The so-called Third Patrol Fleet was, of course, also under the direct command of the war zone. Its job was to escort convoys traveling between the Southern Heavenly Gate and the Saide Fortress. By a generous count, that made it part of Yu's fleet.
There was no helping it. Even in wartime, smugglers and pirates still slipped into the shipping lanes in the heart of allied territory. Or rather, it was precisely because the fighting was fierce enough to nearly blot out the sun that smugglers and pirates were so eager to make an honest living.
Naturally, since it was responsible for rear-area escort duties, the fleet wasn't large. It had only seven or eight small and medium-sized ships, all older models, and its largest warship was a light cruiser.
For a fleet like that to drive off the main force of an Imperial fleet was so absurd and astonishing that it made Yu Lian single-handedly piercing a dreadnought with a spear look ordinary. It was like Mr. Qi taking a blade to a Titan and chopping it down.
"Yes. I found it hard to believe at first, but that's what happened. This is a report from the Third Patrol Fleet and the forward reconnaissance station. Thinking about it now, the patrol fleet is technically under your command too. You ought to have some faith in their abilities," Fifi said with a smile.
The patrol fleet and the reconnaissance station belonged to different departments, which did, to some extent, rule out the possibility of a false report.
"Also, the deep-space probes detected the mass signature of an Imperial dreadnought in the gravity well. It's an Infernal Dragon-class. We can be almost certain it's the Torsen Fleet."
In fact, the Torsen Fleet had passed through the Corridor and reached General Lu's