"Could this be a star-shield matrix!" Saint Cana looked at the sight in disbelief.
The star-shield matrix — this technology, the Holy Radiance Empire was researching it too.
But to this day, they simply couldn't miniaturize it.
It couldn't be mounted on a warship — not even a huge T4-grade warship could manage it.
It could only be fitted into some large military starports and fortresses, and then, paired with surrounding military defensive installations, engaged as a large star-shield matrix to serve a defensive function.
But to this day, the Holy Radiance Empire was still at the experimental stage, and hadn't truly mastered it.
Yet now, the Owl Dragon Legion across the way had, of all things, brought such a technology straight onto the battlefield.
"It seems to be that escort-ship model! And it was that escort-ship model that intercepted our heavy cannon!" a subordinate cried out, magnifying several images.
In these images, one could see a module on the hull of a large escort-ship model giving off light — plainly a star-shield device.
And the heavy-cannon beams intercepted just now had all been the work of these escort ships too!
"Get me the data on this escort-ship model!" Saint Cana said, her face dark.
The subordinate at once began searching the records, but a good while later said, haltingly, "That is… my lady, we have no data whatever on this escort-ship model on our side. There's only a name the Owl Dragon Legion reported before the Sacred-War Duel began… Paladin-class Interstellar Escort…"
A name…
The corner of Saint Cana's mouth twitched faintly.
This brought to her mind the second battle, the hundred-ship duel, where the Owl Dragon Legion too had reported only two names.
Triceratops-class Interstellar Escort and Wolverine-class Interstellar Destroyer.
But by the later battle review, they'd been able to conclude that these two warship models were anything but simple.
That terrible armor-strength — beyond doubt, both these models were warships fitted with high-strength hull armor above their class.
To call them heavy-armored escort ships and heavy-armored destroyers wouldn't be going too far!
And the Owl Dragon Legion had exploited exactly this gap, lulling them into carelessness, into taking them for ordinary warships.
Of course, the chief reason was that the intelligence data on the Owl Dragon Legion was simply too scant.
A Starlight-Empire lord-power risen only in the last two or three years; the great battles it had been through were few and far between, never mind data on its warships.
And now, another warship model with no data at all was laid out before them — which was exactly why they'd suffered so badly.
"This is all the intelligence?" Saint Cana fixed her eyes on her subordinate, her face very ugly.
She'd forgotten how many years it had been since she was last this angry.
The subordinate said hurriedly, "But by the intelligence our data personnel have gathered now, We can conclude this escort-ship model is in fact an interstellar missile escort, for the way it intercepted our attacks was with a short-range but very fast-firing interstellar missile, paired with a considerable number of close-in guns. That's how our heavy-cannon beams were all intercepted! And it's fitted with a star-shield matrix defense system besides! We… we conjecture this may be a T4-grade interstellar missile escort."
"T4… heh, and now you tell me this? What was your intelligence-gathering work before! I have eyes of my own; I know all this now too! You people… Enough — stand down." Saint Cana was vexed and out of sorts now; her gaze returned to the battlefield.
A T4 interstellar missile escort…
Saint Cana swept her eyes over the Owl Dragon Legion's battle order in the battlefield imagery, and her look turned darker still.
By what she could see alone, this T4-grade escort-ship model named Paladin numbered 30!
Add the 20 T4 Vermilion Bird-class Medium Interstellar Cruisers.
The Owl Dragon Legion was equipped, of all things, with a full 50 T4-grade warships.
Quite a few more than their own Sacred Angel Legion's 30 T4-grade warships.
And in every respect, their ship types crushed the Sacred Angel Legion's warships.
Even their heavy-cannon beams could do nothing at all against the enemy ships.
"Miss Saint Cana."
A man's voice sounded at this moment.
It was that commander of the Owl Dragon Legion across the way.
"Miss Saint Cana has seen the state of the battle for herself now. I'll speak plainly to Miss Saint Cana — as things stand, with this star-shield matrix my T4 escort ships have thrown up, letting all your Sacred Angel Legion's remaining warships pound it for a dozen-odd minutes would be no trouble at all. What's more, you've seen my escort ships' interception-defense system too; add my other warships' harrying, and for your Sacred Angel Legion to blast open my star-shield matrix would take no less than half an hour. And that half hour is time enough for my T3 Judicator interstellar missile ships to finish their resupply and give your Sacred Angel Legion another round of firepower bombardment. After that, my warships sortie in full, and I have a few dozen ways to wipe out your Sacred Angel Legion's warships here." Zhao Chen's voice was level and mild.
But it was for all the world as though he were reciting the fate to come of the Sacred Angel Legion.
Saint Cana didn't argue, for she had foreseen just such an outcome too.
This Owl Dragon Legion was too strong!
Absurdly strong!
To wipe out a legion-fleet like this on the battlefield would take at least three Sacred-Light Legions — and might well cost no small price besides.
Saint Cana drew a deep breath, and with near all the strength in her body, spoke those few words: "On behalf of the Sacred Angel Legion — this third battle… we concede."
The subordinates behind Saint Cana opened their mouths, but said nothing in the end.
Shameful as conceding defeat was, they too had seen the gap between the two legion-fleets.
Fight on, and the Sacred Angel Legion would be wiped out.
While the Owl Dragon Legion across the way would pay at most 30% in losses.
This was not what they wished to see — the more so since the Sacred Angel Legion was bound up with a great tangle of interests within the Holy Radiance Empire.
It was the foundation, in the Imperial Council of Elders, of Saint Cana's own faction.
Though losing this Sacred-War Duel would surely bring Saint Cana's faction censure and punishment in the Imperial Council of Elders—
—so long as the Sacred Angel Legion endured, Saint Cana's standing endured.
The reverse… that would be the true catastrophe.
"Miss Saint Cana has made a wise choice — you've saved the lives of the Sacred Angel Legion's millions of interstellar warriors. If the Sacred Angel Legion's wounded need treatment hereafter, the interstellar medical ships that came with our fleet can lend aid," Zhao Chen said now with concern.
Saint Cana had seen too how, after the Owl Dragon Legion's second battle ended, its first act was to rescue the wounded — its logistics and medical side most thorough.
"Then I'll trouble Your Excellency Zhao Chen." Saint Cana's tone carried respect; defeated though she was, she admired Zhao Chen all the same — to have built so mighty an Owl Dragon Legion fleet.
And before, she'd seen that when the Owl Dragon Legion's second battle ended, its first act was to rescue the wounded; it was plain Zhao Chen cared deeply for his own fleet's soldiers.
This was a commander worthy of respect.