The Owl Dragon System · T4 Reviver-class Clone-Human Starship.
This interstellar warship, from its construction to its entry into service, had all along been kept in a state of secrecy. The personnel who knew there was such an interstellar warship were few in the extreme; and those who fully knew its function were, up to now, still Zhao Chen and Zhao Chen alone. Even the crew who worked aboard it were unclear on just what sort of interstellar warship it was they worked upon.
And at this moment, within the ship's terminal-processing equipment, there arose a ripple of stirring in the holographic screen that had been quiescent. Upon it could be seen the names and information of 15 Owl Dragon women-soldiers who had already fallen and given their lives.
"The life-signals of the fallen Owl Dragon crew have been received; reception is complete… awaiting the command of the highest authority…"
The T4 Reviver-class Clone-Human Starship was rather special; it had to be that, only upon receiving Zhao Chen's own personal permission, could it carry out the next step of its work. And Zhao Chen at this moment — though his heart, too, had flown back to the Owl Dragon System — still had to finish dealing with the matters at hand first.
The Snake-folk system.
"In this battle, because apart from the Snake-Sovereign Fortress we set up no defenses on the other planets, the enemy fleet accordingly came straight for our Snake-Sovereign Fortress to have the decisive battle out with us. And so, apart from this battle itself, no other losses of any factor were incurred. In this battle, our interstellar fleet's losses reached 6,000 interstellar warships; and, reckoning in the other scattered, sundry damaged interstellar warships besides, those still possessing combat power now number only 10,000 interstellar warships," Medusa said to Zhao Chen opposite.
This was a virtual-network meeting room. Zhao Chen sat in the head seat, with Lilith and Charlotte seated respectively at his side. And the other two were precisely the Snake-folk's Medusa and the Bramble Group's power-holder, Red Rose.
"Though in this battle we won the victory, the Reef Star Region's crisis this time is not yet over. Just as Medusa said before, our one and only method is to unify the Reef Star Region, and then join the Galactic Alliance in an independent form. This is, at present, the sole method of keeping ourselves alone unsullied," Zhao Chen said.
Medusa nodded in agreement; set against this civil war of the Reef Star Region, the greater pressure was, in truth, still that which came from the two great empires' regular armies — for those were genuine, true-to-the-mark interstellar fleets! Not something these half-baked lots of the Reef Star Region were fit to measure against.
"The Starlight Empire's regular army is comparatively near the Reef Star Region — only three days' journey away — but for some reason its speed of advance keeps slowing. On the contrary, the Warhammer interstellar fleet, which is comparatively far from the Reef Star Region, keeps quickening the speed of its approach toward the Reef Star Region; it's estimated to arrive at the Reef Star Region within a week!" Red Rose said from the side.
"Lady Red Rose knows quite a great deal, it seems." Zhao Chen looked at this fair and alluring woman before him with interest.
Red Rose gave a charming, bewitching smile, and said in a soft voice, "For those of us who do the merchant's trade — the more so, being merchants in a place like the Reef Star Region — we must, of course, have our own means in the matter of intelligence-gathering; otherwise, how we came to die, we'd not even know."
Zhao Chen nodded in agreement. This Snake-Sovereign Fortress campaign, the reason it could be conducted so smoothly — on the one hand, it was on account of the Owl Dragon Fleet's powerful interstellar-warship system. On the other, it was still on account of the intelligence system the T3 Silver-Rats had established, which left the enemy fleet with no secrets whatsoever to speak of before Zhao Chen.
"Then what thoughts do you have on what comes next?" Zhao Chen tossed this question over to Medusa and Red Rose.
Medusa said helplessly, "Originally we'd been thinking that, taking advantage of a situation where the Starlight faction's interstellar fleet and the Warhammer faction's interstellar fleet both suffered mutual losses, we'd strive for a sliver of a chance. But who could ever have imagined that, in the end, we'd, on the contrary, become the target of every arrow. And the Snake-Sovereign Fortress battle, all the more, has shattered every one of the steps. It has made the development of what comes next utterly slip free of our control. We… don't know how to arrange it either."
Red Rose, on the contrary, looked at Zhao Chen, and, with eyes soft and alluring as silk, said, "My lord is now the leader of the Independent faction; I should think you already have a proper plan and arrangement. Such as we naturally follow your will."
This woman was very clever.
Zhao Chen formed, in his heart, a clear appraisal of this Red Rose. Set against Medusa's strong-woman sort of cast, this Red Rose was rather more like Li Yaqi — but Li Yaqi was, then, far too green and tender. Both being merchants, before Red Rose, Li Yaqi's turns of mind were for all the world like those of a kindergarten child.
Medusa, at this moment, had likewise come to her senses, and looked toward Zhao Chen. By the earlier agreement, Zhao Chen's making his move this time signified, too, that the Independent faction's side was to join Zhao Chen's system. And in this battle, Zhao Chen had already displayed his ability and his means; he was fully qualified to contend for the mastery of the Reef Star Region.
"If I can protect the Reef Star Region, then that which we agreed upon before…" Zhao Chen looked at the two women before him through narrowed eyes.
Red Rose pressed a hand to her chest, and said respectfully, "So long as you can bring your promise to pass, my Bramble Group will be your most loyal of subordinates!"
This woman was very decisive.
Though Medusa was somewhat hesitant, she nonetheless nodded and said, "So long as my people's safety can be guaranteed… I, too, am willing…"
The corner of Zhao Chen's mouth curled slightly upward; he made a hand-gesture to Charlotte at his side.
Charlotte spoke up. "By our thinking, we must first take control of the Reef Star Region before the two empires' regular armies arrive. Which is to say, we must get this matter settled within three days! But taking into account the Starlight Empire's uncanny march speed, we can push this timeframe to seven days at the latest — that is, to the time of the Warhammer faction's interstellar fleet's arrival."
"Never mind three days… seven days is very rushed." Medusa was somewhat worried.
Charlotte went on, "Our idea is this: all fleets rest and refit for one day. On the second day, we campaign against the several Reef Star Region forces that support the Starlight faction, clearing those forces away at the fastest speed we can. And after that, we turn our heads back around and set upon the several interstellar forces that support the Warhammer faction."
"And what if… while we're carrying out these steps, the two great empires bring their pressure to bear?" Medusa inquired.
"Then we fight a battle!" Charlotte said without the least ceremony.
"Fight the two great empires' regular armies?" Medusa was given a fright.
Lilith added from the side, "Though both great empires want to take control of the Reef Star Region, their target this time is by no means the Reef Star Region alone; they have a great many other targets besides. The fleets dispatched over to take receipt of the Reef Star Region are, in fact, no great number."
Zhao Chen tapped his fingers against the table's edge, and said blandly, "And to make others acknowledge your existence — that takes strength. And strength is something won by fighting. The more so with these several empires: only when you possess a strength that makes them respect you can you possess the right to exist independently."
Red Rose's eyes lit up; this new "master" of hers truly had courage, and dared as well to think and to do. And, moreover, he possessed a powerful interstellar fleet. Perhaps he really could make the Reef Star Region into a special existence.