At the moment those 1,200 pillars of light came down.
The video image before Charlotte broke into static as well.
Charlotte kept her head down and did not look at the result of the attack; her fists were clenched, and the claws at her fingertips had even pierced her own palm, the blood dripping down upon the captain's chair.
"Commander, this round of fire is complete—"
"Gorgons… open fire!" Charlotte's voice this time was very low, but very clear.
The adjutant did not waste a word. "Gorgon-class Heavy Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ships, attention: lock the Black Tiger Sacred Mountain, second round of bombardment, prepare!"
After some minutes of charging, the second stroke of divine chastisement came down again.
"Open fire!"
The third round…
"Open fire!"
The fourth round…
"Open fire for me!"
The fifth round…
"Keep firing!"
The sixth round…
"Open fire!"
The seventh round.
By this hour Charlotte's voice had grown somewhat hoarse; her clenched jaw had driven her tiger-fangs through her own lip, and blood ran down from the corner of her mouth.
The adjutant beside her watched her commander anxiously; she was hesitating now over whether to contact Commander-in-Chief Zhao Chen.
Because Commander Charlotte's emotional state at present was very far from normal.
After the seventh round of bombardment was complete, Charlotte seemed to have spent every particle of her strength, and sat in the captain's chair with unseeing eyes.
At this point a red marker flashed on the adjutant's handheld terminal; she opened it and looked, and her anxiety of a moment ago steadied a good deal at once.
Only she still watched Commander Charlotte with a faintly worried expression.
The adjutant raised her head and looked at the Black Tiger Sacred Mountain, which had borne seven rounds of bombardment lasting near half an hour from first to last.
No—
there was no sacred mountain at that position now.
There was only a basin, the largest and deepest basin upon this planet.
Under seven rounds of saturation bombardment from three T4 Gorgon-class Heavy Interstellar Heavy-Artillery Ships, the highest peak this planet had ever had was wiped away outright.
And the deepest and largest basin created in its place.
That basin was black scorched earth from end to end; not so much as a single block of the ruins of the buildings that had stood there could be found.
It could be said with certainty that within this area not one intelligent life could possibly have survived.
And this sight the people in the other cities of the Black Tiger home star saw as well.
Some by transmission over the planet's internal network, some with the naked eye alone — that terrible scene of seven rounds of light-pillars coming down upon the Black Tiger Sacred Mountain.
At this moment near enough every inhabitant of this planet was steeped in a feeling of terror.
Their life and their death lay in a single passing thought of those steel behemoths above their heads.
Time passed by degrees.
Charlotte sat blankly in the captain's chair.
While those inhabitants upon the planet were likewise in torment; some, indeed, could no longer bear that psychological terror, and chose to take their own lives outright.
To them this time was a torture.
Tramp, tramp, tramp.
Footsteps sounded upon the bridge; the crew within it, seeing who had come, straightened without thinking and made to salute.
But the newcomer put a finger to his lips, signing to them to keep quiet.
The adjutant, seeing who had come, let out a breath of relief as well.
"Comm—"
"Leave it to me." Zhao Chen signed to the adjutant to leave the matter to him.
Thereafter he walked straight up before the captain's chair.
Seeing those familiar military boots, Charlotte slowly raised her head, and saw that familiar face, and that warm smile.
At this moment her feelings slipped out of control like a dam giving way.
She opened her mouth and made to weep aloud, but no weeping would come out of her however she tried.
Zhao Chen took Charlotte's head into his arms and buried it against his chest, and lowering his own head to her ear said softly, " It's all right. I'm here. Don't lay too great a burden on yourself. You have done splendidly. You have avenged the White-Tiger tribe. Your father said it too — you are the White-Tiger tribe's hero, and he is proud of you. Your grandfather, and those kin who died upon the White Tiger home star in that year, will be proud of you as well. As for how the people upon the Black Tiger home star are to be dealt with, you need feel no pressure whatever. You need only speak the truest thought in your heart; every consequence I will carry for you."
A few simple sentences, and Charlotte felt as though she had come all at once out of a dark place into warm sunlight.
Charlotte murmured, and Zhao Chen listened.
That voice was so soft that only Zhao Chen could hear it.
Soon Zhao Chen raised his head, keeping his hold upon Charlotte; Charlotte's head stayed in his arms throughout and did not lift.
"You are Charlotte's adjutant, yes?" Zhao Chen said, looking at the woman crew member standing nearest.
"I am." The adjutant stepped forward and said it with some nervousness.
Zhao Chen said, "Now relay my orders. The Owl Dragon First Legion fleet, apart from a portion of interstellar warships left to take over the Black Tiger home star, is to begin rest and resupply. Deploy interstellar mecha onto the Black Tiger home star; take control of every city upon it in the least possible time. Any organization or power that dares resist is to be killed outright; no report is needed. As for the other Black Tiger tribespeople, gather and concentrate them for the present; any who resist may be killed outright. And collect all relevant records; investigate every official of the Black Tiger tribe, high and low. Any who organized, took part in, or planned acts of killing against the White-Tiger tribe are, upon conclusive evidence, to be executed without exception. And above all every front-line officer who took part in the military operation to destroy the White Tiger home star in that year! The other rank-and-file soldiers are all to be taken into custody, and by the degree of their guilt sentenced to 50 years, 80 years, a hundred years, or permanent reform through labor. Sent to the mining worlds with the worst conditions in the Reef Star Region. Is that clear? Understood?"
Zhao Chen looked at the adjutant.
The adjutant straightened up. "Your servant is clear! Understood!"
Zhao Chen lowered his head and looked at Charlotte in his arms.
Charlotte at this hour was for all the world like a great white cat in need of shelter, without that overbearing bearing of former days.
But Zhao Chen knew that having been through this, Charlotte would truly evolve from a goddess of war into a fit sovereign!
"I… want you to stay with me alone a while…" Charlotte gripped Zhao Chen's clothes and murmured it.
"All right." Zhao Chen looked at Charlotte fondly; he picked her up outright, and looked toward the temporary rest room to one side of the bridge.
That was where a captain might rest, or hold a meeting, when busy.
Zhao Chen carried Charlotte over toward it.
Having gone a few steps, Zhao Chen's stride checked.
"Those who are to be put to death — take them all to the site of the Black Tiger Sacred Mountain for execution. Mind: those found guilty of the most monstrous crimes are not to be allowed to die easily. I want to hear the sound of their pleas for pardon ringing across the whole of the Black Tiger Sacred Mountain." Zhao Chen's voice was that of a demon.
"Your servant understands." The adjutant's blood ran cold; she could feel the terrible air within the Commander-in-Chief's words.
Thereafter Zhao Chen carried Charlotte into the rest room.
And in the instant they came into the rest room—
the great white cat, quiet until then, suddenly raised a hand and tapped at the empty air, calling up this room's control panel.
"Seal this room. Without my leave no one is to come in and disturb us. Any urgent intelligence is to be conveyed in by message." Having said this, the great white cat brought a click from the room's door.
Which signified it was locked fast.
Zhao Chen at this moment was still rather at a loss.
The great white cat put out her strength all at once and pushed Zhao Chen straight down to the floor.
The great white cat lowered her body and raised her haunches, for all the world like a hunter making ready for the chase.
Within those bloodshot eyes were feelings of every kind; she was in urgent need of venting them now.
And above all at this moment, seeing the Commander-in-Chief.
Within her breast there seemed to be a fire burning, and at the same time a peculiar low keening came out of her mouth.
The next moment the great white cat set to tearing and biting at the Commander-in-Chief, and that dashing uniform of his was in a moment reduced to nothing but shreds of cloth.
Seeing this, Zhao Chen reflected inwardly.
This big cat seemed… to be rather out of sorts…