Tang Xiao ended the transmission and sat on the sofa in his office, lost in thought.
Several of the Fourth Civilization's senior military officers stood in the office: Chief Strategist and Prime Minister of the Cabinet Helmut Zemo, Chief of Staff Qi Jian, Commander of the Navy Matt Hona, Admiral of the Navy and Sector Governor Sethvenna Ling Liang, and Army General Xian Hui. They were all present.
Qi Jian stood to one side, reviewing the intelligence sent from Mandalore. After a moment, he said gravely, "I have to say, if that is the case, it will be very difficult for us to turn things around on Mandalore... Darth Tenebrus's arrangements in the Eastern Territory and Northeastern Territory are already practically out in the open, but he has achieved his objective. We currently have no power to influence Mandalore."
Ling Liang was reading the files on the Semirres Planet campaign. She frowned and said, "Whether it is Semirres Planet or Mandalore, Darth Tenebrus is using the Galactic Republic as his shield. He started a campaign in the Semirres Planet direction and drew the Fourth Army Main Fleet in to attack. His strategic purpose in doing so has three parts..."
Ling Liang raised three slender fingers. "The first is the most obvious: to draw both our attention to the Semirres Planet direction. Once the flames of war erupted in the Semirres Planet campaign, nearly every fleet in the entire sector, whether from the Galactic Republic or the Confederacy of Independent Systems, began converging there, launching a direct war of mutual destruction."
She lowered one finger and continued, "Second, to wear down both sides' strength, so that no matter what happens in this direction afterward, neither side will have the power to respond. He cut off the Fourth Army Main Fleet's retreat,