Having heard these three documents out.
The corner of Zhao Chen's mouth rose slightly, and he stared at that greatest mechanical planet. "It seems that Mechanical Prophet is truly grown anxious.
"He does not grudge exposing his relation with the Demon Race, but has the Demon Race send legion fleets across in support outright.
"And that proves this Mechanical Prophet's value besides; else the Demon King would never, in disregard of his own Demon Race's front-line case, have moved several demon legions outright."
Lilith nodded, and then said in a low voice, "Then may we carry out that other plan of battle?"
"Send word to Chitong: the rabbit has shown itself; the hawk may move."
"Yes."
Zhao Chen narrowed his eyes upon that greatest mechanical planet. "I would see how great a secret this Mechanical Prophet, and this Machine Race, are hiding."
The fighting grew fiercer and fiercer.
Certain Machine Race warships even did things that fit no mechanical program, taking to suicide attacks in the attempt to bar the Owl Dragon Legion's advance.
But the Owl Dragon Legion's advance was exceedingly firm.
Those burning mechanical planets, one after another, seemed to bear witness to the Owl Dragon Legion's firmness of will.
At last that greatest mechanical planet came within the Owl Dragon fleets' radius of attack.
"Su Lan, I shall set the other legion fleets to make you your chance.
"Carry out the Commander's order: master that mechanical planet as fast as may be, and find means to come by useful intelligence from within it!
"Every carrier starship of the five Owl Dragon legions, every interstellar drone, and the interstellar mecha long since made ready, take your orders.
"Remember: time is short.
"Complete the task as fast as you can." Charlotte looked at Commander Su Lan across the video window.
Commander Su Lan set a hand upon her breast and saluted. "Understood."
Thereafter the Owl Dragon Legion divided its forces in two: the greater part of the warships sought to hold down what remained of the Machine Race fleets.
And at the same time certain interstellar cruisers and battlecruisers were formed up to cover a body of warships, fighters and drone swarms driving at that greatest mechanical planet.
Upon the mechanical planet the vast defensive cannon fired one after another.
The force of these defensive cannon reaches, every one, to T5 grade!
For not being mounted upon a starship, they need take no thought of bulk, so that the demands upon their technology are low.
Against these greatly threatening planetary defensive weapons.
A T5 Holy-Redeemer-class Heavy Interstellar Armored Heavy-Artillery Battleship, first to bear the brunt, opened the business: her heavy cannon fired without cease, and what they aimed at were those planetary defensive weapons.
One ship not enough?
T4 Tyrant-class Heavy Interstellar Missile Battlecruisers in no small number followed close behind, and the missile launchers fitted upon them opened as well.
Missile after missile went screaming out, and the targets of attack were those planetary defensive weapons.
Under so exact a firepower strike, those planetary defensive weapons were indeed held down.
And thereafter the fighter swarms and drone swarms came killing out.
Aimed chiefly at the medium and small defensive positions, cleared away one by one.
Zhao Chen walked to a viewport upon the bridge; and now, raising a hand and using the viewport's enlarging function, he could see straight to the sights upon that mechanical planet's surface.
One could see red markings scattered here and there upon the planet, as though the planet were being painted.
After this manner of attack had held five minutes.
One could see a particular interstellar fleet, under the escort of other warships, drawing slowly toward that mechanical planet already burning.
Those were T4 Great-Whale-class Heavy Interstellar Transports.
Or, to speak more exactly, interstellar mecha transports, reconstructed!
One saw the gates of those Great-Whales open one by one, and telescoping arms put out, with black things hanging from them one after another.
Enlarge it and one finds.
Those are plainly battle mecha, one upon another!
T4 Thunder-Warrior-class Medium Interstellar Battle Mecha.
Thereafter one saw T4 Thunder-Warrior mecha, one after another, fall toward that mechanical planet like meteors.
And falling with them, a great quantity of drone swarms, as though charged with escorting them.
Nor this alone: shuttle after shuttle was flung out in haste from those warships and drove down toward the planet.
The first to reach the ground were of course those T4 Thunder-Warriors; three to a group they came down upon this mechanical planet, and at the first moment of landing began to fight.
Clearing away every mechanical combat unit to be seen, and those defensive weapon works not yet cleared.
Very soon the shuttles behind arrived too; the shuttles sought places fit for setting down, hovered, and landed.
And thereafter one could see company after company of Owl Dragon interstellar marines appear, in black exoskeleton battle armor, weapons of every kind in their hands.
Very nearly every marine of every company had several kinds of weapon to be seen upon her.
Some had guns, some shoulder-borne cannon, some single-soldier star-shields and the rest.
And about them a great quantity of drone swarms would gather besides.
One interstellar marine, having landed and made certain it was safe, drew a deep breath and looked about her, and could not help swallowing.
This was the first time she had carried out a task in such a place, and against the once-mighty Machine Race besides.
Though she had drilled many times and had experience of real fighting more than once, to say she was not tense would be false.
"Our route is this one.
"Advance five hundred meters in this direction, and there is a way into the mechanical planet's interior!
"A small squad of Thunder-Warrior mecha will assist us.
"Advance in the C1 formation."
At this time the captain's voice came down the channel, and a map of the line of advance appeared upon the glass of her helmet.
This interstellar marine company of thirty began to move at once.
Along the road there was very nearly no great threat, for where there was a threat the fighters and drones overhead, and the Thunder-Warrior mecha beside them, would settle it for them.
In the course of it they had not so much as fired a shot.
At last they reached the coordinate position where they were to slip into the planet's interior.
That was a mechanical form of space elevator; looking down, it was like an abyss, thrust straight into this reconstructed mechanical planet's interior.
"By the sights the scout drones have brought back.
"We shall descend some 130 kilometers to reach what seems to be a floor.
"The inner space narrows without cease; the Thunder-Warriors can carry us only to 100 kilometers, and will wait for us there.
"Is that understood!" the captain's voice came again.
"Understood," the company said with one voice.
"Begin the descent, three to a group; once the Thunder-Warriors are in, Li Bing, your group goes first — any intelligence, tell us at once," said the captain.
"Li Bing has it." Li Bing, a veteran, led her own two members a step forward.
Thereafter three Thunder-Warrior mecha entered this deep pit first.
Li Bing and her two exchanged a glance and leapt down together, at one understanding.
And thereafter the other marines, group by group, leapt down in their order.
Such things were happening elsewhere too: a thousand marine companies, near 30,000 interstellar warriors, carrying out like tasks.
Beneath the starry sky.
Zhao Chen kept his eyes upon this mechanical planet, waiting upon the moment the secret should be unveiled.