Zhao Chen looked at Zhong Xiaoxia, at the general's insignia she still wore, and said, "By custom, now that you're in charge of an ace fleet group, you ought to be promoted to the rank of Imperial Marshal. But considering the special nature of the ace fleet group, your promotion is put off for now. But you have powers equal to an Imperial Marshal's. The Phantom Scout ace fleet group, apart from me and Grand Marshal Charlotte, answers wholly to your command. Beyond that, no one at all may interfere in your work. I believe you'll very soon be a true Imperial Marshal."
Zhong Xiaoxia knew very well that this was in fact a test for her.
The rank of Imperial Marshal was not so easily won.
Which Imperial Marshal now did not sit where she sat on the strength of one military merit after another?
Not one of them ate her rice for nothing.
And if she, Zhong Xiaoxia, wanted to become an Imperial Marshal, she would need to win the first merit with the Phantom Scout ace fleet group in her hands!
"Rest assured, Your Majesty; I'll never fail the trust of you and the Grand Marshal. Our Phantom Scout isn't made of combat interstellar warships for the main front. But we'll still do our duty, complete every task, and carry out the battlefield responsibility our Phantom Scout ace fleet group should!" Zhong Xiaoxia said seriously.
"I've always believed the saying: know yourself and know your enemy, and you'll win every battle. Intelligence is vital to an army and to a war. Our Owl Dragon Legion is like a ship sailing through a storm on the boundless sea, and the intelligence you pass to us bears directly on whether our ship can come safely through the storm to meet the rosy clouds beyond!" Zhao Chen stood up and laid his hand on Zhong Xiaoxia's shoulder.
In that moment Zhong Xiaoxia felt the weight of that responsibility.
Zhao Chen went on, "You must have guessed too that we're about to carry out an important task. As for the related matters, when the time comes, Charlotte's side will inform you. So you need to make haste and get the Phantom Scout ace fleet group to effective fighting strength as soon as possible."
Zhao Chen looked into Zhong Xiaoxia's eyes. "Let me ask you: how long do you need?"
Zhong Xiaoxia paused, then said gravely, "Before the end of February, the Phantom Scout ace fleet group will be truly complete. Able to carry out any operational task, with no problem at all!"
"Good! I trust you. I'll be waiting for a fine showing from you and your Phantom Scout ace fleet group on your first mission. And I'll be waiting to pin on you myself the insignia that stands for an Imperial Marshal's rank, and to congratulate your Phantom Scout ace fleet group on its first merit!" Zhao Chen said.
"Rest assured, Your Majesty. Our Phantom Scout ace fleet group will never shame our Owl Dragon legion fleets!" Zhong Xiaoxia said loudly.
After that, Zhong Xiaoxia took her leave.
After this report on her work, Zhong Xiaoxia felt how heavy the responsibility on her shoulders was, but she felt no pressure; she was excited instead.
For it meant the Owl Dragon Emperor valued their ace fleet group highly of interstellar stealth reconnaissance ships, and did not treat them only as auxiliary small fleets for reconnaissance!
So she, Zhong Xiaoxia, would never fail His Majesty the Owl Dragon Emperor's trust.
Never!
Not long after Zhong Xiaoxia left,
the bridge of Zhao Chen's Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship welcomed a second guest.
"Coming over in person. It seems you have something very important to tell me?" Zhao Chen looked at Charlotte, who had walked onto the bridge and stood before him.
Because of Charlotte's access rights, Zhao Chen had only learned she was coming when Charlotte's shuttle entered the Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship's hangar.
Anyone else who wanted to board the Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship, even an Imperial Marshal, had to submit a request,
and only once it was approved could their shuttle come aboard.
The only ones now with access that needed no request were Charlotte and Lilith.
Lilith, beside them, looked over too.
"The exact time of attack is settled. But there are some matters which, after we've discussed them again and again, may need you to take charge of them in person," Charlotte said gravely.
Zhao Chen asked with interest, "What time? What matters?"
"The time is set for now in the middle of March, Galactic Star Calendar 3040; the exact time can't be fixed yet, but it won't be more than three days either side of March fifteenth."
So between March twelfth and March eighteenth.
Zhao Chen drew a line in his mind.
It seemed Charlotte knew how things stood with the Phantom Scout ace fleet group too, and had given them enough time to train and get used to things.
After all, in this operation, the Phantom Scout ace fleet group's part of the combat tasks was vital,
bearing on whether this military operation won or lost!
"And what do you need me to do?" Zhao Chen asked.
"Bring in allies," Charlotte said straight out.
"You mean the Holy Elf Empire?" Zhao Chen guessed something of it.
Charlotte nodded, then said gravely, "In this military operation we'll be moving all of our nearly six million interstellar warships. Ours is a lightning war, but if we could have other allies take part in this operation, our difficulty and pressure would drop sharply. And if that ally were the Holy Elf Empire, the Devourer Civilization's side would surely be very wary."
Zhao Chen nodded, but said in a low voice, "I can go and work on this. But I can't promise the Holy Elf Empire's side will surely give help. You should know what that crowd in the Holy Elf Empire are like too. They're very short-sighted; they may not be willing to take part in so risky a military operation."
Charlotte was not disheartened by this, but went on, "We considered that at the conference too. So we have three contingency plans. The best outcome, naturally, is that the Holy Elf Empire's side is willing to support us with about half its interstellar warships, that is, fifteen million interstellar warships. If that could truly happen, then in this military operation we could not only strike the enemy like lightning, but cripple the Devourer Civilization! But that isn't very likely. After all, as you said, that crowd in the Holy Elf Empire have no long-range vision, and may not be willing to take on such great risk with half their forces. The middle case, naturally, is that they're willing to work with us, but the interstellar legion fleet groups sent out may not exceed five million interstellar warships. We expect it to fall between two million and five million, most likely three million interstellar warships. That number is a great deal smaller, but if they're willing to take part in this operation, it still counts as help for us."
Hearing this reckoning, Zhao Chen nodded.
The middle case was the rather more likely one.
"And the worst possibility is no more than that the Holy Elf Empire isn't willing to give us any real help. In that case, we hope you can do your best to persuade the Holy Elf Empire's side. Even if they give no armed help from any interstellar fleet, at least they could work with us to put on a show of it: hold a few military exercises, for instance, and strike the pose of coming to our support. That way, the Devourer Civilization's side will also, out of wariness of the Holy Elf Empire's support, grow somewhat anxious in its military deployments. Help like that is at least better than nothing. I'd think the Holy Elf Empire's side shouldn't go so far as to refuse 'aid' like that." By the end, Charlotte's tone was somewhat helpless.
Zhao Chen shook his head with a light laugh. "If the Holy Elf Empire's side truly is only willing to go as far as that worst step, then we'll truly need to think about our cooperation with the Holy Elf Empire in future. After all, someone short-sighted isn't suited to be a long-term partner in deep cooperation."
Charlotte nodded, then added, "But there's no need for you to rush this. It would be best if you contacted the Holy Elf Empire's side only just before we move."
Zhao Chen looked at Charlotte. "You're worried the Holy Elf Empire's side will leak our operational plan."
"One must keep a guard against others; and the Holy Elf Empire has moles and spies in the Devourer Civilization's side; who knows whether the Devourer Civilization doesn't have them in the Holy Elf Empire too? So telling them our operational plan the day before we move is the most fitting. Even if a Devourer Civilization mole hidden in the Holy Elf Empire did learn of it, reporting it across universes in so short a time would be very hard," Charlotte explained.
"You're very careful," Zhao Chen said.
Charlotte said gravely, "This military operation of ours is very important; there's no room for a mistake in any link of it. Once something goes wrong, it may make our military operation fail, and even cost us very great losses!"
Zhao Chen nodded in understanding. "I understand; I'll do this as you've told me."
Charlotte nodded.
After that they talked over some preparations and other matters, and then Charlotte left.
For the next month, the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire was indeed very calm on the surface.
But at the end of February, in a military star system of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire, unknown to anyone,
a force had already begun carrying out its combat task.
The Phantom Scout ace fleet group · the flagship
Zhong Xiaoxia looked at the six video windows before her; on the other side were a number of Owl Dragon officers, all of the rank of imperial lieutenant general at the least.
These were the battalion commanders of the Phantom Scout ace fleet group's scouting battalions.
"I've already told you the combat task we're to carry out this time. Your ten Phantom Scout battalions will set out from here and slip quietly into the Devourer Civilization's universe. Together with our comrades already lying hidden in the Devourer Civilization's universe, you'll carry out detailed reconnaissance on the Devourer Civilization's universe. Above all, at the strategic target positions marked out, you must have clear, detailed, timely intelligence. And most important of all: before Marshal Charlotte and the others carry out Operation Avenger, you must not on any account give away your movements, nor beat the grass and startle the snake! So your responsibility is very important!"