The Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth
"Back so soon?" Midai'er looked in astonishment at Zhao Chen and the rest, returned within a single day.
She had supposed they would be gone several days.
She had not thought it would be so swift.
"Is the business done?" Charlotte did not ask it; instead Hu Xin'er, beside Charlotte, could not keep from asking.
Because she had seen that the Spider Queen tribe's chieftainess, Spider Queen Iris, and the Harpy tribe's chieftainess, Avina — who had left earlier in Zhao Chen's company — now stood one to either side behind Zhao Chen.
And that within the eyes of both there was a color that had not been there before, wholly unlike at their first meeting.
Hu Xin'er, being Charlotte's deputy now, naturally knew what the purpose of that trip had been.
To draw these two great tribes over.
The Harpy tribe might pass; but to draw the Spider Queen tribe over was truly far too hard.
"Come and be formally acquainted with our new friends. Spider Queen Iris and the harpy Avina — from this day forth they are our allies. Though considering that the situation is unstable at present, it is enough that this news be known among our upper ranks only. Nor need it be made public to the peoples of your two tribes; wait until we have the ability to guarantee the safety of your peoples in your star regions, and we shall speak of it then," Zhao Chen said.
"Yes, Your Excellency the Commander-in-Chief," Spider Queen Iris and the harpy Avina said together.
Which respectful bearing made it more unexpected to Hu Xin'er still.
"Charlotte, is our next operational plan in order? I hear from Lilith that the logistical supply on that side is now wholly in place; and though we shall not destroy all the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth's great tribes at one stroke— to fight a regional war at the least is no trouble." Zhao Chen looked to Charlotte.
Charlotte nodded, and sent an encrypted file over to Zhao Chen. "This is the strategic plan we have settled on at present. The time is not yet fixed; any hour within three days will serve."
Zhao Chen thought it over. Four days had already passed since he laid down that bold word within the Hundred Beasts Alliance about taking a star region within seven days.
"There is no need to wait three days. Since all is prepared and in order, then execute this operational plan tomorrow. Let us fight it quick and finish it quick. Don't give the enemy too much chance to react." Zhao Chen settled the time outright.
"Very well; then we shall go now and make the final confirming arrangements." Charlotte nodded.
Thereafter Charlotte and Lilith set to settling the final operational plan and issuing it down to the five Owl Dragon legion fleets.
After a brief conference, everyone went off about their own business.
Spider Queen Iris and the harpy Avina, by contrast, were at leisure off to one side.
"Why did you choose to join the Hundred Beasts Alliance so quickly?" Hu Xin'er came over and asked it curiously, straight to the point.
Spider Queen Iris shook her head in denial. "We have not joined the Hundred Beasts Alliance."
Hu Xin'er was puzzled — had they not just now acknowledged that they had become their companions?
"We have chosen to become vassal tribes of the Owl Dragon Legion," Spider Queen Iris answered.
"What?" Hu Xin'er looked at Spider Queen Iris in surprise.
For within the Hundred Beasts Alliance, though everyone was in fact subject to Charlotte, they could at least preserve their own independence in name.
But for Spider Queen Iris and her people to choose to become vassal tribes of the Owl Dragon Legion meant that they had given up their own autonomy and independence, and chosen to be absorbed into the Owl Dragon Legion.
"We have; we are wholly willing to submit to His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief," the harpy Avina said gravely — and one could see that her courage now was much improved upon what it had been when she first arrived.
There was even some hope besides in her eyes.
"Why? What terms did Zhao— did the Owl Dragon lord promise you? That you should be willing, of your own free hearts, to become the Owl Dragon Legion's vassals?" Hu Xin'er knit her brows slightly.
The Harpy tribe might pass.
But the Spider Queen tribe possessed very strong industrial manufacturing ability, and were one of the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth's foundations.
And their special standing meant that whatever might come to pass, the victors after the war would be willing to accept their existence.
She truly could not make out why Spider Queen Iris should choose to join the Owl Dragon Legion outright, when she might perfectly well, on the strength of her own advantages, look on at this war and wait until it had an outcome before declaring a position — and it would not be too late then either.
"You have not been to the Owl Dragon star system, have you." Spider Queen Iris blinked, looking at Hu Xin'er.
Hu Xin'er shook her head.
"Then in time to come, when you have the chance to go to the Owl Dragon star system and understand everything there clearly, you will know why we made our choice." Spider Queen Iris said it with a smile.
The harpy Avina said, unshakably, "Time will prove how utterly right the choice we made was. The Owl Dragon star system… possesses science and technology that surpass the age. There we have laid hold of the future of our tribes' development."
Thinking of what she had seen earlier, the harpy Avina could not keep from clenching her fists.
She would certainly acquit herself well under Commander-in-Chief Zhao Chen, for the sake of giving her own tribe a better prospect, and room to develop.
Just as Chief Engineer Annie had.
Hu Xin'er wished to press further, but both Spider Queen Iris and the harpy Avina chose to let out nothing more of any kind concerning the Owl Dragon star system.
Unwilling to give up, Hu Xin'er sought out Midai'er.
"You've been to the Owl Dragon star system before, haven't you?" Hu Xin'er looked at Midai'er, who was at work, and asked it in a low voice.
"I have." Midai'er nodded.
"Does the Owl Dragon star system possess some very powerful technology?" Hu Xin'er asked curiously.
Midai'er called to mind all she had seen when she went to the Owl Dragon star system before, and said, "When we went to the Owl Dragon star system at that time— everything there was indeed very fine, and they had very advanced technological warships; but… as for any very powerful technological capacity… I don't seem to have seen any. At that time it amounted to about the scale of a few important star systems of our Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth."
"When was it you went before?"
"A year and more ago, near enough," Midai'er said.
A year's time — there should be no very great change.
But if it amounted only to a few of the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth's prosperous star systems, then even the Dragon-folk tribe's home system could not possibly have produced so great a shift of attitude in Spider Queen Iris and the harpy Avina in the space of a single day.
Hu Xin'er, brimming with curiosity, in the end could not keep from sidling up to Charlotte and asking about the thing she was curious over.
"You are curious what on earth is in the Owl Dragon star system, that it could make Spider Queen Iris and the harpy Avina shift their attitude all at once and submit to the Commander-in-Chief?" Charlotte looked at Hu Xin'er.
Hu Xin'er nodded heavily.
Charlotte thought a moment, and answered, "That answer I cannot give you in words. Let us do it this way: once this campaign in the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth is over— I shall take you all on a trip to the Owl Dragon star system. And you may uncover the answer yourself."
Hu Xin'er rolled her eyes; she still had got no answer.
Charlotte looked at Hu Xin'er, her curiosity unsatisfied, and laughed inwardly; in truth she had long had the notion of taking a group of her key people to visit the Owl Dragon star system when the chance came.
Up to the present, the overwhelming majority within the Hundred Beasts Alliance were astonished at the Owl Dragon Legion's military strength.
And had not truly grasped how terrifyingly powerful the Owl Dragon Legion's underlying foundation was.
Only when they had felt it in their own persons would they know the Owl Dragon Legion's power and terror.
And fear of the strong is the shortest road to creating 'loyalty' in the least possible time.