Seeing the new safe-zone map before them,
everyone present felt their heart leap into their throat in that moment.
Of nine systems, only three were now still inside the safe zone.
Most important of all, this also meant that in the second bug-tide, the area the Fierce Dragon civilization had to defend was all the larger.
"Here, and here. And part of this one here. We need to set up defense lines in at least three systems. The defense zone is twice what it was the first time!" Marshal Chu Xuan said with a grave expression.
The defense zone had doubled.
That meant not only that the need for forces had doubled.
All the logistics and supply and supporting arrangements had to rise with it as well.
That way, with all of it added together, the increase was no small matter.
"How many starships do we have now?" Zhao Chen asked, looking at Marshal Chu Xuan.
Over the past year, nearly,
the Fierce Dragon civilization had been holding off the bug-tide's onslaught while losing no time in expanding its interstellar fleets.
"As of now, our interstellar warships have risen to six hundred thousand. Twenty legion fleets in all," Marshal Chu Xuan said.
Six hundred thousand interstellar warships.
This was the confidence the Fierce Dragon civilization now held in its hands.
In large part this was also because in the first cycle the Fierce Dragon civilization had held off the bug-tide's attack and given up not a single system.
That had sped up development inside the Fierce Dragon civilization's systems further still.
Knowing the Fierce Dragon civilization would not give them up, people naturally did everything they could to do their own share.
This in turn made every system's productive capacity rise far faster than first expected.
"Of these six hundred thousand interstellar warships, twenty thousand are T4 interstellar warships, and all the rest are T3 interstellar warships," Marshal Chu Xuan added.
"But the biggest problem right now is that we simply don't know how strong the second bug-tide will be. By our guess, the second bug-tide will certainly be stronger than the first. So… how to draw up our battle plan is vital for us!" Secretary Officer Barbara looked at Emperor Zhao Chen with a complicated expression.
The decision to come bore on the fate of the Fierce Dragon civilization's nine systems as they stood now.
Give up six systems?
That was beyond doubt the safest choice.
But it also meant the Fierce Dragon civilization's industrial capacity would fall to a third of what it had been, at least.
But if, as before, they held off the bug-tide and held the remaining six systems to the death,
no one knew what price the Fierce Dragon civilization would pay.
Zhao Chen pointed at the interstellar map before him.
"After this second shrinking of the safe zone, the systems left inside the safe zone are down to the last thirty. And going by this, when it shrinks the third time, the last ones left may be fewer than fifteen! By then, five Trial blocs crowded into fewer than fifteen systems: that is bound to break out into a fierce battle!" Marshal Medusa said gravely. "I think we should choose our earlier strategy. That's not to say I'm too soft-hearted, unable to bear seeing those systems' natives far from home. It's that I believe this truly is a very good decision. First. In the first stage of fighting, we have already made those common people believe in our ability. Morale has taken shape. So we have no need at all to worry about a crisis of trust. As long as our interstellar fleets stay stationed at the front, as long as no bugs slip through, people will trust us! They believe we will hold off every storm out there. That is the advantage the past year's fierce fighting has given us. Morale, the people's hearts, the will to fight. Then again, if we give up six systems at one stroke, our industrial capacity will plunge to a third of what it is now. It looks like only a cut of a third.[1] But you have to know that maintaining a vast fleet of six hundred thousand interstellar warships takes very great industrial capacity in itself. That would also mean we'd have little industrial capacity left to give to building interstellar warships. In the battles to come, six hundred thousand interstellar warships might be our ceiling. In the fighting, if the interstellar warships we build could even fill the gaps, that would already be hard to come by."
What Marshal Medusa said made sense.
An interstellar fleet of six hundred thousand interstellar warships, every one of them T4- and T3-grade,
needed very strong industrial support behind it for its logistics.
With nine systems, this was no problem at all.
But if it suddenly plunged to three systems, the vast fleet's problems would come into the open.
"Whereas if we can hold these six systems, and hold out one more year, our interstellar fleets may rise to nine hundred thousand, or even a million ships! By then it will be time for us to launch a general offensive on the Trial civilizations. Even if we make enemies of every Trial civilization, we'll be fully confident!" Marshal Medusa laid out her final thought.
Muster a million interstellar warships, and they could go to war with every Trial civilization.
Zhao Chen looked at Chu Xuan.
After a moment's silence, Marshal Chu Xuan said, "If we truly had a million interstellar warships, we could indeed sweep the other Trial civilizations. And in the meantime, the other Trial civilizations will be fighting among themselves as well. That is an enormous advantage for us. But there is one danger that could break out at any moment. That is the Far Shore of Deep Space! They won't just watch us sit on the sidelines forever. So once they find us greedily holding nine systems, they are bound to turn their spears around and focus every Trial civilization's attention on us! They may even declare war on us outright! And once word gets out that we have a vast interstellar fleet and nine systems, we are bound to become everyone's target!"
Marshal Chu Xuan's expression was grave as she named this most threatening factor of all.
"Then we strike at the Far Shore of Deep Space?" A gleam of killing intent showed in Secretary Officer Barbara's eyes.
"We can't. Once we strike at the Far Shore of Deep Space, the other Trial civilizations' powers are bound to find out too," Marshal Chu Xuan said, shaking her head.
"Then what do we do?" Secretary Officer Barbara said gravely.
"Keep hiding our strength. At the same time, as already deployed, keep close watch on the Far Shore of Deep Space's every move. And while we lay out our bug-tide defense lines, we keep back enough fleet strength for lightning strikes on those Trial civilizations. We have to make sure that the moment they have any thought of using force on us, we launch the first round of attack on them ourselves. In the present situation, being first to open battle on the other side's system territory and wreck their industrial production system: that is beyond doubt the best bargain!"