Lilith followed Zhao Chen into the captain's office.
"Lilith, what do you make of this god Ge Hui spoke of?" Zhao Chen inquired.
Lilith hesitated a moment, then set out her reading of it. "Nor can I be certain; what he said is far too nebulous.
"It feels… as though behind him there stood some vast organized power.
"Yet by the intelligence we have, within this stretch of the universe that is known to us.
"The Machine Race may be called first in comprehensive strength, with the Angel Race and the Demon Race close behind.
"Besides these, there is no word whatever of any other mighty interstellar power."
Zhao Chen sat upon the sofa, his head against its back, his eyes closed.
"I feel that the Machine Race is hiding something extraordinary.
"And that here there are yet many things we do not know.
"Pass my order: find means to gather what intelligence may be had upon this Mechanical Divine Church.
"The more the better!"
"Yes."
Zhao Chen asked further, "How goes it upon that other side?"
"No word has come from there yet; and should any come.
"You shall be told of it at the first moment, Commander," Lilith answered.
Zhao Chen raised a hand, and an interstellar sand-table map appeared before him.
"We have moved upon this ground of the Mechanical Divine Church.
"And the Demon Race has already stirred.
"But this time our object is not the Mechanical Divine Church alone.
"There are those demon legions of the Demon Race besides.
"To strike a snake, strike it at the seven inches — such a chance as this must not be let slip."
There was some time yet before the year's end, and as for that annual mission of his, which to the present day stood uncompleted, Zhao Chen had by no means forgotten it.
In this assault upon the Mechanical Divine Church he had long since laid his plan for two birds with one stone.
Upon this interstellar sand-table map one could see thirty circles of yellow dotted line.
And at five of those yellow circles one could see the mark of the Owl Dragon Legion.
Those were the traps Zhao Chen had made ready for the enemy, one after another; and he sat waiting for the game to take the hook.
For this differed from the several ambushes gone before.
Within the Demon Channel there was but a single lane, so that one interception point set well was enough.
Or again, where the enemy's course of sailing is known, an arrangement made beforehand will serve.
But the enemy this time is the demon legion fleets, vast in number besides, and there are channels by the hundred by which they may come here.
Even with T4 Banshee-class Light Interstellar Stealth Scout Ships out spying upon the enemy's intelligence, it is exceedingly hard to make certain of the course of every demon legion to the point.
And so, upon the consultation of Zhao Chen and Charlotte.
Having reckoned up the resources that lay in their hands to be moved, they settled upon a system of battle of thirty interception points.
These thirty interception points are those routes which, by the Dragon Emperor's analysis, the demon legion fleets are likeliest to sail.
And at every one of these thirty interception points a garrison fleet of three hundred interstellar warships would be deployed beforehand.
For the Owl Dragon Legion fleets that lie at present in Zhao Chen's hand to be moved are limited in number; and were they shared out flat over thirty interception points, then there could be no striking of the enemy with a concentrated superiority of force.
Which would be to lose the very advantage of an ambush.
Weighing it, Zhao Chen and Charlotte determined that though thirty interception points should be deployed, the ambush would in the end be carried out at five only.
First, by the probabilities their analysis gave out.
Five Owl Dragon legions stand ready, garrisoning five districts and awaiting the word.
Which is to say that there is better than one chance in six that these five Owl Dragon legions may, at the very interception points they garrison, ambush the demon legions as they come.
And should the demon legions appear at none of these five points?
Then the Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ships that go with them are used, and the Owl Dragon fleets are thrown across to some other interception point to fight; the effect of ambush is poorer, but the object of the operation may at the least be gained.
Once the first wave of interception is complete, the plans that follow may be adjusted again by the case as it stands.
"Make ready: once the field's case here is brought under control.
"The Dragon Emperor and the Hades, and some part of the Owl Dragon fleets, may prepare to support that other field," Zhao Chen charged her.
"Yes," Lilith answered.
For no one knows how many demon legions will come this time, so that Zhao Chen must lay his plans as wide as he may.
…………
Within a certain quiet star system.
"How is it they are not come yet." Leona sat in the captain's chair, out of all patience, swinging both legs.
The adjutant beside her looked at this dragon-folk captain before her and laughed within herself; when first she met this dragon-folk captain she had been startled at the look of her.
Supposing she must be fierce and savage.
But having had more to do with her, she found that this dragon-folk captain was fierce and overbearing in her outward look alone, and within was more like a small child.
Yet in the fighting she can always bring out an exquisite art of command, and is then another creature altogether from what she is now.
It is said that from her entering the Owl Dragon Legion to her standing now as Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Owl Dragon Eighth Legion took her one year only!
And there is a rumor besides: that had the Commander this year determined to raise new Owl Dragon legions rather than to enlarge the ten that stand, then Lady Leona could assuredly have taken the seat of a legion's commander!
"The Commander said before that we deployed thirty interception points.
"It does not follow that at this point of ours the demon legions must appear," the adjutant reminded her.
Leona drew both legs up crossed upon the captain's chair outright, laid both arms upon her shins, and rocked herself back and forth — for all the world a child not yet out of her childishness.
"But by the data the Dragon Emperor has given.
"At this interception point of ours the chance of demon legions appearing stands at 31 percent!
"The highest of all the interception points!" Leona said with her lip thrust out.
And at the same time Leona looked toward the viewport beside her, where one could see a vast interstellar warship hanging opposite.
At which both Leona's eyes wore a look of envy.
That is a T5 Holy-Redeemer-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Heavy-Artillery Battleship!
And the flagship, besides, of their Owl Dragon Eighth Legion's commander Ye Xiaotong.
Within herself Leona longed exceedingly to have such an interstellar battleship of her own.
Chiefly because she had heard that her old rival aboard the Owl Dragon Goddess Academy-class starship, Zhao Ruyue, was already captain of a T5 Holy-Redeemer-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Heavy-Artillery Battleship.
When that word reached her she did not sleep three days and three nights.
And that is what one calls envy.
Though her own flagship is likewise a T5 interstellar warship.
It is but a T5 Lightning-Wraith-class Heavy Assault Interstellar Cruiser.
Where hers is an interstellar battleship!
"I will have a Holy-Redeemer!" Leona muttered, unwilling to be outdone.
She longed to show what she is in this campaign, and so come by the right to command a Holy-Redeemer.
All at once!
The starry sky ahead was lit by red points of light, one after another.
Leona sprang up in her excitement and looked toward those glowing red points.
Those are the warp interceptors deployed beforehand!
And the red light they give off stands for this: their game has appeared!