Zhao Chen took in the sight of this masterwork. The five T3 Phantom Assassin-class Light Interstellar Stealth Bombers, having completed this "interception task," then swiftly withdrew from the battlefield. Earlier, Charlotte hadn't deployed these five T3 Phantom Assassins on a combat task — precisely because, in this campaign, this model of warship wasn't suited to that decapitation tactic of times past. Did they see that dark, dense stretch of bug-sea? Never mind whether these T3 Phantom Assassins could smoothly lie in stealth and cross the bug-sea to reach their targets' sides — even if they truly did slip through, hidden, then when the time came to complete the task, could they, stripped of the vast bulk of their attack ability, still withdraw? Even a T3 Phantom Assassin with an all-around shield would, by all estimates, be past all deliverance. So Charlotte had, well in advance, deployed them on a special task: when the third defensive line collapsed and the interstellar fleet withdrew to the fourth line, they'd cover the retreat.
By the look of the present situation, this task had been completed to perfection. All the interstellar warships had withdrawn to the fourth defensive line, and there re-formed their battle formation. And having witnessed the T3 Phantom Assassins' astonishing scene of bombardment, it had, a little, swept away the gloom in the hearts of those star-gate defenders.
"Report — the five T2 Lion Kings are resupplied, and can give the battlefield fire support once more!" The wolf-girl Baixue, in a posture of one unable to wait, reported to Zhao Chen and Charlotte.
"Await my attack order," Charlotte said.
Though the swarm had suffered this wave of interception by the T3 Phantom Assassins, in truth the momentum of its assault hadn't been much affected — for the hive-race fleet's vast base number was there for all to see. Of the battle up to this point, the damage dealt to them didn't yet reach 5%; it had merely slowed the speed at which they destroyed the star gate.
At this point the Morton eldest son took the initiative to get in touch with Zhao Chen.
"Your Excellency the Commander… it's been most fortunate to fight shoulder to shoulder with you here. The formidable combat power of your fleet has left us marveling. But we all know well — the Morton star gate can't be held. This fourth defensive line can hold at most another half hour, and by then the state of my warships will be past being able to build a fifth line."
The Morton eldest son said with a bitter smile, "Though in the end we've lost the star gate — whatever the case, the common people of the Starlight Empire will know, in the days to come: that here, Morton's fleet held on for close to two hours! Morton has no cowards!"
Zhao Chen looked at the other, knowing he had more to say.
"My thanks again for your support. A moment ago, I learned, too, from my subordinate, of your identity and your onetime hero's legend. Owl Dragon System lord, Your Excellency Viscount Zhao Chen. You once led a single interstellar warship, charging straight into hive-race-controlled territory, to rescue the two-academy fleet. You, and your fleet, should not be buried here, following us to the grave. In a little while, my fleet will cover your withdrawal, and the star gate, too, will keep in reserve a last capacity for passage. I beg of you, Your Excellency Viscount Zhao Chen… leave!"
Seeing that Zhao Chen meant to speak, the Morton eldest son laid a hand over his own chest and said, with tragic solemnity, "I beg Your Excellency the Viscount — grant me this one last wish of mine!"
Zhao Chen looked at this young man before him, and he smiled.
He'd seen the dark side of the Starlight Empire — there was the mutual deceit and scheming between one and another, there was betrayal among the nobles, there was the ugliness of those who, though princes, presided over the dark-side slave trade. But within the Starlight Empire there was, too, a bright side; there were noble scions like this — who fought valiantly, and did not forget their mission.
"I'd rather like to grant this wish of yours, but neither do I care to shoulder a deserter's name and reproach. And besides — who says we can't hold this star gate?" Zhao Chen said with a shrug.
The Morton eldest son wore a look of anxiety; he hadn't imagined that His Excellency Zhao Chen would be, of all things, this "stubborn."
This time it was the Morton eldest son's turn to be cut off. Zhao Chen raised a hand, signaling the Morton eldest son to await the words to come. "My fleet will keep fighting here for half an hour. If, after half an hour, this battle still shows no turn for the better — then I'll lead my fleet away. There now — does that satisfy you?"
Half an hour…
The Morton eldest son turned it over in his heart, and then nodded.
"What is your name?" Zhao Chen looked at this young man with interest. Before this, he'd known only that this young man was the eldest son of the Morton System's lord — but he hadn't known his name.
"Xu Yifan." The young man, somewhat bashful just now, spoke his own name.
"Xu Yifan, son of the Morton System's Count — I've remembered you." Zhao Chen ended this comm with a smile.
Lilith said at Zhao Chen's side, "The Morton System's Xu family is one of the several largest families in the North Wind Star Region; on account of controlling the resource-type Morton System, the Xu family is, as good as, holding half of the North Wind Star Region's resource lifeline. But in this hive-race crisis, the Xu family head — that is, this young lord Xu's father, Count Xu — has perished. And of the Xu family's directly subordinate fleet, not one in 10 remains. By all estimates… after this crisis, the Xu family's holdings will be eyed by no small number of other powers."
Zhao Chen said nothing, and looked to the battle situation before him. Before long, the second fallen Owl Dragon Fleet warship appeared — likewise a T2 Black Rhino. It had been locked as a target by a T4 Hunter-class Leviathan, and, its hull armor severely damaged, its captain had given the emergency order to abandon ship and withdraw. Happily, before the ship exploded, all 20 crew evacuated. And, under the cover of the T3 Phoenix-class fighters, they smoothly withdrew to the T3 Andromeda-class Interstellar Medical Ship.
Zhao Chen crossed his two hands before his mouth, silently fixing his gaze on the battle situation. Time passed, bit by bit. Over on the defending fleet's side, the interstellar warships too kept suffering damage and falling. Though over this stretch of time, over at the star gate, warships come to support kept joining the battlefield without cease, the great majority were T2 warships and T1 warships, and the speed at which they joined the battlefield fell far, far short of the speed at which ships fell. The corps-grade Empire-military fleet that had originally been garrisoned here — its 300 warships now had under 100 remaining. And of its 10 T3 warships, only three still held on and fought. That Empire-military fleet's flagship had long since fallen, its command authority taken over by the deputy fleet commander.
The whole situation seemed to be declaring that the fall of the Morton star gate was already only a matter of time. The fourth defensive line, at this point, was likewise perilous in the extreme. Now, all of this was no more than a death-throe struggle.
As though, in some unseen way, moved by a premonition—
Zhao Chen looked toward the direction of the star gate.
At this point, one special interstellar warship after another crossed the star gate and appeared in the berthing area before the gate. Upon these interstellar warships there was, one and all, a golden "Chu" character!
10… 30… 50… 100… 300…
Swoosh!
An enormous interstellar warship stood, plain to see, in their midst. Every last soldier within the Starlight Empire would absolutely recognize this model of warship!
The Boreas-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship!