FY System, Third Planet
Chief Bajin, the monocular deep-space spyglass at his eye, lifted his head to look at the sky, and soon found the figure of that T3 Blizzard, hanging in space like a work of art. And at this moment his heart was a tangle. For a few days ago he'd received word: the Fire Salamander chieftain was furious over this defeat at the FY System's third planet — above all over the fall of a T3 Arkham.
In truth, Chief Bajin had long foreseen the Fire Salamander clan's revenge. He might have heard Zhao Chen say he could settle this matter, that they needn't worry — but with the Fire Salamander clan riding over their heads year after year, to say he wasn't worried would have been a lie. He'd once thought of fleeing with his people, but this planet beneath his feet was where the dwarf race had lived for hundreds of years; how could they leave just because leaving was said? And yet he feared for his family's lives, and so he'd had that portion of the dwarves board the transports and go. At least that way, it left a seed of fire for their dwarf tribe.
"There! It's the Fire Salamander fleet!" a dwarf warrior beside him, likewise fitted with a monocular deep-space spyglass, said, pointing at one quarter of the sky.
Chief Bajin looked over at once! Ahead of that T3 Blizzard, a mass of warships had appeared — tiny from this distance, like so many grains of rice. But a full thousand "grains" and more.
Chief Bajin gulped, his hands clenching in spite of themselves.
"There are two T3 warships — one T3 Arkham-class Medium Interstellar Battleship, and one T3 Specter-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer." The dwarf warrior beside him spoke, his voice trembling a little. "About… about four Fire Salamander fleets have come, nearly 1,500 warships in all — and among them, close to 300 T2 warships!"
A feeling of despair began to echo through these dwarves' hearts. They'd thought the Fire Salamander clan would take revenge — but they'd never imagined the revenge would come so fast, and on so vast a scale. Over 1,500 warships! Strong as that T3 Blizzard was, a lone tree couldn't hold up the sky; how was one ship to withstand 1,000 and more?
T3 Blizzard — Bridge
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair, light and unruffled, looking at the refreshed enemy-fleet data column before him.
Two T3 warships: one T3 Arkham, one T3 Specter. Close to 300 T2 warships. He couldn't be bothered to read the names; he only glanced at the class breakdown. Over 200 T2 interstellar frigates of various models, better than 70 T2 destroyers, 20 T2 cruisers, five T2 battlecruisers, two T2 battleships, and one T2 carrier. The remaining 1,300 T1 warships: 1,000 T1 frigates, 200 T1 destroyers, 50 T1 cruisers, 30 T1 battlecruisers, and 10 T1 battleships.
In truth, these T1-grade warships — whatever their class — were, in Zhao Chen's eyes, no more than a string of numbers. Hulls a few tens of meters long. At most they patrolled between the systems; without the star gates, they couldn't so much as cross the fringe space between stars — no capacity for interstellar travel at all. The cannon fodder among cannon fodder. What truly posed a threat were, perhaps, only those 300 T2 warships and the two T3s.
"Any word yet?" Zhao Chen asked Secretary Aili beside him.
Secretary Aili said gently, "Almost here."
The corner of Zhao Chen's mouth lifted; wearing a look of anticipation, he turned to Charlotte beside him. "Charlotte — this should count as the Owl Dragon Fleet's first true fleet-level battle, wouldn't you say?"
Charlotte nodded. The most the Owl Dragon Fleet had fielded in a battle before was six warships — five frigates and one carrier — and the enemy then had been Mechanical Race ships. That could count as half-baked at best.
Just then, a comm request came through.
"It's the flagship of the Fire Salamander fleet, that T3 Arkham," Secretary Aili noted.
Zhao Chen mused a moment, then took a black mask from beside him and put it on his face. "Let's keep a low profile for now. Patch it through."
"Yes."
A video window appeared before Zhao Chen; on the other end was a lizard-man.
"Which power sent you?" The Fire Salamander chieftain held down his fury, looking at the black-masked man opposite.
Zhao Chen spat out four words. "None of your business."
The chieftain's mouth twitched. He stared at the man. "Why meddle in the dwarf race's affairs?"
"I feel like it. I do as I damn well please," Zhao Chen said mockingly.
The chieftain gave a cold snort. "Very well. Since you won't give your identity or your purpose, I won't ask. But you'll pay the price for what you've done."
"You mean that T3 Arkham of yours? That warship was too weak — I fired off a few casual shots, and it gave out just like that. Where'd you buy that ship? It doesn't hold up. You weren't cheated, were you?" Zhao Chen taunted. "I didn't get my fill last time — I wonder how this T3 Arkham of yours will do. How many shots of mine can it take?"
"A hard mouth on you. I'd like to see whether your ship is as hard as your mouth. A mere single warship, and it dares crow at me here!" The chieftain, furious past fury, laughed cold — regarding the black-masked man opposite as one might a corpse.
At this Zhao Chen burst out laughing — laughing so that the chieftain felt a flicker of doubt.
Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes at him. "Who told you I have only the one warship?"
The chieftain froze — and then, on his ship's bridge, an urgent report came.
"Report — the fleet's rear radar has detected an interstellar fleet of unknown origin appearing behind our fleet!"
The chieftain's face sank. He stared at the black-masked man. "You've been deliberately waiting here for me?"
He'd wondered before why this T3 warship had made no move here. Now it was plain — the ship had been lying in wait for him on purpose.
"Correct — but there's no prize for it," Zhao Chen said with a light laugh, then snapped his fingers, and the video window closed.
At the same moment, another video window appeared before him. On the other end was a white-furred wolf-girl — a head of silvery-white short hair, a pair of white ears, and a scar across her face; scar and all, it lent the wolf-girl's bearing all the more force.
"Commander, Baixue reports as ordered, leading the fleet in support. The fleet awaits your command!"
At the same instant, a dozen-odd gray-painted warships appeared behind the Fire Salamander fleet in a thoroughly standard interstellar carrier battle formation. T2 Black Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy Assault Frigates screened the outer ring; at the center, a T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier — and a warship Charlotte and the others had never before seen. No — better to say they'd heard of it, from Zhao Chen's own mouth. A T2 Lion King-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ship!
Zhao Chen sat with both hands crossed over his chest, his eyes like a hawk's, fixed on those 1,500 warships on the holographic battlefield display before him.
"The hunt can begin."