By then, Lin Cuo had already moved swiftly to contact Li Xingke on his highest-level military channel.
"General, I need a joint military passage connecting southern Imperial Area 18 with Great Han's Common Defense theater. Also, the imperial air force has essentially lost its ability to sustain offensive operations. I hope to use the IS units still capable of moving, along with Guren, to help the Empire evacuate its encircled personnel."
Li Xingke was rechecking the logistics orders. The request left him stunned.
"Wait! You're planning to enter imperial-controlled territory? Has the Empire approved this?"
"Don't forget, Charles already ordered both sides to share joint airspace schedules. I'm merely taking our existing Common Defense coordination one step further."
"That was a joint airspace arrangement for fighting BETA, not permission for you to stroll into the imperial Second Princess's forward command post."
Lin Cuo paused briefly, then told Li Xingke directly about the situation on the imperial side.
"General Li, there's something extremely important I have to tell you now. Princess Cornelia may have been surrounded by BETA."
Li Xingke quickly enlarged the map sent by the Empire and confirmed that there was indeed an anomaly in imperial command.
"You're planning to rescue her?"
"Of course. This is Human Common Defense's bounden duty."
"Duke of Liang, you tricked Suzaku Kururugi into Great Han's identity verification procedures not long ago, and now you're planning to enter the imperial theater personally to rescue the Second Princess. Have you never considered how the Empire will interpret this string of events?"
"They'll interpret it as Great Han's continued willingness to help its allies."
"They'll suspect you're planning to detain another princess while you're at it!"
"General Li, that line of thinking gravely wounds this Regent's pure character."
"Your personal credibility ran out of room for