"Reporting — the combat-consumption and loss data of this battle, tallied out. We lost five T2 Black Rhinos, along with a portion of interstellar fighters and a portion of interstellar drones. Besides, three T3 Triceratops hulls and one T3 Blizzard sustained comparatively severe damage, and need to be arranged to return to the Owl Dragon System for repair. As for personnel casualties: we've had 53 give their lives, with 27 gravely wounded. The strategic materials consumed in the campaign reached 1.5 billion star coins." Lilith made her battle report to Zhao Chen.
53 lives given.
This was several times over the toll of the earlier Snake-Sovereign Fortress battle. But come to think of it, it stood to reason: though the Snake-Sovereign Fortress battle had committed a greater number of interstellar warships, its combat intensity had been far from a match for this ambush battle. Even in the situation, at the very end, of the whole thing tilting one-sidedly, that Black Wolf Tribe Third Legion had, all the same, been counterattacking! This, just this, was the gap between a regular army and a fish-fleet.
As for the personnel who'd given their lives, Zhao Chen this time directly, remotely, commanded the T4 Reviver-class Clone-Human Starship to carry out the revival of the fallen personnel.
"1.5 billion star coins of strategic resources." Seeing this figure of consumption, Zhao Chen felt a spasm of that money-flesh ache within. "How much strategic-resource reserve do we have now?"
Lilith called up a data panel, upon which was every last strategic-resource reserve, the various figures exceedingly detailed.
"Over this stretch of time, we've, through some channels, used star-coin funds to procure some raw-material resources; adding, besides, the reward of 1 billion star coins of strategic resources the North Wind Star Region Governor bestowed upon you earlier — deducting this battle's consumption, we still have on our books 500 million in strategic resources. And over the coming month, Li Yaqi's Northern Goose Group can, moreover, provide us with 1 billion more in strategic resources."
Zhao Chen said with a wry smile, "Who'd have thought that our vast interstellar legion, able to wipe out three Warhammer regular-army fleets easily and effortlessly, would have to count its days out on its fingers, here."
Lilith gave a helpless little shrug. "Interstellar missiles are a joy to use in the moment — but what's fired off is real gold and solid silver. Commander Baixue asked me just now, too, whether we could build another 25 T3 Judicators. That way, her interstellar-missile-ship fleet could at least be maintained at a small-fleet scale." Lilith lifted her eyelids and looked at Zhao Chen, wearing a whole money-flesh-aching look. "But I've already refused."
"This Baixue — she truly doesn't know how dear the firewood, rice, oil, and salt are, not being the one who runs the household.[1] Expand by 25 more? Why doesn't she just up and sell me off, and use me as a cannon-shell for her instead. Right now a paltry five of them, and I already can't afford to keep them; and she wants to form a squad." Zhao Chen grumbled.
At that very moment, the wolf-girl Baixue — personally inspecting the interstellar-missile-reserve work aboard her own beloved T3 Judicator-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ship — gave a sneeze. Had she caught a cold, herself? How could one possibly catch a cold aboard an interstellar warship. She wondered, too, how that agenda-item she'd reported up to the Lord Commander — of expanding the T3 Judicator-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ships — had come along. To picture the scene of 30 T3 Judicator-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ships carrying out a saturation-style firepower strike — she felt her whole body, head to toe, surging with hot blood.
"The captured interstellar warships we've brought back this time — the auxiliary-type interstellar warships, all haul back to the Lion King System; we'll digest and put them to use ourselves. As for the combat-type interstellar warships, those we'll hand over to Medusa. Her interstellar fleet gave its lives in no small number over the several earlier Reef Star Region campaigns. As it happens she needs interstellar warships to replenish it — for, after all, she'll be needed hereafter to administer the whole Reef Star Region."
Lilith, listening to these things the Lord Commander was laying out, recorded them all down.
Zhao Chen, at this point, added further, "Ah, right — these interstellar warships are by no means being gifted to Medusa for free; they're to be given her in the form of a military-loan aid. As for the price, just go by 31% discount off the market rate; there's no need for immediate payment. Later, once she has funds in hand, she can repay us then, and that'll do."
Lilith drew a red circle around this one line. This was an exceedingly important point. Right now, the Owl Dragon Legion, from top to bottom, was rather "hard up." And so, naturally, one had to devise every means to squeeze a bit of funds out of anywhere at all.
Zhao Chen went on, "And there are, besides, the spoils we scavenged off those enemy fleets' interstellar-warship wrecks when we swept the battlefield. Don't go hauling those back to the Owl Dragon System — too much bother. Just hand them straight over to Red Rose of the Bramble Free Trade Group to take charge of; let her deal with them on our behalf, and when the time comes we'll split it 80/20, and that'll do."
Lilith nodded; doing it this way could reduce the Owl Dragon Legion's own business burden.
Zhao Chen, one leg crossed over the other, called a certain matter to mind and said, "And there's this too — with the Reef Star Region matter this time concluded, and the Warhammer-faction interstellar forces beginning to pull out of the Reef Star Region as well — I reckon I'll have to leave the Reef Star Region for a stretch of time; the matter of going to the Starlight Empire's imperial capital system for the conferral can't be delayed. I estimate this one departure may need half a month to a month's time. Though in between, we can still keep in contact, and I'll, too, remotely command the affairs of our Owl Dragon System and the Lion King System, and the Reef Star Region besides. But should any sudden situation be met with — you and Charlotte have the authority to deal with anything at all in my stead."
As for the matter of the Commander being about to set out for the imperial capital system for the conferral, Lilith had long known. This preparatory item, too, had long been arranged for beforehand.
"Very well; over this stretch of time you're away, we'll deal well with all the affairs within the territory. Please set your mind at ease, Lord Commander." Lilith looked at Zhao Chen with a smile. That Zhao Chen could be granted a marquis's title was, for such subordinates as they, beyond doubt a most joyful thing. They, too, felt proud of the Lord Commander's glory!
Zhao Chen's gaze suddenly turned cold; he said in earnest, "Though I've handed the Reef Star Region over to Medusa's full charge, ordering her, within one month's time, to thoroughly take over the whole system of the Reef Star Region — yet… should she, in the course of this process, do anything that runs counter to our interests, then, Lilith, you ought to know clearly how to deal with it, I take it."
Lilith nodded. "Execute the Reef Star Region contingency plan."
That was a top-secret plan within the Owl Dragon Legion's database — one for the case in which the proxy in the Reef Star Region needed to be cleared away. Though Zhao Chen trusted this Snake-folk queen greatly, holding that she was no fool and wouldn't do some foolish thing — yet in this world there was no matter that was 100% certainty, and so Zhao Chen naturally needed two means prepared in hand. Were that Medusa Queen obedient, then of course nothing could be better. Zhao Chen could make her the queen of the whole Reef Star Region, and let the Snake-folk flourish and thrive. But were she to run counter to Zhao Chen's will, then Zhao Chen wouldn't mind choosing a new proxy afresh.
"Should there be any important matter, report it to me within these three days. Three days from now, I'll be making ready to set out for the imperial capital system," Zhao Chen said.