Chapter 1479: Crimson Galaxy Suppression Operation (6)
"Our carrier-based aircraft suffered heavy losses, and the remaining troops are retreating quickly."
"Provide firepower cover, and never let a crystal life form get close."
"Notify the fleet, after recovering the carrier-based aircraft, sail along the new route and wait for orders!"
Alyssa leaned back in her seat and rubbed her temples with a headache.
Although she knew in advance that the Red Maple Republic had the ability to open the crystal gap, she still felt very upset when she actually ran into it.
It's like the two armies were fighting well, and the enemy suddenly started to activate the weather control device. Who can withstand the natural disaster?
On the Swan, Emma, a crystal person who has been on the ship as a scientific officer, is fully analyzing the data of the crystal gap and trying to find a way to deal with it.
Crystal gaps also have different sizes. As long as they are not particularly huge, they will hardly pose a threat to the fleet.
The reason why the Swan was chased by the crystal gap before was because it was alone at that time. Now there is a fleet of nearly 300 warships around it, so the situation is naturally different.
However, these crystal life forms will seriously interfere with the fleet's navigation and anti-aircraft firepower.
In theory, the attack of the crystal life form does not distinguish between enemies and friends. As long as you have a life signal reaction, they will chase you and attack you.
However, the location where the crystal gap is opened is relatively close to the Swan, and relatively far from the planetary defense team. Of course, this group of crystal life forms that have no reason and act purely on instinct will attack the closer ones first.
"Hall has returned."
"Li Chengxi hasn't come back yet? Is he going to cause trouble for the warship?"
"Hall said he went to buy time for the friendly forces."
Li Chengxi was really reliable for once. Without his cover, the casualties of the friendly forces would be even greater.
However, Hall's return means that the crystal life form is already within reach.
The entire patrol fleet instantly turned into a hedgehog. Countless anti-aircraft guns fired almost at the same time, and countless barrages were sprinkled on the purple-red raging waves pouring down from the meteorite belt and heading straight for the fleet, stopping it abruptly.
"Confirmed that Li Chengxi has returned. He complained that he was almost shot down by his own anti-aircraft guns."
"Then let him complain first, half the ship speed, we turn!"
Crystal life forms will only chase vehicles with people, whether it is a warship or a carrier-based aircraft.
And no matter what Li Chengxi drives out, the cockpit is empty. For crystal life forms, Li Chengxi is no different from a stone. They will not touch him at all, and will even avoid him on purpose.
Alyssa and Hall both know this, so when they heard that Li Chengxi went to cover the rear, no one was worried.
Compared with this, Alyssa is more worried about how to deal with the crystal life forms.
The fleet led by the Swan began to turn according to the new route, maintaining exaggerated anti-aircraft firepower. In the process, they had to pay attention to the naval guns fired from the planetary defense team. It was a great test for the route setting and the cooperation of the members on the warship.
It is true that the Red Maple Republic has this ability in advance, but the military has not given an answer on how to deal with this matter. At least Alyssa has not received any information.
While setting the fleet's course, she sent the situation to the flagship of the main fleet, waiting for the flagship to give new orders.
"Emma sent the analysis results. This is a small crystal gap. The exact location has been marked on the star map."
The scientific officer was indeed reliable. Alyssa immediately looked down at the star map.
The crystal gap opened in the meteorite belt, and it was close to her side. It was obviously a trap set by the Red Maple Republic in advance.
Although Alyssa was not fooled, the fleet did not get too close, and there was enough space to use anti-aircraft guns to prevent them from getting close, but this was only a temporary solution.
The anti-aircraft guns would still overheat and could not maintain the current firepower forever.
If Alyssa were to solve the current situation by herself, she would have only two choices.
One is to run, run away.
The speed of the crystal life form is difficult to catch up with the cruise ship sailing at full speed, not to mention the current Swan. As long as the fleet completes the turn and starts the engine, the crystal life form can only eat farts behind.
But doing so would disrupt the strategic plan to suppress habitable planets. Although it was not a matter of seconds, delaying too long would hinder the next action.
Another method is to start pulse flight and directly hit the face of the planetary defense fleet.
If you hit it directly, the crystal life form will of course chase after it.
The secret weapon of the Red Maple Republic is equipped with a safety. In other words, although they cannot control the crystal life form to help them fight, they can control the opening and closing of the crystal gap.
If the Swan leads the fleet to hit them in the face, the only way for the planetary defense team not to die is to activate the safety and close the crystal gap.
Of course, there are risks in doing so. After all, it is flying directly to the opponent's face, and the cannons of both sides can hit accurately at very close distances.
Although the battleships of the planetary defense team are retired second-hand goods, they are still battleships after all, not modified civilian ships. Jumping directly over will cause great losses to both the enemy and us.
While Alyssa was still considering the pros and cons of the two options, a new communication came in.
"Captain Alyssa, we will carry out the mission of closing the crystal gap. Please provide fire support."
The communication came from the commander of the cruiser formation of the Third Fleet, who were behind the Swan.
"Do you carry the device to close the crystal gap?"
The Crystal Gap is a natural disaster. Although countries cannot predict where it will occur naturally, they have already studied how to close it.
The last time the Swan encountered the Crystal Gap, it was the Third Fleet's squadron that closed it.
It's just that special equipment is needed to close it, and the fleet is generally not equipped with these devices. They are specially brought when needed.
"It's in the supplies we got from the Emerald Light. I was wondering why they gave us this thing. Now it seems that the military should have prepared it in advance."
What military preparations in advance? It was obviously Alyssa who discovered the threat first.
At this time, the flagship also sent a reply, asking the Fifth Fleet's cruise ship formation to cover the Third Fleet's cruise ship formation.
"I understand, we will provide fire cover."
The fleet began to change its route again, this time rushing headlong towards the direction where the Crystal Gap opened.
The reason why the Swan was not supplied with the device to close the Crystal Gap was not because it was too late, but because the inventory of this thing was quite limited.
Natural disasters like the Crystal Gap are still very rare. The Rotating Water Federation only stored some in the garrisons of each fleet in case of emergency.
Now that the situation is fully deployed, even if all the stocks behind are transported up, there will be very little to distribute to each fleet.
So even if it is known that the Red Maple Republic has a device to open the Crystal Gap, the Rotating Water Federation cannot equip all warships with corresponding devices in a short period of time. That thing is a consumable and it will be gone after it is used.
The reason for not giving the Swan and the Fifth Fleet patrol ship formation is actually very simple. This job is too dangerous. The military masters don’t want their heroes to die in the hands of a bunch of shiny big stones.
