Inside Starfort D-14 of the Gibraltar Star System, a small fleet consisting of four light cruisers, six destroyers, and fourteen assault ships was undergoing final preparations.
Ah, no, light cruisers didn't exist; those were merely armed cargo ships converted from Forest Ranger-class high-speed mail ships.
At least, that's how they were recorded in the Blue Star Commonwealth's naval vessel data.
Furthermore, the high command of this newly formed fleet was holding its first meeting in the conference room of Starfort D-14.
"Alright, from today onwards, the New World Wander Strike Fleet, subordinate to Military Command Headquarters, is officially established! The fleet number remains 13! Our homeports are designated as New Lushun Starport in the New World, and Starfort D-14 here."
Naval Captain Elinore Bonaparte, the newly appointed Deputy Commander of the Thirteenth Fleet, looked at the vigorous and capable officers Present and felt a sense of happiness as if she was about to reach the pinnacle of her life.
A considerable portion of this fleet consisted of new recruits and incorporated pirates—pirates would have to serve with electromagnetic handcuffs for a long time—and the officer corps was also very young, but she wasn't worried at all.
As Elinore thought, she scanned the faces of the young people sitting on one side of the long table, silently reciting their names.
"Autumn Mountain Yawata! Meng Jiao! Simon Vayali! Li Baolu! Martha Deacon! Anton Kou Shan…and little Ina!"
They were either Elinore's juniors or members of the heroic group who had proven themselves during the previous Navy Day incident.
Of course, this didn't mean they would necessarily become true heroes in the cruel practical battles of the future, but at least they were definitely the young people in the entire Commonwealth most likely to grow into true heroes.
As she thought of this, the senior's gaze gradually became…uh, for a beautiful and spirited woman like her, this clearly showed a yearning and passion for the future.
For a war fanatic like her, what could be more fulfilling and joyful than building "her own fleet" from scratch?
Thus, everyone, except for Ina Hilika, who was still in a daze, felt a bit restless when they met the senior's eager gaze.
Oh, by the way, Lieutenant Ina Hilika was prepared to be in a daze throughout the meeting; after all, she hadn't understood any military meetings so far.
The official designation of this new fleet was indeed the Thirteenth Fleet, but it was already considered an independent fleet directly subordinate to the Command HQ.
Theoretically, its military and political rank was even equivalent to massive groups like the First Fleet (Native Fleet) and the Third Fleet (Outer Rim Fleet), which included over a million personnel and thousands of warships.
Although Marshal Paris had not yet officially assumed the position of head of Military Headquarters, Military Headquarters had already begun to implement his will.
Within just one week, this newly formed small fleet received four new Franz-class Type 4 destroyers and eight War Hammer-class Type 6 assault ships.
And all of them were new ships that had completed testing less than a month ago.
Someone from the Outer Rim Fleet, who was also waiting for new ships, even said, "We are just the unloved old wives; that small fleet is Paris's new young wife."
Say what you will, but in a very short time, this small fleet was effectively formed.
In a direct fleet confrontation among the galactic powers, the strength of this fleet could at most serve as a guerrilla force, but in Elinore's view, this was the perfect start.
Aircraft Carriers would come, battlecruisers would come, and Dreadnoughts would certainly come one day.
She told herself, then smiled warmly as she introduced the only general Present, who was seated at the head of the table.
"Please welcome our new Commander, Brigadier General Stephen Marklov. Let him address us."
Elinore couldn't help but twitch the corner of her mouth when she said this.
This was the only part she found slightly uncomfortable.
However, she was barely twenty-six years old this year and had only been promoted to Captain at the beginning of the year.
Although this was a Universe where generals in their twenties were common, and marshals in their early thirties did exist, due to extraordinary powers, nobility, bloodline theories, and the interference of the universe spirit, Elinore could not immediately become a general and command a fleet.
Brigadier General Marklov, sixty-five years old, stood up with a bitter expression, scanning the room.
When he saw that over ninety percent of the officers Present were the age of his grandchildren, his expression grew even more bitter.
He looked at the few elderly peers Present, such as Lieutenant Colonel Kong Qingyu and Lieutenant Colonel Lapong, as well as his two old partners who had taken office with him: Chief of Staff Captain Finn, who might or might not have a role in the future, and Chief Navigator Captain Carlos, who might or might not have lines in the future.
In the future, us old guys will probably have to huddle together for warmth in this "kindergarten"!
universe spirit above, how did I, an Aircraft Carrier Captain who had already applied for retirement, become the first Commander of such a new "experimental fleet"? If I could choose, I would rather retire on my beloved lexington!
However, Marshal Paris had personally communicated with him, saying: "This is a newly formed fleet. Both the ships and the people are very young.
Young means passionate, full of vigor, and capable of creating dazzling achievements beyond our imagination.
However, because they are young, they can also be too impulsive and make things spiral out of control.
That is precisely why we need a steady old general like you to guide them!"
"Sir, I have already applied for retirement!"
"Anyway, it's just a few more years of work. Don't you want to enjoy general's treatment after retirement?"
"Thanks to you, oh, and also thanks to Captain Yu Lian, in the Xiwei Star System battle, the armored Aircraft Carrier lexington under my command achieved the great feat of boarding and beheading the enemy Commander.
So, I already received a general's star at New Year!"
For "non-professional" officers like us, who started as aircraft maintenance personnel, this is an absolutely fulfilling career! Why else would I have applied for retirement? thought Brigadier General Marklov.
"Then earn another general's star before you retire. After all, no one ever has too many of these," Marshal Paris decided without further discussion.
Thus, Brigadier General Marklov, the former Captain of the lexington, who had fought alongside our protagonist in the Xiwei Star System battle, became the Commander of this newly formed Thirteenth Fleet.
So, to spend a pleasant time before retirement that doesn't shorten my life, what should I do?
Thinking of this, the old man already had an idea.
"Thank you all. Someone, please turn off the recorder first. Today isn't a strict combat meeting, just a get-together.
Everyone relax, and I'd be happy to speak my mind."
The portly Brigadier General Marklov scanned the room, revealing a benevolent and kind smile like Santa Claus, making eye contact with almost everyone for about a second, doing his best to convey his goodwill.
"As you can all see, this is an experimental unit. Its purpose is rapid maneuver and deployment between the Native and New World.
Therefore, most of you Present are talented young people with great imagination, unconstrained by common sense and prejudice.
As for me, an old man, to put it plainly, I'm just a transition, to keep the councilors and the gentlemen of the Defense Committee from being inexplicably alarmed.
You know, gentlemen always get overly nervous when they encounter things beyond their common sense."
Everyone laughed.
Making jokes about superiors always resonated, and it also genuinely brought everyone closer.
"So, for this fleet, we need to divide responsibilities.
I'll handle daily life matters; any young man with worries can come to me.
As for combat and training matters, heh, I'm old and lack energy; at most, I'll just generally observe the situation.
All specific matters will still be handled by Captain Bonaparte…ooh, and everyone in the Staff Department."
As the old man thought this, he glanced discreetly at his old partner, Captain Finn, the fleet's current legitimate Chief of Staff, giving him a hidden glare.
Understood! I'll dump the future work of the Staff Department on that bespectacled "Moon People" kid, who clearly has a belly full of schemes, and just be a silent, stamp-approving mascot.
Captain Finn also conveyed the above meaning with his eyes.
The two had been partners for over thirty years, so such tacit agreement was certainly Present.
Autumn Mountain Yawata vaguely sensed something and couldn't help but push up his glasses again.
He felt that ever since he inexplicably received the transfer order to this Thirteenth Fleet, his life had seemed to drift further and further from his thoughts and desires.
Elinore, on the other hand, was somewhat pleasantly surprised.
She didn't know how sincere the old man was when he said those words, but when she saluted and shook hands with him, she became much more genuine.
Thus, the Thirteenth Fleet's first meeting after its establishment ended in such a perfect manner.
However, after the meeting, Elinore Bonaparte privately sought out the old man and proposed equipping some VX-type spatial oscillation bombs.
“This weapon is a reverse-engineered product of antimatter technology, but its practical value in fleet combat is not significant.
It is mainly used for orbital bombardment to deal with large, well-defended military targets… Colonel Bonaparte, according to Command HQ’s plan, our next step should be to go to the Far Shore Star System for our First Fleet training, right?
It would be even better if we could encounter pirates and smugglers.
What do you need these for?” Commodore Markov, who started as a fighter jet maintenance and equipment Engineer, was indeed a knowledgeable weapons expert.
In terms of destructive power, these spatial oscillation bombs certainly couldn't compare to neutron bombs, but their operating principle was to extract zero-point energy from deep space for material destruction, with effects that included breaching defenses, drilling into the ground, and spatial oscillation.
They were naturally very useful for dealing with extremely well-defended large military targets.
“Perhaps we can catch some smuggler bases hidden in a small planet in the Far Shore Nebula.
At that time, we will need to use this weapon for assault!” Elinore explained seriously.
I won’t tell you that Yuli just sent me an encrypted email, Elinore thought.
I'll be damned if I believe you!
If you encounter a secret base of pirates and smugglers, it would be strange if you didn't seize a huge bounty!
Commodore Markov thought.
Although he grumbled inwardly, he still agreed solemnly: “...Hmm, you have a point!
I will now apply to the Outer Rim Military District to issue us some spatial oscillation bombs.”
At the same time, on New Seville Planet, after ending his communication with the two tech geeks, Captain Yu Lian quickly sent an encrypted email to his senior sister.
He felt that, as a leader, he had done a lot of work today, and immediately felt a bit smug.
Someone once said that as long as one learns to fill out forms, delegate tasks, and hold people accountable, one can be a good leader.
Captain Yu Lian felt that although he wouldn't stoop to that level, basic skills like delegating tasks still had to be done.
“Technical personnel are still limited!
Is it really because I want to do too many things, and I’ve bitten off more than I can chew?”
Captain Yu Lian pondered for a moment and immediately thought of sending a letter to Uncle Karl, who was doing maintenance in New Yumen.
He had seen the old man's craftsmanship, and even without the great power of “I think” from the famous masters of later generations like Aisen, Tamir, and Xiaobai, he was a perfect executor.
If Aisen and Tamir really needed to recharge, they would indeed need a caretaker.
...Forget it, let's wait until Red Star Institute is on track.
The old man is a maintenance team leader in New Yumen City, with no danger and a stable job; asking him to switch jobs directly would only make him difficult.
Additionally, on the senior sister's side, having an experienced but unambitious veteran like Marklov serve as the interim Commander should be enough to keep an eye on her.
If that doesn't work, isn't there still Yahata as a double safeguard?
Hmm, a naturally fierce girl paired with a naturally cunning old fox, is there a better duo in the Universe?
However, Commodore Markov was actually an expert in Aircraft Carrier warfare, and only had a few Ranger-class battlecruisers that could only carry one or two squads of fighter jets, which was a huge waste of his abilities.
Captain Yu Lian still hoped that the old man could train Baolu and his girlfriend into excellent Aircraft Carrier Commanders before he retired.
It is also common sense that excellent carrier-based aircraft pilots have the potential to become excellent Aircraft Carrier Commanders.
Moreover, Li Baolu's future title of “Eagle of Advance” was not entirely earned by his pilot achievements.
All in all, the Thirteenth Fleet, the New World Wander Strike Fleet, has great potential!
I need to find a way to circumvent the new world arms limitation treaty and get an Aircraft Carrier… Speaking of which, converting a mail ship into an Aircraft Carrier is also a traditional skill of people like me, isn't it?
Shi AA probably listened to the entire communication with Earth and, seeing Captain Yu Lian lost in thought, took the initiative to send a communication signal.
“I must remind you that in research, we can only do auxiliary work, which is why I was originally created!
In terms of research, we are good at calculation and the construction of existing information… but we are not good at imagination and creativity.”
I know that too!
I also read it in Ms. Arlanda's “Slug Breeding Handbook.”
Besides, I think if it weren’t for this reason, you would have been dead long ago.
“It seems that neurons still can't replace the brain!”
“I, I also think that you mammals think with your brains, so you have too many meaningless random thoughts.
That's why you are more easily affected by hormones and dopamine… I’m sorry, I got carried away!”
Captain Yu Lian put away the vinegar he had just taken out, indicating that as long as this bug maintained its consistent style, communication in the future would be very smooth.
“Speaking of which, you’ve been in this star system for almost two hundred years.
Do you know anything about that Far Shore Nebula?” Captain Yu Lian asked.
“Far Shore Nebula?
Oh, that's what you call it!
The natural environment there is indeed very dangerous, with almost no jump pathways.
So, Count Salwen often sails into it alone to meet with some of his mysterious friends.”
“...”
“I feel that your current smile is very dangerous.
Is it due to excessive secretion of hormones and dopamine?”
Captain Yu Lian closed the test tube, withdrew his mental projection, and checked the time, finding it was already Past five in the morning.
Sleep was out of the question, so he simply closed his eyes and rested for a while.
In fact, he didn't feel tired at all.
By the time he reached the Third Ring, he was becoming less and less human, and with the permanent buff of the “Source of Life” that made him full of vitality, he could probably work for an entire week without much problem.
However, Captain Yu Lian also knew that mystical fatigue was very unscientific and unconventional in nature, and in most cases, it was very hidden.
By the time you actually realized it, it was already too late.
Therefore, all experienced superhumans would tell their juniors to rest more when they could, and to eat and drink as much as possible when they could.
Anyway, they were already superhumans; could they still get gastroenteritis from eating?
While closing his eyes and resting, Captain Yu Lian digested the new superhuman abilities he had gained in his mind, and “rested” until Past seven o'clock, then got up and went to the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel for breakfast.
As the saying goes, eat on time; this is a healthy routine.
One shouldn't disrupt one's established routine just because one had a seafood barbecue and wheat soda three hours ago.
Breakfast was a buffet, and because it was an official guesthouse of the Security Command HQ, the variety and taste of the food were quite good.
Captain Yu Lian ate six more slices of toast, three fried eggs, three slices of fried bacon, a bowl of meat porridge, a plate of fruit salad, a small chocolate cake, plus a glass of milk and a glass of juice, before he felt satisfied.
By the time he changed into his uniform and left, the nameless service officer and the officer acting as a tour guide were already waiting for him.
“Captain, today's itinerary should be to meet with the leaders of various regional militia organizations and have lunch together!
In the afternoon, it will be to inspect the militia organizations' combat readiness and training status.
Because according to the original plan, tomorrow is to observe their live combat exercise, so today we should stay at the militia organization department in Moon Bay City.” The officer, whose looks were a 2 and who was acting as a tour guide, said in a sweet voice.
She had already started to act as a secretary.
“Understood!” Captain Yu Lian said with a smile, “Also, please apply to Command HQ for a transport ship.
After the exercise tomorrow, I will rush to Lumina Planet.”
The two officers quickly exchanged glances, and the male officer, who was serving as a clerk and driver, hesitated for a moment and said, “...The General Headquarters for suppressing the Lumina Rebels is located on the R4 orbital space station above Lumina Star.”
General Headquarters...
Captain Yu Lian rolled his eyes inwardly, but on the surface, he smiled amiably and said, “I understand, but I do need to go to the site for an inspection.
Don't worry, I've already cleared it with Brigadier General Luben and them; you can just report it as such.”
