A dozen minutes and more.
The Owl Dragon First Legion's interstellar warships had near enough destroyed every Black Tiger interstellar warship about the Black Tiger home star.
The Black Tiger home star at this hour was for all the world like a frail woman stripped of every defense, to be ravaged as Charlotte pleased.
The adjutant beside her looked at Commander Charlotte hesitantly. That question she had asked a moment ago Charlotte had not answered at once; she had only told the other Owl Dragon interstellar warships to act by the combat orders.
And now the interstellar warships about the Black Tiger home star were destroyed to the last, and only one target remained: the Black Tiger home star itself.
"Has the Black Tiger chieftain — that fellow Durut — had his position upon the Black Tiger home star confirmed?" Charlotte asked suddenly.
The adjutant at once opened a 3D map of the Black Tiger home star, and marked a high mountain region upon it.
"By our T4 Banshee-class Light Interstellar Stealth Scout Ship's penetration of the enemy's planetary internal electronic communications system, it can be confirmed that Black Tiger chieftain Durut has remained upon this Black Tiger Sacred Mountain. This Black Tiger Sacred Mountain stands 12,580 meters in altitude, the highest peak upon the Black Tiger home star, and the base of the Black Tiger tribe's direct line besides. Upon it stands the Black Tiger tribe's political center as well, a royal city built into the mountainside," the adjutant said.
Charlotte's fists clenched, and she stared at the Black Tiger home star with bloodshot eyes.
Beneath her pupils it was as though she saw the White Tiger home star of former days, the two planets seeming at this moment to overlap.
"Pass my order. The three T4 Gorgon-class Heavy Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ships — all heavy guns, lock onto the Black Tiger Sacred Mountain." Charlotte said it in a low voice.
"Yes." The adjutant executed the order at once.
The three T4 Gorgon-class Heavy Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ships sailed to the Black Tiger home star's near-planet orbit, and every interstellar heavy gun upon them at this moment sighted together upon that Black Tiger Sacred Mountain rearing into the clouds below.
"Get me Durut," Charlotte said, seated in the captain's chair.
Because the T4 Banshee-class Light Interstellar Stealth Scout Ship had penetrated this planet's network systems, to reach that Black Tiger chieftain Durut was a very simple matter.
A video window presented itself before Charlotte.
Whether or not by coincidence.
The postures of the two of them at this moment were, of all things, somewhat alike.
Only that Charlotte sat in a starship's captain's chair.
While the Black Tiger chieftain Durut opposite sat upon a black-iron tiger-head throne, and behind him, beyond the transparent glass, a whole sky of snow could be seen.
"Have you anything left to say now?" Charlotte said icily.
"The winner is king, the loser is bandit. I have nothing to say," Black Tiger chieftain Durut said mildly, his bearing seeming aged by several decades against what it had been.
"For what you did to our White-Tiger tribe, have you now not the least remorse!" Charlotte's fist clenched.
Black Tiger chieftain Durut mused a moment, his gaze seeming to call back the events of those days.
And at the last he shook his head and said self-mockingly, "The thing has happened. Can my remorse change any of it? Or say I kneel now and beg for mercy, and set out my regret in 10 million words — will you then be willing to let me go?"
Coming to this, Black Tiger chieftain Durut suddenly said, with something dimmed in his eyes, "If remorse and pleading were of any use. I would not ask you to spare me. I would only hope you might spare this planet, and spare the Black Tiger tribe. What you hate should be me, and not those lowly tribespeople of the Black Tiger tribe…"
"Spare! The billions of living souls upon the White Tiger home star — did you ever spare them! Did that mercy of yours ever give them one particle! What standing have you now to ask my mercy! Pass my order: all interstellar warships of the Owl Dragon First Legion, lock onto the Black Tiger home star! Prepare to carry out orbital bombardment!" Charlotte roared in fury, her eyes seeming on the point of dripping blood.
"Yes! All interstellar warships of the Owl Dragon First Legion, lock target Black Tiger home star; orbital bombardment may be carried out at any moment!"
After this order was handed down.
Near 3,000 Owl Dragon combat-type interstellar warships at this moment locked onto this Black Tiger home star.
Upon the Black Tiger home star, within city after city.
No few of the residents there at this hour knew roughly what was happening above their heads.
The White-Tiger tribe's General Charlotte had come, bearing the White-Tiger tribe's sea of blood-hatred, to take revenge.
What had happened upon the White Tiger home star in that year was about to happen upon the Black Tiger home star.
"Mama, those interstellar warships up above are so pretty. But why are all their gun muzzles pointed at us?" A little Black Tiger girl with her hair in small braids lowered the telescope in her hands and asked it curiously of her mother beside her.
The Black Tiger mother forced back her tears, crouched down and held her own child. "Don't be afraid… it's all right… it's all right…"
Though her mouth spoke words of comfort, this Black Tiger mother's voice was choked, and her body trembling.
"Retribution. This is retribution. In that year I said it: the murder of a world must not be done — it must not. It is a thing without conscience, that heaven's law cannot suffer! You would not listen to me, you would not listen to me. See there — this is retribution. Ha ha ha ha…" A retired old Black Tiger general leaned on his cane, laughing aloud and pointing at the sky, whether mad or witless there was no telling.
In city after city upon this planet, the Black Tiger tribe's people were steeped in fear, terror, and helplessness.
Even upon the summit of that mountain the Black Tiger tribe held sacred, there was chaos.
Nobles of every sort were attempting to flee this planet about to be destroyed.
While that king of theirs sat upon his throne at this hour like a piece of dead wood.
"Yes… I have indeed no standing." Black Tiger chieftain Durut laughed at himself, and raised his head to look at the ceiling of his own royal hall, as though he saw those three T4 Gorgon-class Heavy Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ships locked upon him.
For all the world like a criminal awaiting judgment, gazing up at the blade about to fall.
Charlotte's head hung low; one could see that her body was now trembling.
"…"
The adjutant started; she seemed to have heard Commander Charlotte, her head bowed, say something — but she had not caught it clearly.
"What did you say just now?" the adjutant asked.
Charlotte's head snapped up, and in those bloodshot eyes the killing intent seemed on the point of taking bodily form.
With all the strength in her, she roared, "The three Gorgon-class Heavy Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ships, lock onto the Black Tiger Sacred Mountain. Carry out a saturation fire strike. Open fire!"
Without a word the adjutant relayed Commander Charlotte's order at once.
Upon the three T4 Gorgon-class Heavy Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ships, ready long since, the 400 Gorgon-type particle-energy heavy guns aboard each ship began to build charge.
Thereafter pillars of light, one after another, like 1,200 strokes of heaven's chastisement, pierced the firmament and came down straight upon that Black Tiger Sacred Mountain.