A high council of the Owl Dragon and the Angel Race
Within a room of holographic conference upon the network
Charlotte and Lilith sat at Zhao Chen's side, and opposite them three representatives of the Angel Race.
The Holy Angel King and the War Angel King, and the angel Tilia.
That the angel Tilia should be here is of course because she is the one within the Angel Race who stands best with the Owl Dragon's lord, and can serve to draw the line and build the bridge.
"You two, I must now have a clear understanding of the several resources of your Angel Race.
"Or else, the case standing as it does.
"It will be very hard for me to help you." Zhao Chen looked at the two Angel Kings; and his bearing toward these two Angel Kings at this moment was another thing altogether from before.
And this could be seen besides upon the two Angel Kings' faces.
In this council of the two sides at this moment, it is Zhao Chen who leads.
Call to mind the several meetings before this.
The first: Zhao Chen went to the Holy Angel King's Temple Mount, and within the temple only the Holy Angel King waited upon her throne, the other two Angel Kings' holographic images coming slow and late; and thereafter Zhao Chen stood in the midst of the great hall and treated with three Angel Kings upon their thrones.
The second: a conference table was set out within the temple hall, the three Angel Kings early in their places, and Zhao Chen had a place of his own besides.
The third: the Holy Angel King waited for Zhao Chen upon the steps of the Temple Mount, and within the temple the other two Angel Kings greeted Zhao Chen with smiles and salutes.
And thereafter the Holy Angel King saw Zhao Chen down the Temple Mount herself, and watched him board his shuttle and go.
From the case of each meeting one may see, at one remove, the change in the standing of the two sides.
And all of it within this one year and more.
The Holy Angel King and the War Angel King exchanged a glance; before this they had discussed it in secret, and of course understand that to treat with Zhao Chen, a lord of more merchant's cast than not, some price must be paid.
That price may be in goods, or it may be in intelligence.
Set against those things they had thought upon, this question Zhao Chen now asks is nothing at all.
"At present the angel legions the Holy One and I hold under our governing come to a million interstellar warships in all.
"This does not take in the neutral angel legion fleets' four hundred thousand warships.
"And besides, that fellow the Judgment One who betrayed us has near three hundred thousand warships under her hand.
"That is very nearly our Angel Race's military strength at present," the War Angel King answered.
"This neutral part of the angel legion fleets — can you not govern them?" Zhao Chen asked.
Though this neutral part of the legion fleets stands, in fighting strength, at the middle and lower grades among the twenty angel legions, yet with above five hundred thousand warships they are not to be made light of!
"With the Guardian Angel Legion I can only treat; before the case of the war is plain they will not come out and take a side — but should the Demon Race fleets attack our homeland now, they will meet the Demon Race fleets in battle.
"The Order Angel Legion has at present charge still of the oversight and governing of the Angel Race's several territories, and will not put a hand into the front-line field.
"The Healing Angel Legion has chiefly to do with logistics and supply, healing, transport and such, and so will work no effect upon the front-line field either," the Holy Angel King answered.
This neutral part of the Angel Race legion fleets is governed chiefly by the great house-powers below the Angel Race.
"But of these million warships in our hands.
"Five hundred thousand are, for the Judgment One's betrayal before, beset by the Demon Race fleets and stand in danger.
"Three hundred thousand are not for the present beset, but drift about the field seeking a chance of rescue.
"And the remaining two hundred thousand are the trump in the Holy One's hand and mine.
"Of which a part I have called back to the War Angel Star Region… though the likelihood be very low, I would save something for all that." As the War Angel King spoke of his own headquarters being robbed by the Judgment One, there was nothing but hatred within his eyes.
Zhao Chen nodded, and turned his eyes upon Charlotte beside him, signing to Charlotte that she might set out her own opinion.
Charlotte sat straight, her face set. "We have at present brought a hundred thousand Owl Dragon warships into the Angel Race's field here.
"We would help you; but at the same time we need you to open certain rights to us.
"For the period of the war, every star gate, star port and military fortress within the Angel Race is to be opened unconditionally to our Owl Dragon-line warships.
"And where it is needful, our Owl Dragon-line warships may use them first.
"And at the same time, upon the field, Commander Zhao Chen and I upon the Owl Dragon Legion's side are to hold the same rights as the two Angel Kings, and may where it is needful give orders to your angel legions direct."
It must be said, these requirements Charlotte put forward at her first opening are exceedingly harsh.
The War Angel King's brows drew together.
Lilith put in beside her, "These requirements may be somewhat harsh, but this is a time of war.
"All things must be set by the war's measure.
"And for the betrayal of one Angel King of your side, a whole series of our plans of battle has run into trouble.
"Before this we could have destroyed, upon another field, fifty thousand Demon Race warships more at the least.
"But for the change in the case upon your side we had of necessity to give up the occupied district we already held.
"To keep such a trouble from arising again, in the fighting hereafter we of the Owl Dragon must hold more rights of governing.
"We cannot let our Owl Dragon legion fleets take their risks here and be stabbed in the back by an ally besides."
This speech of Lilith's carries a thorn within its gentleness.
She paused, and went on. "And the Angel Race is our Owl Dragon's ally; we shall not stand and watch the Angel Race fall into the danger of destruction.
"Which is why we sent this hundred thousand picked fleet the long way here, and joined the fields in every place at the first moment.
"At present a third of those five hundred thousand warships of yours that were beset are already out of danger.
"And we have counter-encircled the Ghoul Legion besides, and gained the advantage upon part of the field!
"The labor we of the Owl Dragon have laid out, I believe you can both see.
"And if the Angel Race, now standing upon the cliff's edge, is to be saved, then this is the two lords Angel Kings' only chance!"
This speech of Lilith's is a telling of the good the Owl Dragon can bring them — that the Owl Dragon is their savior.
His own two housekeepers having set all this out, Zhao Chen knew that it was time for him to show his own standing.
Zhao Chen fixed his eyes upon the two Angel Kings. "You have both seen our good faith.
"By the order it ought to have taken, we should first have met, and then supported the field.
"But we first gave support to the field, and then held this meeting.
"Because I believe my two allies will make the right choice.
"Is it not so?"
Zhao Chen looked at the two Angel Kings opposite with a smile.
To the look of it they have a choice; in fact they have no choice at all!