Stars, Players and Immortals

Chapter 53: The Battle of Propylene!

Deep inside the Jingwei hangar, the Tianqu Type I SA had already been mounted on the catapult. Zhang Qiming sat in the cockpit, while the stealth field on the outer layer of the aircraft was flowing at low power.

Zhang Nanhai's voice soon came through the encrypted channel.

"The Crimson Crown has been jointly taken over by the Skyward Organization and the Truth Investigation Committee."

"We have taken control of the carrier-based aircraft's soul-stabilizing interface, and have completed the takeover of the flagship strike sequence, SA catapult authority, armory, hangar control room, and forward control area of ​​the bridge."

"The command and control of the sixteen patrol gunboats has been incorporated into the temporary command chain of the Crimson Crown. Please issue the next operational order."

Zhang Qiming looked at the Propylene Orbital Port situation map unfolding in the cockpit. The "Crimson Corona" marker had changed from the Covenant Army's platinum to the Sky Destroyer's red, and the sixteen patrol gunboats surrounding the aircraft carrier had also turned red one by one.

"Well done, South China Sea."

"Crimson Crown immediately enters Level 1 combat deployment, taking over the outer perimeter of the patrol gunships and sealing off the Propylene Orbital Port military dock area, landing pier, and guard channel. Shipborne SAs will be launched in squadron order, prioritizing the suppression of local defense SAs in the Orbital Port, and no unauthorized units are permitted to leave port."

He paused for a moment, then continued giving orders.

"Cooperate with the secret forces in St. Sophia to implement communication isolation and fire control freeze on the two heavy cruisers and four destroyers. Patrol gunboats should only blockade and force to a stop; do not destroy the hulls unless the other side opens fire first."

Zhang Nanhai responded in a deep voice.

"clear."

The next second, Zhang Nanhai took over the ship's internal broadcast system.

"The entire ship is on Level 1 combat readiness."

"Carrier strike sequence activated, rapid intercept squadrons prepare for catapult launch, patrol gunboats receive the flagship's provisional chain of command—all shipboard units are subject to the provisional authorization of the Truth Commission, and any orders not confirmed by the Crown of the Red Seat are deemed invalid."

The SA launch tracks on both sides of the "Crimson Corona" then lit up with red guide lights.

Inside the hangar, the previously locked-on rapid interception squadron aircraft were released from their mounting brackets one by one, the cockpits were connected to the carrier-based strike sequence, and the catapult arms secured the hardpoints on the back of the aircraft, pushing the dark red second-generation aircraft toward the launch track.

[The Red Crown's shipborne control chain reconstruction is complete—]

[Rapid Interception Squadron: Catapult Permission Granted]

[Patrol gunboat formation: Connected to the flagship's temporary command chain]

[Outer Blockade Array: Deploy]

The first sea-based SA missile launched from the starboard catapult track, its thrusters leaving a blue-white trail in the vacuum. Then came the second, the third, the fourth...

The twelve fast interceptor units quickly formed a fan-shaped array outside the "Crimson Crown," with their gun muzzles and fire control radars all pointed at the SA standby bay in the Propylene orbital port.

The sixteen patrol gunboats also began to turn.

They broke away from their original regular guard positions and spread out along the outer channel of the rail port. The first four ships blocked the military dock area, the last six ships blocked the rail lowering pier, and the gunboats on both sides blocked the outer passage of the maintenance area and quarantine area.

Sixteen patrol gunboats simultaneously deviated from their regular patrol routes, and Corona suddenly issued a wartime blockade order to the military dock area. This series of actions exceeded the routine maintenance authority and directly triggered military control inquiries from the spaceport.

[Propieria Orbital Port Control System: Anomaly detected in the Guards Fleet formation!!!]

[Target of inquiry: Guardian flagship ]

Please confirm the source of the current scheduling command!

Please confirm the wartime lockdown order authorization number!

[Please confirm the reason for the fire control chain switch on the patrol gunboat!]

The central control tower of the port immediately sent a forced communication to the "Crimson Crown," and the outer defensive gun positions of the military dock area began to enter a semi-awakened state.

At that moment, four abnormal messages simultaneously hacked into the Propylene Orbital Port's control chain—Saint Sophia, Caul, Chiseiro, and Ares all worked together, directly hacking the Orbital Port's defense system.

[The flagship of the Guardian, Corona, has issued a temporary lockdown order!!!]

[Propieria Railport Military Zone Enters Wartime Control!!!]

[All local defense SAs cease takeoff; any disobedience will result in immediate downing!]

[All ships in dock berths must remain in their original positions!!!]

Chaos erupted in the outer defense zone of the Propiea Rail Port.

Several local rail catapult units had just completed their SA (Self-Propelled Aerial Vehicle) activations, and the magnetic locks under their feet hadn't even been released yet, when Zhang Nanhai's rapid interception squadron's fire control system had already locked onto them.

Twelve sea-based SAs simultaneously raised their beam rifles, their dark red bodies slightly hunched at the shoulders, and the beams, arranged in a row, pierced through the outer wall of the standby bay, instantly destroying three rail SAs that had not yet dismounted.

Boom~ Boom~ Boom~

The explosion originated from the SA standby compartment in orbit.

At the same time, mutinies broke out on two heavy cruisers and four destroyers.

The secret forces of the Santa Sophia stormed into the communications room, engine room, and ordnance control nodes. Just as the bridge guards were about to enter combat deployment, the hatches were locked by internal access control.

Several faction officers who attempted to seize the fire control console were shot dead on the spot. The ship's terminals repeatedly displayed temporary takeover authorizations from the Truth Investigation Committee, and the fire control link was successfully taken over by the secret forces of St. Sophia within seconds.

Zhang Nanhai stood in the forward control area of ​​the bridge of the "Crimson Crown" and watched the entire near-orbit situation map gradually change color.

The outer channel of Propylaea's orbital port was blocked by sixteen patrol gunboats, eight frigates were trapped in their military dock berths, and communications for two heavy cruisers and four destroyers began to flicker intermittently. The people of Hagia Sophia were seizing control of these ships.

However, the Propylene Orbital Port is not entirely passive; they still possess some counter-attack capabilities.

At that moment, fourteen high-energy responses suddenly lit up in the local emergency hangar below the military dock area.

Chishiro and Ares also relayed the relevant information to the Skyward Command.

[WARNING: High-energy reaction detected in local emergency hangar at Propylene Railport.]

[Target identified: 14 Orbital SA units.]

[Unit Composition: 10 First Generation Modified Rails SA, 4 Second Generation Star Riders - Delta Falcon.]

[Objective: To force an airborne launch, support heavy cruisers and destroyers, and regain air superiority outside the dock.]

Those were Propiéa Orbital Port's own elite orbital SA forces. Instead of staying on conventional SA catapults, they were deployed in air-defense vertical take-off and landing silos, equipped with heavy aerospace jetpacks.

The most noteworthy of these is the second-generation aerospace interceptor SA—"Second Generation Star Rider-δ·Falcon".

This SA is equipped with the beast-type machine spirit [Falcon], which has only two characteristics: [Swift Wing Correction] and [Dive Lock-On].

The former improves high-speed turning, short-distance acceleration, and longitudinal climb response, while the latter enhances fire control tracking and hit correction during dive attacks.

Fourteen SA jetpacks spewed white and blue exhaust flames from the vertical takeoff and landing wells, and the aircraft rose from below the dock, propelled by the heavy jetpacks toward the heavy cruisers and destroyers.

The four "Falcon" units moved the fastest, their head sensors gleaming with eagle-eye-like locking lights. Using their machine performance, they bypassed the patrol gunboat blockade and attempted to break into the outer escort channel of the two heavy cruisers before the people of Saint Sophia could completely control the bridge, in order to suppress the mutiny.

Only by controlling heavy cruisers and destroyers can the Guard Orbiter have the potential to turn the tide of battle.

Zhang Nanhai clearly understood what they wanted to do. Just as he was about to order the interception squadron to quickly split up, Zhang Qiming's voice came through the encrypted channel.

"South China Sea, leave those four Star Rider-δ to me."

"Have the squadron handle those ten first-generation aircraft, and keep them away from heavy cruisers and destroyers."

Zhang Nanhai immediately replied, "Understood."

Inside the Jingwei hangar, the catapults under the feet of the Tianqu Type I SA instantly lit up.

[Sky Chaser Type I SA | Catapult preparation.]

【Machine Soul [Mengji]: Activate.】

[Silent outline: Expand.]

[Low hum advances: Unfolds.]

[Hunter's Tracks Disappear: Unfold.]

[Ambush Calibration: Warm-up.]

Zhang Qiming gripped the control orb tightly, and the mental sensing frame lit up layer by layer along his spine. Xiao Mengji's projection lay on the edge of the cockpit, its white tail gently lowered, like a ferocious beast about to pounce.

"Skydrive Type I, commencing target removal—"

Inside the cockpit, Zhang Qiming pushed the light sphere, activating the jet system of the Skydrive Type I, followed by a sudden forward thrust of the ejection arms under the aircraft's feet.

call out--!

The Skydrive Type I burst out from the edge of the Jingwei stealth field, its outer shell casting a blurry afterimage in the darkness, while the vector nozzles emitted a low hum under the correction of the machine's soul.