Starting from the Planetary Governor

But isn't there a "Quintet" floating in the planet's orbit?

A legitimate Imperial Navy main cruiser!

...

Gu Hang almost immediately contacted Yelisia.

The female captain, upon hearing that a squad of Green Skin pirates was approaching, not only did not show gravity or panic but felt excited instead.

In the sky, fulfilling the governor's request, conducting orbital strikes... although this also counted as a merit for the navy, it couldn't compare to fighting a naval battle, annihilating a Green Skin fleet, and saving a fleet of the Empire Commerce Guild.

The latter was the opportunity that Colonel Yelisia longed for in her dreams, where true naval glory lay.

However, Yelisia wasn't blinded by this news.

"What's the source of the information? Is it accurate?"

"I can assure its accuracy," Gu Hang said. "In the battle on the surface, I captured a cosmic signal transceiver that explicitly mentioned this. But I can't guarantee when that Green Skin pirate fleet will arrive."

Yelisia then asked, "Can the size of that fleet be known?"

Gu Hang gave a wry smile and shook his head: "That's where the risk lies. I can only tell you that the fleet should belong to the 'Iron-Tooth Clan, Tenth Plundering Fleet'. As for how many ships it contains, the scale of its main force... I have no idea."

"Then that's quite troubling," Yelisia said. "I have only one ship here. If the Green Skins are many and strong and we attempt an ambush, it would be like throwing ourselves into the net."

"Yes," Gu Hang agreed. "So, is there a way to get support? We need more ships. Is it possible to call the Tianma Star Sector Fleet to send more reinforcements?"

"I would have done so even without you telling me. But, we must also prepare for the worst: What if they don't arrive in time?"

At this time, Yelisia's mind was very clear.

She craved military honors, yearned for destroying the enemy's ships in a grand naval battle, earning glory, and erasing the impression that she got her position through connections.

But equally, as someone who graduated from the Imperial Navy officer training with excellent results all the way, she was no fool. Nor was she cynical. She clearly understood that her family background was not a burden but a significant aid. If she continued on this path, whether now or in the future, she was destined to be one of the top people in the Tianma Star Sector, at least as a backup.

Service honors were indeed important. However, if the risk of seeking them were too great, it would be a Pyrrhic victory.

If this naval battle merely resulted in a loss, if only in sacrificing the Rage Owl Star, that might still be okay. She would have borne the shame of defeat or the disgrace of fleeing without fighting, but there would still be a chance to redeem herself. But if she were to recklessly engage in battle and lose the "Quintet," the main cruiser...

Dying with the ship would end it all; even if she survived, there would be no chance of a comeback, and it would also bring disaster upon her family.

Such a high cost made caution mandatory.

Gu Hang understood this point.

He pondered for a moment and said, "We are not fighting alone. The empire merchant fleet heading to Rage Owl Star is led by my cousin. As far as I know, she has not only one main armed commerce ship but also two escort ships. We could ambush near the warp point. If the Green Skin fleet encounters the merchant fleet, we can decide whether to join the battle or not depending on the situation."

In doing so, Gu Hang was suspected of throwing his cousin under the bus.

But in fact, without saying so, he couldn't persuade Yelisia to take the risk and join the fight.

"Feasible," Yelisia said. "But I have to be upfront with the ugly part: the specific size of a Green Skin pirate plundering fleet is not fixed, and if the situation turns sour, I will make an immediate decision to retreat and avoid the edge."

"I understand."

At this point, Gu Hang also felt quite heavy-hearted.

"You don't need to worry too much. Even if that happens, you vigorously resist on the surface of the planet. Once I rally with the main force of the Star Sector fleet, I will come to your aid immediately. As long as you hold on, there's still hope."

"Hmm."

Hearing this, what more could Gu Hang say?

He could only nod his head.

If the incoming Green Skins were truly numerous and fierce, and even the main cruiser "Quintet" had to make a break for it, Rage Owl Star was definitely doomed.

He just hoped that situation wouldn't arise.

... Your next read is at m v|l-e'm,p| y- r

After finishing the discussion with Colonel Yelisia, Gu Hang led his troops away from the tower ruins and returned to the main camp outside Rubbish Town, where he temporarily stayed.

He needed to reorganize his troops here.

The Seventh Garrison Division was essentially dismantled, leaving only its framework. The officers were mostly retained, but the troops were reassigned to the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, and 3rd Independent Regiment.

These two and a half brigade-sized units—the Wind-Extinguishing Brigade only had three camps—had a total force exceeding twenty thousand men. Their equipment and ammunition were given priority.

Furthermore, Gu Hang put the three Composite Camps of the first brigade and the full second division, totaling over thirteen thousand troops, through extra training with the "Beast Slaughter Group."

These twenty thousand troops would soon board the transport ships descending from the "Quintet" and enter the starship.

This was the assistance that Colonel Yelisia requested, and Gu Hang had agreed to it.

Although... there was a chance of encountering an overwhelmingly strong enemy, and the colonel might take her elite troops and make a dash for it. But Gu Hang never pinned his hopes on resisting alone on the planet after the "Quintet" had fled.

That was unrealistic.

On the contrary, he too boarded the ship.

He harbored two thoughts:

Firstly, if the enemy was relatively strong, and Colonel Yelisia contemplated retreat, he would then try to earnestly persuade the lady to join the battle. If necessary, his twenty thousand soldiers and the four urgently summoned Phoenixes would be his bargaining chip to sway Colonel Yelisia.

Secondly, if the enemy was indeed too powerful to fight against, then... his life mattered most. He would flee with Colonel Yelisia and wait to join the main fleet of the Star Sector before striking back.

But if it really came down to that second scenario, it wouldn't just mean that all of Gu Hang's efforts for a long time had been wasted, but also that there might not be a chance to start over.

A Planetary Governor fleeing with the Imperial Navy before the fall of his planet came with enormous political costs. When the time came, he might end up in court and possibly dead.

Therefore, Gu Hang hoped above all not to resort to the second option; he needed to resolve the matter at the first opportunity.

...

A few days later, at the first jump point of the Rage Owl Star System.

Beneath the flickering blue light, four ships suddenly emerged from the void.

Among these four vessels, the largest, about one-third the size of the "Quintet" and comparable to a main destroyer of the Imperial Navy.

This was the "Beautiful Girl," an armed merchant ship. Although large, it only carried a little over twenty thousand sailors, and its armor thickness, void shield strength, and firepower were far less than that of a main destroyer of the same size.

Next to the "Beautiful Girl" were three much smaller vessels. These were not merchant ships—although they could also carry some cargo if necessary—these were three escort ships. Each, about eight hundred meters long, carrying over seven thousand sailors.

Their owner was named Wang Jiarong.

This young woman, resembling a girl, dressed in a white skirt decorated with golden patterns, with a golden sheer draped over her.

She stood in the captain's room, gazing out at the boundless Star Sea through a distant window.

Supporting the white round-edged cap on her head, her beautiful face bore a trace of concern.

Behind her, the vast ship control room, was frantically processing information from the ship's Thinker Array: at the jump point, they had detected the approach of another unfamiliar fleet.

In at most an hour, that fleet would pass through the jump point and arrive in the real universe.