But very soon the answer came.
The secretary-officer came back before the corps fleet commander, helpless, and said, "What the superiors mean is that whatever happens, we're not to leave this battlefield without their order. As for the reinforcing fleets, they're still being sent in an emergency; we're not to be anxious. As for the exact time, they expect within three hours."
"Three hours?" The corps fleet commander was taken aback, then gave a self-mocking smile. "It seems we've already been cast aside as the stone tossed ahead to test the road."
The secretary-officer was taken aback; plainly he had not understood what the words meant.
The corps fleet commander shrugged and explained, "With our Devourer Civilization's ability to move forces, small moves are no hard thing. But to respond and deploy in a short time with movements on such a wide, large scale is impossible. We haven't the military strength or military quality for it at that grade. And in a situation like this, choices have to be made: first see to the military deployment of some important places, then the less important places, and so on down. And the star system we're in charge of is a strategic star system too, but it's not near the top in importance. So I'd guess those above mean to protect this star system, but its priority isn't very high. But they still want to try. And for that they first need some data on the enemy's attack: how strong is the force the enemy means to attack this star system with, for instance? A hundred thousand ships, or three hundred thousand? Or a million? If it's a hundred thousand, our superiors will hurry to deploy, and will surely keep this star system safe. But if it's three hundred thousand interstellar warships, they'll need to weigh the gains and losses; most likely they'll send suitable legion fleets here to defend it, not seeking to destroy the enemy, only to keep the star system from destructive damage. And if it's a million? Then surely they'll give up this star system, and may even, while withdrawing, find a way to take away some important equipment, and destroy what can't be taken, so that once this star system falls into enemy hands the enemy can't put it to use quickly. And in this whole chain, we're the stone tossed ahead at the very start to test the road, to scout the enemy's strength. As for whether that stone lives or dies, do you think anyone cares?"
Hearing the corps fleet commander say this, the secretary-officer understood all at once.
Fear came into his eyes at once, the fear of death.
"Then… then won't we die here?" the secretary-officer said in terror.
"That's most likely our end. However many legion fleets the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire opposite sends, our end is basically the same," the corps fleet commander said calmly.
The secretary-officer's legs trembled, and he glanced without thinking at the bridge door.
"Don't think of deserting. I won't stop you. But do you know what became of the people who deserted in the last campaign? Everyone registered as a deserter: first the military police arrest every one of your immediate family within one generation, and your wife is sent to the poorest place there is as a slave. Your children are sold as slaves; with luck they'll be sold to a mine to dig ore, and work in conditions without protective gear for a dozen-odd years until they die. Your family will be ashamed of you. It may even mean your family has to pay a huge fine; if your family can't pay the fine, first your family's assets are sold, and if that's still not enough, then sons and daughters are sold. If you truly want your household and your family to bear all that because of you, I won't stop you," the corps fleet commander said calmly.
At the thought of all this, the secretary-officer broke down and sank to the floor, clutching his head in both hands: "I… I'm not even thirty; I've been in the service under three years. I worked so hard to be promoted to corps fleet secretary-officer… I didn't come here… to die. I don't want to die… I don't want to die……"
Seeing the secretary-officer break down,
the corps fleet commander looked at another NCO beside him. "Don't let him cause too much of a stir; give him a sedative injection."
"Yes." That NCO was a veteran too, and had not panicked at learning such a fact.
For they all knew very well that in so brutal an interstellar civilization as the Devourer Civilization, a deserter's end was very terrible.
So the great majority would rather die than desert.
"Commander, look over there!" someone, no one knew who, suddenly cried out.
The corps fleet commander raised his head and looked out of the viewport; he saw something shining like jade appear in the space far off.
Then interstellar warship after interstellar warship streamed out.
Very soon their number went from a few hundred to a few thousand, and kept growing without end.
"They've come. The Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's interstellar warships." The corps fleet commander saw the familiar fleet crest, and the familiar interstellar warships.
Something changed in his eyes: fear, deep fear.
He took out a bottle of liquor from somewhere and poured it down his throat.
Then he said in a low voice, "Since the end can't be changed, let's win the most we can for our households and families. Pass on my order: every interstellar warship, prepare to meet the enemy. At the same time, record the data on the enemy fleets appearing here, including the number of enemy interstellar warships appearing, the types of interstellar warship and so on. Just in case, send a copy to those above every ten seconds, updated without stop! Until we're… down to our last interstellar warship."
When the corps fleet commander had given this order,
he took another drink, then muttered in self-mockery, "If I show like this, my children should at least have a comfortable childhood."
When he had said this, he looked at the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's interstellar warships opposite.
For some reason, a thought came into his head.
If… if… if back then his homeland had had this interstellar legion fleet's help, if they had resisted together,
would he have had no need to put on this skin? Would their homeland not have been destroyed, and would he not have had to leave his home bearing a traitor's name?
"Owl Dragon Emperor… if… if only you truly could defeat the Devourer Civilization in future. Kill those three damned bastards. Damn those three Sovereigns!" the corps fleet commander cursed hysterically in his heart.
And very soon, what followed went basically as foreseen.
The Owl Dragon legion fleets appearing here reacted at once on finding how the battle stood.
The interstellar warships that arrived first joined the battlefield at once.
Interstellar heavy-artillery ships gave covering fire first, and tens of thousands of shells came down on this Devourer Civilization corps fleet.
Then came the advance of interstellar destroyers and interstellar battleships.
Before these Owl Dragon-line main interstellar warships,
the Devourer Civilization's interstellar warships had no power to resist at all.
And among them there were even a few T6-grade interstellar warships.
The corps fleet of under three thousand ships dwindled away at a pace plain to the eye.
Very soon it was entirely one-sided.
In the end, all three thousand Devourer Civilization interstellar warships here were destroyed.
And right up to the moment they were wiped out, the so-called reinforcing fleets never came to their support.
"Hello; we're the Seventh Company of the Ninth Reconnaissance Battalion, under the Phantom Scout ace legion fleet group. We were ordered to start the high-frequency device again to guide your arrival."
A Phantom Scout company commander saluted the commander across from her and reported.
"Hello; I'm Ma Jiani, commander of the Thirty-First Legion under the Owl Dragon Third Legion Fleet Group."
The Phantom Scout company commander glanced at this legion commander's insignia.
Imperial lieutenant general.
In the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's fleet system now, those who served as legion commander were as a rule lieutenant generals or major generals.
"General Ma. I've sent the detailed data on this battlefield to the relevant departments of your legion fleet. Next we'll carry on with our task; if you need anything, you can contact us through the interstellar stealth reconnaissance ships attached to your fleet," the Phantom Scout company commander said after saluting.
"Mm, understood. Thank you for completing your task here so well. Until we meet again." Lieutenant General Ma Jiani returned the salute too.
Then the thirty interstellar stealth reconnaissance ships here sailed slowly off the battlefield, as though nothing that had happened here had anything to do with them.
From here they would lie hidden in this universe, restoring their starships while providing the intelligence the Phantom Scout ace legion fleet group needed: a pair of eyes hidden in the dark.
Lieutenant General Ma Jiani watched the "White Jade gate" slowly dissolve.
Because it was a single-use star-gate delivery, it vanished once the delivery was done.
But for this campaign's needs, the Owl Dragon interstellar legion fleets' side had prepared great numbers of these "White Jade star-gate devices."
After all, this was fighting across universes; how could they not have such devices fully ready?
Lieutenant General Ma Jiani walked to the command platform; at once a detailed interstellar holo-table appeared before her, and around it more than a dozen video windows as well.
They were the corps fleet commanders under her legion fleet.
"Pass word to all units: sail at a steady speed along this route. Let's use the time to hold an emergency wartime conference."
"Yes," the corps commanders answered.
"This is the battlefield numbered Avenger Sixteen; the strategic target is an industrial base where the enemy builds interstellar warships. Its overall ranking in the enemy's universe puts it in the top five; it supplies at least a tenth of the Devourer Civilization legion fleets' interstellar warships. So if we attack here, the enemy is bound to ready its best troops and finest commanders to stop us."