For the next three days, the battle continued, mostly concentrated on the portals and the patrol fleets mopping up the remnants of the traitors and the Federation's fleets that managed to avoid being taken over by the AI.
-Just how many ships do these guys have?
Arien asked, while observing the battle from the command center, as her fleet returned to the main system for a day of rest, repairs, and resupply, while her place was taken by one of the reserve fleets.
-Considering that they joined the battle-verse centuries ago and took part in who knows how many invasions.
I'd say a lot, and that's not even counting that they have five galaxies at their disposal.
Jalina said, with a sigh, seeing so many perfectly good ships going to waste.
-Even so, they have to have a limit.
It's not like they have unlimited resources.
Nairin chimed in.
-You are forgetting that they like to cheat during the invasion, and I doubt that many people can find out about it and live long enough to report them to the guild.
Additionally, the ships we are blasting are their older vessels, and with their propagation levels, I very much doubt that they care about the crews.
Tanera added her opinion.
-Whatever the case, if they won't send their proper fleet, they can't break through our defenses, and with the amount of debris in front of all the portals, I very much doubt that even their battleships can come through it all without being destroyed.
Andrew stated, as he entered the command center, after taking a break to get some sleep.
-And even if they do that, the new defensive lines should hold them off
The emperor smiled, as during the time the fleet was holding the enemy at bay, all the portals were being surrounded by hundreds of defense satellites and thousands of smart mines.
-At the rate they are losing their ships, they should run out of them within the next week or so.
At least according to the data I got from the merchants.
Dorothy also added her two cents.
She was quickly accepted by all the ladies, and for the last three days, she proved her usefulness many times, by finding information about many things that somehow slipped the notice of even AI's.
Right now, she was in the command center as well, watching the holographic map displaying the state of the battle, and trying to figure out if she had missed anything in her analysis.
-Andrew, there is another portal opening in our system.
Lanarine, who was about to say something, reported.
-It's not the Kinokians.
She hurriedly added after taking a look at the energy signature.
-Do we know who it is?
Andrew asked.
He was expecting the Mushroom bastards to smarten up and try to open the second front in his system by now.
Not that it would do them any good, as the empire's reserve fleets were all on standby in this system and the Sol system, as these two were the most important.
-No, we don't, there is nothing in our database.
Lan shook her head.
-Your majesty, we are being hailed, and the signal source is the new portal.
The communications technician replacing Sarill informed the monarch.
-On screen.
-Hello Andrew, I hope I didn't cause any trouble by opening this portal straight into your system.
Teleran said with an apologetic smile on his face.
-No trouble at all, but why did you even open it, since you could have contacted me through Tanera?
Andrew said, happy to see a friend rather than an enemy or an unknown alien.
-The reason for it is that I have a personal favor to ask of you, as well as some official business, which requires me to see you personally.
The elf informed his friend.
-In that case, get over here, so we can get the official business out of the way and hear what I can do for you.
-The problem is that I have three hundred warships with me.
Will it be all right if I bring them along?
The elf asked in an apologetic tone.
-What's going on, and why do you need this many warships?
Tanera asked, before Andrew could.
-That's part of my personal request.
You see, my fiancée, as a princess of the empire, has her own fleet, and as he future husband, the command of this fleet falls onto me.
The fleet is mainly composed of our military academies' best graduates.
They have the training, but no real experience, and it would also be good if I had some military achievements as well.
So when I heard from the guild that you are under attack, I thought about bringing the fleet with me to help you repel it.
That way, the fleet gets some real combat experience, and I get to aid the Empire's ally.
Not that I doubt that you can defend yourself.
Teleran added quickly.
-Alright, I won't turn down reinforcements from an allied nation. As for their combat experience, we shall see about that.
Andrew said, while trying very hard not to burst into laughter.
-Thank you, this means a lot.
-No problem, we can discuss the details when you get here, and Runir will need to see the fleet to decide where to send them.
-Alright, see you soon.
The elf said in a much happier tone and ended the call.
-You are way too soft on my brother.
He is using this situation for his own gain, while you get nothing out of it.
-He is my friend and future brother-in-law, so I can go softer on him, and I am getting much more out of it than he is.
The emperor smiled.
-Oh, and what do you get, other than three hundred ships filled with young elves, with no combat experience whatsoever?
The merchant asked.
-It is exactly the three hundred ships.
No matter how little experience their crews have, they don't belong to my empire, but to the Moon elf star empire, and that makes all the difference.
-You want to use their presence to indicate that the Moon Elf star empire is aiding you.
Dorothy quickly connected the dots.
-Precisely.
Andrew confirmed.
-There is a difference between going to war with just us and going to war with a Moon elf star empire.
Additionally, the Kinokians won't know if there is only one other star nation aiding us, or if it was just the first fleet that arrived.
He added.
-Well, I see a big problem with your plan.
Arien chimed in.
-Don't worry, we will let some Kinokian ships slip in, for just long enough to see the elven ships and report it before they get destroyed.
The emperor grinned, seeing her surprised expression, as this was exactly the problem she found with the plan.
-You want to let them get a foothold?
-Yes, but they won't have it for long, and the elves will be the ones to destroy it, gaining some of the fame by holding the line.
Andrew said with a sly smile, as he would gain much more from the arrival of the elven fleet than the elves themselves.
Additionally, his plan made Tanera speechless, as she never even considered such an approach, while her man thought about it immediately.