As the New Year approaches, allow me to first wish everyone a Happy New Year, hoping that in the coming year, you all reach new heights in your studies, work, and life.

The Cyclops hurled his engine away, realizing the tide had turned; his forces were no match for these phantom fighters, and immediately broadcast on the public channel, shouting, "We surrender! Hold fire, we surrender!" Simultaneously, the surviving pirates also screamed their surrender over the open channel, some in hysterical fear begging for their lives.

The Phantom fighters heard them but remained unmoved, continuing their highly efficient slaughter. They obeyed only direct orders, and until explicit instructions arrived, they paid no heed to the enemy’s pleas.

The cries for mercy reached the bridge of the Valkyrie flagship. Lilia’s face was taut as she turned to Yang Ying, "Sir, these pirates are surrendering, should we acknowledge them?"

Since accepting a surrender was not merely a tactical decision, it fell to Yang Ying to decide while he was present.

"What is your recommendation?" Yang Ying returned the question.

"I believe we lack the space or the energy to process prisoners, and letting the enemy escape would be the act of a fool," Lilia stated in an icy tone.

"A sound assessment. If they chose the path of piracy, they must accept the consequences. You reap what you sow in this life," Yang Ying declared, hands folded across his chest, his voice rising slightly. "Tell the Phantom fighters to eliminate them all."

"Yes, Sir!" the communications officer responded loudly.

On the other side, the pirates had shouted themselves hoarse to no avail; the Phantoms' assault only intensified. Panic set in, and before they knew it, two more pirate fighters were destroyed.

"You demons! If I kill one, I break even; if I kill two, I profit! I’ll fight you to the death!" The Cyclops, who once took pride in being called a demon, now had bloodshot eyes, staring intently at a Phantom fighter streaking past, diving toward it.

But the Cyclops sorrowfully realized the vast gulf in speed between them. He could only watch as the Phantom fighter pulled further away, his repeated firing of the laser cannon missing nothing but empty space. He glanced at his radar, located a few trusted confidants, and barked into his communicator, "Wild Boar, Birdman, follow me! We’re sunk today, but I refuse to let them just fly away unscathed—I can’t swallow this! The three of us against one, I doubt he can escape us!"

"Boss, I can't break free! That ship behind me, it’s like a ghost, I can’t shake it, ah…"

A fresh fireball erupted in the void of space.

"Wild Boar!" The Cyclops slammed his fist onto the control console.

At this moment, as pirate fighters were continuously obliterated, more and more Phantom fighters disengaged to join the encirclement, leaving fewer and fewer pirates remaining.

"Listen up, remaining brothers! These scumbags won't let us go, but before we die, we have to take someone with us! Stop hiding! Look at the target I’ve marked for you—let’s take him down together. Even in death, we’ll die like men!" The Cyclops roared, marking a Phantom fighter and sending the designation to all remaining pirates.

"Roar!" That statement ignited the reckless spirit of the pirates. Only eight ships were left. Ignoring the fighters latching onto their tails, they charged toward the single marked target.

The targeted Phantom fighter found itself momentarily surrounded by the charging pirates. Its pilot, seeing the suicidal rush, immediately wrenched the control stick, carving an arc as the fighter zipped to the side.

"All laser cannons fire! And launch every missile we have!" The Cyclops, eyes burning crimson, fixed his gaze on the target and bellowed the order.

All eight pirate fighters complied instantly, squeezing their triggers and firing their missiles without waiting for targeting lock, knowing there was no time for the targeting systems to engage.

As the eight pirate ships launched their missiles, four of them were immediately vaporized by the Phantom fighter. The remaining four were destroyed in quick succession within the next half-minute.

Their target, however, suddenly cloaked, slipping past the heat sensors of the missiles. The ordnance flew in a straight line into the depths of space.

The Cyclops, the last pirate to be annihilated, was privileged in his final second of life to witness the Phantom fighter vanish. He could swear his gaze had not left the target for a single millisecond, yet the ship was simply gone without a trace, before he too was engulfed in flames.

This dogfight, from initial contact to cessation of hostilities, lasted nearly twenty minutes. The Valkyrie flagship received confirmation that all enemies were destroyed, the Phantoms suffered zero casualties, and were returning to base.

Yang Ying commended their performance, though for the Phantom fighters, a mission of this difficulty was merely standard fare.

"The second wave of pirates won't be able to catch us now; we are safe," Lilia rose from the command seat and informed Yang Ying. "Sir, you may take a rest."

"No need. I’ll stand here for a while. Watching you manage the ship is rest enough for me."

For Yang Ying, observing the operation of the warship was fascinating, like watching a sci-fi movie, especially when the actors were all girls in uniform—what better way to relax?

"As you wish, Sir," Lilia sat back down.

At that moment, Yang Ying felt an indescribable sensation rising from his core—a faint, intuitive warning, much like what he had felt on Titan.

'War intuition,' he thought. The volume on Psionics had several chapters dedicated to this highly effective ability, helping Psions grasp the direction of the battlefield and make the most optimal judgments.

"Lilia, our fight is not over."

"Sir, how can you know?" Although the comment was sudden, Lilia knew Yang Ying wasn't joking.

"I sense an atmosphere. The pirates will not be content to simply let us depart; they will employ other means," Yang Ying admitted, though his knowledge was limited to vague premonitions.

"I will be vigilant," Lilia turned back to the others on the bridge. "Maintain alert status. The enemy may have more plans than what is apparent."

"Understood, Captain," they replied in unison.

A short time later, the communications officer suddenly called out, "Captain, intelligence from the Observer confirms the Shark Pirate Fleet has noticed the total loss of their first wave fighters. They just broadcast a message requesting coordinated action from another pirate group; the recipient is unconfirmed, tentatively assumed to be a Shark ally."

The Observer immediately followed up, "Captain, we have detected a fleet fifty thousand kilometers off our starboard bow! They are vectoring toward us!"

"Fleet composition?" Lilia instantly snapped to attention.

"Two medium cruisers, six light frigates. Theoretically capable of carrying about forty strike craft," the Observer reported while intently monitoring the radar display.

Yang Ying nodded slowly. "This time it’s an ambush ahead and pursuit from behind. It looks like things are about to get more complicated."

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