Counterfeit Hero

General Banning. Our forward fleet, the Eighth Group Fleet of the Zonglai Empire, the Binart 165a-class fleet, was attacked by the bandit stealth fleet in the fifth leg. Fifty-five battleships of various types were lost, including fifteen battleships, namely Hongye, Beidixue, Boston... At present, the 33rd fleet of our Naga Federation has already arrived in ancient times. Under the leadership of General De, we went to Zenghui.”

Looking down from the high command podium, in the hexagonal flagship command hall, a combat staff officer was reporting the latest news to Banning, the combat officer on duty in charge of the forward fleet.

The staff member spoke quickly, while Banning frowned slightly. Beside the two of them, hundreds of high-spirited staff members were busy working in front of their respective Skynet terminals. Hundreds of screens and the constant ringing and roaring of phones filled the command center with an extremely tense and exciting atmosphere.

On the spacious command platform, the generals of Western York were in groups. You can gather around the electronic sand table and have a loud discussion, or you can stand leisurely by the clear floor-to-ceiling windows and talk in a low voice.

In these Western empires with strict racial and hierarchical systems, most of those who could become high-ranking generals came from famous families. All of them have elegant temperament and extraordinary appearance. Coupled with their stiff general uniforms, shiny leather shoes and dazzling general stars on their shoulders, the gait of the beautiful staff officers who passed by with their eyelashes lowered and holding folders in their arms became even more graceful.

In the early days of the march south, no general would have paid attention to these little thoughts of women.

For these powerful aristocratic men, women are just embellishments in life. Just like a piece of warm ancient jade or an exquisite vase, play with it when you have free time and interest. As long as you're in a good mood, anything will do. It doesn't matter whether you spend a lot of money or do some small tricks, or even occasionally follow their little tempers and let them stop being coquettish and have a little temper. On the contrary, it is a kind of fun.

However, embellishments are still embellishments, and playthings are still playthings.

When you are in a bad mood, no matter how bright the vase is, it is just a pile of fragments that fell into the corner!

Before the Battle of Twin Stars, every general in Western Europe was walking on thin ice with fear. Hastings, the allied military god of Fiji, was like a mountain, suspended above their heads. No one knows when it will fall down with a crash and crush them into a pulp. Once defeated, the glory, power and wealth of the century-old family will be reduced to ashes.

Under such circumstances, who is in the mood to procrastinate?

For these Western nobles, women are nothing compared to their wealth and life! Don't give me any ambiguous looks." Even if you take off your clothes and walk by, I'm afraid you won't be able to evoke that thought.

If it happened in the days when Banning's forward troops were completely wiped out, he might have just swung it over with a big ear scraper!

A slim female confidential secretary walked quickly past several Xillo generals. The woman's skin is very white, and her light brown hair is pulled into a loose bun, inserted randomly with a wooden hairpin, which is quite charming. By the porthole, a young lieutenant general in his thirties watched with a half-smile as the woman lowered her head but quietly glanced this way. She stepped on high heels and swayed her round buttocks wrapped in a skirt as she walked away, showing her to his adjutant. He winked. The adjutant leader nodded knowingly, turned around and walked quickly towards the corridor where the woman left.

"It's better to be young." He is full of energy and is always in the mood for romance. "

Next to the lieutenant general, a general in his fifties looked around with a smile and said: "I have long heard that Mike is the love saint among our young generals in Western York. His eyes can enchant anyone who passes in front of him." "The woman I met today" is indeed well-deserved. The guy just now was the best choice in terms of appearance. Ever since I passed here, my peripheral vision never left Mike. "

"Hahahaha." Everyone laughed.

"This is a day worth celebrating, isn't it?" Young Lieutenant General Mike shrugged his shoulders and said with a smile: "If you can see a woman with a fragrant bath and a bottle of champagne when you go back to the room, , I will feel more accomplished in conquering! "

The young lieutenant general's words once again triggered a burst of laughter, and the atmosphere was relaxed and joyful.

"It is indeed worthy of celebration." A fat general with a pair of rimless glasses next to him said with a smile: "I never dreamed that Hastings, the military god of the generation, would be defeated by General Sobol like this. It seems that the reputation is difficult to live up to, and the legend is somewhat exaggerated. Over the past thirty years, Hastings's name has been infinitely exaggerated and has become the talisman of the Fei League. To this day, this talisman does not work!"

The words of General Glasses scratched the itch in the hearts of General Xiyo. For a time, everyone agreed.

"In terms of performance, Hastings was only able to win in that battle thirty years ago! Even if he was a veritable number one general back then, he is still an old man today. The waves of the Yangtze River are pushing one after another, who can Can you be undefeated forever?" Mike said.

"If he had remained as clumsy as he was in the early days of the war, he might have lost his reputation during his lifetime! Unfortunately, after being praised for thirty years, even the calmest person will inevitably get hot-headed. He really thinks he is the best in the world! Going south to fight, It was the biggest mistake in his life!" The fifty-year-old general shook his head, and his tone could not tell whether it was regret or the pity of a victor.

"To be fair, Hastings' command during the confrontation phase is still worthy of his ranking. However, let alone General Sobol's command during the stalemate phase, he is unparalleled and almost unmatched. It is useless to fight alone with physical strength and energy. Stings can't survive it either. Retreating in time is the wisest choice. Once the stalemate lasts for more than ten hours, I'm afraid he will die on the command seat immediately!"

While everyone was talking, the adjutant who had just chased the woman hurried back to Mike and whispered a few words in his ear.

Looking at the adjutant's face, everyone knew that Mike might be frustrated this time.

Sure enough, after hearing the adjutant’s whisper, Mike’s face suddenly turned livid: “You don’t know how to praise!”

"Mike" the spectacled general looked at the officer and asked, "What's going on?"

"That woman is Moore's confidential secretary. Sobol just transferred him from the secretariat." Mike was angered by the woman's rejection and said bitterly: "Who are you really following? I just followed you. Moore didn't learn anything in just two days, but he learned all about his filthy and virtuous behavior! If I had known she was that guy's confidential secretary, would I have fallen in love with her?!"

"A woman of this status is just a one-night plaything to you, Fang Ke. Is she still worth arguing with?" said a person next to her.

"I can't stand that guy named Moore!" Mike snorted coldly: "He used to be just a small colonel in our Binart Empire, but he was valued by General Sobol." He didn't know immediately. The sky is thick and the earth is thick. When I work as a staff officer in the Third Staff Group, I dare to contradict my boss face to face. Now that he is the leader of the third group, he keeps a straight face all the time and looks at everyone with his eyes raised in the sky and ignores them. Arrogant! "

"I heard that this man was not popular in the original army. He has a stubborn and lonely personality." The general in his fifties said calmly: "General Sobol used him, but from a different perspective. Combat command and planning. Ge Xiao planned, when will it be his turn? Regardless of how much attention he is now, after this battle, "With his character, I'm afraid he will end up where he came from!" "

"He won't be able to dance for a few days." Mike said coldly: "The defeat at Hastings Double Star Point" is like being exposed. Now, the Fei Alliance is at a loss of skills, but our coalition's morale is high. If we can beat Hastings, we can beat anyone! From here to Leray Federation, who in the entire southeast can stop us? When we take over the Lere [Central] Star Territory as our advance base and send troops to Bermuda, with a single order, Salega can lead his troops to surrender."

"At that time, what role will Colonel Moore, who was promoted by guessing the bandits' tactics, play? Anyone from the headquarters staff can be no worse than him..." Mike's voice came out coldly from between his teeth. "Is it possible that he still wants to be promoted to general?" he said with great sarcasm. "

It seemed that he had heard the funniest joke, and everyone laughed.

Under the strict racial hierarchy in Western Europe, officers from lower ethnic groups can reach the rank of captain at most. Only those with particularly great merit will be given the position of honorary major by the royal family for retirement.

Although Moore is not among the races at the bottom of the pyramid, his background is not very respectable. Being promoted to colonel is the result of Sobol's exceptional promotion. Well, to be promoted, not only one's own ability must be tested For generals who value family background and noble status more than others, he will never have a chance in this life!

Under the indifferent eyes of the generals at the porthole, Moore stood quietly beside the command seat.

He didn't know that at this moment, a group of noble generals were using him as a topic. Even if he knew, he didn't care. He saw this kind of unfriendly gaze. Although sometimes he still felt angry in his heart, he learned to ignore it more.

In his eyes, there was only Sobol!

Sobol was half leaning on the armrest of the command seat, holding his chin with his right hand. Yan Ran looked in the direction of Banning, but if he looked carefully, he could see that at this moment, his mind was obviously not here. .

He just sat quietly on the chair, staring straight ahead, not knowing what he was thinking. The whole person looked as quiet as the sculpture that had been erected for thousands of years in the royal square of the Binart Empire.

No joy, no celebration. Not even a little excited.

If it weren't for the battle between the two stars, I would have stood beside him and witnessed everything with my own eyes. Moore couldn't believe that this was Sobol, who had just defeated Hastings, the top military strategist in mankind, and reached the pinnacle of his military career!

After defeating the Fei Alliance fleet in the Double Star Corridor, Sobol gave up command and handed over the command of the fleet to Banning and other combat officers.

There are a total of six combat officers in this coalition. Everyone is a contemporary star. In addition to Banning, there are also Glynis, the famous imperial general, Eden Caddell, the famous general Binart, Walter Carnegie, and the commander of the Night Army, Claudius Keans, and others.

In terms of fame, although these people are not as good as Banning and Mikami Yuuto, their status in Xiyue is not lower than Banning and Mikami Yuuto. Everyone is the mainstay of the Western York military and is deeply trusted by Sobol.

In addition to another important minister of the Binart military, known as the famous general second only to Sobol, the deputy commander-in-chief of the navy, land and air force, Byrne Reinbold, is currently concentrated outside Trifland in the southeastern star region. With almost all the famous players in West York, the lineup is unprecedentedly strong.

At this moment, the fleet is chasing the Fei Alliance fleet under the command of these combat officers. Sobol, who stopped directing, just sat quietly like this. Whether it was the pursuit of the Fei League or the drafted battle plan against the Lelei [Central] Star Territory, he didn't care at all, as if he was wandering in the sky.

"General!" Alejandro stepped forward and shouted softly.

Sobol had been sitting like this for a long time. No meals, no sleep. This abnormal phenomenon made Alessandro, who had been following him for many years, worried.

Alejandro knew that "For many years, Sober has always regarded defeating Hastings as the biggest goal in his life."

For this day, he had endured for thirty years and fought for thirty years!

When he stepped up from a low-level officer to the top position in the military, people only saw the trust of the royal family in him, and only saw his aura of genius and supreme glory, but few people knew that in his thirties Years ago, when old Sobor defeated the Carlston Galaxy and ruined the fate of the Binart Empire for decades, the entire Sobor family became the sinners of the empire. Sobor is no exception!

Although in the eyes of ordinary people, he is still the enviable aristocratic child. However, in the aristocratic circle, he has no friends, and even many relatives avoid him. In addition to indifference and supercilious looks, he only has a heart. The flame of revenge is always burning, and in the center of the hall of Sobor Manor, the battle situation map of old Sobor's defeat at the hands of Hastings is always hung.

For thirty years, I have gritted my teeth and persisted every day, just to one day stand in front of Hastings, avenge my father with my own hands, and take back the glory that belongs to the Sobol family!

And now” he beats Hastings!

Not that long ago. Right in the Double Star Corridor! The invincible Hastings fled in panic in front of him!

The news has spread throughout the universe.

The people of Feimeng were in shock and felt as if they were mourning for their heirs. “They were in panic all day long.

The people of Western York were ecstatic and cheered. Grand victory parades broke out in every member state. Both men and women, old and young, took to the streets to celebrate this great victory.

Yes” Sobol defeated Hastings!

This battle lasted only a few hours, and the total loss of ships on both sides was only a few group fleets. Its significance to the entire human world is by no means as simple as it seems on the surface!

The greatness of this victory caused the emperors of many countries to declare three days of national celebration. They even allow those lower-class peoples who live in remote settlements to enter the bustling city." Celebrate with the upper-class people!

This was simply unimaginable before!

However, no one would have thought that "while the whole West was celebrating crazily in surprise, the only protagonist of this victory" was sitting quietly on his command seat, without any joy of victory.

Compared to thirty years of unforgettable hatred and expectation, everything seems to have happened too quickly and too easily!

Not to mention Sobol, even Alejandro standing next to him felt as if he was having a surge. It was as if I had had a long dream. When I woke up, all the joys, sorrows and pains in the dream were just a joke. .

I don't know how long it took before Sobol slowly sat up straight.

"Alejandro, Moore, do you think he might be pretending to be sick to set up the next trap for me?" Sobol looked at the starry sky outside the porthole in ecstasy and asked to himself.

Moore shook his head and remained silent.

"No, General!" Alejandro looked at Sobol worriedly: "With Hastings's identity and character, it is impossible to do such a thing. You have won, General. You have defeated him. !”

"He didn't lose to me, he lost to time!" Sober shook his head and said: "No one understands his command style better than me. From the battle, I can clearly feel that as soon as the stalemate phase began, his energy He couldn't keep up. After finally completing a left-wing closing tactic and swallowing up two of my C-class fleets, he stopped taking any command of the battle.

Sobol held his head with his hands, stared at the starry sky, and said slowly: "Originally, I thought this was a method of his. He wanted me to lose my vigilance. Or, he was just tired and wanted to take a rest. So, In the subsequent battles, I was more careful. Even when the Fei Alliance fleet took a retreat posture, it was after repeated tests to ensure that there was no danger before pursuing it with all its strength."

As he spoke, Sobol seemed to fall into silence for a long time before continuing.

"As you said, he is indeed not a commander who relies on tricks like pretending to be sick to fight. Although he is an enemy, I have more respect for this enemy than those so-called friends. His military skills The wisdom and commanding art are fascinating. Even though it was only the first and only brief confrontation, I can now confirm that it was the pinnacle of conducting in my life."

He turned his head, looked at Alejandro and Moore, and said seriously: "It's not just your friends who can inspire you, but also your enemies." Only by competing against such an opponent can you mobilize your whole body's potential and go all out."

It seemed that he would be reminded of his thirty-year obsession with defeating Hastings that led him to this point. After admonishing the two officers, Sober fell silent again. After a long time, he spoke slowly, his voice seemed to be far away.

"He is already an old man over seventy years old, and his physical condition prevents him from completing the entire battle. The Hastings of that year has become history in this way. What a pity..., Factory Sauber "I stood up and walked down from the command seat. I walked towards the living area. When I left," he waved his hand to stop Moore and Alejandro from following. Leaving behind a desolate figure and a sigh of extreme despair.

"Waiting for thirty years" This is not what I want. The ward is dark. Only the bean-like light of the medical instrument's indicator light allows people to vaguely see the surrounding furnishings.

Margaret was like a sculpture in the darkness, sitting quietly by the hospital bed, staring with tearful eyes at Hastings, who was sleeping soundlessly on the bed.

The fleet is retreating towards the Leray Federation. Silent warships, like a group of whales traveling far away, sail under the starry sky. This was already the twentieth hour after Hastings stepped down from the command seat and passed out.

After more than ten hours of intensive treatment, the old man finally passed the critical period and his condition gradually stabilized. However, according to the experts on the medical team, this is only temporary. His condition has reached the stage where there is no cure. It may happen at any time——

Grief cut into Margaret's heart like a knife.

Looking at the skinny old man, it seems like yesterday that I crawled under his desk as a child. At that time, my grandpa was still in good health and full of energy. He was busy with the work at hand in the office every day and seemed to never be able to stop.

At that time, Feiyang was in its heyday after the war. The national power is unprecedentedly strong, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. Countless Feiyang people who have gone abroad are proud of their nationality. Countless majestic Feiyang warships are all over the interstellar waterways, fighting against pirates and escorting the merchant ships of the Feiyang Alliance.

The old man devoted his whole life to this country.

"He is the pinnacle of the Fei League." No matter how fiercely the Fei League and the Fei League quarreled at the Supreme Council of Humanity, those people from the West would not dare to use force. Occasionally, regional conflicts intensify. "The war is rising, and as soon as the Feiyan fleet arrives, it will also Spin up and spin out.

But now, the old man who was so powerful in the universe, but allowed himself to twist his face and pull his beard, was like a helpless child, lying on the hospital bed.

Tick ​​tock, a big tear had just burst out of her eyes, and Margaret suddenly noticed that Hastings's eyelids seemed to move. She quickly wiped away her tears with her backhand, grabbed the old man's hand, and called softly: "Grandpa Sixth, the old man's eyelids trembled, and he finally opened them."

"Doctor!" Surprised Margaret shouted as she prepared to press the pager, but her hand was held tightly by the old man.

"It's rare that I come out of those disgusting dirty water. Can you bear to watch me being turned over and over again?" Although Hastings's voice was weak, his eyes were as bright as stars.

"Grandpa!" Margaret yelled, reluctantly giving up the plan of calling the doctor. It's already reached this point, and he can do whatever he wants. Even the military god Hastings, like most men, always has a childish temper.

"Where are we now?"

"We are about to enter the central star field of LeLei."

Hastings nodded and asked slowly: "Have you gotten rid of the West York Fleet?"

"Not yet," Margaret said softly, "But don't worry, he's watching from the front. Fujii Tsuyoshi and his gang are all convinced by him now."

"Hey," Hastings said calmly: "If he still can't deal with me after I focus all my thorns on the flagship, how can I become Hastings's successor and grandson-in-law?"

"Grandpa!" Margaret said with tears in her eyes: "Next time you say something like this, please put your grandson-in-law first! Is the successor more important than the grandson-in-law?"

"Haha. Good!" Hastings laughed, his voice was weak, but he looked very happy.

After laughing for a while, Hastings stopped and asked: "By the way, now the fleet's next battle plan." How did Fatty design it? "

"The meaning of the base camp is to defend the jumping point of Lelei's central star system. Try to delay as much time as possible. As long as it can be delayed." Maybe the battle situation will change. Margaret said: "However, he did not agree to stick to it." Prepare to let Ziboer into Leray. "

"Well," Hastings thought for a moment and said slowly in a low voice: "Sticking to the jumping point is just a war of attrition. Although they have a slight advantage on the terrain, the coalition forces can't hold on for long. Hold on and hold on. Sobol was put in, that's right! LeRae immigration should be completed by now? Others don't know" He knew, so he knew it. "

As he spoke, Hastings seemed a little tired. He took a breath for a moment, and then continued: "Leray is his territory. The central star field connects the Free Galaxy, the Bermuda Galaxy and the Newton Galaxy. The routes are complex and even more complicated." Conducive to the performance of the bandit army. If I guessed correctly, he wanted to use the Leray Capital Star to hold Sobol back! He knew that his fleet alone would not be able to compete with Sobor. Therefore, he wants to make a fuss about land battles. "

Margaret looked at her grandfather with admiration. He just woke up." After only listening to two or three sentences, he analyzed the fat man's strategy. This skill is not simple.

Indeed, in a pure confrontation between fleets, the Allies were at a complete disadvantage compared to their opponents. Whether it is a jumping point or an interstellar channel, it is a battle between fleets. "When the troops are at a disadvantage," no matter how confident the Fatty is, he cannot fight with the famous general Sobol with bayonets. Therefore, he must use another thing to attract Sobol's attention and distract his troops!

"In this airspace" this thing can obviously only be the capital star that has no civilians except the army!

As one of the leading members of the LeLei immigration, Margaret is very clear that all the supplies on the current capital planet have either been transported to the newly discovered immigrant planet or are concentrated in the hands of the garrison army. Even if Sobol wins He couldn't get supplies right here in Leray's capital. But Sobol didn't know this. The long supply line behind him and Desik's riddled forward base would make him focus all his attention on Concentrate on the capital planet of Lere. Taking this place not only has strategic significance as its base of advance, radiating to the entire southeast, but also has symbolic significance in declaring a staged victory and political significance in using it to intimidate, threaten or divide the members of the Fifa League. However, landing in the capital of Leray is obviously not an easy task.

Not to mention the vast space and criss-crossing waterways of the Central Star Region, which are beneficial to bandits who are good at guerrilla attacks and sneak attacks. Just say that if the slow-moving giant transport ship of the West York Army wants to land safely, West York must make a lot of preliminary preparations.

In addition to the necessary preparations for the army landing, these preparations must first defeat the main force of the Fiji Alliance fleet, master the outer space of the planet and the surrounding waterways to establish a solid defense line to prevent the bandits from using short-range jumps or stealth technology to interfere with the landing. At the same time, the fleet must use space fighters to break into the atmosphere, start an air battle with the ground defenders, and open the landing channel! .

These tasks are related to the safety of the giant transport ship and are indispensable.

After all, a giant transport ship carries at least four armored divisions, or even six to eight armored divisions of army officers and soldiers, mechas and combat supplies. One or two ships might be able to bear the loss, but if ten or twenty ships were lost, Sobol would not be able to bear it, even if he was wealthy.

Without an army, Sobor's fleet was nothing but rootless duckweed in the southeast. If he hadn't had to accommodate the giant transport ship and ensure the safety of these armies, his march south would have been at least twice as fast!

"I still underestimated this fat man." Hastings turned to look out the window and smiled slightly: "He is smarter than I thought! If I guessed correctly, he should enter Leray Central Star After entering the territory, detach part of the force and go to the Galileo Galaxy."

"How do you know?" Margaret's eyes widened in surprise. Even as the person closest to Fatty, she just found out that Fatty was planning to divide his forces.

This plan was so small that not only did no one else know about it, but she herself didn't even get a reason from her boss.

"His plan is not mysterious. You will naturally know it when the time comes." Hastings said with a smile: "War is like playing chess. An idle player may determine the success or failure of a battle."

"When you first got to know him, did you treat him as an idler?" Margaret asked with a smile.

"Yeah, I didn't expect that this big dragon would come to him while walking." Hastings nodded and said with some emotion.

"For your grandson-in-law, grandpa, do you have anything useful to do?" Margaret asked with bright eyes.

Hastings laughed: "You can't talk about it, but my illness did me a favor in the end?"

"Is being sick considered helping?" Margaret was completely confused.

"Of course!" Hastings said with a smile: "If you were Sobol, you would have been thinking day and night for thirty years just to have a hearty battle with your opponent and avenge your father with your own hands. , to regain the glory of the family. But when this day finally comes, you find that everything is different from what you imagined. The enemy you regard as your biggest enemy has just fought against you, and was defeated because of illness. Will you not Will there be a feeling of confusion, emptiness, and loss, as if all the strength was concentrated, but a punch was punched in the air?"

"Yes." Margaret curled her lips playfully and rolled her eyes at Hastings: "However, this is not a help, it just makes Sobol depressed."

"Maggie, you are wrong. My favor is greater than helping him defeat Sobor." Hastings said calmly: "A person's obsession can last for thirty years, and the power accumulated in it is huge. , it is simply unimaginable for ordinary people. Especially for a genius with a strong will and talent like Sobol! If I help Fatty win the Battle of Double Star Angle, it may reduce the gap between the enemy and our troops a little, but it will make Sobol Burr was more willing to beat me, more aggressive, more desperate."

Margaret listened blankly, seeming a little stupid.

Hastings looked up at the ceiling and said with a smile: "Now, Sobol's thirty years of accumulated strength has been relieved. Just like a climber, before climbing to the top, the persistence of conquering the mountain is gone. Thoughts and the goal in front of him are the source of his strength. And when he stands at the highest point, all this will fade away silently. He will not feel anything else except fatigue."

As he spoke, Hastings turned his head.

"The Sobol of today is no longer the Sobol of yesterday."

Margaret looked intently at Hastings.

Grandpa’s eyes are always so bright!

.