Yu Lian knew not only that Imperial pursuers were behind them, but also that their numbers were considerable. After all, during the Battle of Sede, he had seen with his own eyes that even after he'd stolen the Dragonship Pilgrimage and blown up the Tirillo Brave, the Imperial military had remained remarkably steady and composed in its response.
At all times, they had kept at least a quarter of their fleet in reserve.
Needless to say, that was for the pursuit.
Yu Lian wanted to run. The Empire knew Yu Lian wanted to run, and Yu Lian knew the Empire knew he wanted to run. At this point in the war, the two sides were actually quite in sync.
As far as the Empire was concerned, whether Yu Lian could really get away or not, they had to make absolutely sure they were prepared.
Yu Lian was even certain that just as his fleet had set out on the long journey home, the Imperial pursuit fleet had already completed its formation and set off in grand fashion.
The Imperial pursuers looked fresh and well-rested. They couldn't possibly have moved so efficiently without careful planning.
In fact, barely had he led the fleet out of the Battle of Sede when the scouts he'd left behind confirmed the Imperial pursuit fleet was there. Its numbers were unknown, but it had at least two hundred ships and certainly included menacing capital ships.
Even then, Yu Lian had been ready to turn around and give them a head-on blow.
But the Imperial fleet seemed to sense what he was planning. It actually slowed down, letting his fleet pull away.
By comparison, the situation on Athena's route had been more intense. On May 19, in the Lu (Knar) Corridor's D3 system, they had a small-scale