"This…" The Dragon-Tiger Legion's fleet commander, who had taken over the No. 4 Main Position's defense, looked at these interstellar warships welling up and was blank a good while.
But very soon he had a message from Commander Su Lan, telling him the plan of action to come.
"This…" Looking at the plan's content, this Dragon-Tiger Legion fleet commander gulped, and his eyes went to those Owl Dragon interstellar warships within the picture window.
And among them several T5-grade interstellar warships could be seen!
Though these Owl Dragon T5s had shown themselves few times, their existence and certain of their data had long since run through the high command of every power in the three empires.
He too could name these T5 classes very quickly, and call them by name!
One T5 Hades-class Interstellar Dreadnought, one T5 Holy-Redeemer-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Heavy-Artillery Battleship, three T5 Lightning-Wraith-class Heavy Assault Interstellar Cruisers, ten T5 Chaos-Knight-class Heavy Assault Interstellar Destroyers!
A full 15 T5 interstellar warships!
And beyond them a whole train of Owl Dragon-line interstellar warships.
By the fleet blazons.
There were ships of the Owl Dragon First, Second and Third Legions, though none in any great number; by the look of it they stood in a mixed establishment.
At a rough glance.
The whole came to something near 10,000 hulls.
Which was as though each of the three legions had sent out one legion fleet of 3,000 hulls, making up this mixed legion.
Beyond this he saw a fleet of a particular kind besides; and at the sight of it he felt his scalp crawl.
The Owl Dragon interstellar missile ship special fleet!
"That… that many missile ships." The fleet commander, seeing them, could not help swallowing.
A thousand interstellar missile ships, and 2,000 interstellar escorts.
And beyond these, following behind this missile ship special fleet, a logistics fleet of 3,000 interstellar supply ships.
Though this supply fleet was likely to answer for the whole mixed legion, above half of it, by estimate, was loaded with interstellar missiles!
Such a mass of missile ships — and among them one could see besides the shape of the T4 Hell-Angel-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Ship of rumor!
Should this missile ship special fleet make one saturating firepower strike, what a scene that would be.
"Quick, quick! Clear the lanes!" At this time the fleet commander remembered what Commander Su Lan had charged him with, and gave his order down at once.
Whereupon the Dragon-Tiger Legion fleets holding the defensive task upon the line drew aside one after another, opening several lanes.
And this Owl Dragon Legion fleet, appearing of a sudden, passed through in perfect order.
"My lord, these Owl Dragon Legion interstellar warships appearing here… what is it they mean to do? Can it be they truly mean to launch an attack of their own accord? Are they mad!" The adjutant beside him muttered it in a small voice.
The Dragon-Tiger Legion commander gulped; he had thought of that possibility too — and set beside Commander Su Lan's Owl Dragon Fourth Legion attacking of its own accord, which had looked so abrupt an action.
It looked at a stroke not abrupt at all.
Commander Su Lan's Owl Dragon Fourth Legion had attacked of its own accord for the sake of this Owl Dragon Legion fleet now arrived!
…………
And at very nearly the same moment.
Su Lan's Owl Dragon Fourth Legion had successfully torn an opening in the swarm before its own front!
And at this time the Owl Dragon mixed legion behind reached exactly the place where the Owl Dragon Fourth Legion fought.
Su Lan looked at the video window that sprang up before her.
Across from her were Charlotte, the wolf-girl Baixue, and Xue Xiaoxiao.
"You have had a hard time of it." Charlotte nodded slightly.
"Hereafter you must have a care. Would you have me draw off some further fleets for you?" Su Lan inquired in her concern.
When she had learned of this plan of battle, she had been anxious within.
But it was, after all, an order from the Dragon Emperor, and she could only carry it out without condition.
"There is no need. Here are my Owl Dragon First Legion, and the fleets drawn from the Second and Third Legions, and the missile ship fleets — above 12,000 interstellar warships in all, and the supply fleet besides, making up this Owl Dragon mixed legion fleet. And those 15 T5 interstellar warships. It is enough for us to carry out the plan of battle to come," Charlotte said with confidence.
"Have a care all the same; it is bugs over there, when all is said. Once you are within, a moment's carelessness and it will be hard even to get clear. Though you carry Lucent-class Interstellar Jump Ships, those want time to make ready; and once these bugs have tangled you, to jump away is an exceedingly hard thing," Su Lan said in reminder.
Charlotte nodded, to say she knew it well.
Su Lan drew a deep breath, and made Charlotte, the wolf-girl Baixue and Xue Xiaoxiao a military salute.
Charlotte, the wolf-girl Baixue and Xue Xiaoxiao returned it, and ended the video.
Thereafter this Owl Dragon mixed legion fleet sailed out through the passage Su Lan's Owl Dragon Fourth Legion had built; and in the course of it the swarm harassed them too.
But having been soundly beaten by the Owl Dragon Fourth Legion before, they could not for the moment mount an effective attack to stop this mixed legion from sailing clear.
And seeing the mixed legion draw further and further off.
Su Lan then ordered her own fleets back within the line.
"My legion fleet wants a stretch of time to refit and resupply; the defense of the line must still be your Dragon-Tiger Legion's charge. But I shall set some interstellar warships whose fighting strength is better preserved to assist you in the defense." Su Lan spoke it to that Dragon-Tiger Legion fleet commander.
"Yes." The Dragon-Tiger Legion commander answered meekly.
Just as Su Lan was about to end the communication.
This commander could not hold it in, and asked, "General Su, may I ask — this going of the Owl Dragon Legion fleet just now… can it be for destroying the enemy's T5 Leviathan-Sovereign-class Hive Motherships?"
Su Lan nodded, nor did she conceal it.
To move so many Owl Dragon T5 interstellar warships, there could be no other strategic object.
"But… there are a great quantity of hive fleets in there; to kill their way in… there is danger everywhere. A moment's carelessness, and not only will the task fail — they may even bury themselves in there!" This legion commander said it in some concern.
"Because we have no other choice." Su Lan said it quietly.
The legion commander was blank a moment.
"Our Commander once said that when there is no road before you, that is the time when you must cut one. General Charlotte's going is to cut, out of this darkness, a road of light for us."
There was something deep in Su Lan's eyes, as though they pierced the interstellar warship's walls and looked toward the Owl Dragon mixed legion fleet in the distance.
"I believe General Charlotte will finish this task of battle, and come back safe!"