The Lanners Civilization's Capital Star
"Our fleets have all withdrawn from the Dax Empire civilization's Second System. Their interstellar warships have all withdrawn too. Next is to make haste with repairs and resupply and prepare for the coming expedition against the Fierce Dragon civilization. In this, the sooner the better. How much time do our interstellar fleets need to complete repair and resupply?" the Lanners leader asked her ministers.
"We have far too many interstellar warships; the time needed for repair and resupply can only follow our original schedule. It really can't go much faster," a minister said, shaking his head helplessly.
Another minister beside him spoke up: "Actually, there's no need to send all our interstellar warships over in one go. We can discuss it with the Dax Empire's side and send them in batches. So long as the interstellar warships of our two sides put together are numerous enough, over ten thousand, so that the Fierce Dragon civilization's fleets can't swallow them in one go, that achieves our aim. The first batch of fleets sent over is to put pressure on the Fierce Dragon civilization, so they have no time or effort to spare for focusing on development and on building up their war industry. That way, wait for the second batch of fleets to be ready, send them over too, and destroy the Fierce Dragon civilization at one stroke. That fits our expectations perfectly too! And it won't leave the Fierce Dragon civilization much time to develop either!"
Everyone strongly approved of this proposal.
After all, the Fierce Dragon civilization's speed of development was there for all to see.
When they had first met the Fierce Dragon civilization,
the Fierce Dragon civilization had only had a few T2 interstellar warships, and its whole fleet had been under three hundred ships.
But now?
It had a great many T3-grade interstellar warships, of every different model besides,
and its fleets numbered over a thousand too.
If the Fierce Dragon civilization were allowed to keep developing this fast, perhaps it really could grow into something like the Dax Empire civilization.
"I think this makes a great deal of sense. We can do it this way," the Lanners leader said with an approving nod.
She approved strongly of this approach too.
Just when everyone thought everything was heading in a good direction, as if they could already see the Fierce Dragon civilization besieged by them and then eliminated at one stroke,
"Report! It's bad. Word has come from the First Naval Port. It's under attack by the Fierce Dragon fleets!" An officer ran in in a rush and reported in a panic.
"What? The Fierce Dragon fleets are raiding us at a time like this? How many interstellar warships have they sent!" the Lanners leader asked at once.
"By the report sent back, the Fierce Dragon civilization's side has sent three hundred interstellar warships this time!"
Silence.
The great hall was silent for a moment.
"What? Three hundred? Are you sure it's three hundred, not three thousand?"
"A mere three hundred interstellar warships; what waves can they stir up? Even if those Fierce Dragon-made interstellar warships are strong enough, we have at least five thousand interstellar warships at the First Naval Port."
The officer swallowed, his eyes full of terror, and spoke a piece of news that made everyone's heart skip a beat.
"But… the First Naval Port's chief says that among the Fierce Dragon fleet's interstellar warships, T4-grade interstellar warships have appeared!"
An uproar!
Everyone present stared in disbelief.
"How is that possible! How could the Fierce Dragon civilization build T4-grade interstellar warships already?"
"Even the Dax Empire civilization, whose development has always gone smoothly, hasn't built a T4-grade interstellar warship to this day. How could the Fierce Dragon civilization, with only one system's resources, build T4-grade interstellar warships in such a short time!"
No one present wanted to believe it.
"I have the live combat footage sent back by the First Naval Port's chief. Please see for yourselves!" The officer raised his hand and opened a virtual screen.
Playing on the virtual screen was the earlier combat footage from the First Naval Port.
A T4-grade interstellar heavy-artillery ship could be seen opening fire on a thousand-odd interstellar warships.
Under five heavy-gun salvos, nearly a thousand interstellar warships were reduced to nothing.
This scene alone made those who had just been doubting fall silent.
No one dared speak anymore.
For this really was a T4-grade interstellar warship.
Silence!
Silence!
At this moment the place was filled with an eerie silence.
In the end one person said in a small voice, "Then this is just one T4 interstellar warship…"
"No! Not just one. Five!"
Five!
At this still more appalling news, everyone could not help swallowing.
One T4 interstellar warship would have been bad enough.
But it was actually five!
"By the word sent back from the First Naval Port's chief, the T4 interstellar warships that have appeared in the Fierce Dragon fleet so far number five: one interstellar heavy-artillery ship, three interstellar frigates, and one interstellar battlecruiser!" the officer said in a trembling voice.
Five T4 interstellar warships.
Apart from the interstellar frigates,
there was even an interstellar battlecruiser.
This was beyond everyone's imagining.
That also explained why the port chief, with a naval port fortress and over five thousand interstellar warships, was asking for support.
As civilizations of the Trial of the Gods, out there they had all been T6 civilizations.
They knew very well, where interstellar warships were concerned, what effect a generation gap would have on the battlefield,
above all the generation gap between T3- and T4-grade interstellar warships.
In their view,
T1-grade starships could not really be called starships at all; at most they were space vehicles fitted with weapons.
T2-grade interstellar warships let these vehicles fly a bit farther.
T3-grade interstellar warships had at most set half a foot in the door.
Only T4-grade interstellar warships could be called true starships,
because they had star shields of their own to protect them.
This was what gave T4 starships an epoch-making significance as weapons.
And now the Fierce Dragon civilization had five T4 interstellar warships; this was surely the key that could change the present balance among the three Trial civilizations.
"Leader, what do we do now?" Everyone looked to the civilization's leader.
The Fierce Dragon civilization had suddenly brought out T4 interstellar warships, five at a time no less.
It had changed their original battle plan completely.
"The First Naval Port cannot be lost. Since the Fierce Dragon civilization has made war on us, it means they've become our enemy. We're all Trial civilizations; either the enemy dies or we do. Send down the order at once: all interstellar warships are to be moved to the First Naval Port, to destroy the Fierce Dragon interstellar warships at any cost. At the same time, contact the Dax Empire civilization again. Tell them of the Fierce Dragon civilization's present situation: they already have T4-grade interstellar warships. Make sure they send fleets to reinforce us at once!"
"What if the Dax Empire watches the fire from across the river and doesn't support us?" one minister said worriedly.
In a matter like this before, they had already been burned once by the Fierce Dragon civilization.
"They won't! The situation is different. So long as that King of the Dax Empire isn't a fool, he knows very well that the Fierce Dragon civilization owning T4 interstellar warships means things are already out of control. If they sit on the wall and watch now, then once the Fierce Dragon civilization has disposed of us, do you think the Dax Empire could be a match for them? Unless they can build T4-grade interstellar warships in so short a time too. And they'd have to gamble besides: gamble that apart from these five T4 interstellar warships, the Fierce Dragon civilization has no other interstellar warships. And right now is the Dax Empire's only chance to bring down the Fierce Dragon civilization. Once this chance is missed, then our Lanners civilization and the Dax Empire civilization will both be wiped out by the Fierce Dragon civilization! Send word of this to the Dax Empire civilization's King at once. Have them send fleets in the shortest possible time, without fail. Whether they come straight to support us then, or raid the Fierce Dragon civilization's home system, so long as they make a move, we still have a chance!"
"Yes!"
Having given these instructions, the Lanners leader sat on her throne, her expression very complicated.
Who could have imagined that the most insignificant interstellar civilization at the start
would now stand where all their civilizations had to look up to it?
——————
The Dax Empire
"I wonder how the Lanners civilization's side is getting on with its preparations. The sooner we send troops, the sooner we clear away the Fierce Dragon civilization, and that solves a big problem for us." The Dax King sat on his throne, his mind still on the matter of the Fierce Dragon civilization.
"Your Majesty. The interstellar warships of our two powers put together exceed twenty thousand. Wiping out a mere Fierce Dragon civilization is a sure thing for us. Before, the Fierce Dragon civilization only exploited a gap. Little cunning tricks like that count for nothing at all before real strength!" a subordinate said fawningly from below.
The Dax King closed his eyes and said nothing more.
"Report! The Lanners civilization's side is asking for help." An official rushed into the temple.
"The Lanners civilization asking for help? What's this about?" the Dax King asked in puzzlement.
"The Fierce Dragon fleets have raided the Lanners civilization's home system. The Lanners leader is asking for our support!" the official said.
The Dax King frowned: "The Fierce Dragon civilization's fleets raiding the Lanners civilization? Even if, after a fierce battle with us, the Lanners civilization's fleets aren't in their best condition, tens of thousands of interstellar warships getting beaten by the Fierce Dragon fleets into asking us for help? This wouldn't be another scheme the Fierce Dragon civilization has thought up, would it?"
The Dax King's first suspicion was that this was a trap.
"It isn't! By what the Lanners leader says, the Fierce Dragon civilization has just sent three hundred interstellar warships to raid the Lanners civilization's First Naval Port, and they've already destroyed thousands of their interstellar warships. The Lanners civilization has mobilized all its interstellar warships to gather on this battlefield, to fight the Fierce Dragon civilization to the death!"
"Three hundred interstellar warships?" The Dax King was surprised at the figure.
Was it certain it was three hundred, not three thousand interstellar warships?
"Because among these three hundred interstellar warships there are T4 interstellar warships!"
An uproar! Every eye in the whole temple turned toward him.
Even the Dax King shot to his feet and stared at the official.
"What did you say? T4 interstellar warships have appeared in the Fierce Dragon fleet! How is that possible!"
"Your Majesty. This is absolutely true. We've also received live combat footage. And I've just had people contact the assets we've planted inside the Lanners civilization; we'll have a reply very soon to confirm whether this is true or false!"
Hearing these words,
the Dax King looked grave.
At this point he could basically be sure that this news from the Lanners civilization was most likely true.
If the Fierce Dragon fleets had T4-grade interstellar warships,
then given the Lanners civilization's fleets as they were, it truly would be very hard for them to stop an attack by T4-grade interstellar warships.
"And there's one more piece of news: the number of T4 interstellar warships in the Fierce Dragon fleet isn't one, but five!"
Another uproar.
Five T4 interstellar warships.
In that instant,
the little interstellar civilization that in their eyes had only had good luck became, all at once, a colossus before them.
"Five T4 interstellar warships! How could the Fierce Dragon civilization possibly complete the production of T4-grade interstellar warships in so short a time? How did they do it!" The Dax King's eyes were full of disbelief.
No one around said a word at this point.
Everyone had been shaken by this.
"That's all the Lanners leader's side had to say. She said that the Lanners civilization and the Dax Empire are now tied to the same rope. His Majesty the Dax King ought to know what to do! She hopes His Majesty the Dax King won't lose too much time. There are few chances left for us!" The official was rather afraid as he relayed these words.
For a threat could be heard in them.
If the Dax King had him put to death in a fit of rage, that would be trouble.
But the Dax King, hearing these words, was not angry; instead he sank into thought.
For the Lanners leader's words, though blunt, were not wrong.
If the Fierce Dragon civilization really had T4-grade interstellar warships now, and five of them at that,
then for the Dax Empire civilization as it was now, things had already become precarious.
Once the Lanners civilization was destroyed by the Fierce Dragon civilization,
the next target would naturally be the Dax Empire civilization.
And for the Dax Empire civilization to face alone a Fierce Dragon civilization with five T4 interstellar warships,
and think besides of the Fierce Dragon civilization's interstellar warships, already formidable fighters to begin with:
the outcome was easy to imagine.
"Pass on my order. All the Dax Empire's interstellar warships are to make ready for battle. Bring out all our weapons and equipment, every one. Prepare to fight the Fierce Dragon civilization's fleets to the death ahead of schedule!" The Dax King gave his order with a very grave expression!