Now that the enemy's situation had been confirmed, Jiafeer was no longer in much of a hurry. She continued to keep the DL90 system under tight siege while waiting for all the fleets to arrive.
During this time, Nairhana asked again about the theory that "Picard was covering for something."
Jiafeer said, "There's at least an eighty percent chance that Brigadier General Metige's guess is right. For the past twenty days, Picard has been leading the Free Flag in flight. His route makes it obvious that he hoped to flee all the way back to New Jade Gate with that dreadnought."
Wofuna shook her head. "That would be impossible. A dreadnought's mass projection and gravitational wake are far too conspicuous. The most advanced sensors can detect them from halfway across a star system. There's some room to maneuver in the well-connected heart of the Dawn Star Sector, but once you enter the Dawnstar Passage or the New World Highway, there's nowhere to hide."
Olivia said, "Exactly. That's why the Free Flag's efforts to gather up stragglers along the way were even more suicidal. It was brave and responsible, but it would only get them killed faster."
Jiafeer replied, "Even so, I thought he wouldn't be completely out of options for at least another week. The turning point was the Battle of Unity Fortress."
"Oh?"
"After the Battle of Unity Fortress, Yang Xiyi broadcast the battle report across the universe in the clear. We received the news on the sixth day after the battle. Considering the distance and their positions, General Picard would have received it sooner. His Free Flag and the Commonwealth's remaining fleet appeared around then, too. Clearly, he and Yang Xiyi had an understanding." After explaining, Jiafeer added:
"Of course, that's only my guess. There's no evidence. It's