T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought · bridge.
"Since it is decided that the aim of this plan of operations stands. Then first we must settle one point: upon receiving word that the enemy's main fleet has set out. At what span of time do we launch the attack!" Zhao Chen looked at the holographic projections of the whole company of women generals.
Because of the sudden word sent back by the T4 Banshee-class Light Interstellar Stealth-Scout Ship ahead, their whole plan of operations had been thrown into disorder.
And the most important thing of all was the moment at which to launch the attack.
If the original plan of operations was to go forward, this moment of attack was exceedingly important.
Charlotte raised a hand and brought up a holographic star-chart table, centered upon that long narrow lane.
"Supposing the middle berthing point the enemy has set lies exactly at the middle of this 20-hour passage, then that means these 300,000 Demon Race interstellar warships, upon receiving word from the interstellar scout-ship fleet gone ahead that all is safe. Will sail 10 hours to reach this position; and by the intelligence we have, the Demon Race's 300,000 interstellar warships will halt here five hours. Five hours later they set out, and sail another 10 hours to reach the position where the three demon legion fleets are stationed!"
Charlotte marked three positions upon this long narrow lane.
Then, at a position on this lane nearer their own side, she marked a red point. "This is the position where we had planned to set the ambush, and it is an excellent position for one. And in the original plan of operations, preparing the ambush required five hours' time. Before this we had 20 hours of operating time, which was ample. But now we have only 10 hours, and perhaps fewer. We must alter the plan of operations as it stood. And win time!"
Zhao Chen nodded, and pointed at that bridgehead position where the Demon Race had three legion fleets stationed. "Here there are 60,000 Demon Race interstellar warships. The original plan was to annihilate them within 15 hours. Now — can the time be compressed?"
"The time can be compressed. If all 10 Owl Dragon legions go out, the fighting should be over within five hours!" said Shen Bing.
"It will not do! We must reckon with the refitting and resupply after the fighting. With the 10 Owl Dragon legions putting out their whole strength, they can indeed annihilate these 60,000 Demon Race interstellar warships within five hours; but the refitting and resupply that follow, and the movement to the ambush point to lay the ambush, would all be greatly affected!" Su Lan shook her head, and named the difficulty within it.
"Who says we must annihilate these 60,000 Demon Race interstellar warships at all?" Chu Xuan spoke at this point, and pointed at that Demon Race bridgehead position. "We may perfectly well cut a lane through by force. And then leave a part of the legion fleets to fight these 60,000 Demon Race interstellar warships. While the remaining Owl Dragon legions preserve their strength and hurry to the ambush point to lay the ambush."
Chu Xuan's proposal opened a line of thought for them all.
"Then there is a thing to be decided: who is to carry out the task of this engagement," Zhao Chen asked, low and grave.
Chu Xuan had described it very simply.
But the hardest part within it was how many Owl Dragon legions to send to carry out this task, and whether they could cut a route through for the other Owl Dragon legions within the limit of the time.
Arrange too many, and the combat power of the ambush to follow would suffer.
Arrange too few, and if they could not cut a lane through in a short time, then every plan of operations that followed would fall short by the last basketful of earth.
"For carrying out this task of tearing the enemy's position open, it had best not exceed two legion fleets. Otherwise, even should the plan of operations afterward go smoothly for us and we ambush the enemy's 300,000 interstellar warships, without Owl Dragon legions enough we could not possibly achieve the best effect of encirclement and annihilation. And the T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought and the two special fleets must all be kept back for the ambush. And in the matter of time besides, I think the hour at which we launch our attack must not be reckoned exactly to the fifteenth hour from the enemy's departure. An hour must be held in reserve. Which leaves us only nine hours. And setting the ambush measures requires five hours' time. So the legion fleets carrying out this task must, within four hours, tear a route open at the enemy's bridgehead position!" Charlotte said gravely.
With this precondition of Charlotte's laid down, that meant a task of the highest difficulty!
Two Owl Dragon legions, 6,000 interstellar warships.
Facing 60,000 enemy interstellar warships, they must tear a defense line open within four hours!
"Commander, I shall take this task!" Chitong raised her hand.
Medusa raised her hand at this point too. "Count in my Sixth Legion."
At this Su Lan raised her hand as well, and said besides, "My legion fleet is fitted with more carrier starships than the other legion fleets, and is the more practiced in the fighting style that uses interstellar drone swarms and interstellar fighters. We can the more effectively tear a route open, and make sure of that route's stability!"
With Su Lan's words they all agreed.
Interstellar drone swarms and interstellar fighter swarms may seem far less fierce in combat power than interstellar warships.
But in one respect they hold a great advantage.
Which is that they can keep up their fighting capacity a long time.
Once an interstellar drone or interstellar fighter has completed a round of its combat task, spent all its munitions and the greater part of its energy besides, it can return to the mother ship to resupply, and be back upon the field within a short time!
In such a case, so long as a carrier starship makes sure its own mother hull comes to no danger, it is a moving "naval fortress," able to furnish help to the field in an unbroken stream.
Charlotte nodded, seeming to agree with this argument of Su Lan's.
And having looked at Chitong and Medusa, she made her choice. "Chitong has the greater capacity for command upon the field, and her combat style inclines more to the attack. Chitong's Owl Dragon Second Legion and Su Lan's Owl Dragon Fourth Legion suit one another better."
Hearing an arrangement of this kind.
Medusa said nothing further, for the reason was a fitting one.
Zhao Chen looked gravely at Chitong and Su Lan. "Your combat task is, within four hours, to tear a lane open at the enemy's bridgehead position where 60,000 demon interstellar warships are stationed. And to make sure that lane is clear and unblocked for one hour! This combat task of yours is exceedingly arduous. Can you complete it?"
Chitong and Su Lan answered with one voice, "Set your mind at rest, Commander. We warrant the task will be completed!"
Zhao Chen nodded, looking at the two women. "Then it is given over to you. Upon receiving the word from the T4 Banshee ahead that the enemy fleet has set out, you launch your attack 16 hours later. Is that understood!"
"Understood!"
Zhao Chen looked to the rest of the women generals. "Your several legion fleets are to make every preparation. Charlotte, you are responsible for moving eight legion fleets, and for making sure that once the Second Legion and the Fourth Legion have torn the lane open, every interstellar warship can sail through smoothly within one hour! Lilith, you must make sure that once we reach the ambush ground, in five hours… the shorter the time the better. See the ambush work done!"
"Yes!"
With the handing down of the Commander's orders, the difficulty of this campaign rose several flights of stairs at once!
Not one of them dared warrant whether this campaign could be brought off smoothly.