"Now there is one thing that needs settling. That is this danger zone. Will the danger zone appear in an instant, or will there be a gradual process? And if it is gradual, at what speed? And then, just how strong is the fighting power of the calamity races inside those danger zones!" Secretary Officer Barbara said with a grave expression.
"First have the systems prepare for evacuation. Those willing to evacuate can be brought out early, and whatever can be relocated, relocate. At the same time, send some interstellar fleets to make contact with those calamity races on our own initiative! See how deep they run," Zhao Chen said earnestly.
"Yes!"
Soon the Fierce Dragon Sixth, Seventh and Ninth Systems all issued disaster warnings.
They informed the local people that a disaster would sweep across these three systems.
For the present, anyone willing to evacuate could evacuate at once to other Fierce Dragon civilization systems, where the evacuation-point systems would arrange their life and work afterward.
Those who wished to stay for now and wait and see were also permitted to.
But once the Fierce Dragon civilization issued a Level-1 alert later on, everyone would have to evacuate at once.
"What? A calamity."
"Could it be like that hive-race invasion before?"
"If it's like that, then the Fierce Dragon civilization ought to be confident it can deal with it."
"That's hard to say. If the Fierce Dragon civilization were really confident it could deal with it, it wouldn't necessarily be letting us choose to evacuate."
Because of the news the Fierce Dragon civilization had announced, many people began to worry in their hearts.
Some chose to evacuate, some chose to stay where they were and watch; there were all kinds of ideas.
For the evacuees, the Fierce Dragon civilization's side would also send interstellar transports and settle every evacuation plan for them.
This was to ensure the whole evacuation process went without a hitch.
A week later.
Zhao Chen listened to his subordinates' reports.
"Reporting to Your Majesty: so far, the evacuees from the three systems make up one tenth of the total. The great majority have still chosen to remain and watch. And we have made calculations for an emergency evacuation operation. The Fierce Dragon Sixth System is expected to complete the evacuation of all personnel within a week, and seventy percent of the evacuation of its industrial production lines and related equipment can be completed."
Because the Fierce Dragon Sixth System had originally been an uninhabited system, built up entirely under the Fierce Dragon civilization's development,
a great many of its people would follow the arrangements.
And its industrial equipment had all been built later; when it was built, the matter of evacuating and moving it had already been taken into account.
So the evacuation work there was the least difficult.
"The Fierce Dragon Seventh System and the Fierce Dragon Ninth System are each expected to need at least fifty days of evacuation work. And of the related industrial facilities, under twenty percent can be evacuated and moved." Secretary Officer Barbara gave a rather unwelcome figure.
Zhao Chen said with a sigh, "This can't be helped either. After all, these systems already had their own civilizational order, and whether those kingdom powers will cooperate with the evacuation when the time comes is far from certain. How do things stand on the calamity side? Have we obtained any relevant intelligence?"
Zhao Chen asked with concern.
Marshal Chu Xuan said, "Over this week we ran simulated tests in three separate time windows, at nine different locations. Each was assigned three thousand interstellar warships. What attacked us was a hive-race calamity. And the conclusion we finally reached is this. This calamity attacks in a form like waves: every so often a wave of assaults is launched from the outside inward. The interval we can confirm at present is around seventy-two to a hundred hours. The calamity's technology level is T3. Taken one wave at a time, our Fierce Dragon civilization can hold it off completely. But the problem is that a wave comes every seventy-two to a hundred hours; that frequency is simply too high. And going by the state of those calamity waves, they are expected to cover all the danger zones completely in about three months. As for when our three systems make contact and fall, the result of our simulated calculations is this. The Fierce Dragon Ninth System will be the first to meet the calamity waves, half a month from now; without any resistance, three days after that the entire system will be ruled by the calamity hive-race. The Fierce Dragon Seventh System will meet the calamity waves about a month from now, and fall entirely five days later. The Fierce Dragon Sixth System will meet the calamity waves about two months from now, and fall entirely within a single day."
"Chu Xuan, what do you think: do we fight next, or withdraw?" Zhao Chen looked at Chu Xuan, asking her opinion.
"That depends on the specifics. Judging by the present situation, going by the strength of each wave of the calamity hive-race, I think we are fully able to stand against it. And as it happens, the three systems we now need to evacuate overlap within the calamity hive-race's attack waves. For example, the Sixth System is wrapped behind the Seventh and Ninth Systems. So as long as the Seventh and Ninth Systems do not fall, the Sixth System is perfectly safe. And part of the Seventh System is screened by the Ninth System. So if we want to hold off the calamity hive-race's attack, we need only set up a defense line along the outer side of the Ninth System and build a defense line in part of the Seventh System. That way, we can stop the calamity hive-race! I have also had the staff department calculate whether this is worth it. First they calculated the cost the war would take, and the losses we would suffer if we gave these systems up. After working it through, the result was this. So long as the calamity hive-race's strength stays the same and its manner of attack stays the same, defending this way is no loss to us at all. The resources these three systems of ours produce can fully bear the battlefield attrition we may incur, with a great deal of room to spare. It will not waste resources for nothing; we can even go on producing the resources we need!"
Zhao Chen nodded. "That would naturally be best. Then this defensive campaign I leave entirely in your charge, Chu Xuan. When the time comes, whether to fight or withdraw, you may decide directly."
"Yes!"
"What is the situation with the other Trial civilizations now? Any big moves!" Zhao Chen asked with concern.
The appearance of the danger zones had greatly changed many situations.
"Yes. The one most affected is the Crimson Flame Federation. It has lost so many systems at a stroke; if it simply swallows those losses, the resources its remaining systems produce cannot possibly meet the Crimson Flame Federation's needs. So the Crimson Flame Federation is now preparing for war. Not against those enemies, but against the other Trial civilizations. According to the intelligence we have, the Crimson Flame Federation's fleets are preparing to raid other Trial civilizations, meaning to seize system territory inside the safe zone at this critical juncture."
"A base-trade!" Zhao Chen saw through the arrangement at a glance.[1]
Since its own overall strength was going to be weakened, it would drag others down into the water with it, rather than take the loss alone.
That was the Crimson Flame Federation's thinking.
"And the two strongest powers, the Savage Beast Alliance and the Golden Pupil Mutual-Aid Society?"
"These two Trial civilization powers also show signs of preparing for battle, but they are not in such a hurry as the Crimson Flame Federation. Perhaps they are weighing the pros and cons themselves."
Having heard all this,
Zhao Chen lowered his head and looked at the interstellar map before him,
at the green safe zone drawn upon it.
"The change in the situation has sped up the progress of the Trial of the Gods. It has also mixed in more variables. No one knows what will happen next anymore. All we can do is do what we ourselves ought to do. I believe we can come through this Trial of the Gods!" Zhao Chen said earnestly.
From then on the Fierce Dragon civilization launched a new plan.
"The Divine Dragon Defense Line Program!"
Defense lines were to be built in the Fierce Dragon Ninth System and the Fierce Dragon Seventh System.
On the defense line, besides stationing Fierce Dragon interstellar fleets to hold it, T3 Storm-Fortress-class Large Star-Ports and T4 Storm-City-class Large Star-Ports were also to be built.
Both kinds of star-port were military star-ports, with their own defensive weapons and star shields, able to assist in the defense of the line.
In the Fierce Dragon civilization's plan, one such star-port was to be built at every interval along the Divine Dragon Defense Line.
Star-ports, fortresses, combat satellites and interstellar warships, working together, would hold off the enemy's attacks!
And because of the question of time,
the Fierce Dragon fleets went up front first, to buy time for building these defensive installations behind them.
In the first battle against the calamity hive-race,
the Fierce Dragon civilization deployed nearly a hundred thousand interstellar warships straight onto the front-line battlefield, sending up more than ten thousand T4 interstellar warships among them.
All to make a show of force in the first wave of fighting.
And this battle was broadcast live to the rear the whole way through.
Because the main battlefields were the outer regions of the Fierce Dragon Ninth System and the Fierce Dragon Seventh System,
these two systems had been somewhat on edge of late; even those who chose to stay had no heart for work.
This would affect social stability.
So the Fierce Dragon civilization meant to broadcast this first battle live, and with a great victory, buy peace of mind among the populace.
Only when the populace was at peace, and life and work had returned to order, would the Fierce Dragon civilization's defense of these two systems have meaning.