Yu Lian was greatly relieved. Even when no one was looking, he let out a long breath. Since the other side had made the first move, they clearly hadn't noticed his own side.
Good. Using Ti Yangkai's charge as cover worked better than any high-tech stealth technology.
This was what they called hiding in plain sight.
Of course, Yu Lian was calm, but the soldiers aboard the Pilgrim certainly didn't share his composure.
"How did an object of that size get this close?"
The radar officer's voice was trembling. On a real battlefield, if an enemy ship got this close, it would have been near enough to fire five or six volleys from its main guns. Losing the initiative so badly would leave them almost incapable of fighting back.
Of course, the soldiers didn't think the thing that had appeared before them was a warship. But even if it was some strange leviathan, that was still terrifying.
The officers and men who had volunteered to fight were all startled by this sudden development, and the fervor stirred up by the psychic energy began to subside. They quickly dispersed and returned to their posts.
Even Colonel Walter, who had been the most carried away, came clattering up the stairs to the command deck in his armor. He even raised his force-field shield in front of his chest, as if ready to protect Commander Yu and Madam Fei—and perhaps Captain Nemo as well—from incoming fire.
The captain called out, "Are the shields stable? Prepare the sublight missiles, equipped with spatial-disruption warheads, for launch!"
"Shield systems are stable!"
"Engines are running steadily at low power!"
"Twelve Standard 7 missiles are loaded in the forward bay and ready to launch!"
"Any high-energy readings?"
"None detected!"
"Secondary batteries are ready. Should we charge them?"
"Forward