The No. 4 Main Position.
Here too a fierce battle with the hive fleets was breaking out.
Here Su Lan's Owl Dragon Fourth Legion and 20,000 interstellar warships from the Dragon-Tiger Legion held the garrison.
The same defensive strength as at the No. 1 Main Position Charlotte held.
Though the number of hive fleets to be faced here was only 300,000, and the pressure a good deal less than at the No. 1 Main Position.
The Owl Dragon Fourth Legion · flagship.
Su Lan was at this moment watching the changes upon the field, and beside her stood a flickering countdown besides.
First a countdown of 30 minutes.
"Is all ready?" Su Lan asked her secretary.
This succubus secretary nodded. "It is all set in train; the plan of battle may be carried out at any moment."
Su Lan drew a deep breath, and fixed her eyes upon the deadlocked field in the distance.
"Carry out the newest task of battle. The interstellar missile ships to make a firepower strike upon the appointed districts; the interstellar cruisers and battlecruisers to drive in at several points of attack and divide the hive fleets. The interstellar battleships, destroyers and escorts to follow after, and destroy the hive fleets so divided in the shortest time! At the same time, all carrier starships to enter the highest state of battle; every interstellar fighter and drone swarm to go out and support the fighting! The Dragon-Tiger Legion's interstellar warships to take over our line's defensive task!"
At Su Lan's words falling.
The deadlock that had held a hundred hours was broken in an instant.
The 200 T3 Judicator-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ships the Owl Dragon Fourth Legion carried made, at last, the first saturating firepower strike upon the swarm fleets in this defensive war against the hive-race!
Only that the districts struck were five.
But it was magnificent all the same, and let those missile-ship captains vent themselves properly.
For before this, considering that this was to be a long campaign and that missile ships are a high-consumption class, the captains at every main position had held their use down.
Where the field did not require it, they were not to be used if it could be helped.
So that such a scene as a whole fleet's missile ships attacking had never once happened in the hundred-odd hours of fighting past.
Several hundred interstellar missiles bursting within the swarm — the scene of it was shaking indeed.
As though a torch had been thrown into a hayrick; a great stretch caught in an instant.
But such a thing can in fact do no very great work against an interstellar hive-race so vast in number.
As often as not it wants but a dozen minutes and more, and the hive fleets behind will fill the hole up.
But this time Su Lan's Owl Dragon Fourth Legion would give them no such chance.
At the instant the interstellar missiles fired, the several assault fleets came killing out from the line and drove straight into those hive carcasses still giving off their heat, opening their attack upon the swarm!
It must be said the scene of that attack was fierce indeed.
Like some interstellar air war at the world's end.
Hive combat units by the tens of thousands threw themselves upon the starships' star-shields without regard for life, spending those shields even in the manner of moths upon a flame.
Once those shields were spent, what these starships would face may be imagined.
But beneath the assault fleets' powerful firepower output, the assault fleets went forward within the swarm still.
Like so many long spears, thrust into the enemy's body.
At the same time a great quantity of interstellar fighters and drone swarms launched a fierce attack upon these swarms as well.
The Owl Dragon fighters and drones, which in an interstellar air war are like a swarm of bees themselves, looked in this moment truly small before the swarm across from them.
Like the difference between the sun and a firefly.
But for all that, these fighters and drones fought with all that was in them!
The battleships, destroyers and escorts following after made certain besides that the lines of attack the assault fleets had torn open would not be swept over by the swarm again.
And at the same time began reaping those swarms the assault fleets had cut off, cleared away bit by bit like so much refuse.
The line that had been deadlocked began in this moment to shift, bit by bit, toward the swarm's side.
Behind, the Dragon-Tiger Legion had taken over the No. 4 Main Position's defensive duty.
"So this Owl Dragon Legion had not been using its whole strength before. No wonder they left us only small tasks." One of the Dragon-Tiger Legion's fleet commanders laughed at himself.
Before this he had several times asked that Commander Su Lan for a share of the fighting, and to have his own fleet moved to the front line.
But it seemed now that this had been simply not knowing his own measure.
"But can they truly drive through?" The deputy fleet commander beside him said it in some concern. "To the present, upon our local field alone there are still near 150,000 hive interstellar warships. And if it drags on too long, hive fleets will be added afterward; a moment's carelessness, and being caught within the swarm might even…"
The rest the deputy commander did not say aloud.
"I… do not know either." The fleet commander stared at the field, and said nothing further.
As he saw it, the swarm before him was an abyss; were it he, never mind attacking of his own accord — even fighting on the defensive felt enough to shake the heart.
Time passed, moment by moment.
Each time an assault fleet's attack was checked, missile ships in the rear would give firepower support with interstellar missiles.
But for all that, one could see already that the Owl Dragon Fourth Legion's attack was showing weariness.
"Commander, our attack may not reach the aim we looked for," the secretary said, looking at Commander Su Lan with some difficulty.
Commander Su Lan stared at the war sand table, and beside it that flickering time — only 10 minutes left.
"It is very far from enough." Commander Su Lan stared at the sand table, and at the last pointed at one line of attack. "Strengthen the attack upon this line, and send more drone swarms and fighters to give firepower support! Within 10 minutes, close upon this line and pincer it for me!"
Commander Su Lan drew an arc upon this route.
Which could lessen somewhat the pressure upon the other assault fleets, but at the same time set an enormous pressure upon themselves.
Once this order went down.
That assault fleet's rhythm of attack grew a good deal stronger at a stroke, and it charged with nothing held back.
Under such a charge, losses among the interstellar warships could not be avoided.
And at this moment several interstellar cruisers already showed a want of star-shield energy.
Once shield energy is spent, the swarm falls upon a ship together.
And in such a case that starship's rate of survival is in the main exceedingly low.
Even an Owl Dragon-line interstellar warship, fitted with escape systems of the highest order, can hardly live through such a case.
Commander Su Lan kept her eyes upon the war sand table; and at her side, upon the panel recording the state of the Owl Dragon Fourth Legion's interstellar warships, several tags had already turned grey.
And the countdown too had entered its last few minutes.
And just at this time, behind the No. 4 Main Position, ring after ring of light appeared.
Interstellar warship after interstellar warship appeared out of thin air!