From the bridge of the Vengeful Spirit, the course correction order was issued again, passed out to the command level, spread from the center, and entered the bridge of every frigate and cruiser.
The exhausted navigation crew responded again, squeezing power from the overloaded engine, inputting extremely tight reaction time, and reentering a new attack mode.
There was no time to prepare a formation, so Eingra Speer shouted an order to organize the troops into a rough assault formation - the three battleships that had previously served as rearguard were at the head, and the four battleships including the Spirit of Vengeance were placed in the center.
Covered by surviving cruisers.
Two quick reaction forces, each containing six destroyers, were massed on the flanks, ready to quickly break through the enemy formations.
A long list of inferior ships, as a reserve force, these ships, together with the remaining squadrons of raiders, were deployed either at the highest point or at the lowest point to prevent outflanking.
The Black Legion's sudden counterattack really caught Lothar's expectations, because the opponent's previous signs were undoubtedly signals to retreat.
But time was too late for so many reactions, and the injured beast burst out with its final strength.
When the last batch of ships were entering their designated positions, the climax of the battle broke out.
A formation of frigates with the Aquila emblem on their wings rushed into the battle circle, firing lances. They were followed by more frigates, then strike cruisers, battlecruisers and finally battleships.
On the Empire's side, there are more than six large cruisers and three navy heavy battleships, including the battle barge Heart of Light, watching each other in a closely connected network of support ships. However, due to the previous pursuit order, there is actually still a small gap between the various battleships.
Clearance.
The battle was fierce from the beginning. The Imperial side formed a classic encirclement formation. Gunships and fighter planes took off from the open hangar, swarmed into the attack vector, and rolled into the attack vector.
The bow light spear opened fire, and the ship's lethal energy collided with the void shield array.
In just a few seconds, the two fleets were in full battle, intertwined, spinning, and merging with each other.
The capital ships became a stable archipelago, radiating a riot of destruction around them, and several squadrons of attack boats were wiped out by a single broadside salvo, their exploding remains smashing into the larger hull at full speed, tearing shreds off the killer sides.
Each ship was operating at full power, firing their remaining shells and torpedoes, filling the cavity with a swirling storm of debris.
The Eternal Loyal sat in the middle of the Imperial line, surrounded by continuous suppressive laser fire, and supported by the large cruiser Unbound Soul on its flanks.
Not far from it, the Spirit of Vengeance thundered through the center of the battle sphere, crushing any boats that were too slow or clumsy to avoid.
It is like a mad wild boar, intending to die with the hunter who hunts it.
On the bridge of the Eternal Loyalty, every Space Marine put on their helmets and drew their weapons.
Mainly the Astral Knights, more than a hundred warriors including White Templar and Ranger warriors gathered here and were scattered on different stairs.
Bahram and others from the 11th Company, who had returned to the flagship for treatment due to injuries, were also among them.
Every mortal crew member put on a respirator and bulletproof armor, and under the dim battle lights, there was a sea of iron gray.
"It seems that the other party is preparing to take risks."
Lothar looked at the approaching Spirit of Vengeance. The enemy flagship was tumbling in the expanding burning wreckage. It had already shot down two attacking frigates, and the light spear pierced their hearts before they could react.
"A little careless."
Everyone on the bridge knew the risks and the extent of the enemy's threat, and they all agreed.
They had tried to avoid close combat as much as possible, because the only option for the Black Legion to win was to cut the throat and bite off the Imperial Commander's neck.
But they had been unable to do so before. Unexpectedly, a disguised retreat gave them an opportunity to break through directly to the vicinity of the flagship.
The two flagships got closer and closer, knocking away the small warships that kept coming to block them. The incoming firepower smashed into the hull, and the void shields on both sides continued to weaken in the whirlpool of colors.
The Eternally Loyal bridge was constantly trembling, and all its guns were firing in turn, frantically consuming the remaining ammunition reserves.
It's a pity that the cooldown time of the rift cannon is very long, otherwise even the Spirit of Vengeance would surely fall if it were fired from this distance.
Lothar felt a little annoyed, but there was nothing she could do.
"I guess the enemy plans to join the gang directly."
Sabourin, who had not yet fully recovered from his injuries, leaned against the wall and expressed his thoughts.
"With its eternally loyal shield and armor, it is unrealistic for the Vengeful Spirit to take us down directly. The fastest way is to join a gang."
Lothar nodded, he also thought about it.
"So he'll overload our shields first."
As he spoke, in the image on the bow of the ship, the Spirit of Vengeance was swimming towards them. The flagship's giant screen cracked, reflecting the majestic body of the enemy ship.
The Spirit of Vengeance towered above them, like a bird of prey circling high in the sky. Its weapons arsenal had been opened, throwing wave after wave of shells at the Eternal Loyal's burning shield, causing it to continuously decay and shrink.
"Fight back!"
The light spear of the Eternal Loyal also began to shine, and rays of light hit the bow of the Vengeful Spirit.
At this time, the Unbound Soul not far away also used high-power light spears to support, reducing the shield of the Vengeful Soul.
This blow worked well, allowing the Eternal Loyalty's firepower to break through the shield and directly hit the opponent's thick hull armor, going deeper and deeper, but it was unable to stop the battleship's trajectory.
Correspondingly, all intact artillery pieces of the Vengeful Spirit also fired at once, filling the space near the Eternal Loyalty with flames, and the external image was dyed into a vast whiteness.
The Vengeful Spirit was indeed well-deserved. Its firepower was so fierce that Lothar had seen it in his lifetime. The shield of the Eternal Loyalty did not last long before it went out. Then the hull began to be hit by bullets, and various sensors were overloaded, sending signals to the site operator.
Screaming meaningless readings.
At the same time, the bridge was also shaken, cracks spread from the deck to the dome, and every damaged power pipeline and energy circuit exploded.
"Hold on!"
Lothar shouted instructions. He still stood on the spot, holding the sword at his waist and scanning the mess around him.
"Fight back!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, a secondary explosion occurred a few decks down, causing the plastic steel beam below to expand.
Then, the front void shield emitted a static whine, exposing the unprotected black void.
A second later, the dazzling ether energy filled the bridge, and then there was a loud noise of air displacement. It was obvious that the enemy was well prepared and did not intend to use any jump equipment. Instead, they directly used the wizard to use the subspace portal to teleport jump.