Panjandrum Strikes From Orbit!
A Panjandrum launched from low orbit.
Everyone who heard Marujin’s bold declaration was struck with fear and frozen in place.
「The enemy will undoubtedly be thrown into chaos! In the meantime, please organize the units for the attack on the Megareus.」
「Our own forces will also be thrown into chaos!」
Jenny stated with conviction.
「Wait a minute! Isn’t the Panjandrum a self-propelled explosive device? Can it really be used for attacking the Megareus?」
Robert, captain of the Aristides raised his voice. It was a reasonable question.
「Your question is perfectly valid. It is indeed a self-propelled explosive. It was originally designed as a weapon to crash into and destroy enemy defensive positions at extremely high speeds. That concept remains unchanged.」
「But the Megareus has armor that can withstand a shot from a charged particle cannon. If an explosive could damage it, we wouldn’t be struggling like this!」
「Please calm down, Mr. Robert. The Panjandrum ‘Hanged Man,’ which we plan to launch at the enemy, is guided. It’s an 80-meter diameter explosive device constructed with the same material as a space battleship’s armor, enhanced with Whis by A-Carbuncle. It is certain to deal damage to the Megareus.」
「80 meters in diameter, with a tether… that’s almost a tenth the size of the Astraea!」 Barry muttered. The Eirene, a ship of the same class as the Astraea, also measured approximately 800 meters in length. While such a large vessel would be unimaginable on Earth, it was considered a medium-sized ship as silhouette carriers went. Even so, an 80-meter diameter was far from ordinary.
「So that’s why the space battleship armor disappeared from the material storage…!」
「My name may have been cleared, but I can’t say I’m happy about this.」
Both Lybia and Eunomia had their suspicions confirmed. A significant amount of materials, enough to build a battleship, had vanished from the underground factory.
「Do you think this will really work on the first try?」
「We’ve already run the necessary simulations with Panjandrums developed for use in space, the ballistic Panjandrum. We’ve also fully considered the countermeasures.」
「So the attack from back then was for this!」
「If I’d known it would be used for this, I never would have given my approval.」
Kou and Astraea remembered how they had once launched an attack on the Megareus using the ballistic Panjandrum from low orbit. Although the attack was entirely intercepted, Abel had assured them that this was within expectations.
「Currently, the Eirene is traveling in orbit at first cosmic velocity. From there, it will function like a skyhook-type orbital elevator. We’ll use a technique similar to swinging a crane’s wrecking ball, hurling the tethered self-propelled explosive at the Megareus. The speed at which the ‘Hanged Man’ will crash into the Megareus will be around Mach 15. Even the mighty Megareus won’t stand a chance against that.」
「The principle of a hypersonic skyhook! To think they would use it for an attack!」
Kinukawa, who was well-versed in aerospace technology, shouted astonished by the outlandish idea.
「As I explained earlier, the ‘Hanged Man’ has a diameter of approximately 80 meters. As a kinetic energy weapon, its destructive power is on par with that of electronically-excited explosives.」
「What about Okeanos restrictions?」
「It’s just a massive iron ball being swung around, isn’t it? It’s not even a precision-guided weapon. We just aim and slam it in—Boom! I don’t think it even falls under the classification of a weapon.」
Eirene answered Astraea’s question with a smile.
「That’s terrifying! Who comes up with this stuff?」
「Well, the original idea came from Big Boss and Mr. Hyoue.」
Kou and Hyoue looked at each other over the communication screen.
「Y-you, Abel! That was just bar talk!」
「It’s Marujin.」
「Who cares about that! I just said it looked like a yo-yo because of how it spins like a spool! The rest was Kou-kun’s idea!」
「Hold on a second. All I said was that it would be pretty amusing if we could keep bashing the Megareus with a giant yo-yo from orbital space! Also, I’m pretty sure that the only ship that would be able to theoretically pull off something like that would be an Aristides-class, it should be impossible for a Hora-class!」
This all started during a meal, much like with the Panjandrum ‘Melos,’ when Kou and Hyoue were casually joking around, discussing the concept of a new Panjandrum. It was nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment idea. Who could have predicted that there would be people determined to turn that offhand idea into reality?
「I refuse. I do not want to do that.」
「Same here.」
Libra 1 and 2, the AI managers of the Aristides and the Pericles, who rarely participated in conversations protested, refusing to play the role of a crane.
「Kou, it seems you still haven’t learned your lesson.」
Rick was on the verge of losing his temper. If he had visible veins, they’d be bulging by now. His expression, reminiscent of an enraged Saint Bernard, was genuinely intimidating.
「Wait, hold on! That was before the Academy was even completed! This is unfair!
「Kou-kun, no excuses, I also believe that you need some more lessons. Hyoue-san, you too.」
Yunlan said, adjusting his glasses with a cold expression.
「Me too?!」
「I’ll join as a teacher as well, you two have far too much creative freedom.」
Kinukawa Eiji from Misumaru Heavy Industries also announced his participation in Kou’s reeducation courses.
Meanwhile, Kelly was doubled over with laughter, finding the entire situation utterly hilarious.
「Making possible what no one else would even consider—that’s the British way.」
「Most people would stop long before actually trying something like that!」
Barry replied, recalling that the UK was the nation that had the idea of sending aircraft into the skies vertically.
「Even humans think it’s reckless! And that’s precisely why we have the Great Panjandrum Carrier! We’ll catch the Stones completely off guard with this!」
A pink-haired young girl appeared, puffing out her chest with pride.
「How could you modify one of the great Mobile Arsenal Platforms into something like that!」
Astraea shouted, clearly upset.
「We’ve transferred those functions over to the Enterprise. Right now, it’s more needed over there, and as for us, we’re in the process of restoring our capabilities. Full recovery will still take some time.」
「Just like that…」
「You were always decisive, a little too decisive perhaps…」
Astraea was left speechless, while Eunomia sighed in exasperation.
「Asia, it seems my sisters might not be of much use. Maybe the shock was a bit too much for them? Please proceed with the unit formations as quickly as possible.」
「Understood. If this succeeds, the enemy will be paralyzed. During that time, I’ll assemble the most optimal units. Kou and the others should get some rest, even if just a little.」
Ashia remained calm and composed. The time had finally come to deploy the ultimate weapon.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「The enemy’s unit formations are slower than we anticipated. I thought skirmishes would have started within three hours.」
Even after several hours had passed, there was no sign of the enemy forces approaching. Based on the predictions from Castor and Vasa, they expected an aerial battle for air superiority to have broken out after just three hours.
「This gives us the chance to strengthen our defenses. The enemy has taken significant damage as well. It won’t go exactly as we theorized.」
The damage to the enemy’s main base, the P336 Fortress Area, was severe. They might have received reinforcements, but those were mostly for naval operations. Rapid deployment of space fleets and reorganizing their units for quick response was a difficult task in this situation.
「True, while the mission itself may have failed, the enemy’s damage is not insignificant. Still, it’s strange that there is no sign of their planes either.」
「Perhaps they’re focusing all their resources for an all-out aerial battle.」
Gaining air superiority was crucial in the Nemesis warfront, just as it was on Earth. Although the Megareus was being used as a fortress, the Argoforce had two additional Fortress Areas backing them up. Their fighter numbers were not to be underestimated.
「Castor-sama! Urgent report!」
An operator called out in a tense voice.
「What is it?」
「Displaying the image now! From the six o’clock direction, a massive flying object is approaching the Megareus’s stern!」
The screen displayed an image of a gigantic spinning device, glowing red-hot from aerodynamic heating. The extreme heat was causing the molecules to collide, creating plasma and raising the surface temperature to blistering levels.
「A yo-yo?」
「It certainly looks like a yo-yo.」
Everyone recognized the shape. It was unmistakably reminiscent of the classic Earth toy—two discs connected by an axle, with a string wound around it. Its origins were ancient, with roots tracing back to ancient Greece.
It was evident that this was ‘that thing’. The three observed without flinching; in a way, they had grown accustomed to this sight.
「The zoom is really close. It’s the same as always, isn’t it?」
Castor, half in disbelief but still intrigued by the size of the object, muttered to himself.
「It’s different. That device has a diameter of 80 meters.」
Vasa furrowed his brow; even he hadn’t anticipated such an enormous scale.
「Intercept it immediately. Use the main cannon as well.」
「Understood!」
However, the operator’s follow-up report quickly dashed their hopes.
「It’s no use! The laser and anti-air missiles are completely ineffective!」
「What? How can that be?」
「That thing is tethered to its mothership! Most likely to a vessel equipped with A-Carbuncle!」
「If its mothership is a Mobile Arsenal Platform, then A-Carbuncle makes sense. We might have no choice but to rely on the main cannon… Pull back the surrounding units just in case!」
「Understood!」
The approaching tethered self-propelled space mine ignited its rocket thrusters, moving erratically in all directions—up, down, left, and right—making its trajectory unpredictable. Despite the precision targeting, the Megareus’s main cannon missed its mark.
「It’s no good. The disc’s rockets are causing it to move erratically… But at this speed, it looks like it will fail to hit us. The projected impact is just a few kilometers from us, it should happen in three minutes!」
「Three minutes… That’s not enough time to move the Megareus. Everyone, brace for impact.」
Castor commanded, activating the shock absorption systems.
「Argh! The self-propelled mine has stopped evasive maneuvers and switched to full propulsion! It’s accelerating straight toward the ship!」
The operator’s voice wavered, betraying the fear of the unexpected move.
The ‘Hanged Man’ had shifted its rocket orientation to vertical, glowing brightly as it increased its descent speed through rapid spinning. It had activated P-MAX.
「Damn it! They’re mocking us!」
「It’s going to hit!」
The enormous 80-meter self-propelled mine struck directly. Weapons and machinery within the ship were thrown into chaos, and every person in the command center was violently shaken by the impact.
The ‘Hanged Man’ smashed into the ship’s stern, directly colliding with the enormous bridge, obliterating it in a single strike. The colossal vessel couldn’t withstand the blow from the rear, and its bow began to sink toward the ground.
There was no explosion from conventional explosives; it was purely an impact delivered by a kinetic weapon. Yet, the force of that impact was so great that it ionized the surrounding air into plasma, generating a massive explosion. A towering convective cloud formed, reaching toward the sky.
A split second later, the deafening roar and shockwave spread through the area, scattering nearby units like leaves in the wind.
The ground rippled and shook, resembling the surface of a dark ocean at night. It was similar to the phenomenon where the planet’s surface behaves like a liquid during a celestial impact.
「Is everyone still alive?」
Castor called out to those around him.
Even with the shocking absorbers of the Megareus, it was unable to absorb the shock that hit the strategic command center.
「I’m fine.」
「Somehow.」
「All operators are functional.」
Vasa, Albert, and the representative of the crew confirmed their status one by one.
「We’re assessing the damage… The bridge has been obliterated—no, it’s been blown away. We’re checking to see if any of the main cannons are still operational.」
Something like a space battleship’s bridge being blown away in a single strike was unprecedented. In space, damage from high-speed collisions was not uncommon, which is why spaceships employed A-Carbuncle’s higher-dimensional projection armor for protection.
「Castor-sama! We’re receiving a transmission from what appears to be the enemy vessel responsible for the attack!」
「Hold on.」
He stood up, unsteady on his feet, and managed to sit back down in the command seat, regaining his composure despite the turmoil around him.
「Connect it.」
The communication screen flickered to life, revealing a dimly lit room and a masked figure Castor recognized immediately. His expression tightened, and a vein throbbed on his forehead in frustration.
「You again, Marujin. Are you here to demand our surrender? It’s pointless. We still have more than enough power to crush you.」
「Not quite.」
Marujin replied, shaking his finger back and forth with a smug grin. He held up his finger, smiling maliciously as he addressed the crew of the Megareus.
「One more time!」
The communication was abruptly cut off, leaving everyone stunned and speechless.
Suddenly, the tethered self-propelled mine embedded in the center of the ship was pulled upward, lifting into the air. Its rockets reignited, and the Panjandrum shot back into the sky as if being reeled in.
「One more time?」
Castor muttered, processing the meaning of Marujin’s words.
「A yo-yo…」
「This can’t be! That thing has returned upwards like a yo-yo preparing to strike again!」
Realization struck, and everyone present fell into chaos.
「Find a countermeasure immediately! And kill that man! Do it, no matter what!」
「Wait, hold on! Let’s stay calm and think this through. First, we need a plan. The Megareus is buried in the ground and can’t move.」
「Even the tank units in the surrounding area were blown away by the blast! We can’t even form a proper formation!」
「Enough of this!」
One of the operators regained his composure and contacted the Argonautai headquarters for assistance. Once the Argonautai assessed the situation, they quickly began implementing countermeasures.
The first thing they did was increase Marujin’s bounty by an entire order of magnitude.
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