"Once the enemy pins us down here, all ten of our Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts could get stuck in the mire here and be unable to get free. The task Grand Marshal Charlotte and His Majesty the Emperor gave us is to do as much damage as we can to the Troll Monarch's home star system and that quasi-T7 Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship. But they also told us that things on the battlefield change in an instant, and that everything is for us to decide. This is how things stand. What do you all think?"
Major General Tabitha the angel looked at her nine fellow major generals,
asking for the others' thoughts.
"I hear the Black-God Sovereign's legion fleets are on the move?" Major General Winnie, captain of No. 7, asked.
Major General Tabitha the angel nodded. "That's the latest word. But by the guess of our Supreme Staff, the three Sovereigns aren't on very good terms. The Black-God Sovereign may use our hands to take this chance to swallow up the other two Sovereigns. But they won't let us do the Devourer Civilization too much harm either. So the Black-God Sovereign's side will very likely pick a fitting moment to support our battlefield and the Drought-Fiend Ghost-King's battlefield, each in turn. All so the fisherman can profit while the snipe and the clam fight."
One major general spoke up of her own accord: "Then we can put ourselves in the shoes of the Black-God Sovereign's lot, and think how they'd move in this situation!"
There was a brief silence.
One major general spoke first: "If I were the Black-God Sovereign, I'd want to use the Owl Dragon legion fleets to weaken the two Sovereigns' power, but at the same time I'd have to make sure what I took over from these two Sovereigns wasn't a wreck. Then the timing of stepping in matters a great deal. On our battlefield as it stands, I think the moment the Black-God Sovereign steps in will turn on two factors. One! If we attack the Troll Monarch's home planet directly. They say this home planet holds a good many of the Troll Monarch's research institutes, and all his important central bodies and departments are here. These matter greatly to the Black-God Sovereign taking over the territories and forces under the Troll Monarch, so he surely won't let us do this home planet too much damage. Second: the Troll Monarch's flagship opposite, the quasi-T7 Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship. This interstellar warship has only just been repaired, with fresh wounds on top of old ones, but it's a quasi-T7-grade interstellar warship all the same. For the Devourer Civilization, it's one of only three quasi-T7-grade interstellar warships they have in the open, a very important and precious strategic asset. If at all possible, they surely won't want it to go down just like that."
Everyone present agreed with this major-general captain's analysis.
"Then until those things happen, the Black-God Sovereign's side will naturally hope we wear things down further, so that in the end they pick the fruit," another major-general captain said.
Major General Winnie spoke up just then: "Then if we just keep things balanced the whole time, could we put off the moment the Black-God Sovereign's legion fleets join the fight?"
Major General Tabitha the angel looked at Major General Winnie gravely. "You mean we're to gamble on whether the Black-God Sovereign's people are greedy enough."
Major General Winnie nodded. "Since the Black-God Sovereign's people already mean to eat up the other Sovereigns' power, that shows well enough they're very greedy. They're sure to go after the biggest gain they can. And that's just what we can seize on in their thinking, to win the most for ourselves."
Thinking it through, Major General Winnie said seriously, "In short: we keep our attacks in check, and give the whole time the picture of us locked in a stalemate with the Troll Monarch's defense fleet here."
"And what would we be doing that for?" one major-general captain could not help asking.
"Building up our strength," the angel Tabitha and Winnie said almost at once.
Every major general looked at the two of them.
"If I've guessed right, at this very moment the Black-God Sovereign's eyes and ears must be watching every move on this battlefield. And their legion fleets are ready to set out at any moment and be sent to us here. So when we really move against that quasi-T7 Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship and the Troll Monarch's home planet, we have to move against both at once, and control how long it takes. I've worked it out: the time they'll allow us to attack will be no more than ten minutes. That is, once we show any intention of moving against the Troll Monarch's home planet and the Troll Monarch Interstellar Fortress Ship, we'll really have only ten minutes to attack! After ten minutes of attack, we must leave the battlefield at full speed at once," Major General Tabitha the angel said, setting out her view.
Ten minutes?
Hearing the limit, the major-general captains present knit their brows slightly.
To mount a hard attack within ten minutes and take these two targets would be no small feat.
Major General Winnie added just then, "And to make sure the interstellar warships carrying out this task can fight at their very strongest in those ten minutes, we'll give some of our Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts a spell of rest and refit before that, so they can get back to their best fighting condition. Then they'll lead this attack."
"The plan you two describe is reasonable, true, and stands a chance of working. But there's one problem in it. We've already talked about how the Troll Monarch has begun pulling back legion fleets from the other star-system battlefields; several million are expected to come into the fight here one after another. And so far, the Grand Marshal and His Majesty the Emperor haven't promised us any particular number of reinforcements. So once these millions of the Troll Monarch's reinforcements turn up on this battlefield, everything will be ours to deal with on our own. But right now we have only ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts. Fighting the ten thousand interstellar warships in front of us is no problem, and taking on a hundred thousand regular Devourer Civilization interstellar warships may be no problem either. But facing millions of enemy interstellar warships would be very hard," one major-general captain said, raising her concern.
"So we have to tie down that part of the enemy's interstellar fleets at the same time." Major General Tabitha the angel, the commander, pointed at a star gate's position on the interstellar holo-table.
"By the word we have, the enemy's millions of reinforcements are coming to support in two ways: by star gate, and by warp. The first is faster, but the numbers it can send are limited. The second arrives later, but in great numbers; most of the main reinforcement fleets will come to the battlefield that way." When Major General Winnie had said this, she went on gravely, "Then we have only one choice now: split off part of our forces to attack this star gate and destroy it in the shortest possible time, so the enemy's reinforcements arrive later. That way we buy ourselves time to fight."
Hearing the two major-general captains' thinking, the other eight major-general captains looked at one another; they had more or less grasped the whole move, and saw clearly the hard parts in it.
"Then how exactly do we do it? We have only ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts in hand right now; every move we make matters a great deal."
Major General Tabitha the angel drew several lines on the interstellar war holo-table. "First, of our ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts here, we split off five and make as if they're hurrying to the star gate. The remaining five Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts keep fighting here. We give the enemy the picture of us splitting in two. In fact, of the five Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts we split off, only two will really head for the star gate. The other three Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts will hide somewhere the enemy can't find them, take on supplies from an interstellar supply ship fleet, get back to their best fighting condition in the shortest time, and wait for the order for those ten minutes of attack. At the same time, those two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts will head for this star system's star gate and attack the enemy's star gate, and try to destroy it before the enemy's reinforcements come through it to get here. So that the enemy's reinforcements arrive a little later."
Hearing Captain Tabitha the angel's whole plan,
several major-general captains looked at one another, weighing its risks and whether it could be done.
"I still have two questions. First: we said before that the Black-God Sovereign's side is sure to be watching every move on this battlefield. Won't our attack on the star gate stir the Black-God Sovereign's side into action too? Second: can just two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts really take an enemy star gate? By the intelligence we have so far, the garrison at this star system's star gate is only three thousand interstellar warships of the Devourer Civilization's regular legion fleets. But enemy reinforcements will keep arriving; isn't it a bit much to expect just two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts to complete this combat task?" one major-general captain said, raising her concerns.
Major General Tabitha the angel looked at them all and answered, "The first question: there is some risk in it, true. That's why we're committing only two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts. Because even we ourselves can't be sure these two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts can take this star system's star gate."
Several of the major-general captains looked puzzled.
Major General Tabitha the angel paused, then went on, "If even we aren't sure of completing this task, would the Black-God Sovereign, who wants the biggest possible gain, really move just for that? Most likely not. The real task of these two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts of ours isn't to destroy this star system's star gate outright. It's to disrupt the running of this star system's star gate to some degree, and jam it, so that the numbers the enemy's star gate can send are badly limited. If we can partly wreck this star system's star gate to some extent, that's best of all."
Hearing these arrangements of Major General Tabitha the angel's, grave looks came over the major-general captains' faces.
The more detailed such demands were, the harder they would be to carry out.
"Then when exactly do we carry out that ten-minute battle plan?" someone asked.
"The time isn't fixed, because we have to wait for the enemy to give us the moment. But the condition, naturally, is that those three Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts finish a round of resupply, and that resupply will take three hours at least. That is, we'll make no big moves within three hours. But after three hours, we may launch the operation at any moment," Major General Tabitha the angel, the commander, said seriously.
"Then let's all say where we stand. Do you back this battle plan? Raise your hand if you agree." When she had said this, Major General Winnie raised her own hand first.
Seeing Major General Winnie raise her hand, and with this plan backed by Major General Tabitha the angel besides, the other eight raised their hands one after another to agree.
"Good: ten votes, all in favor. Then next we lay out each starship's combat task. First, the three Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts that will carry out the ten-minute task. This task goes first to the interstellar warships in the best fighting condition: No. 7, No. 11 and No. 15. When the time comes, this part of the task will be commanded by the captain of No. 7, Major General Winnie."
When Major General Tabitha the angel had given out this task, she looked at the captains of No. 11 and No. 15.
Both said they had no objection.
"The task of attacking the star gate will be carried out by my No. 6 and No. 13." Major General Tabitha the angel's next arrangement truly astonished everyone.
On the face of it, the "ten-minute assault plan" looked like the most vital part of the whole plan.
But in truth the greatest danger and the greatest difficulty lay with the two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts attacking the star system's star gate.
"I object. You're the commander the Grand Marshal named for this combat task; your command is needed here. You take charge of the attack here, and I'll take the star system's star gate," Major General Winnie said, stepping forward just then.
Major General Tabitha the angel knit her brows slightly and said in a low voice, "The task there matters more; I…"
"Major General Tabitha, I know what you're thinking. But compared with there, you're needed more here. You're better suited to commanding fleets in battle; of course, here there are only a few interstellar warships. But you're the helmsman who holds the course; we need you here," Major General Winnie said seriously. "This isn't the time to think about which task is heavier or which place is more dangerous; it's the time to think about who's better suited to be where!"
Major General Tabitha the angel looked at Major General Winnie, at a loss for words.
She knew Major General Winnie had seen through what was on her mind.
In truth, she had given herself so dangerous a task more in hope of winning everyone over.
This part of the combat task carried the greatest danger; had she given it to someone else, she would have worried that others might object, so taking it on herself had seemed to her the most fitting thing.
But Major General Winnie had seen through this thought of hers and taken the heavy burden straight off her.
"I…"
Major General Tabitha the angel meant to say more.
But Major General Winnie cut her off directly: "No need to say more. Let's go with this."
It was the first time Major General Winnie had not "given" Major General Tabitha the angel this face.
Major General Tabitha the angel took a deep breath and looked at Major General Winnie with admiration. "Then we'll go by Major General Winnie's arrangement. Major General Winnie's No. 7 and No. 13 take the task at the star system's star gate. My No. 6, with No. 11 and No. 15, take the ten-minute assault plan. The other starships keep up the present pace of attack. Any problems?"
When she had given these last instructions, Major General Tabitha the angel looked around at everyone present.
"No problem."
"This is best!"
"We guarantee the task will be done."
The tasks were all given out.
Very soon, the Troll Monarch opposite found that of the ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts that had been attacking, five had suddenly begun to pull out of the fighting.
"Report: five enemy Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts are leaving the battlefield now!" a subordinate reported.
The fat on the Troll Monarch's face creased up; he murmured to himself, "Withdrawing at a time like this? What are the Owl Dragon commanders opposite up to?"
As things stood, the ten Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts opposite ought to be pressing the attack hardest of all.
Yet at just this moment they had withdrawn half their strength.
It really made little sense.
But the latest intelligence very soon answered the riddle.
"Report: after leaving the battlefield, the five enemy Owl Dragon Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts are sailing toward our star system's star gate. It looks as if they mean to attack our star system's star gate!"
Hearing his subordinate's answer,
a thought rose at once in the Troll Monarch's mind.
"So they know we have reinforcements coming in support, and mean to wreck our star gate to hold our reinforcements up?"
"Most likely. The garrison at our star gate is only three thousand regular fleet ships; this… isn't there a risk?" a staff officer beside him said carefully.
The Troll Monarch thought a moment and said calmly, "The enemy has sent off five Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts. Our star gate garrison is only three thousand, true, but reinforcement fleets are already on their way here by star gate one after another. And our main reinforcement fleets are coming by warp, so even if the star gate is wrecked, it won't make much difference. Instead, with five fewer Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts on our front here, the pressure on us is a good deal lighter. That being so, keeping things as they are is no bad thing for us."
What the Troll Monarch valued more was his home planet and his flagship.
As for the star gate, it only decided how early or late the reinforcement fleets would come; if it meant protecting his home planet and flagship, losing a star gate was nothing much in the Troll Monarch's eyes.
"Pass on my order: tell the star gate that Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts are on their way there. Order them to make ready for battle and protect the star gate at any cost. The first reinforcement fleets to reach the star gate are to help defend it first," the Troll Monarch gave his newest order.
"Yes."
And so,
with both sides believing they had made their best choice,
the battlefield began to change in subtle ways.
The five Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts that had left the Troll Monarch's main battlefield quietly sailed into a stretch of space.
This stretch of space was ringed by several asteroid belts, and rather hidden.
At the same time, an interstellar supply ship fleet had been waiting here long before.
All this had been arranged by Grand Marshal Charlotte in advance; because the Phantom Scout ace fleet group was spread throughout the Devourer Civilization's home universe,
making a few small moves on the enemy's own ground was in fact very easy for them.
With the interstellar stealth reconnaissance ships watching, the interstellar supply ship fleet could stay here quietly and safely, waiting for their stage of the task to begin.
"Can you be sure it's safe here?" Major General Tabitha the angel looked at the commander of a reconnaissance battalion on the other side of a video window beside her.
"We've sent out ten reconnaissance teams around here; we can be sure there are no enemy eyes in this area," the reconnaissance battalion commander assured her.
Major General Tabitha the angel nodded in satisfaction. "Then we proceed as planned. And in the meantime, I'll trouble your unit to keep scouting around and make sure this place isn't found by the enemy."
"Yes. Rest assured, this is our job, and we'll do our job."
Major General Tabitha the angel looked at Major General Winnie on the other side of another video window. "Major General Winnie, your part carries the greatest danger of all our combat tasks. If anything goes wrong, you may decide for yourself. Remember, your Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts are worth more than the enemy's star gate; if need be, you can withdraw first and think again."
"Don't worry; leave this end to us," Major General Winnie said with a smile.
"Then I wish you every success."
"And you too."
After saying their farewells,
very soon these five Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts split in two.
Three Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts stayed here on standby.
The other two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts sailed on, but at the same time a team of thirty interstellar supply ships followed these two Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts.
And a group of interstellar stealth reconnaissance ships followed too, and around these interstellar stealth reconnaissance ships, with optical camouflage gear, they actually projected three Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts!
It was as if there were still five Golden-Scarab-class Heavy Interstellar Dreadnoughts here!