"Reporting, Commander — this is a person we caught within an escape pod; after gathering his biological and facial information, we've confirmed his identity as Marquis North Wolf." A female crew member reported from behind him.
Zhao Chen turned about and looked at that man kneeling upon the ground, clad in an ordinary soldier's uniform.
"Isn't this Lord Marquis North Wolf — how is it you're kneeling on the ground? The floor's so cold; hurry and get up." Though such were the words on Zhao Chen's lips, he sat there without the slightest motion.
Marquis North Wolf looked at this man before him in terror; he said hastily, with a placating smile, "No… no! Kneeling suits me just fine; I like kneeling."
"By the look of it, you're on quite good terms with the Third Prince." Zhao Chen looked at Marquis North Wolf.
Marquis North Wolf's body gave a jolt, beads of sweat upon his forehead.
"No! No! I have not the least relation with the Third Prince. The reason I sent a fleet this time… was wholly on account of the Third Prince's coercion — he's a man of the Prince Faction, after all. To tell you the truth, the Prince Faction holds a handle over me, so… so I've all along obeyed the Prince Faction's orders. In fact I didn't want to… we're both lords of the North Wind Star Region, neighbors, one might even say. This… this was truly forced upon me, against my will…"
Marquis North Wolf wore a whole face of grievance, for all the world as though he'd made some deeply painful decision.
Zhao Chen said nothing; he merely gave a snap of his fingers.
A video comm was played out.
"His Highness the Third Prince, I've brought 500 interstellar warships this time, to help you in your campaign against the Owl Dragon Star System. I tell you — I too have long found that Zhao Chen an eyesore; that fellow snatched away the Morton System that was originally mine, and had I but the ability, I'd have led a fleet to fight it out with that fellow Zhao Chen long ago. And as it happens, there's Your Highness's expedition this time! My North Wolf fleet is willing to serve as the vanguard of the Third Prince's fleet."
In the image, Marquis North Wolf, for all the world like a fawning lapdog, knelt on one knee before the Third Prince Qin Hu; by the background of the image, it should have been in some reception cabin of that T4 Starlight Emperor-class Medium Carrier Starship.
At this point Marquis North Wolf even let show a cold, grim smile in the image.
"Your Highness, I hear that fellow Zhao Chen is quite the lecher — his own personal-guard fleet is, uniformly, all female, and every one of them of quite fine looks besides. When the time comes, we'll capture some of them; you may toy with them however you please, Your Highness. And once you've done with them, they can, besides, be used to reward our warriors."
The image stopped here.
Zhao Chen looked at Marquis North Wolf for all the world as though looking upon a corpse.
Marquis North Wolf's face, at this moment, was all beads of sweat — sweat pouring down like rain.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined that this stretch of video would, of all things, come to be in Zhao Chen's hands.
But now was not the time to be pondering that matter.
It was, rather, how to keep his own life.
"My lord! I was wrong! I know I was wrong! Spare this dog's life of mine, and I'm willing to give you everything I have! I have several star systems, and a great many resources besides. I can give them all to you; from now on I'll obey your every arrangement. Whatever you'd have me do, I'll do!" Marquis North Wolf kowtowed to Zhao Chen without cease, imploring that Zhao Chen might pardon his crimes.
Zhao Chen wore a look of helplessness.
"After all, we're from the one and the same star region — fellow countrymen, one might say. To have me kill you — I can't bring myself to it."
Hearing this from Zhao Chen, a gladness rose in Marquis North Wolf's heart; at once he said, fawningly, "From this day forth, my North Wolf territory is but a dog in your hand!"
"I hear that Lord Marquis is quite fond of beast-folk, is that so? That you often buy some beast-folk to keep in your own residence." Zhao Chen suddenly turned the topic.
Marquis North Wolf was taken aback; and then, calling to mind those rumors, he said at once, with a placating smile, "I do indeed have several fine female beast-folk; if my lord should want them, I'll present them all to my lord."
"Since you're fond of beast-folk, then I too will give you a rather fine gift," Zhao Chen said with a smile.
A gift for himself?
A surprise rose in Marquis North Wolf's heart; and on a moment's further thought, he took it that this must be Zhao Chen's way of drawing him over to his side.
As the common saying has it well: a stick in one hand and a sweet in the other.
This much reasoning he still grasped.
"I dare not, I dare not! That my lord is willing to forgive this humble one's error — this humble one is already overjoyed."
"Now, don't stand on ceremony. The gift I've prepared for you — do you mean, of all things, to refuse it?" Zhao Chen said, feigning anger.
Marquis North Wolf said at once, "Then this humble one had best obey rather than decline."
At the thought that he might yet obtain from Zhao Chen's hand the female beast-folk slaves he wanted, a secret gladness rose in his heart.
He'd never imagined that this time he'd not only kept his life, but come by an unlooked-for happy surprise besides.
"Take him down. Be sure to entertain our Marquis North Wolf well." Zhao Chen waved a hand.
Marquis North Wolf, respectful and deferential, took his leave and departed.
After Marquis North Wolf had gone, Zhao Chen looked toward Secretary Lilith behind him.
"Is it all arranged?"
"It's all arranged. Among the beast-folk workers recruited from the Reef Star Region to the Owl Dragon Star System before, there were some of certain particular tastes. They've already been arranged for that Lord Marquis North Wolf; over the coming few days, he'll receive, in full, this gift you've given him. And besides — so that Lord Marquis North Wolf might have a finer experience of it, I've arranged for the succubi to lay a spiritual-level enhancement of desire upon those male beast-folk," Secretary Lilith reported.
"Let it be so, then." Zhao Chen nodded, satisfied.
As for that stretch of video — it had been come by during the sweeping of the battlefield, when the T3 Silver Rat-class Light Interstellar Stealth Reconnaissance Ships scanned the internal systems of some surviving interstellar warships.
It could be counted an "unlooked-for gain." And toward this Marquis North Wolf, Zhao Chen well remembered his "needle-against-thorn" opposition of before — that he'd, of all things, dared dispatch a fleet to come campaign against him alongside the Third Prince.
Courtesy demanding reciprocity was one of Zhao Chen's traditional virtues; and so, naturally, he'd have to entertain this Marquis North Wolf well.
He'd let him learn just what was meant by: he who survives a great calamity is bound for blessings hereafter.
"Furthermore, the battlefield-tally report for this campaign has come out; Captain Charlotte had me deliver it to you," Secretary Lilith said.
"I won't read it; just tell me a few of the important figures, and that'll do," Zhao Chen said.
"Yes." Lilith began to set them forth.
"In this interstellar campaign, our combat consumption came, all told, to 14 billion star coins. Of it, the portion of interstellar-missile consumption alone occupied 12 billion star coins. The enemy's 20,000 and more interstellar warships were all destroyed; not a single interstellar warship escaped the Owl Dragon Star System. Enemy soldier deaths are estimated at around 10 million; and, besides, we've taken captive some interstellar soldiers and officials who fled or survived — some hundred thousand and more. These people we'll arrange for reform-through-labor in some of the Reef Star Region's mining zones. As for our own interstellar warships in this campaign — because no T2-grade interstellar warships were committed, we suffered no interstellar-warship losses. Zero combat loss! But a portion of our interstellar fighters fell in the fighting; and three T3 Wolverine-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Destroyers, five T3 Triceratops-class Interstellar Heavy Assault Frigates, and one T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser were severely damaged. There remain, besides, 23 interstellar warships lightly damaged to varying degrees. In the matter of casualties: on our side, 183 fell, and 56 were gravely wounded. As for the work of sweeping the battlefield, we've contracted it out to a local Owl Dragon Star System organization, with Jiang Hong in full charge; it's estimated to require three months' time before the cleanup can be completed."