The Princess Royal Fleet-Group · the Princess's flagship.
"Your Highness, these are the latest orders Zhao Chen's side has laid down." Zhao Ruyue looked gravely at the Qin Xiaolei in the captain's chair.
Qin Xiaolei ran her eye swiftly over them; her brows knit slightly, and then very soon eased.
"Do as the lord Zhao Chen says!"
Zhao Ruyue looked at her with hesitation.
"Well? Is there some difficulty?" Qin Xiaolei looked at her.
Zhao Ruyue stood up straight and said, "There is no difficulty in the plan of battle. We turn at once from attack to defense, throw up a defensive line at our present position, and hold off the 30,000 imperial fleets ahead and the 50,000 hive-race craft behind. Never mind winning — even were the enemy's numbers doubled again, holding would be no problem whatever. But Zhao Chen gives a warning in the message besides: to be wary of Qin Xiaotian's hive-race fleets, since there is no telling what hidden means they may have. So… I am concerned for Your Highness's safety. While the enemy's pincer from both sides has not yet closed, I can arrange warships to carry you first to a place of safety."
"Zhao Ruyue!" Qin Xiaolei cried it out sharply of a sudden.
Something shook in Zhao Ruyue; this was the first time Qin Xiaolei had ever called her by name outright.
Qin Xiaolei's expression turned grave in an instant, and she looked hard at Zhao Ruyue — though her tone eased somewhat. "Sister Ruyue, am I still that delicate little Princess in your eyes?"
Zhao Ruyue opened her mouth, and could not quite get anything out.
"I grant that the girl I was before may have been somewhat naive, and may have taken things upon herself and done as she pleased. But I am no longer who I was. My imperial brother died in the flower of his years; my imperial father was murdered; my mother the Empress is sunk in grief now. All of it tells me that I must grow up. I must stand up — for only so can I take my father's and my brother's place and protect my mother; and avenge my father; and get to the truth of how my brother came to be killed!"
Zhao Ruyue looked at the Qin Xiaolei who had risen to her feet before her, and was somewhat astonished.
Qin Xiaolei came all at once into Zhao Ruyue's arms, and Zhao Ruyue could feel her body trembling.
Qin Xiaolei said, "I know that in your eyes I am perhaps only a flower-vase — a banner used to overthrow Qin Xiaotian, and nothing more. But I hope that at the least, while you are fighting, I may be allowed to stand beside you. I don't want… I don't want to hear the worst of those I care for from far away again! That feeling of being powerless… is too painful."
Zhao Ruyue laid a hand on the top of Qin Xiaolei's head, drew a deep breath, and pushed her away.
And she herself stepped back a pace, then stood straight and laid a hand at her breast. "Your Highness — give your latest combat order!"
Qin Xiaolei drew a deep breath and said in earnest, "Order the whole fleet: form defensive positions, and stand ready to meet the enemy. Stress to every fleet that they are not to make light of the enemy, nor to show the least contempt because the enemy's numbers fall short of ours. And I grant Zhao Ruyue the highest command upon the field, to represent me in full. I, Qin Xiaolei, Princess of the Starlight Empire, will fight here shoulder to shoulder with you all! And send word to the Owl Dragon lord that we shall carry out his dispositions, and that the Princess Royal Fleet-Group will fight to the end, and absolutely will not be a drag upon anyone."
"Yes!"
The Imperial Princess Fleet-Group's hundred and fifty thousand warships at once began gathering together, forming defensive lines block by block.
And above all in the direction facing those 50,000 hive-race craft, the line was strengthened further, standing in strict array.
…………
The Chu family's fleet-group.
Chu Changhe saw the latest orders of disposition Zhao Chen had sent over.
And after musing a moment, gave his own orders without hesitation. "Send word to the Chu Wen system for me: throw up a combat line against the incoming hive-race fleets at once, and by no means whatever let the hive-race wreck our Chu family's industrial base. And tell that boy Chu Wenxiong that for every industrial installation this old man loses, it comes out of his pay!"
"Marshal… the Chu Wen system's garrison is only 3,000 warships… to hold off 50,000 hive-race craft on 3,000 warships… this… this is surely far too hard." The adjutant asked it in concern.
"Pass my order!" Chu Changhe barked it out.
"Yes!" And this adjutant went off to pass it.
Chu Changhe went on with his orders. "In every other system of the Chu River Star Region, whether the lords' fleets or the local private fleets — start the emergency requisition order at once and support the Chu Wen system. And tell that crew: this old man has kept them and protected them all these years, and now is the hour for them to put out their strength for this old man. Destroy one Hive Mothership, and by the Empire's old scale of reward, this old man will pay him three times over! And should anyone be unwilling to put out his strength at such an hour, let him not blame old man Chu for settling accounts with him afterward!"
"Yes!" And a second adjutant went off to pass it.
Chu Changhe went on. "Chu family legion First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Fleets to muster at emergency and prepare to make for the Chu Wen system. The remaining Chu family legion fleets are to carry on with the plan of battle as laid down, and attack forward! And tell every fleet's commander that whoever turns coward on this old man will have this old man himself run a ship's gun through his backside!"
"Yes!"
…………
The North Wind Star Region · the Morton system.
"Sis, rest easy. And pass this on to Brother Zhao Chen for me too. While I, Li Wei, am here, not one of our Northern Goose Group's interstellar industrial ships will be short! And there'll be no trouble in any of the production either!" A young man in uniform stood at the bridge's command platform.
Li Yaqi looked at her younger brother opposite, steady in his face and calm in his feelings, and bit lightly at her red lip. "Li Wei… if…"
"Sis, leave some things unsaid. Your brother is no coward, and no deserter. I haven't Brother Zhao Chen's ability, but in these few acres of the Northern Goose Group, I, Li Wei, can hold my ground. And this time, I mean to be a hero too!" Li Wei showed an honest, solid smile.
Li Yaqi held her feelings in, and nodded hard. "I warn you! You go on living properly for me — I haven't found you a wife yet!"
Since Li Yaqi had come forward to head the North Dragon Group that Zhao Chen had built, she had begun rearing up a successor for the Northern Goose Group's affairs.
And at that point an unlooked-for candidate had come into Li Yaqi's view.
Which was her younger brother Li Wei — once Zhao Chen's classmate.
In these years since graduating the Northstar Starship Military Academy, Li Wei had not been idle either, but had gone out and seasoned himself a while.
And hearing how matters stood with the Northern Goose Group, he had come back and volunteered to take it over.
Li Yaqi naturally hoped Li Wei would take it; for though the Northern Goose Group's largest controlling holder in substance was now Zhao Chen, in Li Yaqi's own heart she still counted it the Li family's enterprise.
She had afterward applied to Zhao Chen for Li Wei to be the Northern Goose Group's new head.
And there was a private motive in it too: Li Wei was her brother, and of the Li family, so that the Northern Goose Group might be said to rest in the hands of the Li family's own.
And at the same time Li Wei had always carried the title of the family's idle young rake; and by the Northern Goose Group's business he might gain some standing against the day he inherited the Li family.
But now… Li Yaqi rather regretted it.
And Li Wei at this hour sat in the captain's chair and stretched himself, raised his right hand, and called up a holographic photograph on his handheld terminal.
In it his hand rested on Zhao Chen's shoulder, and he was smiling.
While Zhao Chen wore a look of pure distaste and unwillingness.
"When I was out knocking about, I told that crew that the Owl Dragon lord was my brother — an iron friend I'd watched films and fired guns with. And none of them believed me. They said I wasn't fit for it. Today I mean to prove it. I, Li Wei, am fit to be your brother, Zhao Chen!"