"What! This belongs to the T5 grade of interstellar warship!" Spider Queen Iris looked at Zhao Chen incredulously, her feelings all but slipping out of control.
If those T4-grade interstellar warships of the Owl Dragon Legion's could rouse an enormous interest in Spider Queen Iris—
then a T5-grade interstellar warship was without question a thing Spider Queen Iris had longed for at any cost whatever.
"It is. This is the first T5-grade interstellar warship our Owl Dragon Legion has developed and built. And at the same time the first T5-grade interstellar warship known to the Galactic Alliance." Zhao Chen said it with pride.
"And what does this 'dreadnought' signify?" Spider Queen Iris asked curiously.
Annie's eyes lit up: at last it was her turn to show what she could do.
She opened her mouth and made ready to speak.
A voice stole her thunder.
"As for the definition of a dreadnought, you may take it for an all-round-firepower main-combat type of interstellar warship. Possessing the high-strength armor and high-strength firepower output of an interstellar battleship. And possessing at the same time a cruising speed second only to an interstellar cruiser's. And it can carry weapon modules of every kind. It has interstellar missile launch units, interstellar heavy-artillery weapon modules, and hangars and launch-and-recovery platforms besides for interstellar drone swarms and interstellar fighters. And it…" Nana's tone checked at this point, and she looked hesitantly toward the Commander-in-Chief.
Zhao Chen nodded, signing that Nana might go on.
Only then did Nana speak out one important technology besides. "And it is fitted, moreover, with a 'hyperspace fold-jump engine.'"
"You have broken through the technical barrier of the single-ship fold-jump engine! That's right — I heard before that you have an interstellar jump ship that can open a star gate temporarily!" Spider Queen Iris's genes were at this moment roused thoroughly into play.
"We have. An interstellar warship fitted with a 'hyperspace fold-jump engine' can make a hyperspace fold-jump at any time and in any place, arriving at its destination in an instant," Nana said.
As of the present, interstellar navigation technology divided chiefly into four types.
Conventional engine technology, warp drive technology, star gate navigation technology, and the topmost of them, hyperspace fold-jump technology — which some call hyperspace jumping, the meaning being much the same in any case.
The first three are the interstellar navigation technologies the Galactic Alliance now uses, each with its strengths and weaknesses, and commonly developed together so as to complement one another.
Whereas hyperspace fold-jump technology is under study by every interstellar empire.
Because a great many hold that this technology is a necessary element of T5 science, and above all an indispensable technology for an interstellar warship.
Just as the T4 grade must possess all-round star shield technology, so a T5 interstellar warship without this hyperspace fold-jump technology can hardly be called a T5 interstellar warship at all.
"Too incredible… truly too incredible… I had supposed I should never in this life come near T5-grade science and technology; and I never thought… that I should… that I should now stand so close to it."
Spider Queen Iris's hand touched the viewport, for all the world as though caressing, bit by bit, that Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought under construction opposite.
Within her eyes there was a fascination that came near to madness.
Zhao Chen's gaze at this moment fell above Spider Queen Iris's head, where there stood a line of figures, rising rapidly.
And reaching, at the last, its summit.
Spider Queen Iris: win-over index 100%
"My lord, I beg you by all means to let me join your starship construction plan!" Spider Queen Iris looked at Zhao Chen urgently.
"Do you sincerely and truly wish to join us?" Zhao Chen asked, with a show of gravity.
Spider Queen Iris at this point spoke gravely as well. "I acknowledge that what drew me more, before, were your T4 starships' technical blueprints. At the time I thought that even if you could not defeat the Warhammer's existing old order— at worst we could rejoin the Warhammer then, or go over to the Holy Radiance Empire. I'll not conceal it from you: the Holy Radiance Empire has all along had a mind to recruit us. But personally I dislike that crew of hypocrites; though should it truly come to the last extremity, it would be a line of retreat all the same. But now! I am sincerely and truly willing to serve the Owl Dragon Legion."
"Because of this T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought," Zhao Chen said.
"Just so." Spider Queen Iris acknowledged it outright. "I believe that so long as this T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought can truly roll off the line and enter service— then never mind the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth; even facing the Holy Radiance Empire you would have the strength to fight. Since with you we may obtain protection, and enjoy new technology besides — why should we not be glad to do it?"
This spider-woman was very frank.
Add to that the System's assistance, and at least for the present this spider-woman would not betray him.
Of course, the foundation of all this lay in the strength he had displayed.
Were the Owl Dragon Legion to grow weak, Zhao Chen did not doubt that Spider Queen Iris would take her tribe and leave.
Which would be pardonable enough — when the tree falls, the monkeys scatter, after all.
At least for the present Zhao Chen had confidence he could carry the Owl Dragon Legion on in its strength, and then these anxieties would not exist.
"I can agree to your joining. But your time with us being short, after all, it will not be possible for me to place you in any important post in the near term. I need time enough to witness your ability, your strength, and your loyalty." Zhao Chen said it looking at Spider Queen Iris.
To this Spider Queen Iris had no objection; she only glanced at the T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought beyond the viewport, and made as if to speak and then forbore.
"But I can specially permit you to assist Chief Engineer Annie and Chief Engineer Nana in completing a portion of the T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought's construction work. Though it must be in the company of those two," Zhao Chen said.
Though the System gave Zhao Chen grounds enough to trust this spider-woman, the procedure that ought to be gone through must be gone through all the same.
"I understand! I shall strive to prove my strength!" Hearing this, Spider Queen Iris's eyes shone, and she pledged herself in earnest.
Nana beside them said happily to her own sister, "With this, our load can be lightened in a great many things."
Annie nodded heavily; for the first time she found that this big spider was rather pleasant to look at.
Going by the ability she had displayed earlier, the related workload hereafter she could cut down by a good half outright.
And as she herself was the spider's superior… when the time came, to shunt a little work off onto her…
The corner of Annie's mouth rose slightly, and a somewhat sordid smile appeared upon it.
"Nana, hereafter the arrangement of Annie's and Iris's workloads shall be drawn up by you," Zhao Chen said suddenly, looking to Nana.
"Eh?" Annie was stunned; she looked at the Commander-in-Chief, and was on the point of asking why he had so arranged it.
But seeing that faintly meaningful look in Zhao Chen's eyes—
Annie could only shift her gaze away with a guilty conscience.
That little notion in her heart — how could Zhao Chen possibly not know of it?