Chapter 57
Chapter 57
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: The Phoenix's Deception
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An invisible terror rapidly spread across the battlefield.
It was silent yet profoundly etched into their bones, like a black specter blotting out the sky and sun, swiftly enveloping every Imperial warship and fighter craft, wrapping everyone in heavy, vivid panic.
—“It” had come.
It had returned from the realm of the dead to find them.
Static crackled through the comms channel. The Ninth Fleet commander’s fingers trembled slightly as he stiffly turned around after a long moment.
Everyone crowded around the warship’s bridge, staring at him. Every face was pale with shock. His Majesty Heinrich’s face was reflected on the large screen ahead, brows furrowed in a stern expression, a trace of deep anxiety hidden in his eyes.
The main ship was deathly silent.
“Y-Your Majesty,” the commander stammered, “frontline report... the Phoenix has deployed.”
The Phoenix had deployed.
The massive panic brought by the Phoenix took effect almost instantly. Within minutes, the Imperial Capital forces, who had held the advantage, halted their attacks and began a full retreat!
High in the sky, Dark Star and the Empire now faced off from afar. The two armies were clearly divided, while the Alliance’s pitiful 200 warships spread out in a fan formation. Before the flagship, the “Mecha Phoenix” stood silently, raising the long spear in its hand toward the Empire.
“Karyan,” Bian confronted the spear head-on, his voice showing no fear whatsoever: “Marshal Celia is already dead. What game are you playing?”
Karyan gave a cold smile and did not reply. The next second, Celia’s familiar voice pierced the heavens:
“Ophiuchus Sector is Alliance government territory, Heinrich. What game are you playing?”
If the Phoenix’s appearance had merely sparked panic, this voice was like detonating an interstellar nuclear bomb on the battlefield—the entire fleet exploded!
The Empire’s public comms channel erupted in chaos. Countless commanders cried out in shock: “Marshal!” “Marshal Celia!” “No, no, impossible! Impossible!” “We don’t believe it—give us an explanation!”
“Quiet!” “Quiet! Maintain military discipline!” “Ninth Fleet main force, form up!” The command center roared hoarsely, but it was utterly useless. Fighter craft buzzed in disarray, vanguard units retreating in droves. Several C-grade mechs, caught in the turmoil, failed to pull out in time and instantly crashed together in bursts of sparks!
“Hold steady! All vanguard officers, hold steady!” The fleet’s deputy commander fired a cannon skyward defiantly and bellowed: “Anyone who moves will be executed on the spot—!”
A thunderous boom rang out, and only then did the Empire barely stabilize their formation. Commanders inside each warship exchanged stunned, uncertain glances.
Inside the Mecha Bluebird, Gavin also gazed in surprise at the test subject GTX0012—did the name of Alliance Supreme Commander Celia hold such terror for the Empire?
Even fifty years after his death, it could still provoke such widespread and profound panic?
“You’re not Celia...” Heinrich said slowly, each word seeming to rumble heavily from his chest: “The Phoenix is on White Heron Star. You’re not Celia—what the hell are you?!”
GTX0012’s expression remained unchanged as it spoke the pre-programmed line in Celia’s exact voice: “Fifty years apart and you’ve grown timid, Heinrich. Don’t even recognize me anymore?”
Heinrich: “...”
Gavin: “...”
They’d been rolling in the sheets together just two weeks ago!
Gavin’s heart sank in an instant, but it was too late now: Heinrich instantly understood everything. His furious voice thundered across heaven and earth: “Karyan! You dare use Celia’s corpse to play tricks—?!”
Bian shot forward like golden lightning, slamming a fist into Bluebird and sending it flying!
With no shock-absorbing system outside the cockpit, Gavin was flung out with a loud clang! Before he could even climb up, the cockpit shook violently as Bluebird and Bian clashed fiercely!
Beyond the mechs, the Ninth Fleet’s overall deputy commander led the main force in a full advance, bearing down overwhelmingly on the Radiant Legion and Dark Star Fleet. The sky was instantly shrouded in a web of intertwining cannon fire. The Radiant Legion retreated at full speed under Karyan’s lead, while the Ninth Fleet—right in front of the Mecha Phoenix—didn’t dare tangle with the Alliance forces either, charging straight for the Dark Star warships instead.
“Damn it...” Yunes watched the brilliant cannon fire reflecting in his eyes from high above and muttered: “What trick is that old fox pulling?”
No matter how despicable Karyan’s actions were, their effect was immediate: The Ninth Fleet lived up to its reputation as the Empire’s top battle-hardened legion. Even shaken and still reeling, once combat began, they instantly displayed the iron-blooded ferocity of elite troops. Countless fighters swarmed the Dark Star warships like bees, wrapping them tight. Dark Star warships refused to go down without a fight, unleashing hordes of dragon riders. The two main forces instantly locked in deadly combat.
Cannon fire across the sky turned the pre-dawn heavens deathly pale. Destroyed fighters and dragon riders mingled together, trailing black smoke as they plummeted to the ground.
“What now, Major General Karyan?” In the Radiant Legion flagship, the adjutant asked tensely.
Karyan stared at the screen showing the entangled Bian and Bluebird—the test subject GTX0012’s mental threshold was nearly 100, but Bluebird itself was just a replica, nowhere near the 3S mech Bian. Moreover, Heinrich’s enraged strikes aimed to obliterate it utterly, gaining absolute dominance in mere moments.
“No matter... Better if it dies.”
The adjutant thought he’d misheard: “What did you say, Major General Karyan?”
“Nothing.” Karyan said indifferently: “I said no matter. It’s not like we haven’t won battles after losing mechs before. Didn’t Marshal Celia say that often in his day? The Ninth Fleet doesn’t dare face us anymore. Let them slaughter each other with Dark Star Hall. We’re destined to win this war.”
The adjutant nodded in realization, only to hear Karyan command loudly: “Order all units: Proceed with the original plan—full retreat to seize the surface! Combat units hold in the air, await the moment for total assault!”
High in the sky, the Radiant Legion dispersed, plummeting rapidly downward. The Ninth Fleet deputy commander spotted the movement at once and said grimly: “They’re seizing the surface!”
“Can’t spare the manpower to stop them! Damn it—” Someone in the command center cursed bitterly: “They’ve left a combat unit in the sky, waiting to hit us after we and Dark Star Hall wear each other down!”
“That damned Karyan!” The deputy commander slammed his fist on the control panel.
The Radiant Legion’s entire battle deployment was despicably underhanded—and devastatingly effective. If that thing in the Mecha Phoenix really wasn’t Marshal Celia, then the one behind all this had to be Karyan—
Good men die young, scourges linger a thousand years. How was that sly old fox still alive?!
The deputy commander looked up, about to issue orders, when he saw Bian kick Bluebird away viciously and lunge toward the Radiant Legion flagship, raising the interstellar nuke on its shoulder!
Heinrich’s target was direct and clear: Leave Dark Star Fleet to the Imperial main force. First, pilot the mech to blast the Radiant Legion’s command ship, halting the entire Alliance advance and tilting the battle toward the Empire.
But Karyan reacted swiftly too—after all, he was a battle-tested Alliance renowned general. The instant Bian turned, he barked: “Enemy incoming! Firepower at the ready!”
The massive space carrier unfurled hundreds of densely packed cannon batteries, all aimed at the charging Bian. Between heaven and earth, only these two artillery platforms faced off from afar, apocalyptic cannon fire on the verge of erupting!
“Holy shit...” Gavin clutched his bleeding forehead as he climbed out of Bluebird’s cockpit. Glancing back, he froze.
Could a 3S mech outgun a space carrier?
Hard to say, really. 3S mechs were Imperial exclusives and had never dueled a space carrier before. But if it came to blows, the carrier’s poor mobility and huge target profile versus the mech’s precise tech and smaller size meant defense-wise, the mech would be at a disadvantage.
In that instant, Gavin’s mind went blank. His pupils dilated sharply, eyes reflecting only Bian’s glowing white cannon muzzle and the bright electromagnetic lights on the carrier’s hundreds of batteries.
Then he spun around, lunged to the controls in a single stride, yanked open the neural net to shove the test subject aside, and seized the steering yoke—
Instantly, the screen’s neural connection reading spiked wildly: kachunk-kachunk-kachunk to a staggering 398%!
Mecha Bluebird let out a shrill screech, wings flaring as it whipped around and slammed into the foe!
Everyone witnessing that moment was stunned. Bluebird bathed in flames like a blazing meteor streaking the sky, smashing golden Bian aside in a flash of lightning and fire!
With a sharp whoosh, Bian couldn’t react in time. The interstellar nuke streaked away trailing a long smoke tail toward the vast plains.
It detonated on the distant ground, black clouds billowing up. Electromagnetic signals across the battlefield flickered wildly, every channel hissing with static.
The Emperor whirled back in fury: “You motherfucker—”
Clang! Bian’s arm was pinned by Bluebird. Snow filled the comms screen, then suddenly cleared. Gavin, panting, looked at him and quipped: “Wanna get beat, Heinrich?”
Heinrich: “...”
Gavin flung its hand, hurling the massive golden Bian far away!
Inside the Radiant Legion carrier, the fire control system halted emergency-style, unlaunched batteries retracting swiftly into the hull.
Karyan stared fixedly at distant Bluebird, a flicker of astonishment in his gaze: “This... somehow feels...”
“What is it, Major General?” the adjutant asked, puzzled.
“...Doesn’t it feel a lot like the Marshal?”
“It’s supposed to feel like the Marshal.”
The adjutant was baffled. Karyan opened his mouth as if to say something, but couldn’t get it out no matter what.
“What is it, Major General? Give the order to descend to the surface—you forgetting our battle plan—?”
“Ah... right.” Karyan forcibly suppressed his turmoil and nodded: “Notify all forces: Descend to the surface, prepare to seize key military points... Leave Bian to test subject GTX0012.”
Though Bian’s counterattack had thrown a minor wrench, the plan itself was flawless. Dark Star Hall and the Empire had dragged each other into grueling combat, both sides’ forces depleting at shocking speed. Just leave a high-firepower unit airborne, and soon both could be wiped out.
A bit risky, but then Dray Star would fall completely to the Alliance—even the Imperial Ninth Fleet would suffer heavy losses.
“Understood.” The adjutant nodded and turned to relay the military codes when a pilot rushed up: “Major General! Latest orders from Alliance HQ—return to base immediately!”
The adjutant jolted: “Impossible—!”
Karyan’s face darkened slightly as he took the comms device from the pilot. Several red lines projected a holographic image: an elderly, arrogant Alliance senator hovering midair.
“Major General Karyan, per the Alliance Parliament’s latest directive, return immediately with Mecha Bluebird and test subject GTX0012.”
“...I don’t understand,” Karyan inhaled deeply, asking after a moment: “Senator Telva, we’re on the verge of victory. Has Parliament reviewed the live battle reports?”
“We’ve studied them thoroughly, but clearly disagree on how close victory is. Parliament deems direct confrontation with the Empire far too dangerous. You’ve completed retrieving test subject GTX0012—withdraw at once.”
Before Karyan could respond, the adjutant snapped: “We’re the frontline commanders! Our battle analysis trumped by the rear-echelon Parliament?!”
“Watch your tongue!” Senator Telva barked: “Rein in your subordinate, Major General Karyan!”
The adjutant started to roar back, stopped by Karyan’s hand. A faint weariness showed on the major general’s face as he said after a pause: “Order all forces: Recall Bluebird. Withdraw immediately.”
Nearby officers wanted to protest but held their fury. Senator Telva nodded smugly: “That’s more like it, Major General Karyan—HQ will reward your outstanding performance upon return.”
Karyan just waved him off and cut the call.
The hologram vanished. The adjutant burst out furiously: “Those power-grubbing bastards upstairs—afraid of HQ growing too strong? Forcing us to abandon victory in hand, tearing down our own walls—”
“Can’t stomach this?” Karyan cut him off with a barely perceptible cold smile: “Back when Marshal Celia marched out, Parliament sent twelve recall orders in a single day. Everyone endured that—can’t endure now?”
The group fell silent, the adjutant murmuring after a bit: “But the Marshal could hold them off...”
An invisible pressure blanketed the bridge, the very air congealing.
After a long moment, Karyan said flatly: “So we learn to adapt now. There’s no Marshal left who can hold them off.”
.
Amid everyone’s incredulous stares, the entire Radiant Legion climbed and pulled back, actually preparing to leave the battlefield.
Heinrich watched Gavin on the screen. Blood soaked his forehead, streaking his cheek, but his expression was fierce and gaze clear—no hint of disarray. Heinrich’s heart stirred slightly. He piloted Bian to shadow the Bluebird heading for the carrier, casually asking: “How’d you sneak in there, Celia?”
“Trade secret.” Gavin shot back: “Exile forces are reclaiming this mech. Still following? This emperor ready to quit for real?”
Bian’s pace slowed but didn’t stop. Heinrich chuckled oddly: “If I said for you, I’d ditch the emperor gig...”
Gavin eyed him mockingly, gaze laced with derision.
“What’s that mean? The throne was never—”
Heinrich started to explain, cut off by Gavin shaking his head: “You’ve got it wrong. Actually, I’m thinking... you might’ve misunderstood something.”
“...What?”
Gavin paused, then said slowly: “Something crucial. About who the hell that unlucky Alliance Supreme Commander Gavin Celia really is.”
Heinrich froze, but before he could react, Gavin continued: “Got something to show you.”
He stood, went to the cockpit corner, hauled up the dazed, mechanical test subject GTX0012, and shoved it in front of the camera. Instantly, two identical faces appeared on Bian’s cockpit screen.
Heinrich went rigid.
“I call it Celia Number Two, but who knows how many there really are...” Gavin paused, then teased: “So which one would you ditch the throne for, hmm? Heinrich?”