Chapter 1266: Old Captain
"Hahaha, our captain is now a captain!"
"Captain, that sounds prestigious!"
"Look at what you're saying."
"If we get back this time, our captain will be a major!"
"Holy crap, our captain doesn't look like he's even thirty yet."
A major who's not even thirty yet, my goodness!
"Captain, I see you're still single. I have a younger sister, would you consider..."
"Pah, that girl, is she even worthy of our captain!"
"Actually, gender doesn't have to be so strictly defined."
Listening to the conversations on the team's communication channel.
Zhao Chen said coldly, "Are you all itching for a beating?"
Have I forgotten what time it is?
Or are they all just tired of living?
Don't be all smiles and jokes during the fight.
Those of you who were just talking, go back and do extra practice!
Upon hearing the captain's reprimand, the people who had been talking earlier all shut their mouths, but they were not angry at all because of the captain's reprimand.
Because they knew it was because the captain was concerned for their safety.
In the captain's words, safety comes first.
Every time he goes into battle, the phrase he says most often is, "I'm going to bring you back!"
"Using this current interstellar warship wreckage as the center, replicate our tactics from before."
If any starfighters are damaged by more than 70%, remove them from service.
There's a dent in the belly of the starship wreckage we just attacked; we can wait there temporarily.
All interstellar warships that have exhausted their Star Shield energy must be withdrawn from front-line combat missions.
"Did you understand?" Zhao Chen's voice rang out again.
Deputy Captain Li said with slight hesitation, "But if we do that, won't the higher-ups say we're cowardly in the face of battle?"
"If the higher-ups blame you, just say it was my order."
The Star Shields have been destroyed, and the interstellar warships have suffered more than 70% damage.
"Even if we charge in, we'll just be cannon fodder!" Zhao Chen shouted.
His tone left no room for argument.
The words sounded very harsh.
But to all the fighter pilots, it sounded incredibly heartwarming.
How can you not love a captain like this!
A captain like that would be someone you'd give your life for.
Subsequently, the 18th squad relied on their tacit tactical coordination.
They captured the second, third, and fourth interstellar warships.
However, the casualties of the 18th squad also began to gradually increase.
Of the original nearly four hundred starfighters, less than three hundred remain.
Furthermore, 30% of them no longer have much combat capability and have been relegated to the second line.
Zhao Chen stared grimly at the direction of the super meteorite belt.
Given the current situation, if the aircraft in the rear don't come up soon...
They can only hold on for a maximum of five more minutes.
After all, they only have so many starfighters, and even though they are all T5-level starfighters, they can't possibly turn the tide of the battle, can they?
All they can do now is wait.
"Old Li, take control of the battlefield area."
Don't go too far.
"After taking down a few more interstellar warships, we can cease our active attack missions and focus on remaining in place!" Zhao Chen said in a deep voice.
"Yes!" Deputy Captain Li understood what the captain meant.
That's basically the extent of the 18th squad's combat strength.
If the fighting continues, there could be widespread casualties.
Another interstellar warship was destroyed.
At the same time, a swarm of enemy interstellar fighters appeared all around.
There are over three thousand of them!
"Captain, enemy spaceplanes have appeared."
"Three thousand sorties, all of them T5 starfighters!" Deputy Captain Li said worriedly.
Zhao Chen looked at the enemy interstellar fighters approaching the battlefield on the fighter radar.
"Order all starfighters to withdraw."
Retreat to the designated area and prepare to fight the enemy's starfighters.
remember!
We are at a disadvantage, so we need to make use of the terrain and our cooperation with each other.
"Try to wear down the enemy as much as possible," Zhao Chen advised.
"yes!"
All the starfighters of the 18th squadron have withdrawn.
And those starfighter pilots who were originally 'hiding' in the wreckage of some previously shot-down starships.
They also volunteered for the mission at this moment.
"Captain, we volunteer."
The gap between the interstellar fighters of the two sides was already very large.
If we're still hiding here at this point, then... then... that doesn't make sense.
"Yes, Captain!"
We're not afraid to die, let's go!
"Captain, we volunteer!"
Listening to the excited words of these interstellar fighter pilots.
Zhao Chen said calmly, "Shut up and chatter."
I didn't mean to leave you idle.
You just need to carry out the tasks I assign you later.
"These are all people you've trained before, don't embarrass me later!"
"Hehe, Captain, don't worry!"
"Even without a star shield, my starfighter can still take a few down with it."
"Pah, pah, pah, what are you saying?"
The captain said we'll go back, and we definitely will!
Listening to the boys' laughter and chatter, Zhao Chen couldn't help but smile.
Then, the two sides' interstellar fighters began to clash.
Logically speaking, the number of interstellar fighters on both sides differs by tenfold, and one side is at its peak while the other is almost exhausted.
It's quite obvious which of the two is stronger.
But unexpectedly, things turned out this way.
The 18th squad demonstrated astonishing combat effectiveness.
Thanks to their tacit tactical coordination, the ratio of enemy casualties to friendly casualties remained at two to one!
This is enemy number two, and I am number one.
All of this was thanks to Zhao Chen's well-thought-out plan.
Previously, some severely damaged or unshielded starfighters were positioned close to the wreckage of those starships, in a state of readiness.
These interstellar fighters often happen to be in areas that are difficult for fighter jet radar to detect.
This gave the 18th squad an opportunity.
Several starfighters will deliberately lure enemy starfighters to a certain area, where the Eighteenth Squadron of starfighters is hidden.
And so, the plot unfolded naturally.
With their combined efforts, the enemy's starfighters were ambushed and destroyed.
Although the 18th Squad also lost some starfighters in the process.
However, the 18th squad still had the advantage.
Then came Zhao Chen's second tactic.
This tactic is very similar to a previous one.
Starfighters without a star shield will stick close to another starfighter during battle, relying on that starfighter's star shield to protect both starfighters!
This requires very close and coordinated flight operations.
And coincidentally, this was one of the training programs for the 18th squad.
In this way, those interstellar fighters that have lost their star shields will have the opportunity to continue to serve their purpose.
Nevertheless, the disparity in strength between the two sides is enormous.
It's not something that Zhao Chen's little tricks can completely smooth over.
The battle quickly became very close.
And worse news followed.
"Two more enemy interstellar fighter squadrons have been discovered, bringing the total to nearly 10,000!"
We expect to arrive at this battlefield within three minutes!