Whats's it like to have a fleet that can only recuirt female soldiers?

The two sides of the river were in chaos, and the battle raged on both banks.

Starship Duel Zone No. 3 – Duel Arbitration Zone

This was a small space hub responsible for overseeing the Starship Duel Zone No. 3, and it also served as the primary audience seating area. With fewer than a hundred people in attendance, the space wasn't crowded, but today the view from the audience seats was particularly beautiful.

The North Star Military Starship Academy had been ranked among the top ten schools by its students, and three of its most stunning students were present.

"Your brother is really here?" A playful girl with twin ponytails, barely 1.5 meters tall, asked in surprise, covering her mouth.

Zhao Waner wore a complex expression. "He may not have many skills, but his stubbornness is unmatched."

"Is that the starship your brother assembled himself, the one you mentioned before? Is it still operational?" The tall girl, with long hair cascading down to her waist, spoke coldly, arms crossed. "In just one month, he managed to assemble three old starships into one, and it can fly smoothly. Your brother is quite skilled at starship engineering."

Zhao Waner glanced at the iceberg-like beauty and bit her lip. "Sister Su Lan, if... my brother really loses... can you talk to Zhang Haoran and get the bet canceled?"

The two were her good friends.

The girl with twin ponytails was her classmate, Xue Xiaoxiao, and the one with the icy demeanor was her senior, Su Lan.

Su Lan was highly regarded, with even the college dean showing her deference.

"If it were before the duel, I could have helped. But if it's after the duel..." Su Lan frowned, clearly torn. She couldn't resist Zhao Waner's pleading expression. "I could probably stop your brother from being expelled, but he will definitely face humiliation from Zhang Haoran."

"Just... don't let him be expelled! Please, anything but that!" Zhao Waner nodded repeatedly, clinging to Su Lan's arm. "I know you can help, Sister Su Lan. You're the best."

"Wan'er, your brother hasn't even fought yet. How do you know he will lose? What if he wins?" The loli with twin ponytails pouted.

Zhao Waner sighed, looking at her brother's assembled starship with a complex expression. "How could he win? What kind of starship does he have? It's a T2 Bald Eagle-class light interstellar cruiser worth seven million star coins.

Among the starships owned by our academy students, it's one of the top ten for single combat performance."

She wanted to believe in her brother's success, but it seemed impossible.

At this moment, the referee team had established contact with the captains of both starships. Two video feeds appeared on the screen.

On one side was the bridge of the T2 Bald Eagle-class light interstellar cruiser, where Zhang Haoran sat on the captain's chair, dressed in a lavish military uniform that didn't seem standard issue. He was accompanied by a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties, likely a retired officer.

The other bridge was much more humble. Zhao Chen sat in an old captain's chair, a faint smile on his face. Behind him stood a young white-haired half-orc with deep scars and a cold expression.

"Is that a half-orc?" The twin-tailed girl exclaimed.

Zhao Waner buried her face in her hands. "After my brother assembled the starship, he didn't have enough money left to hire decent crew members. He had to settle for a group of half-orc slaves to serve as his crew."

"Half-orc crew?" Su Lan frowned. "Your brother really is unreliable."

The chief referee, a middle-aged man, spoke next. "The duelists are Zhang Haoran, a student from Class 2, Grade 3, and Zhao Chen, a student from Class 8, Grade 3.

The rules are simple: the duel is unlimited, with no leaving the duel venue. The battle ends when one starship surrenders, loses combat capability, or the referee declares the outcome.

Once the referee announces the final result, the battle will end immediately and no further attacks can take place.

Do both parties understand?" he asked.

"I understand," Zhang Haoran sneered, observing Zhao Chen's shabby starship. He was confident of victory.

"I understand," Zhao Chen replied lazily, as if it didn't concern him in the slightest.

The chief referee then pressed a button, and two circles appeared on the star map, one blue and one red. These marked the 'birth points' where both starships would start the duel.

Both starships received the coordinates and began heading towards their designated areas.

Zhang Haoran mocked Zhao Chen through the video window, applauding sarcastically. "Zhao Chen, I admire your courage. I didn't expect you to actually show up. Where did you get this pathetic starship from? Its armor looks so weak that it might break if you touch it.

If I hit your starship with a cannonball, it'll be cruel, but it won't be against the rules, will it?"

Zhang Haoran smirked. "After all, in a starship duel, killing the opponent isn't against the rules."

Zhao Chen stretched, casually picked his ears, and responded, "Are you finished? If you're done, you can start booking your flight home."

Zhang Haoran's expression darkened. "You won't cry until you see the coffin, will you? Fine. I'll make sure you feel the difference in our strength.

You're just a useless baron, and I'll be a viscount or even an earl one day."

The video windows were cut off by the referee.

Zhang Haoran turned to his deputy captain, Wang Cheng, who stood beside him. "Deputy Captain Wang, I want you to treat that guy's starship like a toy."

Wang Cheng, a former starship captain from the Imperial Army, raised his head confidently. "Young Master Zhang, don't worry. I'll make sure that wreck of a ship never returns to port."

Meanwhile, on the other side, aboard the Zero Blizzard, Zhao Chen asked his deputy captain Charlotte, "Do you feel confident?"

Charlotte, a young woman with a cold demeanor, replied indifferently, "The battle will be over in ten minutes. If it lasts any longer, I'll take your last name."

Her tone suggested she had no interest in the duel at all.

Zhao Chen, feeling a rush of excitement, touched the armrest of his captain's chair. This would be his first starship battle!