Chapter 169 03.0168: "Two generations, one boat"

The ships in the void formed a fleet of some size.

Light cruisers, frigates and destroyers surrounded the two void giants, forming a tight protective barrier.

The captured Dreadnought was dragged behind by dozens of thick chains.

In the middle of the fleet was the battle barge HMS Vengeance, and 100 kilometers side by side was the battlecruiser HMS Indefatigable.

Each ship suffered structural damage to some degree.

The Indefatigable lost two of its side lance turrets, and a small part of the armored platform that mounted the turrets collapsed.

Fortunately, the technical priest disconnected the energy supply in time, preventing the energy from short-circuiting and melting half of the side.

The entire side was covered with dense bullet holes like a honeycomb.

There were also some stuck unexploded bombs.

Boatmen and bomb disposal teams are carefully removing the fuses of the shells.

Father Gongzao was chanting mysterious prayers nearby, hypnotizing the bloodthirsty and corrupted machine souls of these shells, praying that they would not suddenly wake up and explode during the bomb disposal process.

on the deck.

The crew were given a funeral service led by Anglican priests or monks.

After the bodies of the sacrificed crew members were completely sewn up with canvas, they were slowly pushed into the void.

And pray that the power of the Emperor's light will guide them to the Golden Throne.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please come over here. There is something here."

The boatswain led the sailors to count the remains of the victims and auction them off to other nearby clans.

"A pipe! Come, ladies and gentlemen, be generous to the widows who have lost their husbands, the children who have lost their fathers." The boatswain picked up a pipe, a relic of a ropeman.

"Fifty Gothic coins," said a sailor.

"70."

"1000." said an armed sailor who was patrolling nearby with a gun on his back.

"What? Are you sure?" the boatswain asked in surprise.

"The traitor's bayonet almost pierced me, but he stabbed it with his spear and saved my life."

The boatswain nodded silently.

"Anything else? 1000 once! 1000 twice! 1000 three times!"

The boatswain banged the gavel.

"Thank you, kind sir." He solemnly handed the relic to the armed sailor who bought it.

The sailor put the money into the boatswain's hand, took his pipe and carried his gun on his back and left.

"The next one is a scarf. It's in good condition, but there's some blood on it. Who's willing to buy it..."

The auction proceeds will be handed over to the victims' families by the boatswain.

This is how the navy sailors help each other and have come this far.

No one can tell whether suffering will befall their family in the next battle.

This charity auction spontaneously organized by the boatswains after the war made everyone feel a little more at ease.

All ships were very busy. The emergency rest after the war was like a city after a flood, with a large number of places needing to be repaired, inspected, replaced and prepared.

But the well-trained naval officers quickly assigned the tasks, and the old warrant officers who had served on the Indefatigable for decades were able to perform them well.

The overwhelmed officers need to take a break and release some stress.

Enjoy a great meal in that luxurious banquet hall.

As officers, Horatio and Farida were naturally invited by the captain.

The young man and woman wiped the sweat from their heads and finally walked out of the hot and somewhat closed artillery command platform.

The warrant officers of the two great guns came to see them off.

The warrant officers stood in two neat rows and saluted the two young but highly skilled officers.

Especially the young male officer.

As Horatio walked, he chatted and laughed with Farida, and nodded to them solemnly but majestically.

He asked the armed sergeant of the boarding team to present two bottles of fine wine specially provided for officers and a bottle of fine Amachaic cognac to the warrant officers.

Another bottle of San Diallo rum, which was also of high proof, was given to the boarding team members who were conscientiously serving as guards.

They were touched by the generosity of the young officer and all were grateful to him.

Whether in public or in private, everyone praised the good qualities of this legendary officer's descendant.

"Where are we going, Horatio?"

"Captain's Office." He replied with a smile and saluted each officer he met.

The two men came to the bottom of the bridge, where there were obviously more officers.

In this situation, Farida seemed much more at ease than when she was with the warrant officers.

As the daughter of a vice admiral, she had grown accustomed to being surrounded by respectable naval officers.

The captain's office is located slightly above the level where the bridge merges into the hull.

Here, there are arched decorative portholes all around, and curved metal grilles inside and outside as decoration, which is exactly the same as the palace style.

As soon as he stepped into the 500-square-meter captain's office, Horatio heard melodious music.

The Indefatigable Band was playing music on the stage with a grand ceremony, almost like a symphony orchestra.

The tune is tranquil and melodious, making people feel relaxed, washing away the tension in the battle and relaxing their muscles instantly.

Horatio could tell it was a flat variation of the Imperial Navy's military music, "Rule! The Empire of Man!"

Horatio walked on the wide and soft red carpet with gold embroidery on the edge, and led Farida to the hall. In the middle was a huge and stylish oval lacquered wood hollow ring table inlaid with gems and gold, which was hand-planed by a senior carpenter in the Garden World.

The table was covered with three layers of elegant and gorgeous embroidered tablecloths.

The first layer is the tablecloth.

The second layer was unveiled midway through the meal.

The third layer is for desserts and fruits.

There is a layer of soft leather between each layer of tablecloth as a barrier to prevent soup, oil and water from seeping into the bottom and soaking the replacement tablecloth.

The table was laid with sterling silver cutlery suitable for officers.

The warm and moist napkins were folded into shapes such as eagles, flames, and long swords that would please the officers.

For those officers with titles, the napkins on their tables were even folded into the shape of family crests.

So Horatio saw at a glance his own seat, with his napkin folded into a winding sea dragon, the glorious totem of the Cochrane family.

Next to it is the Hood family eagle.

The center of the large oval table is hollow, and there is a lifting platform underneath.

Directly below is the large officers' kitchen, which employs the best chefs in Abyss Port.

They never have trouble finding jobs, and many of them are poached by captains or generals to work as personal chefs.

The others were also snatched up by the hive nobles.

The Imperial Navy even set up an honorary position with an annual salary of one million for the chief chef of the officers' kitchen: Master of Canteen.

Now it's time for the pre-dinner drinks reception.

The officers who were close to the bridge had already gathered here in advance, tasting wine while waiting for the remaining officers who were arriving from other parts of the 5.3-kilometer-long giant ship.

They were standing or sitting loosely, or gathering in twos or threes to chat.

A well-dressed official attendant wearing white stockings and small leather shoes came up to them, holding a tray with various fine wines.

Each one is produced in the vast territory of the Emperor and is the finest wine from various human empire worlds.

This is what the officers deserve.

Those standing here are the most outstanding, most knowledgeable, and most capable officers in the entire human empire.

"What flavor of wine do you like, ma'am?" Horatio asked in a gentlemanly manner.

Because it was a period of high alert, he tactfully changed his military rank into an elegant honorific, and was extremely familiar, looking like an aristocrat.

"It tastes sweet." Farida returned to her normal ladylike state in front of the officers and men, behaving elegantly.

"Ah." Horatio nodded with a smile, "Then I recommend you try adding aromatic fruit juice to Catalin white wine."

"Is there anything special about this one? I'd like to hear your introduction, Mr. Horatio." She asked gracefully and decently, like a fish in water.

"Katalin white wine is the best white wine in the human empire. For many people, it only exists in dreams. It is a rare fine wine. Thank you, Charter Fleet."

Horatio's words aroused Farida's interest, and she asked the attendant in the hall to add aromatic fruit juice to the Catalin white wine as Horatio said.

Farida placed her pink lips, which were painted with glittery lip gloss, lightly on the rim of the cup and took a sip gracefully.

The pair of sparkling green eyes widened instantly.

“It’s really delicious.”

Horatio kept smiling and took out a glass of precious brandy called Ryanka from the feudal world from the tray.

It is said that this wine is brewed according to the pure medieval French brandy making process and has a mellow and rich taste.

The two men each held a goblet and walked into the banquet hall.

"Son of Thomas! Oh, and Miss Hood, nice to meet you."

Seeing the two talented and beautiful young officers coming over, an officer with gold-tasseled shoulder boards on both shoulders held out his glass to Horatio and greeted him with a smile.

"You've grown so tall now. When I first saw you, you were only as tall as my knees."

"Well, as this face grows from immature to mature, it feels more and more like your father." A seated female officer praised and held out her wine glass to Horatio and Farida.

"The noble gentlemen of the Cochrane family are equally matched in strength. When Thomas Cochrane was your age, he also made great achievements as a reserve officer." A one-eyed officer wearing an eyepatch snorted and laughed.

"Let's toast to Chief Lord Captain Thomas Cochrane. May he bless us for promotion." An officer whose two arms and one eye were advanced prosthetics raised his goblet and shouted to the crowd.

"Cheers to Captain Thomas Cochrane, the Chief Lord. May he bless us with our promotion."

Several naval officers sitting in the luxurious curtained booths recognized Horatio.

From time to time, several kitchen servants and apprentices passed by the crowd, busying around serving them.

Pour wine for them, choose glasses, and mix fine wines.

All the officers before Horatio were naval captains.

There are eye-catching golden tassel shoulder panels on both shoulders, which are noble and domineering.

The noble gentlemen and ladies in front of them are the third, fourth, and fifth mates of the Indefatigable...

The second mate was standing not far away reporting the work arrangements to Captain Peru and the first mate, Captain Lord.

These senior and powerful people on the Indefatigable sat casually on the soft, gilded sofas or stood on the carpet on the side, drinking wine and chatting.

[Are you worshipping my father as the god of naval promotion?] Horatio raised the corners of his lips and smiled, holding out his glass to them in greeting.

When their father, whom they had never met, was the second-in-command on this giant ship, they were all junior lieutenants.

Now, these gentlemen and ladies have become sacred and inviolable beings above the billions of people in the empire.

And he also stepped onto the warship where two generations had served together, walking the same path, but with a perhaps different ending.

　Please give me a monthly ticket and a recommendation ticket, QAQ thank you!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)