With a star gate to use, the efficiency of it was something.
Going from the Owl Dragon Star System to the Arctic Fox system before had taken the better part of half a month.
Going now from the Arctic Fox system to the Northstar system was a mere matter of a few hours.
Queen Bee intelligent-system advisory: the ship has disengaged from the warp state and reached the designated location; now in autopilot mode.
Zhao Chen woke first thing, and Lilith at once gave the order for the crew to return to their combat posts.
"Report — all ships of the fleet have arrived safely; awaiting your instruction," Lilith reported to Zhao Chen.
Zhao Chen raised a hand and opened the star-map of the Northstar system.
Their present position was still a long way from the Northstar Starship Military Academy — though with the warp engine it was a matter of a few minutes.
The reason he'd chosen this place was that Zhao Chen needed first to station his Owl Dragon Fleet.
He'd no intention of sailing all 13 ships back to the academy in grand procession; that would be far too conspicuous.
And this stretch of star region was a fairly remote, seldom-traveled quarter of the Northstar system.
"Have Charlotte find a suitable spot to garrison the fleet." Zhao Chen handed the task of choosing the exact site to Charlotte.
Charlotte had once been a general of the beast-folk resistance army; at things like choosing a spot to hide one's tracks, she was an old hand indeed.
Soon Charlotte settled on the middle ground where three asteroids sat close together, using their blind spots to hide the fleet's traces well.
Unless a ship happened to sail right up to this place, it would be very hard to discover an interstellar fleet here.
"Charlotte, I'll take one T2 Black-Rhino-class Interstellar Heavy-Assault Frigate and Blizzard Zero back to the academy; the T2 Queen Bee-class Heavy Carrier Starship, the remaining nine T2 Black-Rhinos, and the T2 Iron-Hammer-class Heavy Interstellar Industrial Ship will stay here. You take charge of the garrison here and keep the fleet safe. And oversee the T2 Iron-Hammer's production task — using the raw-material resources we have on hand, expand out one T2 Iron-Hammer first." Zhao Chen instructed.
Before leaving Arctic Fox Starport, Zhao Chen had converted the whole of his 1,200,000 star coins into living supplies, military supplies, and raw materials.
The raw materials were, of course, all stowed within the T2 Iron-Hammer.
The living supplies could meet the needs of all the female soldiers aboard the ships for three months.
And setting living supplies aside, so long as they weren't on a long voyage or in battle, the ample energy within these ships could keep them alive in space for decades, even without returning to port.
"Yes." Charlotte took the order.
"Over this time I'm away, any intelligence, report it to me at once; keep the comm line open around the clock." Zhao Chen instructed.
"Yes."
Then Zhao Chen swapped flagships with Charlotte.
Aboard Blizzard Zero, and with one T2 Black-Rhino along, he set off once more for the academy.
The two places, in truth, weren't far apart.
Were it an emergency relief, using the warp engine, and counting the ships' acceleration and deceleration at either end, the fastest run would reach in 15 minutes.
Soon Blizzard Zero and the T2 Black-Rhino reached the star region on the fringes of the Northstar Starship Military Academy.
Zhao Chen sent an application and rented a ship berth, just able to hold the two ships, one large and one small.
"So this is your ship academy, Commander?" Lilith looked at the beautiful interstellar city before her, a touch of envy in her voice.
Once, their succubus kingdom too had had buildings this lovely.
Only, alas…
"Instruct the crew to stand by aboard. You come out with me," Zhao Chen said.
"I go out with you?" Lilith was plainly a little nervous.
Toward the world outside she still felt some unease; for the several decades before this, she'd led her people in flight, hiding in the darkest of corners.
Even lately, joining the Owl Dragon Fleet, it was only within a sealed environment that she'd been able to adjust by degrees.
To be taken all at once into an outside social setting truly left her tense and ill at ease.
"Yes," Zhao Chen said.
"Um… I… I can wait for you… aboard the ship. Whatever you need… you can contact me any time," Lilith said in a small voice.
Zhao Chen looked at Lilith. "That's an order."
Zhao Chen knew well Lilith's inner barrier, but as the Owl Dragon Fleet's secretary, she had to cross it.
Which was why he'd required Lilith to follow him — to temper her.
"Yes…" Lilith answered timidly.
"You can wear a set of everyday clothes that cover your form, and hide your tail, wings, and horns," Zhao Chen said.
Among the living supplies bought earlier, besides the Owl Dragon Fleet's uniforms, they'd purchased some everyday clothing as well, a set for each female soldier.
Lilith's heart lifted; a partial concealment though it was, it gave her some measure of security all the same.
Once the two ships were berthed, Zhao Chen led Lilith off the ship.
Zhao Chen had already changed into the academy uniform; Lilith wore a one-piece dress, its full, billowing skirt hiding her tail, an inner layer at the back gathering in her wings.
On her head sat a hat that looked a touch too large, hiding her horns.
Zhao Chen looked her over; the impression was of a timid, shy ordinary girl — though were one to see her face, man or woman alike would surely be smitten.
It was the allure of a succubus, after all.
The first thing Zhao Chen did on returning to the academy was to let Li Wei and Zhao Wan'er know he was back.
He sent Zhao Wan'er a comm request — and it was, of all things, rejected.
"Has she got something important on her hands?" Zhao Chen muttered.
Never mind; no rush.
When Zhao Wan'er saw it, she'd get back to him of her own accord.
Hands in his pockets, Zhao Chen led Lilith on a stroll through the academy.
Lilith followed timidly at his side; at first she didn't dare lift her head, and kept a hand on the hem of Zhao Chen's clothes.
As she grew used to her surroundings by degrees, she began, gingerly, to take in the buildings and the crowds about her.
Zhao Chen, meanwhile, was turning over an important matter.
Graduation!
The Annual Mission's requirement was to graduate within a year.
Which meant Zhao Chen had to skip grades — and skip three grades within a single year at that!
For the low grades, first or second year, it might be manageable; but the high grades, fourth, fifth, sixth — that was no small difficulty.
"I'll go ask Wan'er; she should know how to skip grades smoothly and fast," Zhao Chen muttered.
Just then, Zhao Chen noticed a holographic ship model in a ship display case nearby.
This ship he knew well.
None other than the T1 Wolf-Louse-class Medium Interstellar Destroyer!
Below it was a line of large text.
The hottest T1 ship! On sale just two months, and pre-orders already past 500!