Boom, boom, boom.
Enormous reports of blasts filled the whole wedding feast hall, and the fiercest of them belonged, naturally, to where the Qian family's shelter stood.
The smoke of the powder thinned away.
Within the Qian shelter, terror filled a great many pairs of eyes.
Those nearest that layer of transparent blast panel above all could see plainly that the panel was covered with cracks in a spider's web.
Mind you, this layer of transparent blast panel was a full near half-meter thick!
And the material of it was the best the Qian family could find.
That combat mecha across the way was surely too strong by half.
And this was only what small missiles it had left aboard after a whole exchange of fire.
If, before that, every one of its small missiles had been loosed at the shelter here — what then?
The Qian family's people felt a chill run down their backs.
"Where are they? Where have their people gone!" The alarm on Family Head Qian Feng's face passed in an instant, and very soon he was roaring in fury.
"They seem to have broken out through that breach!" One of the Qian family's people pointed at the place where that white mecha had come crashing in.
A moment ago, while the interstellar missiles were striking the shelter, the white mecha had broken out through that breach once more; the breach had an energy dome over it, granted—
but that was no defensive dome. It was merely equipment to shield those inside from the effects of the outer-space environment.
And once the white mecha had broken out through it, the energy dome appeared again.
And at this hour, looking up toward that place, one would find a small white point with an exhaust flame trailing it — and in the distance besides, an interstellar warship of a kind never seen before, lying at station just there.
A hangar hatch in the warship's side stood open, and the white mecha was flying in exactly that direction.
By which it appeared that this interstellar warship was the confederate of this bride-stealing crew!
"Family Head Qian Feng! I require your Qian family to give me an explanation. My daughter — your Qian family's betrothed — has been openly carried off by others within this City in the Sky of your Qian family's. Are the Qian family's people good for nothing whatever!" And now President Guiji stepped forward, and looked at Family Head Qian Feng with anger all over her face, laying her charges!
The other guests round about likewise looked at the Qian family's people with a slight anger of their own — and enjoyed the calamity at the same time.
The anger was because the Qian family's security this time had been truly too poor, and had come near to putting them in danger themselves.
And now that the Qian family had had its face slapped, they naturally took pleasure in the misfortune.
For over this stretch of time, as the Qian family rose, some of the Qian family's people had got their tails cocked up to the sky.
Family Head Qian Feng and the Qian young house-head had dared to make free with President Guiji right here in this place; and what treatment other interstellar powers would meet with in dealing with the Qian family may be imagined.
So they were very glad indeed to see the Qian family come off badly — and even privately admired these attackers.
Splendid, this was!
Had those Qian family kinsmen been blown to pieces outright a moment ago, it would have been more satisfying still.
"President Guiji… this… this… hear me explain… I hadn't thought either…" Family Head Qian Feng made to explain himself.
But how should President Guiji grant him the chance? She gave a cold snort outright. "If your Qian family hasn't so much as the ability to protect one woman— then to my mind this marriage may be let go. Our Star-Shark Guild will save my daughter ourselves."
With that, President Guiji took her Star-Shark Guild's people and left the place, passing out through the wreck of the wedding hall.
The Star-Shark Guild's people looked at the Qian family's with contempt showing plainly as they went: you were so overbearing before — no temper left in you now, is there.
Not able even to keep hold of their own betrothed; by tomorrow, the news of this would likely have gone round the whole Stellar Alliance!
As she left, President Guiji saw the one survivor in the middle of the wedding hall.
Family Head Qian Feng's concubine.
She was crouched on the floor at this hour like a wooden chicken, without a scratch upon her, but with nothing but terror in her eyes, and a wet patch spreading beneath her.
For this concubine had, a moment ago, been at the very center of the fire.
Spared though she had been on the white mecha's account, the blow to her nerves had been enormous all the same.
President Guiji gave her no more than one glance longer, and then left at a quick step.
Out in the corridor beyond, standing on a hovering elevator and about to make for the hangar where her shuttle lay berthed—
she gazed off at that Little Skeleton out beyond.
"I never thought that man would raise so great a commotion as this. But… leaning on this one warship alone." President Guiji was somewhat worried still.
The Qian family would absolutely not let this warship leave easily now; and with that man so confident, he must have some further move in reserve.
Guiji guessed his Owl Dragon fleet lay hidden out there somewhere.
This time there was a chance of seeing that Owl Dragon fleet of the rumors — and of finding out just how strong those Owl Dragon-line warships really were!
The Star-Shark Guild's departure was, beyond doubt, salt rubbed once more into the Qian family's wound.
At any other time Family Head Qian Feng would certainly have paid it back in kind, but as things stood the fault was indeed his Qian family's.
The guests about them were talking it over among themselves in low voices at this hour, too.
"They all say the Qian family has risen. Does this look like a house on the rise? Their own bride carried off in front of them. Tsk, tsk, tsk… were I one of the Qian family, I'd have run my head into a wall long since."
"That Qian Dafu is a coward as well. They used to say he was bloodthirsty; and now it turns out he's no more than a mental case — the moment anything real happens he's shrunk away behind everyone. His own wife carried off by another and not one word out of him. A whole prairie growing on that head of his."
"The Qian family's in for a fine showing over this. I can guess tomorrow's front page across the Stellar Alliance already."
The sound of the guests' talk naturally carried to the ears of the Qian family's people.
Their faces were exceedingly bad to look at; but they could hardly fall out with every guest present now, and could do no more, at most, than warn them with a look.
And Qian Dafu, the eldest young master, sprang out at this point too, and shouted at his father, "Father! We can't let them go — my bride is still in that fellow's hands. If it gets about that my bride was carried off in front of my face, where am I to put my face, where is our Qian family to put its face!"
"Nonsense. Get out of my way!" Family Head Qian Feng glared at his son.
Qian Dafu drew his head in, though there was plenty of unreconciled muttering left in his mouth.
Family Head Qian Feng raised a hand, and an electronic screen appeared before him.
"Pass my order. Muster every interstellar warship about the Qian main planet that can be moved, and surround this cursed warship for me. Attack. Bring this warship down for me!" Family Head Qian Feng gave the order without the least ceremony.
"Father, my bride is still aboard it," Qian Dafu called out hurriedly.
Family Head Qian Feng gave him a kick where he stood. "Still thinking of that bride of yours now! This is an hour that touches our Qian family's face. Want women? There'll be plenty in time to come! We're not short of this one!"
Qian Dafu drew his head in, and was very sorry for it: he had not had a taste of that Gu Xiaoxiao yet.
"Let the clan head rest easy — we shall surround and annihilate that warship without fail!" The fleet commander at the other end had the order.
At this hour, Zhao Chen had brought the T3 Templar down inside the Little Skeleton's hangar.
Krrk.
Two single-use rocket thrusters at its legs came away of themselves and dropped to the deck.
It was by means of these that a T3 Templar could make short movements out in the cosmos!
The thing like a birdcage in the T3 Templar's hand was set slowly down on the deck, and within it were Panther-Girl and the rest, and the rescued Gu Xiaoxiao.
"Report, Commander-in-Chief. The Qian family's fleet is attempting to surround us." Chu Xuan's image appeared before Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen said with disdain, "Then before we go, let the Qian family pay a little more of the price! Pass my order. The Little Skeleton goes to battle status. Destroy every enemy ship that comes within our firing range!"
"Yes! Make ready for action!"