Dominic was momentarily speechless after Lynn's blunt analysis, and the anger surging in his chest had not yet been completely suppressed.
Several times I wanted to speak up and argue, but the words stuck in my throat.
He clenched his remaining right fist, the wound on his severed left arm throbbing faintly, as if reminding him of the brutal bridge battle that nearly wiped out the entire fleet.
He had to admit that Lynn had hit all the nail on the head.
Despite being nearly destroyed by multiple Stormblade cannons, Ragnar somehow managed to recover to his peak condition.
That Orks ship, shaped like a giant cauldron, could swallow a fleet salvo powerful enough to boil the ocean.
Even more bizarrely, the Orks fleet managed to retreat in an "orderly" manner during the chaotic period when the Warboss perished, with almost no signs of clan infighting or fleet collapse.
These unusual details, when put together, have long since deviated from the natural and common sense of the Orks people.
Dominic was born in Ventria and held the rank of Major General and Tithe Officer.
Despite his youthful arrogance, he participated in numerous wars across the galaxy.
He had witnessed the Orks ' wild chaos and belligerence.
I've also heard of a powerful warboss who was beheaded, after which the entire Orks alliance descended into a year-long bloody infighting.
Eventually, they split into more than a dozen tribes that fought each other until they were wiped out one by one by the Imperial Fleet.
However, the development of this battle has defied expectations in many ways.
But deep down he still refused to accept the conclusion that Ragnar was not dead, which meant that the sacrifices of Ralfa and dozens of Sisters of Silence and Royal Guards had all been in vain.
This means that his glory of personally ending the Orks threat has vanished.
But reason had been swayed by reality, anger gradually subsided, and chaotic thoughts began to quickly review every detail of the entire battle.
Everything that happened was overturning his initial judgment.
Seeing that Dominic's expression was gradually calming down, Lynn did not press the matter further, but instead softened his tone and spoke with just the right amount of respect.
"My lord, I know you find it hard to accept that the outcome of this sacrifice is uncertain."
"If it were me, watching my comrades give their all to kill a target, only to find out in the end that the target might still be alive, I would also feel angry and resentful."
"But we are soldiers of the Imperium, and the lives of billions of Brevis civilians rest on our shoulders. We cannot let emotions cloud our judgment."
"Perhaps you should put aside your emotions for now and listen to my proposed solution."
Lynn's words were both reasonable and emotionally appealing.
Upon hearing this, Dominic took a deep breath, and his tense shoulders and back relaxed.
He was never a stubborn, self-righteous, or pedantic person who clung to his pride.
As a tax collector in charge of a fleet of the Imperium, being able to assess the situation and listen to advice are essential qualities.
Especially for someone like Kerry von, a top-notch talent in both governance and military strategy, his insights are far from trivial.
He looked up at Lynn, his expression serious. The anger and agitation from before had faded, leaving only a pure desire to discuss. "I'm all ears, Governor Kerry."
Lynn nodded slightly, secretly praising Dominic's vision.
Despite holding a high position, he was not arrogant because of his status, and even when he was humiliated by defeat and loss of face, he was still able to calmly accept advice.
Compared to those Imperium generals who clung to aristocratic airs and only knew how to talk about war on paper, he was already far superior.
He walked slowly to the holographic star map, tapped his fingertip, and brought up a three-dimensional image of the troop deployment, battle damage statistics, and resource reserves of the Carl II War Zone and Dorito.
Pale blue light flowed from his fingertips, clearly presenting the entire galaxy's situation to everyone.
"There's an old saying in my hometown: 'Haste makes waste.'" Lynn's voice was steady and powerful, carrying a natural credibility.
"We currently hold a significant advantage in the battle."
"The Orks Fleet suffered a near one-third loss in overall combat power after three rounds of direct confrontation, including the Gemstone raid, the Carl II interception, and the landing operation."
"This includes the Deffskull Clan's personal guard fleet, the most elite unit in Ragnar."
"With the flagship upon which Ragnar relied for dominance completely destroyed, and having lost that core warship capable of absorbing cannon fire and bearing unpredictable power, the Orks Fleet's combat strength has decreased by at least half."
Even if Ragnar does survive his dormant period, it will be difficult for him to rebuild morale and reconstruct a complete Waaagh Field in a short time, let alone replicate his previous bizarre combat power.
"In the next head-on confrontation, with the lord personally overseeing the Tithe Fleet, we will still be confident of victory."
After a slight pause, Lynn changed the subject, pointing his finger at the phantom image of the Gemstone, highlighting the potential danger:
"But our own losses are equally significant."
"According to the data I just obtained from the priest," Lynn nodded his thanks to a priest standing next to Dominic.
" The Gemstone, as the core of the fleet's main guns, was rammed by the Anna and baptized by the boarding of the Orks."
"60% of the bow armor is damaged, one main Lance Battery is disabled, the barrels of all twelve Macro-cannon turrets need to be replaced, and the power core is showing signs of instability."
"Furthermore, the entire battle consumed a great deal of ammunition. I have observed the fleet's supply and allocation, and although your forces have ample reserves of supplies and provisions..."
"However, most of the combat ammunition is stockpiled in the transport fleet at Brevis Starport and has not yet been transferred to Carl II."
"From Brevis to the Carl II, even the fastest transport ship takes three days to sail, and a round trip takes a week."
"Instead of hastily pursuing them and risking Dorito System, it would be better to rest and regroup on Carl II and establish a temporary inter-planetary resupply route."
"Once ammunition, repair parts, and troop supplies are all in place, we will concentrate all our forces and launch a general offensive against Dorito."
"It won't delay us for more than a few days, but it will put us in an invincible position."
After listening to this rational analysis, Dominic frowned slightly, a hint of doubt appearing on his face, and asked:
"Governor Kerry should be well aware of the nature of these Orks; these Xenos are born to enjoy war and grow stronger the more they fight."
" The Waaagh Field will continue to rise with the fighting. If we rest and replenish our supplies, wouldn't we be giving them a chance to catch their breath and develop?"
"If Ragnar were to rebuild the tribe and forge an even stronger Waaagh Field, the consequences would be dire."
Lynn immediately nodded in agreement. "What you say is true, sir. The Orks ' war potential is indeed top-notch. Allowing them to rest and recuperate will give them a chance to catch their breath."
"I have never denied this."
His tone shifted abruptly, his words becoming sharp as he pointed out the fatal flaw of rashly pursuing the enemy:
"But let's try to see things from another perspective."
"A hasty deployment now might allow us to quickly wipe out the remaining Orks ships while riding the momentum of our victories, but what then?"
"Our ultimate goal is to land on Dorito and completely eradicate the Orks."
" Dorito' predecessor was Agri World, with its surface covered by vast fungal forests and mushroom plains, ideal for the proliferation of Orks."
According to Brevis's latest data, the Orks on Dorito number over five billion, and the entire population is militant and warlike.
"From the moment they crawl out of the ground, they are born warriors."
"Our advantage lies in the long-range firepower suppression of our entire fleet, but our conventional ground forces are utterly insignificant in the face of five billion Orks humans."
"The forces we can deploy for amphibious operations are, at most, ten million Expeditionary Force and ten thousand Astra Militarum."
Even including the Tithe Fleet marines under your command, the total strength is less than twenty million.
"Twenty million against five billion, this is a ground war we are destined to lose."
"If we pursue them now, the fleet will be fighting with damage and insufficient ammunition. Once we penetrate Dorito orbit, we will be unable to provide sustained high-altitude artillery support."
"At that point, the ground forces will be bogged down in a massive melee, and the Orks will accumulate Waaagh energy through the fighting, only growing stronger with each battle."
"They will evolve thicker armor, more monstrous weapons, and more powerful leaders in the battle."
"They might even build a new fleet right in front of us, given Orks technological prowess."
"At that point, we'll be surrounded by a massive alien race in front and a newly formed Orks fleet behind, leaving us in a dilemma."
"Let alone completely annihilating the Orks, whether they can even escape unscathed is still unknown."
"Therefore, sometimes, being too hasty can lead you into a trap."
"Maintaining our composure, planning carefully before acting, consolidating our advantages first, and then striking decisively with Thunder force—that is the true path to a swift victory."
Lynn's words were concise and to the point, hitting the nail on the head regarding the key aspects of the battle.