A T5 interstellar warship?
Everyone present looked at one another.
Of the news that the Sacred Wing Legion had been annihilated by a T5 interstellar warship, there were some among them who had heard something.
But because the Imperial Senate's high men feared the business would rouse needless panic in the Empire, and because the interstellar hive-race affair then boiled over besides, no one for a while came to study the matter; it was pressed down from above.
And now this T5 interstellar warship out of the rumors stood before their eyes, genuine and unmistakable — and had annihilated the Southern Sacred Fleet-Group's most elite First Army Group besides!
A moment ago they might still have doubted that the Southern Sacred Fleet-Group's First Army Group could be annihilated to the last in under half an hour.
But now they believed it.
Because the one who did it was that T5 interstellar warship.
This T5 interstellar warship's appearance, and Consul Ernest's expression, had already made plain that what went before was no mere rumor.
Upon the strength of one hull it had not only annihilated the Sacred Wing Legion, but destroyed to the last the eight legion fleets that hastened to the field in support besides — 25,000 interstellar warships.
Under a record of that kind, to annihilate the Southern Sacred Fleet-Group's First Army Group in half an hour seemed no impossible thing after all.
Consul Stanford collapsed and sat down upon the ground.
Everything of his was finished…
"Saint Cana, I own it. You have the capacity. You have made common cause with the Owl Dragon Legion, and that gives you the courage to stand here and bawl at us. But…"
Saint Cana cut short what Consul Andrew would say next, and said it for him. "But your Disciple family has backbone left, is that it? Even without you, its old chieftain, the Disciple family can still hold up half the sky? Do you suppose I had not thought of these things? That I had not prepared a gift with care for your Disciple family?"
Saint Cana looked at Consul Andrew with a cold smile.
Unease rose in Consul Andrew's heart, but he went on comforting himself: it will not be… it will not be…
"Your Disciple family's home base is in star system J88 of the Ninth Star Region of the Central Star Region; and for the sake of the migration plan. Your Central Sacred Fleet-Group has long since been standing by in star system J88 of the Ninth Star Region, has it not? After the earlier war against the interstellar hive-race, you have only 200,000 interstellar warships left. And no few of those withdrew from the forward field… no, I should say rather that you abandoned the Sacred Light's own people, whom you were bound to guard, and fled back! I wonder whether you still remember those three star regions you abandoned — and those of the Empire's people who have lost their homes, and are losing them still!"
That last passage Saint Cana said through gritted teeth, and in the eyes fixed on Consul Andrew there burned a fire of fury.
"Saint Cana! What is it you mean to do!"
Hearing Saint Cana set out this intelligence concerning his own family, the feeling within Consul Andrew had already reached the threshold beyond which it could not be governed.
He felt at this moment that Saint Cana had a great pair of invisible hands, and was pushing him little by little toward a cliff's edge.
And at this moment, behind him was a chasm ten thousand fathoms deep.
"What do I mean to do? I said it clearly enough from the very beginning."
Saint Cana said it out word by word. "I mean, for the Holy Radiance Empire, to scrape the poison from the bone!"
Chieftain Saint George at her side felt at this hour for all the world as though he were dreaming.
His own daughter had actually done all this behind his back?
And besides… and besides… a business that looked like madness now seemed to be more than half accomplished.
Damn it — what in the world had he missed!
And why did the people about him all look at him so strangely?
I truly am the same as the rest of you — I know nothing at all.
And just at this moment, Saint Cana raised a hand once more.
Seeing this gesture, now familiar, the crowd — who had the experience of the two previous times — all felt an ill foreboding rise, and looked to the further video window that opened.
Within this video window the fighting was fierce past all measure!
One could see gunfire exceedingly dense.
"Is that not the Disciple family's home planet?" A sharp-eyed man cried out suddenly at this point.
Hearing this, everyone noticed that upon the backing of this battle-picture there did indeed seem to be a planet, and that planet was truly the Disciple family's home planet.
Though the distance was very great, one could still faintly see that the planet's present case did not admit of optimism.
The space star-ports in near orbit had been attacked, and were giving off firelight.
Several space elevators had already come down upon the planet's surface like chains of fire; seen from above, they were like so many scarlet scars.
It was past imagining what a wretched sight that planet must present now.
"Saint Cana… you actually dare… pah—" Consul Andrew, in his rage, actually vomited fresh blood outright.
His body swayed and tottered; had an attendant not been supporting him, he would by any estimate have collapsed to the ground long since, as Consul Stanford had.
The video picture began to turn.
Wherever the eye fell, one could see a body of interstellar missile ships pouring out their missiles with all their strength unspared.
The targets of the attack took in a body of interstellar warships ahead, which by rough guess must be the Central Sacred Fleet-Group!
And these interstellar missile ships numbered a full 100 and more; the interstellar missiles they sent out were past believing in number!
By sheer saturating firepower they left the Central Sacred Fleet-Group opposite — 200,000 interstellar warships — without room to strike back for a while.
And at this moment, at the edge of the picture window, three bodies of the Owl Dragon Legion surged into view.
By rough reckoning, near 10,000 Owl Dragon interstellar warships.
Of the Owl Dragon Legion's might everyone had heard something.
They had heard before that one Owl Dragon legion could take on ten.
The more so with so great a number of interstellar missile ships besides.
All of it, every part of it, seemed as though the ending were already fixed.
"Well then. It is time you made your choice. And I will speak the ugly words first: past this village there is no such inn again." Saint Cana suddenly spoke at this moment.
These words, in the first instant, left everyone unable to react; they did not understand who in the world had said them.
"The Disciple family abandoned the Empire's people; their crime is past pardon. The Imperial Senate shielded the Disciple family, and served as the Disciple family's puppet — a badger from the very same mound. I, Melissa, from this moment give Commander Saint Cana my support with all my strength. For the Empire — to scrape the poison from the bone. My fleet-group can open an attack upon the Eastern Sacred Fleet-Group at any moment!" Consul Melissa stepped out and walked to Saint Cana's side, wearing a beautiful smile and speaking in a level tone.
"Melissa! You have actually betrayed us!" Consul Ernest pointed at Melissa past all believing — and she had, a moment before, been declaring in so many words that she would march upon his fleets.
"Supreme Commander Saint Cana, grant me communication privileges. I can hand my fleet-group the order to attack this very moment. I have long found this crew of hypocrites under Ernest hard to stomach!" Consul Gilbert of the Northern Star Region stepped out as well, his tall frame standing before Saint Cana like a door-god.
And in that instant, this turn in the situation.
Was more than anyone had looked for.
But Saint Cana wore still that smile, light and unhurried as a passing cloud.