Mass cloaking?
Hearing this technical term, Zhao Chen had in the main a framework of it in his mind.
This was somewhat after the manner of the Owl Dragon Legion's T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ship, which possesses the capacity for a mass space jump.
Interstellar warships of this kind can perhaps furnish no firepower output whatever upon the battlefield, and have no capacity at all for a frontal action.
But the special capabilities they possess can alter the whole course of an engagement.
As for instance in the case of Leona's fleets being ambushed this time.
Had the Demon Race's three following fleets not had this class of warship's mass-cloaking function, they would have been discovered by Leona's fleets long beforehand.
And then, by Leona's own gift for command, she would in all likelihood have chosen to withdraw from the field in good time; and even could she not have withdrawn in time, she could have raised a line of defense as fast as might be, resisted the enemy fleets' attack, and reduced her own casualties.
Bringing the present casualty figures down by 30% at the least!
Such is the change one class of special interstellar warship brings to a battlefield.
"This class of Demon Race interstellar warship is called the T4 Phantom-Demon-class Light Interstellar Stealth Ship," said Lilith.
Which brought the known Demon Race T4 ship types up to five.
"Can our T4 Banshee-class Light Interstellar Stealth Scout Ships detect this mass cloaking?" Zhao Chen inquired.
Lilith said, "Our technical personnel are still running simulation trials. By the present conjecture, so long as they come within a certain compass, the counter-stealth equipment carried aboard our T4 Banshee-class Light Interstellar Stealth Scout Ships can detect a fleet mass-cloaked by a T4 Phantom-Demon-class Light Interstellar Stealth Ship. The key lies in what that distance in fact comes to."
"Open the analysis and investigation of this class of warship's data as fast as may be. And at the same time, beyond the line of defense in the Dragon-folk tribe's northern territory, send out more T4 Banshee-class Light Interstellar Stealth Scout Ships to patrol and scout. And at intervals of a set distance, build interstellar sentry posts possessing the counter-stealth function." Zhao Chen put in the reminder.
Against what might possibly come to pass, Zhao Chen must guard before ever the trouble arose.
Special interstellar warships of this kind commonly bring an attack that comes out of nowhere.
For before this, Zhao Chen's Owl Dragon Legion had accomplished several lightning operations by aid of the T4 Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ship.
And had tasted the sweetness of it.
"Very well. I shall go and arrange that task." Lilith nodded.
"Do not be careless. Though this battle is ended for the present, there is still a great quantity of business awaiting our handling. We shall be busy a long while yet." Zhao Chen shrugged helplessly.
The workload to come was considerable indeed.
And the first of it, bearing the brunt, was the raising anew of order in the Warhammer.
——————
Mid-October, Galactic Star Calendar year 3034
Quarterly Task
Task content: number of T5-grade interstellar warships in active service.
Reach 3 in service to claim 100 task points.
Reach 5 in service to claim 200 task points.
Reach 8 in service to claim 300 task points.
Reach 10 in service to claim 400 task points.
Beyond ten in service, each further ship claims an additional 100 task points.
(Note: the above rewards may be claimed cumulatively.)
"So the System knows I'm short of task points just now, and has opened me a quarterly task of this kind. Though the difficulty of completing it is no small thing." Zhao Chen lay upon the sofa on the bridge, looking over his own quarterly task.
The task rewards were very simple: task points throughout, without exception.
And it happened that Zhao Chen's task points, on account of redeeming those two mass-production T5 interstellar warships before, were very near spent to nothing.
System points could be had as passive income generated by the Owl Dragon Legion's serving interstellar warships; but task points still required Zhao Chen to put his back into it.
"Commander-in-Chief, where are we going for our holiday? Look — I've brought a great many things!" A pert voice came at this moment from the bridge's great doorway.
And there, sure enough, came one who put her back into things.
Zhao Chen rose from the sofa and looked toward that figure, better than two meters tall.
No — that was wrong… when had this girl grown so tall?
Looking closely, Zhao Chen discovered that the two-meters-and-more 'figure' was in fact an enormous bundle.
And the one bearing this enormous bundle was precisely Annie.
At Annie's side came Nana and Spider Queen Iris besides.
Nana and Spider Queen Iris were a few steps behind; the two of them were still discussing something as they walked, with several data panels open before them.
Even the clothes upon their backs were still their work clothes.
Whereas Annie had a shirt above and beach shorts below, and a pair of dark glasses pushed up on her forehead.
Wholly and utterly out of keeping with the working atmosphere of this bridge.
Annie took three steps in two, ran up before Zhao Chen, and asked in high spirits and high expectation, "Where are we going to play on this holiday of ours? Before I came I made detailed notes of my inquiries. I hear the beef legs of the Ox Totem Star Region are especially good to eat! And the earth-dragon meat of the Giant Dragon Star Region is very fine as well! And the elephants of the Dragon-Elephant Star Region are said to stand better than three meters high — a whole roast elephant is as big as a basketball court! And the lizard barbecue of the Dragon-Lizard Star Region is very well reviewed too; worth a visit to check off! Over in the Sacred Plume Star Region, on the planets where the Golden Eagle tribe and the Harpy tribe live — are there bird's eggs? Are they big? I wonder whether they'd be good simply boiled. And we absolutely must go to the Beast-Horn Star Region where the War-Ram tribe live; I hear the grasslands there are beautiful! Think of it — eating a roast leg of mutton while looking out over the grasslands. What enjoyment! And there are those several planets where the Siren tribe live; the seafood there is rumored to be the best eating in the whole Warhammer!"
Annie stood before Zhao Chen reciting the local specialties of every quarter of the Warhammer as though she were telling over her own family treasures.
She even opened several electronic panels, upon which was the holiday strategy she had written out.
Which against Nana and Spider Queen Iris, still discussing their work behind her, was quite simply two different styles of picture.
"When do we set out? Let's just use the Hades to space-jump over; using the star gates is too slow. I suggest we first go to—" Annie had even laid out the route already, and thought besides of using the Hades's convenient space-fold function outright.
"Ahem, ahem, ahem." Zhao Chen cut off Annie's restless little mood.
"You've only just arrived; sit down first. I've prepared some local delicacies here; taste them first." Zhao Chen raised a hand.
About this central platform of the bridge a one-way screen rose, making the place a secluded space.
And at the same time a table rose, and three seats besides; upon the table food and drink had already been set out, and richly.
Thud.
Annie's pack dropped heavily to the deck.
Very nearly in an instantaneous shift of place, Annie was seated, and left hand and right hand fell to work.
Spider Queen Iris looked at Zhao Chen with some displeasure. "My lord Commander-in-Chief, we have a great many build tasks to answer for over on our side. And at such a time you arrange a holiday for us of all things. You don't know how—"
This creature. He arranges a holiday for her, and now she has fallen to complaining about it.
Zhao Chen cut Spider Queen Iris off at once before she could go on.
He raised a hand, and the holographic images of two interstellar warships presented themselves upon the table.
"In fact, inviting you here for a holiday this time is only one part of it. There are two further matters besides in which I need your help. These are two mass-production T5 interstellar warships; I need you to draw up a build plan, for I want them in production as fast as may be. And I mean besides to consolidate the Warhammer's industry and establish three concentrated industrial bases, for which I need your help to draw up a framework blueprint as well." Zhao Chen set out his purpose.
Annie's eating stopped short; her body seemed to stiffen.
And Nana, upon seeing those two T5 interstellar warships, had light coming off her very eyes.
Perhaps because the things upon the table were too much in the way.
Nana knitted her brows, and thereafter simply pushed every dish upon the table clean off it, so that they scattered upon the deck, and studied these two starship technologies closely.
Lurch.
Annie's pupils dilated, and there was nothing in her eyes but the color of a broken heart.
She watched a single meatball rolling about beside her own foot; and just as she bent to pick it up.
An automatic cleaning robot came floating over, and swept up this meatball and every dish that had fallen to the deck without leaving so much as a crumb.
In this moment, Annie felt her whole world turn grey.