"What?! The Owl Dragon Legion has appeared to rescue Chu Changhe! How can this be — how could the Owl Dragon Legion of the North Wind Star Region suddenly appear right under our very noses!" Qin Ming was shocked beyond all measure.
His first thought was that this was some trick of Chu Changhe's.
But after seeing a whole string of video evidence, Qin Ming was certain that Zhao Chen's Owl Dragon Legion had truly appeared right under his very nose.
This left Qin Ming, all the more, with a feeling of cold running down his back.
Those Shadow-Guard operations of Chu Changhe's were one thing — but the Owl Dragon Legion fleet had, of all things, appeared out of thin air outside his own Imperial Capital star system!
Did that mean, then, that this Zhao Chen also had the ability to bring his own Owl Dragon Legion fleet directly to his Imperial Capital Star?
At the thought of the terrifying combat power the Owl Dragon Legion had shown before, Qin Ming now had a deep sense of lingering dread.
"Your Highness, General Zhao Ziying's side keeps pressing for word — just what… are we to do? Are we to intercept the Owl Dragon Legion by force?" the subordinate asked anxiously.
Faced with this question, Qin Ming too hesitated a good while.
Of course he wanted to kill Chu Changhe; and if there were a chance to finish off Zhao Chen along with him, that would be best of all.
But the problem was, the strength of that Owl Dragon Legion of Zhao Chen's…
"Your Highness! You must make the decision. Since we've already fixed it that Chu Changhe murdered the Emperor, then from now on it's a fight to the death between us and the Chu family of the Chu River Star Region. And this Zhao Chen killed your younger brother — you yourself said before that you'd avenge him. Isn't the present moment a fine chance!" At this point Huang Zhixiong stepped forward, speaking with an unshakeable resolve.
Huang Zhixiong went on: "The Owl Dragon Legion's combat power — everyone's seen it. If in the future a legion fleet of this sort appears on a head-on battlefield, that's an enormous threat to us. We can just take this chance to wipe it out. I can right now give the order for the surrounding interstellar legions to reinforce there at full speed. Within three hours, at the least 30,000 interstellar warships can be dispatched. Within five hours, that number can rise to 50,000 interstellar warships. And of course… if your… your Royal Legion can advance there directly, then the odds of victory are higher still!" Huang Zhixiong looked at Qin Ming.
Qin Ming had among his forces yet another very strong fleet — that was the Royal Legion fleet, the only legion fleet in the present imperial military to have completed a full outfitting with T3-grade interstellar warships.
Its total, too, was 3,000 interstellar warships.
Originally it had been under the command of the Starlight Emperor; under the infiltration of the Prince Faction, it had now naturally become Qin Ming's right-hand arm.
Why was the Owl Dragon Legion so overbearing?
Wasn't it precisely because they were fully outfitted with T3-grade interstellar warships?
Since that was so, then he'd use just such an interstellar legion to face off against them!
Qin Ming recalled the words his younger brother had sent him just before his death.
Avenge me!
Qin Ming's eyes went bloodshot.
"You're right — this is a rare chance for us. Chu Changhe! Zhao Chen! These are both men I must kill. Since there's now a chance of this sort, then we absolutely cannot let them slip away. Do just as you said. My Royal Legion, too, will heed your dispatch. Now give Zhao Ziying the order: have him hold back Zhao Chen's Owl Dragon Legion at any cost whatever," Qin Ming said.
"Yes!" Huang Zhixiong's eyes blazed.
He'd long wanted to be rid of Chu Changhe and Zhao Chen; now, as it happened, he could bag two birds with one stone.
From this moment on, the whole Starlight Central Star Region shook; every imperial legion received the order of emergency dispatch.
Huang Zhixiong even directly moved imperial forces from his own Azure Star Region; and even Prince Yan of the Snow Swallow Star Region, on hearing this news, indicated he could send a legion fleet to reinforce.
For the sake of two men.
That the Prince Faction would, of all things, stir up so vast a commotion — it was truly hard to believe.
But the standing of these two men did indeed merit so grand an array.
The one was the Starlight Empire's strongest serving marshal — a banner of the Starlight Empire.
The other was a shining new star of the Starlight Empire, who'd built up a legion fleet of formidable strength, and had, besides, in concert with the Chu family, developed the relevant technology for T4-grade interstellar warships.
Qin Ming wished to succeed to the throne; these two men had to die.
…
Zhao Ziying's side very soon received the order.
On seeing that command — that they were to tangle up the Owl Dragon Legion at any cost whatever — Zhao Ziying could only heave a long sigh.
"Pass my order: all legion fleets, advance at full speed, hem in the Owl Dragon Legion! Lift the restricted-attack order; on entering attack range, they may launch an assault upon the Owl Dragon Legion! But remember to hold formation, and prepare to defend against the Owl Dragon Legion's interstellar-missile-ship attacks!" Zhao Ziying issued the command.
Though before this, once the imperial legions had come under the Owl Dragon Legion's threat, they'd not entered the Owl Dragon Legion's attack range, they'd still been circling round it like a pack of wolves.
Now, with this order, that encircling ring formed once again in an instant.
The main cannons of the imperial fleet's interstellar warships, one and all, took aim at that Owl Dragon Legion interstellar fleet.
The carrier starships began launching interstellar fighters.
The various classes of interstellar warship now each took up their own several duties!
A great battle hung on the verge of breaking out!
"Report — the imperial military's interstellar warships have changed heading; they're about to enter our fleet's attack range." Charlotte looked toward Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen gave a cold laugh.
"Looks as though that Second Prince truly doesn't mean to let us go."
Zhao Chen looked at Charlotte.
"The strategic resources we're carrying this run — how long can they keep us fighting? When will the enemy's follow-on interstellar legions appear? Draw up, on the basis of these factors, the safest possible battle plan — one that, without bringing our own fleet too great a loss, teaches this pack of fellows a little lesson."
Charlotte stood up straight.
"Understood."
The next moment, Charlotte directly got in touch with several other senior officers — Chitong, Shen Bing, Zhao Wan'er…
In truth, Charlotte had, well before this, already had the relevant combat plan in her head.
Now she was merely laying out for them the specific combat tasks.
Zhao Chen listened in from the side all the while.
Watching this imposing great white cat before him, he had to admit — keeping a great white cat of this sort really was a very restful thing.
For the price of a few meals of fish, Zhao Chen could set his mind at ease and play the hands-off proprietor.
Charlotte finished laying out the series of combat tasks, and looked at Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen nodded, signaling his agreement with her battle plan.
Charlotte at once announced: "Next we'll carry out a one-hour rapid battle; within this one hour, we deal the enemy the fiercest possible assault. After one hour, no matter how the battle stands, we withdraw from combat at once!"
"Understood!"
In this instant, the whole Owl Dragon Legion was for all the world like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath — a killing air flashing forth all at once.
First were the T3 Phoenix-class Heavy Carrier Starships within the legion fleet's interior, which in the first instant began launching all their interstellar fighters and interstellar drones.
At the same time, the missile-launch units of the T3 Judicator-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ships all opened; missile upon interstellar missile, long since made ready, awaited only the order to fire.
On the outer ring, the muzzles of a whole series of T3-grade Owl Dragon interstellar warships — T3 Imperial-class Heavy Interstellar Battleships, T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruisers, T3 Wind-Eagle-class Medium Interstellar Cruisers, and the rest — all adjusted their bearing.
Target locked!