Chapter 287: One Fleet at a Time

The coalition had thousands of ships capable of fighting in the deep sea. They outnumbered Cassian’s fleet many times over.

That was their only advantage.

Garran watched the images arriving from below, his confidence draining away. Speed, range, armor, shields—the Crown ships were better at everything. Even when vessels collided, his side came off worse.

The Ghost warships opened fire from a kilometer away. Their main guns punched through submarines, sometimes catching another vessel behind the first.

Underwater.

Seawater should have weakened those Energy beams severely. Instead, the coalition’s submarines were being torn apart before they could close the distance. Their torpedoes fared no better. The Ghost ships’ secondary guns picked them off as they approached.

Across dozens of kilometers of sea, huge plumes of water kept bursting toward the sky. Each marked another submarine’s destruction.

Then the Carriers released their Ghost Fighters.

The small craft darted through the water with frightening speed. Every one could match at least a Rare submarine in combat, and the larger ships could barely track them.

Garran finally said what he could no longer deny.

"Legendary warships. Even their Carriers are Legendary."

The twenty-meter cannon barrels had made him suspect it. Now he was certain. Cassian had a complete fleet built around Legendary vessels.

The commanders looked at one another in dismay.

"A thousand Regional Fortune isn’t enough to produce all the resource sites needed to construct Legendary Buildings," Corbett said loudly. "Divine Province must have found a Legendary Dockyard!"

"It has to be. How could one Lord earn enough Battle Essence to support so many advanced ships?"

Envy sharpened every word. Their own fleet numbered a million ships, yet only four were Legendary.

Nolan Rook, representing House Rook of the Dawn Coast, could barely contain himself.

"First the Dwarven Royal Hall. Then Swordheart. Now a Legendary Dockyard? How can one Province be that lucky?"

"We must take it, whatever the cost," Orrick declared. "Give them another year, and these seas will belong to Divine Province."

Garran found something to cling to.

"Fighting this hard burns enormous quantities of mid-grade Aether or better every minute. How long can they keep it up?"

The others brightened.

Ordinary Aether could be carried without limit. Even a trillion was only a number on a Lord’s panel. Higher-grade crystals were physical items, subject to storage limits like other supplies. The same was true of elemental crystals.

So many Epic and Legendary ships had to consume fuel at a terrifying rate. Once they were reduced to natural Energy recovery, their threat to a million-ship fleet would shrink considerably.

Tavian raised a hand.

The hundred-meter warship beneath their feet rose slowly out of the sea. It kept climbing until it hovered a thousand meters above the water.

He had sacrificed immense resources to bring this Legendary vessel down with him. Besides its extraordinary speed, it could fly.

For all his confidence, the War Marshal had decided to put some distance between himself and the fleet below.

——

The underwater battle ended quickly. Fewer than a thousand of the coalition’s submarines survived to flee into shallower water.

Liora let them go.

"Spread out. Clear the Talassar fleet first."

The twelve groups turned toward their new targets. Crystal Maidens supplied the positions of the ships above, and the killing became almost effortless.

The coalition had already scattered. Its torpedoes and depth charges could do little against the Ghost fleet in the depths. Dark beams kept stabbing up through the surface. One shot, or a handful together, sent another Talassar ship to the bottom.

Orrick’s appeal appeared in the Homeworld Channel.

[Orrick Selwyn: There are seven nations in this coalition! Why are you chasing only our ships? Talassar merely came along. The Black Banner is the main force!]

Garran turned on him.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Cassian did not need to answer. Lords from the thirteen Crown Provinces were already doing it for him.

[Better to destroy one enemy completely than scratch all seven. Beautifully done, Cassian!]

[That’s what you get for helping the Black Banner and Western Beacon invade us.]

[Those followers are always the first to kick someone when they’re down.]

[Call it interest on the three hundred thousand Crown Lords Talassar murdered.]

[Don’t forget the Coral Federation. They took every favor we offered when the Crown was strong. The moment Western Beacon rose, they ran to its side.]

This time Cassian replied.

[Cassian Vale: Consider it arranged. Once the Talassar fleet is gone, the Coral Federation is next.]

Orrick’s face changed color. His earlier arrogance had vanished.

Gone. Cassian meant to destroy the whole fleet. Whatever happened to the invasion afterward, Talassar would lose everything it had brought.

The Coral Federation’s commander looked scarcely happier.

Divine Province’s Lords recognized the method at once. They had seen it during the contest for the Governorship.

Cassian had brought his Death List to sea.

——

At Forgotten Shrine, reward notices kept appearing before him.

[Your Heavy Ghost Battleship has destroyed a Meridian cruiser.]

[Battle Essence +9,000,000. Phasewood ×200. Arclight Alloy ×200. Meridian Cruiser — Epic ×1.]

More notices followed. Cassian laughed aloud.

A single volley had earned him billions of Battle Essence. A few more like that, and he would recover the roughly twenty billion he had poured into the fleet. Afterward, he could build up his Dawnwing, mage, and Eclipse corps at speed.

The items were just as generous. An entire Epic Meridian cruiser had dropped.

If he could trade it toward a Legendary model through the Exchange, it would be a fine addition. The next time he faced the Black Banner’s Mirage Ships, catching them would be much easier.

What a haul.

His friends were cheering too. At the coalition’s original pace, it could have landed in Divine Province within a month. They had been preparing for the worst battle they had ever faced.

Once again, Cassian had given them something better.

Darian caught his arm, grinning.

"Can you get rid of those damned Meridian cruisers first? Then I can join in."

Being ambushed by a weapon he had never heard of still rankled. He wanted his revenge.

Cassian shook his head.

"They can detect spatial disturbances and phase for short periods. They’re fast. Now that they’re expecting an attack, they’ll be hard to sink if they move before we fire."

Darian thought it over and sighed. It was true.

"You must have put almost all your Battle Essence into this fleet," Elara said. "How long will it take to rebuild the Dawnwing corps?"

That gave the others pause. Only Nessa was still smiling broadly.

"Elara. Aren’t you forgetting the million warships out there?"

Elara tapped her forehead.

Of course. To Cassian, that fleet was Battle Essence sailing straight toward him.

"Darian made a fortune in the Legion Contest," Cassian said. "It’s my turn now."

The formation had cost Darian dearly, but it had earned him tens of billions of Battle Essence as well. He had spent those gains on recruitment and growth, bringing his main Epic force to more than fifteen hundred troops.

"The coalition probably thinks these ships belong to several of our Lords," Nessa added. "Let’s keep quiet and let Cassian rebuild without them knowing."

Darian reached over and pinched her cheek.

"Quick as ever. At this rate, his Dawnwings could be back to full strength in less than a month. Stronger, even."

The others nodded. Then Darian turned back to Cassian.

"Keeping all those ships fighting must cost a lot of high-grade fuel."

Cassian was about to answer when his friend continued.

"Our House Frost Lords have brought plenty of mid-grade crystals over from the Homeworld lately. I don’t need mine just now. I’ll send them."

[Lord Darian Frost has sent you Mid-Grade Aether Crystals ×1,000,000 through the Exchange.]

Cassian considered the notice, then accepted without ceremony.

"I do need them. Thanks."

Refilling a single Heavy Ghost Battleship from empty required eight hundred mid-grade crystals. In the Homeworld, each was worth roughly a hundred ordinary Aether. The price itself was modest.

Finding them in a newcomer sector was another matter.

Cassian had been buying high-grade and premium crystals through the Exchange to keep his ships supplied. They cost more for the Energy they provided, but handling fuel for this many warships in smaller denominations would have been exhausting.

When the meeting ended, his friends took their leave one after another.

Cassian watched Nessa go, a cheerful bounce in her step. Slowly, the smile faded from his face.