Zhao Chen sat at his desk, and Lilith beside him was reporting certain matters to him.
"This offensive ran twenty days from first to last; fourteen Owl Dragon legions were put out, and one special fleet — near four hundred and fifty thousand fighting warships."[1]
"Upon the fields in many places, one million eight hundred thousand Demon Race warships were destroyed in all, among them five and thirty quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleships."
"Every object of the fighting is achieved.
"The Iron Guard star gate stands within our governance; the Beta star gate and the Baku star gate are destroyed; and the mechanical royal court, with the Machine Race warships about it, is wholly relieved.
"That Dark Dragon plan we set out within Demon Race territory has been carried through smoothly; the Demon Race's eastern star region has raised its resistance against the Demon Race's present ruling order, and has founded the New Demon Peoples' Alliance.
"The Angel Race has at one stroke recovered every interstellar territory lost before, and has drawn up its forces upon the Demon Race's border, holding a million Demon Race warships in check."
"In this round of the offensive.
"Our several legion fleets have lost near eighty thousand warships in the fighting in all, and our Owl Dragon Legion's loss rate stands at some 13 percent.
"To the present, the field's consumption is 100 trillion star coins.
"And thanks besides to those several great military purchase orders before, or this war could truly not have been fought," Lilith added at the last.
"How much of our war stores remains?" Zhao Chen inquired.
Lilith called up the data of the several star ports' warehouses and of the works of production. "There remains a value of some 400 trillion star coins.
"At present every line of production has entered a second-grade state of wartime production, and can produce 10 trillion star coins of war stores a week.
"And should the war grow fiercer hereafter, they may be turned to a first-grade state of wartime production, and can then supply at the least 20 trillion a week, and 100 trillion star coins of war stores a month," said Lilith.
War.
Very often, what is fought is the war reserve; what is fought is the logistical supply.
Zhao Chen was making ready for this war three months ago.
And so in every particular he has made his preparations already.
"The enemy's seven industrial bases — are they found?" Zhao Chen looked toward Charlotte, who lay upon the sofa swinging both legs, and inquired. "Our plan of attack for the first month has succeeded.
"And next comes the plan of attack for the second month."
Within the plan of battle Zhao Chen and Charlotte settled between them.
The first month was to turn the case of the war about.
The second month is to destroy, above all, the Demon Race's important strategic works — among them these starship yards that pour out hulls.
And at the last, to overthrow the Demon Race's present rule at one breath!
Charlotte raised a hand and opened the interstellar map of Demon Race territory.
Then she said, "To the present we have found four places only.
"Three remain unfound."
"Hidden deep enough indeed," Zhao Chen muttered.
"Then what are we to do when the time comes?" Lilith looked toward Zhao Chen, and her eyes went to Charlotte besides.
"The attack cannot be delayed," said Zhao Chen.
Charlotte marked out upon the star chart certain districts in yellow coordinates besides. "Beyond attacking these four starship bases.
"We must destroy or master these districts of resource production at one stroke besides.
"These districts take in above eight parts in ten of the Demon Race's present sources of raw material; and let us but destroy them.
"And the Demon Race can only sit and eat the mountain hollow.[2]
"They pour out hulls so madly now, and must maintain the fighting upon the front besides.
"I do not believe the Demon Race has so much old capital left to gnaw upon!"
Zhao Chen nodded, agreeing with Charlotte's view.
Since four only are found at present, then let four be destroyed first.
The remaining three may be sought while the fighting goes on.
"How much force has the Demon Race left now?" Zhao Chen asked.
Lilith raised a hand and tapped several times upon the empty air.
A military star chart of the deepest secrecy showed within the office; upon it were marked the network of intelligence the Owl Dragon has framed out of its interstellar stealth scouts, and the numbers recorded of the enemy's several legion fleets.
"The enemy now consists chiefly of the Demon King's Legion, at a strength of three hundred thousand warships.
"And the two surviving demon marshals' legions: the Amon Legion at six hundred thousand, and the Balam Legion at six hundred thousand.
"In the campaign of the mechanical royal court before, the Wrath Legion and the Serpent King Legion died there entire.
"And the demon group-fleet corps, reckoned at two million warships.
"At present the Demon Race's forces upon the face of it come to three million five hundred thousand warships.
"Of which the strongest in fighting power is the Demon King's Legion, which he leads himself; within it at least ten quasi-T6 Destroyer-class Heavy Interstellar Battleships have been found!
"And besides, twenty quasi-T6 Destroyers more are known to survive.
"This is the whole of the Demon Race's remaining fighting strength.
"That is, so far as is known," Lilith laid a stress upon it.
Then she pointed and said besides, "And there is this to raise as well.
"The military strength of that line of the Judgment Angel King's, who betrayed the Angel Race — since this month, when we opened the counter-stroke together with the Angel Race.
"Saving some crossing of hands at the outset, they have gone we know not where, and have not appeared upon the forward field since.
"Though that line's military strength is not great; there should be under three hundred thousand warships left of it.
"The Holy Angel King and the War Angel King have all this while been sending men to search out this traitor Angel King's whereabouts."
Zhao Chen toyed with a small model in his hand, and said levelly, "By the look of it now, the initiative in this campaign lies already in our hands.
"What remains is how we shall write a chapter of victory, and a perfect ending.
"However it be.
"Our resources and our logistics do not let us drag this campaign out too long.
"Before September's end, this campaign with the Demon Race must be finished."
Charlotte rose slowly, stretched herself, her tail hanging idly upon the floor, and then said, "I pledge to complete the task."
Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.
At this time a message came to Lilith and Zhao Chen at once.
Lilith showed a strange look in her eyes.
Charlotte marked it, and asked in perplexity, "What is it?"
"The Machine Race's representative Ah-Yin requests leave to come aboard, and to visit the Commander alone."
The message Zhao Chen had was this same one; only that, it being a request to come aboard and visit, Lilith as secretary officer could not but be told, and so it went through this course.
"What business can there be that cannot be talked over by video communication?
"That it must be talked over face to face?" Charlotte looked doubtfully at Zhao Chen; she walked before Zhao Chen and showed her tiger's teeth. "You would not… take an interest in a lump of iron like that too, would you? Would it not dig into you?"
"What place has your head wandered off to?" Zhao Chen threw Charlotte a look of the whites of his eyes.
Charlotte put out her tongue, and her figure dispersed besides.
Using quantum teleport outright, she went back to her own flagship.
Lilith too went out upon her business.
And Zhao Chen waited upon his visitor's coming.
He set down the model in his hand, and muttered, "Would it truly dig into you?"