The Golden Scarabs' temporary command channel
In the video window at the center was a woman angel with a pair of lovely wings; behind her was the bridge of a Golden Scarab.
The angel Tabitha:
now captain of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's quasi-T7 Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought No. 6, and an Imperial major general of the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire as well.
She came from the Angel Race, where she had been a commander, a high-order angel.
She was one of the first Angel Race commanders to have dealings with the Owl Dragon; she had been only a mid-order angel then, but for her fine showing in those dealings with the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire she had been raised to high-order angel.
Later, after the Angel Race was brought into the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire,
some of the Angel Race's commanders and officers joined the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's forces too.
They naturally had to take the military examinations again and climb up from the bottom of the Owl Dragon interstellar legion fleets.
But they had a great deal of battle experience already, and the Angel Race's inborn gifts, and long lives besides,
and the angel commanders in this first group to study at the Owl Dragon's military academies and on the Goddess Academy-class starships had been outstanding figures among the Angel Race to begin with.
So every one of them rose astonishingly fast in the Owl Dragon interstellar legion fleets.
At any combat post, they stood out above the rest.
And with the Angel Race's good looks, they naturally drew every eye among the Owl Dragon's women soldiers as well.
The angel Tabitha was one of the very best of them.
And richly gifted as she was, she had been lucky enough to be named a reserve candidate for captain of a Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought.
Between rising further to become a higher-ranking legion commander and becoming captain of a new kind of super interstellar warship,
the angel Tabitha leaned toward the latter.
After all, back in the Angel Race she had already been able to command over ten thousand interstellar warships.
So, as against commanding a legion fleet, what interested her most was the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire's powerful and mysterious Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought.
After all, it was a quasi-T7-grade interstellar warship!
Thanks to the experience the first five Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought captains had worked out before them,
the captains of this second batch of ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts had trained on and learned this interstellar warship far faster.
That was why these ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts could be ready to fight in such a short time,
and appear on the battlefield here.
And this time, these ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts had a very important combat task as well.
"All our interstellar warships have reached their combat positions; at our current speed, in three minutes at most we'll be exchanging fire with the interstellar fleet around the Troll Monarch's home planet. This is our last conference at this stage. To restate: His Majesty the Emperor and Grand Marshal Charlotte have made me temporary commander of this military operation. But we have only ten interstellar warships, and they're ten quasi-T7 Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts. So I don't think there are any tactics worth laying out. All of you need only keep to your present lines of attack, bring out everything your training has given you, and press the attack ahead. The one thing I want to stress is our combat task this time, the several combat tasks His Majesty the Emperor and Grand Marshal Charlotte have set for us. First: destroy or cripple the enemy's Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship. Second: annihilate, or destroy the greater part of, the ten thousand elite interstellar warships of the Troll Monarch's legion fleet here. Third: by our intelligence, the Troll Monarch's home planet holds one of the Devourer Civilization's several important research institutes, and a good many governing bodies are based here too. We are to wreck and destroy the Troll Monarch's home planet as far as we can. Those three points. Any questions, all of you?" The angel Tabitha looked at her comrades-in-arms on the command channel.
She had been made temporary commander of this military operation, but everyone here held the rank of major general, so strictly speaking none of them outranked another.
Had it not been for Marshal Charlotte's and His Majesty the Emperor's arrangement, the one commanding here would not have been the angel Tabitha at all,
but whichever major general present had served longest in the Owl Dragon legion fleets.
That would naturally not have been the angel Tabitha.
"No questions," one of the women major generals said.
Once this woman major general had spoken, the other major generals answered one after another as well.
The angel Tabitha looked at this woman major general.
This was Imperial Major General Winnie, not a highly gifted commander, but beyond doubt the most senior of everyone present, for she had come all the way from the days of the Owl Dragon Fleet.
Among everyone here, she was not necessarily the finest captain or commander,
but she was certainly the general who had fought the most battles in the Owl Dragon Legion, from serving as a mere soldier in the Owl Dragon Fleet at the very start, step by step on from there.
It had taken her ten years to reach the post of major general.
She had no gift, and still she stood here, which showed well enough how hard she had worked.
So, as was said before,
had it not been for Grand Marshal Charlotte's and His Majesty the Emperor's arrangement, of the ten major generals present on this operation, the one everyone would most readily follow was, naturally, this Major General Winnie.
When Major General Tabitha the angel had finished speaking just now, the brief pause on the command channel had been everyone waiting to see where this Major General Winnie stood.
There were His Majesty the Emperor's orders and Marshal Charlotte's arrangement, true,
but in their hearts everyone still leaned toward Major General Winnie.
And now Major General Winnie's words, naturally, declared that she supported the angel Tabitha.
After this little episode, the ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts naturally went about their combat tasks step by step,
sailing toward the target from ten directions, ready to attack!
And just then, Major General Winnie quietly opened a two-way video link with Major General Tabitha the angel.
"Major General Tabitha, don't mind how that lot acted just now. They mean no harm; they just have some little tempers they can't shake. But I can promise they'll carry out His Majesty the Emperor's and Lord Marshal Charlotte's orders, and follow your orders on the field. If anyone dares go against your orders, just tell me, and I'll sort them out for you. Those few may have more gift and promise than me, but every one of them owes me more than a few lives; I could give them a couple of kicks and they wouldn't dare say a word."
Major General Winnie said a couple of things in jest first, to ease things between the two of them.
Then Major General Winnie said seriously, "I know my own limits. I was born in the Owl Dragon Star System and joined the Owl Dragon Fleet by a chance turn of events. I followed His Majesty the Owl Dragon all the way from the days when he was the Owl Dragon lord to now. Because of that history, a lot of people respect me; even ones who outrank me call me 'Sister Win' when they see me. But I know my own weight. I don't have your gifts. Commanding ten thousand-odd interstellar warships would be very hard for me. So when I learned I could become captain of a Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought, I volunteered for it. I'm no good at commanding ten thousand-odd interstellar warships, but commanding one interstellar warship, I can do. I know your record too. Among the Angel Race you were already a fine commander, and since coming to the Owl Dragon legion fleets you've shown very well in several battles. So I think highly of what you can do. In this operation, rest assured: I'll back you with everything I have."
Hearing Major General Winnie, Major General Tabitha the angel was taken aback for a moment.
But she soon came back to herself and nodded seriously. "Whatever task we're charged with, we all fight for the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire."
"You're quite right. We all fight for the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire." Major General Winnie nodded firmly.
After this brief exchange, the last trace of unease between them was gone.
Next, naturally, came the main show.
The ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts were like ten golden arrows locked on their target from these directions, as if to pierce it through with ten thousand shafts.
At the same time, however unwilling they were at heart, the ten thousand elite ships of the Troll Monarch's legion fleet still took up their battle formation.
Around them, too, were the defense installations already in place, the defense batteries, interstellar fortresses and so on.
After all, this was the Troll Monarch's home planet, and naturally its defenses were maxed out.
So most people thought that for the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire to think of taking ten thousand interstellar warships here with only ten interstellar warships was something of a pipe dream.
Very soon the battle began.
The ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts were identical interstellar warships, but each attacked in its own way, according to its captain's habits.
The captain of No. 6, the angel Tabitha, for one, was comparatively careful.
She first had the Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought raise its star shield and take the lead, while launching all its interstellar interceptors and interstellar drones at once.
These interstellar interceptors and interstellar drones did not attack at once, but gathered on the flanks of the Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought No. 6, forming a fan-shaped attack formation.
The angel Tabitha's thinking was simple: first use the Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought to break through the enemy's defensive fire and close the fighting distance to the enemy,
winning as short a fighting distance as possible for the interstellar interceptors and interstellar drone swarms, so that when they truly attacked they would be under much less pressure,
and could threaten the enemy all the more.
And another way of fighting was that of Major General Winnie, captain of the Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought No. 7; her tactics were different,
but rather the Owl Dragon legion fleets' own style of fighting.
First came saturation fire with interstellar missiles: whatever the situation, deal out the greatest firepower first, and fire off every interstellar missile in one go.
While that fire went out, the Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought No. 7 itself, and the interstellar interceptors and interstellar drone swarms it launched, made a breakthrough attack on the enemy at tremendous speed.
Because of the interstellar missiles' covering fire, the enemy could naturally not do much against the Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought, which won the Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnought No. 7 and its other combat units the best possible conditions for a charge.
Besides these, there were other tactics too.
None of these tactics was better or worse; each had its own strengths, and how well they worked depended on each captain's own grasp of the battlefield, and on how the enemy's interstellar fleets responded.
But in any case, the ten quasi-T7 Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts' opening attack pushed the intensity of the fighting straight to the maximum.
The young commanders of the Troll Monarch's legion fleet, so confident a moment before, understood at once why their Troll Monarch had been so tense.
For these interstellar warships from the Owl Dragon legion fleets truly were terrifying in battle.
After only a brief exchange, that terrible firepower had their interstellar fleets pinned down.
It was as if what they faced were not ten interstellar warships at all, but ten thousand horses and a thousand armies.
Even now, some commanders still could not believe it.
It was not that they had never seen the power of a quasi-T7-grade interstellar warship; after all, their Lord Sovereign's flagship was a quasi-T7-grade interstellar warship.
But these golden interstellar warships before them seemed to be no weaker in battle than the Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship!
The Troll Monarch, aboard his flagship, looked at the battlefield all around with a very grave face.
For there was one more problem: his Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship was not yet fully out of drydock, and if in this state those Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts opposite tore through the defense line and seized the chance to attack the Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship,
it would beyond doubt be a great disaster for the Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship!
That was what the Troll Monarch did not want to see, and why he had ordered his ten thousand interstellar warships to stick mainly to defense.
If other interstellar warships were lost, more could be built.
But if this Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship were lost, it would be almost as if he, the Troll Monarch, had lost his throne.
His standing among the three Sovereigns would collapse in an instant.
There might even be no place for a Troll Monarch in the Devourer Civilization ever again.
"Faster! Speed up the interstellar barges; our Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship must be out of drydock and in combat state in the shortest possible time!" the Troll Monarch shouted rather anxiously, his fat bulk rocking on his throne.
As things stood, the longer the Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship stayed in this drydock, the more danger it was in; it was nothing but a sitting target.
A subordinate on the bridge said helplessly, "My lord, this can't be rushed. Even if we cut some steps, it'll still take twenty minutes at least!"
Twenty minutes!
The Troll Monarch felt as if a hand were about to close around his throat, and he was beginning, bit by bit, to choke.
Twenty minutes seemed ample enough.
But somewhere deep inside, the Troll Monarch felt it was like the countdown of his own life.
"Twenty minutes won't do at all. Ten minutes! Within ten minutes, the Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship has to be out of drydock!" the Troll Monarch roared.
"Ten minutes… ten minutes… it really can't be done," the subordinate said, at a loss.
But the next second a huge hand swung over and slapped the subordinate flying; he slammed into a pillar on the bridge not far off and coughed up blood.
Had he not been fit enough, and, serving under the Troll Monarch, been wearing some protective gear long since,
that one slap would have been enough to break several of his bones.
"I… I understand, I'll go see to it right away," the subordinate begged again and again.
"Hmph." The Troll Monarch snorted coldly, then began contacting the Black-God Sovereign.
For though he had begun calling up the star-system legion fleets from the surrounding star systems and star regions, mind you, nearly all the main legion fleets that could still be moved now were under the Black-God Sovereign's legion fleets.
Only the Black-God Sovereign had the strength to spare to support every battlefield.
The Troll Monarch looked at the video window, still showing the word "Connecting", and was very anxious at heart.
His eyes kept moving back and forth between the video window and the interstellar war holo-table.
The two sides had been fighting for less than ten minutes, and the ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts opposite had already destroyed nearly a thousand of his interstellar warships.
At this rate, his ten thousand interstellar warships could hold out an hour and a half at most.
True, this first wave had caused such heavy casualties largely because of the interstellar missiles carried by the Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts opposite.
But no one knew what level of fighting power these ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts opposite would unleash next.
"Damn it, I knew it! These Owl Dragon interstellar warships never fight a battle unprepared. Just like when they struck our Devourer Civilization's home star systems before. If they dare send these ten interstellar warships to attack me here, they must be very sure of it. They've come fully prepared. They must mean to use ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts to destroy the interstellar warships here in the shortest possible time, then destroy my flagship and my home planet!"
The Troll Monarch had none of the menace he had shown his subordinates a moment before; a trace of fear showed in his eyes.
It could be seen that he now truly feared these Owl Dragon-line interstellar warships, and did not dare take them lightly at all.
What is that fellow Black-God doing! Why won't he take my call!
The Troll Monarch looked at the call that still would not connect, and grew more anxious still.
Luckily, after a few more seconds of waiting, the Black-God Sovereign at last appeared on the other side of the video window.
"Black-God, something terrible has happened! I've been attacked by ten enemy quasi-T7-grade Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts, and they're attacking very fiercely. They're plainly coming for me and my home planet! They lured my forty thousand interstellar warships away on purpose and attacked me while I was short of forces. I need support, the fastest support there is. Black-God! Send thirty thousand… no, a hundred thousand… a hundred thousand interstellar warships at once by space-transport device to my star system, to support the fighting here," the Troll Monarch said very anxiously, the fat on his face wobbling.
From his look and his movements, it could be seen that the Troll Monarch was truly very anxious now; even in his eyes a trace of fear could be seen, held down as hard as he could.
The Black-God Sovereign, on the other side of the video window, looked at the Troll Monarch, so plainly tense and worried now, and said in a low voice, "I've only just learned how things stand with you. I'm trying to find a way; I want to support you too. But you know how things stand now. It's not only you under pressure; Drought-Fiend has been attacked by the enemy as well. The latest news is that his Drought-Fiend Ghost-King-class Heavy Strategic Interstellar Multirole Destroyer is badly damaged, and even at risk of being destroyed by the enemy. He was just asking me for help too, hoping I'd send more reinforcements over."
"It's the same here! Ten enemy Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts! A full ten! They fight no weaker than our super-flagships. Without support, my interstellar fleet can hold out an hour at most. By then, not only my super-flagship, but the important bodies and research institutes on my home planet will be bombed and wrecked by the enemy. That would be a huge loss to us, no less than losing an industrial or resource star system. Black-God! You still have fifteen million interstellar warships; just send a hundred thousand interstellar warships over to me and that'll be enough. Only a hundred thousand!" There was pleading in the Troll Monarch's voice.
To tell the truth, a hundred thousand in support, against the fifteen million interstellar warships the Black-God Sovereign still had in hand,
was hardly more than a single hair off nine oxen.
But the Black-God Sovereign looked undecided, and said, "I do still have fifteen million interstellar warships I can move. But you know the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire still has a great many cards hidden. And their Owl Dragon hive-race fleets haven't moved at all, and those super-weapons of theirs haven't been used either, and the Holy Elf Empire looks ready to attack us too. Fifteen million interstellar warships looks like a great many, but to guard against all these attacks, it's nowhere near enough. I've even had word that traces of what may be Owl Dragon legion fleets have appeared around my Black-God Star System. If the Owl Dragon Interstellar Empire dares move against the two of you Sovereigns, it may move against me too. I can't leave myself unguarded."