As later ages set it down.
Galactic Star Calendar 3034, 10 June, 20:00.
The royal power headed by the Princess Qin Xiaolei sounded, at this hour, the horn of the second civil war's general assault.
The Princess Royal Fleet-Group, the Chu family's fleet-group, the North Wind Star Region's fleet-group — and the hand behind them all, the Owl Dragon Legion.
Attacking out of the Azure Star Region, the Chu River Star Region, the North Wind Star Region and the Grey Moon Star Region!
Total strength committed came to 250,000 combat-type interstellar warships!
And among them near 500 T4-grade warships besides.
This was the greatest use of T4 warships in any interstellar campaign in the Starlight Empire's history!
At the outset, on the strength of a powerful assault, the lines rolled forward at an astonishing rate in a good many places.
And it was at this moment that the plan of battle Qin Xiaotian had drawn up altered for the first time.
"They have launched their attack at this very hour, of all things!" Qin Xiaotian knit his brows, looking at the interstellar holo-table before him with red light springing up all over it — the signal of fighting under way.
"Your Majesty, our surprise fleets stand ready. Are we to go on with the plan of battle as it was!" Marshal Xie's holographic image appeared before Qin Xiaotian.
This sudden turn was a thing none of them had imagined.
Qin Xiaotian hesitated somewhat, and looked round at Qin Longcheng.
Qin Longcheng said in earnest, "Your Majesty, I hold that we should go on and carry out our plan of battle!"
"And why? Mind you, the fleets we have facing them in front are not many, and cannot hold off the enemy's attack at all. The other lines are well enough, but the Snow-Swallow Star Region is the very weightiest thing we have! You know it as well as I!" Qin Xiaotian asked it with knitted brows.
Qin Longcheng pointed at those lines under attack. "By the look of the situation, the enemy have indeed launched a general assault on every line and at great scale; though it cannot yet be established whether they have some further plan of battle besides. Such as the lightning strike we are ourselves about to launch! For the Owl Dragon Legion likewise possesses technical starships able to jump a whole body at once. Were I in their place, I would choose to strike the Imperial Capital Star by surprise — or the Snow-Swallow Star Region!"
"Then all the more should we defend the Snow-Swallow Star Region!" Qin Xiaotian said in concern.
"No! Your Majesty, you are wrong there. The interstellar missile ships the Owl Dragon Legion fields are fittest of all for attacking! And on that head, even faced with Your Majesty's hive-race fleet, they would presumably come off the better. Whereas were we to take a defensive strategy, that would be the inferior course. Attack, now, is the finest defense there is! I hold that we should go on carrying out our original strategy of battle. Deliver the lightning strike upon the three strategic targets; and those legion fleets we have to spare may all be moved to the front to hold off the enemy fleets' frontal assault. There is no need to beat the enemy — only to drag them out." Qin Longcheng said it gravely.
"And what of my Snow-Swallow Star Region!" Qin Xiaotian's face went black. The Starlight Central Star Region he could lose; but the Snow-Swallow Star Region held far too many things of importance to him.
Qin Longcheng went straight down on one knee. "I am willing to lead a fleet and hold our home base to the death. I can guarantee to hold it half a month! And if in that half month we can take those three strategic targets as planned, then that is our success! Mind you, those three strategic targets matter as much to the enemy as to us! And if in that span the enemy so much as hesitates, and pulls back to support those three targets, then that too is our victory!"
"Hold it half a month? How will you manage that?" Qin Xiaotian knit his brows.
Qin Longcheng raised his head, and something dark flashed in the depths of his eyes. "I ask Your Majesty to grant me the highest authority upon the field. And if I cannot hold half a month, Qin Longcheng is willing to die!"
Qin Xiaotian hesitated a moment, and in the end clenched his fist. "Good! Do as you say! Qin Longcheng, you must hold this old man's home base for me — by whatever way, by whatever means. Only hold it half a month! And you shall be the greatest contributor to this whole campaign!"
"My thanks to Your Majesty." Qin Longcheng rose. "Let Your Majesty give the order!"
Qin Xiaotian looked at the several marshals on the video comms, still awaiting his command.
"Execute the original plan of battle. Prepare for wormhole jump!"
"Yes!"
Qin Longcheng, having his own plan of battle to carry out, could not stay longer at Qin Xiaotian's side.
He looked long and deeply at Qin Xiaotian, and came before him. "Your Majesty, before I set out— there is one thing I should like to say to Your Majesty."
"Say it." Qin Xiaotian felt there was something odd about Qin Longcheng just now.
Qin Longcheng leaned to Qin Xiaotian's ear and said low, "Be wary of the Doctor."
With that, Qin Longcheng closed both fists and made his courtesy once more, turned, and walked out of the hall.
Qin Xiaotian watched Qin Longcheng go, and knit his brows.
For some reason that manner of Qin Longcheng's gave him the feeling of a leave-taking.
As for what he had said.
Of that Doctor, Qin Longcheng had been wary in earlier years as well; but the Doctor had always been sunk heart and soul in the study of hive-race technology.
And cared nothing at all for anything else.
Qin Xiaotian had even, several times, given the Doctor chances at some grasp of authority by way of a test, and the Doctor had disregarded every one of them, as though only that laboratory were what he truly cared for.
For all that, Qin Xiaotian understood well enough the principle that one must not be without wariness of others.
To return to the matter.
Under Qin Xiaotian's orders—
the imperial forces under his hand, and the hive-race fleet long since made ready, were divided into five roads in all.
Three roads under the Five-Star Marshals Zhong Yan, Lü Dafeng and Xie Xianguo respectively, striking the three original strategic targets by way of wormhole-jump technology.
The fourth road being certain imperial fleets to support the front and hold off the Princess coalition's attack.
And the fifth being Qin Longcheng's charge — to hold the Snow-Swallow Star Region's home base to the death!
'Operation Dragon-Slaying' went forward.
Qin Longcheng boarded a shuttle for his own flagship; after which he would return to the Snow-Swallow Star Region by star gate.
But before that, he had one order to give.
An order that would be the death of him.
"Marshal."
"Marshal."
Qin Longcheng walked onto the bridge and sat down in the captain's chair.
"Marshal, those several have been raised," the adjutant beside him said, pointing at several comms in progress.
Qin Longcheng raised a hand, and a screening field appeared about him.
And then Qin Longcheng tapped several comm windows open.
Several of them held men in imperial military uniform; and in the middle of them, the black-cloaked Doctor.
"Doctor, on that matter I mentioned to you before — are you certain it can be done?" Qin Longcheng asked in earnest.
"There is no difficulty… success rate… 87%… Though… it wants time… seven days would be best… and if the time is short… 30 hours… will also serve…" the black-cloaked Doctor said.
Qin Longcheng drew a deep breath, and looked at those several trusted officers of his. "You several have followed me throughout; and my leaving you in the Snow-Swallow Star Region before was for the sake of the very case that stands before us now. I need you now to scatter the 'seed' across the 19 star systems about our home base!"
At the hearing of that order—
the expressions on those officers were complicated indeed; they knew very well what the Marshal's 'seed' was, for they had seen it with their own eyes.
"Marshal… must it truly be done… if you take this step… then even should His Majesty win this campaign in the end… you… you… cannot live either…" one officer said in pain.
Qin Longcheng said coldly, "Carry out the order."