Chapter Sixteen: The Division of Command

Inside the observation room, undercurrents surged, yet Xu Yan, seated within the shuttle, was unusually exhilarated.

The command for these maneuvers came from Ji Yu’s coveted authority, not from Xu Yan’s own volition; he had no clear understanding of why the operations were so precise.

However, Ji Yu remained silent, offering only subtle prompts. Xu Yan, like a mere conduit, continuously repeated these hints to carry out the controls.

Duan Peng, also inside the shuttle, though not as astonished as those in the observation room, admired the performance nonetheless.

At this moment, Shuttle No.16 had completely surpassed all rivals, ranking first.

The shuttle had ascended into outer space, ninety thousand miles from Blue Star, its wings fully deployed in cruising mode.

Yet Xu Yan had not fully entrusted the autopilot; instead, he focused intently on the various instruments, listening and watching attentively.

“Duan Peng, get ready. We’re about to confront an invading craft. For now, sensors only show it approaching, but we cannot yet identify its type, size, or attack capability.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve got this,” Duan Peng replied confidently.

Xu Yan’s previous maneuvers had instilled him with immense confidence. Their prior training had been nearly equal, and he believed his forthcoming actions would not lag far behind Xu Yan’s.

What he did not know was that Xu Yan had issued orders to synchronize Duan Peng’s display with his own, projecting the shared data not inside the control room but directly onto the transparent diamond glass before Xu Yan’s helmet.

This was a synthetic glass developed by Blue Star scientists, stronger than diamond, which, upon breaking, would disintegrate into soft, silky strands, harmless to the eyes and face.

Moreover, it possessed projection capabilities, allowing critical images to be displayed on the glass when the cockpit was under attack and direct viewing was impossible.

Relying on Ji Yu’s information waves, Xu Yan tirelessly analyzed the approaching craft’s speed and size. After a minute, he confirmed that it was similar in size to the starfighter they had seen on the landing pad when first entering the interstellar squadron base.

Based on this size and the data reflected from the shuttle’s information waves, the craft’s speed exceeded their own top speed by about 20%.

If they met head-on, regardless of the enemy’s armaments, the immense spatial tidal forces generated could very well render their shuttle uncontrollable.

The area least affected by this tidal force happened to be the bottom of the craft. The reason for this remained unknown.

Meanwhile, Duan Peng hesitated in making the expected assessment over the communicator, prompting Xu Yan to remind him: “Duan Peng, what does the analysis say about our best chance of victory?”

After a moment’s pause, Duan Peng said, “Xu Yan, we might have to temporarily avoid engagement and wait for reinforcements.”

From a tactical standpoint, this was the most reasonable judgment.

As Duan Peng voiced this, all observers in the observation room nodded in agreement.

The speed at which Xu Yan’s shuttle had launched was extraordinarily fast, but facing a formidable enemy alone, and with insufficient data on its firepower from this distance, the wisest course was to steer clear and await the arrival of the main fleet.

Ji Yu’s information waves came silently once more, but this time, Xu Yan chose a different path from the one Ji Yu suggested. Following Duan Peng’s analysis and orders, he altered their heading.

Making a sharp 45-degree turn, they widened the distance from the incoming craft and opted for temporary evasion.

Simultaneously, an initial alert was sent to the command center.

The officer directing the simulation exercise in the observation room quickly approved the command and notified the other shuttles to converge on the position of Shuttle No.16 and await further instructions.

Mu Chengzhu asked, “Which shuttle is the flagship for this operation?”

The officer promptly answered, “Shuttle No.3.”

Mu Chengzhu instructed, “Notify Shuttle No.3 to transfer half of its command authority to Shuttle No.16. Divide into two teams, each led independently. Shuttle No.3 will assist, while Shuttle No.16 will handle the enemy containment mission.”

“Sir, No.16 has never undergone combat training. Isn’t this too hasty?” Shen Shanli felt compelled to speak.

This effectively meant success would be credited mainly to Shuttle No.16, while failure would scarcely affect it, since it belonged to the ground squadron, not the interstellar team; failure would be expected.

Moreover, No.16’s decision to avoid direct confrontation and wait for reinforcements indicated its captain was not reckless.

Thus, it was likely that the officer had a sound strategic perspective, minimizing major errors. Even if the mission failed, it wouldn’t reflect poorly on Shuttle No.16.

Meanwhile, Shuttle No.3 housed trainees from the Interstellar Squadron Training Center; no matter how well they supported the enemy containment task, their role remained auxiliary.

All the glory would thus ultimately go to the elite Jinjiang Special Forces.

Mu Chengzhu pointed toward Jing Zhi Min, who was fixated on the large screen, saying, “That kid often disobeys orders on the spot; his punishments and rewards are about equal.”

Shen Shanli seemed to understand but dared not allow this order to be conveyed.

Instead, he sent a terse two-character command—“Execute”—to the commanding officer via his tablet.

Receiving the directive, the forward commander immediately issued new command authority orders to Shuttles No.3 and No.16.

At the same time, instructions were sent to the remaining forty-six shuttles, directing them to converge alternately on Shuttles No.3 and No.16.

“Xu Yan, we’ve hit the jackpot!” Duan Peng exclaimed happily upon receiving the order.

Yet in the control room, Xu Yan relinquished control to the autopilot and came over to say, “This is a death sentence.”

“Scared?” Duan Peng teased.

“It’s not fear! It’s because we’re part of the Jinjiang Special Forces. Look at those shuttles following behind—how many will actually obey our commands?”

“This is a battlefield. Would they dare defy the command center’s orders?” Duan Peng found it hard to believe.

“This isn’t a battlefield; it’s a simulation exam!” Xu Yan reminded him. “Whenever it’s an assessment, there will inevitably be a competitive mindset.”

“Damn it, if it comes down to it, we’ll go down fighting!” Duan Peng declared fiercely.

“It’s not that simple. You think martyrdom is appropriate now? It would just give the enemy a better chance,” Xu Yan replied, somewhat helpless.

In the observation room, Mu Chengzhu’s expression turned cold. He looked at Shen Shanli beside him and asked, “Do you think such a situation could arise?”

Shen Shanli was overwhelmed, unable to answer—not for lack of willingness, but for lack of words.

Xu Yan and Duan Peng’s conversation echoed clearly through the observation room, heard by all.

As Xu Yan said, this was a simulation evaluation, and their ultimate proof lay in their results.

Members of the Interstellar Squadron Training Center had undergone complete combat training and experience far beyond what Xu Yan’s team possessed.

Mu Chengzhu’s sudden reassignment of command clearly aimed to observe and verify Shuttle No.16’s command strategy in this scenario.

But these trainees, focused solely on performance, would desire to win at all costs. If Shuttle No.3 held full command, there would be no disputes or objections, but decisions made by Xu Yan’s Shuttle No.16 might not be recognized by other shuttles, who could choose alternative, potentially better approaches.