Chapter 498: Change VI
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ye Chong was now between a rock and a hard place. The warp jump point offered by the former space pirate was the only escape route he had, but if they really entered the Calamitous Asteroid Belt, just how much of the fleet would survive the journey?
They would probably suffer heavily.
Nevertheless, Ye Chong was not an indecisive person. Entering the Calamitous Asteroid Belt offered a chance to survive, but not entering the Calamitous Asteroid Belt would lead to certain death. The choice was obvious.
To the Calamitous Asteroid Belt!
Once word got around the fleet, it ignited an uproar. Soon, Haskel received requests from a few starships to leave the fleet. Ye Chong let them leave without delay.
Once these ships left, many others followed. What were the implications of entering the Calamitous Asteroid Belt? This was a place of death, a place with dangers that no human could defend against. Entering the Calamitous Asteroid Belt was suicidal. Besides, the strategy of the red-tailed beasts was only a guess. Sir Jay might be powerful, but he could still make mistakes. His prediction was not supported by any strong proof.
Their assessment of the situation was completely opposite to Ye Chong's. Entering the Calamitous Asteroid Belt would lead to certain death, but the intention of the red-tailed beasts was still suspect. The choice was obvious in this way.
Ye Chong did not stop any of them from leaving. Their departure would reduce the overall strength of the fleet, but to him, that was actually preferable. These doubtful people would otherwise be a ticking time bomb to the fleet. They might behave unpredictably should they encounter any dangers ahead.
He would rather let them leave than have this risk in the fleet.
For the people on those departing ships who wished to stay, Ye Chong accepted them all. Many of them were the mech pilots and technical staff who worked under him. They had trained under Ye Chong's rule, and thus were more loyal than others. The mech pilots who were trained by Ye Chong himself in particular had all stayed behind.
As soldiers of the frontlines, they realize that without Sir Jay, they would be powerless against the red-tailed beasts. It was because of Sir Jay that they were no longer mediocre mech pilots. Now, they could hold their own against the red-tailed beasts. Leaving Sir Jay would spell their deaths. Besides, with Sir Jay in the fleet, they would face any danger ahead together.
If that was the case, what else was there to be afraid of?
The fleet's army shrunk dramatically. There were now only 500 ships left, carrying about 150 thousand people. To Ye Chong's surprise, the remains of the fleet were stronger than before. Not only did they manage to retain all combatants, the ratio of technical staff was also higher. In terms of resources, they lost little else but the energy cells allocated to the departing starships.
All in all, the situation was still under his control.
Ye Chong reorganized the fleet immediately, consolidating the fleet hierarchy. The fleet had seemed too large and unwieldy before this. Back then, with a smaller proportion of combatants, he needed to allocate more of them for defensive measures.
Now, however, things were much better.
Since the decision was made, let's do this! Ye Chong gave the order for the fleet to advance towards the Calamitous Asteroid Belt.
It would be another 15 days before they reach the Calamitous Asteroid Belt.
In these 15 days, Ye Chong did not plan to be idle. His mech pilots trained as usual, but the maintenance crew were kept busy in their every waking hour.
All the starships received orders to fortify the hulls. This must be achieved in these 15 days. Ye Chong had been in and out of the Calamitous Asteroid Belt a few times. With Mu and Shang's aid, and a bit of luck, he had managed to do so unscathed so far. Hence, he understood the place much better than others.
The Calamitous Asteroid Belt's biggest danger was its asteroid whirlpools. The large and small rocks in the whirlpool could reduce anything to dust. However, if that captain was right, it would take them only three days to reach the warp jump point. The chances of them encountering an asteroid whirlpool in that time was low.
From Ye Chong's experience, the asteroid whirlpools were usually in the deeper parts of the Calamitous Asteroid Belt. They rarely occurred near the boundaries. Therefore, they should prioritize in protecting the hulls of their ships from being damaged by the floating rocks in the Calamitous Asteroid Belt.
Most of the ships were civilian type, much weaker in structure compared to their warships. It was necessary and urgent for them to strengthen these ships at their vulnerable spots to make them tougher.
The 500 starships must be fortified in 15 days. The order sounded like an impossible task. There were quite a number of maintenance crew members in the fleet, but strengthening 500 starships in 15 days was still too much.
Hence, the job demanded practically all hands on board. Only the mech pilots were spared for their training.
_____________________
Yang Ming's eyes were bloodshot, but still he gritted his teeth and held on. The others around him all shared his present state of having barely any sleep for days.
His hands were sluggish. Days of work had pushed him to a state of extreme fatigue. His lips were cracked, his eyes sunken. His mind was a blank as he repeated the same old tasks.
He needed to sleep! He felt that if he closed his eyes for one second, he would just fall asleep instantly.
However, he could not sleep, not when time was pressed. Every second he squeezed out to work might just save another man's life.
Yang Ming and his family had decided to stay behind with Sir Jay while the other starships left. He and his family believed that Sir Jay was the only one who would lead them to triumph.
Yang Ming's foundation was excellent, and his constant work and practice recently had finally earned him the status of a fully certified maintenance crew member. His rise in status earned more respect from the people around him, and even more responsibilities.
Even now, Yang Ming trusted Sir Jay. The man was not too much older than Yang Ming, but he idolized their leader. Yang Ming was hardly the only young person in the fleet who idolized Ye Chong. Most of the people who chose to leave had been older.
The strong and wise Sir Jay had saved from the brink of death, leading them himself in their large scale victory. If not for Sir Jay, they would have perished in the hands of the red-tailed beasts. What reason was there not to follow him?
When the order came, Yang Ming immediately buried himself in work. Unlike other people who complained about not having enough time, he knew how desperate their situation really was. He also knew that his comrades shared the sentiment, only complaining out of frustration.
"Lil' Yang, get some rest," a hoarse voice came from behind him, sounding concerned. It was Father Bach!
Father Bach watched the bookish young man with an aching heart. To him, Yang Ming was a good role model for all the young people in the fleet. He was young, smart and eager to learn. While he looked soft, he was strong in character. Besides, Yang Ming looked good enough to gain admiration from a good many young ladies in the fleet.
Yang Ming was pleasantly surprised. "Father Bach." Yang Ming felt self conscious, and a little uncertain. Father Bach had a strong reputation amongst the technical staff in the fleet. With him leading the logistics and maintenance departments, there was nothing they needed to worry about. This hearty man, the fair and skillful Father Bach, enjoyed profound respect from Yang Ming.
Father Back patted Yang Ming on the shoulder with his thick and calloused hands, complimenting him, "Good work. Now leave it to me."
Yang Ming nodded, hoping to reply back with something, but his parched throat refused to comply. He quickly went to a corner to drink some water.
Father Bach began to concentrate on his work.
Yang Ming's gaze landed on Father Bach's broad shoulders. He felt relieved, and sat in the corner to rest. Sleep enveloped almost the instant he closed his eyes.
A young woman walking past saw Yang Ming curled up asleep in the corner and felt an ache in her heart. She trotted off to fetch a blanket and covered him with it. Later, she returned to put some food and water beside him.
500 starships was a large figure for a fleet of starships. To fortify them all was likewise a formidable task.
This was a war against time.
If they could not complete the job in time, the civilian ships without fortified hulls would not be able to withstand the impact from the rocks in the Calamitous Asteroid Belt. Once a starship exploded, the rocks in the vicinity would be shot about even more violently. It would be catastrophic for the fleet.
Nonetheless, they could not afford to spend more time before entering the Calamitous Asteroid Belt. The red-tailed beasts were in tight pursuit behind them. If they caught on to the fleet, it would be very messy business. If the red-tailed beasts caught on to the fleet in the Calamitous Asteroid Belt, they would never survive the trip.
The floating rocks were everywhere in the Calamitous Asteroid Belt, advantageous for the red-tailed beasts but dangerous for mechs. This unfair battleground would not yield a desirable outcome.