Galactic Star Calendar, year 3034, July 1st.
About the Imperial Capital Star there appeared warships gathered in twos and threes, every one of them T3-grade without exception, and bearing the crests of the various families.
Most conspicuous of all were the Purple Perilla Star Region's crest, and that T4 Boreas-class Heavy Interstellar Battleship.
That was one of the few T4-grade warships the Su family had procured in times past.
Powerful though it was, the wars it had seen were few indeed; the Su family had always treated it as a signboard, its symbolic significance far outweighing its practical use.
The Su family fleet had in fact brought near 300 ships this time; but because Qin Xiaolei had issued an order beforehand, the fleets of every power that came were halted in the systems on the Imperial Capital System's outskirts.
Only one to three warships were permitted to enter the Imperial Capital System.
Which made for easier management; otherwise, with too many visiting warships and dragons and fish jumbled together, all manner of situations could arise.
The Su family flagship.
"Are these all the Owl Dragon Legion's warships?" A Su family descendant stood on the bridge, looking in astonishment at the warships hanging outside.
These warships all bore the same fleet blazon; they had not entered the starport, but merely hung in the region about the Imperial Capital Star, seeming to take on the work of maintaining order.
For though the Starlight Empire's civil war was over now, no one dared promise there would not be some who would make trouble at such a time.
But with these warships holding the array, there was a full sense of safety, and no one would be so ignorant of what was good for them as to make trouble here.
Because these were T3-grade warships to the last hull.
"These are the Owl Dragon Fourth Legion's warships; near 3,000 T3 warships, the whole of them here. I hear they are temporarily in charge of the Imperial Capital Star's policing. Once the Imperial Capital Star and the Starlight Central Star Region are restored to order, this guard duty will be handed over to an Empress's guard fleet, to be formed at that time." The Su family's eldest son said it gravely.
"Terrifying! Though we had seen these Owl Dragon warships in images and video before— only with them truly set before one's eyes does one find that terrible air of murder about them. No wonder they can take on 10 to one upon the interstellar field." The Su family descendants said it enviously.
And as they spoke, their eyes drifted now and again toward a couple standing at the old Governor Su's side.
"Su Qiang, I hear Su Lan is this Owl Dragon Fourth Legion's commander?" the old Governor Su asked.
Hearing it, the Su family descendants round about looked at Su Qiang with greater envy still; this fellow had truly fathered a fine daughter.
To command 3,000 T3-grade warships — in the Starlight Empire there was near enough no precedent for it.
Su Qiang stepped forward and said respectfully, "Yes."
"Has Su Lan been in contact with you over this stretch?" the old Governor Su asked, for all the world as though chatting of household matters.
Su Qiang answered, "We exchange messages, but on account of the civil war Su Lan has been rather busy, so we have not talked much. But I ask after Su Lan's circumstances every day, out of concern. And now and again we make a video call."
"Just so, just so. Su Lan is a most dutiful child; she even asked us before whether we should like to come to the Owl Dragon Star System — she could arrange it for us," said the woman at Su Qiang's side.
The old Governor Su looked at the woman. "Su Qiang's wife, though you are not Su Lan's birth mother— I hope you may still treat Su Lan as your own daughter. Su Lan is a pitiable child, after all; she lost her mother young. Be in touch more often; draw the relation closer."
"Yes, yes. My two daughters are on very good terms with the girl Su Lan — like sisters born; and they keep saying they want to join the Owl Dragon Legion…" The Su mother came to this and paused, looking at the old Governor Su with some misgiving.
She feared the old Governor Su might mind their being too close to the Owl Dragon Legion.
"To be able to join the Owl Dragon Legion is of course best of all; there is no need to fret over such things. The Owl Dragon Legion already shows the shoots of becoming the Starlight Empire's strongest power; three years at the fastest, 10 at the slowest, and that state of things will certainly come about. You may say more of it to the girl Su Lan: if she has need, the sons and daughters of the Su family are all willing to join the Owl Dragon Legion. Alone in the Owl Dragon Legion she still needs someone to support her, after all; we of the main house will forever be the girl Su Lan's backing," so the old Governor Su said.
The Su family descendants round about echoed it.
"Just so, just so. I hear the Owl Dragon Legion recruits only women-soldiers; my eldest daughter happens to have service experience in that line, and could go and assist the girl Su Lan."
"My niece has only just graduated from the Northstar Starship Military Academy — a schoolmate of Su Lan's and the Owl Dragon lord's besides, which suits still better."
"My granddaughter has always yearned for the Owl Dragon Legion; if there is a chance, might I trouble you for an introduction."
The Su family's eldest son watched this single remark of the old Governor Su's set the whole body of Su family descendants boiling.
He knew the old Governor Su's meaning: the Owl Dragon Legion was beyond doubt a great tree now.
And to lean against that tree was to sit in its cool and its shade.
And could they raise up a camp of Su family confidants within the Owl Dragon Legion besides, it would be all profit and no harm to the Su family.
"I shall mention it to the girl Su Lan," Su Qiang said.
He looked at the old master's kindly brows and gentle eyes turned upon him, and looked round at the others besides, the Su family's eldest son among them, at their closeness toward him.
He knew that all of it was on account of his own daughter.
A father ennobled by his daughter.
…………
Though several hundred of the Su family had come aboard the Su family's starship, in fact the Su family had only 30 places for today's coronation ceremony of the new Emperor.
And that was because the Su family counted among the top five of the family powers invited this time.
For other family powers, to have two or three places at all was cause to burn tall incense.
Once off the starship, the Su family party first underwent the receiving guards' identity checks and scans.
Confirming whether the Su family personnel matched the roster the Su family had submitted beforehand, and at the same time scanning whether they carried weapons or equipment.
Not even the Su family's Governor could avoid it.
In former days, at a guess, the Su family would have been hopping mad.
But now every one of the Su family was as meek as though they had been drilled to it.
Because these guards charged with receiving them were made up, each squad, of two groups.
Nine in 10 were soldiers of the Princess's royal fleet; the rest were women-soldiers in the Owl Dragon Legion's uniform.
And these women-soldiers, whatever the standing of the one who came — marshal or governor — carried it out by the rules, neither servile nor overbearing.
Of course, there were some who did not know what was good for them, and supposed things stood as they had before.
Those people were expelled outright by the Owl Dragon women-soldiers!
And the people about them looked at those expelled with the eyes one turns on fools, and quietly added those fools, and the family powers behind them, to a blacklist, to have no dealings with them thereafter.
Having passed the checks, the Su family boarded a shuttle and entered the Imperial Capital Star.
The shuttle sailed a dozen-odd minutes and then settled slowly upon the landing apron before a splendid palace some 30 to 50 kilometers above the ground, above the cloud layer.
This was the place of today's coronation of the Empress.