The Owl Dragon Empire's universe
The Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship · the bridge
Zhao Chen sat upright in his chair, his expression very grave.
He raised his head and glanced at the time, then slowly looked away; a dozen-odd seconds later he glanced at the time again.
Secretary-Officer Lilith beside him said nothing, but she knew very well what Zhao Chen was thinking about now.
It was nothing but the war over in the Devourer Civilization's universe:
whether the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group could accomplish its combat task and get back.
That was why Zhao Chen glanced at the time every few seconds.
"Lilith, by the original plan, how long until they're back?" Zhao Chen could not help asking with concern.
Lilith glanced at the time and answered, "By the original combat timetable, the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group should be back in our universe in five minutes at most."
"Five minutes left," Zhao Chen murmured, his look very grave.
"My lord, you needn't worry so. By the plan we war-gamed, Waner and the others will certainly accomplish the battle plan and come back safely," Lilith said consolingly.
Zhao Chen said nothing; all that could be done now was wait.
"Still not back?"
At this moment a figure appeared on the bridge of the Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship.
Not a hologram: she walked in through the bridge door.
The visitor was none other than the Flame Elf Queen.
She walked fast, which set off her fiery figure all the more.
Even a woman would have looked twice at the sight; only most of those here were not concerned with that now.
"There's still a little time before the plan says." Lilith was not surprised to see the Flame Elf Queen arrive.
For the Flame Elf Queen's request had come in earlier, and Zhao Chen had agreed to it.
They truly regarded the Flame Elf Queen as their ally, and naturally did not mind her coming onto the bridge of the Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship.
The Flame Elf Queen had come aboard alone, too, without bringing even one attendant up with her, which showed well enough her attitude and sincerity.
"No news at all from over there?" the Flame Elf Queen asked again; her face too bore an anxious look.
Lilith shook her head. "The enemy's interstellar warships have sealed off the gap at the universe star-gate jump point in Luoyang System No. 11. So there are only the worm-way jump points the Owl Dragon interstellar hive-race set up there, but we still can't communicate with those low-grade interstellar hive-race. So we have no way of knowing how things are over there either."
The Flame Elf Queen pressed her lips together, looked at Zhao Chen, who had not said a word all along, and said nothing more herself either.
She only watched the interstellar war holo-table before them.
Time passed bit by bit.
The Flame Elf Queen began, in spite of herself, to pace back and forth on the bridge.
Around Zhao Chen it was so quiet that hardly any other sound could be heard.
Zhao Chen breathed deeply, his eyes closed, his hands clasped into fists before his knees.
It will succeed!
It can!
"Report, there's news!" Suddenly word came at his ear.
Zhao Chen's eyes flew open.
Several red dots had appeared on the interstellar war holo-table.
"Report: abnormal spatial ripples have appeared at several of the planned star-system positions!"
Zhao Chen, the Flame Elf Queen and Lilith all held their breath, watching those few marked positions.
Very soon live video windows came up before Zhao Chen and the rest.
At the places where the abnormal spatial ripples had appeared, space could be seen beginning to blur.
Then this stretch of space seemed to condense into a sheet of white jade.
After that, interstellar warship after interstellar warship could be seen passing out of the white-jade mirror and appearing in this stretch of space.
The hulls of these interstellar warships all bore marks of battle, more or less.
And without exception, all of them bore the crest of the Owl Dragon fleets.
And a closer look showed these were all interstellar stealth bombers, every one!
"It's our Shadow Hunter ace fleet group's interstellar warships!" Lilith said excitedly.
The fists Zhao Chen had been clenching unclenched at this moment, and a smile came over his face in spite of himself.
At this moment a pair of slender, jade-white hands from who knew where seized Zhao Chen by both shoulders, shaking him again and again, and a voice said excitedly, "We did it? We did it! We did it!"
The voice went from doubt at first to wild excitement.
The eyes were full of disbelief, and the excitement had none of a high elf's poise at all.
"Ahem." Lilith beside them coughed on purpose.
Only then did the Flame Elf Queen realize she had forgotten herself; and she knew of Lilith's relationship with the Owl Dragon Emperor too.
To grab a husband in front of his wife and celebrate like this really was rather unseemly.
"Got carried away, got carried away," the Flame Elf Queen explained, stepping back several paces, but the smile on her face would not fade at all.
"Lilith, try to contact the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group's flagship. And keep watching what's happening on our Owl Dragon interstellar hive-race's side," Zhao Chen ordered.
"Yes." Lilith at once began trying to make contact.
There was soon a result.
At the position of one jump point, a T6 Shadow-Phantom-class Medium Interstellar Stealth Bomber stood quietly.
Then a video window rose before Zhao Chen and the rest.
On the other side was Zhao Waner.
When Zhao Waner saw Zhao Chen, she first gave a grave military salute, then said seriously, "Reporting, Your Majesty the Emperor: the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group has accomplished the combat task you gave it. We destroyed the jump points at five bridgehead positions in the enemy's universe,[1] and, fighting shoulder to shoulder with the Owl Dragon interstellar hive-race, wiped out nearly 10 million enemy interstellar warships. The Shadow Hunter ace fleet group's own losses…… over 20,000 interstellar warships. Awaiting your instructions!"
When she spoke of losing 20,000 interstellar warships of their own, Zhao Waner plainly faltered for a moment.
Mind you, that loss came to as much as 50% of the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group![2]
No ace fleet group established so far had ever suffered losses on that scale.
But to accomplish so grueling a combat task at a cost of 50% losses could even be counted a fairly good result.
"Very good! Very good! You are all heroes of the Owl Dragon Empire. Later I'll hold a celebration for every officer and soldier of your Shadow Hunter ace fleet group!" Zhao Chen said with a smile.
"To fight for the Empire is the Shadow Hunter ace fleet group's honor and mission!" Zhao Waner said seriously.
This little sister of his really did look every inch an Imperial marshal now.
She truly had grown up.
"All right; your combat task is done. Now get a good rest. Lilith will arrange for your fleet to go into a star port to rest and refit," Zhao Chen said.
"Yes," Zhao Waner answered.
The communication ended there.
As her brother, Zhao Chen had a great deal more he wanted to say to Zhao Waner, but as the Owl Dragon Emperor, Zhao Chen had more important things to do.
Zhao Chen looked at several other video windows, which had been there all along,
watching the footage of every interstellar battle.
At this moment the voices of every department reporting came over the bridge as well.
"Report, Luoyang System No. 02 battlefield: the universe-space fold-jump point the enemy made is collapsing!"
"Report, Millermo System battlefield: the universe-space fold-jump point the enemy made is collapsing too!"
"Report, Manticore System battlefield……"
Nearly every star-system battlefield where fighting was under way reported the same thing in turn.
Zhao Chen looked at the Flame Elf Queen beside him. "Salaman, it's time for our next battle plan."
The Flame Elf Queen said with a giggle, "Rest easy. With these fellows' retreat cut off, now we can deal with them without a worry!"
When she had said it, the Flame Elf Queen left the bridge with a light, happy step,
in a mood wholly different from when she came.
Before those universe-space fold-jump points were destroyed, mind you, on the eight battlefields here in the Owl Dragon Empire's universe there were still over 30 million Devourer Civilization interstellar warships.
That was an enormous number!
But at the same time it would be a chance for the Owl Dragon Empire to wipe out the enemy entirely.
The enemy's interstellar warships were vast in number, but the enemy's logistics channels had now been cut off completely.
These over 30 million Devourer Civilization interstellar warships were duckweed without roots; their fighting power would fall fast.
So long as the Owl Dragon Empire's legion fleets and the Sacred Elf legion fleet groups seized the chance, they could devour these 30 million interstellar warships in the shortest time.
If the Owl Dragon Empire could devour the Devourer Civilization interstellar warships here, it would be an enormous loss for the Devourer Civilization.
Destroy the eight bridgehead positions the Devourer Civilization had built to invade the Owl Dragon Empire, then wipe out every one of these Devourer Civilization interstellar warships within the Owl Dragon Empire's universe:
that was the Owl Dragon Empire's complete battle plan this time.
Call it shutting the door to beat the dog!
But these dogs were vicious ones, and their bite hurt when they started biting, so care was needed too.
And help from the Sacred Elf Empire's side was needed too.
"Any news from the Hive Princess?" Zhao Chen thought now of the other fleet that had carried out this combat task.
Just as Lilith was about to speak, a video window popped up.
It was the very Hive Princess they were speaking of.
The Hive Princess's face was beaming with a happy smile.
"Reporting, Emperor Brother: Little Bug has accomplished this combat task perfectly!" The Hive Princess stood up straight, reporting in imitation of an Owl Dragon officer.
"I know; you did beautifully! After the war I'll hold a celebration for you all!" Zhao Chen nodded.
At this the Hive Princess blinked at Zhao Chen, as though waiting for something.
Zhao Chen soon caught on: this girl.
He said with a show of seriousness, "Little Bug, report the details of this operation, with the enemy destroyed and our own losses."
"Yes." The Hive Princess's eyes lit up at once as she reported: "In this operation, together with Marshal Zhao Waner's Shadow Hunter ace fleet group, we wiped out nearly 10 million enemy interstellar warships, and destroyed eight of the enemy's forward star-system positions. Our Owl Dragon interstellar hive-race lost 300 million Hive Motherships. We pulled back 3 million elite Hive Motherships, and there are 10 million more Hive Motherships that had no chance to pull out; I've sent them all over the star systems of the Devourer Civilization's universe, using worm-way jump points to harry their home star systems."