The quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship's entrance
sent the situation on the battlefield before them sharply downhill.
For there was all but no warship that was a match for this black behemoth.
Happily, at Princess Blanche's order, every warship withdrew at full speed and kept its fighting distance from this quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship.
For any warship of T5 grade or below that came within this quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship's fighting range
could come to only one end.
And all they could do was wait.
"Your Highness. This quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship: is this the enemy the Owl Dragon Empire's fleet groups have to face on those several main battlefields? It's far too strong." The secretary-officer beside her stared at the black behemoth in the distance and could not help swallowing.
She had heard of it before, but only now, seeing it with her own eyes, did she truly know how strong this quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship was!
Princess Blanche said quietly, "All this while, had the Emperor not led the Imperial fleet groups in person and fought hard on the very front line, our homes would long since have been overrun by these disgusting fellows."
"Only there's no knowing whether, as things stand, the Owl Dragon Empire's fleet groups can spare forces in time to support us. I've heard that besides the five great battlefields, small battlefields like ours have appeared in nearly a hundred places within the Owl Dragon Empire!" the secretary-officer said worriedly.
Princess Blanche's gaze was fixed on that quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship far off.
"I trust His Majesty the Emperor."
Near ten minutes passed.
That quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship kept pushing the line forward, and because Princess Blanche had her fleets give way before it,
it went as though through a land with no one in it.
Happily, the casualties it caused were still within controllable bounds.
But if it went on, behind lay the Warhammer Interstellar Federal Kingdom's important resource-producing area.
That was the last bottom line.
Once they fell back that far, the fleets under Princess Blanche truly could not fall back any further.
"How… how are they still not here?" The secretary-officer wiped the beads of sweat from her forehead, somewhat tense.
"How much defensive depth have we left?" Princess Blanche asked.
The secretary-officer pointed to the one thin strip of yellow left on the star chart.
"Only… only this much is left," the secretary-officer answered.
Princess Blanche said in a deep voice, "Whatever happens, this important resource-producing region must not be damaged. Pass my order, and contact the Household Legion fleet's side. Tell them we will hold off the enemy's attack before the last line of defense, to the death. We will not fall back one step more!"
"Yes!" The secretary-officer was somewhat tense, but passed the order on all the same.
Very soon the secretary-officer had word back.
"It's been passed down to our own legion fleet. And the Household Legion fleet's side has answered too. Their fleet commander says they will launch a counterattack before the last line of defense, to win us one last chance." When she had said it, the secretary-officer muttered as well, "A counterattack at a time like this… isn't that asking to die?"
"It's all to buy time." Princess Blanche turned her head, and through a porthole on the bridge's flank saw the Household Legion fleet far off to the side.
A feeling of admiration rose in her unbidden.
Whether the Owl Dragon main fleets of the first and second lines, or this Household Legion fleet before her, held to be third-line,
they all had the spirit of the Owl Dragon Empire!
Just then,
suddenly, flames appeared on the hull surface of that quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship in the distance, which had seemed like a god.
"Your Highness! Look! Look at that quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship; it seems to be under attack!" The secretary-officer suddenly pointed in excitement at the flames in the footage.
Princess Blanche looked at once.
Very soon they saw that around that quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship, who knew when, warships bearing the Owl Dragon crest had appeared one after another.
Looking closely,
they found these were exactly the Owl Dragon Empire's interstellar stealth bombers!
Their hulls bore the Owl Dragon crest, and another crest as well,
which stood for the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group!
Three thousand interstellar stealth bombers appeared one after another, every one of their guns aimed at that quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship, now fallen into the net.
It was an interstellar stealth bomber fleet made up of T5 Netherworld-Wolf-King-class Medium Interstellar Stealth Bombers and T4 Shadow-Demon-class Light Interstellar Stealth Bombers.
Though it had no T6-grade interstellar stealth bombers,
it was more than enough to meet the case before them,
even though the target was a quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship.
Under the attentions of these interstellar stealth bombers' interstellar torpedoes and interstellar missiles at such close range,
its hull was covered with fire from end to end,
like a great black whale being dotted all over with countless 'flowers.'
Princess Blanche fixed her eyes on the scene.
The secretary-officer beside her had already clenched the hem of her uniform; had the uniform not been of good quality, she would likely have torn it long since.
At last!
A cry of surprise rang out.
"Report! That quasi-T7-grade energy intensity is falling fast!" The bridge officer watching it shouted in delighted surprise.
"Wonderful! We've won!" The secretary-officer leaped three meters high, waving her fists in excitement.
Had one looked closely at this point, one would have found that this secretary-officer was in truth something like a kangaroo-folk.
Princess Blanche drew a deep breath, schooled the expression on her face, and said, "Now it's our turn to do our part. Don't waste the chance they've won for us. Pass my order. Revise the original battle plan. Launch the counterattack at once, this instant: surround every pitch-black interstellar warship, and at the same time cover the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group's interstellar stealth bombers as they withdraw from the core battlefield."
"Yes!" The secretary-officer went at once to carry out the order in excitement.
Without the quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship to overawe them, the remaining pitch-black interstellar warships were in truth no great threat to them.
And most of those interstellar stealth bombers had already dropped all their ordnance and needed to withdraw, which naturally called for friendly ships to support and cover them.
The Household Legion fleet's side was doing the same thing in close accord.
At this point a video window appeared before Princess Blanche.
On the other side was an officer in a special black uniform.
Princess Blanche knew
that in the Owl Dragon Empire's first- and second-line legion fleets now, besides those several ace fleet groups, only the Emperor's Guard Fleet had special uniforms.
"Princess Blanche. My fleet came in support under orders. We have now completed our combat task, and will withdraw from the battlefield." The officer on the other side was rather out of the ordinary; she did not state the fleet she belonged to or its designation.
That was a right only the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group had.
Save before Emperor Zhao Chen or the five-star marshal Charlotte, any corps fleet under the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group might, in communicating with other legion fleets, leave its designation unreported.
For mind, the hull numbers of every warship in the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group were hidden as well.
So to an outsider, apart from telling their types apart, every interstellar stealth bomber was exactly the same.
On this point everyone could understand.
For the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group was itself a unit that worked in the dark, and it was said it also worked with the Royal Embroidered-Uniform Guard on certain secret missions.
Where mystery was concerned, it was naturally turned all the way up.
This corps fleet of the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group got away whole.
Flagship · the bridge
The fleet captain drew a deep breath and pressed the communication key beside her. "Reporting, this is Shadow Hunter Four. Hunting task complete. Awaiting instructions."
Very soon a voice came from the other end.
"Shadow Hunter Four, proceed now from the nearest local star gate to the designated system's starport to take on supplies. In half an hour, carry out a new combat task."
"Yes." On receiving the order, this Shadow Hunter fleet set off at once.
Coming without a trace, going without a sound:
that was the style of the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group.
The Shadow Hunter ace fleet group · supreme flagship
At this moment Zhao Waner stood on her command platform with a grave face, looking at the Owl Dragon Empire's star chart before her.
On it was a detailed account of the large and small battlefields within the Owl Dragon Empire at this moment,
including the quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warships that had appeared, and how well or badly each battlefield was going, and so on.
"So far, four quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warships have appeared in all. By the results we calculated before, so long as our fleets can slip in unheard around the target and attack from the closest range, it takes only about 70% of one corps fleet's ammunition to kill the target. A corps fleet that completes its task goes at once to the nearest military starport to take on the ammunition it needs, and waits for the next combat order," the secretary-officer beside her said to Zhao Waner.
"Only four?" Zhao Waner narrowed her eyes.
"Only four so far. Maybe it's because that strange 'ink' is so small; there can't be nearly a hundred quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warships popping out of nearly a hundred blots of 'ink,' surely." When the secretary-officer had said it,
she at once clapped a hand over her mouth, and spat 'ptui, ptui, ptui' three times to one side,
muttering under her breath about her own crow's beak of a mouth.
"You're not wrong; we must be ready for the worst. Sending the corps fleets to the nearest military starport to resupply once their fighting is done is a good choice, but not the fastest one. Apply to Secretary-Officer Lilith. Have her grant me a batch of interstellar supply ships to go along with my corps fleets. Once a combat task is done, they can take on ammunition right in the nearest safe area. That way we'll save half the time!" Zhao Waner said gravely.
"All right, I'll go and apply." The secretary-officer went at once to see to it.
Zhao Waner stared at the Imperial star chart before her; she had a foreboding.
The enemy's attack would never be so simple.
The threat of four quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warships was not yet enough to throw the whole Owl Dragon Empire into chaos.
Greater storms were still to come.
"Report: a quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship has appeared in system No. **!"
"Report: a quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship has appeared in system No. **!"
"Report: a quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warship has appeared in system No. ** as well."
Three quasi-T7 pitch-black interstellar warships had appeared at the same moment.
Happily, this was still within what the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group could handle.
It was not a very thorny matter.
At once Zhao Waner sent the three Shadow Hunter corps fleets nearest where it had happened to give support.
"Marshal, good news! Secretary-Officer Lilith's side has agreed to arrange a batch of interstellar supply ships especially for us, to work with our operations." The secretary-officer came running over and said it gladly.
Zhao Waner let out a breath of relief, and said at the same time with feeling, "The five main battlefields are all under no small pressure now, and all need interstellar supply ships too. For Secretary-Officer Lilith to free up a batch of interstellar supply ships for us even at a time like this, the pressure on her side is no small thing either."
The secretary-officer beside her nodded in agreement.
She held the post of secretary-officer as well, and knew very well how great the pressure in that post was.
"Big Brother trusted me, and so put this heavy charge into my hands. Whatever happens, we of the Shadow Hunter must carry out this task in full!" Zhao Waner clenched her fists and said, firm and unshaken!
Battlefield No. 1 · the Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship · the bridge
"Waner got in touch with you just now?" Zhao Chen looked at Lilith beside him, who had only with great difficulty got herself free.
All this while, Lilith, as supreme secretary-officer, had been very busy, with all manner of matters to deal with.
Lilith nodded and said, "Waner's side applied for a batch of interstellar supply ships to go with her corps fleets into battle, so that once they finish a combat task they won't need to go to the nearest military starport to resupply their combat stores. I thought it very sensible. And having also weighed how things stand everywhere within our Empire now, I found a way to draw off a batch of interstellar supply ships and assign them to her."
Zhao Chen went to Lilith's side and saw a trace of sweat beads on her forehead.
He reached out and wiped it gently.
Lilith, a succubus though she was, flushed a little in the cheeks now.
"Your Majesty, there are… people watching here."
"And what if there are? I feel for my own wife; is that against the law?" Zhao Chen gave a snort, not caring in the least.
Then he looked at Lilith with some tenderness.
All this while Lilith had not rested properly, and her color was not good either.
"Lilith, you must take care to rest as well. Your condition is special now, after all. Don't overwork yourself. What did you set up your own secretarial department for, if not to have them help you with the work? Don't take every single thing on yourself."
Hearing Zhao Chen's words, Lilith felt a warmth at heart.
Her hand gently stroked her own belly.
She was carrying a child now, and truly her body was not what it had been.
But at so critical a moment for the Empire, how could she take her ease?
"Rest easy; I'll look after myself," Lilith said softly.
Zhao Chen heaved a sigh.
He wanted to help Lilith too, but much of Lilith's work was work no one else could do in her place. Set Zhao Chen to lead troops in war, even to hand-to-hand fighting at close quarters, and it was no problem.
But at calculating the Empire's logistics dispatching on every front, Zhao Chen truly fell short of a professional secretary-officer.
He could only watch over Lilith from beside her, and now and then arrange for her to rest.
Zhao Chen watched the Owl Dragon Empire's map, full of the fires of war.
There was no knowing how long Order would make trouble this time before it came to an end!
Truly just like mosquitoes; they never stopped coming!