Chapter 662 06.661: “New Battleship, New Journey (asking for monthly ticket)”

“I heard that you saved the E-96 Epic.” Admiral Samuel Hood picked up the lid of the exquisite tea plate, blew gently at the rising hot steam, then nodded and said.

“Yes, Your Excellency the Commander. Please forgive my rash decision, but the demolition of the Epic is definitely a great loss. There are personal emotional factors involved in this matter, but I have also considered practical interests.” Horatio looked respectful, but his tone was firm.

“Don’t be nervous. I support your idea. This battleship carries too much honor of the Second Damocles Gulf Expedition and should not end up like this. You did a good job. You learned to use your rights to fight for something so quickly. Very good, really very good.” Admiral Samuel Hood’s eyes showed admiration.

“Thank you, Your Excellency Admiral.” Horatio bowed slightly to express his gratitude.

“By the way, you need to take a look at this approval.” Samuel Hood took a scroll from his side. It was a secret order that had just been urgently delivered from the Star Language Hall by a special plane.

Horatio took the scroll from the veteran and slowly opened it. He scanned it carefully, and the key information flooded into his mind like a tide. When he was halfway through reading, his pupils suddenly dilated and his face was full of surprise.

“Really? Are the Astra Militarum so kind? They approved Admiral George Anson’s plan so easily? This is not like the style of this group of bureaucrats.” Horatio picked up the teacup, took a sip of tea, trying to calm his surprise.

Admiral Samuel Hood sighed and shook his head slightly: “Look down first.”

Horatio read on, and nearly choked on the tea he had just drunk with a sharp gasp of air.

“It requires the unanimous approval of the colonels and above of the Krieg units on the front line…” Horatio looked stunned. “So, I have to go to the front line and find a war zone under the charge of the Krieg Corps, and then, as the acting colonel, lead a group of Krieg people to fight a bloody and brutal meat grinder war, and gain the approval of the Krieg officers?”

“It’s very difficult, and there’s no need for us to get involved with the Astra Militarum.

Young man, as your uncle, I don’t want you to get involved in this mess. We are the sacred and noble Imperial Navy, how can these mud-legged people be compared with us?

If you don’t want to go, don’t go. I’ll write them a letter directly.” Samuel Hood was very caring towards the younger generation of the family.

“No!” Horatio suddenly stretched out his hand and held the admiral’s hand, his eyes determined. “I’ll go! Don’t worry, I’m going to be the acting commander and command the troops. I am confident that I can complete this difficult task.”

“Are you sure? I know the Kriegs. The war zones they are in charge of are the worst.

Even the leader is likely to be in danger, you…”

“Trust me, Admiral. This is a step I must take.”

[I must not look back. I have already embarked on the road to saving the country. I must rebuild the empire’s armaments to deal with the crises in the future that will become more serious than the last.

If I stop here, I will really go to Cadian Gate to die.] Horatio thought to himself.

Looking at the determined gaze of the young man, Admiral Samuel Hood saw steely determination in his eyes, and couldn’t help but recall his own youth, bold, radical, and fearless.

“Now that you’ve made up your mind, good luck to you. What about little Horace?”

“He has already been weaned. I think we should let him stay in the nursery in Zhendan for a while. When Farida and I return from the front line in Krieg, we will bring him back to Abyssal Port.”

“Leave it to me. Little Horace is also from our Hood family, so you can rest assured.” Samuel Hood stood up and extended his hand to Horatio. “We will always be your strongest backing.”

“Thank you.” Horatio shook the admiral’s hand firmly.
–
“Are you going back now, Brother Korchagin?”

Horatio meets the friar who conscientiously serves as his personal bodyguard.

“Report back, Captain, but we’ll see you again.”

Horatio nodded and said, “I know, you know I have gene-seed, right?”

The Raven Guard said nothing.

“You didn’t plan to report me?” Horatio asked tentatively, looking at the Raven Guard’s raven-shaped helmet.

“I am a Vowbreaker who witnessed the death of my Chapter Master but was powerless to do anything about it. I have no right to denounce an Imperial hero like you.

And I know for a fact that you have your own construction plan, Captain. However, I also believe that you will take the initiative to talk to me about this matter. “

“Of course.” Horatio smiled and said, “In fact, I plan to return 50 Raven Guard gene seeds for you to take back.

I hope that this will help us establish a harmonious and stable relationship of mutual assistance with the Raven Guard.”

“You destroyed the Tau battleship and forced the enemy commander Shadowsun to rush to the front line from the rear. You have done us a great favor.

This is a good opportunity for us to launch an ambush and avenge our defeat. However… we really need fifty gene seeds. Are you sure you want to give them to us?”

Brother Korchagin did not use the word “return” but “give”. Brother Korchagin knew very well that this gene seed was handed over through the normal process, and the Ministry of the Interior would later dispatch a special department to distribute it among the Raven Guards in the order of first come, and not necessarily how much would be given to the Raven Guards.

There are many cases where the sub-groups are doing better than the parent group. Am I right, Black Templar?
But the 50 that Horatio gave privately to the Raven Guard really helped them rebuild half a company in a short period of time, and a chapter only had ten companies.

This is a vital help to the Raven Guard, which has been damaged and disappeared from the Empire, and is deeply involved in the Second Damocles Gulf Expedition behind enemy lines.

“The Raven Guard will remember your help today, Captain. When we have recovered, we will appear before you again and respond to your call.”

“I look forward to that day, Brother.”
–
After spending two full Terran months on Macragge.

“Officers and soldiers, you will board the Imperial Navy’s most powerful light cruiser, the Swift Aquila!”

Horatio looked refreshed, he stood straight and straight, walked with steady steps past the officers and soldiers who were about to board the light cruiser Swift Skyhawk, and spoke confidently.

“This is the battleship that my father, Thomas Cochrane, once commanded! Under his command, this battleship won the honor of being the first in tonnage sunk and captured! It also earned him the honor of being the captain of the Supreme Lord!
She is agile, tough, fierce and swift! Just like her name – the swift eagle soaring in the sky!
Today! I, Horatio Cochrane, son of Thomas, have been commissioned by the Admiralty of the Segmentum Obscurus! To captain this great ship! And you, I know! Many of you were once my father’s crewmen!”

The officers and soldiers looked at this heroic son with bright eyes. This new imperial navy hero who emerged out of nowhere passionately preached in front of them: “I will lead you to win new honors!”

“Long live Cochrane!”

“Courage and Honor!”

“Swear allegiance until death! Swear to defend until death!”

“We will definitely keep you safe this time! My Lord!”

The morale of the officers and soldiers was unprecedentedly high. Many of them had worked hard with old Cochrane and gained honor and material rewards.

After the death of Thomas Cochrane, the officers and soldiers on the Swift Aquila fell into an extremely low mood, and the pain of breaking the oath tormented the officers and soldiers’ bodies and minds.

The shadow of Thomas’ death has always hung over this once glorious warship, and many accidents have occurred as a result, as if the machine spirit was venting its inner howls.

Fortunately, Lord Colonel Elphinstone was to escort the attack carriers for the Second Damocles Gulf Expedition and reorganize the armament and training of the Swift Aquila.

After a long period of revitalization, the news that Thomas’ son would be appointed captain of the Swift Aquila spread quickly on the ancient warship.

The officers and soldiers regained their confidence, and under the long-term training of Colonel Lord Elphinstone, their comprehensive preparedness has almost returned to its peak.

After the carefully prepared review, Horatio boarded the light cruiser’s command bridge.

Compared to the Epic’s bridge, the light cruiser’s command bridge is several times larger and only slightly smaller than a standard cruiser’s bridge.

The view here is excellent, and the captain’s position is particularly prominent, so he can grasp the dynamics in all directions in a timely manner.

It was also here that Horatio saw the most intuitive difference between a battleship and a non-battleship – the Swift Aquila had two command thrones.

At the highest point is the fleet command throne, where the convoy commander sits when commanding the convoy.

Slightly below was the familiar battleship command throne, where the captain usually sat, and where the lord captain sat when the colonel captain took the fleet command throne as the escort team commander.

This is a configuration that escort ships, destroyers and attack ships do not have.

There is a twin-gun turret in front of the command bridge. Since the bridge is very high, the turret will not block the view at all.

The tallest tower on the ship’s spine is the navigation tower, which is slightly higher than the turret. The entire mysterious navigator family and their guards live in this tower.

Further ahead is the Astropath Tower, which houses the ship’s astropath. It is the second tallest tower on the ship’s spine.

When the Geller force field was deployed, only these two towers were not within the coverage of the force field, allowing the Astropaths and Navigators to play their roles in the warp.

Further forward is the forward lookout tower. For a warship of such a long length, a forward lookout tower is necessary to ensure navigation safety and ensure that the helmsman does not collide with obstacles.

Horatio took the command throne, eagerly anticipating the new Machine Spirit’s reaction to the offspring of the previous Captain.

When the neural plug was connected through the back spine, the world seemed to suddenly become bright.

“Welcome, Captain.” A smart and ethereal voice sounded in his ears.

(End of this chapter)