Chapter 292 Capturing the Trisolaran Warship
The Military Governor's gaze was resolute as he spoke decisively, "Since we have decided to fight, we will give it our all. The worst-case scenario is the destruction of all warships, but as long as we persist, perhaps a few can escape.
"We must not leave Humanity with anything of technological value. Since they obtained The Waterdrop, their technological progress has been shocking, and we cannot give them such an opportunity again."
He took a deep breath and continued, "If the situation becomes irretrievable, we will choose self-destruction."
The Science Governor nodded gravely, "Indeed, given the circumstances, that is the only option we have left."
The Strategy Governor's face showed helplessness, yet he also spoke firmly, "We have no choice but to face reality bravely."
The Supreme Leader declared with a ringing voice, "Then let's fight!
"Throughout the history of the Trisolaran people, we have been through countless crises, but each time, we have come through with tenacious perseverance, never retreating.
"It is our indomitable fighting spirit that is our most precious asset.
"No matter the outcome, we shall accept it with calmness!"
...
Wallfacer Command Center.
Caption: [We refuse to surrender, even if we have to fight till the last man, we will never shrink back.
We have our responsibilities, and we would rather meet death in struggle!]
Lin Sen gazed at the caption, took a deep breath, then slowly said, "Since this is your choice, I respect it."
On the distant battlefield, the Trisolaran Warships began to change formation, adjusting their course. Hot on their heels, the Human Pulsar-class Warships also swiftly reacted, altering their trajectory.
However, due to the original inertial speed, both parties continued to draw closer to one another.
Time trickled away second by second, as a tense atmosphere spread among the ships. The Trisolarans were also nervously calculating the possibilities of various tactics, preparing for the imminent decisive battle.
Meanwhile, at the rear of the Trisolaran Warship column, the ships had locked on and aimed at the Human Thunderstrike Ships that were turning to support the front lines.
But due to the great distance, the Human Thunderstrike Ships were able to adjust their posture in time to face the Trisolaran attack with their Absolute Defense.
However, this reduced the speed of the ships' support, which might also have been the Trisolarans' intention.
Thirty minutes passed...
The tense atmosphere on the battlefield grew ever more acute, as the distance between the flagship of the Trisolaran Interstellar Fleet's column and the Human Pulsar-class Warships rapidly decreased, now less than 10 million kilometers.
However, unexpectedly, the gluon bullet fired by the Thunderstrike Ship did not explode as anticipated, bringing a moment of joy to the Trisolarans. Their speculation had finally been confirmed: the effective range of the gluon bullet was indeed limited to 10 million kilometers.
With this, the Trisolarans' countermeasures became safer, and the possibility of the Trisolaran Warship escaping had undoubtedly increased greatly.
Another three minutes passed...
The distance between the flagship of the Trisolaran Fleet's column and the Human Thunderstrike Ships had rapidly closed to less than 5 million kilometers, yet confusingly, the gluon bullet fired by the Thunderstrike Ship still did not explode.
This abnormality began to stir unease among the Trisolarans, as if an unknown crisis was creeping up on them.
The Human Pulsar-class Warships were now very close to the Trisolaran Warships, which had successfully destroyed many exposed ships with precise strikes. The Science Governor's prediction was completely accurate, and the Trisolarans had also found the best angle of attack.
These consecutive victories seemed to temporarily alleviate the anxiety among the Trisolarans; however, the unease felt by No. 7 was growing ever stronger.
No. 7 knew that when clashing with an opponent like Lin Sen, the closer one seemed to victory, the further one might actually be from true success.
Yet, what puzzled him was that he still could not discern Lin Sen's real intentions.
Another two minutes passed...
The flagships of the Trisolaran Interstellar Fleet rapidly closed the distance to the Human Pulsar-class Warships to about 1.5 million kilometers, yet the gluon bombs still hadn't exploded.
The Trisolarans began to feel intense unease, as if a mad voice inside them was warning that something was terribly wrong. What exactly were the humans trying to do?
No. 7's brain was racing, his heart beating rapidly, and his gaze fixed on the Human Pulsar-class Warships, hoping to find some clue within them.
Another minute passed...
The flagships of the Trisolaran Interstellar Fleet were now almost alongside the Human Pulsar-class Warships, with less than a hundred meters between them. Astonishingly, the gluon bombs still hadn't exploded.
No. 7 finally anticipated the danger and a crazy idea formed in his mind. He immediately took drastic action and issued the self-destruct command for the Trisolaran Warships.
But it was too late, everything was too late. At that moment, more than a dozen Waterdrops suddenly burst out from the Thunderstrike Ship, utilizing their superb sharp-angle maneuvering capabilities to quickly turn and attack the Trisolaran Warship.
Almost simultaneously, these Waterdrops precisely located the weaknesses of the warship, instantaneously destroying its self-destruct control system and attacking the engines, triggering a massive explosion within the Trisolaran Warship.
Similar to the gluon bombs, there was something inside the warship's self-destruct system that needed to be destroyed. The attacks on the engines led to internal explosions, aiming to destroy all the Trisolarans inside and prevent any further damage to the ship.
In less than 1 second, it was all over. The speed was so fast that by the time No. 7's command was issued, it was too late for the warship to self-destruct.
As previously mentioned, the self-destruction of the warship was not entirely controlled by an intelligent program; it required the warship's captain's final confirmation and execution.
Under the surveillance of the Sophon, humanity also understood the structure of Trisolaran Warships, knew their weaknesses, and the location of their self-destruct mechanisms. This transparency on the battleground conferred a huge advantage to humanity.
The Trisolarans had not installed Sophon-blocking fields on their warships, as it seemed unnecessary and a waste of resources to them.
This time, humanity kept its information opaque to the Trisolarans with the help of the Sophon, while the Trisolarans had no secrets from us. Such a war scenario was unprecedentedly "easy" and "simple" for humanity.
At this moment, Lin Sen's purpose was finally completely clear.
It turned out that what had been inside the Thunderstrike Ships were not gluon bombs, but… Waterdrops.
It turned out that the Military Governor's response plan was also within Lin Sen's calculations. Is he even human?
It turned out that Lin Sen's intention wasn't to destroy the hundred warships, but to capture the Trisolaran Warships.
The first campaign, also known as the Battle of Doomsday, Lin Sen's ultimate goal was to capture The Waterdrop.
The second campaign, also known as the Battle of Dust, Lin Sen's ultimate goal was to capture Trisolaris's most advanced warships.
To anyone, these tasks seemed utterly impossible, but Lin Sen, with his wisdom and courage, had achieved the objectives twice, injecting boundless vitality and hope into the future of humanity.
This feat will undoubtedly leave a deep mark in the history of human civilization and will truly set the stage for the future of both civilizations.