Though upon the three battlefields the Owl Dragon Legion had all along employed the method of avoiding battle, the ground was after all only so large, and matters must come at last to a point where avoidance was no longer possible.
And the first to reach that point was neither the Black Tiger Star Region nor the Hundred Beasts Alliance's home base.
It was the Owl Dragon Legion's forward camp — the position where the T3 Radiant Moon-class Star Gate stood.
Though this T3 Radiant Moon-class Star Gate had been built out in the interstellar marginal space, over a long stretch of time, this gate being the key hub connecting the Owl Dragon star system to the Warhammer—
by degrees an interstellar camp had been built up with this Radiant Moon-class gate at its center.
Called by the Owl Dragon Legion the Owl Dragon Forward Camp.
Controlled by the Owl Dragon Legion, with fleets dispatched to garrison it; and some months before, a T3 Storm-Fortress-class Large Star Port had been built and completed here besides.
And to this day, this Owl Dragon Forward Camp had at last come under direct threat.
T3 Storm-Fortress-class Large Star Port — command room
"Report. Our radar has detected the enemy's fleet groups. They have appeared at these positions respectively, and are sailing toward us. By their present speed, they are expected to enter firing range within one hour." A subordinate reported the news to the star port's chief officer.
The star port's chief officer took one look and handed down the order at once. "Pass my order: Storm-Fortress No. 018 is to enter first-grade combat status. All personnel to combat stations, standing by at any moment. A certain radius about the Storm-Fortress is to enter emergency wartime control. All weapon modules deployed, all star-shield modules opened, all gun emplacements to standby-to-fire, all interstellar drone swarms and interstellar fighters to begin launching. Report the intelligence here to the Commander-in-Chief at once."
"Yes!"
Within a bare five minutes, this star port, which had looked so quiet, entered at once into the state of a combat fortress.
Gun after huge star-port gun stood gathered and ready, locked upon any enemy that might appear in the deep space far off.
The star shields opened one after another besides, so that the space about this star port seemed studded with glittering jewels.
Time passed by degrees.
The enemy fleet beacons appearing upon the star port's radar grew ever more numerous — from one legion fleet at the outset, 3,000 interstellar warships.
To now, above 30 legion fleets, near 100,000 interstellar warships.
And these beacons were all of them drawing slowly nearer this Owl Dragon forward position.
And just at this moment a video window sprang open.
"This is Zhao Chen. I know already how matters stand on your side. I have dispatched the Owl Dragon Sixth Legion fleet to reinforce the forward camp; combat command on your side will be taken over by the Owl Dragon Sixth Legion's commander," Zhao Chen said.
"Yes." The star port's chief officer received the order, and let out a long breath at the same time.
And just at this moment, word came from the star gate's officer as well.
"Report. We have received a jump application from the Owl Dragon Sixth Legion fleet here at the gate. The Owl Dragon Sixth Legion's 3,000 interstellar warships will all have jumped into the gate's jump zone within 10 minutes." Hearing the gate officer's words, the stone in the star port chief's heart came still further to rest.
And it roused a certain curiosity in this star port chief besides.
The Owl Dragon Sixth Legion?
She had never heard of it before; presumably it was a newly established Owl Dragon legion.
Which was nothing surprising.
Their interstellar warships were, after all, always produced at a speed past believing.
Only who might the commander of this Sixth Legion be?
The star port chief's gaze went out toward that Radiant Moon-class gate giving off its white rosy glow, out of which interstellar warship after interstellar warship jumped forth.
All of them, without exception, Owl Dragon-series combat-type interstellar warships, and all of them T3-grade and above.
And all of them brand new!
And upon these interstellar warships, besides the Owl Dragon Legion's crest.
There was an extra fleet pennant number.
VI
A golden numeral six worked in a dragon pattern.
Signifying which Owl Dragon legion these interstellar warships belonged to.
Soon she saw a colossus appear.
Rarely seen, but to her very familiar.
The T4 Blue-Eyes White Dragon-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Battleship.
One of the two mightiest main ship classes in the Owl Dragon Legion's service, and one that commonly served as a flagship, or as a deputy flagship.
Presumably that newly promoted legion commander was aboard it.
And as though in answer to her thought, a video window soon sprang open.
Opposite was a woman seated in a captain's chair, and the most conspicuous thing about her was that head of serpent-hair.
"I am the Owl Dragon Sixth Legion's commander, Medusa. I come by order to garrison the Owl Dragon Forward Camp." Medusa spoke icily, and out of every pair of eyes upon her face there came a chill.
Very like the reports of her.
This queen of the Snake-folk out of the Reef Star Region was, before anyone but the Commander-in-Chief, an iceberg beauty with a strangers keep out about her.
But the senior petty officers who had worked alongside her all admired her ability.
She had exceedingly rich practical combat experience, and a very strong capacity for learning.
In peacetime she would often be found aboard the Goddess Academy-class starship.
Often pointing at that Dean Xiong Xiangxiang and asking questions of every kind.
Drawing back her thoughts.
She straightened up, gave the military salute, and said, "I am the Owl Dragon Forward Camp's supreme officer of the 018 Storm-Fortress star port, Ge Xiaoyu. I have received the Commander-in-Chief's order. Supreme wartime command here will now pass to you. We await your orders. Please instruct."
Medusa's expression did not change. "Do what you ought to do, and it will suffice; assist us in defending this forward camp and meeting the enemy. I shall link into your star-port radar network and command network. Any intelligence, report to me at the first instant. Mark me: without my order. There is to be no action on your own authority."
"Yes." Ge Xiaoyu, the star port's officer, said it, and then added, "But there is one point I must inform you of. By the battlefield intelligence we have obtained so far. There are at present 300,000 Warhammer coalition interstellar warships closing upon our forward camp. And behind them, holding at a certain distance, a further hundred thousand Holy Radiance Empire legion fleets. …"
The adjutant beside Ge Xiaoyu suddenly muttered a line or two in a low voice.
Ge Xiaoyu looked at Medusa opposite and went on, "By the latest word, there is besides a Sacred Wing Legion, one of the Ten Great Sacred-Light Legions. The enemy's total strength reaches 400,000 interstellar warships. If we rely upon our star port alone, and upon your Owl Dragon Sixth Legion's 3,000 interstellar warships, to resist the enemy, we may pay a very great sacrifice. Your Excellency the commander, this may be no business of mine to ask after. But I hope all the same that you may tell me what means you have of meeting it, so that our side may do its utmost to cooperate."
Medusa took no offense at the other's question.
Her gaze merely grew somewhat far-off and rapt, as though she had returned to that star system a thousand miles away.
"Set your mind at rest. The protagonist of this battle is not us. It will descend very soon — in the aspect of a king."
Ge Xiaoyu looked without thinking toward the star gate.
"The Radiant Moon-class gate cannot bear its body. But its descent cannot be stopped." In the eyes of this iceberg beauty Medusa, famed always for her coolness, there appeared, astonishingly, a fanatic light.