Galactic Star Calendar, 15 September 3034
The situation within the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth, where the fighting had been at its height, suddenly underwent a turn of 720 degrees.
First came the Holy Radiance expeditionary force's withdrawal.
At the outset it was a withdrawal by ordered stages; afterward, on account of an emergency decree suddenly promulgated within the Holy Radiance Empire—
the speed of the withdrawal increased several times over.
In under a fifth of the time their coming had originally taken, the Holy Radiance expeditionary force had withdrawn from the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth.
Though of course they did not leave whole and unscathed.
One of the two Sacred-Light Legions, the Sacred Wing Legion, remained in the Warhammer forever.
The other got away by good fortune.
Of the remaining 300,000 Holy Radiance expeditionary warships, the loss rate came to near 20% — near 50,000 interstellar warships lost in the space of a few days.
And half of those interstellar warships lost were, by report, butchered to the last by a single legendary starship.
Afterward, in the memoirs of a certain White Wolf general, she would say with regret that her interstellar fleet's original operational objective had been that remaining Sacred-Light Legion, and that she would besides have annihilated at least 100,000 Holy Radiance interstellar warships.
But who could have thought that an upheaval coming so suddenly would leave that operational plan stillborn?
For which reason the White Wolf general would often, at table in later years, curse aloud that the cooked duck had flown away.
And after the Holy Radiance expeditionary fleets withdrew from the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth.
The Warhammer coalition and the Hundred Beasts Alliance — that is, the former Revolutionary Army — which had stood as enemies, suddenly ceased fighting.
Without any public declaration whatever.
The Warhammer coalition withdrew entirely from the areas the Hundred Beasts Alliance held in priority, and even disgorged all those systems of the Black Tiger Star Region they had just taken.
And the Dragon-folk fleet groups above all withdrew entirely to Dragon-folk tribe territory.
The whole upper rank of the Warhammer coalition fell into an uncanny silence.
It was only afterward that the Warhammer's common people learned what had happened at that time.
And as for the Warhammer coalition's withdrawal, the Hundred Beasts Alliance and the Owl Dragon Legion did not beat the drowning dog, but watched them withdraw in stillness — though if any withdrawing tribal fleets had light fingers.
Then a lesson would naturally be given, and some price exacted of them.
And with the Dragon-folk tribe, the great backer of those tribal fleets, withdrawing wholly, this crew naturally dared not court trouble.
And after one example had been made of a typical offender, every one of them grew most well-behaved, and withdrew as obediently as could be wished.
Beneath this uncanny atmosphere, the several powers within the Warhammer Interstellar Commonwealth were stirring in dark currents as well.
First, the Dragon-folk tribe's upper ranks convened a conference of a particular kind.
"Vengeance! We must have vengeance! That Demon Race fleet or whatever it is — they dared invade our Dragon-folk tribe, and… and… murdered my father! They must be made to pay a price in blood!" Leona was furious past all bearing, both eyes bloodshot, her feelings exceedingly stirred.
At Princess Leona's proposal, those Dragon-folk elders attending the conference were silent and said nothing.
Seeing that no one echoed her, Leona struck the table and pointed at this crowd, crying in fury, "And you are every one of you our Dragon-folk tribe's elders and nobles, more shame to you. My father's bones are not yet cold; have you not one particle of anger in you? Do not forget how my father valued you in his lifetime. Do you do justice to his cultivation of you!"
"Your Highness… we too wish for vengeance. But… the actual situation is that this enemy's strength is very great! With 30,000 interstellar warships alone they near enough annihilated our five Dragon-folk fleet groups, 150,000 interstellar warships; and with so vast a disparity in ship numbers, they inflicted a loss of only 3,000 interstellar warships upon the enemy. The loss ratio reaches an astonishing 50 to one! To act rashly now is exceedingly ill-timed." A Dragon-folk elder said it in a low voice.
Leona would have spoken further.
She was cut off by a voice.
"Leona, enough."
Blanche regarded her sister coldly.
"Leona, I can understand your feelings. But do not forget you are the Dragon-folk tribe's princess! Father… is gone… Would you have the Dragon-folk tribe stand in peril on account of your rashness! Were that so, then even were Father still alive, he would not approve your conduct."
Leona clenched her fists, forcing down the rage in her heart, and asked through gritted teeth, unwilling, "Then tell me — what are we to do now!"
Blanche looked at Leona, her feelings mastered for the moment, and looked round at all within the conference. "I should now like to present someone to you all."
So saying, Blanche pointed at the conference room's great door.
The door opened.
A deer-headed beast-folk walked slowly in.
This person they all knew.
For he was one of the former leaders of the Warhammer rebel army — the Deer King.
"I think you all know this person: Chieftain Deer King. His former standing was that of one of the rebel army's leaders. But this is a moment of crisis for the Dragon-folk tribe, and I hope you may set aside certain former prejudices." Blanche rose and walked to Chieftain Deer King's side.
She helped Chieftain Deer King herself to a vacant seat prepared long since, and said respectfully, "By the decree my father left behind, Chieftain Deer King is now one of our Dragon-folk tribe's staff officers."
"How is it I do not know Father left such a decree?" Leona looked at Blanche skeptically.
Blanche tossed over a video storage device. "Because Father understood your character: in a fit of impulse you would never carry out his order. And Father's last decree is all of it within this, and was entrusted first to me to announce. At the same time Father said besides that Chieftain Deer King may act in his stead to assist us in facing this threat from the Demon Race," Blanche explained.
Leona gave a sullen snort; she took that video recording device, opened it and looked — and it was indeed what her father had left behind.
"Chieftain Deer King, say whatever you have to say straight out. At this hour we urgently need to frame the Dragon-folk tribe's plan of action to come." Blanche looked respectfully to Chieftain Deer King.
Chieftain Deer King nodded, looked round at all present, and said mildly, neither servile nor overbearing, "You gentlemen must certainly be puzzled as to why the Dragon Emperor should entrust me with so heavy a charge. Here I shall make a long story short. Before this I took my people to the Demon Race's side, and learned of the threat there; and at the time I set out to return, meaning to warn the Warhammer. But upon returning I was intercepted by the Dragon Emperor. The Dragon Emperor talked much with me; in fact the Dragon Emperor had long known of the Demon Race's existence, only that by his design he wished first to unify the resources of the Warhammer's several tribes. It is only a pity that, as things look now, that plan has failed. And afterward the Dragon Emperor placed me under house arrest; but during that time he talked with me a great deal besides, and above all about the Demon Race. Besides which, I have here a thing of importance."
Chieftain Deer King took out a data chip, set it upon the conference table, and pushed it forward.
"In fact, when the Dragon Emperor led five Dragon-folk fleet groups in person against the Demon Race fleet, I was present. But His Majesty the Dragon Emperor had guessed that the battle would in all likelihood not be won. So he had me make arrangements beyond the field beforehand, and record the course of the fighting in detail — and at the same time, before… before the Dragon Emperor's flagship fell. He transmitted the battle reports of all five Dragon-folk fleet groups to me."
Chieftain Deer King's tone checked, and there was something choked in it.
And they all understood what this was.
This was the enemy fleet's combat data, bought by the Dragon Emperor with five Dragon-folk fleet groups.