red-Tailed Beast's fate. The four Guardian mechas crossed paths in mid-air, and the immobilized beast was instantly torn to pieces.
Gasping heavily, Big Head stared fixedly at the Red-Tailed Beasts before him. The passageway was now packed with no less than several dozen Red-Tailed Beasts. The sight made his scalp crawl.
The other Red-Tailed Beasts showed no reaction to their companion's death. Instead, with fanatical eyes, they focused intently on the energy modules behind Big Head and his team.
Big Head and his team finally stabilized their formation. The ensuing battle would still be a severe test for them.
Just as the Red-Tailed Beasts eagerly tried to force their way into the passage, the three spacecraft, now covered in Red-Tailed Beasts, began slowly moving back towards the fleet.
Spacecraft along the path made way for these three dangerous ships.
These spacecraft were very close to the three vessels. Their passageway hatches were fully open, emitting a familiar energy fluctuation to the Red-Tailed Beasts. Although not as intense as from the three ships, it was still very clear.
The Red-Tailed Beasts that couldn't squeeze into the passageways were immediately attracted by the deliberately displayed energy modules on the nearby spacecraft. Small groups of Red-Tailed Beasts continuously left the three ships and entered other vessels.
There were so many points emitting detectable energy modules in the vicinity that only one or two Red-Tailed Beasts went to each attraction point.
Gradually, the density of Red-Tailed Beasts on the three spacecraft thinned out, their numbers decreasing bit by bit. It was like a block of ice slowly melting in a warm current.
Seeing the open space ahead, the stone weighing on Xi Qing's heart finally lifted. They had arrived!
He knew the decisive moment of this battle had come!
Seven combat vessels, already poised and ready, immediately surrounded the three spacecraft tightly. The now significantly sparser Red-Tailed Beasts on the three ships suddenly discovered that around them were energy fluctuations much stronger than before!
They grew excited immediately, abandoning the three spacecraft and pouncing towards the other seven ships.
After being continuously weakened along the way, the number of Red-Tailed Beasts had decreased considerably, now reduced to a number that these ten spacecraft could handle.
There were fewer and fewer Red-Tailed Beasts in space. The vast majority had already entered the tempting passageways of the spacecraft. Only a few stragglers, slow to react, remained outside.
Suddenly, all hatches on the ten spacecraft closed simultaneously.
Only then did the Red-Tailed Beasts still outside realize something was wrong. They grew panicked, sensing danger. They wanted to flee this threatening place but found no escape.
The seven spacecraft formed an extremely tight encirclement. The gaps between them were very small, only allowing one or two Red-Tailed Beasts to pass through at a time. And waiting there were pre-arranged mecha squads. In space, while individual mecha combat capability might not match that of a Red-Tailed Beast, numerical superiority was enough to compensate.
Lure the enemy, weaken them, encircle them. The plan devised by Ye Zhong was now executed perfectly.
The desperate struggle of the cornered Red-Tailed Beasts was far more intense than Ye Zhong had anticipated. The battle lasted a full five hours.
The first major battle encountered by Ye Zhong's fleet ultimately ended in victory. The results of this battle were extremely impressive. According to post-battle statistics, the number of Red-Tailed Beasts killed reached 1,431. Notably, they also managed to capture 20 injured Red-Tailed Beasts, which held significant research value.
This was an unprecedented victory, the largest known victory achieved against the Red-Tailed Beasts in the Gray Valley.
The entire fleet was immersed in a sea of joy. Everyone saw the possibility of survival, the ability to control their own destiny. This battle had an immeasurable impact on the crew's morale.
However, the final statistics presented to Ye Zhong made it difficult for him to rejoice. Nearly 500 mech pilots had died in this battle, with another 300 injured. The casualty rate was 50%, and the mortality rate was as high as one-third. Such a victory could only be considered a pyrrhic one. A few more battles like this, and this fleet would cease to exist.
The only consolation for Ye Zhong was that, although the number of mech pilots had decreased, the fleet's overall combat capability was higher than before after this tough battle. There was a world of difference between pilots who had experienced real combat and those who hadn't, just as there was between an army that had fought hard battles and one that hadn't.
However, Ye Zhong had no regrets. This was the best he could achieve. Leading a group of novices to such results even surprised Shang.
He didn't know that this victory would bring him far more than just this.