With the T3 Phoenix rolled off the line and into service, joining the ranks of the Owl Dragon Fleet—
the interstellar warships in the original construction plan were, thereafter, one after another built to completion as well, and once their crews had boarded, formally joined the ranks of the Owl Dragon Fleet.
Galactic Star Calendar, year 3031, December 25th.
Of the construction plan Zhao Chen had drawn up at the end of September, all the interstellar warships — save for the T4 Reviver-class Clone Ship — had been built to completion nearly a full week ahead of time, and had joined the Owl Dragon Fleet's combat order.
T3 Phoenix-class Heavy Carrier Starship · bridge.
Lilith stood on Zhao Chen's right, and deputy captain Chitong on Zhao Chen's left.
"The Owl Dragon Fleet's outfitting is complete. The fleet-wide combat-type interstellar warships come to 102 ships in all, of which T3 warships number 26 and T2 warships 76. Combat personnel total 7,300. This is the Owl Dragon Fleet's detailed situation." Lilith raised a hand and projected a data panel before Zhao Chen.
T3 warships:
One T3 Phoenix-class Heavy Carrier Starship
Five T3 Phantom Assassin-class Light Interstellar Stealth Bombers
Twenty T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruisers
T2 warships:
One T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier
Five T2 Lion King-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ships
Ten T2 Snow Mastiff-class Heavy Interstellar Battleships
Sixty T2 Black Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy Assault Frigates
Besides the T3 warships that had entered service, Zhao Chen had also, making use of a portion of surplus productive capacity, added a few more T2 warships, to shore up the fleet's all-around combat ability. Though this interstellar fleet just barely reached the figure of 100 warships, its actual combat power could even tangle with the 3,000 warships of a legion-grade second-line Empire fleet — with a win chance of over 90%, at that! For the dominance of T3 warships was beyond any doubt. At present, the development line of Zhao Chen's fleet was precisely: few, but fine!
Zhao Chen looked to deputy captain Chitong beside him. "Chitong, that combat-plan report I had you draw up earlier — how's it coming along?"
"Ah?" Chitong was first taken aback, though she grasped the meaning in Zhao Chen's words. And, somewhat disbelieving and worked up, she put up the combat plan she'd long since finished drawing up. That was the combat-plan scheme for the surprise strike on the Prince Faction's slaver starport. Zhao Chen had told her some time back to have one drawn up early, and Chitong had faithfully done so — never, at first, having thought the Commander could put her combat plan to use so quickly. For that was, after all, a power under the Prince Faction. It was, moreover, one of the Prince Faction's money trees; and the slave trade, in the eyes of ordinary nobles, was of no importance at all. Who would care about the life or death of a pack of slaves — indeed, the vast majority of that pack of slaves weren't even reckoned as people.
Zhao Chen noticed the disbelief in Chitong's eyes; sure enough, this girl still hadn't wholly come to believe that he was one who made good on his word.
"Don't forget — this is something I promised you before. I'm the sort of man with one habit: I can be forgetful about anything at all, but there are two things I remember clear as day. One is money others owe me; and two is a grudge others have formed with me. Since you've joined the Owl Dragon Fleet, then your grudge is the Owl Dragon Fleet's. Repaying every grudge is a fine tradition of our Owl Dragon Fleet!" Zhao Chen said, his eyes narrowed.
Chitong drew a deep breath and mastered the agitation in her heart. "Yes! Commander, please look at my combat-plan report…"
"Hold a moment — let me first send this combat plan to Charlotte, Zhao Wan'er, and the others. Let them offer their thoughts," Zhao Chen said.
Thereupon, Chitong began to explain her combat plan in detail.
This combat plan was exceedingly complete. It included the route to take setting out from the Owl Dragon System, where it would pass through, on to where, at what time it would reach the combat site. The approximate scale of the enemy fleet it would have to face, the manner of operation recommended, the projected combat duration, along with the possible number of reinforcements the enemy might dispatch, the time of their support, and so on. And down to the withdrawal routes once the battle was finished, and the rest of it.
Deputy captain Chitong might well be said to have described it in exquisite, penetrating detail; once Zhao Chen had read it through, it was as though his mind had already walked the whole process from start to finish. And what's more, within this combat-plan report there was not merely a single plan; it moreover included dozens of contingency route-plans for the meeting of certain special situations, and so forth.
"Did you truly only ever work in an interstellar mercenary company before?" Zhao Chen looked at Chitong, delighted.
Chitong, rather bashful, pointed at her own head. "I have a talent — within my mind I can form a kind of thought-space, for all the world as though I could load a save and play through a game again and again, simulating and deducing a stretch of a scenario over and over. Before, when I was in charge of the Bloody Mary Mercenary Company, for every single operation I'd run hundreds of deduction-simulations, to ensure there'd be no mishap."
Good grief — was this not simply a protagonist's halo? Zhao Chen looked at Chitong as though looking at a nugget of gold.
In Zhao Chen's view, this combat scheme of Chitong's was already flawless to the last degree; and over on Charlotte's and Zhao Wan'er's side, feedback had come in too — basically all of them agreed with this combat scheme Chitong had drawn up, and had only added a few supplements upon its foundation. With capable, able lieutenants like these on hand, Zhao Chen genuinely felt himself quite at ease.
"Since there are no problems, then — Lilith, relay my order. Leave 10 T2 Black Rhinos to guard the Owl Dragon System; the rest of the warships are to make combat preparations within three hours — replenish ship energy and munitions and materials, and at the same time modify and disguise the hull forms. Three hours from now, we set off along this route." Zhao Chen gave the combat-preparation order outright.
Lilith said in earnest, "Understood!"
"Chitong, build up a command-network nexus now — composed of myself, you, the T3 Blizzard No.1's captain Charlotte, the T3 Phantom Assassin No.1's captain Zhao Wan'er, the T2 Snow Mastiff No.1's captain Shen Bing, and the T2 Lion King No.1's captain Baixue," Zhao Chen went on to order.
"Yes!" Deputy captain Chitong at once carried out the order. The network command system, built with the T3 Phoenix as its main body, was soon completed. Around Zhao Chen there appeared, in turn, the video windows of Charlotte, Zhao Wan'er, Shen Bing, the wolf-girl Baixue, and the others.
"Confirm the route," Zhao Chen said.
Lilith reported, "Executing Route A. Projected voyage time: five days. We will approach the target 'slaver starport' at 03:00 hours on December 31st, Galactic Star Calendar 3031. By the combat plan, a 'surprise-annihilation operation' of approximately five hours is projected, and we will withdraw from the battlefield within 10 hours after combat begins, at the latest!"
Zhao Chen looked at the star chart before him: two dashed lines marked the routes of departure and of return, and their point of intersection was precisely the target of this attack.
The slaver starport!
Zhao Chen drew a deep breath, and began quietly to wait.
Three hours soon passed.
"Report — the Owl Dragon Fleet's outfitting is complete; we may set off!" Lilith reported.
Zhao Chen said coldly, "Set off!"
An interstellar fleet composed of 92 interstellar warships, all of them done in gray paint, and without any interstellar power's emblem or marking whatsoever—
began to voyage toward the interstellar fringe space beyond the Owl Dragon System, and slipped away into the darkness!
Among them, that enormous carrier starship, like a great beast in the pitch-black, made ready to bare its fangs for the very first time.