The Murderous Panjandrum part 3
The logic, however painful to accept, was sound. Upon reflection, it made sense. While many corporations were part of the Mercenary Association, the Asia War had been fought primarily to protect P336 Fortress Area and the Silhouette Base, properties that had been forced onto them. The Headquarters had neither taken any action nor had any right to claim they did.
They had even gone so far as to order Metal Iris to reclaim A001 Fortress Area, an order that had been rejected.
For the Mercenary Association Headquarters to now waltz in and demand to be included in the peace treaty and war protocols would be ludicrous. It would not only be dismissed but would further embarrass the Association.
「Of course, the administrative body that brokered those treaties, Trireme, is the one that inherited the rights and obligations under them.」
「Figures.」
「We were sitting at the bottom of the ocean at the time. Headquarters should have pushed to intervene during the peace negotiations and war protocol discussions right after the war ended. It’s too late for that now, though.」
They had been caught completely off-guard. With this setup, there was no reason for Okeanus to intervene or penalize anyone.
「We’ve already lost three ships! And now the Fortress Areas are attacking us with open hostility. What do we do?」
The idea of infrastructure with murderous intent was something Sans didn’t even want to contemplate. Defensive systems, seemingly acting of their own volition, had turned against them, and with the added support fire, the overall firepower was overwhelming.
The enemy fleet hadn’t even revealed itself yet. It felt as though they had lost the battle the moment they sat down at the table.
「We’ve only lost three ships so far. And not entirely, at that. We should still have the upper hand in terms of overall strength.」
Surrendering at this point would be an act of disgraceful cowardice. Even the Gorgias was technically still alive, albeit in critical condition. The cruiser Euitos had been sunk completely, and the assault landing ship Stasandros was disabled and stranded underwater.
「It’s the flagship we’ve lost, though.」
Sans murmured, his tone bordering on resignation.
◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆
「They’re recovering slower than expected.」
「Oh, come on now, even if it was small scale, they received the full brunt of a crustal tsunami, there’s no way they can recover from that.」
Asia’s logic seemed sound, but Kou knew better than to underestimate the multidimensional projection armor of the colossal space carrier, he didn’t think the ship was dead yet.
「The fact that it’s a spacecraft makes it possible for it to survive in underwater conditions. However, it wasn’t designed for use as a submarine it should have difficulty operating underwater even in optimal conditions.」
「So, in other words, we still have some time.」
Kou concluded, issuing new orders without missing a beat.
「Submarine unit Deep One, do you copy?」
「This is Deep One. Currently approaching the target zone.」
A seal-type Familia responded to Kou’s communication.
「Be mindful of the underwater shockwaves and continue toward the designated area.」
「Understood. Once we reach the operational zone, we will commence combat operations.」
Kou initiated another communication with the Aubade Force.
「This is the Astraea. The enemy ship remains submerged, it should have a hard time surfacing. We’ll proceed with an assault using twenty large submarines and fifty smaller ones.」
「You had a submarine fleet deployed ahead of time? Understood.」
Among the forces in play, Metal Iris was likely the only group with substantial operational experience in submarine warfare—a critical lesson from the Asia War. While the practical knowledge had been shared across allied forces, Metal Iris had an unrivaled track record, including the destruction of even massive Murders.
「They won’t escape. Even if we can’t destroy them outright, we’ll slowly box them in. I’m counting on you, Deep One.」
「Leave it to us! We’ll show them the power of the deep-sea hounds!」
This time, a sea lion-shaped Familiar responded with enthusiasm. Underwater assaults, even when not immediately decisive, exerted immense psychological pressure on the enemy.
「The flagship of the submarine fleet is the Hora-class Eunomia, supported by a force centered on underwater Quattro Silhouettes. Once we force them out of the water, we’ll dominate the skies.」
「Naturally! Outis, leave the aerial battle over the sea to us.」
Each corporation prided itself on its naval and aerial prowess. Their combined naval forces were unmatched, a fact that couldn’t be overstated. And with the Edge Swifts on board the flagship—Astraea—leading the charge, the assault would be formidable.
「I trust you, Robin-san. Once we drive them out of the ocean, we’ll move on to the next phase.」
「Just call me Robin. Our lives are entrusted to you, Outis. Feel free to issue orders as you see fit.」
「Understood, Robin. Losing the aerial battle over the sea is not an option. The Mercenary Association Headquarters disappeared during the early stages of the Asia War, which means…」
Robin nodded in agreement. They too had once taken refuge in an underwater defense dome.
The Edge Swift, a high-performance fighter aircraft that Robin had never expected to use, was a personal project. While an excellent machine, he had gone too far with it and had ended as an overengineered unit, unsuitable for mass production. Ironically, that failed machine had saved Aimer and proved its worth through to the final stages of the Asia War, earning its place as a legendary fighter. The importance of air superiority had been drilled into Robin through hard-earned experience.
「I don’t believe they’ve procured a large number of aircraft. I’ve heard that Interplanetary War-era fighters are scarce. No matter how durable their main units might be, if they’re relying on outdated models like the Angel, they’ll be manageable.」
「Exactly! Only a handful of eccentric engineers studied aviation on planet Asia—myself, Kinukawa, and Kurt among them. That means most of their aircraft must have come from Metal Iris.」
「Even Misumaru Heavy Industries mainly employs their corporate mercenary forces. It’s unlikely they possess significant aerial assets of their own.」
Kelly said, joining the discussion from aboard the Enterprise.
Kinugawa, aboard the Junyo, chimed in as well.
「Kurt Maschinenbau produced aircraft at P336 Fortress Area. Only a very few Underground Forces are capable of operating aircraft. Their air power is bound to be weak. Just watch out for their ships’s defensive weaponry.」
Kou nodded and issued his orders.
「The enemy’s aerial forces are centered around Silhouettes, is that right? Then it’s all the more reason we cannot lose!」
「Now is the time to take the skies. The skies over the sea belong to us. Patrol aircraft, interceptors, multirole fighters, bombers—we will use them all to survey the enemy forces, dismantle them, and leave nothing standing.」
A faint smile tugged at Kou’s lips.
「To all pilots: Show those antique Silhouettes what real machines can do. Teach them that the fighters and transformable Silhouettes crafted by true engineers to survive the battlefield are superior to their unrepairable relics!」
Kou’s shift in demeanor was electrifying. Akki and Nyanta could hardly contain their excitement, while Aimer and Blue exchanged knowing glances.
「Understood!」
The response from the Familia pilots in their fighters and transformable Silhouettes was immediate and resolute. Fear of the enemy’s antique Silhouettes was a thing of the past.
「It’s like the Big Boss has awakened into someone entirely different.」
「So that’s the caliber of man he truly is.」
Robin and Kiefel were impressed by the abilities that Kou had showcased in this battle. The precision and ruthlessness of Kou’s strategy left them in awe. It wasn’t just words—he had proven he could back up his words. While the tsunami itself couldn’t outright destroy spacecraft, the havoc it wreaked inside their hulls had left most enemy vessels temporally incapacitated. The ships near the Gorgias, the ones that had sustained direct damage from the shockwaves and flooding were probably in terrible shape and wouldn’t return to the fight soon.
At first, they had thought that the directive for the Aubade Force to dive underwater had been merely a countermeasure against the enemy’s lasers.
「Hm? I knew all along. After all, he’s the man who rescued Asia.」
George said proudly, as if the one being praised was him.
「I knew it too. He’s kind and strong, you know.」
Only George and Eri weren’t surprised by Kou’s abilities. They had seen him during the assault on the R001 Orbital Elevator where he had taken the lead, rescuing Asia and earning respect in the process. As the leader of Aubade Force, he had become an undeniable figure of charisma and influence.
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