On the long-range viewer screen, Bandit Fighter Group still darted in and out like bees within Hanfrey Fleet's intensive firepower net. However, Hanfrey Fleet's defense system was also taking shape.

As a formation resembling a plum blossom appeared before Douglas, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.

This defensive formation completed by Hanfrey's mothership group wasn't difficult to recognize. It can be said that any commander who has received systematic fleet command training can understand it. As a top graduate of the Military Academy, Douglas was certainly no exception—centering on the mothership, with a few fighters as the stigma, and five to eight warships as the outer petals, performing joint defense at a certain speed and distance. This is the Sicman Plum Blossom Defense Formation, an A-level command pattern in space combat command studies.

Among thousands of command patterns in fleet command studies, the Sicman Plum Blossom Defense Formation is not conspicuous. Its inventor, Sicman, was a commander of the Vibo Clan during the Earth Federation disintegration war period. At that time, in a major battle, his fleet was heavily surrounded by the Earth Federation Army's fighter groups. To buy time for the encircling Vibo Fleet, Sicman was forced to use the only remaining mothership and six cruisers for on-the-spot defense.

Supported amidst the overwhelming Earth Federation Fighter Group, seven warships and fewer than two hundred Space Fighters, under Sicman's command, held out for a whole hour.

Although in the end Sicman's fleet was still eliminated by the Federation Army, the tactic he invented, combining a small number of warships with specific operational speed, specific cover angles, and distances for large-scale joint defensive firepower distribution, was passed down.

Whether it's space combat or ground combat, the thousands of years of human war history have long exhibited all sorts of combat scenarios, and response methods have formed into various established patterns in modern military command studies.

These patterns are no secret. Just like Go's established patterns, as long as one is willing to study them, they can master them.

However, mastering is one thing, and flexible use in combat is quite another.

This is the difference between ordinary players and masters.

Hanfrey indeed deserves to be a generation of Great Generals. He made the most targeted choice in the shortest amount of time. Under his command, the Sicman Plum Blossom Defense Formation was watertight. The formation's completion marked the failure of the Bandit army's sneak attack.

To be honest, over the years, Douglas never imagined someone would conduct air combat in such a reckless manner. Nor did he expect Saleria's Gladiator Space Fighter, whose performance is at most average, to have such powerful combat capabilities.

These fighters, shuttling between enemy groups, are like swallows in a storm.

Several times, he personally witnessed Rebel Bandit Army fighters being hit by Hanfrey Fleet's defensive fire or intercept missiles. However, the fighter, which should have turned into a fiery red meteor, ended up surprisingly only flashing a blue light from the energy shield or slightly changing color. Up until now, fewer than one-tenth of the three hundred Gladiators have been destroyed.

However, all of this cannot bring about victory. Because the number of Rebel Bandit Army fighters is far too few.

Three hundred fighters are merely 40% of the standard carrier capacity of a medium-sized carrier from Feiyang, 20% of a heavy carrier's capacity!

If it weren't for occupying favorable terrain when launching the surprise attack, if it weren't for the proximity of the fighters and carriers where they could see each other's faces... with so few fighters, let alone attacking a carrier, even wanting to break through the carrier Escort Ship group's fire interception is sheer delusion.

If the opponent makes a mistake, perhaps they still have a chance for a deadly strike.

Unfortunately, their opponent is Hanfrey!

Watching on the virtual screen, the increasingly difficult attack, the Bandit Fighter Group's evasive maneuvering circles growing larger, Douglas's heart slowly sank. Silence enveloped the warship.

Everyone could see things weren't looking good!

Feiyang Fleet still needs a little more time to return to the asteroid belt. And the other warships of the Feiyu Fleet are already closing in on their flagship. Five minutes, no, at most four minutes later, the Feiyu Ship-Borne Fighter Group, having abandoned the pursuit of the Nineteen Group Fleet, will be the first to join the encirclement of the three hundred Gladiators. Eight minutes later, the Feiyu Fleet Cruiser Group following closely behind will also join the battle.

By then, it will be the end for the Bandit Fighter Group. And also the end for the Nineteen Group Fleet!

"General Douglas..."

Beside his ear came Chief of Staff Pang Mingjian's somewhat hesitant voice.

Douglas turned his head.

Pang Mingjian swallowed with difficulty. When he discovered Hanfrey's flagship defensive circle forming and received communication information from the 19A1 Fleet, which had already escaped the encirclement, a thought flashed through his mind.

He is the Chief of Staff of the fleet's Staff Department, his duty is to provide information and suggestions to the highest commander.

If it were before, he would have hesitated to voice this thought. But now... his heart was like being fried in a scorching oil pot. That reprehensible thought made his face flush.

Ultimately, he swallowed what he wanted to say, only reporting: "19A1 Fleet has sent a message, inquiring about the next instructions."