Beep beep beep beep.
Just as the Dragon Emperor and this pair of treasured daughters of his were discussing the plans to come—
a message came in to the Dragon Emperor.
He glanced over it, and in an instant his feelings exploded.
His two daughters could see the look of fury in their father's eyes outright.
"Father? What has happened?" Blanche asked.
The Dragon Emperor set an electronic report before Blanche and Leona.
"Look for yourselves. The Owl Dragon Legion bullies us past all bearing!"
Looking at this electronic report, Blanche's and Leona's expressions were utterly opposed.
Leona was more furious than the Dragon Emperor; her eyes went wide with rage and she roared, "They actually dare to threaten us? Holding those 30,000 ships of the Dragon-folk fleet group over us? Who gave them the nerve? Father, give me three Dragon-folk fleet groups; I shall go and pull the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group out this instant! I should like to see who can hold our Dragon-folk fleet groups when they mean to leave!"
Blanche threw Leona a rolled eye and said mildly, "Then let me ask you this. Suppose you did it. With four Dragon-folk fleet groups, how many have you the confidence to bring out from under the Owl Dragon Legion's interstellar missile bombardment? Is the lesson of two Dragon-folk fleet groups annihilated entire not enough for you? It is not enough to have thrown in the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group; you wish to throw in three more? Have you considered who profits if our Dragon-folk tribe's strength is greatly damaged? Can you not stop thinking of nothing but fighting, fighting — can you not widen your view a little?"
"You—!" Leona glared at Blanche in a fury.
Inwardly she in fact acknowledged what Blanche said; but her character would not let her concede.
And at trading words she had never once bested this half-sister of hers.
Blanche looked over that electronic report once more.
The report's content divided chiefly into two parts.
One part was the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group's report upon its own condition.
Originally, because the Black Tiger home star had been broken and the Black Tiger Star Region wholly lost—
the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group hastening to their relief, and the 20,000 tribal interstellar warships accompanying it, were in a most awkward position.
And after Blanche proposed the strategic plan of cooperating with the Holy Radiance Empire, this force would naturally be withdrawn.
Though there was no star gate to use, withdrawal by warp navigation was possible.
But what none of them had anticipated was that the Owl Dragon Legion fleets should, of all things, use all five Owl Dragon legions to plug the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group's line of retreat.
And at the same time lay out great numbers of warp interceptors beforehand along every heading of navigation.
All of the above the Owl Dragon Legion had told the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group directly.
And openly declared that should the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group dare to act rashly, the Owl Dragon Legion would dare to annihilate the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group entire on the spot with interstellar missiles.
And the other half of the electronic report's message.
Was that the Owl Dragon Legion demanded the Dragon-folk tribe pay a 'ransom.'
Just so: in the Owl Dragon Legion's account, the Dragon-folk fleet group's 30,000 interstellar warships and those tribes' 20,000 interstellar warships had, astonishingly, already become the Owl Dragon Legion's prisoners.
This was quite simply a humiliation of the Dragon-folk tribe.
Which was why the Dragon Emperor had been furious a moment ago, and Leona had asked leave to give battle!
This was a provocation!
"Ransom! Their Owl Dragon Legion may go on dreaming. Among us of the Dragon-folk tribe there has never been such a thing as paying a ransom!" The Dragon Emperor brandished a fist and said it resolutely.
"The Owl Dragon Legion knows we shall not readily pay a ransom, and yet they sent this message over. They can assuredly not have done it merely to humiliate us." Blanche suddenly thought of something. "Father, who is the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group's commander?"
The Dragon Emperor suddenly thought of something too.
At this point a figure appeared beyond the great hall.
"Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"
A matron in glittering golden dress, her looks much like Leona's, came walking in.
"Mother, how is it you have come?" Leona looked at her own mother in astonishment.
This was Leona's mother, a pure-blooded Dragon-folk, and at the same time the Dragon Emperor's principal empress in name.
Blanche, seeing who had come, lowered her head and saluted as well.
"Your Majesty, your handmaid begs Your Majesty to save my younger brother!" The Dragon-folk Empress knelt straight down upon the floor, weeping past all speech.
Blanche's expression was level, as though she had seen through the whole of this already.
"This… the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group's commander… surely it cannot be…" Leona thought of something and looked at her mother in astonishment.
"So you all know already? I have just had word: your uncle's Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group, Leona, is now trapped in the Black Tiger Star Region's First Star System, in peril at any moment. You must save your uncle. He is the only uncle you have," the Dragon-folk Empress pleaded.
Leona's expression was as though she had eaten filth; without thinking she looked at Blanche beside her, whose expression was composed — she could see that Blanche had known already where this business was headed.
Originally they might have chosen to leave the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group to its fate.
Though the loss of 30,000 interstellar warships would have grieved them sorely.
Still, for the Dragon-folk tribe's dignity — and with the added benefit of having the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group spend the Owl Dragon Legion's strength — the trip might be reckoned not wasted.
But now the business had grown complicated.
She had not thought her own uncle would be the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group's commander.
That uncle of hers was her mother's only younger brother, a man wholly without talent for command yet exceedingly eager to display his own strength.
By any normal reckoning, a man of that kind could not possibly hold a fleet group commander's post; but what was to be done, his standing being special?
The more so as the family behind him was among the first rank within the Dragon-folk tribe, and the Dragon Emperor's rule had received no little support from that family behind the scenes.
Which was also why Leona's mother could become empress — assuredly not so simple a thing as merely being a pure-blooded Dragon-folk.
The Dragon Emperor now knew the special character of this business too; he heaved a long sigh. Whether for his own daughter's uncle, or for his wife's younger brother—
on the strength of the support of that wastrel's family alone, he could not choose to watch him die without saving him.
"Blanche… no, you must handle the business with the Holy Radiance Empire. Then this business is given over to you, Leona, to take charge of. You will negotiate with the Owl Dragon Legion; this ran— so long as the terms are not too outrageous, we can agree to them. And if it truly cannot be helped, it is enough that we get your uncle back. At the same time, contact the Dragon-folk Tenth Fleet Group privately and see whether there is hope of organizing a small squadron to break out and get the principal officers away." The Dragon Emperor gave his instructions.
What the principal officers signified went without saying.
Ordinarily the Dragon Emperor would rather have had Blanche take charge of a negotiation of this kind.
But Blanche's more important business now was the Holy Radiance Empire.
He could only fall back upon the next best and hand this business to Leona.
"Blanche, you may give Leona a few instructions. She has not much experience in the matter of negotiation." The Dragon Emperor did not forget to add the reminder at this point.