Starting from the Planetary Governor

Chapter 1065: Chapter 580, After the Battle _2

However, the Alliance had little choice but to proceed this way.

If the “Eagle Horse” were here, with the capabilities of a Zhuge-class aircraft carrier, on one hand, its vast internal storage space would consolidate the boarding forces without scattering them across numerous starships. On the other hand, its catapult technology could deliver these boarding ships safely and efficiently right to the enemy vessels, significantly reducing the time soldiers-filled boarding ships were exposed in open space.

Unfortunately, the Eagle Horse was too slow and couldn’t reach this battlefield in time.

Thus, they had no choice but to resort to such rough tactics.

Nevertheless, the actual situation was not as dangerous as it seemed.

This was primarily due to the enemy ships already being infiltrated by Interstellar Warriors, leaving their interception systems in poor operational condition. Moreover, the cruisers, destroyers, and escort ships, which were supposed to provide cover in times of distress, had been largely dealt with.

As a result, the Alliance’s boarding forces encountered relatively little interception fire during their extensive flight.

Although about 10% of the Alliance’s boarding ships were intercepted mid-flight, resulting in the deaths of over 5,000 elite warriors, the overall loss was still within acceptable limits.

More than 50,000 elite Alliance troops successfully boarded the Dragon-Snake-class Battleship Cruiser.

The Blood Sharks and Phoenix had already established the landing zones in advance. Despite the Protection Army’s desperate attempts over several hours, they failed to reclaim these areas.

At this moment, one boarding ship after another reached its destination, “crashing” into the breaches, unloading soldiers, and quickly retreating to clear the way for the next ship.

With abundant reinforcements of conventional forces, the Interstellar Warriors no longer needed to fight the Protection Army on board with a small and disadvantaged contingent. After losing approximately seventy warriors across the two battle groups, their first-phase mission was deemed complete.

The second-phase mission was relatively easier: to support the Alliance’s conventional forces in conducting a full-scale assault on the Dragon-Snake-class Battleship Cruiser and to prevent the enemy from destroying the ship.

The final seizure of the ship would be handled by the expanding Alliance forces, now numbering over 100,000.

Once the Alliance gained control of the Dragon-Snake-class Battleship Cruiser, only one Alfonso vessel remained adrift in space.

That semi-disabled Retribution-class battleship.

The rest of the Alfonso Fleet’s ships had all been destroyed.

But even this Retribution-class ship had suffered grave damage, thanks to the relentless assault by the spirits.

It was only at this moment that Matins, leading 400 Phoenix warriors, initiated their boarding operation.

The Phoenix Battle Group Leader personally led the team, using intelligence gathered by the spirits during the earlier battles to launch a targeted strike against the Principal Sage.

Matins personally slew the enemy.

Subsequently, the Alliance Army and Navy Marine Corps began deploying boarding ships toward the Retribution-class battleship.

Truthfully, the most critical capture tasks had already been completed by the spirits and the Phoenix. The Army’s role was merely to finalize the occupation.

Before the Army and Marine Corps boarded, the spirits completely withdrew.

Even during this capture of the Retribution-class battleship, Gu Hang refrained from deploying the Blood Sharks.

Although Commander Youwin volunteered for the mission, Gu Hang turned him down.

Half-jokingly, but truthfully, Gu Hang explained to Youwin:

“If I leave the task of capturing this Retribution-class battleship to your men, I might have a hard time paying your squad their due rewards later.”

Youwin had no choice but to sheepishly step back.

…

Thus, the Battle of Bowang Sea finally came to an end.

During this conflict, the Alliance lost over 200 small to medium-sized ships and two Battleship Cruisers, while almost every other participating vessel sustained various levels of damage. Notably, the “Firebath Nova,” serving as a key force in the battle line, suffered catastrophic damage despite all its enhancements and had to be sent to a shipyard for urgent repairs.

The Phoenix Battle Group, with its full strength of 1,000 warriors, played a pivotal role in missions involving ship captures, boarding, and teleportation combat throughout the naval campaign. However, this success came at a steep price.

Nearly 300 warriors would never rise again; another 100 clung to life within life-support chambers, awaiting integration into Dreadnought Mechs, which meant they would survive only as part of Fearless Iron Coffins for the rest of their lives.

These 400 casualties represented a significant blow to the Phoenix Battle Group.

Their brilliant achievements were paid for with enormous sacrifices.

It was worth stressing that these 400 warriors were not mere rookies but the veterans, sergeant majors, and even squad champions that Gu Hang had painstakingly cultivated at great expense.

Gu Hang would remember the sacrifices and contributions of the Phoenix warriors deeply.

Had it been any other battle group, not only would they likely fail to achieve the Phoenix’s results, but they also might not even survive the campaign with their forces intact.

Ultimately, the disparity in strength between the Alliance Fleet and Alfonso’s Ark Fleet remained too great. Furthermore, the introduction of the unexpected Neuron Progeny further complicated Gu Hang’s use of Spiritual Energy during the battle’s initial stages.

Bridging these gaps required the Phoenix warriors’ extraordinary sacrifices.

Without them, victory would have been a fleeting hope.

From the perspective of losses, this Alliance victory was precarious, achieved by Gu Hang’s brilliance and the Phoenix’s costly sacrifices.

It could be described as a Pyrrhic victory.

However, from a gains perspective, this Pyrrhic victory carried immense value.

The Alliance may have lost two Battleship Cruisers, but they captured two battleships and one cruiser instead!

The Dragon-Snake-class Battleship Cruiser aside, the Retribution-class battleship’s value was extraordinary. Most importantly, however, was the newly christened “Tianma,” the Emperor-class battleship.

The addition of these ships marked a substantial and tangible upgrade to the Alliance Navy’s combat capabilities.

As of now, the Alliance Navy’s main battle lineup consisted of three battleships, one aircraft carrier, and five Battleship Cruisers.

Additionally, over time, reinforcements from the Flying Wing Star–Rage Owl Star Shipbuilding Center and Jindi Star Founding World—both of which had capabilities for constructing massive ships—would begin to deliver a new wave of vessels.

Within a year or two, two Holy Grail-class vessels and two Dragon-Snake-class vessels would join the fleet. And if the timeline extended further, the first of the Retribution-class battleships, built using the technology Gu Hang had acquired, could reach the frontline, constructed through a combination of dock fabrication and black-box core assembly methods.

Additionally, one more Zhuge-class could be expedited into production.

Within three years, the Alliance could potentially add six more massive warships to its fleet!

However, until that time, the Alliance Navy was in its most vulnerable state.

Following the Bowang Sea conflict, numerous ships, including primary vessels, were in varying states of disrepair and required maintenance.

In military councils, some debated whether the Alliance Navy should take advantage of their victory to strike the enemy’s headquarters in the Alfonso Star Domain. With Alfonso’s Ark Fleet annihilated, the enemy’s base was now exposed and vulnerable—a potential opportunity to eliminate the so-called “Fallen Sect,” jointly declared outlaw by the Central Empire and the Sect of Mechanics based on Mars Headquarters.

But Gu Hang rejected this proposition.

The current state of the Alliance Fleet didn’t support any active offensive capability.

A period of rest and repair, lasting at least six months, was necessary.

An appearance by another formidable enemy during this time could spell disaster.

How to safely navigate this precarious period became a problem worth careful deliberation.

The first issue to address was the Phantom Moon Star System.

The Furyflame and the New Era Torch battle groups were still entrenched in the Phantom Moon.

They had likely already received word of the Bowang Sea battle and knew that Alfonso’s fleet, once their greatest hope, had been obliterated. The sole surviving Alfonso Battleship Cruiser had retreated to Phantom Moon to regroup with these two battle groups.

If they chose to flee, that would be exactly what Gu Hang hoped for.

Even though the Alliance Fleet was in poor condition, Furyflame and its allies were in an even worse state. With every last ounce of effort, they could be finished off.

At that point, the Proudclaw Cosmos would finally calm, and the Alliance Fleet could then repair without significant worry.

However, to Gu Hang’s disappointment, they chose otherwise.

They remained motionless in the Phantom Moon Star System.

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