Yu Lian felt that these words sounded a bit familiar, and he couldn't help but look at Feifei, who was talking animatedly, with a sorrowful gaze.

“The militia of New Seville is waiting to fight pirates with us. We cannot ask them to accompany us in assaulting Imperial warships,” she said.

The implication was that it was fine to dismantle the homes of pirates and smugglers, and if the spoils of war were lost, they were lost—they could be used to buy drinks for the militia soldiers who went to battle. But if it was an Imperial warship, what good would come from winning? They couldn’t just dismantle its cannons and distribute them as scrap metal for everyone to sell, could they?

The militia was not an army; it was a security force maintained by local governments. Even the Defense Committee theoretically only had supervisory authority, and naturally, it was not subject to military control.

Moreover, no matter what, a militia, no matter how well-trained, was still just a militia.

“If what Captain Yu Lian says is true, then we must consider the combat power of Marquis Odgar and his retainers on that ship. To my knowledge, he is also a veteran Star Realm Knight who has served in the Star Realm Knight Order for at least five years. If he is equipped with an Emblem Machine, even… Captain Yu Lian would be in a tough fight.”

Indeed, Marquis Odgar should be a Two Rings now, but he was a genuine Imperial Sword Noble, a core member of the Star Realm Knight Order, unlike Ke'ermo, who was just there to make up the numbers. He should have the latest Champion Knight Armor, commonly known as the “Crimson” type, which was a generation more advanced than the Commonwealth's Emblem Machine. Even with Yu Lian's current combat experience, he wouldn't dare say he had a great chance of winning against an opponent with such equipment.

Compared to that, Yu Lian would rather face the Five Rings Wanling Sect Leader Wanda.

“Crimson! I want it…” Yu Lian muttered softly. Although he personally had a closer affinity with the Commonwealth's “Night Elf.”

Feifei glanced at Yu Lian and continued, “Additionally, special B-type bombs use a combination of neurotoxins and alloy-corroding bacteria, which are very effective against ordinary crew members, but with the Imperial crew’s damage control capabilities and the Imperial warship’s airtight design, it’s hard to say how much damage they can inflict…”

No sooner had she finished speaking than another explosion occurred on the Imperial warship, a proton torpedo hitting its port side armor belt midship.

This should have been an attack launched by one of their own destroyers. To avoid being targeted by the enemy warship's secondary guns, the destroyers dared not approach, and the torpedo hit rate was almost unbearable. This time, a hit was definitely a blessing from the universe spirit.

Of course, this might also indicate that the gas attack just now had already affected the state of the Imperial sailors.

But a hit was a hit!

“I want to apply for medals for the Captain, no, for all officers and crew!” Elinore slapped the command console forcefully. The medals she promised today alone would be enough for her to write reports for a month or two.

“I’ll reward him with two catties of sweet potato liquor!” Yu Lian laughed loudly.

At this moment, a Ghost Fighter, painted red and bearing the designation MS04, swept over the Imperial warship’s wound at a textbook-perfect dive-bombing angle, yet at more than three times the speed of a typical Ghost Fighter charge, precisely dropping two B-type special bombs into the hole.

“That’s Martha Deacon, isn’t it?” Elinore said.

“Indeed, it is Ensign Deacon,” Autumn Mountain Yawata nodded in response.

So far, the greatest damage inflicted on the Imperial warship came from two proton torpedoes; however, the greatest personnel losses were caused by two Imperial fighters.

Feifei turned the camera to herself, smoothed her hair, and showed a proper smile, saying in a standard broadcasting voice, “’Military Frontline’ reports from the Far Shore Nebula battlefield! Within today, the Commonwealth has produced two ace pilots. Dear viewers, citizens of the Commonwealth, please send your best wishes to our young heroes!”

However, even after enduring such a blow, the Clear Sky-class warship continued to advance with its battered body, showing no signs of slowing down. It even directly used its secondary guns to score a super-long-range hit on the destroyer group, instantly crippling the destroyer that had just successfully launched a torpedo.

Fortunately, it was not immediately sunk, and since friendly ships were nearby, as long as rescue was timely, personnel losses should not be too great.

At this moment, the Imperial Clear Sky-class Cruiser was like a scarred, exhausted old lion, walking alone across the wilderness, yet occasionally letting out menacing growls, conveying this attitude to the hyenas that lingered like shadows, hoping to take advantage: “Even if I am disheveled and on my last breath, I am still the king of this grassland. Come and try if you dare to die.”

Autumn Mountain Yawata pushed up his glasses with great regret, thinking that the Thirteenth Fleet's strength was still insufficient! The battle had progressed to this point, yet they were still unable to inflict fatal damage on the Imperial warship. Besides the fact that the opponent was indeed too tough, it was also because their side consistently lacked the combat power to deliver a decisive blow.

Elinore gazed at the majestic figure of the Clear Sky-class Cruiser with fervent eyes, as if she wished she could swallow her whole.

Yu Lian felt that if it weren't for the fact that his senior, coming from a distinguished family, must have systematically learned emotional management, she would surely be drooling by now.

“Fina, do you still believe we are not suitable for boarding?” Elinore asked again.

“The timing is not ripe,” Feifei maintained her stance.

Elinore sighed. She admitted that Feifei made sense, but how could she feel at ease when the cooked duck she had set her eyes on had flown away like this?

Finally, it was my turn to appear! Yu Lian cleared his throat theatrically: “It’s alright, Commander, let them go.”

Everyone on the bridge looked at Yu Lian, who then continued, “Given the current state of the enemy ship, it’s basically impossible for them to return directly to Imperial territory through the Far Shore Nebula. Moreover, according to the intuition of a Three Rings spiritual energy user, Ina’s shelling just now should have damaged some important equipment on their ship, and they can’t contact the Imperial homeland now.”

Elinore let out a laugh devoid of emotion, probably implying that if those words hadn't come from him, she would have taken it as a joke and shot him on the spot!

Yu Lian pretended not to notice: “All in all, if they want to return to the Imperial homeland, they need to find a place to resupply, or even repair their ship. I estimate they will probably go to a place called Kerna City.”

“… Kerna?” The senior repeated this unfamiliar term.

“Indeed, intelligence departments have rumored that the pirates of the Far Shore Nebula have jointly established a free spaceport deep within the Great Nebula. I also heard this rumor during my internship in the Far Shore Star Region last time. However, this claim sounds a bit absurd, and neither Country Statistics nor National Unification Committee recognizes it,” Feifei said.

Autumn Mountain Yawata thought for a moment and then said, “No, perhaps it’s true… At least there are indeed rumors to that effect on the street. Some desperate, bankrupt small merchants drove their ships with unwanted goods into the Far Shore Nebula, intending to commit suicide, but coincidentally arrived at a space city deep within the nebula and made a fortune. I personally believe that if both official and underworld sources have the same rumor, then it’s at least worth taking seriously.”

What he said was so reasonable that everyone felt speechless.

Yu Lian was very grateful for Feifei and Brother Yahata’s setup, felt it was time, and said, “Actually, if everyone analyzes it carefully, you’ll find that this rumor hasn’t been around for long. I personally believe that the so-called free spaceport Kerna in the nebula was built by the Empire to bypass our country’s frontal defenses. A large space base with complete facilities, vast scale, and even capable of repairing warships, can provide transit support to passing Imperial Fleets, helping them pass directly through the Far Shore Nebula and directly strike our country’s heartland!”

If there had been an old-fashioned, stubborn leader Present, Yu Lian would probably have been reprimanded for his wild ideas. Fortunately, everyone Present was in a phase of flexible thinking, and their worldviews could be reset very quickly. What's more, hadn't this Imperial warship, only one jump away from the Luna Star System, already proven this point?

“An Imperial Clear Sky-class can reach here. What if it’s ten, twenty, or even a hundred ships? It could indeed turn the Commonwealth’s heartland upside down,” Autumn Mountain Yawata said.

“A hundred ships is unlikely; we have to consider the upper limit of the mass of all gravity wells within the Far Shore Nebula,” Yu Lian said, “However, even if there are only a dozen or twenty, it’s enough to cause us severe damage.”

In fact, in the future, Marquis Odgar’s detached force, a surprise attack, would be a small fleet of twenty-five Clear Sky-class ships. But what then? Didn’t they still sweep through the Commonwealth’s heartland, entering as if into an uninhabited land?

“But building a space base in the Far Shore Nebula… This is like building a castle on a mountain peak five or six thousand meters high, accessible only by winding goat paths, isn’t it?” Elinore marveled, “Just thinking about the engineering difficulty makes my scalp tingle.”

Hmm, that sounded familiar, as if I’d heard it somewhere before. Yu Lian thought.

“Yes, rather than admirable will, it’s more like a pathological obsession,” Fina said.

Nonsense, the Dawn Dynasty of the Empire has existed for nearly three thousand years since its founding, and it has never spit out anything it swallowed. Yet, it encountered Earth, a copper pea that couldn’t be cooked soft or swallowed. It would be strange if it weren't pathological.

“In short, I believe that the Empire spent a fortune building a space city here in the Far Shore Nebula. On one hand, it’s for maintenance and transit. On the other hand, it’s open to passing underworld figures, which can earn some subsidies and also allow them to quickly gather military intelligence on the entire Far Shore Nebula. However, according to intelligence, this space station should not yet be complete! Therefore, I suggest we let that battered Imperial warship go back. Marshal Jilico once said, ‘If you encounter a perfect warship that cannot be sunk, then kill her in the harbor!’ And while we’re at it, let’s completely dismantle this place where the Empire spent a fortune… ah no, this den of iniquity, and give the pirates no chance!”

There was one thing he didn’t say. The militia of New Seville would naturally be very satisfied if they had a city to dismantle, and that way, he would also have an easier time explaining things to Lilia.

“Oh? Did you hear that from Ke'ermo too?” Elinore asked with a half-smile.

“No, it was Flores Wanda. Looking at it this way, the Wanling Sect indeed has an unspeakable relationship with the Empire!” Yu Lian said seriously, then directly opened the star map, drew a dashed line, and pointed to an unfamiliar, un-displayed area.

He promised Teacher Li that at least half of what he said just now was true, and the star map was indeed obtained from Sect Leader Wanda’s database, so he really wasn’t deceiving his friends.