Zhao Chen looked at Brigadier Song with knit brows. "What on earth is going on here?"
"This escort task truly was not so simple as it seemed on the surface." Brigadier Song was candid from the start.
Zhao Chen fixed his eyes on Brigadier Song. "This was all arranged by you people."
Brigadier Song nodded, and said, "We are carrying out a military operation, its aim to seize several star systems held under Mechanical Race control. To that end we deliberately faked up 30 interstellar transport fleets as bait, to draw out some of the Mechanical Race garrisons of these star systems. To make this bait look real, we deliberately issued escort tasks, having combat fleets escort them. These 30 fleets — if the Mechanical Race dispatched an interstellar fleet to intercept and ambush every one, that's a mobilization of at least 900 warships, the equivalent of three standard corps-grade interstellar fleets. Luring these Mechanical ships to sortie of their own accord thins the forces in the several star systems at their backs — and then our main fleet mounts its attack on those systems."
At this Brigadier Song glanced at the time. "Right now it should still be in the thick of the fighting."
"And you were so sure the Mechanical Race would take the bait?" Zhao Chen asked with knit brows.
"Because we put out word. That we, the imperial military, would ship a batch of special weapons to a frontline military fortress, in readiness for a large-scale operation to come. And the Mechanical Race, on learning of this, would surely try to intercept our interstellar transport fleets!" Brigadier Song took a sip of tea.
Zhao Chen came to a sudden understanding. "So this escort task of ours was, in fact, a decoy task!"
"Yes. Unfair as it is to you who carried out the task, from the standpoint of war— —sacrificing near 1,000 of your non-imperial civilian combat ships, and 10,000 soon-to-be-phased-out T1 interstellar transports— —buys control of several of the enemy's key strategic star systems. And offers, besides, the chance to wipe out several legion-grade Mechanical Race fleets. As for the Mechanical Race fleets that attacked our 'bait,' there are dedicated imperial-military fleets to intercept them — every one goes and none returns."
Brigadier Song looked at Zhao Chen. "In feeling, I am deeply sorry for the sacrifice of your fleet and the other escort fleets. But in the station of an imperial-military officer, this is a decision I must make. I'm sorry."
Hearing this account of Brigadier Song's, Zhao Chen understood the whole of it now, near enough.
They were only pieces the imperial military had played.
Sacrificing some needless little pawns to buy the advantage on a local field — that was the most ordinary sort of arrangement a leader could make.
"Of course, to your escort fleet, having survived, we will grant threefold remuneration in compensation, repair your damaged ships, and — should any ships have been destroyed and fallen in the fighting— —we can also arrange corresponding ships to make it good for you." Now Brigadier Song rolled out the sugar-coated cannonballs straight off.
Zhao Chen gave a slight shake of his head. "My friend's fleet lost three ships, and over 100 brothers fell…"
Zhao Chen leaned forward, hand pressed to the table, both eyes fixed on Brigadier Song. "You'll have to pay more!"
Brigadier Song laughed, and nodded. "Then name your price."
"Tenfold remuneration and threefold bounty for the Mechanical Race ships destroyed; repair of damaged ships; replacement ships of equal grade for those that fell; and for the crew who died in this fight, imperial-military martyr-grade honors. Also — I and another named Shen Bing are of the Northstar Starship Military Academy, and part of the reason for taking this escort task was to earn assessment credits; I hope Brigadier Song might arrange something." Zhao Chen laid out his terms.
"Tenfold remuneration and threefold kill-bounty are a touch high, but you and the young miss are friends — I can agree to these terms. Compensation for damaged and fallen ships is no problem. But imperial-military martyr-grade honors for the fallen…" As Brigadier Song spoke, he caught the flicker in Zhao Chen's eyes.
He said with a smile, "I've had a look — the fallen aren't many. I imagine this coming imperial-military strike on the Mechanical-held systems will produce some casualties too; I'll find a way to fold these people in. As for the Northstar Starship Military Academy's assessment credits — nothing doing at all."
Zhao Chen picked up his teacup and drained it in one draught, looking at Brigadier Song. "You may be a fine commander, but I prefer soldiers of Miss Chu Xuan's sort."
With that, Zhao Chen turned to make his way out of the private room.
"One moment, Mister Zhao Chen. I said just now — there are two matters," Brigadier Song called Zhao Chen back with a smile.
Zhao Chen halted.
"As for the matter of your T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship, you needn't worry. I've already used my means to seal off all intelligence of it. I can't say it's airtight, but in the short term there'll be no trouble. I imagine Marshal Chu River will take great interest in you," Brigadier Song said.
"Finished?" Zhao Chen asked without turning his head.
"Finished."
Zhao Chen pushed the door open and went out.
Brigadier Song sat alone in the room; on his handheld terminal he opened a comm page, and the data he'd sent out earlier had now gotten a reply.
Just the one word.
"Received."
Zhao Chen walked out of the small private room and, by the way he'd come, headed for the room where Shen Bing and the others were.
As for what Brigadier Song had said just now: the first matter, vexing as it was, had at least come to a proper handling.
The second matter Zhao Chen had long foreseen — the other side held a "handle" over him, but by the look of it didn't mean to move against him outright.
Passive as this left Zhao Chen, in the present circumstance it counted as the best that could be.
Zhao Chen had, in fact, run through several worst-case plans in his mind long before.
Docked in the starport, the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship and the T2 Black-Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy-Assault Escorts had stayed all along in a grade-2 combat-readiness state!
"This is what comes of insufficient strength — is it, Marshal Chu River? The Chu family?" Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes, hoping this family wouldn't cross his bottom line.
He pushed open the door of the room.
The first thing in his eyes was Uncle Zheng Xiong wolfing down a whole table of fine delicacies.
"Little brother… quick… quick, sit and eat, this… this is far too sumptuous… all of it natural food!" Uncle Zheng Xiong called.
Shen Bing, sitting across from him, was on the contrary quite calm, for this food didn't even measure up to the dishes in the canteen aboard Zhao Chen's ship.
"It's quite good." Zhao Chen sat down.
Zheng Xiong swallowed the food in his mouth, threw a glance at the closed door, and then asked, "How'd the talk go? What terms?"
Zhao Chen told Uncle Zheng Xiong and Shen Bing the terms he'd just struck with Brigadier Song.
Suddenly Uncle Zheng Xiong stood up, flustered, wiping the grease from his hands onto his own clothes.
Then, his expression grave, he made Zhao Chen a deep bow.
"Little brother — on behalf of those fallen brothers of my fleet, I thank you!"