"This Third Fleet of mine was the first to set out to come support. My grandfather has, following on, dispatched an Empire-corps fleet garrisoned in the Chu River Star Region as well; and the relevant interstellar supply ships will be provided, following on, by the North Wind Star Region — that is, by my maternal grandfather. These will, by all estimates, arrive one after another within 10 hours. Speak, then — what is it we need to do now? My fleet takes your command entirely!" Chu Xuan, staring at Zhao Chen, gave a rough account of the situation on her side, and looked at Zhao Chen expectantly.
This Chu eldest miss, whose one heart's wish had been to join the Empire's military fleet, just now, facing so terrifying a hive-race fleet — knowing full well that a T4 Hive Mothership existed — showed not the least panic, but was, on the contrary, somewhat thrilled! Worthy indeed of being that Governor of Chu River's granddaughter; perhaps this was the inheritance of the bloodline.
"You trust me this much?" Zhao Chen looked at Chu Xuan with some surprise. This, after all, wasn't just any casually gathered interstellar fleet — it was the Chu family fleet.
"We are, when all's said, comrades-in-arms who've fought shoulder to shoulder, of a live-and-die-together bond. This much trust I have. Deploy the combat task." Chu Xuan, hands on her hips, wore the very picture of one poised and ready.
At this point Zhao Chen brought Charlotte into this comm channel, forming a three-way talk. "Charlotte, give Chu Xuan a brief account of our coming combat plan," Zhao Chen said.
Chu Xuan, seeing Charlotte before her, couldn't help her eyes lighting up. She knew Charlotte, and their relationship was tolerably good — for the two of them shared the same standing, both being female commanders within a fleet. Only, the Charlotte she'd met at the time had been one bearing old wounds and scars. The Charlotte of that time had been more like a Valkyrie sort of existence, her body full of a fierce, violent air and a killing air. At the outset, Chu Xuan had even held a bit of dread toward this beast-folk. It was only after coming into contact with her that she'd discovered this was, in fact, quite an adorable little tiger — and one who loved most of all to eat fish; one needed only take out a few cans of fish to build up a tolerably good relationship with her. And now, looking at this little tiger before her — whether it was on account of the scars upon her body having vanished — that fierce, violent air and killing intent from before had drawn much inward. She gave one the feeling of a crisp, dashing woman-general. It even left Chu Xuan staring dazed for a few seconds.
"Miss Chu…" Charlotte was the first to enter the proper state of things; in an extremely short span of time she set forth the coming combat plan.
Chu Xuan came back to herself, and, hearing the combat plan Charlotte had deployed, couldn't help crying out inwardly in admiration: this little white tiger truly was quite formidable — above all in the matter of commanding interstellar warfare! There was no telling from where that fellow Zhao Chen had abducted such a genius of command.
"Good — let's do just as you say, Charlotte! Let our Chu family fleet fight shoulder to shoulder with your Owl Dragon Fleet, and destroy these bugs!" Chu Xuan said with resolve.
Charlotte gave a silent nod.
Beep, beep, beep.
And it was just then that, on Chu Xuan's side, a comm request came in. Chu Xuan cast a glance at it, and looked at Zhao Chen with a smile. "It's the commander of the defending fleet here — a fellow called Xu Yifan."
"This kid's character is no bad thing." Zhao Chen offered his assessment.
Chu Xuan looked at Zhao Chen with some surprise. To be able to earn this man's assessment — it seemed this young lord Xu was, indeed, no bad sort. She put through the comm — and did so, moreover, right before Zhao Chen.
Xu Yifan, too, saw the Zhao Chen in the video window at the Chu eldest miss's side.
"Your Excellency Zhao Chen is already in talks with Miss Chu?" the eldest son, Xu Yifan, said in astonishment.
"It was precisely this fellow who called me here, you know." Chu Xuan deliberately pointed at the Zhao Chen in the video window beside her. Zhao Chen cast a glance at Chu Xuan; Chu Xuan's intent in these words was to let Xu Yifan know he owed him a great debt of gratitude.
The eldest son, Xu Yifan, looked at Zhao Chen with astonishment and gratitude; only now could he be said to understand why this Viscount Zhao Chen had believed with such firmness that the Morton star gate could be held. Because he'd long since had a deployment plan! To have gone and invited even the Chu family fleet in advance — and to be able to arrive this quickly besides!
Oh, that's right!
That rumor… the Owl Dragon System's lord is the Chu River Governor's grandson-in-law?
The eldest son, Xu Yifan, looked at Zhao Chen with all the more reverence. An idol! This was, quite simply, the idol of his life!
After a few seconds' stunned stillness, the eldest son, Xu Yifan, at last came to himself, realizing he'd been somewhat rude; he at once saluted Chu Xuan. "The Morton System Count's son, Xu Yifan, at present serving as the temporary commander of the Morton star gate's defending fleet. My deepest thanks for the Chu family fleet's support! Thank you so much! You've come so timely! May I ask — what arrangement do you have? We'll cooperate with all our strength!"
Xu Yifan looked at Chu Xuan and Zhao Chen with earnest eagerness, not caring in the least about that so-called temporary-commander post of his. In his view, whether the Morton System could be held on to rested on these two people before him. These two were the very helmsmen who steered everything here!
"We've already agreed on the coming combat deployment; we'll need your defending fleet to cooperate with us," Chu Xuan opened her mouth and said.
"Good! No problem!" Xu Yifan said with resolve.
Before long—
the Morton star gate's fourth defensive line, which had been on the very verge of collapse, was, at this point, of all things, steadied anew. And there was, moreover, the situation of a counterattack recovering the "lost ground"!
"What? Your Excellency Zhao Chen and that Chu eldest miss mean to go on the offensive and kill that T4 Hive Mothership!" The adjutant, hearing Commander Xu Yifan's words, had his jaw drop.
"Yes! And our task is, over this stretch of time, to make certain of this fourth defensive line's stability, and to await the next order at all times!" Xu Yifan said with some excitement.
But the adjutant heard it with a chill running down his back. "Have they gone mad? So vast a swarm! That T4 Hive Mothership is at such a distance, with so terrifying a bio-plasma cannon besides! How is one to attack over to it? Just now, shouldn't defense be the one and only choice!"
"No! Viscount Zhao Chen has said: the enemy's T4 Hive Mothership's range is above the T4 Boreas's, and along with that T4 Hive Mothership's drawing nearer, our Morton star gate is about to enter within its range too. And if it should simply choose to attack our star gate, what then? We have no choice. Either destroy it before it attacks the star gate — or watch, with our own eyes, as it destroys our Morton star gate, and then we utterly lose all hope, and are swallowed up by the swarm!" Commander Xu Yifan said, firm and resolute.
The adjutant was left with no words. This was, indeed, an enormous problem. That T4 Hive Mothership's attack, everyone had seen with their own eyes. If it truly attacked the star gate, the consequences would be too dreadful to contemplate! But… under such circumstances, could they truly, beneath a swarm of tens of millions, destroy one of the enemy's flagships? This was far more easily said than done. Even one as mighty as the Chu family fleet — could even they necessarily accomplish it?
The adjutant's heart clenched tight at this point; he looked at the video display beside him. The Owl Dragon Fleet's interstellar warships had, together with the Chu family fleet, gradually formed a charge formation — and the target of this charge was, plain to see, precisely the position of that T4 Hive Mothership!
They… could they truly do it?