The interstellar torpedoes the T3 Phantom Assassin-class Light Interstellar Stealth Bomber carried came only to the power of T4-grade munitions.
But the T4 Shadow-Demon-class Light Interstellar Stealth Bomber truly did use weapons and munitions of T4 grade!
And their power was some tens of times that of the T3 Phantom Assassin's besides!
Blast upon blast, without a break, went off at the Leviathan-Monarch's four attack points.
High-intensity attack upon four points at once made the cracks upon this colossus's body widen without cease.
Some part of its body tissue began to come away.
After explosions that went on several minutes.
The body of this Leviathan-Monarch was, for all the world, like a whale set upon by a pack of sharks: its fins broken, its tail in ruin, its head showing a great gaping breach, and one could make out faintly within it some manner of mechanical structure, snapped through.
These wounds left this Leviathan-Monarch as though at its last gasp.
"Quickly! Scan this Leviathan-Monarch's energy fluctuation at once!" Xu Yifan gave the order in his tension.
Warship or Hive Mothership, so long as they are running, there exists in them an energy fluctuation of a kind.
And the radar of the great majority of ships relies upon catching that fluctuation to sense the movements of other warships.
"Report — this Leviathan-Monarch's energy fluctuation is under a tenth of what it was when it first appeared, and it is weakening still at 15% a second. By our judgment, this Leviathan-Monarch has essentially lost its fighting capacity!" the adjutant said in his excitement.
Xu Yifan swung out a fist with all his weight behind it, as though loosing the whole of the fury that had been penned in his breast with nowhere to go.
"Beautifully done!"
The fall of the Leviathan-Monarch changed the course of this campaign utterly.
Zhao Wan'er looked at that colossus's ruined hulk in the distance; there was no great stir of feeling in her, and she gave her order quietly. "Pass my order. The whole fleet is to put out decoy missiles of every model, and withdraw from the field covering one another."
"Yes!"
The 500 T3 Phantom Assassins and this one T4 Shadow-Demon began to withdraw from the field.
And in the course of it, the Hive Motherships about them naturally pressed attacks of their own.
But because this stealth-bomber fleet's speed was exceedingly high, and because there were simply so very many decoy missiles of every kind—
in the end it got clear of the field at the cost of the smallest casualties.
"Damn it!" Marshal Zhong Yan hammered the table in his fury.
"Marshal… what… what are we to do now?" The adjutant swallowed at his side and asked it nervously.
That stealth-bomber fleet's decapitation strike just now had been truly frightening.
Had the target they set themselves been not that Leviathan-Monarch but the position of his own flagship—
they did carry several T3 interstellar anti-stealth ships, granted; but who could promise that under the attack of so many enemy stealth bombers, and that one T4-grade stealth bomber besides, they would come through without a scratch?
Marshal Zhong Yan looked at the state of the field before him, his face black.
Because of the Leviathan-Monarch's fall, the situation had passed beyond what he had reckoned on.
The hive-race fleets, after these several days of hard fighting and the collateral of that raid just now, came at present to under 30,000 Hive Motherships, with 20,000 imperial warships.
In numbers, it looked as though the advantage still lay with them.
But it must be borne in mind that what they had to face now was the Owl Dragon Legion — the Owl Dragon Legion, whose 3,000 warships were T3-grade to the last hull.
Withdraw?
The thought rose in Marshal Zhong Yan's mind, and was very soon rooted out again.
He understood perfectly the weight of this campaign; and if he chose to withdraw at such a moment, then imperial marshal though he was, Qin Xiaotian would most certainly not let him off.
Marshal Zhong Yan clenched his fists and gave his orders. "Signal the whole fleet — adjust heading once more. Leave a part of the fleet as rearguard to hinder the Owl Dragon Legion's advance. The remaining imperial fleets and hive-race fleets are to attack the Northern Goose defensive fleet's line at full speed. Whatever the cost, the Northern Goose Group's industrial base is to be destroyed!"
The order was exceedingly risky, but it was Marshal Zhong Yan's only choice now: complete the combat task, and then, however great the losses, he would still have something to say for himself when he came before Qin Xiaotian.
"And draft me a message besides, to be sent to His Majesty. Say that we pressed a hard assault upon the Northern Goose Group's line, and forced the Owl Dragon Legion to move an entire Owl Dragon legion, 3,000 warships… and that a stealth-bomber fleet of exceedingly great strength, above five— 700 T3 Phantom Assassin-class Light Interstellar Stealth Bombers, together with several T4 interstellar stealth bombers never seen before, launched a raid upon us. I, Zhong Yan, give my guarantee that whatever the cost, His Majesty's combat orders will be carried out. His Majesty may set his mind at rest!" Marshal Zhong Yan said gravely.
But this order of his was slow to get any answer from his subordinates.
"What is this? Do you not hear me? Go and send it, quickly!" Marshal Zhong Yan glared at the crew member charged with communications.
The comm officer said with a bitter smile, "Marshal… it is not that I have no wish to send it. You know yourself that while that quasi-T5 Hive Mothership was present, our quantum long-range comms were jammed. From that time we lost our ability to make contact with the outside. And though that quasi-T5 Hive Mothership has been killed now, the comm jamming in the space about us is with us still; to restore quantum long-range comms will want some time yet, at a guess."
Marshal Zhong Yan's face was black. "I understand. The instant comms are restored, send it for me at once! And mind you send it several times over — keep sending until a reply comes!"
"Understood!"
Marshal Zhong Yan looked at the interstellar holo-table before him.
He meant to do his utmost to complete this combat task; but he understood clearly that this effort of his must be made known to His Majesty.
Effort His Majesty could not see was effort spent for nothing.
Owl Dragon Fourth Legion · flagship
Su Lan had noted the enemy's change of tactics. Her face did not alter; her fingers moved across the interstellar holo-table, for all the world as though she were moving pieces upon an interstellar board.
"The drone swarms and the fighter swarms are to take the enemy's command of the space within half an hour! And to tie down the hive-race units of the enemy's hive-race fleets. The interstellar cruisers and battlecruisers are to form an assault fleet and cut through the enemy fleet from both flanks — with no need to return. Once the assault fleet has driven through, it is to enter the Northern Goose defensive fleet's line directly and, in concert with the Northern Goose defensive fleet, hold off the enemy's attack. Mind this: whatever happens, the Northern Goose Group's industrial base must be kept from any harm whatever! The rest of the Owl Dragon Fourth Legion's warships are to go on pressing forward. Destroy every enemy who stands and fights to the last!"
Su Lan fixed her eyes on the enemy's imperial fleets and hive-race fleets upon the interstellar holo-table.
They would be the Owl Dragon Fourth Legion's first medal of merit!