"Could it be the T5 Leviathan-Shaman-class Hive Mothership we met before? The worm-way network?" Lilith had suddenly thought of this hive-race technology they had run into before.
But Zhao Chen frowned. "Our Institute studied that before; it also places requirements on the target space. Since our interstellar warships cannot get in by space jump, the other side should not be able to either. Unless they are using some other means?"
"Is there hard evidence?" Charlotte asked directly.
Whether a T5 Leviathan-Shaman-class Hive Mothership was behind the mischief could be settled simply by finding out whether there were any worm-way jump points.
Medusa shook her head. "We have sent out nearly all our interstellar stealth scout ships, but so far we have found no direct evidence of it. Still, we can more or less judge that it is very likely."
As she spoke, Medusa raised a hand and opened a star map.
She marked several points upon it.
"From analysis of some of the data our interstellar stealth scout ships brought back: the enemy's means of jamming long-range quantum communication has a limited range, and contact can still be kept at closer distances. So one interstellar stealth scout fleet swept the target area in a fan, searching it inch by inch. That way it could gather more intelligence while keeping communications within the fleet clear. And in the course of this, they found a sign that bears out the possibility I spoke of. They had already scouted one area and found no trace of any hive fleet there. But not long after, a few scattered hive fleets had of all things appeared behind them! From this we infer that most likely the enemy has some means like our T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ships, able to deliver part of the interstellar hive-race straight into a given area. As to what limits or requirements that capability carries, for now we cannot know." Medusa laid out her thinking.
Given these signs, there was nothing amiss in Medusa's thinking so.
And it was all but certain; only the details of how it was done could not be known.
"If that is truly so, then the situation on our northern hive line is rather thorny." Zhao Chen frowned.
If it was not a T5 Leviathan-Shaman-class Hive Mothership but some more powerful technology, then their present lack of intelligence was, beyond doubt, a grave liability!
"It is indeed. If we had enough forces to deploy, it would be well enough. But our Third Fleet Group has only 200,000-odd interstellar warships as it is. And nearly half of them are now caught up in the fighting, entangled by bugs that sprang up from who knows where," Medusa said with a frown.
Thorny!
A very thorny situation indeed.
"Then as things stand, we have only two ways to go," Lilith said just then. "Either we find some way to get word to each fleet and have them give up the positions they now hold and withdraw with all speed; we abandon the northern hive line and fall back some distance. That way we can keep as many of the Third Fleet Group's starships whole as we can. But the drawback is that it means giving up great stretches of the northern hive line, and may even leave some of the Demon Race's star-system territories facing the hive-race threat directly."
She paused, then went on: "The other way is to send more forces and break through to each strategic point. If we are to hold, then communications and logistics transport to these line nodes must be restored; they cannot be left as isolated islands. Otherwise, however strong our Owl Dragon legion fleets are in combat, the bugs across from them will clear them out. And to bring that about, we must send more forces. But the greatest problem now is: where would we get so many forces?"
Charlotte and Medusa both fell silent.
Though Lilith was no commander, she had laid the situation before them all very simply and clearly.
"This northern hive line took us half a year, all told, to build. Upon it are not only the star ports, the Star Gates, and the interstellar fortresses, but a whole array of defensive installations besides. If we abandon this line, raising another in a short time will be very hard! And the line was laid out to give us the advantage of the terrain. It is as if there were a gap through which the hive fleets invade these parts of ours, and this line ties that gap shut. But if we fall back, tying it shut again will take a longer line. We have neither the time nor the means now to build so long a line farther back. And then the hive fleets will look for a breakthrough point and strike straight at the star systems where living things dwell. Every one of the Demon Race's star-system territories will face the hive-race threat directly. Suppose we cannot contain that threat, then it is as good as telling the other interstellar powers that have joined our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire that we have no power to protect them! And then among the Angel Race, the Demon Race, the half-orcs, and even within the three great kingdoms, powers may rise against us. This line is not only a line of defense against the hive fleets. It is also the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's bottom line!" Charlotte clenched her fists and said in a low voice, "This line must not be given up!"
Charlotte saw far ahead; she knew very well what this battle meant.
"If we do not withdraw, how do we fight? Within there is the undead threat, without there is the hive-race threat, and at home not a few powers are watching us like tigers eyeing their prey. Our Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire has only just begun; we simply do not have that many forces!" Lilith frowned.
"We do." Zhao Chen spoke up suddenly.
Charlotte, Lilith, and Medusa all turned to look at Zhao Chen.
"The matter of forces, that I can solve," Zhao Chen said earnestly.
Lilith was dumbfounded.
At present, besides the few ace fleet groups, there were only the guard legion fleets charged with keeping order within the Empire, and the lords' fleets, great and small, of the various lordly powers.
Pulling the latter in against the bugs would be nothing more than sending the enemy its rations.
"You work out now how to shore up the northern hive line. Leave the matter of reinforcements to me. I will make contact now." With that, Zhao Chen tapped lightly on the communication device at his temple and closed his eyes.
The others knew this meant the Emperor was holding a long-range quantum communication.
But where, now, did the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire have any large force left to deploy?
Forces, the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire did not have.
But Zhao Chen knew of one place whose fleets might be of use.
The next second, the view before Zhao Chen's eyes brightened.
"Brother!" A lovely little girl stood before Zhao Chen; but when she tried to throw herself at him, she went straight through his body and fell flat on her face.
"Ow… Little Bug forgot that Brother[1] is only a hologram here." The Hive Princess got up, clutching her head, and stuck out her tongue.
Zhao Chen looked around.
This was the bridge of a Hive Mothership.
The bridge dome was of some material that was transparent from within, and through it Zhao Chen could see that the ship lay in near orbit around a hive-race planet.
From here, the surface of this hive-race planet, already transformed, could be seen.
"Little Bug. Here where I am, I may need your help now. Will you help me? I need your hive fleets." Zhao Chen looked earnestly at the Hive Princess.