Chapter 473: Battle of Hydra Island,

after the parliamentary conflict in Iron Fort.

The war finally broke out in full swing.

The Decepticons gathered their forces and quickly captured Fort Sko, the seat of the Senate Legion. The victory in the first battle was not effortless, but it was effortless to capture Soaring Sky City. Although the Senate Legion had no experience in fighting for many years, they were not a bunch of soft persimmons, but on the contrary, they were still a tough nut to crack. Megatron might have used Fort Sko to tell the world that no one on Cybertron could stop the Decepticons.

Over there, the Decepticons have begun to attack the city.

The automotive talents here have just started to recruit people.

I have to say, it's really too slow.

Now most people on the entire Cybertron are still in a wait-and-see state. They are either Autobots or Decepticons, but the number of Decepticons is obviously greater than that of Autobots, and their level of organization and training is also better.

Orion Pax, oh no, now he should be called Optimus Prime, is calling on all Cybertronians to join him in the communication network, which has a certain effect. However, the overall strength of the Autobots is still far inferior to that of the Decepticons.

For Fu Qinghai, firstly, the plot had progressed to this point and the division of camps had finally become clear. Secondly, Master Tai had finally explained everything to him. He could finally put aside his worries and give it a try, immediately joining the battlefield to earn assimilation points.

After Soarin City and Fortress Sko were occupied by the Decepticons, they then launched an attack on another strategic location - Hydra Island. This is the location of Cybertron's spaceport. A large amount of mineral materials mined from the asteroid belt around Cybertron are piled up here waiting to be transported.

This time, the Autobots, who had already been somewhat organized, could no longer allow the Decepticons to break through the city and occupy it as they had done in the past. They immediately organized a defense around Hydra Island and actively mobilized the local residents.

A fierce battle broke out.

...

Optimus Prime led Fu Qinghai and Jazz to circle around Hydra Island and observe the outer frontier positions. The island was on the Rusty Sea. Optimus Prime transformed into his classic vehicle form - a truck, carrying Fu Qinghai around Hydra Island to observe the surrounding terrain. At the same time, they also saw that some mini-Kings were sneaking out from the reefs along the coast of the island to observe, and there were fighter planes flying in the sky.

"It's Starscream's searchers, and those mini-King Kong spies under Soundwave. They are also openly looking at Hydra Island. It seems we have to hurry."

Jazz said in a deep voice.

"That's right."

Optimus agreed.

Fu Qinghai found a hidden place and used the portal gun to open a blue halo in advance.

Then everyone returned to the city.

…

Hydra Island, temporary combat command center.

"I propose that Qingshan be appointed as the commander-in-chief."

Optimus said as he looked around at everyone.

Fu Qinghai couldn't help but roll his eyes when he heard this.

You are the leader, my big brother, and you are still "proposing"?

As expected, because Optimus Prime's tone was not so sure and firm, but with a taste of seeking opinions, so of course, his proposal was opposed by almost everyone except Jazz, and they had good reasons - first of all, Qingshan is a human, a foreigner, and it is not appropriate for him to command the Autobots. Secondly, some people questioned his "general" status, thinking that words without evidence are not trustworthy.

Everything was as Fu Qinghai expected.

Facing everyone's doubts, he did not make any excuses. He just put on his helmet silently, then put on his flight backpack, took out his portal gun, opened a yellow circle of light on the wall of the temporary command center, stepped into it and disappeared into the circle of light.

Everyone present looked at each other in bewilderment.

I don't know what this means.

Less than ten cycles later, Fu Qinghai, covered in gunpowder and with his power armor slightly broken, stepped out of the blue light circle again, holding a bunch of metal filaments like blood vessels and nerves in his hand. Under the filaments were three huge metal heads, and his face was still frozen with an expression of shock and anger before death.

Fu Qinghai casually threw the three Decepticon heads onto the conference table, making a series of loud bangs. The Autobots present were stunned, staring blankly at the three heads on the table, with ferocious expressions as if staring at them.

Fu Qinghai raised his hand and took off his helmet, exhaled a breath of foul air, wiped the remaining blood and sweat on his face, pointed at the largest head on the table, and said in a flat tone:

"This is a seeker. It's going to be hard to kill him."

Is it hard? I can't tell.

Everyone looked at the head on the table, then turned to look at Fu Qinghai, who was almost unharmed except for his broken armor and blood on his face. They all complained in their hearts.

This dwarf, who was less than three meters tall, killed three Decepticon scouts single-handedly. Except for Jazz, who knew it well and had expected it, the rest of the people immediately looked at him with new eyes. Before everyone could fully react, Fu Qinghai sat down on a chair that was much larger than his body and said,

"Excuse me, how many of you here have killed anyone? On my planet, I once commanded tens of thousands of troops to fight at the same time. War is a common occurrence for me. If you want to question my ability based on my size, then these three people on the table will be the best outcome."

Fu Qinghai glanced coldly at everyone present.

Many Cybertronians were shocked by his momentum.

"What are your plans?"

Finally, a Cybertronian asked.

Hearing this, Fu Qinghai smiled.

The defending side used the complex urban terrain to build a defense line, and then dragged the attacking side into street fighting to continuously bleed and strangle them. He was very familiar with this topic. From modern times to the present, there are countless similar cases in military history.

"First, let's make one thing clear."

Fu Qinghai pointed at the holographic projection map and said:

"In urban defense operations, the city walls are not the only defense line. Every building, every street and even every sewer in the city is part of the defense line."

"The Decepticons want the supplies stored on Hydra Island? Let them come. Hydra Island will become a meat grinder and a slaughterhouse, and we will squeeze their blood dry!"

…

The attack and defense of Hydra Island, as soon as it started, was a tragic and brutal war of attrition and tug-of-war. Fu Qinghai, as the commander appointed by Optimus Prime, was commanding the battle while observing the fighting style of the Cybertronians.

Whether in the Warhammer 40K universe or the real world, the protagonists in large-scale wars are often not individual soldiers but war machines such as tanks, fighter planes, battleships, etc. The larger the battle, the smaller the space for infantry to play, or even almost none.

But Cybertronians are different. A Cybertronian is equivalent to a vehicle. The humanoid form is equivalent to a Knight Mech, and it also has agility and reaction speed that Knight Mech does not have. Not only that, Cybertronians can transform into vehicle form, into chariots, tanks, self-propelled artillery, fighters and bombers. A group of Cybertronians is a mixed armored cluster.

So they will not drive additional vehicles to fight, because they themselves are war vehicles.

Now it is just ground combat. As for space naval battles, firstly, the Cybertronians can also build spaceships and battleships. Secondly, as far as Fu Qinghai remembers, some Transformers are as big as a city, which is a fortress and a battleship in itself.

The Decepticons besieged Hydra Island for a full thirty-five solar cycles, attacking from two fronts - from the newly conquered Fortress of Sko to the east, and from the south towards the Great Wasteland region, which included the cities of Charon and Slaughter.

But they were stopped. Under the leadership and encouragement of Optimus Prime, the Autobots were very tenacious in their fighting spirit. They were able to fight the kind of battles that suited their soldiers. Based on their strong fighting spirit, Fu Qinghai was able to plan and deploy and implement some more advanced and complex tactics.

…

Hydra Island, a city building.

Fu Qinghai is directing the Autobots to set up defenses.

"Don't overstrengthen your defenses. I emphasize again, don't overstrengthen your defenses. We will have to withdraw later!"

Fu Qinghai stopped a few stubborn Autobots.

"You guys are responsible for laying booby traps. Remember these locations. Here you can avoid mortar fire, here you can avoid cannon fire, and here..."

Fu Qinghai ordered the Autobots to remember the several locations he had just designated. These locations were excellent shelters. They could not be seen from outside the building. Only when you were inside the building could you know where you could hide and where you could conceal yourself.

"The Decepticons are coming, Commander!"

The Mini-King who was in charge of lookout turned around and shouted.

"Everyone take cover and prepare for defense!"

Fu Qinghai ordered.

Everyone quickly hid in the bunker.

Several streets outside the building, dense swarms of Decepticons rushed up howling, and bullets rained around the windows of the building. Fu Qinghai commanded the Autobots to fight and retreat. After the enemy paid a heavy price in casualties to break into the building, Fu Qinghai ordered the Autobots to evacuate the building through the sewers.

Just as the Decepticons were celebrating this partial victory.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

Artillery attacks followed one after another.

Two blocks away, five or six Autobots transformed into self-propelled artillery and began to pour fire on the building. The shells were so accurate, as if there were cameras installed inside the building. They flew straight to the hiding place of the Decepticons and immediately blew them to pieces.

"Launch a charge! Retake the position!"

At Fu Qinghai's command, the Autobots rushed out roaring.

He used the portal gun to open a blue halo, and appeared first in a room inside the building. He took a step forward and stabbed a Decepticon in the chest with his sword. The dense energy beams were deflected by the iron halo, and he continued to swing his sword and kill.

First, they would firmly defend their positions, lay mines, and record the enemy's possible defenses and hidden locations. Then, when the enemy launched an attack, they would voluntarily give up their positions and retreat. Then, they would use the previously collected location information to launch precise artillery strikes and retake the positions. This process would be repeated until the enemy's manpower was completely exhausted or they had completely given up and the positions were reoccupied.

Mara Farm Tactics.

Fu Qinghai did not always sit in the temporary command center to command. On the one hand, he had to maintain Optimus Prime's leadership authority, and on the other hand, he had to earn assimilation points. So he often went to the battle scene in person to lead the Autobot tactical team to carry out infiltration, roundabout, encirclement and roundabout, catching the Decepticons off guard and making them miserable.

Optimus Prime also participated in the front-line battle. This was his first actual combat and his first kill. His combat talent was not bad, and after Fu Qinghai's patient guidance and his own hard training, Optimus Prime killed three Decepticons in his first battle, using his innate transformation weapon, the Vibrator Sword, which was similar to a high-frequency blade with a high-temperature killing effect.

This was an achievement worth celebrating, but he was obviously not happy. Optimus Prime told Fu Qinghai privately: If possible, he would rather negotiate with the three unknown Decepticons and ask them why they wanted to join the enemy camp.

Unfortunately, on the battlefield, it's a fight to the death.

Optimus Prime was destined not to have the chance to speak.

…

The attack and defense of Hydra Island is over.

Fu Qinghai originally just wanted to use this city to bleed the Decepticons, but the effect was unexpected. The Decepticons eventually retreated and they failed to capture the city.

This was the first battle between the Autobots and Decepticons, and it was of great significance. The Autobots led by Optimus Prime won the victory, which was inspiring. Public opinion in the data network was boiling.

Fu Qinghai's original plan was to abandon Hydra Island at the right time, but he didn't expect that the Decepticons would be the first to give up and retreat before reaching the core of the city. This really made him gain both value (consuming the enemy's manpower) and face (holding the city and defending the territory).

Everyone began to have some confidence in the new leader.

But Fu Qinghai knew that the actual situation was not optimistic. Although the Autobots won, it was a miserable victory. As we all know, the characteristic of urban street fighting is that it can offset the numerical advantage and firepower advantage of the attacking party, causing both sides to return to the same starting line and reach a nearly consistent exchange ratio.

Note that it is a "consistent exchange ratio".

In other words, although the Decepticons' numerical advantage and firepower advantage were offset, the Autobots still had to pay a high price to repel the enemy. When Fu Qinghai said that he wanted to turn Hydra Island into a meat grinder and a slaughterhouse, he was not referring only to the attacking side, but to both the attacking and defending sides. Hydra Island was a cruel and terrible bloody battlefield of consumption.

At the same time, like all wars in ancient and modern times, many people who were unknown in peacetime quickly rose to become heroes through this war. Many people who could easily become leaders in peacetime by virtue of their birth advantages have fallen and disappeared after the great waves of this war.

Ultra Magnus, once a sergeant in the Senate Guard, led his troops to repel several Decepticons from the direction of Fortress Scor. This Cybertronian is both intelligent and brave, fearless to the point of recklessness, and his favorite weapon is a hammer that can release high-intensity electromagnetic pulses, which can severely injure or even paralyze a Cybertronian with one blow.

Troops led by Ultra Magnus.

Calling themselves the "Thunder Rescue Team".

Fu Qinghai had heard of the "Thunderbolt Rescue Team". This unit was later given a nickname, "The Autobots most like the Decepticons", which described this group of Autobots as being just like the Decepticons, cruel and brutal, aggressive and warlike, and tenacious and strong in combat.

At the same time, it was also through the example of Ultra Magnus that Fu Qinghai realized that the physiological structure of Cybertronians made them particularly afraid of electromagnetic pulse attacks (EMP). This is a major weakness of Cybertronians, and research can be carried out on this point.

…

Starscream announced that he would lead his "Seekers" to join the Decepticons and support Megatron.

Ultra Magnus announced that he would lead his "Thunderbolt Rescue Team" to join the Autobots and support Optimus Prime.

In this civil war.

More and more Cybertronians.

Start choosing sides.

...

(End of this chapter)