One of the initial five elven Cruisers was damaged enough by the first Star Blast that it fell and crashed down on the wasteland. Another Cruiser was also heavily damaged from the second Star Blasts, but it was still able to operate well enough to keep up with the other three, which meant three Cruisers were still flying.
With the four remaining Cruisers only being 200 miles away from the Nexus station, the people in the station swiftly went into action. Mechanical drones and fighter ships scrambled out to engage the approaching enemies.
“532 drones and 48 fighter ships ready to engage in 10 minutes,” the bridge officer reported to Magus Wilf.
At the same time, the officer showed a holographic screen of the battlefield. On it were colored dots that represented the placements of all the ships that were deployed. Everyone’s attention was on the screen, watching with bated breath.
As Magus Wilf gave orders to the bridge officer accordingly, Emery and Julian silently watched how the battle was progressing from the sideline. And what was unveiled before them was nothing short of an extraordinary space battle.
The drones and fighter ships maneuvered through outer space in intricate formations, engaging the four Cruisers. Powerful shots were exchanged at thrilling speeds, which greatly displayed the magic and technological prowess of both sides.
The sight sent a rush of excitement to the two, especially the Roman.
“Emery, I wonder when will our planet ever reach this level?” Julian said with apparent awe. Despite how his words were directed at Emery, his eyes were fixed on the screen as if he wasn’t willing to miss a second.
Emery certainly did not have the answer to such a question. However, contrary to expectation, he did not ponder it either. The reason was because he felt now was not a good time to think about such a matter.
Soon enough, the battlefield screen showed multiple new colored dots approaching where most of the ships were battling.
“We have elven fighter ships on our radar!” the bridge officer immediately reported.
With the bridge officer’s control, the scene displayed on the holographic screen quickly changed to show each of the Cruisers sending 5 fighter ships to combat the incoming Nexus drones and ships.
Upon seeing the elven fighter ships on the screen, Emery’s eyes could not help but widen a little. Its triangular shape brought back memories of the time when several of them chased after him as he was trying to escape the Kulturmak planet.
Those elven ships were more than capable of injuring and killing magus-level fighters.
And what occurred next did not disappoint his knowledge of those fighter ships. Not only were the 20 triangular ships able to combat the hundreds of Nexus ships that came at them, but they did it with great ease, destroying dozens of Nexus drones and ships every minute.
The eleven fighter ships were faster, had better maneuver, better defense, and stronger weapons.
It was as if the battle they previously witnessed was mere child’s play.
“Urgh!!” Wilf, who was now the chief commander of the battle, harshly gnashed his teeth and clenched his fists as unease began to creep up. What was previously an almost-equal battle had become a total obliteration of one side the moment those elven fighter ships joined the fray.
The difference in strength could not be any more apparent.
“Our technology really can’t compare to the elves…” the magus muttered before turning to the bridge officer. “Is the Star Blaster ready!?”
“One minute more until it’s fully recharged! Which target should we choose, Commander?”
The magus decisively answered, “The damaged Cruiser!”
“Affirmative!”
It didn’t take long for the space station once again shook a little as another bright light shot at one of the elven Cruiser ships, and with a direct hit on the damaged Cruiser, the target stopped in its track before eventually brokes apart.
The Cruiser was completely destroyed, but that was not all. Collateral damage was also caused as an elven fighter and a dozen Nexus drones were destroyed into smithereens from being in the trajectory between the Star Blaster and its target.
“Smart. That Cruiser’s destruction will also result in the death of most of the elves aboard,” Julian commented with an approving nod as he watched on the screen the sight of the Cruiser fall from the sky.
But at that moment…
“100 miles!” the bridge officer reported in a slightly louder voice than before. The two remaining Cruisers could be seen closing in fast, but at this point about 20% of the Nexus drones and ships were already destroyed. What’s worse, there were still dozens of elven fighter ships protecting the two Cruisers.
Magus Wilf’s eyes slightly widened. “Call back all drones and ships, defend at the 50-mile range!”
The situation had become too unfavorable for them to continue going on the offense. Understanding this, Magus Wilf decided to change his strategy.
Even though Emery did not know much when it came to space battles, he quickly related it to his personal experience; when they were closing in on the space station before, the reason they moved the ships back was to let the cannon turrets help defend.
“Arm the turrets, all hands on deck!!”
It was certainly a smart decision and, while it might not necessarily be able to turn the tables, it was the best course of action for their situation.
However, the magus was still visibly anxious. Unsure, he turned toward the sacked Minister of Science, Otto.
“How long until the stargate can transport more ships in?”
As if he was thinking about it, Otto was silent for a second before responding, “With the power supply they have and the size of the gate, they should be able to open the gate every two hours and 30 minutes.”
Hearing the question, the minister then proceeded to calculate the time the ship arrived, “That only gives us an hour and 50 minutes left.”
Wilf turned to look at Emery and Julian.
“I know you have successfully contacted the alliance, tell me when the alliance will arrive earliest?”
Julian checked the time when he received the message and quickly said his estimation, “It’s awfully close about three hours.”
Magus Wilf’s expression quickly became even more serious as he racked his brain to find a solution.
“Send an emergency broadcast to all alliance vessels and outpost, this place will soon become a battlefield”
The extra warning hopefully would call a closer alliance ship to come and help.
However, he soon realized that there was not much else they could do with such a disparaging difference in strength.
Getting more uneasy, Magus Wilf frustratedly muttered to himself, “If they manage to send another batch of ships, that will be the end of us!”
One of the ministers who heard this also panicked even more and suggested, “If that’s the case, We should aim the next star blast toward the stargate instead!”
It seemed to be the best course of action to prevent such a scenario, but Otto once again stepped up.
“Commander, I have made a calculation. In order to damage the stargate enough to render it useless, it will take two or three direct hits of the star blast. However, with the current energy supply we have, we would need all that’s left for the energy barrier if we want to defend the station for the next two hours.”
The science minister’s words once again caused the room to fall into silence. Everyone knew that they had fallen into a difficult dilemma. Hence they turned their heads to the one having the final decisive power.
After a few moments, the magus commander finally sighed before turning toward Emery.
“It seems that our only solution is to drop down there and destroy it ourselves.”