After Qin Xiaotian took the throne, though the news swept across the whole Starlight Empire, the surprising thing was that the reaction was not very fierce.
As though everyone were deliberately holding it down.
No few family powers were all waiting for the civil war's second outbreak, guessing just what trump card Qin Xiaotian — overthrowing that puppet Qin Ming at such a time — could hold that would defeat Zhao Chen.
Progress in the Azure Star Region was very smooth too; in the span of a mere half-month—
—two-thirds of the Azure Star Region was already under the control of the Imperial Princess Fleet-Group and the Chu-family legion fleet; with the little princess's signboard in play, controlling these occupied zones went quite smoothly.
Though there was no knowing whether the family powers of those occupied zones were sincerely convinced, at least on the surface, for now, they were behaving.
And that was enough.
For only absolute strength can make these family powers prostrate themselves obediently and offer up their so-called "loyalty."
They'd thought all this calm would be broken during the second-stage offensive.
But who'd have thought Qin Xiaotian would strike first to gain the upper hand!
"Li Yaqi's Northern Goose Group is run very well. In the span of a mere half-month, it's already made up the vacancies of the Imperial Princess Fleet-Group and the Chu-family fleet-group." Zhao Chen looked over this report, satisfied.
He was considering whether to hand some T3 interstellar-warship technology to the Northern Goose Group, and let the Northern Goose Group produce that portion of T3 interstellar warships, then supply them to the Imperial Princess Fleet-Group and the Chu-family fleet-group.
Just then, a video window popped up — across it was Lilith.
Lilith wore a grave expression: "Report! Latest word from the Azure Star Region theater. The part of the Imperial Princess Fleet-Group led by Miss Zhao Ruyue, while resting and refitting at a star-port in the southern Azure Star Region, lost contact an hour ago!"
Eldest sister lost contact?
Could she have met an enemy attack?
Zhao Chen knit his brows: "Where are our three Owl Dragon legions right now? What tasks are they carrying out?"
"The Owl Dragon First Legion is garrisoning a star-port at the southern end of the Chu River Star Region; the Owl Dragon Second Legion is at the border of the North Wind Star Region and the Azure Star Region. The Owl Dragon Third Legion is resting and training in the Owl Dragon System, because a new batch of warships that rolled off the line and entered service was folded into the Owl Dragon Third Legion, and needs shakedown training," Lilith answered.
"Around the star-port that lost contact, are there any of our interstellar scout-ships?"
"There are two, but they're in a lost-contact state as well!"
Lost contact?
Zhao Chen knit his brows; even under attack, one couldn't suddenly lose all contact, without a scrap of word.
Not normal!
This was far too abnormal.
Could this be Qin Xiaotian's trump card?
However it be, with eldest sister under attack, Zhao Chen had to go save her.
"Relay my command — the Owl Dragon First Legion and the Owl Dragon Second Legion enter combat state at once, employ the accompanying T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump-Ships, and prepare to jump to these two coordinate points. Remember! Don't jump all at once — go in three batches, with the jump-coordinates set some distance apart; the moment a jump is complete, report and share intelligence on the coordinate zone at the first instant! The Owl Dragon Third Legion is to finish its training and, three hours from now, use the T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump-Ships to jump to this coordinate zone, then await my command!" Zhao Chen handed down command after command.
He had to go save her, but caution was a must.
Otherwise, were this Qin Xiaotian's besiege-the-point-to-strike-the-relief tactic—
—a reckless rescue might, on the contrary, walk them straight into the enemy's trap.
"Commander-in-Chief, and the Imperial Princess Fleet-Group and the Chu-family fleet-group?" Lilith asked.
"Tell the Imperial Princess Fleet-Group's remaining fleets, and the Chu-family fleet-group, to stand by in place while making ready for battle, every defense-line raised to 12-tenths alertness! First let me get clear just what's happened here!" Zhao Chen said gravely.
"Understood!"
"At the same time, keep trying to contact the star-port where Zhao Ruyue is; the moment you get through, report to me at the first instant!" Zhao Chen said.
"Yes!"
Zhao Chen left his office and hurried for the bridge.
A few minutes later, Zhao Chen appeared on the bridge.
Every department on the bridge had, by this moment, begun to spring into motion.
"Report, Commander-in-Chief — all your commands have been relayed. Our Owl Dragon First Legion can complete its muster and make its interstellar jump within 10 minutes. On the Owl Dragon Second Legion's side, Commander Chitong says she can make the interstellar jump within 15 minutes. On the Owl Dragon Third Legion's side, Commander Shen Bing has begun mustering the fleet, and can reach the coordinate star region within an hour! Besides, we've contacted Princess Qin Xiaolei and Governor Chu Changhe; both sides say they'll follow our arrangement, but ask that we inform them of any progress or word at the first instant!" Lilith said.
Zhao Chen sat in the captain's chair, gazing at the Azure Star Region's interstellar holo-table, on which a zone was marked out in red dotted lines — precisely the position of the star-port where Zhao Ruyue had been attacked.
That star-port was named the Blue-Crystal Star-Port, a semi-military star-port, ranked in the top three of the Azure Star Region.
A week before, it had surrendered to the Imperial Princess Fleet-Group, and been brought under Zhao Ruyue's control, serving as one of the front-line fortresses.
He knit his brows and asked: "Before the attack, how many Imperial Princess Fleet-Group interstellar warships were at this Blue-Crystal fortress?"
"30,000 Imperial Princess Fleet-Group interstellar warships were garrisoned there!" Lilith pointed at the interstellar holo-table: "To speed the annexation and control of the Azure Star Region, Commander Zhao Ruyue earlier ordered the Imperial Princess Fleet-Group split into four; this was one of them."
Of eldest sister's arrangement of this sort, Zhao Chen had known beforehand, though it was a touch risky.
But because Zhao Chen had deployed no few T3 Silver-Rat-class Light Interstellar Stealth-Recon Ships between the Azure Star Region and the Starlight Central Star Region, watching Qin Xiaotian's every move closely, he'd reckoned the risk already reduced to the lowest.
But he'd never once thought Qin Xiaotian would strike all the same!
"Before this, did the border's T3 Silver-Rat-class Light Interstellar Stealth-Recon Ships not detect any stir from the enemy fleets?" Zhao Chen asked, knitting his brows.
"No! I questioned those T3 Silver-Rat interstellar scout-ships again and again just now, and confirmed no enemy fleet crossed the star-region border, and that the newly added hundred and fifty thousand interstellar warships within the Starlight Central Star Region are all at their stations, and haven't left," Lilith answered.
To appear at the Blue-Crystal Star-Port without ghost or god knowing it, and attack Zhao Ruyue.
Why was this maneuver so familiar.
Zhao Chen suddenly thought of something.
Interstellar jump!
Only this possibility could explain it.
Qin Xiaotian held in hand an interstellar jump like the T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump-Ship, or an interstellar warship or war-machine of similar function.
And in that case, for him now to muster interstellar legions on the long voyage to the Azure Star Region to relieve Zhao Ruyue…
Zhao Chen shot to his feet: "Notify Shen Bing at once — her Third Legion is to cancel its earlier operational plan and stand by in the Owl Dragon System. And the whole Owl Dragon System is to enter Tier-1 combat readiness! The five resource-star-regions outside, and the Reef Star Region, are to enter Tier-1 combat readiness too!"
If Qin Xiaotian truly held a killing stroke akin to an interstellar jump, then the other side might well raid his own home base.
Whether or not this was possible, Zhao Chen had to have every preparation ready.
But Zhao Ruyue's side, he had to relieve!
"Qin Xiaotian." Zhao Chen's gaze burned like a torch.
It had to be said — the pressure this fellow brought him far surpassed Qin Ming's.
This game of chess that was the Starlight Empire was beginning to grow interesting.