The battle seemed to be unfolding just as Admiral Hegober had predicted. Yu Lian's fleet, at an absolute disadvantage in numbers, hadn't launched an attack. Instead, it was preparing to defend itself from behind the fortress.
So Hegober personally led the mighty Natural Herald, along with his massive fleet, forward in grand procession.
"Divert all available power to the main guns! I want a full, thorough, and ferocious bombardment before the landing force advances! Tear that fortress to pieces!" the Kiyang general ordered loudly.
The fortress had been built by the Bakvi, so, strictly speaking, that remark could be considered racially prejudiced. But in the Imperial Army, the officers who were born nonhuman were often the most unabashed about such things.
The Natural Herald, Admiral Hegober's flagship, was fitted with two immensely powerful axial positron cannons. In both firepower and range, they were more than a match for the fortress guns of a Skyfortress-class installation.
Then again, only colossal monstrosities like Titan ships could carry weapons that terrifying.
Of course, to fulfill the admiral's demand for a "thorough, necessary, and ferocious bombardment," they would have to increase the cannons' rate of fire if they wanted to strip the enemy fortress of its armor as quickly as possible.
But doing so would consume a vast amount of the ship's power, significantly affecting both its shields and its engines.
The captain hesitated, then voiced his concern.
"Don't worry about it," Admiral Hegober said with a smile. "We only need to stay outside the enemy's range. Naturally, that would make us a stationary gun platform, and there'd be a chance we might get hit by a small orbital cannon. But if that really happens, then the Spirit of the Universe no longer wishes to watch over my military fortunes. So what would be