The No. 3 Battle Base at the cosmic bug-nest.
"Have the several defensive positions been checked?" An old man in military uniform, seated in the captain's chair, asked it of his subordinate.
"All checked; there is no trouble whatever," the subordinate answered from beside him.
"That young Zhao. He never seeks me out until something happens. And when he does seek me, it is a business as big as the sky." The old man adjusted the angle of the captain's chair so that he might lean back in it.
"Grandfather."
Just at this time a video window opened before the old man.
Seeing the handsome young woman across from him, the old man sat straight up at once, his face all hung with fondness. "Granddaughter, what is it you want with your grandfather?"
Chu Xuan looked at that grinning grandfather of hers; throw this old man with the look of a rich householder out into the street now, and no one would believe he was Marshal Chu Changhe, who had once shaken a whole quarter of the Starlight Empire.
Ever since the Starlight Empire's civil war was settled and the Empress Qin Xiaolei came to the throne.
Marshal Chu Changhe himself had never again shown his face before the public.
His Chu family legion fleets, save for the garrison task at the cosmic bug-nest in the Xueyan Star Region, had all stayed meekly within their own Chuhe Star Region.
Their presence had dropped at a stroke to very little.
Even the Chu family's affairs Chu Changhe had handed to certain trusted collateral heirs within the family.
And had taken up the retired life of an old man nursing his years.
Until of late, when the old master had put his uniform on again, led the Chu family legion fleets, and come to the Holy Radiance Empire.
"The Commander would speak with you," said Chu Xuan.
Old Master Chu Changhe's brows drew together, and he muttered, "Does the young fellow not know how to contact me directly when he has business, that he must send a little lass to pass the word? The slippery thing."
"Granddaughter, have you nothing at all to talk to your grandfather about? We two, grandfather and granddaughter, have not talked in a good long while." Old Master Chu Changhe looked at his granddaughter with a grin thereafter.
"I am very busy now — you cannot know it, but because of this business of the cosmic bug-nest, the Owl Dragon Fifth Legion in my charge has just ended the task of compressing the district the interstellar hive-race hold, and is refitting the fleet now. And we must hasten besides to the district we are to garrison afterward; I cannot spare a moment. There now. Grandfather, I shall say no more to you."
Chu Xuan seemed in great haste; and just as she was about to cut the communication, she gave her grandfather a glare besides. "Grandfather, let me warn you. You must not be angry with the Commander over that business; the Commander too considers the whole board."
So saying, Chu Xuan cut the communication outright.
The smile vanished from Chu Changhe's face; he pouted and mimicked his granddaughter. "The Commander, the Commander, don't you go angering your Commander. With a Commander of your own, you forget your own grandfather, is that it. The ungrateful thing."
Chu Changhe folded his arms with a look of ill humor.
The adjutant beside him, seeing it, forced down his laughter.
Before long a vast interstellar warship appeared out of thin air in the space at a distance, with a bright golden Owl Dragon blazon upon her hull.
The captains of the Chu family legion fleets, seeing it, showed looks of envy and awe.
That should be the Owl Dragon Legion's T5 interstellar warship of rumor.
Before long a shuttle flew up to Chu Changhe's own ship, and after certain applications came smoothly aboard.
Thereafter a coded case was brought to the bridge and handed to Chu Changhe.
"Marshal, this is sent by our lord of the Owl Dragon." The one who brought it in person was a woman petty officer in Owl Dragon uniform.
"What is it?" Chu Changhe looked at the coded case doubtfully.
Only after the woman petty officer had entered a code and her own fingerprint and iris did this case open.
And within the case lay nothing but a bracelet.
"This is a quantum transmission device; put it on, if you please, Marshal Chu." The woman petty officer handed the bracelet over.
"A quantum transmission device?" Chu Changhe was blank a moment, but put the bracelet on all the same.
Confirming the wearer's identity…
Confirmation complete!
Transmission coordinates confirmed; establishing transmission channel.
Counting down… three… two… one…
Just at this time a mechanical woman's voice came from the bracelet.
"There is no need for tension; this is quantum transmission. Our Commander invites you to be his guest aboard the Dragon Emperor." The woman petty officer explained; and as the words fell.
Marshal Chu Changhe's figure before them vanished.
Leaving the company upon that bridge with their mouths open in astonishment.
"This… this… this is a technology that transmits the human body outright?" The adjutant gulped, dumbfounded.
The Owl Dragon woman petty officer, seeing it, showed a look of pride.
…………
Chu Changhe felt only that all before his eyes went dark of a sudden; then he lost his center of balance, and then found himself standing in an unfamiliar place.
His body, somewhat weightless, tipped toward one side.
But happily someone held him up in time, so that he did not fall to the ground outright.
"Have a care; the first time one feels this quantum transmission, one is always somewhat unused to it. Some feel sick besides, with the signs of seasickness." Zhao Chen held Chu Changhe up beside him and explained.
Chu Changhe did indeed feel his belly turning over; but he was an old soldier, and mastered it at once.
He looked at the grinning Zhao Chen beside him, and somehow could not help the sense of looking at the big grey wolf that had carried his own granddaughter off.
Before this he had indeed wished the two of them together; but now that his granddaughter had truly gone off with the fellow, Chu Changhe felt a hollow place within him.
Looking at Zhao Chen now, nothing about him pleased.
Nor did he know to what point matters between those two had come.
Chu Changhe shook Zhao Chen's hand off and looked about him.
This was a bridge.
But he stood now within a glass case — a hidden space, from within which one could see out, and from without could neither see in nor hear a sound.
Through the glass he could see this bridge busy at its working, every department turning like a cog without a moment's rest.
"So this is that T5 of yours…"
"The T5 Dragon Emperor Interstellar Command Ship; for the present she serves as my own flagship besides," Zhao Chen made the introduction.
"You young fellow, you may do indeed. Your T4 interstellar warship's seat is not yet warm, and out you come with a T5." Chu Changhe put his hands behind his back, with the look of a man whose words carry more within them.
Zhao Chen of course heard the meaning within Chu Changhe's words, and laughed helplessly. "I should like to get a T5 or two to honor you with as well. But at present the T5 interstellar warships in my hand do not answer either. When I am better off hereafter, I shall assuredly get you one!"
"Good things go in pairs — two!" Chu Changhe held up two fingers.
Zhao Chen nodded helplessly.
It hurt him in the flesh somewhat; but the Chu family had truly given him no small help in that stretch of time when he was rising — though both sides had set out then from their own interests.
Yet as the old saying has it: judge the deed, not the heart.
At the least, along this whole road, Chu Changhe had truly helped him a great deal.
There were even those outside who put it about that he was Chu Changhe's natural grandson, and the like.
"You young fellow, you were never so free-handed as this before. Say on — what is it you want this time with an old man who has one foot in the grave?" Chu Changhe sat down in a chair with the ease of long acquaintance.
And Zhao Chen looked at Chu Changhe. "Marshal, I would ask you. This business of the Chu family legion fleets carrying out secret military exercises against the Machine Race — what is it?"