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Super Miniskirt Pirates Volume 1     Super Miniskirt Pirates Volume 2

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NOTE: This is a "Fastpass" translation. A better translation will come later.

 

Nov 8th, 2024

 

 

INDEX

Chapter 1: Landing Operation in the Face of the Enemy

Chapter 2: Imperial Military Academy

Chapter 3: Classes Begin, Situation Begins

Chapter 4: Electronic Reconnaissance

Chapter 5: Graduation Exercise

Chapter 6: Electronic Melee Warfare

 

 

 

 

Illustration by Matsumoto Noriyuki

Design by Shindosha

"Scan finished."

 

Chiaki, who was sitting next to her, verbally announced the results of the display that Marika was also looking at.

 

"No enemy sightings within 300,000 kilometers ahead."

 

"All lies."

 

Marika sighed as she watched the display, which was full of errors and unidentified responses.

 

"There are too many obstacles, and the enemy has even turned off their identification devices and blocked radio waves, so we can't catch them."

 

A natural satellite nearby had been hit by a battleship's powerful main gun and exploded, leaving the small assault landing craft surrounded by hot stardust of all different sizes. Thanks to this, they were able to avoid the enemy's powerful radar, but even with a passive observation system that didn't emit radar or radio waves, the observation system would occasionally sound an alarm.

 

Looking directly ahead at their destination, the mother planet, Marika, who was in the captain's seat, ran her finger over the landing craft's control panel. Aiming at the huge rock mass that was moving in almost the same direction at close range, she fired the rocket anchor for mooring without power.

 

The rocket anchor, pulling the high-tension silicon wire, dug into the huge rock mass that still had red hot spots here and there. Marika quickly stopped the winch of the wire connecting the rocket anchor, which was in a freely extending state, to the landing craft.

 

Due to the slight difference in vector between the rock mass blown away by the explosion and the landing craft that had dived into the meteorite group that contained the rock mass, the silicon wire, which had been loose in a weightless state immediately after the impact, became taut. Pulled by the mass of the much larger rock mass, the landing craft slowly changed its direction of travel.

 

"Yo-yo, don't come off like that."

 

Checking the resistance of the rocket anchor that had hit the rock mass, Marika slowly began to wind the winch. The landing craft slowly begins to approach the boulder from the bow, as if pulled by the reeling silicon wire.

 

"Do we really have to go that far?"

 

Chiaki, in the navigator's seat, continues to passively observe the surrounding airspace.

 

"We're in this meteor stream. Even if we spray a little bit of propellant, it won't be visible from the outside, right?"

 

"They're using a powerful radar that can penetrate all the way here."

 

Marika glances at the observation system, which still sounds an alarm from time to time. An alarm sounds when a radar that is not friendly is hit. If it only lasts for an instant, it's fine. If the alarm doesn't stop, it means the enemy has definitely captured you. And on the battlefield, what comes after the radar is a missile, a beam, or a solid bullet meant to destroy you.

 

"I don't want to be targeted by the infrared rays of the propellant."

 

"Well, we've survived this long, so there's no need to take the easy way out and invite a crisis."

 

Chiaki, in the navigator's seat, switched the display to the damage status of the hull.

 

"All right, the engine room has been repaired. The exterior panels are pretty burned, but about 70% of the armor is still intact, so we can still count on it. Re-inspection of the control system is complete. Some redundant systems are dead, but there are no problems with control for the time being."

 

The mother planet, which was visible in front, entered the shadow of a huge boulder. Marika sent an exclusion signal to the rocket anchor that had hit the boulder, pulled it out, and retrieved it by reeling in the silicon wire.

 

"We'll keep hiding in the shadow of the boulder in front and approach the mother planet."

 

"Understood."

 

Chiaki, who had finished checking the hull, returned to keeping watch over the surrounding area.

 

"...But it's a terrible setup. A planetary landing operation under enemy air superiority, and then right after takeoff, the allied fleet is attacked and thrown into a melee. Our fleet is blown away along with the small moon they were gathering on, and there's no communication as to how many of our allies are still alive, or whether they should continue the operation or stop and retreat."

 

"The real purpose of the mission is not to land on the enemy planet and infiltrate the base."

 

Marika, who was in the captain's seat, switched the search range to the rear. While maintaining a passive observation system that does not emit radar, we rely on the observation system to map the meteorites flowing in the surrounding airspace.

 

"Probably, even if the landing force or the main force are wiped out, there will be no order to cancel. All we can do is retreat at our own discretion, and then..."

 

"That's only if we receive enough damage to make it impossible to continue the operation."

 

Chiaki took over after Marika, who was hesitant to speak.

 

"Either way, if we take damage that makes us unable to move, that's the end of it. You're not going to go home empty-handed anyway."

 

"Of course."

 

Marika, who was in the captain's seat, smiled.

 

"Even though it's getting worn down in places, the assault landing craft's strength is its selling point, and even if it enters the atmosphere without power, it can safely reach the ground. Even if it's a hopeless situation, the higher-ups will expect us to keep trying until the end."

 

"Well, I guess."

 

Chiaki sighed with a sense of resignation.

 

"So, what's our plan from now on?"

 

"We'll continue riding the meteorites and enter the atmosphere."

 

Marika displayed the landing craft's current location and the enemy mother planet that was our destination on the 3D display in front of her.

 

"The smaller moon that was destroyed earlier exploded in the second concentrated salvo from the battle fleet, and the fragments of rock are flying off at the same speed as the explosion. The ones flying outward are exceeding escape velocity and will likely enter interplanetary space, but the remaining 80% are flying in orbit around the planet, contaminating the battle airspace. The question is what will happen next."

 

Marika used the controller to speed up the passage of time on the display. The scattered rock masses expanded their range as they orbited the planet, and depending on the direction of the explosion, some would enter the atmosphere before even completing half a revolution.

 

"More than half of the original mass will enter the atmosphere within 100 hours!?"

 

Chiaki spoke up, having anticipated the results of the simulation.

 

"If 80% of the rocks fall in 1000 hours, that's not going to cause a lot of damage to the planet's surface!"

 

"Most of the predicted impact areas are on the planet's equator, and even then, any big objects that could cause damage can be broken up by enemy or ally before they enter the atmosphere, and I don't think that either the enemy or ally is going to be concerned about environmental issues if they're fighting a fleet battle with a landing operation in a space close to the planet."

 

"Well, you're right, there's no need to worry that much. So?"

 

"The rocks right in front of us are the first group to reach the planet's atmosphere. We'll keep approaching the planet and enter the atmosphere together."

 

"Hmm."

 

Chiaki saw the future prediction of the rocks taking a straight-ahead trajectory.

 

"Will we be intercepted?"

 

"Maybe. But even then, it's not aimed at this ship, it's just to break up the boulder in front of us so that damage doesn't occur on the ground."

 

"Wouldn't that be enough to vaporize a landing craft like this?"

 

"Probably. So, if we are intercepted, I'm thinking of using the boulder as a shield to avoid a direct hit. I know the location of the ground base with the anti-orbital intercept weapon, so if I can just pinpoint the location of the enemy battleship, I think I can escape when it matters most."

 

"That's a crazy plan."

 

Chiaki fast-forwarded and rewinded the situation of the meteorites falling on the planet's surface several times. The speed of the meteorites heading towards the planet is fast enough to be on a natural orbit without anti-gravity or inertial control.

 

"Okay, let's go with that plan. Of course, we'll respond if the situation changes before we enter the atmosphere."

 

Chiaki checked the predicted trajectory of the meteorites until they enter the atmosphere again. After receiving a direct hit from the battleship's powerful main guns, the small moon's core, which should have been completely cooled, sublimated, evaporated, and exploded. Most of its mass became fragmented rock blocks and exploded at speeds far exceeding its orbital speed, while some escaped the gravity of the home planet and were ejected into interplanetary space.

 

Depending on the speed and direction of their explosion, most of the remaining mass could be classified as either heading straight into the home planet, entering an elliptical orbit and making several revolutions before entering the atmosphere, or remaining in orbit. The assault landing craft Marika and Chiaki were aboard was on a trajectory to enter the home planet along with the meteorites, which would enter the home planet in the shortest time possible.

The meteorites, which were initially densely packed together, disperse before entering the atmosphere. The intense heat immediately after the explosion also cools over time. The closer they get to the enemy planet, the higher the patrol density and the higher the chance of being detected by the enemy.

 

Fortunately, the shattered moon was a heavy planet with a high metallic content. With normal radar and sensors, it would be difficult to detect an artificial spaceship, as it would be mixed up with the reaction of the metallic meteorite.

 

However, for meteorites that are too large to cause damage to the surface, interception is carried out on the battlefield to reduce damage. Even large meteorites can be broken up by naval gunfire or other means to reduce the mass that reaches the surface.

 

The onboard computer did not have data on what kind of defenses the enemy planet had in place against natural disasters such as the falling of a satellite, or whether they had any.

 

"You'll know if you get close," Marika said leisurely.

 

"Once we enter the atmosphere, the adiabatically compressed air will cling to us and make our aim inaccurate, and if we wait until just before we enter the atmosphere, we can predict the impact point more accurately, and since the battle is still ongoing, both enemies and allies will want to refrain from firing as much as possible if it doesn't directly affect the battle."

 

"While we're doing this, cannons big enough to shatter large meteorites are charging up and aiming at us, so you've got guts."

 

"We've taken all the precautions we can."

 

Marika, who was in the captain's seat and had even loosened her seatbelt and reclined her backrest, answered.

 

"Thanks to that, we were able to safely land in low orbit."

 

"Yeah, that's true."

 

Chiaki quickly switched the display on the navigator's seat.

 

"But after that, all we got were enemy identification signals, and I couldn't find any friendly aircraft, which bothers me."

 

Even when he switched the search range and accuracy, he couldn't find any friendly aircraft except for the mother fleet that had retreated far away and the patrol planes around it.

 

"So many landing craft went out together, and some of them got caught up in the moon explosion or were accidentally intercepted, but what's going on that they didn't get caught at all after that?"

 

"Well, no one would want to go out on a planet swarming with enemy fighters in a slow landing craft, so I think they're all hiding somewhere."

 

"Where do you mean?"

 

"Yeah."

 

Marika twirled her index finger.

 

"Around here."

 

"You mean all the landing craft are moving together with the meteorites?"

 

"Yeah, I think only a few are hiding in the first meteorites. I think most are hiding in the second or third waves."

 

"Why?"

 

"Because the point of entry is directly visible from the retreating mother fleet. There's no way the mother fleet won't see the movements of the entry force, so we can expect support."

 

"Then why did you go on the first wave when you can't expect that?"

 

"Because the meteorites that will enter first will fall closer to the target enemy base."

 

Marika raised the backrest of the captain's seat. She fastened her four-point seat belt.

 

"Above all, this will let us finish this mission first."

 

"That's awesome."

 

Chiaki also fastened her seat belt in the navigator seat. I don't want to use inertial control for impact resistance as much as possible because it might be picked up by enemy sensors.

 

"We've got a radar response!"

 

An alarm rang out in the cockpit.

 

"The enemy battle fleet is coming, long-range precision fire."

 

Marika checked the enemy battle fleet's current position on the display. While the mothership fleet had retreated into interplanetary space, the battle fleet, which was in high orbit with its back to the mother planet, had decided to start firing before the meteorites entered the atmosphere.

 

The battle fleet would be in high orbit, meaning from above, and would be targeting the meteorites falling on the planet, meaning below. If they didn't aim accurately, any missed energy beams would hit the planet's surface directly, so the fire control radar illuminated the meteorites with merciless high output.

 

Marika superimposed the illumination pattern of the fire control radar on the giant rock mass in front of her. Among the meteorites, precision fire will be focused on those that will reach the ground and cause damage, and large ones that could fall on the ocean and cause not only a tsunami but also the seabed and cause ground destruction will be fired at first. From the perspective of the attacking battle fleet, the meteorites that are further back will be attacked first.

 

Marika roughly read the center of gravity of the rock mass in front and placed her hand on the controller on the side of the seat.

 

"It's here!"

 

Since it's not an armored target, the concentration rate is not that high, but the energy beam, which is probably as highly charged as the mechanism of the ship's gun allows, penetrated the low-altitude orbital space. It hit the rock mass that was flying at the front while evaporating the dust in the meteorite mass.

 

"It's long!"

 

Perhaps to ensure the destruction, the irradiation of the beam, which should normally end in a short time, continued for an unexpectedly long time. As soon as it ended, the white-hot rock mass at the front exploded and broke into pieces.

 

"If we miss the target or the firing time is too long, we'll end up shooting at our own planet with our own cannon."

 

Marika checked the situation in the space around the landing craft. There was a lot of noise because the beam had passed close enough to be a close shot.

 

"The aim was accurate, and the shot was completed just before the target was shattered by the thermal explosion."

 

Chiaki updated the observation data with the latest situation.

 

"That's pretty impressive."

 

"They're trying to avoid it right in front of the predicted impact point."

 

Seeing the noisy observation results, Marika slowly moved the landing craft closer to the rock mass before the next beam came.

 

"It's better to aim accurately. After impact, the rock mass will explode with heat and move forward by blending in with the outermost shock wave."

 

"That's a crazy trajectory."

 

"There must be someone watching the impact from a different angle, watching behind."

 

"I wonder if this boat's sensors can see it."

 

An alarm rang out in the cockpit. Marika didn't wait for the beam to hit, but instead moved around the surface of the rock mass to distance herself from the center of gravity.

 

A powerful energy beam from a battleship-class main gun struck the metallic meteorite. The landing craft's sensors all sounded alarms at once, and the landing craft's safety devices went off one by one, causing them to black out.

 

"Are you okay!?"

 

Chiaki screamed as she administered emergency measures to the screaming landing craft's systems.

 

"It might be bad."

 

Marika moved the landing craft next to the rock mass that was heating up from the cracks after a direct hit, and pointed the bow outward.

 

"We're going to take a direct hit from a battleship and time our evacuation to coincide with the outer edge of the shock wave of the explosion."

 

Unable to withstand the internal pressure, the huge rock mass first split, then exploded and scattered. Marika launched the landing craft so that it would ride the shock wave of the explosion according to the acceleration she had calculated in advance.

 

"There are alarms all over the place, but I won't report them all."

 

Not only were there alarms going off around the sensors, but also in the propulsion system and the hull.

 

"The extra armor has been pretty damaged, but we'll hold on to it as a talisman. Is there anything else we can do here?"

 

"We're going to be in the meteorite blast, so hold on tight!"

 

Cheering on the timing when the shock wave from the explosion had dispersed enough to not damage the craft, Marika slowed down her acceleration and let the landing craft slip into the exploding meteorites. The short-range radar and sensors screamed as they identified nearby objects, sounding all the alarms they could.

 

"It's space, so it'll just disperse along the vector of the initial explosion, and predicting the trajectory isn't that simple, though."

 

Due to accuracy issues, not all of the rocks that exploded into pieces could be captured by the radar or sensors. Chiaki compared the trajectory the landing craft should take with the display, which doesn't show anything smaller than a stone or gravel unless the danger is extremely high.

 

"You're going to sneak into a group of meteorites entering the atmosphere. Well, this one is probably the best one to get to."

 

Chiaki picked out a larger one from among the exploded rocks that would enter the atmosphere on the shortest trajectory.

 

"The three are bunched together, and the vectors are roughly the same, so if we use this one, we can minimize the risk of being seen from outside."

 

"Got it!"

 

Marika slid the landing craft into the predicted trajectory instructed by Chiaki. Small meteorites that couldn't be avoided banged the craft from outside.

 

Marika attached the landing craft to the rear of the three meteorites, which were flying almost as a group, as if they were in formation, and transitioned to inertial flight.

 

"What's outside?"

 

"There's no way we can see it."

 

Just to be sure, Chiaki updated the surrounding situation.

 

"The enemy fleet is continuing to fire its guns at the meteorites behind us, and radar is shining on us from the ground ahead."

 

"The gunfire from behind will blend in with the gunfire and the remains of the meteorites, so there's no need to worry about being targeted, but the problem is the radar from the ground."

 

"If we're carrying such a large meteorite group on our backs, won't the radar miss us?"

 

"We'll be fine while we're entering the atmosphere, but if we go all the way down and don't burn up, won't we be obvious?"

 

"Isn't that why we entered the atmosphere with the meteorites?"

 

"But if we come down emitting a lot of infrared rays, we'll be really conspicuous."

 

Marika thought for a moment.

 

"I see, we can just brake using inertial control once we enter the atmosphere."

 

Chiaki frowned, thinking about what would happen as a result. "Let the burning meteorite go first and then suddenly slow down? That way, we won't have to adiabatically compress the upper atmosphere, so we can suppress infrared radiation, but what happens after that?"

 

"We'll go to the surface in a free-fall trajectory, slowing it down enough to avoid being noticed, and then make it look like it's falling into the ocean, and then start moving toward the enemy base."

 

After hearing Marika's explanation, Chiaki thought about what would happen in that case.

 

"If it's thought to be a meteorite that doesn't burn up, it will definitely be intercepted, so I think this is safer than that."

 

"Even though it's collapsed, it's a natural satellite, so the entry speed is a little slow."

 

Marika switches the entry trajectory predictions that were updated as the meteorites were broken up to the latest data.

 

"Since it originated from the moon, the entry speed is orbital speed plus or minus, so I guess it's about one-third of the meteorite's orbital speed."

 

"Whether it's orbital speed or orbital speed, if it doesn't burn up in an instant, it'll look suspicious."

 

"Yeah..."

 

Chiaki looked at the latest updated meteorite entry prediction. The first wave of meteorites, shattered by the battle fleet's gunfire, spread out and entered the atmosphere above the equator.

 

Chiaki expanded the predicted distribution of atmospheric entry.

 

"Meteorites that enter the atmosphere will burn up at an altitude of 100 kilometers."

 

The exact atmospheric distribution on the surface of the target planet is known. From the entry speed, it is possible to precisely predict at what altitude the atmosphere will become plasmatic due to adiabatic compression.

 

"That means we should slam on the brakes at an altitude of 100km, and then keep moving at that altitude."

 

Marika looked again at the meteorite impact predictions that were enlarged on the 3D display.

 

"So we should fly above the stratosphere, through the mesosphere, in the meteor shower. Isn't that more reckless than entering the atmosphere with the meteorites?"

 

"Because we were together, Marika's recklessness was contagious."

 

"Okay, let's go with that."

 

Marika drew a rough planned trajectory for the landing craft on the 3D display and had the navigation computer start calculating a predicted trajectory to avoid the meteorites hitting the craft. The meteorite impact predictions were for the meteorites to fall over the equatorial ocean, pass through the enemy base, and then exit the ocean again.

 

"Only 60% of the additional armor remains. Its stealth has probably been greatly reduced, but maybe they'll let us pass if we get through the meteorite group."

 

If the additional armor covering the landing craft is in perfect condition, it deflects and absorbs radar waves, preventing them from being reflected. However, the additional armor has been hit directly by space dust while flying through the meteorite group, and has peeled off and deformed in many places, so we can't expect it to have the same stealth performance as when it was brand new.

 

"Even now, I think we've secured about 80% of the stealth."

 

Chiaki checked the latest condition of the additional armor and the hull.

 

"The thermosphere will be filled with noise from meteorites flying in at orbital speed, so as long as we don't get on a direct trajectory to the base, we should be fine, right?"

 

"I don't want to make wishful thinking that will be convenient for us in the real thing, but I can't think of a better way to do it, so I'll do it. Well, we're about to enter the atmosphere, I guess."

 

Looking at the external monitor, I saw the blue arc of the planet we were landing on. The display said that the landing craft would soon enter the mesosphere at an angle of 40 degrees, along with the meteorite.

 

Even if the computer could analyze the fire control radar to automatically avoid collisions, it couldn't determine at what altitude it would be best to apply the brakes suddenly to avoid being detected. Marika left the stability of the descending craft to the autopilot and activated the inertial control system to rapidly decelerate.

 

"Exterior temperature rising."

 

The temperature was rising at a low rate because the craft was descending in the shadow of the preceding meteorite. But orbital speeds can easily adiabatically compress the faint atmosphere into high-temperature plasma.

 

"At what altitude will it slow down?"

 

"If it burns up at an altitude of 100 kilometers, then a little below that."

 

Marika, in the captain's seat, was busy reading the landing craft's surroundings and altitude.

 

"If you see the falling meteorites with your own eyes, you won't be able to make it in time, so I'll set up automatic avoidance, but I have to set it to look ahead, so I can't keep an eye on the landing craft, so please do that."

 

"Okay, I understand, is there anything else I can do?"

 

"Pray for good luck."

 

The meteorite in front of me was enveloped in burning plasma. Marika used only the inertial control system to rapidly slow down the landing craft.

 

"From here on, the flight will be entirely automatic and left to chance."

 

The landing craft, whose apparent mass was rapidly reduced by the inertial control system, rapidly slowed down due to the slight resistance of the atmosphere in the upper atmosphere. As if to overtake them, the meteorites, wrapped in high-temperature air that had been turned into plasma by adiabatic compression, fell onto the ocean, leaving a trail of light.

 

Without inertial control, not only would the highly rigid hull of the craft but also the crew would be crushed to pieces, and the landing craft entered a slow descent in the mesosphere, which stretches to an altitude of 100 km. Even if the descent speed suddenly slows, the horizontal speed does not slow down much, and the ship flies at an altitude lower than orbital altitude, and at a speed much slower than orbital speed.

 

If the ship emits radar, even for short distances, it will be picked up and intercepted by enemy forces on high alert. Wide-area observation information from the distant main force and on-board passive sensors are used to pick up meteorites approaching from above, and evasive maneuvers are left to the autopilot.

 

Meteorites approaching from above at orbital speeds have too large a speed difference and are too numerous for human reflexes and skill to dodge in time. Marika continues her gentle descent so as not to pass through the mesosphere, and sets a course to chase the incoming meteorites one after the other.

 

The computer captures the meteorites approaching from various locations as accurately as its sensors allow, and calculates a route that meets the specified conditions with minimal evasive maneuvers, flying the landing craft with precision in microseconds.

 

Marika, in the captain's seat, waits for any emergency that the autopilot cannot handle, while inputting the planned trajectory for the future.

 

"Thanks to inertia control and speed reduction, the additional armor should last quite a while. But even so, where did you learn to fly and buy time in the mesosphere?"

 

"I did a lot of simulations of atmospheric re-entry in the yacht club's dinghy."

 

Marika answered from the captain's seat of the landing craft, which was moving through the meteor shower while making agile evasive maneuvers.

 

"Oh, that's it."

 

"Can you see what's going on outside?"

 

"It looks like the battle fleet's naval gunfire at the meteorites is almost over. Thanks to that, the orbit seems to be drowning in noise, but the gunfire has not been visible for a while now."

 

"I see."

 

Marika widened the range shown on the display. The enemy base, which was the landing target, was in the corner of the display range.

 

"So next time, the enemy base will directly attack the meteorites that look dangerous."

 

"So the battle fleet didn't break up the meteorites?"

 

"Well, they probably did everything they could to ensure safety, but as a ground base that's actually going to be hit by meteorites, they'd want to prevent as much predicted damage as possible."

 

Marika switched the display to a greatly expanded view of the meteorites. She checked the latest fall predictions.

 

"Well, at the very least, they'll intercept the big ones that are on a direct hit course and are likely to reach the ground, but, hmmm, I think they'll let this one go."

 

Among the meteorites predicted to fall on the ocean near the base, she selected several large meteorites that were likely to cause damage.

 

"Are you going to use it for the final camouflage before we enter the base?"

 

"Yes, ideally it'd fall far enough away that we wouldn't be intercepted, but close enough to make it easier to enter afterwards."

 

"Is there anything that convenient?"

 

"Maybe this one."

 

Marika picked out one of the meteorites that was falling on the ocean relatively close to the base.

 

"If it falls with this one, don't you think we can follow the meteorite that hits the water and get closer to the base?"

 

Chiaki compared the size and predicted trajectory of the meteorite that Marika had listed with other meteorites.

 

"We don't have time to compare them in detail. Okay, I'm in. Let's do our best."

 

"Then, move to the predicted entry area by then."

 

Marika began moving through the mesosphere, above the stratosphere, weaving her way through the pouring meteor shower. Thanks to inertial control, the apparent mass of the landing craft has been greatly reduced, but there is no air resistance that would provide lift. Also, due to the sudden deceleration, there is no speed that would allow for lift re-entry. Marika continues her slow descent to keep the landing craft at altitude and within the meteor shower using only the minimum antigravity engine.

 

"I don't want to emit infrared light, so I guess we'll move using only the antigravity engine without using normal propulsion."

 

Even though the trajectory is set automatically, the future trajectory must be selected and set. Chiaki sets a course for a steep descent to coincide with the impact of the target meteorite.

 

"I wonder if they'll let us go."

 

"There's supposed to be strict anti-aircraft surveillance. Infrared and radar are the main methods. If we accidentally use normal propulsion, the hot jets might be visible, but if we blend in with the meteor shower in the mesosphere, it might camouflage us a little."

 

"The stealth of the additional armor should still be somewhat effective, so I'd like to hope so, but we've been told not to be wishful thinking when our lives are on the line."

 

Marika approved the future trajectory settings sent by Chiaki and added them to the flight path.

 

"At least a landing craft won't crash like a meteorite, so maybe we should think of it as being overlooked for now."

 

"Yeah, then let's assume it's already been discovered and think about how to deal with it."

 

"But you've already thought about it."

 

"Yeah, that's true. It's about time for it to enter the orbit."

 

"I know. I'm counting..."

 

Marika's lines were cut off while waiting for the numbers to appear on the display.

 

"Three, two, one, zero!"

 

The landing craft turned around and plummeted, chasing the meteorite that had fallen right in front of them. It circled behind the free-falling meteorite on a sharp-angled trajectory characteristic of inertial control.

 

The landing craft used inertial control to suppress the resistance and aerodynamic heating that increased rapidly as it accelerated, and closed the distance to the meteorite ahead. Entering the long-tailed vortex of aerodynamically heated plasma, Chiaki scanned the latest status of the meteorite before her.

 

"It's dense! It's probably an iron meteorite, and more than half of its current mass will reach the ground."

 

"Just right for it!"

 

Depending on the meteorite's strength and density, it will explode and scatter in the upper atmosphere if it cannot withstand the exponentially increasing air resistance. If the meteorite is heavy and sturdy and made up mainly of metal, it will reach the ground without burning up even if it enters the atmosphere at orbital speed.

 

Meteorites that hit the base directly would either be mostly shattered by interception from orbit and burn up in the atmosphere, or be small enough to reach the ground and minimize damage. Meteorites that fall far enough away to not cause damage to the base are intercepted to the extent that they make a major natural disaster a manageable disaster.

 

The meteorite fragments that Chiaki chose were those that would fall on the ocean outside the damage range of the base. The crash site was several hundred meters deep in the ocean, and the meteorite fragments, which entered the atmosphere at orbital speed, were rapidly decelerated by the dense low-altitude atmosphere, but burned up incandescently due to adiabatic compression caused by the kinetic energy of the meteorite's large mass, evaporating most of them.

 

The landing craft quickly dropped in altitude, hiding in the plasma of metal vapor trailing the long tail of the meteor. Since it was flying inside the huge shock wave created in the atmosphere by the preceding meteorite, the resistance the landing craft faced was not as great as it appeared.

 

After holding out until it was well below 10,000 meters in altitude, Marika activated the inertial control system to the maximum and slammed on the landing craft. The meteorite, which fell onto the ocean leaving a long, incandescent trail, broke the ocean surface with a shock wave and sent a mushroom cloud-like explosion plume into the stratosphere.

 

Marika plunged the landing craft into the mushroom cloud, which was mostly made up of meteorite fragments that had crashed into the sea and steam from the seawater that had been ejected.

 

"I can't see anything!"

 

Chiaki, who was in the navigator's seat of the landing craft, surrounded by high-temperature steam and other floating objects, explained the current situation, which went without saying.

 

"They probably can't see us either!"

 

While giving a consoling answer, Marika quickly slowed the landing craft down so that it wouldn't come out of the spreading smoke, and set its course toward the base.

 

"We'll keep descending to sea level and approach the base to camouflage the next meteorite!"

 

Orbital observations had revealed the trajectory and impact point of the meteorites that would fall around the base. If a meteorite crashed into the ocean, it would release energy similar to an explosion, which should have been enough to distract the patrol.

 

A landing craft jumped out of the explosion zone after the meteorite's fall. The next meteorite fell like an incandescent beam in front of their eyes, which opened up for a moment. The meteorite collided with the ocean surface and spewed out a mushroom cloud-like smoke along with a shock wave.

 

Marika exchanged glances with Chiaki, who was sitting next to her.

 

"Did you see it?"

 

Chiaki nodded. He ran his finger over the display and began to analyze the search data.

 

"The friend/foe identification device was turned off, so any reactions were discarded as noise, so what was that just now?"

 

"Probably an allied craft that came down on a similar trajectory, thinking the same thing."

 

The landing craft, moving at high speed over the ocean, entered the smoke from the next meteorite. Unlike the previous time, when it flew outward from the center of the explosion, this time it crossed the explosion circle.

 

"You mean there's another landing craft that fell with the meteorite besides us!?"

 

"Even someone like us could think of that."

 

Grabbing some altitude for some consolation, Marika takes a course to avoid the center of the explosion.

 

"Well, I guess it'll be fine if we just avoid flying objects that aren't in free fall."

 

Objects that could collide with it are set to automatically avoid them, regardless of whether they're moving or stationary. Orbital speeds and supersonic speeds are too fast for the reflexes of living beings. The landing craft seems to be the latest equipment in the Imperial fleet, and is equipped with an autopilot that can automatically avoid obstacles and even interceptor missiles with just passive observation without radar or lights.

 

"If there's an allied aircraft..."

 

In the landing craft, which flies low at sea level to avoid obstacles that explode, Chiaki displays a 3D image of the enemy base, which is the destination, on the display.

 

"I thought we'd be the first to arrive with ease, but it's getting tough. What should we do? It depends on the position of the friendly aircraft, so should we aim to be the first to arrive?"

 

"Safety first."

 

Marika answered immediately.

 

"Even if we come this far and earn small points, if we get shot down, it's all over. Instead, shouldn't we do everything we can to accomplish the mission we've been given?"

 

"Aren't you thinking something worse, like if you go first, you could be a shield against bullets?"

 

"I thought."

 

Marika didn't look up from the display.

 

"I thought about it, and I thought they might be expecting us to play that role, too."

 

"I guess."

 

Chiaki shrugged.

 

"If they survived and made it this far, they must have thought about that."

 

"That means we can cooperate, right?"

 

"Well, that's what they should do as allies, but how? They're under radio silence, so contacting them is out of the question, and there's also the possibility they don't even know we're here."

 

"Well, that's down to luck, I guess."

 

The landing craft changes course toward the third mushroom cloud-like smoke.

 

"We're heading to the same destination anyway, so we'll be together if we get there. The fleet above will be supporting us on the way back, so it should be easier than going there."

 

"I wonder if they'll really come to support us?"

 

"I'd like to trust the operational procedures there. I'm sure they'll destroy our anti-aircraft defenses, otherwise we won't be able to return to orbit after the mission is complete."

 

Marika displayed the latest map of the enemy base, which was their destination, on the display, aligned with the direction of the landing craft's movement.

 

"Thanks to intercepting the meteor shower, the location of the anti-aircraft position should be clearly visible even from orbit. If the infiltration team that went ahead of us hadn't destroyed the anti-aircraft position or disabled the base's functions as planned, there's no way we'd be able to return to the mother ship without support."

 

"Did the infiltration team do their job properly?"

 

The base, centered on a large spaceport built on the coast, appears to have sustained considerable damage from the anti-orbital combat and meteor shower. The piers jutting out from the harbor were torn apart, and airport facilities, including radar and antennas, were also damaged.

 

However, the heavily protected bunkers and armored facilities showed no visible damage, although the charred marks of the large-caliber beam could be seen, and no damaged ships were visible on the sea.

 

"It looks empty, doesn't it?"

 

Chiaki tilted his head as he looked at the latest information, which overlaid reconnaissance images from orbit on the map information.

 

"Well, they want to have a fleet battle right above their heads, so they'll probably put out all the forces they can, and they probably won't leave the ones they want to conserve in plain sight."

 

"Well, that's true, but..."

 

Chiaki checked the latest information from orbit at his seat. The display range is expanded to search for threats, not just along the course of the landing craft.

 

"There's a magnetic reaction under the sea. If it's not a sunken ship, it's probably a submarine. If it's not running away and is waiting near the base, we should count this as a fighting force."

 

Large-caliber beam bombardment from orbit can only damage targets on land and at sea. The power of the beam is reduced in the atmosphere, but water becomes an obstacle and it cannot reach targets that are deep underwater.

 

"I don't know if they'll bother to surface to fight such a tiny landing craft."

 

If it surfaces on the sea, the submarine can be destroyed even from orbit.

 

"Well, I guess they'd want to save it for the amphibious assault ship that's scheduled to come down after this, but I wonder if the enemy side has the time to do that when they're being attacked right above their heads."

 

For a ground base, orbit is right in front of them without any obstacles, and for a planet, it is a direct combat range with an absolute defense zone set up.

 

"But if we stick our heads out, we'll be picked off by our fleet, which should be waiting in orbit. Just like the enemy's defense fleet, our assault fleet is still alive and well."

 

"In that case, our opponent must be about to launch."

 

Marika looked at the bunkers set up at the base along the course.

 

"We're just landing craft anyway, so we don't need to send out fighter interceptors; we can just fire missiles from the bunkers or hidden launchers. Our target is deep inside the base, so we'll have to go in whether we like it or not, so I wonder if we can avoid it."

 

We passed through the smoke raised by the last large meteorite that had fallen onto the ocean. A meteor shower like high-speed solid bullets or beams continued along the course, but beyond the gray, boiling sea, we could see the enemy base, with several streaks of black smoke rising.

 

"Well, if they're watching us from above, they should be able to jam the landing craft as it approaches the enemy base."

 

"It's coming!"

 

The passively operating sensor sounded a sharp alarm. The electronic warfare ships in orbit gathered together and showered powerful jamming waves on the enemy base, which was emitting powerful radar in all directions, including orbit.

 

"Just on target."

 

Leaving the optimal evasive maneuver to the autopilot, Marika did not slow down the landing craft as it approached the base from the ocean, where a meteor shower was hitting the sea surface.

 

"We'll be over the enemy base soon."

 

The powerful jamming waves slamming down on us from orbit made our radar useless. In any case, all electromagnetic waves, including radar, were not emitted before the attack in order to conceal our current location. Marika secured the landing craft's course by overlaying the short-range laser sensor, optical analysis of the external monitor, and the latest reconnaissance information sent from the orbital observation device.

 

"High heat source reaction!"

 

Chiaki called out.

 

"They're small, but there are a lot of them. Probably interceptor missiles!"

 

Apparently, the base had noticed enemy aircraft invading at low altitude and high speed, and had fired anti-aircraft interceptor missiles. Since the missiles were launched under strong electronic interference, they were probably not aimed precisely, but were fired in hopes of a lucky hit, so Chiaki began automatic interception.

 

"Only intercept those likely to be lucky hits!"

 

Even if a missile was launched without a target under strong electromagnetic interference, it would fly as long as the sensors could capture the target. Chiaki rechecked the flight path, instructing the anti-aircraft interceptor laser to intercept only missiles on a trajectory that was likely to catch them.

 

"If it's just an automatic missile intercept, does that mean the advance forces' sabotage was relatively successful?"

 

"If that's the case, then our job should be a little easier."

 

In the captain's seat of the landing craft, which was flying at ultra-low altitude and making random evasive maneuvers that made small changes to its course, Marika typed in a new target point into the control panel.

 

"The fact that there is such strong electronic interference from above means that the higher-ups have judged that the base's fighting power has not been lost. So this is probably part of the support for the landing force."

 

"It won't be easy. We'll be at the rendezvous point soon."

 

"I'll ignore it."

 

"What!?"

 

"If we land and stop in the middle of the enemy base while being intercepted like this, we'll just be bombarded with concentrated fire and be finished. We won't land anywhere until we can confirm the rendezvous signal. Can you see the friendly landing craft?"

 

"We've come this far and they're not equipped with friend or foe identification devices, so I'm not sure, but there are two unidentified aircraft that aren't missiles or shooting stars in the air above the base, one in front of us and two behind us. The one in front is the rendezvous point soon, but it doesn't look like we're slowing down either."

 

"There's no way an interceptor would appear over an enemy base like this fireworks festival. The ones here are probably allies, our comrades who came down with the meteorite."

 

Marika thought for a moment.

 

"So that's four ships in total, including us. We're not very strong enough to attack the enemy base, but we'll have enough to retrieve the infiltration team."

 

"So, where do you plan to meet up with the infiltration team and retrieve them?"

 

"There's been no change in the operational procedures from above, you say."

 

Marika confirmed that there was no instruction to change the priorities in the procedure manual that was displayed on the sub-display.

 

"There are still no rendezvous signals coming from anywhere. If we ignore the original rendezvous point, it would be helpful if either the infiltration team or the higher-ups could give us a new rendezvous point, but I don't think there's much hope from the higher-ups."

 

Marika summarized the current situation nicely. Chiaki asked.

 

"So, should we wait until the infiltration team gives us instructions on the rendezvous point?"

 

"If the strong electronic interference from above continues, that means the operation is ongoing and the procedure for rescuing the infiltration team is still valid, so that's probably the only option. However, we can't wait over the enemy base we've already invaded."

 

"Should we just pass over the enemy base and head for the forested mountainous area further in? There's a decent city along the coast, but if we go deeper, we should be able to wait a little quieter."

 

"Are we going to force our way in again with a landing craft that doesn't even have much maneuverability?"

 

Marika shook her head briefly with a displeased look on her face.

 

"We managed to get this far because it was timed to coincide with the meteor shower and was a surprise attack, but if we pass by and try the same thing again, we'll end up crashing into the airspace above the base where anti-aircraft interception is waiting. We'll have to think of something different next time, or we'll just become a target."

 

"Well, shall we go back?"

 

Chiaki checked the remaining fuel in the craft. The landing craft was equipped with an anti-gravity engine for inertial control, so as long as it wasn't damaged, it could still make a few more trips between orbit and the ground.

 

"The question is whether we'll have a chance to re-enter and complete our mission, but I guess it's better than being shot down in silence."

 

"It's moving!"

 

Chiaki shouted sharply.

 

"The bunker's open!!"

 

"Got it!"

 

Without passing over the base, Marika turned the landing craft while maintaining a low altitude. The display showed the nearest huge bunker splitting in two and rising up.

 

"That's the secret weapon of this base."

 

Marika confirmed that the several huge bunkers installed at the base were opening at the same time.

 

"Anti-orbit large-caliber beam weapon, Grand Cannon"

 

It had been previously known that the enemy base had a large-caliber cannon on the ground that could precisely fire on targets in orbit from the ground and had enough power to penetrate the armor of a battleship. Even if they tried to fire on it from orbit, the large-caliber cannon was hidden deep underground and protected by the sturdy bunkers, making effective naval bombardment impossible. If the entire base were targeted and blown up, it could cause serious damage to the planet and its ecosystem, including climate change.

 

The mission given to the unit that had infiltrated the enemy base first was to disable the large-caliber cannon, commonly known as the Grand Cannon, which was installed on the ground, including destroying it. The mission of Marika and the other landing craft was to recover the infiltration unit that had participated in the mission to destroy the Grand Cannon.

 

Once there is no longer any risk of being intercepted by the Grand Cannon from the ground, a large amphibious assault ship will descend from orbit to the base, deploying ground forces to occupy and neutralize the base.

 

"If the bunker opens and the Grand Cannon comes out at this time, then, um, our landing fleet is going to come in or the infiltration team has succeeded in their mission, I wonder."

 

Electromagnetic interference continues throughout the base, as well as missile interception of the landing craft.

 

"If they're preparing to fire the Grand Cannon, there's nothing we can do."

 

The Grand Cannon is a fortress cannon that is much larger than the naval guns mounted on battleships. The non-anti-ship landing craft are not equipped with weapons that can be used against the Grand Cannon.

 

"If the Grand Cannon is still alive, we'll be in a shootout with the battleship fleet in orbit."

 

"In that case, we need to get out of here right away."

 

"It's okay."

 

Chiaki flicked the display on his communication device. Flares with different colors and light patterns than the anti-aircraft interceptions were launched into the air above the base.

 

"The rendezvous signal has arrived. With location data attached."

 

"Where? Not as planned?"

 

"No."

 

Chiaki superimposed the results of the decoded light pattern of the signal flare, which could be read even under strong electromagnetic interference, onto the enemy base floor plan. Only simple signals can be carried on the light pattern. The signal decoded by the optical sensor had a code added to it requesting that the emission point of the light signal be changed to the recovery point.

 

"Come and pick me up at the place where the signal flare was fired."

 

"Where?"

 

"Hold on a moment, I'll check now."

 

The launch point of the signal flare was recorded on the optical sensor.

 

"Underground of the base, at the base of the Grand Cannon."

 

Chiaki read out the displayed launch point of the signal flare.

 

"Well, out of the six Grand Cannons that were identified in advance, it's the base of Turret Bravo."

 

"The one that's open now."

 

Four of the six bunkers covering the Grand Cannons were open. Marika brought the bunker that was rotating and opening up to the front of the landing craft.

 

"Not one more, but two!"

 

The optical sensor caught two more signal flares being fired. Chiaki quickly read out the results.

 

"The same as before, request to change the recovery point to the signal flare firing point!"

 

"Success, I guess."

 

Marika confirmed the location of the bunker that was opening up. Of the six Grand Cannons that were tentatively named Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo, and Foxtrot, signal flares were being fired from three of them, excluding Alpha, Charlie, and Foxtrot. The bunkers protecting Alpha and Charlie had not yet opened, and the signal flare from Foxtrot had not yet been launched.

 

The operational procedure was for the infiltration force to arrive at the enemy base prior to the landing operation to disable the Grand Cannon before the landing began. The mission assigned to the landing craft was to retrieve the infiltration force that had disabled the Grand Cannon in time for the landing operation to begin.

 

Marika checked the current location of the other three landing craft that had entered the enemy base at almost the same time.

 

"If the Grand Cannon doesn't fire after this, it means that the infiltration team has succeeded in neutralizing it."

 

"Is it possible that it's a trap to lure the landing craft?"

 

"I can't deny that."

 

Marika set a course for the Grand Cannon tentatively named Foxtrot, which had not yet launched a signal flare to request recovery even though the bunker was open.

 

"However, I think it's too boring to just knock down landing craft that won't be of much use in attacking the base."

 

"Why are you heading for Foxtrot, which hasn't launched a signal flare yet?"

 

"Because the landing craft that came down with it are heading for the other three."

 

Marika answered.

 

"Also, our position was the farthest from Foxtrot. It will take a while to arrive, so if this is a trap, our landing craft will be shot down first."

 

"I see."

 

After thinking for a moment, Chiaki asked.

 

"How do you tell if it was shot down by anti-aircraft fire or lured into a trap?"

 

"Well, I haven't thought about it."

 

"At least at this point, all our landing craft are still alive, and the landing craft heading for Bravo has reached the sky and is descending."

 

"Find the Grand Cannon's deployment diagram!"

 

Marika reset the course for Grand Cannon Foxtrot, including a random evasion pattern.

 

"Also, the exact launch location of the signal flare that was just launched from Foxtrot. Is the signal unchanged, with a request to retrieve it from the launch location?"

 

"Unchanged."

 

Chiaki projected a three-dimensional diagram of the Grand Cannon's structure. The Grand Cannon, stored underground, is placed on a huge elevator that lifts the cruiser-sized engine to the ground. The Grand Cannon opens the bunker that serves as a protective cover, rises to the ground, deploys its long guided barrel, and fires at the target.

 

If the data that was lectured in advance is accurate, it will take as little as one minute for the pre-targeted Grand Cannon to open the bunker, rise to the ground, deploy its guided barrel, and begin firing at full power.

 

The landing fleet in orbit is already on its attack trajectory. If everything goes according to plan, the Grand Cannon, the enemy base's largest anti-orbital intercept weapon, should be neutralized by the time the landing fleet begins its attack.

 

"Where is Foxtrot's signal flare firing point?"

 

"The base of the rising Grand Cannon"

 

Chiaki zoomed in on the monitor to the engine of the Grand Cannon that appeared between the bunkers that had been completely opened on the left and right. Beyond the explosions of anti-aircraft missiles and the white and black smoke of meteors, a rough silhouette resembling a large cruiser landed directly on the ground could be seen.

 

"Cruiser-sized?"

 

Chiaki spoke up.

 

"You're kidding, the engine room alone looks as big as a battleship."

 

"You're probably explaining it to me in terms of the Imperial Fleet's standards, right?"

 

Marika set the landing craft's course for the base of the Grand Cannon that had risen to the ground.

 

"Hey, doesn't that Grand Cannon look like it's pointing this way?"

 

"I can see it. If it's fired at this distance, it'll blow you away even before the guided cannon deploys."

 

"Sorry, but I'll run away if it deploys the guided cannon. If it's anti-orbital fire, haven't you recorded an energy response?"

 

"The sensors are responding, but it's not enough energy to trigger an alarm. Ah, it's stopped."

 

Thinking there was some kind of error, Chiaki updated the data she had. The Grand Cannon, which had emerged from the bunker, had stopped rising before it could reach its full height on the ground.

 

"Huh? What's going on?"

 

"The movable platform on which Foxtrot's Grand Cannon is mounted stopped before it could reach the top. What's that?"

 

"The infiltration team succeeded in disabling the Grand Cannon, but couldn't secure an escape route, so they opened it up and came out, I guess?"

 

"The landing craft has arrived at Bravo. It's not landing, it's circling in the sky."

 

"Well, if it lands and stops, the missiles will come flying at it as if they've been waiting for it. We can't be sure of the landing spot until we at least confirm where the infiltration team is. "I can't decide."

 

"What are we going to do about here?"

 

"The location of the recovery request is the base of the Grand Cannon Foxtrot, no change?"

 

"No change at this time."

 

"Well, I have to go and pick him up. Open all the doors and get down onto the movable floor of the Grand Cannon, which isn't fully raised yet!"

 

"Well, that's what happens."

 

While avoiding the still-stopping interceptor missiles, Chiaki left the control of the landing craft approaching the Grand Cannon, which was only half above ground, to Marika, and fully opened the cargo bay doors on both sides of the craft. Large holes appeared on both sides of the aerodynamically shaped landing craft, and it suddenly slowed down due to air resistance.

 

"The signal flare is fired from the far left of the movable floor on which the Grand Cannon is mounted, about 20 meters underground."

 

"Underground, huh?"

 

Marika checked the 3D display to see how much space there was between the engine of the Grand Cannon, which was currently stopped, and the movable floor that supported it. It looks like we can get in between the engine room and the movable floor from the gap in front of the Grand Cannon.

 

"If the interceptor missiles get that close, we won't be able to avoid them."

 

"Strong electronic jamming from the sky is still continuing. Any missiles still flying are unguided, so they won't be chasing us."

 

"I hope so."

 

Marika put the landing craft into a very low-altitude flight just above the ground, as if it were about to land. The landing craft descended onto the movable floor so that it would go under the guided gun barrel, which had not yet been deployed, of the Grand Cannon, which had stopped with only the upper half of its cylindrical engine protruding from the ground.

 

The engine of the huge Grand Cannon was placed on a huge turret so that the whole thing could move according to the aim. To obtain sufficient elevation, the turret was installed at the rear of the engine, and in front of it were several pillars supporting the main body of the engine.

 

"I can see it!"

 

Chiaki shouted, catching the emission of a light signal that could be transmitted even under strong electromagnetic interference that made radio useless.

 

"On the left, in front of the turret!!"

 

A red light signal was flashing in the space to the left of the turret, which was placed entirely on a huge turntable and had multiple layers of extra-large arm cylinders stretched around to give the Grand Cannon engine an elevation angle. Praying that it would not be intercepted on the movable platform located semi-underground, Marika brought the landing craft in front of the light signal in one go and made a soft landing.

 

A light armored soldier, aiming an assault carbine gun reserved for infiltration teams at the landing craft and firing a signal beam from his hip, rolled into the landing craft that had just landed. Chiaki checked the surroundings to see if there were any other people who needed to be retrieved, while Marika opened the door at the rear of the cockpit.

 

The sensor read the ID of the light armored soldier who had rolled into the craft, and his identification number and name appeared on the display.

 

"2025th Platoon, Kiara Faiche!"

 

A small light armored soldier jumped into the cockpit with an assault carbine in one hand, flipped up the face shield on his helmet and introduced himself.

 

"Welcome to the assault landing craft, No. 1701."

 

Marika twisted her torso from the captain's seat and turned around, raising her hand at a light armored soldier who looked about the same age and race as her.

 

"Are you the only one who needs to be picked up from here?"

 

"There are still some of my comrades down below."

 

The light armored soldier who called herself Kiara pointed to the floor of the landing craft with the fingertips of her mechanical glove, which was equipped with various options.

 

"Can I come and pick you up?"

 

"A place that this ship can get to?"

 

"Of course!"

 

"Tell me where we'll meet."

 

Marika sat back in the captain's seat and grabbed the entire 3D diagram of the Grand Cannon's structure and turned it around behind her. Kiara caught the diagram of the Grand Cannon that had moved in front of her and held it still, then grabbed the reduced engine and lifted it up, exposing the underground structure, including the movable floor and energy supply system underneath.

 

"The bottom of the movable floor. We were just about to get there when the robot soldiers found us and found out we were infiltrating, so we're holding them back."

 

"Do you think we can go?"

 

Marika asked Chiaki, who was watching Kiara's explanation from the navigator's seat.

 

"Inside the underground tunnel. If we don't steer it well, we might get caught here and there."

 

"It's fine if we can get in."

 

Marika made the landing craft, which she had landed once, float up again. Taking advantage of the fact that the movable floor carrying the Grand Cannon's engine was stopped halfway, she slid the landing craft into the base's underground space that was open to the side.

 

"I forgot, if it's narrow, we need to go light."

 

Marika called up the objectives on the control panel and flipped them.

 

"Purge additional armor!"

 

The additional armor covering the landing craft was expelled as if it had bulged from the inside. Marika set the landing craft, which was now slightly thinner, heading further in.

 

Kato Marika and Chiaki Kurihara, who took the final combat exam for the 1246th Imperial Fleet Officer Academy entrance exam, participated in the 586th Planetary Landing Operation, Case D-43, as pilots of Assault Craft No. 1701.

 

The assault craft penetrated up to the third underground level of the enemy base, rescuing all surviving members of Platoon 2025, which had invaded earlier to destroy the anti-orbital interceptor weaponry, and successfully returned to the mother ship in waiting orbit.

 

Of the assault craft that were deployed, 87 percent entered the atmosphere and 54 percent reached the ground, giving a survival rate of 34 percent.

 

The success or failure of the combat exam was determined by the rate at which the mission was accomplished. Landing craft 1701 suffered extensive damage and was deemed severely damaged in an inspection after the operation, but it managed to return to the mother ship under its own power, making its mission accomplishment rate 100 percent.

 

This was an excellent result, putting it in the top five percent of the final combat exam for the 1246th Military Academy entrance exam.

 

Kato Marika and Chiaki Kurihara were informed of the results of their pass/fail in the exam immediately after returning from the mother ship.

"Congratulations on your admission."

 

The Imperial First Fleet Commander spoke from a loud voice on the stage far away in the huge auditorium, which seemed like it could hold a live ammunition exercise rather than a concert.

 

"You all passed the rigorous entrance exam, survived the practical training exercise, and were admitted to the Gaiapolis Military Academy as the honorable 1246th class. It seems that some of you did not survive and were judged to have been killed in battle or unable to return."

 

Admiral Alexander Gale, the First Fleet Commander who protects the Imperial Holy Royal Family, slowly looked around at the faces of each new student, enlarged in 3D.

 

"Nonetheless, all of you here, dead or alive, have been recognized as worthy of becoming Imperial officers. I welcome you as your future Fleet Commander."

 

Every single chair in the auditorium, arranged in a geometrically precise and orderly manner, was filled with new students. The number was 40,000 in the Raigene Memorial Auditorium alone, and the total number of new students attending remotely in two other auditoriums and at another venue at the same time exceeded 100,000.

 

The people who passed the entrance exam to the military academy and were at the entrance ceremony venue from all over the galaxy were not of the same appearance or race. The 1246th class of new students at the West Campus of Gaiapolis Military Academy were basically limited to humanoid types, warm-blooded mammals with two or more arms and legs, who walked upright, and who had the same menstrual cycle. However, the wide variety of species, such as height, weight, skin color, eye color, and number, shows that new students came from all over the galaxy.

 

Among the new students attending the entrance ceremony at the Raigene Memorial Auditorium were Kato Marika and Chiaki Kurihara, dressed in brand new white formal attire.

 

``From now on, you will receive your education as Imperial Fleet officer candidates and gain the appropriate experience. I hope that the next time I see you, you will have become officers, not cadets. That's all.'

 

After the entrance ceremony, the new students were taken to an orientation at the West Campus of Gaiapolis Military Academy, where they will be living from now on.

 

Gaiapolis Military Academy is the collective name for the group of schools on the four continents of the fourth planet, Gaiapolis. The continents, called East, West, North and South, are located from the equator to the mid-latitudes of the planet, and are called the East Campus, West Campus, South Campus and North Campus, respectively.

 

Each school is a huge academic city built with ample room for expansion, based on the ideals of the time of its founding.

 

A large number of students enroll and graduate each term. And in order to educate and live there, it is necessary to build and maintain a city with a population far greater than the number of students.

 

In addition, the content that the Imperial Fleet Military Academy must teach its students is diverse. In order to maximize educational efficiency, each school uses the entirety of its continent as its schoolyard and training grounds.

 

Freshmen are expected to understand and use not only the school buildings and dormitories they will be attending, but also the geography and functions of Academy City as a place to live.

 

The necessary information is distributed to freshmen in advance, and they must study in advance. Therefore, the orientation after the entrance ceremony is a forced march that takes them not only to the military academy but also to the main parts of the city.

 

For both long and short distances, the basic method is to use the high-speed railway that runs throughout Gaiapolis. Freshmen are only allowed to use public transportation, and personal transportation cannot be owned or used unless they are upperclassmen or above.

 

The freshmen are treated as a group and are first taken around the main facilities on campus, and then the main parts of the city by high-speed railway.

 

Students are not the only ones who live in Academy City. There are also teachers, staff and their families, and the personnel who maintain the facilities for daily life and their families. Therefore, there are educational facilities for them from elementary school to university, and there are also plenty of entertainment facilities. With such a long history, the school has a vast collection of museums, archives, and libraries, as well as large research facilities.

 

All the necessities for the daily life of officer cadets can be found at the school's dedicated shops, but there is also a huge shopping center, a specialty shopping district on a par with the central Galactic Empire, and many military specialty shops.

 

There are also many shops that cater to tourists who come to these places. Gaiapolis, which is directly under the control of the Empire, is not only the planet of the military academy, but also a famous tourist planet.

 

After being taken by high-speed train and tram to the shopping center, specialty shopping district, museums, and amusement park for tourists, the freshmen finally returned to the accommodations that would be their home from that day on.

 

As Marika and Chiaki emerged from the underground station of the high-speed train exhausted, they were greeted by Lynn Lambretta, fully dressed in the senior student's uniform.

 

"Good work."

 

"This room is fine."

 

Lynn looked around the room, which was a mess with electronic parts and other things of unknown use piled up around the desk.

 

"The surveillance system has been taken care of, even including wiretapping and sensors, so if an amateur freshman were to suddenly try to catch bugs, they'd be suspected and investigated, or they'd set up even more troublesome bugs, so the conversations and the room are automatically generated and random data is sent out. Unless someone actually comes into the room and checks the surveillance system data at the same time, the contents of the conversation won't be leaked."

 

"Is surveillance from the outside okay?"

 

Chiaki stood by a window with an old-fashioned shutter that was open. The glass window, which looked like a wooden frame, was made of a new material with excellent insulation and impact resistance, and it didn't seem like it would break easily.

 

"I check every day to make sure there aren't any security cameras facing me within my line of sight. But I can't deal with someone using a super telephoto lens to optically observe me from an unseen place and read my conversations with lip reading, so I try to talk with my back to the window as much as possible."

 

Lynn sat down at her desk and turned on the computer system that was built around her desk. A startup screen with a three-dimensional pattern appeared on the desk, followed by multiple screens for data analysis and the latest news.

 

"So, if you display all sorts of things like this, it will be difficult for someone to see inside even if they are looking in from outside, you know."

 

Lynn glanced diagonally at the fact that there were no new messages for her, and turned her chair around to face Marika, who was still standing there.

 

"Now, sit down. You must be tired after your long journey, Chiaki, with the sudden entrance ceremony and orientation, right?"

 

"I'm realizing I'm a country bumpkin, after all."

 

Marika, still in her fleet officer uniform, put her hands on the coffee table in the middle of the room and collapsed into a worn-out round chair.

 

"What do you think, Chiaki?"

 

Chiaki came back from the window and sat down in a rather worn-out folding chair opposite Marika.

 

"It's pretty much the same. I thought I knew that the Galactic Empire's way of overwhelming others with numbers, but yeah, I'm overwhelmed."

 

"Good work."

 

Lynn nodded with a smile.

 

"And congratulations on entering the Imperial Fleet Officer Academy. Now you can finally start working."

 

"Work, huh?"

 

Marika let out a long sigh.

 

"Lynn, what happened after you enrolled?"

 

"Of course, a lot happened."

 

Lynn grinned.

 

"Well, I haven't heard anything from the intelligence guy for you guys yet. Besides, the week after the freshmen enroll is a brainwashing period to wash away the dangers of the officer cadets. I'm doing my best to keep up with the schedule, so I can't do anything at this time, so if I get any offers, it'll probably be after that."

 

Marika and Chiaki exchanged glances. She remembered a request that seemed so long ago, even though it was only a short while ago.

Returning to the bridge of the Bentenmaru from her usual pirate business on the Princess Apricot, Marika was beckoned by Coorie, who looked unusually sour.

 

"What's wrong?"

 

"You've received a message from an unpleasant place. The Imperial Fleet Joint Staff Headquarters."

 

"From the center?!"

 

Marika couldn't help but raise her voice.

 

"Why? Did we do something that would attract attention from such a place? If it was about the war, the statute of limitations should have expired by now, right?!"

 

"Oh, it's not that. It came from the intelligence department, and was sent by Nat Nashfall. Do you remember?"

 

Seeing Coorie's annoyed look on her face, Marika remembered.

 

"Did we go to Skull Star together before? Come to think of it, I wonder what happened after that incident?"

 

"I don't know. The message is for Captain Bentenmaru, Kato Marika. If you wish, you can block the call and refuse future messages."

 

"You want to do that?"

 

"I'll leave that up to the captain."

 

"You can't just pretend not to see a message from someone in the fleet's intelligence department, right? Is it classified?"

 

"It's normal."

 

There are several levels of classified, from normal to high to top, and if it's classified, it must be opened alone, in a situation where no one else is around. However, if it's classified, that's not the case.

 

"Then I'll look at it from the captain's seat. Send it over."

 

"Yes."

 

Marika climbed up to the captain's seat, which was one step higher than the floor of the bridge. She signed a message from Nat Nashfall, an intelligence officer attached to the Imperial Fleet Joint Staff Headquarters, that was sent to the communications monitor, and opened it.

 

"Captain?"

 

Kane called out, taking his seat at the helm.

 

"We're going back to Sea of the Morningstar, so that's fine."

 

"Oh, okay, please proceed as planned."

 

Hearing Marika's casual reply from the captain's seat, the bridge personnel began to move the Bentenmaru toward its return orbit.

 

"Ah, what is this?"

 

Hearing Marika's low voice, Coorie, who had returned to his work, turned his seat to the captain's seat.

 

"What was it?"

 

"Nash brought another job, or rather, I think he wanted to bring it, and he said he was coming over and wanted to meet president Lynn."

 

"The yacht club president?"

 

Coorie asked to confirm. Marika nodded.

 

"Not only that, he also wanted Chiaki from the Barbaroosa to be present."

 

Coorie frowned.

 

The captain's seat's communications system rang with a light ringtone. Marika spoke up.

 

"Wow, what great timing, it's Chiaki! I'll answer this way."

 

After confirming that the FTL communication designated by the caller was from Chiaki Kurihara of Barbaroosa to Kato Marika of Bentenmaru, Marika inserted the earphone microphone into her ear.

 

"Yes, this is Bentenmaru, Captain Kato Marika."

 

"This is the Barbaroosa, Chiaki Kurihara."

 

After the rainbow noise characteristic of FTL communication, Chiaki appeared on the communication monitor in work clothes.

 

"I'm glad we were able to contact you so quickly. Is this okay now?"

 

"Um."

 

Marika looked around the bridge of Bentenmaru.

 

"We're currently preparing for a jump, so as long as we don't talk too long, we'll be fine."

 

"Okay, I'll make this quick."

 

Chiaki, who was shown up close on the communication monitor, lowered her voice.

 

"Who is Nat Nashfall from the Imperial Fleet Intelligence Department?"

 

"Huh?"

 

Marika made a silly noise.

 

"You've been talking to him?"

 

"Oh, so you know him after all? By the way, is he really an intelligence officer at Fleet Command?"

 

"Um..."

 

Marika remembered the exercise with the Empire where she first met Nat Nashfall, and the TDS Neuschwanstein that she boarded after Crossbow 22. Chiaki hadn't attended the top-secret meeting where the leaders of Barbaroosa, Karyoubinga, and Bentenmaru, the last surviving ships, were called.

 

Marika glanced at Coorie. Their eyes met. Marika gave the simplest explanation.

 

"He's a real intelligence officer. He's an old acquaintance of Coorie’s."

 

"What?"

 

Chiaki's tension on the other end of the super-fast line eased.

 

"So he's the real deal? Well then, what's the deal with him wanting to meet not just you but also president Lynn at Sea of the Morningstar?"

 

"That's..."

 

Marika lowered her eyes to the message from Nash that was still on the sub-monitor. He wanted to meet president Lynn, and wanted Marika and Chiaki to be there too. There was nothing else in the message.

 

"I don't know. I got a message with the same content, but it didn't say why he wanted to meet."

 

"Hmm..."

 

Chiaki looked at Marika from the communication monitor, searching for answers.

 

"So he's your acquaintance, isn't he? This Nash guy."

 

"Yeah, well, we're just familiar with each other."

 

"Is he someone I can trust?"

 

"Hmm."

 

Marika looked at Coorie again. The grim-faced Coorie shook his head briefly as if he was monitoring the contents of the communication.

 

"Coorie says not to trust him. Ah, you see, Captain Kenjo and Nora met someone named Nash on the command ship Neuschwanstein after the last exercise with the Empire, Crossbow 22."

 

"Hmm."

 

Chiaki seemed to think for a moment.

 

"So, what are we going to do?"

 

"Eh?"

 

"Huh? No. I don't know the contents of the message that was sent to you from the intelligence department, but it says that president Lynn and you should meet him. Are you going to meet?"

 

"Well, I'll go back to Sea of the Morningstar and contact president Lynn, and if he says it's okay to meet, I'll reply."

 

"Okay. I'll accompany you guys. I'll contact you again."

 

The FTL communication ended and the Barbaroosa crest was projected.

 

"Are we ready to jump?"

 

If you enter a FTL jump during FTL communication, the communication becomes unstable. At Kane's question, Marika looked around the displays and consoles around the captain's seat and confirmed that there were no indications that would require the FTL jump back to Sea of the Morningstar to be canceled.

 

"Yes, it's fine. Bentenmaru, please jump when you're ready."

 

Lynn’s message was sent directly to Bentenmaru via normal communication as soon as it entered Sea of the Morningstar’s orbit.

 

"Hello, Marika, this is Lynn Lambretta. I have something to ask you. Who is Nat Nashfall?"

 

If you want to officially enter the staff cafeteria in the basement of Shinokuhama Airport, you need a staff ID. Coorie handed Chiaki and Lynn a staff ID card that he somehow managed to get beforehand.

 

"With this card, you can enter anywhere in the airport. However, just because you can slip through the gate doesn't mean you can ignore security at your destination, so be careful if you go to such places."

 

"Thank you."

 

Lynn checked the tattered ID card that Coorie gave her by turning it over.

 

"So, is Coorie coming too?"

 

Marika took out a family ID card that she'd gotten through her mother, Ririka's, connections.

 

"He's accompanying them."

 

Coorie answered expressionlessly.

 

"The underage pirate captain and his crew are going to meet with an intelligence officer from the Imperial Fleet, and that's working in the central office. As a responsible adult, I can't just leave them alone."

 

"Well, I didn't know what the crew wanted, and the message didn't say anything about no one being allowed in."

 

Marika held her ID card up to the scanner next to an inconspicuous door in the corner of the airport lobby. She opened the door, which had a sign saying no one was allowed inside, and the auto-lock had been deactivated.

 

"I mean, I wouldn't think of going to meet someone from the Fleet Command Intelligence Department without a witness, but was it okay for me to go with Coorie?"

 

"If it's Nash, I'm the safest person to go out than anyone else. Please understand that the reason I didn't ask the captain to lend me is because my sanity is still functioning normally."

 

"I was thinking of asking for a witness to meet Nash, but I never thought Coorie would raise his hand."

 

"I don't want to admit it, but I'm the best person for the job."

 

With a sigh, Coorie held up her ID card to the scanner after Marika.

 

"Hyakume and Schnitzer can probably assess the situation, but they don't have any information on Nash personally."

 

"Thanks, I'm counting on you."

 

In a corner of the staff dining area, behind a door that seemed to be hidden by a wall with no sign or anything, the Chinese restaurant was open for business as usual.

 

We were shown through the kitchen to a small room in the back. It had a round table and six mismatched chairs, and was a smaller dining room than the large room we had been taken to before. Nat Nashfall had already sat down and was waiting for the guests while slowly sipping tea.

 

"I knew you'd come."

 

Coorie secretly shook his head.

 

"I didn't think you'd come on a scheduled flight under your real name, but how did you get to this planet?"

 

"Please don't mention that kind of thing, as it's professional confidentiality."

 

Nash stood up to welcome Marika and her group.

 

"Marika, Coo-chan, it's been a while."

 

"Don't call me Coo-chan."

 

"Nice to meet you, Lynn Lambretta and Chiaki Kurihara. I've heard a lot about your accomplishments."

 

Nash, dressed in an ordinary business suit, bowed to Marika and the others, who were still standing.

 

"I'm Nat Nashfall, working in the intelligence department of the Galactic Empire Fleet Joint Staff Command."

 

"I introduced myself..."

 

Marika and Coorie whispered together.

 

"I'm Lynn Lambretta."

 

"I'm Chiaki Kurihara."

 

Lynn and Chiaki, dressed in their respective high school uniforms, greeted.

 

"Please, have a seat."

 

Nash offered them a seat.

 

"This is probably going to be a long story."

 

"Is it going to be a complicated story?"

 

Lynn pulled out a chair herself and sat down a little distance away from Nash.

 

"I don't see why I would be called in specifically by the Imperial Fleet, especially the Intelligence Department."

 

"I don't think it's a bad idea. It's about your future."

 

After exchanging glances, Marika sat down in the chair opposite Nash. Chiaki sat next to her.

 

"I thought you'd done it a while ago, but how were the results of the bug-catching?"

 

Industry slang for searching for wiretapping devices and disabling surveillance systems before an important conversation is called bug-catching.

 

"It's the service regulations, so even though I've heard this is the safest place in Sea of the Morningstar, I have to do it."

 

Nash took out a thin card sensor from inside his suit pocket and placed it on the table.

 

"That's impressive. I'm sure you've cleaned it up, but it's also blocked communications from the outside. That's impressive."

 

"Isn't that the level of confidentiality required?"

 

"Well, for now, I guess."

 

Nash looked up at Marika and the others.

 

"I know it's a little late to say this, but this is also a rule, so please listen to it. You will be bound to keep the contents of the conversation confidential. If you cannot or will not keep the confidentiality, you may leave now."

 

Nash waited for a reply and made sure that no one left their seats.

 

"Well, let's begin. Lynn, have you decided on your career after graduating from high school?"

 

"Well, more or less."

 

Lynn nodded.

 

"But if the intelligence department is calling out to me, doesn't that mean they've already investigated all the information on that subject?"

 

Nash nodded with a smile.

 

"Of course. We have already investigated all the information necessary to talk to you this time. If you do not accept this, all the research materials will be discarded, so don't worry."

 

"You're all lies."

 

Coorie next to him muttered, looking away.

 

"Well, with the power of the Fleet Intelligence Department, it would be easy to reinvestigate. So what? What are you talking about with a high school girl from a country planet like this?"

 

"That's an impressive battle record for a high school girl."

 

Nash's words made Lynn stand up slightly. As if he hadn't noticed, Nash continued.

 

"If they knew about the electronic warfare technology and battle record of the Yacht Club's training sailing ship, not only would the Tau Star System Army leave them alone, but even the Imperial Fleet would. Are you planning on taking a path that allows you to use that technology?"

 

"Eh?"

 

Surprised, Lynn looked back at Nash.

 

"Did the Intelligence Department come all the way out of their way to scout me?"

 

"You can take it that way. Lynn, do you have any plans to go to the Imperial Military Academy?"

 

"Imperial Military Academy!?"

 

Lynn spoke up.

 

"Military academy, you mean, military academy!?"

 

"Yes."

 

Nash nodded nonchalantly.

 

"Even though the Galactic Empire is vast, the Imperial Military Academy is the only educational institution for training Imperial Fleet officers that boasts a history second only to the Space University."

 

"You want me to enroll there?"

 

Lynn glared at Nash with a very suspicious look.

 

"Isn't that a stretch?"

 

"What do you mean?"

 

Nash nodded as if he understood all the circumstances.

 

"So, the Imperial Military Academy is second only to the Space University in history, even larger in size, and has roughly the same level and competition rate, so it's a prestigious school in the heavens! But I'm a high school senior who wants to go to college, and I know the level of my school and how smart I am, and I don't know if my top student would even pass the military academy."

 

After saying that much in one go, Lynn looked at Nash's face closely.

 

"Some other military academy?"

 

"It's the military academy that trains officers for the Imperial Fleet."

 

Nash answered.

 

"It's not some private school with the same name."

 

"Then how!? Ah, perhaps the intelligence department doesn't know my current grades?"

 

"We've already looked into it."

 

"Well, they can tell you if you can go or not, right? But you said you could go? Ah, perhaps you got in through the back door or used illegal means to cheat in the entrance exam, something like that?"

 

"Academic ability is just one of the criteria for whether or not to allow admission to a military academy. Higher ability is better, but what's more important is whether you're a talent that the Imperial Fleet will need in the future."

 

"No need for slogans."

 

Lynn waved her hands.

 

"I'll listen if you tell me honestly what you're planning. If you're trying to cover it up, then this is the end of the story."

 

Lynn looked at Chiaki, Marika, and Coorie, who were also there.

 

"You've made the effort to call all of us here, so that means you're ready to talk, right?"

 

"As expected, you get things done quickly."

 

Nash raised a hand to Lynn. He looked around at the remaining three.

 

"Don't forget confidentiality. That's right, I didn't come here to recruit you to the military academy. I'd like you to conduct an undercover investigation at the Imperial Military Academy. Enrolling in the military academy is one of the necessary procedures for that."

 

The three high school girls looked at each other. Only one, Coorie, looked at Nash through her round glasses.

 

Nash continued.

 

"How is it? Although this is a request from the intelligence department, your admission to the military academy and the qualifications you will obtain as a result are legitimate. Since this is a request from us, there will be no penalty if you end up dropping out of the military academy, and we will provide maximum assistance in transferring to another educational institution midway."

 

"I have a question."

 

Lynn spoke in a low voice.

 

"And there's more than one question. There are many."

 

"I'll answer as much as I can."

 

"First of all, what do you mean by undercover investigation?"

 

"It means exactly what it means."

 

Nash nodded, as if that was the end of the explanation. Lynn sighed.

 

"The fleet's military academy is in the Empire's hands, right? They can use as many teachers and informants as they want, so why would they go out of their way to ask a high school girl from a rural high school to do a mission like an undercover investigation, which seems so difficult?"

 

"It's for our own reasons."

 

Nash said.

 

"To be honest, we have reasons that prevent us from using our resources so easily. We don't currently have a reliable way to investigate how the organization is organized by who in the military academy, without our immediate potential enemy noticing. Therefore, we have decided to send in a civilian who has not yet enrolled in the military academy, whose identity we can identify, with the circumstances, and send them in."

 

"Hmm."

 

Lynn looked at Coorie's face.

 

"I don't really understand what you're saying, but I don't know how much I trust you."

 

"I'm not lying."

 

Nash said.

 

"This time, we are not planning on sending collaborators to the military academy without explaining the full details of the mission. We believe that starting the situation without providing sufficient information will only increase the uncertainty of the progress."

 

"Is that your personal decision, Nash?"

 

Coorie interrupted.

 

"Or is it the consensus of all the departments involved in the intelligence department, at least this operation, if it can be called an operation?"

 

Nash looked at Coorie with amusement.

 

"There are many uncertainties, so it's not certain, but we have also conducted simulations to quantify the situation. We have come up with numbers that show a difference in the achievement rate of the objective when sufficient information is given to the collaborators and when it is not. Therefore, this time, the option of confusing or bewildering the collaborators by not giving them unnecessary information has been eliminated from the start."

 

Nash turned his gaze back to Lynn.

 

"So, don't worry. You can assume that I'm here to explain everything I know."

 

"Can I trust you?"

 

Lynn asked Coorie with a look on her face. Coorie looked away from Lynn.

 

"I wouldn't trust you. There are cases where the people telling you to trust them are the ones being deceived."

 

"Hmm, you have a lot of trust in them."

 

"Why is that the case!"

 

"So,"

 

Lynn turned back to Nash.

 

"From our perspective, how seriously do we have to take the exam? Or can we take it easy by having someone else take the exam for us or get in through the back door?"

 

"I want you to do your best."

 

Nash looked straight at Lynn.

 

"We will provide as much support as we can, but if possible, we would like Lynn Lambretta to pass the entrance exam to the military academy on her own merit. Do you need me to explain why?"

 

"Yes, please."

 

"If Lynn can enter the military academy on her own merit, we can minimize the tricks we have to do. Due to the nature of the mission, we don't know where secrets might leak, so we want to make sure we have the most reliable system possible."

 

"But uh huh."

 

Lynn took a deep breath.

 

"I'm sure you know this already, but our grades aren't good enough to aim for the military academy, the super elite school in the heavens. It's not like you, an intelligence officer, can't judge that."

 

"Overall grades are above average."

 

Nash folded his fingers on the table.

 

"The variation between subjects is within the margin of error. There are no weak subjects, and the only one that is above average is physical education. You're aiming for it, right?"

 

"Eh?"

 

Lynn asked back, looking surprised. Nash continued.

 

"Hakuoh Girls' Academy is a prestigious school. With these grades, you won't have any trouble going anywhere in the neighborhood. You're aiming for easy grades to make things easier, right?"

 

"What are you talking about, brother? These days, high school grades aren't something you can just aim for and get away with."

 

Lynn waved her hands.

 

"These are the best I can do! Of course I'd like to aim higher if I could, but there are things people can and can't do, and no matter what I do, I can't do any better than this."

 

"Grades before entering the military academy are only one of the criteria for admission. There are students who have no experience attending an educational institution before entering the military academy. Also, the fact that he has been on board a large solar sailing ship, even if it is a Category II ship in the yacht club, and has been in command many times, is a point to take into consideration."

 

"Even if he has been in command, there are other captains who are qualified, like Professor Kane or Marika's mom."

 

"Practical experience in electronic warfare is a sufficient advantage to be considered when entering the military academy. I'm sure you'll be recommended to be an electronics officer in the fleet in the future."

 

"No, even if you get in, you're not smart enough to keep up with the hard work at a famous military academy."

 

"I think you can handle it, Lynn."

 

"Besides, I don't really have plans for a military career in my future."

 

"After the mission is over, if you wish, you can continue your education at the military academy, or you can transfer to another educational institution of your choice."

 

"Even if it's a space university?"

 

Lynn’s eyes sparkled. Marika was wide-eyed as she watched the situation unfold. Nash nodded nonchalantly.

 

"Of course, if you wish, I can arrange for you to enter the faculty of your choice in the year you can transfer at the end of the mission. Speaking of space university."

 

Nash smiled meaningfully.

 

"I heard that the previous captain of the Hakuoh Academy Yacht Club is there. He's said to be a very talented student."

 

"That's right."

 

Lynn pouted.

 

"I guess it's no good after all. I thought that Space University might work out if we worked hard together when I helped Jenny study for the entrance exam, but I gave up. There's no way I could make it at a university like Jenny's where you can't even get a decent grade unless you work hard. If I went to the same university, I'd be a hindrance to Jenny."

 

"One of the educational policies at Space University is to maximize the abilities of those who study there. It's not an easy student life, but I think you'll gain a lot."

 

"If you ask which is harder, I think the military academy is harder because you're pushed to the limits of not only your mind but also your physical abilities."

 

"If you cooperate with the mission, we're prepared to finish your exam studies thoroughly so that you can qualify for the military academy entrance exam in time."

 

Nash said quietly.

 

"If one of your abilities is to accurately estimate yourself, then after studying for the entrance exam and entering the military academy, you will realize how much your abilities have improved. It's not too late to transfer to Space University or choose another path, and your improved abilities will definitely be useful in your future."

 

"Don't be fooled," Coorie muttered.

 

"Even if you're drugged and hypnotized and no one will take responsibility if you stop being Lynn."

 

"Which is more dangerous, being an apprentice at Bentenmaru or not?"

 

He asked with a smile, and Coorie looked away again.

 

"The medical system at the military academy won't let you die even if you're killed, and there's a backup, so you'll probably be able to come back to life even if you become a different person, but our medical system isn't that perfect."

 

"Sorry, but I can't guarantee it if the worst case scenario happens."

 

Even Marika looked away with an apologetic look on her face.

 

"So, are you sure you'll help me study for the exam?"

 

Lynn turned the question to Nash.

 

"Can you do things like dream hypnosis education or amazing compressed learning?"

 

"If necessary."

 

Nash simply nodded.

 

"However, in that case, the burden on the brain and body will be considerable."

 

"Really!?"

 

Lynn raised her voice.

 

"Has install learning been put into practical use!?"

 

"Yes. It's not a common technology, and it's not as simple as installing an application on a machine."

 

"Isn't it easy? Why?"

 

"Since there is a possibility that it will be accepted, it would be better to explain it. For example, let's think about learning an unknown language. If it were a computer, you could just install the language pack and dictionary and be done with it, but it's not that easy when dealing with the living brain of an intelligent being."

 

"Can't you just install a special pack into the language area?"

 

"Because there are too many individual differences."

 

Nash looked at the faces of everyone at the table.

 

"If you're dealing with a computer, the basic operating system is fixed. There are various operating systems in the universe, from well-known major ones to ones that are made individually and no one knows about. Some are improved in detail, and some are used as they are without updates, but machines that use the same operating system have a minimum level of compatibility guaranteed from the standards for reading and writing information, and the same application can be installed on different machines and used in the same way. However, in the case of humans, there is no operating system with guaranteed compatibility."

 

"Is it a problem with the language used?"

 

"It's a problem that goes beyond language. Babies are born in an initial state with only a very primitive operating system. Even in the initial stage, the operating system is not uniform, and there are also small differences in the connected hardware, that is, the body. During the growth stage, people grow in a variety of ways, depending on the environment and how they raise their operating system, how they are educated, what experiences they have, and how they feel. This is called individuality, but in other words, there are too many small differences not only in the operating system of a computer but also in the file system, so hypnotic education for humans and compressed learning are not as easy as installing a new program or application on a computer."

 

"What?"

 

Lynn shook her head in disappointment.

 

"I thought that with the technology of the Imperial Fleet, there might be an easy way to do that."

 

"It's not easy or simple, but it's not like there's no way."

 

"Huh?"

 

Lynn leaned forward without thinking.

 

"To do that, we need to analyze your operating system and file system, and map the usage of your memory area down to the neuron and synapse level. In this way, we will create a perfect copy of your brain, install a model of the knowledge system while adjusting it, and simulate where and what data should be placed for proper recognition."

 

"Ehh..."

 

Lynn cried out in shock.

 

"So, does that mean that your brain will be completely copied somewhere before the hypnosis training?"

 

"Have you heard the rumor that the Imperial Fleet makes backup copies (clones) for those who go on dangerous missions?"

 

Coorie said. Nash closed his eyes, and the remaining three people focused their attention on Coorie.

 

"Backups are not just done for bodies, but also for memories. If they don't return from a dangerous mission, the people the empire needs can be restored. Hypnotic education and compressed learning are technologies developed for that purpose."

 

"I see."

 

Lynn nodded.

 

"When you explain it like that, it's like military technology. But if you can make clones, why not make a clone of me and install it however you want, and have them do their missions?"

 

"I won't go into the explanation of the empire's position on ethical issues."

 

Nash looked around meaningfully at the group.

 

"As you say, if Lynn agrees to take up the mission, she will undergo a rigorous physical and medical examination to be given the abilities she will need for her enrollment in the military academy and her subsequent missions. In theory, it would be possible to use the specimen from that examination to clone a copy of Lynn and give her the necessary memories and abilities. But we don't have the time."

 

"Time? Surely it can be done quickly?"

 

"We can do just Lynn's physical examination in a day. In a full day, we can scan every cell in her body and map every nerve cell, including her brain. After that, creating a learning program suited to Lynn will only take a computer, which will require countless simulations, so it won't take that long. The learning program Even if you install the RAM carefully, it will only take a few days."

 

"So it's easy."

 

"After that, you will need what experts call adjustments to learn the content you installed."

 

"Adjustments?"

 

"When you install a new application on a computer, you will be able to use it. That's true. However, the computer operator must also learn how to use the application. In the same way, if you install a new unknown language on Lynn, you will not be able to speak or read it unless you thoroughly review it and form new synapses for the new language."

 

"What's that supposed to mean?"

 

Lynn pouted.

 

"If you install compressed data on your brain, won't you be able to speak unknown languages ​​without even realizing it?"

 

"No."

 

Nash answered with a smile.

 

"If you don't form synapses to access the data installed in the neurons in your brain, you won't be able to use the data even if it's installed in your brain. The most effective way to form synapses is through intensive study with the help of medication."

 

"So I have to take medicine and study for exams?"

 

"You're talking about studying because you're using language as an analogy, but if the learning data involves physical skills, such as physical expression skills like playing an instrument or dancing, you need to adjust not only your brain but also the nervous system and muscles of the entire body, and all parts related to physical ability."

 

"Well, experts train their bodies too. So, does that mean you need that kind of adjustment or training to use the duplicated body in the same way as the original?"

 

"Have you ever heard that rehabilitation is required for biological restoration after the body has become accustomed to not having an arm or leg, even if it's just restored immediately after amputation? It's the same thing."

 

"How long does it take?"

 

"It depends on the case. The longest time is for professional instrumentalists and dancers to In cases where we are duplicating and regenerating the physical abilities that Sir has devoted his life to honing, we will set up a rehabilitation adjustment schedule on a yearly basis."

 

"Yes."

 

"In the case of body duplicating, there is also the issue of time required for the duplicated body to grow. In your case, the clone body needs to grow until it becomes an adult. Of course, we can accelerate regeneration, so it doesn't take as long as your age, but even so, it will take more than a year to create a clone of Lynn, plus two or three years of learning, adjustment, training, etc."

 

"On the other hand, if I have that much time to wait, I can create a clone of myself and send it out on a mission. So, does that mean that I don't create a backup clone body after I'm ordered to go on a dangerous mission, but prepare it beforehand?"

 

"That's right, but it's classified, so please don't ask."

 

"It's not disclosed because the number of personnel and budget of the Imperial Fleet changes depending on whether the spare clones are treated as mere spare parts or as reserves."

 

Coorie adds.

 

"That's why you should think of things like hypnotic education and compressed learning as inefficient procedures that are almost a last resort when there is no other option. As someone with experience, I can advise you that it would be easier to study normally. We will create a special exam study program for you, Lynn, and prepare a special teacher for you."

 

"Wow, this is a direct request from the Imperial Fleet Intelligence Department, so is that old-fashioned exam study the only way to get through it?"

 

"We will provide you with learning that is optimized and most efficient for you. It will be exam study that will maximize your abilities. You will gain the academic ability to pass the entrance exam to the military academy. As a result, after the mission we requested is over, it will be up to you to decide whether to stay at the military academy or transfer to Space University, but I think it's not too late to make a decision after seeing your academic ability at that point."

 

"Amazing."

 

Marika and Chiaki, who had been listening in silence until then, both spoke up.

 

"Isn't that amazing, president Lynn? The Imperial Fleet has prepared custom exam preparations for you!"

 

"And if what you're saying is true, then you could go to not only a prestigious school in the center, but even a military academy or a space university!"

 

"Well, I was hoping to get a recommendation to a university quickly and take it easy at the end of my high school years, but an intelligence agent who I don't even know if he's real or not has brought me some exam preparation that's so hard it's exhausting just to listen to, and I don't know if it's true or not, so I'm a bit..."

 

"He's a real intelligence agent," Coorie said in a low voice.

 

"What you've said so far is true. I guarantee it."

 

"Wow, that sounds pretty credible."

 

"In that case, Captain, since the opportunity to go to a military academy or space university from our planet doesn't come around very often, let's give this tailor-made exam study a try."

 

"Well, there are still a few things I need to ask you."

 

Lynn turned back to Nash.

 

"You made Marika and Chiaki attend, so doesn't that mean you're recommending the same path to them?"

 

Nash nodded with a smile.

 

"As expected of the captain of the Hakuoh Girls' Academy Yacht Club. You're quite perceptive."

 

"Eh?"

 

Marika and Chiaki looked at each other. They spoke in unison again.

 

"Eh?!"

 

"What are you two going to do next? Have you decided?"

 

Lynn, who is graduating this year, asked the two second-year high school students.

 

"Your grades aren't bad, so do you want to go to college? Or get a job?"

 

Marika and Chiaki looked at each other, trying to figure out what to do. Marika turned to Lynn first.

 

"I've written "go to college" on the career plan I submitted to the school. That's the best option."

 

"Chiaki, too?"

 

Lynn changed the person she was asking.

 

"You're eligible to inherit a pirate license, right?"

 

"Unlike Marika's, my dad is healthy."

 

Chiaki answered quietly.

 

"But, well, it's better to go to college because it won't cause any problems in many areas, so I'm doing it the same as Marika."

 

"But just because I want to go to college doesn't mean I'm thinking about military academy, or even space university!"

 

Marika spoke up.

 

"You know, you're not smart enough to keep up in a place like that!"

 

"There are various opinions on that, but if I may give my personal opinion, I think you two will do well. We are prepared to fully cooperate with Marika and Chiaki, as well as Lynn, in passing the entrance exam for the military academy and studying for the exams to acquire the skills we think will be necessary for school life after that."

 

"What!?"

 

Marika and Chiaki protested together, and Lynn laughed.

 

"Why don't you just do it, the Intelligence Department's way of studying for the exams. Unlike us, you have plenty of time, and we can expect your grades to improve."

 

"That may be true, but is it really worth it to improve your grades now when you're trying to get into not only the military academy but even the space university?"

 

"That's true."

 

"Unfortunately."

 

Nash, who was watching the high school girls' exchange with amusement, interjected.

 

"We don't have much time. If we start preparing for the military academy entrance exam when Lynn graduates, we plan to have Marika and Chiaki take the exam next quarter."

 

"Eh?"

 

Marika and Chiaki looked back at Nash. Nash continued to explain calmly.

 

"As you know, the entrance exam for the Imperial Fleet Military Academy is held four times a year in the Galactic Standard Calendar."

 

"I don't know."

 

"If Lynn passes the entrance exam, we plan to have Marika and Chiaki take the exam next quarter. With this schedule, they will enter the military academy at the same time as the first semester of Hakuoh Girls' Academy ends, and there will be no disruption to Marika and Chiaki's studies."

 

"Wait a minute!"

Chiaki was about to raise her hand in protest, but Lynn raised her hand to stop her and asked.

 

"I understand your intentions and circumstances. So, even if we're talking about the yacht club and pirates, you're still just high school girls, are you really going to send us to the military academy and have us do something like an undercover investigation?"

 

"I'm serious," Nash answered.

 

"However, to be absolutely sure, we won't start the operation until all three of us are at the military academy. Therefore, if at any point before that, it becomes clear that even one of Lynn, Marika, or Chiaki won't cooperate, then this operation won't be carried out."

 

Nash looked around at the high school girls with a grin.

 

"At that time, please forget about this matter and return to your daily life."

 

"What exactly do you want us to do when you say undercover investigation?"

 

Lynn gave Nash a sharp look.

 

"I'm sorry for the poor image, but it's not that simple to go to the trouble of catching three kids with no military experience, spending a lot of time and money to prepare, and then ask them to steal secrets from the back of the military academy's safe, right? You've told me this much, and I understand the confidentiality agreement. Or can I only tell you the rest of the story after I've agreed to the job?"

 

"Of course, if it's a job that can be completed by bringing something from somewhere in the military academy, I won't go to all the trouble of bothering you. It's much easier, more reliable, and faster to ask our experts."

 

"So, what do you want me to look into?"

 

"I want you to gather information about the internal organizations within the military academy, known as companies or clans."

 

Lynn, Marika, and Chiaki exchanged glances.

 

There was a knock on the door to the small room. Nash stood up and opened the door.

 

"Sorry to interrupt you while you're talking."

 

The man in the chef's hat popped his head out the door.

 

"Can I start serving the food now?"

 

Food was piled up on the round table.

 

"Hey Nash."

 

Coorie looked at Nash with a blank look.

 

"How did you order?"

 

"I told him how many people there were and left the rest to him."

 

Nash looked around the table, which was covered with heaps of large plates and side dishes.

 

"I asked for a small amount, but this is all we got?"

 

"You..."

 

"Well, there are a lot of young ladies who are still growing, so it should be fine. Would tea be okay?"

 

Nash looked around at the three high school girls.

 

"Well, feel free to eat. If you need more, you can have more."

 

"Well, let's listen to the story while we eat."

 

Lynn picked up a small bowl and began to serve the boiled dumplings that were nearby.

 

"Companies and clans, um, are they like school cliques or club activities or things like that?"

 

"That's pretty much it."

 

Nash opened the steamer in front of him. Steam rose up.

 

"Connections between classmates and mates at school are largely determined by chance, but I'm sure you also want to cherish your connections as members of the yacht club, don't you?"

 

"Yeah, well, I guess."

 

Lynn went along with it for the time being.

 

"The same thing exists in the Imperial Fleet. If you are on the same ship, the same aircraft, and do the same mission, that connection becomes stronger, and continues even if you are reassigned. And personal connections between members of the fleet are formed and developed in various places immediately after joining the force. The relationships that officer candidates form from the moment they enter the military academy are usually nurtured by their classmates, senior and junior relationships at the school, the dormitory they live in, club activities, etc. There's nothing wrong with that in itself, and it's something to be happy about."

 

"Well, that's fine."

 

Lynn picked up some fried garlic sprouts from a nearby plate and began munching away with chopsticks.

 

"If that's the case, there's no reason for an intelligence officer from Fleet Command to come all the way out here. So what's the problem?"

 

"There is a possibility that a secret organization exists that could potentially pose a threat to the Empire in the future."

 

Nash's voice seemed to have gotten lower, so Marika looked at the intelligence officer again.

 

"Where?"

 

Lynn frowned after asking tentatively.

 

"Inside the military academy?"

 

Nash nodded.

 

"The Imperial Fleet is a single word, but it is larger than human understanding. The Imperial Fleet is the largest organization in the entire galaxy, including the frontier, and is operated with the aim of being as efficient and fast as possible, but its reality is incredibly complex and mysterious. Those who belong to the Imperial Fleet are members of their respective fleets, crew members of their ships, members of the departments they are assigned to, natives of certain regions, and depending on the situation and position, they may even be various other beings. This is something that happens everywhere, and is not something that should be a problem. However, when the goals of the multiple and simultaneous affiliations conflict with each other, problems arise."

 

"Huh?"

 

Lynn made a difficult face.

 

"Are you saying that the crew doesn't want to dismantle an old ship that has been decided to be dismantled?"

 

"If it was just that, it wouldn't be a big problem, but to put it simply, that's the problem. There are various ways to deal with old ships, such as placing them in a museum as a memorial ship or selling them to the defense force, but when an Imperial vessel is in operation and the fleet's policy and the personal wishes of the crew clash, it becomes a very bad situation."

 

"Like a rebellion?"

 

Nash gave a wry smile as Lynn gave one specific example after another.

 

"That is indeed a worrying situation. However, it is not that simple. If someone with the backing of the enemy infiltrates the core of an allied force and acts to benefit the enemy when the time comes, that is certainly a problem, but it has not been uncommon in the military for a long time. Our Imperial fleet also sends people to play such a role to the rebel army, which is the main enemy, although of course it is not officially recognized."

 

"Yes."

 

"The problem this time is not clearly an enemy of the Imperial fleet, but clearly within the Empire, but those who disagree with the policy the fleet is aiming for. If this was clearly an act of treason, it would be easy, but since the policy is only slightly different, it becomes difficult."

 

"What do you mean, slightly different?" "..."

 

"For example, there is the ongoing battle against the rebels on the border. If the fleet is aiming for victory, but there are those within the fleet who want to continue the war, it can be explained by a slight difference in opinion, and it's not a completely contradictory situation."

 

"Eh, but it sounds completely different?"

 

"It's easy to explain if someone within the fleet is trying to benefit the enemy in order to defeat the fleet, but if one side wants to win and the other wants to continue the battle, it's tricky because there are many commonalities. Neither side wants to lose, and neither side wants major damage. If that's the case, that's also why it's easy for foreign elements within the fleet to hide."

 

"I don't really get it."

 

Lynn tilts her head.

 

"What purpose do secret organizations and other elements within the fleet have?"

 

"I can only speculate. Is that okay?"

 

"Well, if you'll tell me."

 

"The Imperial Fleet exists for the peace and tranquility of the Empire. However, any secret organizations that may exist within the fleet have the goal of maximizing the profits of those involved."

 

Nash turned his attention to Marika and Chiaki.

 

"It's a secret organization that designs interstellar wars to maximize profits, and may exist not only in the Imperial Fleet but also in the Rebel Army. The Intelligence Department hasn't yet confirmed its official name, let alone its organizational tree, but we suspect that it was probably for this purpose that they tried to buy the privateer licenses of the surviving pirates of the former Colonial Alliance and restrict their activities."

 

Marika and Chiaki exchanged glances. The incident in which the Bentenmaru, which rushed to the scene of a rescue mission, was accused of ambush-attacking a civilian ship, and a company tried to buy the pirate license of the Barbaroussa, is still fresh in our memory.

 

"Wow."

 

Coorie, who was sipping his after-dinner drink, looked up.

 

"The intelligence department did some work related to pirates."

 

"If it was just Orion pirates, that would be one thing, but with the Serenity royal family also putting in a good word for us, we'll be expected to produce some results."

 

Nash answered.

 

"Besides, if an enemy whose existence has not yet been confirmed has infiltrated the command and communication network of the Imperial fleet, that's a big problem. The threat assessment was second only to the rebels, so this matter is more important than you think."

 

"The threat assessment is second only to the rebels?!"

 

Coorie spoke up.

 

"That's amazing, you're saying it's such a large enemy?"

 

"The trouble is, it has also been determined that it is not."

 

Nash nodded meaningfully.

 

"It is rare for the intelligence department and other departments to determine the threat level to differ so much. All departments in the Imperial Fleet make their decisions using the same computer system based on the same information. The fact that it has come up with such a different threat level means that the intelligence department has no choice but to consider outside interference."

 

Nash looked around at the high school girl and the pirates who were with him.

 

"In other words, this is not just your enemy."

"I'll teach you how to win."

 

Without even a greeting, the instructor stood at the podium and looked around at the faces of the new students lined up in the classroom.

 

"The mission of a fleet crew member is to win. There are many slogans such as realizing ideals and making high-level political decisions, but as long as you win, no one will complain. On the contrary, if you win, your salary will increase, your job will be secure, and you will have more opportunities to spend the money you earn. However, if you lose, that won't be the case. If you return alive, you will have the opportunity for another job, but the battle situation changes at the speed of light. That's why my job is to teach you how to win and increase your chances of returning alive, even if just a little."

 

The instructor took the remote control attached to the desk and turned it on. In the darkened classroom, a space fleet with many battleships rose into the air in a beautiful formation.

 

"Battle situations vary widely. It's rare for enemies and allies to all agree to deploy their forces and start fighting at the same time. But if I suddenly showed you, freshmen who have just entered the military academy, a fleet battle with over 100 ships, it would be nothing more than a spectacular fireworks display. To make it easier to understand, we'll have a one-on-one battle."

 

The instructor waved the remote. The many ships displayed in 3D in the classroom disappeared, leaving only a single ship drawn in blue wireframe.

 

"To fight, we need an enemy. It's too much trouble to explain, so let's set it as an enemy ship with the same specifications."

 

Another ship in a red wireframe appeared in the classroom.

 

"A 200-meter long mobile cruiser, it's a large number in the current Imperial fleet, and a combat ship that has many opportunities to engage in frontline battles. If you all successfully graduate from the military academy and are assigned to the fleet, some of you in this classroom will definitely be aboard this ship."

 

The instructor turned the two red and blue mobile cruisers projected facing the same direction, facing each other on either side.

 

"The actual distance is much farther than it appears, and outside of training, ships of the same strength never enter battle at the same time under the same conditions. But this is a simulation. The good thing about a simulation is that you can do it over and over again, and it's much cheaper than bringing the real thing."

 

The instructor pointed the remote control at the large display behind the desk where the students were facing. The current positions, relative distances, and current speeds of the blue cruiser on the right and the red cruiser on the left were displayed in a row.

 

"The distance is 10,000 km, which is enough for a main gun exchange. And to simplify the conditions, the armament used this time will be limited to main guns only. Eight Class 40 twin guns in four turrets. As you can see, the two cruisers will start searching as soon as the battle begins, and will try to determine the enemy's current position with radar. Now, give the order to both sides to sink the enemy, and let's start the simulation."

 

The two red and blue cruisers facing each other began their battle in the dark, sunken space of the classroom. With their bows facing each other, they spewed long thrusting flames and tried to approach each other while minimizing their frontal projection area.

 

"The scale and maneuvers have been simplified and deformed in many ways so that you can see the situation with your own eyes. Even now, the relative distance between the two cruisers is 9,000 kilometers. If they were displayed exactly to scale, spectators watching from a distance would not be able to see the details of the cruisers, let alone their changes in attitude, but that would be neither a good way to watch nor to learn. The exact situation is displayed in the background, so check it out. We'll also give you some complimentary sound effects that you shouldn't be able to hear in the vacuum of space."

 

The blue and red cruisers drew nearer to each other, trailing long propulsion flames from the left and right of the classroom and emitting sound effects. They closed the distance between them, and bright yellow beams, also accompanied by sound effects, were fired from both sides.

 

"Cruisers, especially single ships, don't do that easily in real life, but it's a common situation in training because it's easy to set up. Watch while thinking about how you would act if you were the commander, and what the crew would do to improve their chances of victory."

 

The two cruisers accelerated and quickly approached each other, exchanging fire as if they were about to collide head-on. Just when you thought they would enter into a head-on battle, they maneuvered their hulls sideways while facing each other, and while continuing to fire their guns, they swapped positions in a fan shape, and while still facing each other, they reversed thrust on the main engines that had been propelling them up until then, slowing them down.

 

"Aerial combat is a concept that came after the invention of airplanes in most technological civilizations. Although there are a few exceptions such as underwater and aerial civilizations, most intelligent beings have developed civilizations on land, that is, in two dimensions. Developing a civilization also means fighting wars. It is only after putting airplanes and submarines into practical use that they advance into outer space, and by that point most technological civilizations have learned the concept of aerial combat in three dimensions."

 

The two cruisers, which had been firing at each other with their bows facing each other, have now moved into a mobile dogfight. The naval guns on board can basically be aimed and fired at the enemy, so both continue to perform intense evasive maneuvers while continuing to fire their guns in an attempt to hit their targets.

 

"Depending on the type of ship, the mounting position of the cannon, maneuverability, armor, and reconnaissance capabilities differ, so the three-dimensional movements required to avoid enemy fire and obtain the optimal firing position vary in detail. But, as you can see, it becomes a dizzying acrobatic flight in three dimensions."

 

The red and blue mobile cruisers fly through the virtual battle space of the classroom at such high speeds that you can see afterimages, while performing mobile combat with flashy beams and sound effects.

 

"If a modern high-performance warship were to fully operate its inertial control system and swing its anti-gravity engine to normal propulsion at combat power, it would perform combat maneuvers like this in an anti-ship combat battle. Don't worry, the inertial control and anti-gravity are both effective inside the ship, so it won't be swung around as much as it looks. But don't forget to take motion sickness medicine before the battle."

 

The instructor waited for the students to laugh at the typical joke, and continued.

 

"Do you remember I said I'd teach you how to win? This is the important part, so listen carefully. The aerial battle between the cruisers that you see unfolding before your eyes now, which is technically called mobile combat, is not something that the pilots of each ship are doing based on their own intuition and skill. It's an automatic battle left to the computer."

 

As they approached each other, the blue and red cruisers parted, emitting a metallic sound effect and a strong flash of light, as if they had fired their naval guns at the same time.

 

"The computer knows the exact situation of your ship. It knows all the combat maneuvers that have been tried since the dawn of history and their results, as well as the relative distance to the enemy ship and the firing control radar's oscillations. Of course, the crew of the cruiser knows it too, but they don't know all the variations of evasive maneuvers that could never be tried in a lifetime, and no crew member knows the readiness and aim of their main guns, the ever-changing hit probability, or the distance to the enemy."

 

The blue and red cruisers, far removed from the close-quarters combat up until then, took a distanced trajectory that reversed from each other.

 

"The engines and cannons are overheating, and the energy that was supposed to be 100% charged before the battle has mostly been used up and is currently being recharged. So, why do you think they leave the combat maneuvers that a mobile cruiser is best at to the onboard computer instead of the excellent crew members on board?"

 

The instructor slowly looked around at the faces of the students lined up on the stairs in the dark classroom. Those eyes don't look mechanized, but as an instructor at the Imperial Fleet Officer Academy, it's not surprising that they've been strengthened in various ways.

 

"There's only one reason why we, fleet officers, leave combat, our main job, to computers: it's the surest way to win. At the same time, it's also because it's the easiest way to leave it to a computer."

 

The instructor handed him a remote control and made the two cruisers in mobile combat freeze in the air.

 

"At this point, the blue cruiser, which has been ordered to sink the enemy, is assuming a future trajectory that looks like this, in order of highest probability."

 

A blue shining line that was a complex combination of straight and curved lines was drawn from the bow of the stationary cruiser. Following the first line, a subtly different second line and a more varied third line were drawn one after the other, and it looked like a large amount of blue threads were being released from the bow.

 

"The blue cruiser's future trajectory will be around this even if 100 or so are displayed in order of highest probability. Of course, the enemy ship is also calculating a similar future trajectory. The future trajectory changes infinitely depending on the enemy ship's movements, so strictly speaking, this future trajectory also branches off in a different direction every moment. So how can the computer choose just one trajectory from the infinite future trajectories?"

 

The instructor operated the remote control to return the blue trajectory drawn from the bow to just the first one. Next, a single future trajectory was similarly emitted from the bow of the red cruiser.

 

The two future trajectories, red and red, intertwined in a complex way as they extended at high speed. In the classroom space, blue and red shining lines wove random patterns in three dimensions.

 

"As you can see on the back, the computer is grasping the situation of the enemy and its own ships as accurately as its accuracy allows. The computer judges all situations and selects the most optimal action, in this case the one with the highest probability of sinking the enemy, so to speak, the optimal combat maneuver, and moves the cruiser accordingly. The enemy does the same. It selects the optimal trajectory based on the situation of the ship and the enemy, and continues the battle while making changes to increase the chances of winning in response to the situation that changes every moment."

 

The red and blue trajectories extending at high speed blend together and begin to emit a faint purple light.

 

"The computer never selects and executes evasive maneuvers that should be taken randomly based on the mood or atmosphere of the moment. It controls its battleships with more experience than any of the fleet's crew members and reflexes far superior to those of the human body. This is one of the reasons why the Imperial Fleet leaves combat maneuvers to the computer."

 

The instructor stopped the deployment of the blue and red glowing lines that seemed to spread infinitely if left alone.

 

"Next time, let's not have a mock battle between predicted trajectories, but let's have the red and blue cruisers resume their battle."

 

The instructor flicked the remote control, and the virtual cruisers, drawn in wireframe, began maneuvering again, with the classroom as their battle airspace.

 

"Do you understand? It's not maneuvering according to the planned trajectory drawn at the beginning. The computer finely changes the optimal trajectory for the next moment depending on its own situation and the enemy's movements. In other words, the computers of both cruisers are now writing another valuable battle experience in addition to the simulation from earlier into their recording areas."

 

As the blue and red cruisers continued their anti-ship maneuver battle, the instructor looked around at the students' faces.

 

"If we train selected crew members, we might be able to fight on an equal footing with a human being. However, since the crew are human beings, their reaction speed is limited by biological reasons, and the amount of information they can process is also limited. A human being can only concentrate for a limited time to perform at their best, and the possibility of making a mistake increases with each passing hour. However, a computer does not tire. Computers remember every spatial maneuver and battle pattern that has been attempted since the dawn of history, and can instantly select and execute the optimal maneuver and firing pattern. They can simultaneously process everything from the energy amount of their own ship to its own weight, the surrounding situation, and the situation of enemy ships as far as radar and sensors can obtain, and calculate the optimal solution, and control the cruiser accordingly."

 

The battle had changed from the dogfight of earlier to maneuvers in which they repeatedly approached and retreated while keeping their distance from each other. At the closest point, both cruisers concentrated their gunfire as if they had been waiting for the right timing.

 

"After close combat, we'll move on to hit-and-run combat that makes use of our speed. Even though it's just a simulation, our computers are pretty good."

 

After making the students laugh a little, the instructor continued.

 

"The strength of the Imperial Fleet is that it's bigger than anyone else and has been in this business longer than anyone else. Every battle since the fleet was formed has been recorded, shared, and studied. Any aircraft belonging to the fleet, from single-seater fighters to giant strategic battleships, is equipped with a computer, which not only records all past battles but also adds simulation data that is deemed useful, and performs optimal maneuvers and firing according to the current battle situation. If this were a human, their reaction speed would slow down or they would make mistakes when they get tired, but with a machine, there's no need to worry about that. A computer that has been properly maintained and confirmed to be working properly is much more reliable than a living human being."

 

The instructor turned his back to the students and looked up at the huge display showing the status of each ship.

 

"The Imperial Fleet has many basic principles for battle, but one of them is to always attack the enemy with more force. If you have the advantage in force, you can leave the battle to a computer that can always make the optimal move, and you will never lose. Now, anyone with enough intelligence to have made it to this classroom after going through so many trials must be thinking this by now. If we leave the battle to a computer, then surely we don't need sentient beings?"

 

The instructor turned to face the students with a dramatic gesture.

 

"If computers are so good as pilots, gunners, or operators of radars, sensors, and electronic weapons, why do we put fragile lifeforms that can tire and make mistakes even after a huge budget has been spent on building them into expensive combat spacecraft with internal armor and life support compartments, and send them into the middle of a dangerous battlefield? If you don't question that, unfortunately, you are not fit to be an Imperial Fleet crew member, and if you don't question it and believe that it is the duty of a fleet officer, then you still lack the insight to be a crew member. Don't worry, no one listening to this class right now thinks they can immediately board the Imperial Fleet and do the job they are paid to do. It is our job as military academy instructors to make up for what they lack, develop what they have, and maximize their individual skills."

 

The two cruisers, blue and red, accelerated each other and increased their speed while continuing their hit-and-run anti-ship combat.

 

"Why are flesh-and-blood humans on board battleships equipped with computers that can command optimal actions during battle? A diligent student who has done their homework or someone with good intuition may have arrived at the correct answer, but if you are one of those people, please shut up and listen to me for a moment. One advantage of leaving the battle to a computer is that it will make the optimal move for your objective at that moment. However, if the enemy is also using a computer that can instantly calculate the optimal move, it will be a tricky situation."

 

The instructor slowed down and zoomed in on the movements of the blue and red cruisers that continued their hit-and-run battle.

 

"When the enemy and friendly forces are almost equal in strength and the objective is the same, such as sinking the enemy, or even eliminating it, the battle between battleships that each take the optimal move can continue endlessly and become a stalemate."

 

The instructor operated the remote control. Several 3D images were projected behind the red and blue cruisers that continued their hit-and-run dogfight.

 

"A deadlock is a simplified version of an old board game of military power, like chess or shogi, in which neither side can move forward. If you let the computer take care of the battle, not only will your military power be wasted, but valuable time will be wasted in an instant. In order to avoid such a situation as much as possible, the Imperial Fleet aims to always put more military power into battle than the enemy, but it doesn't always work out that way. Here's the problem. If you're in command of this cruiser, whether it's blue or red, if things continue like this, both of your military power and valuable time will be wasted. If you have any ideas about what to do, send them on the board on your desk."

 

Suddenly, several messages appeared on the huge display behind the desk. Not only in this classroom, but also from the large number of people taking remote classes on the ground in the same star system, or on stations and training ships, a large number of suggestions came back almost simultaneously.

 

"Avoid hit-and-run tactics and focus on long-range artillery. Good. Let's try it."

 

The instructor read out one of the messages and pointed the remote at the blue cruiser. The cruiser did not enter a hit-and-run trajectory with a long arc, but instead distanced itself from the red cruiser and took a trajectory that circled each other.

 

"Good. If we had made a terrible move, the enemy ship's computer, which always takes the optimal move, would have exploited that and we would have been at a disadvantage."

 

Keeping a long distance, the blue cruiser began a long-range artillery battle against the red enemy ship. A concentrated beam cannon was fired at the enemy ship, which was far away.

 

"But it's not really a good idea to use a combat-ready mobile cruiser in a long-range artillery battle like a battleship. The accuracy and concentration of the gunfire drops in long-range battles, and with this armor, even a Class 40 is unlikely to penetrate. What's more, the enemy is a cruiser whose selling point is its maneuverability. It's good at evading, so all we can hope for is a lucky hit. What should we do? Fighting while hoping for a lucky shot is not the job of a professional, you know?"

 

Among the messages that appeared one after another on the giant display and were buried, the instructor made one stand out.

 

"Change the gun settings from anti-armor to wide-area incendiary, and aim to damage antennas and sensors instead of enemy ship armor. Not a bad move. Lowering the concentration reduces the destructive power per unit area, but increases the area irradiated. Even heavily armored battleships cannot protect their antennas and sensors, so they are exposed and disposable. If we can destroy the enemy's radar/sensor system, the enemy's accuracy will decrease, and our chances of winning will increase dramatically. So, let's give that command next time."

 

The instructor waved the remote. The blue cruiser's firing pattern changed. Until then, it had been a single-point concentrated volley that was fully charged with energy, but now it is a continuous shot.

 

"With a wide-area incendiary beam, the charge time is shorter, so we can increase the number of shots. Now, what will the red do?"

 

The red mobile cruiser that was far away avoided the long-range shots and then moved into an acceleration position. "The change in Blue's firing pattern is immediately obvious to the person being shot at. Instead of trying to destroy Blue's radar/sensor system with long-range shots, Red will fold up its radar and antennas and attempt a close-range attack on the enemy, knowing that the firing pattern has changed so that direct hits no longer hurt."

 

The instructor temporarily faded into the background the messages suggesting battle strategies that were still being added to the giant display. The latest status of the red mobile cruiser was displayed. The accuracy of its radar/sensor system was more than two orders of magnitude lower than Blue's, but it was approaching the enemy ship at full speed while taking evasive maneuvers and not diverting energy to gunfire.

 

After firing several more gunfire shots with reduced concentration, the blue cruiser stopped firing.

 

"I have determined that a naval gunfire with reduced concentration will be ineffective against an enemy ship with the thickest armor that is charging head-on. We are currently charging energy to intercept the approaching red. Now, do you have any ideas for the next steps to instruct, students?"

 

The instructor turned to the students.

 

"I repeat, the computers on our battleships are extremely good. As long as we don't give them unreasonable instructions, they will give the best battle command to get the best results. However, the enemy's computers are just as good. They always make the best move. What should we do?"

 

Several messages slowly appeared on the giant display.

 

"Run away."

 

The instructor read out one of them. The students burst into laughter.

 

"That's also one of the correct answers. Can you see what is fundamentally different about this instruction from the previous suggestions?"

 

The instructor looked around at each of the laughing students, as if checking them out one by one. "The order given to the cruisers was to sink the enemy. But the order to flee means changing the previous order. Changing the way of fighting, as proposed up until now, is nothing more than a change in tactics. No one tried to change the objective given to the cruisers, which was to sink the enemy ships. But fleeing means canceling the original order and giving a new order. In exchange for abandoning the objective of sinking the enemy, you can minimize the risk of being sunk yourself. And, in fact, that is the reason why there are flesh-and-blood humans on board the battleships."

 

The instructor stopped the battle between the blue and red cruisers.

 

"Computers can quickly and sensitively detect or predict changes in the situation, change tactics, and shift course in a direction that is calculated to have a higher chance of winning. However, even if they can instruct the optimal move, they cannot respond when the most important objectives change depending on the situation. For those of you who are not as experienced in combat as computers, let me make the situation easier to understand. For example, while fighting to fulfill an order to sink a ship, can you expect friendly reinforcements? Is there no need to be wary of enemy reinforcements? And if enemy reinforcements actually arrive, should you respond or ignore them? This simulation was conducted with single ships, and within a set airspace. It's an impossible situation in reality, with no star or gravity source. But we work in real space, with real enemies. If we receive an order to sink an enemy, we will of course faithfully carry out that order, but we also need to think about why that order was given and how to achieve that goal more easily and reliably. If all we need to do is carry out the order faithfully, we can leave it to the computer. But the battle situation changes at the speed of light. In other words, it is your job as living, intelligent beings (humans) to board a battleship to flexibly change the battle goal in response to the changing situation."

 

The instructor resumed the cruiser's maneuvering battle.

 

"The objective of this battle is for both sides to sink the enemy. So why do we have to sink the enemy? Will that objective be achieved by sinking the enemy? Or should we eliminate the enemy from this area? Should we capture them and put them under our control? Is there a possibility of reinforcement from both sides? If we are at a disadvantage as the battle progresses, should we stay, knowing that our losses will increase? Or should we run away and regroup, as the brave freshman just showed us? The computer will use its best skills to carry out the best battle to be taken at any given time, but it cannot read all the situations on the battlefield or outside the battlefield and give the best strategy accordingly. That is the commander's job, and it is also the job expected of you as a fleet officer."

 

The instructor looked up at the mobile battle unfolding in a stereoscopic image.

 

"In other words, just because you've left the fighting to the computers, it doesn't mean that you can sit back and enjoy watching the battle take place once you're in charge of commanding it. Before you can even begin a battle, you must first understand what the battle is for, what the objectives of the battle are, how much of the objective needs to be achieved before you can be considered a victory, how much damage you can tolerate in order to achieve that objective, and whether you have to annihilate the enemy or whether it's okay to just drive them away from your sight for the time being. It doesn't matter whether you're the supreme commander in charge or, in field terms, the lowest-ranking officer working on the front lines. You'll be hearing this a lot from now on, and before long it will become a part of your own mind. It will become clear to you, but battles proceed at the speed of light. Wherever you join the battle, or how you join, there is a possibility that the place you are in will be on the front line, and you will soon be in a situation where you will be present at the most important moments and make decisions. It is our job as instructors to educate you freshmen so that you can make the decisions you need when you need them, and it is your job to become able to make decisions. I expect you to become fleet officers who can make the best decisions at the best times. That's all."

 

"Well, it's a very practical class."

 

Chiaki sat down in a chair in Lynn’s room, which was the only place in the academy and the planet where he could talk with ease, and folded his arms.

 

"As expected of the Imperial Fleet Academy."

 

"I thought I would be taking a class that was more inhuman, like being remodeled into a part of a battleship."

 

Marika was pouring tea from the pot into the cups lined up on the table with a tired face.

 

"I didn't expect to be told all of a sudden that it's our job to be on the front lines of thinking."

 

"That's how rich people fight in this world."

 

After checking her messages, Lynn turned back to Chiaki and Marika, along with the seat.

 

"In a modern battlefield, where the frontline infantry are all connected by network to the Supreme Commander in Chief, unless there is some deliberate restriction on access, everyone is on an equal footing with no information gap. Information from the frontline doesn't take any extra time to reach the Commander in Chief, and the Commander in Chief's decisions are communicated to the frontline without any time lag. Since we don't know what kind of situation will occur or where, it is more efficient overall to train even the lowest level officers to be able to make high-level political decisions and to give them authority on the frontline. That's the basic policy for officer training in the Imperial Fleet right now."

 

"It's a lot more open than I imagined."

 

"That's the situation we're in."

 

When offered a cup and saucer, Lynn reached for the tea.

 

"It's not like the old days, where you can be cut off from the network for the entire time before a mission, when you receive orders, receive explanations, and even receive special training. The more time you have before a mission, the more you can investigate the surrounding situation after the mission. So, rather than being misled by outside information of questionable authenticity, it's better to give reliable information from the beginning and increase the freedom of the field, which will increase morale and make it easier to change orders as the situation changes. It's better for not only the headquarters but also the front line to understand tactical and strategic goals at the same time, which allows for more accurate judgment in the overall picture, and ultimately benefits not only the fleet but also the Galactic Empire."

 

"Senpai..."

 

Marika put the pot down and looked intently at Lynn, who was holding a cup in one hand.

 

"...You've been thoroughly educated."

 

"Eh? Does it look like it?"

 

Lynn put her mouth to the cup.

 

"Hmm, it's the Lamp Hall flavor. I remember being allowed in the clubroom a few times, it brings back memories."

 

"Thank you."

 

"The Imperial Fleet is the biggest fighting force in the universe right now. We're allies for now, but since we don't know what the future holds, I think it's a good strategic goal to understand their chain of command and policies accurately, considering you've already entered the military academy."

 

Lynn put the cup back on the saucer.

 

"Also, this may be preaching to the choir for you two who are actually pirates, but electronic warfare is basically a battle that's left to computers. You know that humans don't handle everything from jamming signals to cracking battle networks, right?"

 

"Well, that's true."

 

Marika exchanged glances with Chiaki. As the captain of a pirate ship, Marika and Chiaki, as crew members, have been lectured on the basics of electronic warfare.

 

"When the enemy's radar hits us, we measure the frequency and output, and then we send out jamming signals in response, send back a fake response, or hide. It's not like a human has to calculate everything by hand, turn on the necessary machines, and type on a keyboard. The necessary information is displayed on a display, and we can give commands to respond. Of course, how we respond depends on what equipment we have, what software we have, and how many response patterns we have, but the exchange of electronic jamming against counter-electronic jamming, and counter-electronic jamming against counter-electronic jamming, has a set pattern, so we can respond to a certain degree automatically, and in fact, that's how it's done on Bentenmaru, so I tried to make it so that Odette II could do the same."

 

"Senpai--"

 

Marika let out a resentful voice.

 

"Senior Jenny told me not to make unnecessary modifications to our training sailing ship, didn't she?"

 

"Don't worry, don't worry, I've switched off the settings that would automatically start electronic warfare like before. The automatic update of electronic warfare patterns is still on, but it's just network antivirus or security, and there are manuals and notes on how to do it properly, so don't worry."

 

"What will our juniors do when they operate the Odette II in 10 years' time!? It was a pirate ship a long time ago, but now it's a training sailing ship for a girls' school, and it's not like they're bound to use electronic warfare every time they go out!"

 

"Well, I guess senior 10 years ago never expected a pirate captain to join the yacht club or to pick a fight with the Imperial fleet. So I think it's my duty as an active member to do everything I can."

 

"Wow, no way, I hate myself for thinking that's so persuasive!!"

 

"So, going back to the topic of computer-driven battles, whether it's a net war against a computer or electronic warfare against a spaceship, the basic procedure is to leave the details to the computer and give instructions here and there while watching the overall situation and trying to achieve your goal. When I hear stories like that from someone who does that, I think it's safest to leave it to an expert who can make accurate decisions, and when I hear that these experts are crammed with history from all over the world, past and present, and prior knowledge, and are making decisions with a memory capacity and speed that a living human being can't, I think that's the best thing to do."

 

Lynn picked up the cup again.

 

"Even Marika listens to the opinions of various experts when fighting on the Bentenmaru."

 

"I listen to them all the time. Otherwise, I don't think we could move a pirate ship, let alone win."

 

"The Imperial Fleet has the same basic strategy."

 

Lynn swiveled her chair around to face the 3D display on her desk, which was still illuminated.

 

"One of the basic principles of the military is rationality. The current Imperial Fleet is one that has pursued rationality to the utmost for the purpose of combat. It feels like there are a lot of unnecessary details and decorations due to its large scale and long history, but even so, their greedy attitude of absorbing the latest technology and wanting to remain the strongest is scary."

 

"Do you think you can win?"

 

When asked, Lynn, with her back turned to him, pretended to think for a moment.

 

"It would be one thing if we were just rational, but the Imperial fleet has a generous budget and even powerful reinforcements. If we want to win, I think we'll have to use unconventional tactics like we did during the War of Independence."

 

"Unconventional tactics, like bringing in future technology?"

 

"No, no. I'd recommend something that's more advantageous to the Imperial fleet. Even if it's different from the fleet's current policy, if it's advantageous overall, there's a chance we can take down the Imperial fleet. That's the only thing I can think of."

 

"That's not a battle, is it?"

 

"That's right."

 

Lynn nodded as if it was obvious.

 

"The Imperial Fleet is well prepared so that they will never lose if it comes to actual combat. That's why negotiations backed by military power are meaningful. Well, in most cases, the Imperial Fleet appears at the last minute when all negotiations have failed and it's inevitable that they will start a war, but even so, rather than fighting a battle that they are sure to win and earning unnecessary grudges, it's better to dangle military power and make the enemy retreat, as this will allow you to achieve your own goal and avoid damage to either side. Of course, it costs a huge amount of money to move the fleet, but even that is cheaper than a bargain sale with a huge amount of money when you consider the damage that would be caused to both friend and foe in actual combat. If you're training fleet officers to wage war, you want them to think about ways to avoid war, so that's the educational policy you'll have."

 

"Something like that..."

 

Marika sighed deeply and picked up her cup.

 

"It's thoroughly rational."

 

"The military is the ultimate rationality. And that rationality is not only shown in the Imperial Fleet's composition and battle policy, but also in the crew training procedures that have been refined over many years."

 

Lynn looked at Marika and Chiaki with a mischievous smile.

 

"Tomorrow is the real thing. The Seven Days of Fire, a specialty of the military academy."

 

"What's that?"

 

"To train the new students to become Imperial Fleet officers, there will be a series of practical training sessions in various situations to check their aptitude."

 

Lynn turned to the 3D display on her desk and tapped the console to bring up the schedule.

 

"Pilot training, offboard training, and combat experience."

 

Marika and Chiaki looked at the schedule. Marika looked dejected.

 

"What?"

 

"You think it'll be easy because you were on the Odette II and the pirate ship, but in fact, when they enroll, the new students are divided into groups according to their background and skill level, from complete beginners to experienced students, and only those with a certain level of experience are sent to Gaiapolis. Marika and Chiaki even achieved excellent results in the top five percent of the practical exam, surviving a real-life situation on a landing craft."

 

"Did that information come from the intelligence department? Or did you look it up yourself?"

 

"It came from the intelligence department. Well, it's important to know whether the juniors will be able to become juniors properly, and whether the prerequisite conditions for starting a mission are in place, so it's interesting. So, for new students who already have that level of piloting skill and practical experience, the appropriate situation is prepared. Haven't you received the schedule for tomorrow?"

 

Marika and Chiaki exchanged glances.

 

"Well, tomorrow we'll take the shuttle to the relay station, then we'll do an extravehicular activity on the amphibious assault ship..."

 

"You too, Chiaki?"

 

"Same here. I don't know how much accurate data the fleet and the school have about us."

 

"Well, the intelligence guys should be doing a good job of making sure that doesn't cause any problems no matter what happens, but even if Marika and Chiaki said they were spacewalk beginners, it wouldn't work, right?"

 

"Well, the practical exam for admission was a sudden landing craft simulation of a real battle, so even if you just enrolled, you can't start over from basic training."

 

"Well, just think of it as a sightseeing trip with a series of attractions that tests your stamina. There's no need to worry about dying, so have fun."

 

Lynn waved with a smile, and Marika and Chiaki looked at each other.

 

The educational policy of the Imperial Military Academy is always practical, based on years of empirical facts and the results of research.

 

Experience is better than education. People forget what they've been taught, but they never forget experience.

 

Education is more effective when students experience things in the field than through classroom education.

 

In accordance with this educational policy, officer cadets who enroll in the academy are exposed to as many major occupations and situations as they can in a short period of time.

 

The next day. After an early breakfast in the dining hall, the 1246th class of officer cadets at Gaiapolis West Campus were divided into several groups and transported to their respective destinations.

 

The class including Marika and Chiaki took a shuttle flight from Gaiapolis West Spaceport, where they had just landed the day before, to a relay station, and from there they boarded the Imperial Fleet's training amphibious assault ship.

 

The main mission of the amphibious assault ship is to invade and seize control of the planet's surface from orbit. The amphibious assault ship departed from the Gaiapolis relay station and began missions suited to the level of each new recruit.

 

Candidates with experience piloting spacecraft will launch in training aircraft and training boats and make long-distance flights.

 

Candidates with no spacewalk experience will be tasked with an extravehicular activity mission in a spacesuit.

 

Candidates with spacewalk experience will be assigned missions of increasing difficulty according to their level.

 

The mission set for Kato Marika and Chiaki Kurihara was to don a powered suit and enter the atmosphere alone, then reach the destination, the recovery camp.

 

Both Marika and Chiaki have experience wearing armor on their spacesuits and using additional combat equipment, but when it comes to powered suits, they have only ever seen the outdated models installed on the Bentenmaru and Barbaroosa in operation.

 

After breakfast, the trainees check the manual that was distributed on the day of the training while traveling by high-speed train and shuttle. They then receive a lecture and practical training in the Empire's latest powered suit that is equipped on the amphibious assault ship they are transferred to, and then put on the powered suit.

 

A simple space suit can be worn over everyday clothes and goes into space, but a powered suit is meant to be worn for long periods of time, so the training begins with putting on underwear that detects muscle currents and controls physiological phenomena including heat generation and excretion. For this reason, candidates in the powered suit course adjust their diet the night before and are required to prepare thoroughly in the bathroom before starting training.

 

Once they put on the underwear, individual differences in physique, physical strength, and level of nervous system development are automatically adjusted. After multiple checks to ensure that there are no abnormalities or problems, the trainees move on to putting on the powered suit.

 

An exoskeleton powered suit is a robot worn like a costume that greatly expands the wearer's power and range of activity. A normal space suit without any physical reinforcement is said to be the smallest spaceship, but a powered suit, which is covered with heavy armor and allows for long-distance travel and operational activities on its own, is also said to be the smallest space battleship.

 

Powered suits also come in a wide variety of types, from super suits that barely change size when worn, to mobile suits that are made up of large exoskeletons like those of a giant robot. The suit prepared on the amphibious assault ship for this training was the Trooper Commando E-type, which has been used and improved for a long time in the Imperial fleet and is said to be the perfect form of powered suit.

After putting on the underwear, a special helmet for operation, and control gloves, the wearer enters the robot, with the refrigerator-like hatch on the back of the headless powered suit wide open. Both legs go into the lower half of the robot, the wearer closes the hatch on the back by themselves, and then both arms go into the control parts extending from both shoulders. The current procedure for putting it on is displayed through the visor of the helmet, so there is no confusion.

 

The inside of the powered suit is made with plenty of room so that anyone of average build can wear it, but there are many gaps as it is. Of the Trooper Command E-type, which comes in a number of sizes to accommodate differences in build, the S-plus size was assigned to Marika and Chiaki, which are small and slender. However, even with the hatch on the back closed and both arms and legs together, there are still a lot of gaps.

 

Next, a backpack with additional equipment is attached by a robotic arm over the hatch on the back, and then a headgear equipped with various sensors is attached to cover the helmet, completely covering the wearer's body.

 

As soon as the headgear is put on, the necessary information is displayed on the visor of the helmet. Still wearing the powered suit, Marika tapped her fingers on the virtual control panel displayed at her fingertips and began preparations for startup.

 

The surrounding scenery returns through the helmet visor, which was once covered by the powered suit's headgear and from which only the light of the indicators could be seen. To be precise, the external image captured by the camera is displayed within the field of vision as if in virtual reality, but it doesn't feel strange.

 

Marika follows the fitting confirmation procedure, first looking at the camera and then turning her head to make sure there is nothing strange about what she sees. The helmet inside the headgear moves with the wearer, but the external headgear, packed with sensors, does not move.

 

The current location, the status of the powered suit, and other necessary information are displayed in 3D, as if floating around the wearer, rather than being superimposed on the outside scenery. Marika moves her right hand, which still has a lot of gaps, and proceeds with the fitting procedure.

 

Injecting the fitting liquid. By injecting a special liquid inside the suit that fills the gaps between the underwear and the powered suit, the wearer can feel that the powered suit fits perfectly to their body. This fitting liquid can also be hardened from a liquid or gel state depending on the situation, and can protect the pilot from changes in the external environment and impacts.

 

While feeling the pressure of entering water from her feet, the liquid inside the powered suit filled up to the top of Marika's helmet. After checking the display that the injection and air evacuation were complete, it was time to check the operation of the powered suit.

 

The powered suits around her, who seemed to have already proceeded with the procedure, were doing exercises, stretching, and stomping on the spot to check their operation. Marika remembered the check procedures after donning the powered suit that were in the manual and tried moving her body like she was doing exercises.

 

"Amazing..."

 

She couldn't help but mutter.

 

"It's like she's not even wearing underwear, let alone a powered suit. This must be easier than a space suit."

 

In reality, the weight of the powered suit itself is easily five times that of the wearer, and now with the backpack attached, it's ten times that. And yet, no matter how much she swung her arms around, she didn't feel any weight.

 

Marika went to the athletic equipment for checking operation that was installed on one side of the wall of the powered suit preparation deck. The expanders and weights, which were adjusted for the powered suit, didn't budge when I tried them out before wearing them.

 

I put my hands through the powered suit on a thick spring with grips on both sides that was attached to the wall. With just a little force, the spring bent easily. If I tried to maintain that position, a recoil would come back to my hands, and the operation status of the powered suit was also displayed around both arms.

 

"A total of 500 kilos!"

 

Seeing the red sign that said "It's dangerous, so return slowly" flashing, Marika slowly returned the spring.

 

"And it says there's barely any output. Amazing."

 

"Once you've finished suiting up and checked that it works, come over here."

 

Not only what the stereo said, but also the name of the person who said it and their location were displayed in my field of vision. The bright red powered suit of Lieutenant Grace Parker, one of the instructors for this mission, was displayed in my field of vision with her name on it.

 

That meant that my name and situation were also displayed inside the instructor's powered suit, and Marika gave a wry smile. The training status was not only monitored by the instructor. The status of all students in training was supposed to be monitored by the Combat Information Command Center of the amphibious assault ship, the mother ship of the powered suit, and by Gaiapolis West School on the ground.

 

The current situation, from the preparation status of the powered suit to their health condition, should be known to the instructors, higher-ups, and the computer that shared the data. Understanding that this was the safest and most reliable way to increase the survival rate in the extreme conditions of outer space, Marika looked around the powered suit preparation deck to check on the status of the other students. After seeing that most of them were still in the process of preparation, Marika moved in front of the red powered suit of her instructor, Lieutenant Parker. Since the powered suit was equipped with a backpack in addition to the main body of the suit, the total mass and the kinetic energy that increases with movement speed should be considerable, but she could walk through it normally.

 

Staying alert, Marika walked carefully to the instructor, making sure not to catch on the other powered suits or the equipment on the preparation deck.

 

"Cadet Kato Marika, you're doing pretty good."

 

She heard Instructor Parker's voice. Marika wondered if she was the only one hearing it or if everyone else who was called that could hear it.

 

"You guys are beginners in powered suits."

 

Marika decided that she wasn't the only one hearing it.

 

"The time you wear it is counted like driving time or piloting time. Beginners who have only worn it for a few minutes need to move more carefully than necessary. However, the AI ​​inside the powered suit automatically judges the wearer's experience and skill and automatically brakes any unnecessary or urgent movements. Cadet Kato, once you've confirmed that it's safe in front of you, try walking quickly over here. Don't run, walk quickly."

 

"Cadet Kato, walk quickly to Instructor Parker."

 

Faithful to the basics, Marika repeated the instructions. After making sure that there were no powered suits that might come into the way carelessly or any onboard facilities that might get in the way, Marika quickened her pace. A red alarm flashed in the corner of her vision, and her legs suddenly became heavy.

 

"Cadet Kato, I'll tell you what happened. The powered suit judged it dangerous for a beginner wearer to walk faster than necessary, so it applied the brakes. Cadet Kato, stop walking quickly and return to normal walking."

 

"Cadet Kato, return to normal walking."

 

Thinking that she had been used as a teaching material, Marika relaxed her legs. Her legs, which had been dragging so heavily, became light as if nothing had happened.

 

"The candidates who have finished putting on the powered suits will now be launched into Gaiapolis' low-altitude satellite orbit by the catapult of the assault ship Grunwald 59. Once they have become accustomed to the movement and operation of the powered suits in a weightless state, they will enter Gaiapolis' atmosphere."

 

Marika thought she heard a roar from the powered suits.

 

"The powered suits are the smallest manned aircraft capable of combat maneuvering. In space, its maneuverability, which exceeds that of a fighter jet, is utilized rather than its brute strength. The basic flight plan has already been installed in each powered suit, so look up anything that interests you. Do you have any questions?"

 

The powered suits' computers will tell you about the immediate objectives and how to operate them. The upcoming schedule, which the cadets do not yet know, will be sent sequentially to the terminals they carry.

 

"The powered suits you are wearing are among the most expensive equipment in the fleet. You can think of the price of one powered suit as roughly the price of a fighter jet."

 

As the instructor spoke, the cadets murmured again. Marika was surprised that she was connected to the cadets accompanying her, and at the educational system of the military academy that allowed newly enrolled cadets to be entrusted with such expensive equipment.

 

"Therefore, your mission is to return the powered suit you are wearing safely to Grunwald 59. Your job is to complete the specified mission safely and return here safely with the powered suit. I wish you the best of luck. Now, Cadet Kiara Feish, board the catapult."

 

"Cadet Kiara Feish, moving to the catapult."

 

The sky blue powered suit that replied overlapped with the wearer's name in her field of vision and began to move. Marika remembered hearing that name at the end of the landing operation during the entrance exam.

 

"We're in the same class."

 

She muttered silently.

 

"Next, Cadet Kato Marika, Cadet Chiaki Kurihara! Prepare to move to the catapult!”

 

"Cadet Kato Marika, moving to catapult."

 

"Cadet Chiaki Kurihara, moving to catapult."

 

The contents of the communication are instantly converted into text and displayed in the powered suit’s view along with the wearer's name. It is immediately clear who is in which direction and what they said, and since you can check both audio and text at the same time, you can minimize missing out on information.

 

Marika's pink powered suit was placed on the elevator plate for transferring to the catapult, next to Chiaki's yellow-green powered suit.

 

The assault landing ship Grunwald 59 was equipped with several homing catapults for this purpose. There are several sizes, from large ones used to launch large landing craft to small ones used to launch missiles and powered suits, and similar sizes can be used for both purposes.

 

The elevators carrying the individual powered suits from the powered suit preparation deck were held in place by the field and rose to the catapult launch point on the upper floor.

 

A shaft connected to the catapult launch point opened in the ceiling of the powered suit preparation deck. The elevators rose through it and stopped at the engine room.

 

In front of them was a straight, narrow tunnel with guide lights running in the direction of launch. The length of the catapult and its launch direction were displayed in the field of vision.

 

"Cadet Kato, take your launch position."

 

At the same time as the voice, the position to be taken when launched by the catapult was displayed in the field of vision. Whether it was a powered suit or a space suit, the basic principle when launched by a catapult is to minimize the projected area in the direction of launch, so it is necessary to lie prone.

 

"Cadet Kato, take your launch position."

 

Marika put her powered suit on her knees and crawled forward in the elevator. Stretching both arms straight out in front of her, she raised her gaze in the direction of travel.

 

Marika confirmed that her own posture roughly matched the launch posture displayed in her field of vision.

 

"Cadet Kato in launch position."

 

"All right. Cadet Kato, begin catapult launch countdown. 10, 9."

 

As the announcement was made, the numbers in her field of vision also decreased. Marika wondered if Instructor Parker's voice was live, or if the instructor was a real person. There seemed to be roughly one powered suit for every ten cadets. However, if an instructor at a military academy is expected to have extensive knowledge and teaching experience in a specialized subject, have background knowledge including the names and experiences of all the cadets, be a perfect being who can give accurate instructions and take the necessary action in any situation, then wouldn't it be safer to leave it to a computer?

 

"Three, two, one, zero!”

 

Lie face down on the catapult, with her arms stretched out and clasped in a Superman-type launch pose, Marika was launched by the antigravity engine of the guidance catapult. Her field of vision displayed an acceleration of over several hundred Gs, but because it was a sudden acceleration caused by antigravity, there was almost no force acting on her body.

 

Marika was instantly launched out of the long guidance catapult, and her surroundings changed to outer space as if she had teleported. The sensors of the powered suit automatically switched from in-ship mode to outer space mode, and her current position, orbital speed, and future orbit were displayed in 3D in her field of vision.

 

“Wow, it’s bright!!”

 

Marika couldn’t help but exclaim. Her home planet, Gaia G4, was so far away that the light was automatically blocked, but even through the face shield, which was supposed to be dimmed, the background universe did not look black.

 

"As expected of the center of the galaxy, the Milky Way is so big that it's hard to tell which star to use as a landmark."

 

We're still in Gaiapolis orbit, and our mother star Gaia G4 is floating nearby so there's no mistaking it, so it's not hard to figure out where we are, but the stars are so crowded together that it's hard to tell the constellations or nebulae apart. Marika made the names of the stars appear in her field of vision. The names of the stars that quickly filled her field of vision were automatically reduced and organized so that only the necessary ones could be read.

 

"Wow."

 

I remember when we went on our first spacewalk on the Odette II, the training sailboat of Hakuoh Girls' Academy's yacht club, and Kane complained with a complicated expression about the highly automated extravehicular work suit.

 

"I see, this is easy."

 

I visually confirmed the current positions of the planet at my feet, Gaiapolis, its mother star Gaia G4, and the amphibious assault ship that was launched. The next powered suit was launched from the assault landing ship, with its sharp, angular silhouette getting smaller and smaller. The vector of the yellow-green powered suit was projected into the field of vision, and the wearer's name was superimposed on it.

 

When going outside the ship in a normal space suit, in addition to the equipment and situation of the space suit, you have to check your current position, destination, means of transportation, and the tools you will be taking with you. However, the powered suit, which is equipped with several types of radar, displays your current position in orbit, speed, and direction of movement in 3D within your field of vision.

 

"That's why Kane says it's too easy and will make you a useless person."

 

"In space, powered suits will be the smallest manned combat unit."

 

The instructor's voice is heard and simultaneously displayed in text form in the field of vision.

 

"You are now the smallest space battleship equipped with a powerful propulsion system. First, you will need to learn to control your attitude in space and use the propulsion system to fly around as you like. Call up the control system in both hands."

 

As instructed, Marika called up the control system from the virtual console displayed in 3D in front of her chest.

 

"You control the propulsion system with your left hand and the direction with your right. What's different from small aircraft is that you control your posture with your body. Set the controls for the propulsion and piloting systems to the lowest sensitivity until you get used to it, and try out different things to see how the powered suit moves."

 

"It's like piloting a small aircraft with a remote control in both hands."

 

The control panel, with the propulsion system assigned to the left hand and the piloting system assigned to the right hand, is a virtual 3D display, so it moves with the movement of both hands. Marika brought both hands in front of her to check the layout and functions of the controllers.

 

Both the left and right hands are gripped like a pistol grip or control stick. The controllers on both hands are not real, but the powered suit provides tactile feedback to the wearer, giving the feeling that they are holding a real object.

 

The trigger on the left index finger is the throttle, and the selector on the thumb is for selecting functions. There are various switches arranged on the other fingers, but there are no functions that seem usable at the moment.

 

The control stick on the right hand also has a similar layout, with a selector lever on the thumb and a trigger switch on the index finger. The difference is that the powered suit is controlled by moving the control stick, which is not fixed.

 

"Well, the propulsion throttle is with the left finger, and the control stick is controlled with the right wrist."

 

Marika remembered the minimum lecture she had received on Grunwald 59 before donning the powered suit. In space, there is no need to match the flight direction with the flight attitude. A powered suit allows you to move your five limbs freely, so you can fly in any direction you like in any attitude, without even facing the flight direction. Since it is a combat machine, you are required to minimize the frontal area projected on the enemy in combat situations, but there is a high degree of freedom.

 

Remembering the advice that flying without matching attitude and direction is too difficult for amateurs, leave it to the professionals and get used to the powered suit's controls and flying first, Marika checked the situation around her. According to the friend/foe identification display, there were many friendly machines flying around, but they were all trying slow maneuvers with low thrust.

 

As an experienced spacewalker, Marika first tried out the combination of the propulsion system and the control system. In the fine throttle mode, where even full throttle doesn't produce much thrust, I try accelerating without touching the control system.

 

In a weightless state, I can feel even a slight thrust. When I check the rise and response of the thrust while in the fine throttle mode, the control system operates smoothly, as if it were directly connected to the thrust system.

 

"Just as you would expect, it's a high-end product."

 

Looking at the virtual console for the thrust system and control system, which I held in front of my chest so as not to obstruct my view in the direction of travel, Marika tilted her head.

 

"What's a Despinner?"

 

There are several large buttons in the position where you would release your hands from the throttle or stick and hit them. There are checkers so that they won't work unless you hit them consciously, but apart from the powered suit ejection button for escape and the emergency stop button, I don't understand what the Despinner button is saying. Marika releases her hands from the control stick and touches the Despinner button, calling up an explanation of it.

 

"Spin recovery mode?"

 

Reading the explanation, Marika groaned. A powered suit that can freely control its propulsive force can easily spin like a top. It's not so difficult to recover from a simple horizontal or vertical spin, but if it goes into a compound spin, it's difficult to recover from it.

 

Despinner is a mode in which the computer automatically controls the propulsion and control systems to regain control when the aircraft becomes uncontrollable.

 

"Oh, this is definitely going to ruin a human."

 

Saying something old-fashioned, Marika tried to find other automatic control modes that could be quickly put into place.

 

Even in a powered suit that is not equipped with any combat weapons for training, if the pilot becomes unconscious or unable to control it, the computer will take over control, and if the situation becomes dangerous, it will enter an automatic return to the mother ship mode.

 

"...This can move even without a person on board, right?"

 

Marika turned to look at Instructor Parker's powered suit that had been launched backwards. The instructor powered suits are launched at a ratio of one for every ten candidates, but they can fulfill their role even if the instructor is not among them.

 

"...If you say that, then if we take over control from the mother ship, we can carry out rescue and relief freely."

 

Marika remembered the time when she went on a solo flight in a small fighter during training on the Bentenmaru. She had experienced solo flight in a dingy of the yacht club, but the degree of loneliness is different between the low orbit of Sea of the Morningstar and the atmosphere and the empty interplanetary space.

 

"Compared to flying alone in outer space without any support, it's not that easy."

 

After muttering, Marika realized that the purpose of the training she was being asked to do was different. The purpose of this training was to get used to the powered suit and how to fly it, and solo flight was not important. The operations and flying of the candidates are surely being monitored not only by the instructors but also by the battle information command center of the mother ship and probably by the school on the ground.

 

"In that case, I guess I'll focus on training as originally intended."

 

Marika doesn't have much experience flying around in a space suit equipped with a maneuvering unit. She has worked in a weightless pressurized atmosphere and in a vacuum, but in most cases her body is fixed with scaffolding or grips, and her movement is simple straight-line flight. She doesn't have many opportunities to fly freely with just her body and a propulsion engine.

 

Following the beginner's training course (method) displayed in her field of vision, Marika began maneuvering flight with low thrust. The propulsion unit is installed in the backpack of the powered suit so that the thrust axis passes through the center of gravity, so if you simply apply thrust, it will be like you are being pushed from behind.

 

Even if you accelerate in space, there is nothing to compare it to, so the only thing you have to look at is the weight on yourself and the vector change displayed in your field of vision with numbers. As recommended by the method, Marika turned her back to the direction of travel and used thrust again to stop her momentum.

 

"Unlike a space suit, it might be easier to control her posture with the maneuvering unit."

 

With a normal space suit, she would have to swing her arms and legs around to change her posture. With a powered suit, she could freely roll forward, backward, turn left and right, and even do side rolls with just the controller in her right hand.

 

She could see the blue and green planet of Gaiapolis with white clouds nearby, so she didn't lose her sense of direction, but Marika thought that if she couldn't see the stars or spaceships that served as landmarks in deep space, she would easily lose track of where she was facing.

 

"Is this what they call spatial disorientation?"

 

It's not uncommon for pilots to lose track of their posture or the direction they're heading in, whether it's an airplane, a space suit, or a space ship. There are multiple safety systems in place to prevent accidents, but the basis for recovery is to trust and follow the instrument display, not your own senses. However, it is instinctively difficult to follow a machine as if it were a mistake, even though we trust and follow our senses in our daily lives. That's why training is necessary.

 

As an experiment, Marika tried turning off all the 3D information displayed in her field of vision. The view of outer space projected through the helmet visor is different from looking directly at it with the naked eye, as the light from the host star is cut to protect the optic nerves, and nearby planets, spaceships, and powered suits are displayed brighter to make them easier to see. But the view has been precisely adjusted to look natural, and it almost gives the illusion of floating in space with no physical body parts.

 

"I see, this is going to make me feel sick easily."

 

Marika turned back on the display of the surrounding situation and her own powered suit. The necessary information around her is displayed in 3D with shapes and letters of various sizes.

 

"It's true that it's reassuring and trustworthy to have it displayed, but I can see how humans can fail."

 

Machines are more accurate and trustworthy than the senses of living humans. As machines have become more advanced and connected to networks, they are becoming more trustworthy.

 

Marika tried applying thrust while changing her posture in various ways, with various information displayed around her. She tried to fly upwards, not forwards, to reduce the projected area in the direction of flight as much as possible.

 

With her body stretched out, her hands for control at her sides as when running, and her arms facing forward, Marika tried moving the head of the powered suit in various directions. She tried applying thrust while changing her posture, trying out various ways to see how it would move.

 

Once they had gotten used to it, the computer gave them the task of applying a specified acceleration in a specified direction. Rather than doing things however they wanted, they followed the training course that had been researched and put into practical use for many years, thinking it would be more efficient.

 

Marika was able to fly as she wanted with three-dimensional attitude control and thrust injection, and she understood why powered suits are called the smallest space battleships.

 

"It may have the shape of a powered suit, but you can just think of it as a flying spaceship with a high degree of freedom that allows you to take any pose."

 

Soon, the instruction came for a break. After taking a tonic drink through a straw installed in the mouth of the helmet, they had a mock aerial battle called tag using the maneuvers of the powered suit.

 

At this point, a total of 112 powered suits had been launched from Grunwald 59, including those of the cadets and instructors. The instructor's powered suit, which had been assigned an enemy by the friend/foe identification system, chased the cadet and touched him with its hand. The output is controlled so that it won't break even if it comes into contact, but if it is touched, there is a sense of touch, and if it is hit, a certain amount of impact is fed back. The touched powered suit then becomes an enemy, and in cooperation with the instructor, it chases other cadets who have not yet been touched.

 

"I wonder if this is an advanced version of the hand-holding demon."

 

The difference is that the touched cadet is repainted with the same red enemy identification signal as the demon, and the number of enemies increases one after another, and the demons continue to increase without holding hands.

 

There are no restrictions on the use of the radar/sensor system equipped on the powered suit. However, seeing the friendly powered suits that are emitting transponders and claiming their current location being contaminated one after another with the enemy's red, Marika decided that there was no need to use the radar/sensor system at the moment.

 

"If it is necessary in the future, that will be a problem."

 

If you just want to escape, you can increase the propulsion power and accelerate quickly, but the maximum thrust of all powered suits participating in the training is limited to a low value. Looking at the acceleration displayed, the instructor's powered suit was also using low thrust.

 

If there was no difference in propulsion performance, the difference in flight performance would be evident in the choice of trajectory. The flight direction must be chosen based on the most efficient way to avoid approaching enemies displayed in red, and since the situation changes every second, simple straight flight is not an option.

 

When the number of enemies was still less than half, Marika was touched by the instructor, and she went from being the fleeing party to being the oni and pursuing party. The friend/enemy identification device was instantly switched, and instead of fleeing from the red enemy aircraft, she was now the one chasing.

 

Now, she had to think about how to efficiently corner the fleeing enemy aircraft. Since thrust and acceleration were kept low, foresight and calculation were more important than reflexes and flying skill. Also, as the number of friendly aircraft increased over time, it could become a situation where multiple allies had to work together to pursue a single enemy aircraft.

 

When the last person was touched, the training flight came to a break. The training would resume in ten minutes with only the instructor in the role of Oni, in the same situation as at the beginning, so the students were given the homework of reviewing their flight on the recorder and finding areas for improvement.

 

Each time the same training was repeated, the time it took for the last person to be touched got shorter. Even though they were novices in powered suits, all the participants had spacewalk experience, and they had a certain amount of prior knowledge and skills in flying and moving in a weightless state, so they improved quickly.

 

"I'm surprised they managed to gather so many candidates at a similar level to train together."

 

Marika was horrified when she thought about what was needed for that. The military academy had an accurate grasp of the candidates' aptitudes, skills, and potential for improvement.

 

"I see, this looks like it's going to be hard to win."

 

Muttering to herself, Marika shook her head with a wry smile.

 

"I'm glad it wasn't a job where the Imperial Army was the enemy."

 

The next mock aerial battle after the game of tag was a game of chase. The thrust restrictions of the mobile units are relaxed, and with the acceleration increased, half are randomly divided into friend and foe, and they approach the enemy and take still pictures.

 

"Those with good intuition will have noticed, but this is an aerial battle where cameras are used as guns."

 

The instructor gave a simple explanation.

 

"Get as close as possible to the enemy plane and take a picture. The situation when you take the picture is recorded, so you can check the distance to the target and the situation of each other as much as you want later. The closer you get to the enemy plane, the higher your score will be, and conversely, if you are photographed, your score will be deducted. Take a picture of the enemy plane and fly without being photographed. Now the battle begins."

 

Although the tag game allowed us to fly around freely to a certain extent, our thrust has been increased, so our movements will be faster. The goal is to approach rather than make contact, but the enemy's movements will also be faster, so we will need to be more observant and predictive, and we will have to maneuver to approach the enemy plane efficiently, photograph it, and escape.

 

"It's easier to fly than a spaceship or a small boat, but it means there are more things you have to operate."

 

Marika realized that the maneuver flight training with the powered suit was not for her to get used to the powered suit, but to get used to space flight. Her mother taught her the basics of aerial combat: "The enemy you don't see will kill you," so she tried to look at the whole picture, not just the enemy in front of her, and to look in all directions, not just the direction of travel, but also front, back, left, right, up, down, and all directions.

 

The powered suits acting as instructors were scattered around the periphery, and were dedicated to driving back the powered suits that were trying to jump out so that the airspace of the candidates' powered suits would not expand more than necessary.

 

Maneuver flight training in space required more stamina than Marika had imagined. It was an exercise far removed from everyday life, requiring her to pay attention to all directions while controlling the appropriate direction of movement and the thrust required for acceleration and deceleration, so she had no time to think about unnecessary things. There were too many places to look at, and there was so much to do that it was more tiring than she had expected.

 

When the first break was announced after the start of the mock aerial combat, Marika was surprised to see that the time recorded on the timer was shorter than she had expected. She had thought they had been chasing or running away from the powered suit for a longer period of time, but the time displayed was only about half of what it felt like.

 

The breaks were taken at shorter intervals than in tag, and the upper limit of thrust was raised depending on each person's level of proficiency.

 

It is not necessarily true that stronger thrust gives an advantage in aerial combat. In mobile combat that takes place in three dimensions in a weightless state, what is important is not your own speed but the speed difference and relative speed with the enemy aircraft, and controlling these to your advantage leads to victory. Just because thrust is low does not mean it is a crucial weakness in aerial combat, where the enemy is always attacking and you cannot escape in a straight line. Also, a slight relaxation of the thrust limit does not make much of a difference.

 

After training in mock aerial combat many times with breaks in between, and when the trainees were exhausted, the instructor announced the next task to the trainees.

 

Atmospheric re-entry.

 

The powered suit launched from Grunwald 59 was on an entry trajectory for Gaiapolis. The cadets had trained in the powered suit during two orbital flights around the planet, and on the third orbit they entered Gaiapolis' thermosphere, where the upper atmosphere was compressed adiabatically and burst into flames at orbital speed.

 

The dinghy that Marika was used to riding in also had no clear windows. To increase the strength of the craft and to protect the interior, materials that transmit light and electromagnetic waves, even if they are strong enough, are used only after careful consideration of the locations where they are used.

 

However, for ease of operation, the powered suit displays the outside world in the entire field of view of the face shield. The plasma of atmospheric entry burns just outside the underwear, the exterior of the powered suit, and the additional equipment, and the pressure of the upper atmosphere, which has been compressed to the point of turning into plasma, can be felt not only on the hands but also on the body.

 

Because they enter at an orbital speed fast enough to turn the thin upper atmosphere into plasma, it feels like they are being exposed to flames spraying at hypersonic speeds. Without the powered suit, it would be impossible to maintain one's posture.

 

The plasma flames that can be seen are not as bright as the real thing because an automatic filter is applied to protect the optic nerve, but they are still dazzling enough. The powered suit is covered with a super-hard heat-resistant Duracoat, so there is no need to worry about it burning no matter what position it is in, but without automatic posture control, it would not be surprising if it was blown away in an instant and swung around in a spin and lost consciousness.

 

"I wonder if it would be like this if I was in the jet."

 

In the plasma of re-entry into the atmosphere, Marika brought the fingertips of her own powered suit, which were shaped to be thin for precision work, to her eyes. Her Duracoated fingertips were white-hot from the high heat.

 

"It's amazing that you can move around here without a hitch."

 

Although it is not as hot as the surface of a star, the powered suit is surrounded by high-temperature plasma of over 3,000 degrees. Normal metal materials would melt and evaporate in an instant, and even heat-resistant alloys would crumble and lose much of their strength in this high-temperature environment, but the powered suit, a precision machine that maintains a living environment inside, continues to operate normally. The 3D display around the suit accurately shows the external temperature without issuing a single alarm.

 

The view of the powered suit, which is enveloped in high-temperature plasma, can also be switched. The normal display shows the white-hot plasma that accompanies atmospheric re-entry, but by switching, it is possible to see outside the plasma, and the surface condition of the planet Gaiapolis at an altitude of about 100 kilometers as detected by optical and external sensors. The view can also be switched to normal optical visibility like the naked eye, infrared visibility, and even a geological observation panorama that shows the oceans and land with their crustal structures and names like a precision map.

 

The normal optical visibility is an artificial image reconstructed by a computer and not an actual image, but even upon close observation, Marika could not believe that it was a manufactured image. The thin stratus clouds near the ground and the vortexes of low pressure over the ocean can be seen much more clearly and in detail than when viewed from orbit.

 

"Yeah, well, it's for combat, so I understand that this kind of display is necessary because the landing point isn't necessarily daytime."

 

Looking at the map superimposed on the actual image of the normal optical field of view, Marika thought in amazement.

 

"So even when landing on the night side, you can act while looking at an image like it's daytime. Wow, I don't want to make them my enemy."

 

Soon, the temperature of the surface of the powered suit also drops. Remembering to switch the field of view to the normal display, Marika confirmed with her eyes and the display that the white-hot plasma was dropping in temperature to red and the Duracoat was slowly cooling.

 

The reason the craft burns up when entering the atmosphere is because the orbital speed exposes it to air resistance, which adiabatically compresses the upper atmosphere. If the orbital speed is slowed down to atmospheric speed due to air resistance, the atmosphere does not become hot enough to turn into plasma.

 

At an altitude of 80 kilometers, the powered suit left the hot plasma state it had when re-entering the atmosphere. Although it was far below orbital speed, it was still traveling at hypersonic speed, so it was still flying while compressing and heating the surrounding atmosphere and leaving shock waves, but the hot atmosphere that would normally stain the view was no longer visible.

 

As is the case with most watery rocky planets that are covered in an atmosphere that nurtures life, at this altitude the sky is still as black as outer space. The powered suit, which was in free fall, deployed the variable wings of its backpack and became a supersonic glider.

 

Because it was in the thermosphere, which was even higher than the stratosphere, the air was too thin to generate enough lift to fly even if the wings were spread. However, there was enough resistance to control the direction of the fall even without power. In the powered suit that had shifted from atmospheric entry position to flight position, Marika set course for the specified landing point.

 

The training conditions mimicked an enemy landing. The powered suit, which only had its passive sensors working, picked up on a wingman that had entered the atmosphere at the same time and was descending in the surrounding airspace, but was under radio silence until landing, meaning that all electromagnetic waves, including radar and communications, were forbidden. The powered suit's computer would suggest flight posture and route to the designated landing point, so the wearer simply had to follow that.

 

"So I don't really need to get used to flying in the atmosphere?"

 

Compared to the elaborate maneuver training in space, the flight path from atmospheric re-entry to the ground was almost straight and monotonous. Considering the flight performance of the powered suit, Marika was convinced.

 

"A powered suit can only fly in the sky, not in space, so I guess I just need to experience that. Does that mean I'll have training on an airplane too?"

 

After thinking for a moment, the answer came to me right away. "I don't know if it's a trial training or something, but it's impossible."

 

At an altitude of 20 kilometers, the sky changed from black to blue as they were finally able to glide using their wings. The training conditions forbid the use of propulsion until they reached a low altitude, so the powered suit descended to the target landing point as an unpowered glider.

 

Marika checked the situation at the target landing point, which was just within visible range as the altitude decreased.

 

The designated landing target is a strip of land on the coast, with the left half of the strip being a wide, straight stretch of sandy beach from the current flight direction, and the right half being an expanse of ocean. If the target is shifted too far to the left, it will end up in a grassland area.

"I see, so you're saying that the beach is the place where amateur trainees will be least damaged when landing, and if it looks dangerous, you should land in the sea, and if you miss the mark too much, you'll suffer."

 

Support vehicles and ships, as well as rescue planes flying low and at low altitudes, could be seen around the target landing point.

 

"The center of the target landing point is, um, over there."

 

The target landing point was designated as a strip on the coast that was one kilometer wide and five kilometers long. If we get low, we can use the propulsion system, but Marika looked at the current flight speed and the wind direction at each altitude and determined that if we did it well, we could land without using the propulsion system. Landing with the wind has been done many times in simulations and practical training with the yacht club's dinghy. The dinghy is not equipped with a sensor that can display the wind direction at each altitude in a three-dimensional vector. This powered suit has an atmospheric sensor that displays the distribution of updrafts and downdrafts together with the wind direction, so it's easy to read the wind.

 

"However, it doesn't have a good lift-to-drag ratio like a dinghy, so you have to be careful about that."

 

If a light dinghy opens its wings fully, it can fly farther even by gliding without thrust. It can also gain altitude by catching an updraft, but the wings are not that big, and a heavy powered suit cannot glide that far.

 

The wings capture the air and generate lift, but a non-powered powered suit loses altitude with a force that is better than a thrown rock. As the altitude decreases and the atmospheric pressure increases, the air resistance also increases, so the lift increases and the speed decreases as the suit is pulled up.

 

As an experiment, Marika tried lifting the head of the powered suit a little while it was descending slowly. In exchange for the altitude descent becoming slower, the speed decreases more rapidly.

 

"It's heavy and fast, so you have to fly faster than a dinghy, but the basics are the same."

 

We enter the stratosphere and our flight speed will soon exceed the sound barrier. After checking that the wind on the ground was not too strong from low altitude, Marika decided not to rely on the wind and to land straight on the beach, the target landing point.

 

"Well, if I keep going like this, I'll go too fast and go too far, so if I go down to a lower altitude early and glide, I'll run out of room and it'll become a one-shot deal, so to fly faithfully to the basics, I'll fly in a zigzag pattern in the sky."

 

By zigzagging left and right, you can gain more distance than if you fly in a straight line, so you can also slow down. Marika gently tilted the powered suit in flight position and began to turn at high altitude.

 

The wings that spread out from her back were almost straight, even though the leading edges were slightly set back, and the powered suit hanging in the center could not be said to be aerodynamically shaped, so although it was lightweight and had good response, it could not be said that the flight performance was good. However, the computer-controlled variable wings read the wearer's intentions and fly with the highest efficiency.

 

"Wow, that's gross!"

 

Marika couldn't help but cry out, keenly aware of the presence of the flight control computer between her control and the actual flight. Unlike a dinghy, which transmits the pilot's intentions directly to the aircraft, she could tell that her control was being adjusted for optimal control.

 

"So, even if I want to do something reckless, it won't let me."

 

Understanding that this was a safety control, Marika tried looking for a command to disable automatic control, then gave up.

 

"I have to understand this thing's characteristics before I do that, otherwise I'll end up suffering."

 

After turning about 60 degrees, she rolled in the opposite direction to change course. The aircraft was as stable during the snaking motion as it was during straight flight, and the roll was fast enough.

 

"The surplus thrust should be usable not only in space but also in the air, so even if the flight performance is minimal, it's enough to move around a little."

 

Marika laughed in amazement when she thought about what that meant.

 

"If you land in front of the enemy, you'll be intercepted by anti-aircraft fire, so it's not for evasive maneuvers."

 

Fortunately, the current flight situation is not one in which you have to attempt evasive maneuvers. There is no landing support from the ground, but the powered suit will compare the terrain of the planet's surface with the input target landing site and tell you where to go and how to fly to get there.

 

After turning the powered suit around several times, Marika began the final landing approach. She entered low altitude flight just before the designated landing area, took a nose-up attitude and slowed down as she approached, flew over the beach using ground effect, and landed just before stalling, kicking up a big cloud of dust.

 

"Quickly."

 

Marika landed on the beach, running fast and unable to kill her speed. The fine white sand would trip you up if you walked normally, but the heavy powered suit allowed you to walk normally even if it was up to your ankles.

 

"Wow, what kind of control do you have?"

 

"Cadet Kato, confirming landing."

 

I heard the voice of Instructor Parker, no matter where he was watching.

 

"Are there any abnormalities?"

 

The aircraft and physical condition of the aircraft should be monitored. Marika looked around the display in her field of vision, wondering how much she understood about her situation. If there was a problem that needed to be dealt with immediately, it would have flashed a warning color, but it only showed normal signs. As for his physical condition, his heart rate was higher than expected, but there was nothing abnormal.

 

“I'm fine.”

 

After answering, Marika repeated herself.

 

“Cadet Kato, there is nothing abnormal with the aircraft or with yourself.”

 

“Good. A supply base has been set up on the grassland side. Once you have confirmed that the route is safe, proceed there on foot and follow instructions. I repeat, proceed on foot. Do not run. The cadets have gained experience wearing powered suits in weightlessness, but this will be their first time using them on the ground. Be careful not to collide with other cadets descending, and walk safely to the supply base.”

 

“Understood.”

 

Marika responded.

 

“Cadet Kato, proceeding to the supply base on foot.”

 

Looking back, she sees the other powered suits descending one after another with their wings spread. After making sure that crossing the landing area would not get in the way of the descending powered suit, Marika began to walk across the beach.

 

When she left the beach and entered the grassland, the feet of the powered suit no longer sank.

 

"Oh, it's much different."

 

Because it was a powered suit, she didn't find it difficult to walk on the sinking sand while weighing much more than her body weight, but it was much easier to walk on the grassland where there was no risk of sinking.

 

"Does it feel like my feet are no longer clinging to me?"

 

Marika looked back. It can't be helped since it's a powered suit, but her heavy footprints were deeply imprinted in the white sand, as if she had been pushing her way through a snowy field.

 

"I'm not that heavy!"

 

Letting out a cry of protest, Marika began walking towards the supply base that was visible within her field of vision.

 

The supply base had been set up on the grassland specifically for this training.

 

After entering the atmosphere and flying down to the beach or sea, the powered suits first walk through a wash course similar to that of an automatic car wash. They pass through a tunnel where cleaning fluid is sprayed from above and from both sides, then through a cleaning tunnel where different types of cleaning fluid are used and strong winds are used to dry and remove dirt, before entering a transparent maintenance area temporarily assembled on the grassland.

 

In a real combat situation, it is possible to put on and take off the powered suit and perform maintenance outdoors, but if a foreign object gets in, it can cause malfunctions and slow down the reaction. After being told that putting on and taking off the powered suit and maintenance would be done in as clean an environment as possible, the cadets wearing the powered suits first had the fluid filling the gap between them and the powered suit drained, and then the hatch on their backs was opened to release them from the powered suit.

 

After regaining their bodies for the first time in a long time, the cadets moved from the maintenance area surrounded by transparent walls to a rest area connected by an airtight passage. There, they were told that they would be having lunch, and Marika was surprised that only half of the day had passed.

 

It is forbidden to leave the rest area, which is closed off from the outside air, or the maintenance area after removing the powered suits, in order to prevent contamination, impurities, or foreign objects from entering the powered suits and their occupants, which are placed in a clean environment and could cause malfunctions or breakdowns.

 

After lunch and a break, the cadets put on their powered suits again. The afternoon's assignment is training to operate the powered suits under the gravity environment of the ground.

 

The flight backpacks are removed, and the powered suits are in their bare bodies. The cadets walk back to the military academy on their own, without using roads, through the natural environment of grasslands and then forests.

 

The walking training on the grasslands was completed in a relatively short time, but the subsequent running training, running and jumping practice in the powered suits, was not easy.

 

In theory, the powered suits can run at speeds of over 200 kilometers per hour. However, as long as the wearer's legs are inside the two legs of the powered suit, they cannot continue running at that speed.

 

In reality, when high-speed movement is required, there are methods such as floating and low-altitude flight, so continuous high-speed sprinting is not required. However, to use a powered suit on the battlefield, the wearer must be able to freely perform movements such as running, jumping, lying down, and running again while wearing the powered suit.

 

Since the powered suit assists the movements, strength is not required. However, the wearer, who is wearing a heavy object that assists the force, must get used to the movements of how to move and stop the body.

 

"It's harder to stop than to move, this thing."

 

After the cadets were able to perform a series of movements such as running, stopping, jumping, and lying down in the natural environment of the grassland, they were then taken into a forest area.

 

The destination displayed on the visors of their helmets was Gaiapolis West Campus, about 20 kilometers away, their alma mater, where they had just departed this morning. After reaching the maintenance area on their own and taking off their powered suits, the cadets were instructed to have dinner, and began their forest running training.

 

The wearer learns through experience that if they simply rush toward their destination, it will actually be less efficient due to poor footing and numerous obstacles, and they choose a route that is as easy and quick as possible and run back to school.

 

Marika returned to Gaiapolis West Campus after the sun had completely set. After carrying out the same cleaning process as in the day in the school's maintenance area, she took off her powered suit and underwear, took a shower in an attached facility, and changed into her training uniform. At the same time, the instructor reviewed the day's training, told her points of interest, and things to reflect on, over the intercom that was connected to her.

 

After dinner, Marika and Chiaki returned to their room and collapsed into bed without much conversation. She collapsed into bed and slept dreamlessly for the first time in a long time. When she opened her eyes, it was already morning, so she must have had a very deep sleep.

 

The next morning, the officer cadets and the students in the powered suit trial course woke up at the usual time and put on their underwear and powered suits again. They were instructed to board the high-speed train with their powered suits on to travel to the spaceport.

 

By using the high-speed train that they had used several times while still wearing their powered suits, they were able to experience using the powered suit in an everyday environment. Marika understood firsthand why not only the high-speed train station, but also the stairs and passageways leading to it were built larger than necessary.

 

After arriving at the spaceport, the powered suit candidates were led by their instructors to a section of the vast maintenance area, rather than the passenger terminal. There, a large backpack was fitted to the powered suit.

 

The instructor explained that the equipment, which was like an even larger container added to the backpack they had worn in space the day before, was a booster pack for returning to orbit.

 

"Yesterday, you entered the atmosphere with just your powered suits. Today, you will be launched by a booster, break through the atmosphere, and return to orbit. After training in orbit, you will return to Grunwald 59. Your mission today is to return the powered suits you are wearing to the mother ship without worsening their condition."

 

The booster pack has enough power to lift the powered suits into orbit and give them orbital speed. The flight until orbit insertion is basically fully automated, with no room for the wearer to operate it other than to abort the flight or escape in the event of an emergency. The operations required to enter the destination orbit are precise and cannot be done by human power.

 

From the ground to low orbit is several hundred kilometers, and during that time, the acceleration to gain orbital speed does not stop. However, there are no operations that the wearer of the powered suit must operate during launch. After a minimum of explanation, the powered suits, carrying booster packs, walked to the liftoff area reserved for vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and began lifting off one after another toward orbit.

 

Marika has also traveled from the ground to orbit many times. However, she has never been in space with such an open view that she could see all around and in all directions. The weather was bright and clear, with only a few thin high clouds floating here and there, and the view of the sunlit scenery expanded as she left the ground. She could see the entire lift-off section of the vast spaceport, the spaceport building that organically connected each section, the passenger terminal she had arrived at when she first landed in Gaiapolis, the entire spaceport including its many long runways and the safety zones surrounding it, and even the surrounding nature reserve and the city beyond that.

 

By the time they reached the same altitude as the high clouds that were difficult to see as they got closer, the horizon that had appeared in a straight line from the ground now curved into a gentle arc, and the bright blue sky had turned a black that was closer to the color of outer space.

 

As Marika looked down at the round planet at her feet, she looked up into the sky and could see in 3D the several spaceships and relay stations in even higher orbit, and Grunwald 59, which had descended into low orbit to collect the powered suit trainees.

 

Then, Marika spotted a huge structure that looked like it had been made by haphazardly putting together scrap metal in the low orbit where they were planning to enter. The almost spherical structure was full of cavities, and while its total mass was smaller than that of the Grunwald 59, the mother ship, its diameter was much larger than the mother ship's overall length.

 

"This is the jungle gym."

 

Along with Instructor Parker's voice, the name of the structure was superimposed on the display.

 

"This is your training ground for today. Think of it as a larger version of the jungle gym you see in the park, made from junk materials, floating in orbit. The orbit you will be placed into is set to match the jungle gym. Once you are in orbit, today's training will begin. First, swim to the jungle gym on your own."

 

During the flight training the day before, today's trainees were able to move freely in space. All of the powered suits launched into orbit reached the jungle gym without any problems.

 

The jungle gym was a sphere made of junk materials, with a huge, irregular three-dimensional lattice structure built into the interior. It was a facility for training how to behave in a space city or large spaceship in a weightless state.

 

The cadets, who had completed flight training in the open space the day before, were ordered to play tag inside a spherical jungle gym full of obstacles today. They could move around by using their hands and feet to move along the jungle gym's structural members, or by using the propulsion system.

 

"However, the safety devices are strictly in place. If you are about to hit anything, whether in your powered suits or the jungle gym, the safety devices will activate and stop you. We will be monitoring how many times the safety devices are activated during training."

 

The cadets were launched in the morning, trained on the giant spherical jungle gym in orbit, and were reaccommodated by Grunwald 59 by noon and returned home.

 

The amphibious assault ship carrying the numerous powered suits had moved to the outer planetary system while the cadets were having lunch and taking a break.

 

The Gaia G4 star system has an extremely dense asteroid belt outside the habitable zone where liquid water can exist on planets. The asteroid belt that is formed in orbit far from the mother planet Gaia G4 is, of course, not natural. It was artificially formed by planets and asteroids transported from tens of light years away, and was then broken up during years of training by the Imperial fleet, reassembled in microgravity, and disturbed by the gravity of the mother planet and other planets.

 

The density is not uniform throughout the orbit. Grunwald 59 has set up a training airspace where relatively low-density small celestial bodies that are unlikely to be damaged in the event of a collision and many bull piles that resemble rolled gravel with many gaps are selected for training candidates.

 

Even though it is a high-density asteroid belt, flying inside it is not that dangerous as long as the relative speed is adjusted. However, once a flying object with propulsion enters the asteroid belt, countless asteroids are repelled by the jet flames, change direction, collide, and change appearance as they scatter and combine. The instructor explained the turbulence that occurs in asteroid belts by comparing it to waves.

 

Turbulence in high-density asteroid belts is caused by the ultra-high-speed jets of both powered suits and large battleships blowing away stars, from tiny celestial bodies to asteroids. As long as the speed and direction of the source can be confirmed, the turbulence is regular, and it is possible to predict the source's future position, just like tracing the trajectory of a ship on the ocean.

 

High-density asteroid belts also greatly reduce the performance of the high-performance radar and sensors that come standard in powered suits. The cadets, who should have been accustomed to maneuvering in space, will now learn to operate powered suits in a new environment.

 

After training in the asteroid belt until nightfall, the cadets returned to Grunwald 59, where they had dinner, rested, and slept on the amphibious assault ship, which was the powered suit's mother ship.

 

The next morning, the cadets transferred from the amphibious assault ship, which was the powered suit's mother ship, to the observation ship, where they flew at an extremely low altitude just above the surface of the star, Gaia G4, in a small observation boat called a solar diver.

 

The next day, while still on board the observation ship, the cadets traveled to a giant planet (Gas Giant) called the Gaia Balloon in the outer planetary system. They boarded the same solar submarines as the day before, and dived from the surface, where the atmosphere was raging like a cloud of various colors with no visibility, to a low altitude like the deep sea, where the atmosphere was liquefied, before surfacing and returning to the mother ship.

 

The fifth day of the experiential training. The cadets transferred from the observation ship to the amphibious assault ship and landed in powered suits on Gaiacrio, the ninth planet floating on the outer edge of the outer planetary system of the Gaia G4 star system. Gaiacrio, far from the mother planet Gaia G4, is an extremely cold planet covered in frozen carbon dioxide and methane gas. The cadets conducted operational training on the planet with an extremely cold environment below -100 degrees even during the day.

 

The sixth day. The cadets returned to Gaiapolis by shuttle the night before, slept in their own beds for the first time in a long while, and the next morning set sail on a training sailing ship into the ocean of Gaiapolis, known as the Western Ocean.

 

The experience courses are not limited to those that involve wearing powered suits in space like Marika or flying on an exploration mission in an observation vessel. The cadets were selected based on their aptitude and experience, and were assigned to not only the entire Gaia G4 star system, but also nearby star systems to complete their respective experience courses.

 

For the last part, all the students who returned to the military academy set out on the seas of Gaiapolis on old-fashioned sailing ships.

 

Even Marika, who was used to riding space sailing ships, had never seen an old-fashioned sailing ship sailing on the ocean before.

 

Most of the cadets boarded a sailing ship for the first time, and they undertook marine training under the direction of the many instructors.

 

"Many of you know that spaceships fly with human power, but sailing ships are also powered by human power. If we read the wind and waves and allocate everyone's power appropriately, we can move such a large ship without an engine. Now, let's go to sea."

 

From the top of the tall mast where she had climbed up to work on rigging, Marika watched as dozens of training sailing ships departed from the dedicated pier and sailed across the blue sea with their white sails unfurled. The fleet is not well-controlled because it is operated by amateur cadets, but the countless masts of the many large sailing ships fill the deep blue sea under the blue sky, moving slowly like a huge white forest.

 

The work procedures are displayed in the field of vision on a head-mounted display built into a simple helmet to prevent accidents, just like when wearing a powered suit, so there is no confusion. However, the cadets on board the training sailing ship have to do all the work with their own muscle strength, so the amount of work is large.

 

When Marika went out on deck for astronomical observation during night training after dinner, she was amazed at the starry sky of the core star system, where the stars were densely packed. The glittering Milky Way took up nearly half of the sky, and it was so bright that they could work by starlight alone.

 

She slept in the berths of the training sailing ship that night, and completed the training schedule for the next day.

 

All the training sailing ships returned to the dedicated piers lined up on the artificial islands by sunset as scheduled, and mooring work was completed.

The freshmen, having completed their intensive experiential learning immediately after enrollment, are now facing their first holiday in their life at the military academy. The cadets who survived the seven fiery days must work hard to recover their exhausted physical and mental strength.

 

Even so, the hustle and bustle in the cafeteria during breakfast was the same as usual. On holidays, many students go out of school. Many students come to the school building or training grounds for extracurricular activities or supplementary lessons, so the dormitory becomes much quieter after breakfast.

 

Marika and Chiaki visited Lynn’s room after breakfast.

 

"How was the seven fiery days, the specialty freshman experience course at the military academy?"

 

As soon as they stepped into the room, Marika and Chiaki turned around in their chairs and Lynn asked them.

 

Marika and Chiaki looked at each other and answered in unison.

 

"I'm tired."

 

After making sure that no one was listening outside, Chiaki closed the door to Lynn’s room.

 

"Did you complete such hard tasks, Lynn?"

 

"What did you do?"

 

"Well, on the first day, we were put in powered suits and trained in orbit, then we re-entered the atmosphere and did ground training."

 

"On the second day, we were launched from the ground in powered suits, and after the jungle gym in orbit, we did an obstacle course in the asteroid belt."

 

Chiaki took over.

 

"We also did things like descending to the surface of a star, diving into a giant planet (gas giant), and maneuvering around an outer ice planet in a powered suit. The final task was offshore training on a sailing ship."

 

"The final task, the offshore training, is the same for all courses, isn't it?"

 

Lynn offered them chairs and moved to the coffee table with her chair.

 

"Probably aptitude. I'm not wearing a powered suit. I was put on an electronic battleship for combat training, inspection and maintenance of large computer hardware, and I went to the surface of a star, a giant planet (Gas Giant), and an asteroid belt, but those were also observation boats, not powered suits."

 

"Electronic battleship!"

 

Chiaki called out.

 

"You rode on it!?"

 

"Yeah, the first fleet's latest Stecken-class, it's the last boss, equipped with antennas with ridiculous output like main guns, as you'd expect from an electronic battleship. If the enemy had several ships like that, I'd definitely run away."

 

Lynn looked around at the two of them.

 

"It was only three months ago, but it feels like years ago. Wasn't it fun?"

 

"Yeah, well."

 

Chiaki admitted.

 

"It's not that I didn't know, but it was all outside my area of ​​expertise, and I was a beginner but I could manage it. It was tough though."

 

"Well, thanks to that, both of us have completely changed our fighting faces."

 

Marika and Chiaki looked at each other again after hearing Lynn say that. They felt refreshed after a night's sleep, but they weren't back to normal.

 

"Well, I'll admit I'm a little tired."

 

"Can I ask a question?"

 

Marika raised her hand to Lynn. Lynn nodded.

 

"Cadet Kato Marika, questions allowed. Ask anything."

 

"I'm not used to using the powered suits or observation boats, and they're outside my area of ​​expertise, but if I try hard, I can manage them. Are all the tasks given to the cadets in the Seven Days of Fire all at this level?"

 

"That's what they say."

 

Lynn nodded again.

 

"There were no outstanding students in the course they took, but there were also no underachievers who dropped out, right? It seems that the educational policy of the military academy, not just the Seven Days of Fire, is to look at the experience and aptitude of the candidates and give them the most efficient tasks to maximize their potential."

 

"If that's the case,"

 

Marika's expression clouded over.

 

"This place is really scary."

 

"Huh? Scary? Why?"

 

"That means the school has an accurate grasp of the students' abilities and potential. What's more, it can predict not only their current grades but also their future grades to a frightening extent, right?"

 

"That's only natural for a school that really cares about its students."

 

Lynn answered.

 

"Besides, they can only predict today's and tomorrow's grades, not anything further in the future. The students' grades and predicted potential are revised every day. So, for both the educator and the student, the most efficient and reliable educational policies and assignments are found at each moment. Of course, they may make students think that way, but then give them unreasonable assignments in order to dramatically improve their potential."

 

"But even at the military academy, there are students who fail or drop out, right? That means there are mistakes in aptitude assessments and teaching policies, right?"

 

"I wonder if there's any official data out there."

 

Lynn turned back to the computer and started tapping away.

 

"Oh, there's that. The dropout rate for the entire military academy is 0.5%. So that means only one out of every 200 who enrolls drops out, which means the graduation rate is probably better than compulsory education."

 

"But that means there are students who get the educational policy wrong or don't suit them, right?"

 

"Grades aren't the only reason for failure or expulsion. The reasons that are made public are obviously chosen because they're peaceful and don't cause too many problems to the outside world, but leaving aside things like family circumstances, illness, and accidents, it seems like there are cases where students fail or are expelled because they didn't agree to a course change even though their wishes and aptitude didn't match, or because they have a bad attitude toward school."

 

"The management of students is left to the computer, right?"

 

Marika asked again.

 

"Does that mean that computers make mistakes too?"

 

"Even if you leave it to the computer, it's humans who are giving instructions and approvals."

 

Lynn answered while searching for more data.

 

"Not all instructors have a complete grasp of each student's background and aptitude, and the computer only produces the most reliable data from years of accumulated data, so it's not completely reliable. But the computer accumulates experience points that even a group of active instructors can't match, and the instructors use that to raise the level to the maximum, so isn't it more reliable than the guidance of a real teacher?"

 

"What do you mean by maximum?"

 

"It's when the level counter reaches the set maximum and stops."

 

"There's more than just one real instructor, right?"

 

Marika asked something that had been bothering her.

 

"I said goodbye to the real instructor properly, and I only heard his voice over the radio during the training, but even though he has quite a few students under his care, I feel like he's always watching me, and I don't think that's something a human being can do."

 

"Well, Marika."

 

Lynn turned away from the screen and smiled.

 

"I haven't confirmed it, but I think so too. I wouldn't be surprised if more than half of the instructors at the military academy were androids equipped with AI. It would be easier to find the optimal teaching pattern from the database and teach it to countless students that way."

 

"But..."

 

"With a living instructor, no matter what you do, it's possible that you might not get along with the instructor or that your teaching methods might be different. With a computer, you can freely choose the instructor's personality and methods, and you can do whatever you want to suit the instructor. Since the instructor doesn't exist, there's no need to worry about past grudges or troubles arising from connections. So, isn't it okay?"

 

"Is it okay?"

 

"Instructors are just textbooks to the students."

 

Lynn showed Marika and Chiaki the cover of a textbook with a thin electronic display and specialized subjects installed on it.

 

"It's enough if there's someone who can explain things in the textbook, and sometimes even things that aren't in the textbook, in an easy-to-understand way, and teach them in a digestible way. Furthermore, while a living human being might have uneven work performance due to poor health, mood, or other factors, a computer can give you the best possible lessons, tailored to your needs. If you're in the position of a student, wouldn't it be better to have a teacher who can give you good lessons?"

 

"But you can't teach a machine."

 

"Machines don't make mistakes," said Lynn.

 

"You were taught that in the yacht club, right? Human senses can make mistakes or slip up, but machines and computers can't. Of course machines and computers aren't always accurate and reliable, and if they break down or don't work well they can make mistakes or give outrageous instructions, but that's the fault of the people using them who don't properly maintain and adjust them. Optical sensors and radars are more accurate than a human judging by their eyes and head, and computers have more data to work with. Also, even if you consider the probability of failure, machines are thousands, maybe tens of thousands, times less likely to break down than humans."

 

"So the education at the military academy is as accurate and precise as the autopilot of a spaceship."

 

Chiaki interrupted.

 

"Is that your interpretation, Lynn?"

 

"I'm just guessing that that's probably the education policy."

 

Lynn stuck out her tongue.

 

"That's true if you think about it as a way to maximally safely and reliably train students, who are valuable living assets, and make effective use of them as human resources for the Imperial Fleet. Even if it costs a little, if useful human resources are trained, it will ultimately benefit the fleet. So, while you're here, at least you can relax and receive your education and level up."

 

Lynn’s computer played a light ringtone.

 

"Oh, she's here. Right on time."

 

Lynn turned back to the computer and started up the communication system with practiced hands. He checked the multiple security and encryption systems, confirmed that everything was working properly, and that the fake caller and fake communication data were flowing, and then connected the communication.

 

"Yes, this is Lynn."

 

Looking sideways at the communication ID, Lynn brought up the communication monitor. The caller knows who we are and where we are. The caller's current location is unknown, but there's no problem with talking.

 

"This is Nash."

 

Without a code name for the operation or anything, Nat Nashfall appeared on the communication monitor.

 

"As far as I can see, there are no problems with the connection. Marika, Chiak, congratulations on admission to the military academy."

 

Nash looked over at the two of them through the communication monitor.

 

"How was the Seven Days of Fire, the military academy's signature freshman experience course?"

 

Marika and Chiaki exchanged glances, having been asked the same question Lynn had asked as soon as they entered the room. Sighing, Marika turned back to face the communication monitor.

 

"It was tough, but I managed to survive. I don't think I'll have to worry about being thrown out if I fail."

 

"How was it, Chiaki?"

 

Nash changed the person he was talking to.

 

"I'm tired."

 

Chiaki answered bluntly.

 

"It's fine, I still have enough energy left to work."

 

"Did you have any suspicious contact during the Seven Days of Fire trial?"

 

Marika thought deeply after hearing that. She thought she had been very careful, but she couldn't think of anything.

 

"During the Seven Days of Fire, the majority of the people she spoke to were instructors. There was no time to chat with fellow cadets, so I don't think there was any suspicious contact."

 

Suddenly, Marika realized something.

 

"Except when sleeping or taking a shower, the intercom was always on, and all communication records were recorded. Can't you access those records?"

 

"Yes, it is possible."

 

Nash admitted.

 

"I can't say this out loud, but the contents of conversations, who we're communicating with, and even the physical condition of the students at the time are all recorded. The Intelligence Department can access them."

 

"I thought that might be the case with this kind of work, but there's no privacy."

 

"Don't worry, we won't release it to anyone outside. Our analysis has not confirmed any suspicious access or conversation contents. However, the impressions and feelings of the people involved are different."

 

Having said that, Marika tried to recall her memories from the experiential learning period, which was so long that it didn't seem like it was only a week.

 

"I guess there wasn't."

 

"How was it for you, Chiaki?"

 

Nash changed the person.

 

"Did you have any suspicious contact during the seven days of fire?”

 

"I don't think there was any," Chiaki replied.

 

"I won't deny the possibility that he was so busy with the assignments in front of him that he couldn't tell if something was suspicious even if someone spoke to him."

 

"Based on the access records, we haven't found any suspicious contacts. However, we don't know where the enemy we're setting up will contact us from or how, so we have to consider all possibilities. Have you had any suspicious contacts, Lynn?"

 

"Two times last week," Lynn replied simply.

 

"It's just as I submitted in my report. Both were contacts during training, and not the template pattern we had imagined where a transfer student with a knowing look would contact you during free time like studying or eating."

 

Marika held back from asking what had happened and focused on Nash's expression on the communications monitor. It didn't change.

 

"I investigated," Nash replied.

 

"Both times, they were during practical training, so records were left. In conclusion, Lynn, we were unable to confirm any suspicious contact as you claim."

 

"I guess so."

 

Lynn smiled fearlessly.

 

"If the other party is as difficult as the intelligence department assumes, there is no way they would leave records that are easily traceable. If they were foolish enough to leave records even if they made contact to maliciously recruit us, there is no way such a troublesome request would have come to us."

 

Nash nodded nonchalantly.

 

"Unless Lynn was hallucinating due to exhaustion from the hard training, I agree with that way of thinking. The enemy, like us, has the technical ability to easily rewrite not only the grades of the candidates but also their daily records without leaving any traces."

 

"Is that okay?"

 

Lynn asked with a grin.

 

"The military academy is in the middle of the Imperial fleet. Is it okay for the intelligence department to admit that a mysterious hostile force has infiltrated such a place?"

 

"Officially, no such force exists."

 

Nash answered with a smile, even though it was just lip service.

 

"And it is our job to make that official view a reality."

 

"That's true, but what are we going to do? For now, we're pretending not to be interested, listening to what they have to say, and passing on information to them, but is this the right policy to continue? Of course, they're not making suspicious contact with all the cadets, but I think they'll stop recognizing us as prey if we don't get them hooked on the hook soon."

 

"Do you think the hook will come down?"

 

"I don't know."

 

Lynn simply shook her head.

 

"This is all for their convenience. No matter how much we try to guess what they want, the military academy is like a fishing pond, with a feeding frenzy. If they find another target without us realizing and decide to lure us, all our efforts will be in vain, and we won't get the results the intelligence department expects. On the other hand, is there a way to make an enemy that we don't know where they are or what they're thinking recognize us as a promising target?"

 

"There's no sure thing," Nash said.

 

"That is why we have entrusted this job to you, an outsider with experience as a pirate and someone who we believe is more likely to be able to handle unexpected situations."

 

"Is this okay?"

 

Lynn asked.

 

"Just as you planned, two new students have enrolled who could be bait, but so far we don't know for sure what kind of students they would target. Apart from being an honor student in the top 10% of grades, do you know what other conditions they would look for in a prey? Shouldn't we try to match that?"

 

"Do you have any suggestions?"

 

Nash stared at Lynn.

 

"The report included some pertinent observations, but have you gathered your thoughts about them?"

 

"I have a few."

 

Lynn glared at the communication monitor and tapped on the computer console.

 

"Based on past patterns, I think the other party is making offers that the officer cadets are interested in, and then selecting those who are likely to accept. Of the seven contacts that have occurred so far that seem likely, five have occurred during practical training. Moreover, the fact that they are even able to falsify records shows that the organization has firmly established its roots within the military academy. It's not an inefficient method like infiltrating a few outsiders among the students and instructors to look for prey that might be caught. So, I was thinking, isn't it possible that not only the cadets, but also some of the instructors are receiving suspicious contact?"

 

"That's an interesting point. Of course, our research extends to instructors as well. But surely there is less future benefit to be gained from bringing in instructors and staff who are unlikely to ever be reassigned to the fleet, compared to cadets who are guaranteed to be reassigned to the fleet after graduation?”

 

“Really? If we can get a strong grip on the education side, won't we be able to have as much influence as we want on the candidates who will be assigned to the fleet in the future? Shouldn't we consider the possibility that they're thinking about developing a separate force within the fleet with a long-term, careful plan that will take years to complete?”

 

“Yes, we should consider that.”

 

Nash admitted.

 

“We are aware that the hypothetical enemy, whose name we have yet to decide on, did not just start operating yesterday or today.”

 

“That means.”

 

Lynn returned her gaze to Nash on the communications monitor.

 

“Is it possible that the military academy's education system has already been contaminated by the hypothetical enemy?”

 

“The military academy's education system?”

 

Nash repeated.

 

“Which part are you talking about?”

 

"I'm just a student here, so even though I've been looking around with your help, I haven't seen and understood the entire educational system of the military academy. But I can see that this school's educational system looks very closely at each student's ability and achievement, so as not to give them unnecessary effort or unreasonable tasks. It's definitely not something a human being can do. There are many instructors for each subject, and it's impossible for all of them to continue to give precise instructions and tasks to one student with a nearly 100% success rate. I think it's a very appreciated system for students."

 

"This is just my personal opinion, but I think the educational system of the military academy is optimized for the purpose of developing the abilities of each and every officer candidate, and it works well. Is there anything you can say about that?"

 

"The educational system of the military academy is highly computerized and managed. Is that correct?"

 

"Yes. The military academy education system is highly computerized and controlled, just like the fleet system.”

 

'Is it possible that the enemy has infiltrated into your environment?'

 

Lynn cut right to the chase.

 

'Are you saying that the military academy's core computer and its education system are being controlled by something?'

 

Nash asked without changing his expression. Lynn nodded.

 

'Of course, we don't know the full extent of the school's computers or education system. With such a huge system in operation for such a long time, there is probably no engineer or operator who knows everything by himself. So, it's easier and simpler to have a familiar that occasionally activates in it and make it do what someone wants than to have someone sneak into the military academy, where identity investigations and verification are strict. Well, that's what I think because that's my specialty, but what do you think?'

 

'I see, we thought that someone had infiltrated the military academy, but instead, you're saying that something has infiltrated the military academy's computers?"

 

"That's right. If we think that the few contacts we've had so far haven't been caused by one person acting out various disguises, but rather that something hidden within the computer system itself is occasionally emerging and causing trouble, it will be easier to modify the records and understand the situation of all the students. If the hypothetical enemy is smart enough and values ​​efficiency just like us, I'd think of a system where you drop a fishing line in front of every fish in a fishing pond that looks like it can be caught."

 

"That's an interesting point."

 

Nash nodded on the other side of the communication monitor.

 

"But if that's the case, not only is our current posture incomplete, but even if we make some suspicious contact and go along with it, it's possible that we will only be used to their advantage rather than figuring out the enemy's true identity."

 

"So, it's better for the enemy if we do that. There are various issues, like how to make them trust us, but if there's an advantage for us to go along with what the contact person is saying, then it's still a possibility."

 

"I see, that's a possibility that should be considered."

 

"Please consider it. And if this assumption is even half correct, then there's a problem."

 

"What is it?"

 

"We came here because we thought that some bad guys had infiltrated the military academy. If the other party wasn't a flesh-and-blood human like a cadet or an instructor, but was immersed in the system and hiding in something like the military academy's core computer, then that's a different story. I'm sorry for having to go through all the trouble of sending three of you to the military academy, but since you're not the kind of person you were expecting, you can't do the job you expect."

 

"What kind of work would you do to achieve the results we expect?"

 

"That's right."

 

Lynn acted theatrical and thoughtful.

 

"I'd leave things like class attitude and grades as students alone, since they probably won't have any effect on the results you expect, but I'd clean up the entire computer system at the military academy. They should have checked everything during regular maintenance, so I know nothing would come up with anything in the normal way, so I guess I'll have to try a few things."

 

"What are you going to do?"

 

"Considering how often they've done this, the easiest thing would be to wait until they contact us, lock the computer system, and trace it back."

 

Lynn looked at Nash with a pleading look.

 

"It's impossible to give a student taking a class more powerful auditor authority than an instructor, and have them be able to activate it at any time, right?"

 

"That's impossible."

 

Nash answered immediately, without any room for argument.

 

"This is a top secret mission to begin with. It's impossible to give a cadet the authority to access and hack into all of the military academy's computer systems while keeping it a secret from the school."

 

"I agree."

 

Lynn nodded without a look of surprise.

 

"If we could do that, for example, if there was suspicious contact with Marika or Chiaki, we could lock the system and search for the person, but to do that, we would have to be on guard all the time during classes, so can we just leave classes alone?"

 

"If we allow Rinn to do that at this point, we would have to consider the possibility that the other party would find out that there is a suspicious person on campus who is monitoring the computer system without attending classes. Since there is a possibility that it would destroy the investigation system that we have worked so hard to build up, I cannot allow it."

 

"I agree."

 

Lynn agreed without seeming disappointed.

 

"But if they're only active during class or training, not after school or at night when we have free time, then it doesn't change the fact that we have to deal with them on the side while we're working. What should we do? Should we just keep quiet for a while and wait for Marika or Chiaki to take the bait? Or should we try to take the bait ourselves?"

 

"We need reinforcements."

 

Nash smiled.

 

"You heard me right, Coorie. Just as you said, we need reinforcements."

 

"Eh?"

 

In the dorm room, the three of them looked at each other.

 

"What!?"

 

Lynn raised her voice and checked the communication system.

 

"When and where!?"

 

Marika looked at the communication monitor.

 

"Is our Coorie with you, Nash?"

 

"Don't say such nasty things."

 

She heard Coorie's voice. "This is it!"

 

Lynn opened a new communications monitor in 3D. Coorie appeared on the communications monitor next to Nash.

 

"Coorie?"

 

Marika noticed that the familiar Bentenmaru bridge was in the background of Coorie.

 

"Bentenmaru, where are you now?"

 

"It's not through the unknown intelligence agency!"

 

The location of the communication partner was displayed on the newly added FTL line.

 

"Interstellar space between Gaia G4 and Esteria G2?"

 

"It's not right nearby."

 

Chiaki muttered in exasperation. The stars are more densely packed near the core star system than on the outer edge. The interstellar distance between the Esteria G2 star system, adjacent to the Gaia G4 star system, is 0.8 light years, so even though it's interstellar space, it's overwhelmingly closer than the outskirts of a star system.

 

"What are you doing in a place like that!?"

 

"Well, of course I'm working."

 

Coorie answered leisurely, wearing round glasses and in her usual voice.

 

"The captain is currently on duty with the Imperial Fleet, so we were on standby nearby at a direct request from the intelligence department."

 

"What were you doing?"

 

"Well, of course, it's exactly what you'd imagine, Captain. Haven't you noticed?"

 

"Ehh..."

 

Marika groaned, her excitement dropping.

 

"I knew it, you were there..."

 

Since entering the military academy, regular contact between Marika and Bentenmaru has been temporarily suspended, and is limited to emergency contact only in the event of an emergency. Therefore, Marika doesn't know the latest situation of Bentenmaru.

 

Whether it's the inner or outer planetary system of Gaia G4, if you go into space in a powered suit or observation boat, spaceships flying in nearby space will be displayed on the screen. The wider the display range, the more spaceships will be displayed. Marika had thought several times about how far she would need to expand the display to see Bentenmaru, which was operating separately. But she hadn't tried it.

 

"So you were watching."

 

Even though it was close, it wasn't close enough to get radar and sensor data without worrying about the time lag of the speed of light. However, a warship with the performance of the Bentenmaru would have plenty of ways to capture the movements of powered suits and observation boats that are not stealth or equipped with electronic jamming.

 

"Yes, I was watching over the powered suit training, as well as the observation boat's sun dive and gas dive. What did you think of the Seven Days of Fire, a specialty of the military academy?"

 

"Weren't you listening to the communication just now?"

 

"I was listening."

 

Coorie smiled.

 

"But as a crew member, I would like to hear the captain's thoughts directly."

 

"I'm tired."

 

Marika repeated her thoughts for the umpteenth time.

 

"I haven't been this tired since I was taking the intensive training to become the captain of the Bentenmaru. Weren't you watching?"

 

"Even though we were in the neighborhood, we were far away, so we were able to track her movements to a minimum, but I couldn't get the details."

 

Marika glared at Coorie with a dirty look.

 

"Really? Didn't you sneak into the academy later and look at the data?"

 

"As expected from the captain."

 

Coorie smiled.

 

"The Bentenmaru is here because we received a request like that. Come on Nash, explain it yourself."

 

"Did the intelligence department ask the pirates to sneak into the academy's system?"

 

Lynn muttered to herself.

 

"Really?"

 

"I would like to ask the fleet's electronic battleships for cooperation if possible, but this time it is unclear how far the enemy has penetrated. Even if the intelligence department's purpose is suspicious and we successfully secure the cooperation of the electronic battleships belonging to the regular fleet, we do not know where the mission and purpose will be leaked from the electronic battleships.'

 

'Are you okay with the possibility that others will find out that we asked the pirates to break into the fleet's system?'

 

'There's no problem with that.'

 

Nash answered Lynn.

 

'The Orion Pirates are allies on an equal footing with the military company's fleet, having participated in numerous exercises as a hypothetical enemy of the Imperial Fleet and achieved excellent results. The intelligence department often commissions other parties to carry out tasks that the regular fleet cannot perform, and Bentenmaru has also been commissioned to carry out the overt task of backing up the hypothetical enemy in the First Fleet's electronic warfare exercises.'

 

'So, what is your real job?'

 

'After analyzing Lynn’s report, we also pointed out the possibility that our hypothetical enemy is lurking in the military academy's system itself. After considering what we could do with the forces we had, we decided that it would be most efficient to ask a trustworthy party with the appropriate facilities for cooperation.'

 

'I wonder how far they've gone.'

 

Lynn looked back and forth between Nash and Coorie's faces, displayed side by side on the two communications monitors.

 

'So, when the intelligence department's brother contacted Bentenmaru's electronic warfare department, he had already thought about it that far.'

 

'It's easier than getting a high school girl to enroll in a military academy when she had no interest in it.'

 

'Of course it is, but...'

 

'So, this is an official request from the intelligence department to Bentenmaru. We've just finished making arrangements with all parties, so we'd like you to infiltrate and diagnose the academy's computer system under the pretext of an offensive investigation. Is that okay, Captain Marika?"

 

“If there are no objections from my crew, then as captain, I'm fine with it."

 

"Before we begin, there are a few things I need to confirm."

 

Coorie's glasses gleamed.

 

"Is it only the core computer system of Gaiapolis West Campus that Bentenmaru is allowed to touch? Or is it the systems of all four military academies in Gaiapolis, north, south, east and west? Or is it all the educational computer networks that the Imperial Fleet has set up in the core star system for the training of its cadets?"

 

"If possible, I would like you to limit your targeting to the computer systems of Gaiapolis West School, where Lynn, Marika, and Chiaki are currently located, but unfortunately, there is no chance that our hypothetical enemy will remain within that range. Furthermore, if the hypothetical enemy has infiltrated the computer systems of Gaiapolis West campus, we should assume that it has also infiltrated the systems of other schools and other star systems, and narrowing our surveillance range while knowing this possibility would only be aiding the enemy.”

 

Coorie listened with a plausible look on her face.

 

“Therefore, for this job, we will not limit the target of our offensive investigation in order to track down the hypothetical enemy.”

 

“Oh? That's pretty generous, isn't it?”

 

“Of course, there are conditions.”

 

“Let me hear them.”

 

“We will provide as much information as possible regarding the infiltration investigation into the core network of the military academy and the fleet network, but we would like all infiltration investigations to be as subtle as possible, and if possible, to the point where the investigation is not even noticed.”

 

“It would be bad if it was revealed that the intelligence department had sent some pirate-like people to investigate the fleet's systems, but that's not all.”

 

Coorie started typing on the keyboard here and there.

 

"We don't know at all how far the hypothetical enemy has reached, or how far it has penetrated. I don't know how long the offensive investigation into the core system of the military academy can continue, but if the enemy notices the investigation and they have to stop, all the work we've done up until now will be wasted. The intelligence department, which has gone to great lengths to set things up, wants to achieve results that are commensurate with the budget they've secured, right?"

 

"Regarding the budget and expected results, you can think of it that way. Regarding the hypothetical enemy, unless its reason for existence and purpose are completely opposed to the Imperial fleet, a high level of judgment may be required."

 

"High level judgment, huh?"

 

Coorie repeated Nash's words.

 

"I wonder if that's something the pirates you’ve sent to the front line can accurately judge?"

 

"I trust you on that point."

 

Nash smiled meaningfully. Lynn, Marika, and Chiaki, who were listening to the story, exchanged suspicious looks. Chiaki turned her eyes back to the communications monitor.

 

"Aren't they abandoning their responsibilities?"

 

Lynn nodded.

 

"You know, when the time comes, they abandon their supervisory responsibilities, blame everything that goes wrong on us, and run away."

 

"They trust you a lot, don't they?"

 

Coorie called out to Nash, who was smiling wryly on the communications monitor.

 

"As expected of the intelligence department."

 

"Thanks to you."

 

Nash nodded with a wry smile.

 

"As the person in charge, I am grateful that we have gained the trust of the front lines so that the operation progress will not be hindered. So, Coorie, could you please explain the operational plan to the front lines as we request reinforcements from Bentenmaru?”

 

“You should listen to this.”

 

Coorie turned her gaze to the three people in the dormitory of the military academy.

 

“This may be old news to you, Lynn, but please listen to this. Bentenmaru will now investigate the core network of the Imperial Fleet's education system from Gaiapolis Military Academy under the pretext of an offensive investigation with the cooperation of the intelligence department. However, as always, this is just a pretense, and of course we will deal with any vulnerabilities, stealth viruses, or anything else that looks bad, but our real purpose is to set traps for the enemy to monitor their intrusion routes and how they use the network.”

 

“Wow, we're really going to infiltrate the Imperial Fleet's network.”

 

Lynn muttered under her breath. Coorie continued.

 

"No matter how huge and complex it is, the Imperial Fleet's network is a top-notch system that is looked after by the professional Electronic Corps, who spend a lot of time and money on it. Even if the way they do things is a little different, I don't think they maintain holes or hidden systems that a country pirate could sneak in and find in a short time."

 

"Well, it's a network that has been running without any major problems in the long history of the Imperial Fleet."

 

"So, if the hypothetical enemy is freeloading on the Imperial Fleet's system, especially the core network, I think the most likely thing, and the easiest way to get a hold of them, is to have a bad sleeper hiding there that won't come up no matter how much you investigate it under normal circumstances and only appears and acts when necessary."

 

"That's the only way."

 

Lynn nodded. Marika asked.

 

"What's a Sleeper?"

 

"In this case, it's a kind of virus or familiar that hides in the network. Normally it sleeps so it can't be found, and it's a program that changes its sleeping place from one place to the next, erasing traces of where it was before, but if it receives an order from its master, it appears and carries out the order. When it's done, it hides again and waits for the next order, or it can disappear, depending on the type."

 

"Wow, it's all black."

 

"How do you catch a Sleeper that you can't normally see?"

 

Chiaki asked this time. Lynn answered.

 

"Well, a snake knows what a snake does, and a sleepyhead can wake up with an alarm. If you know who the enemy is, you can create a pattern to match it and scan it to expose them, but since they're sleepers, you often don't know where they're hiding or what to do to wake them up."

 

"What do you do?"

 

"You could set an alarm and check the programs that react, but you don't know what kind of alarm will wake a sleeper up and start working. So the normal thing to do is to monitor the entire system and rush in if there's anything out of the ordinary and catch the sleeper that wakes up."

 

Lynn turned her eyes back to Coorie.

 

"Right?"

 

"Yes, that's pretty much right."

 

On the other side of the communication monitor, Coorie nodded.

 

"But this time, the enemy is so huge, and we can expand our business and infiltrate the system with our aggressive investigation, and we can get the cooperation of the management, so we will use the host side of the backbone network to keep watch."

 

"Wow, that's amazing!!"

 

Lynn exclaimed.

 

"The host computer of the fleet's backbone network is the highest grade huge system currently in use! Is it Kaiser Blade Caliber blue? Or gold?"

 

"Black, I’d say."

 

Lynn mentioned the name of a hypercomputer that only experts in that field would know, and Coorie replied pompously.

 

"And that's 24 systems running at the same time, one for each of the military academies on the seven planets. With that many, they could easily fight an inter-planetary war, let alone an inter-star cluster war, but that's just the core system for education. The fleet's command and communication network is made up of a whole host of Kaiser Blade Calibers in all different colors, so yeah, you can't beat the rich.'

 

'Amazing, amazing!'

 

Lynn, who was shouting like a child, suddenly noticed and looked back at Coorie.

 

'So, Bentenmaru, are you coming down here?'

 

'Although the network will touch the core system, in this case, even the fluctuations of the FTL line and time lags that normally wouldn't be a problem may get in the way of chasing the Sleepers, so I want to eliminate them as much as possible.'

 

Coorie turned her eyes back to Marika.

 

"Yes, that's right. In order to directly connect the Bentenmaru's system to the military academy's educational network, the Bentenmaru will land in West Gaiapolis. Is that okay, Captain?"

 

"Well, of course I'll give you permission if you decide that's necessary."

 

Marika asked, still in shock.

 

"Here? On this planet? Has the Bentenmaru been able to land?"

 

Since Marika became the captain of the Bentenmaru, the Bentenmaru has never landed on the surface of a planet. It has entered the atmosphere and descended to a low altitude, but it has returned to orbit without landing.

 

"Of course, the Bentenmaru is designed to fly in the atmosphere, so it has legs for landing."

 

Coorie answered as if it were a matter of course.

 

"But it's been years since she’s actually landed on her legs in the atmosphere of a planet in the habitable zone."

 

"Are you sure?"

 

Marika frowned.

 

"Wouldn't it be a big deal if an old pirate ship like ours landed in a spaceport with only regular fleet warships and shuttles?"

 

"We'll borrow some disguise panels and make it look like an inconspicuous transport ship or something."

 

Coorie waved his hands.

 

"They'll put us in a covered dock during landing, so we won't be fools who give us away just by looking."

 

"I wonder if it's okay."

 

Marika muttered.

 

"Well, if my crew says it's okay, that's probably a good bet."

 

"Is there anything else I should ask you?"

 

From the communications monitor, Nash looked around the dormitory and the bridge of the Bentenmaru.

 

"There are various meetings and adjustments, but we can discuss them directly with you," Coorie said.

 

"So, Captain, I will contact you again when we’re ready for battle."

 

"Well, this is the end of this regular contact. The next regular contact will be after Bentenmaru lands in Gaiapolis and preparations for an offensive investigation of the core network are complete."

 

After the standard greeting, the communication monitors connected to the two locations disappeared, leaving behind rainbow noise unique to FTL lines.

 

"So, senpai," Marika asked Lynn, who had finished cleaning up after the communication had ended and was even checking just to be sure.

 

"What exactly was that suspicious contact that senpai received?"

 

"During practical training, all trainees and instructors wear intercoms, right?"

 

Lynn put her index finger to her ear.

 

"So, I had to simultaneously handle the intercom conversation over the communication line and the live voice conversation with the person nearby. Communication and live voices sound different, and if I was called by an intercom with a 3D display, the name of the person I was talking to was also displayed. But there were multiple conversations going on at the same time, and I had to listen carefully to understand the current situation, so sometimes I heard messages that seemed to be interference, as if they were targeted at busy times."

 

"Wireless?"

 

"Well, wireless or wired, well, I have both, so I guess I can go with either."

 

After checking that there were no items requiring attention in the check after the communication ended, Lynn shut down the line.

 

"At first I thought it was interference, but when I checked the records later, there was no such communication. The second time, I checked the time exactly and later checked all the communication records for that time period, but I couldn't find any communication records that matched my memory."

 

"You're just a candidate, so how can you check all the communication records during class!?"

 

"I've been cheating a lot. Besides, if I submit a report to the intelligence department and have them check it, there's always a time lag. The longer it takes, the more opportunities there are for the records to be tampered with or altered."

 

Lynn pointed to the 3D display on her computer, from which she had just erased the communication records.

 

"Like that."

 

"Aren't they mostly just field agents?"

 

"That's right. If I wasn't going to be forced to do that kind of work, there's no way a bad hacker like me would be allowed into the military academy."

 

"Well."

 

"We don't need to go to the trouble of preparing a top-of-the-line computer like the Kaiser Blade Caliber. We can erase all of the communication records with a system that wouldn't look suspicious if the cadets brought it in and were examined. If we have a strong connection to the network, we can erase data without a trace, modify it, fabricate it, or do anything."

 

"Are you okay?"

 

"As long as we're useful to the intelligence department," Lynn said simply.

 

"So, if the intelligence department decides to abandon us, or if we are targeted by a hostile force with better electronic warfare than the intelligence department, then a lot of things could go wrong."

 

"What do you mean by dangerous?"

 

"Expulsion or dismissal would be fine, but what if we suddenly went missing?"

 

"Please stop."

 

"This is war, after all. We should prepare ourselves for it. At the very least, if we expect the other side to go easy on us or choose their methods for us, we will definitely lose."

 

"That's true, but..."

 

"So, what exactly happened in that suspicious contact?"

 

Chiaki asked in place of Marika.

 

"That's a piece of advice."

 

Lynn answered.

 

"At first, it came as advice over the communication line. I was in a cornered situation where I had to complete the task at hand while listening to multiple conversations flying around on the intercom, and I heard advice and suggestions over the intercom, such as "You should do it this way" or "This is easier." I tried following their advice without knowing if someone had told me or if I had thought of it myself, and it worked for the time being. But it came suddenly during busy times as a bit of help or warning, so at first I thought it was an instructor or someone secretly helping me out. You know, have you ever heard of a little person or a ghost that helps you out when you're busy?"

 

"I've heard it's a hallucination." "I was told it was just your imagination."

 

"Well, that's what they say, but if a ghost that only appears through wireless communication is just to give advice, I thought it wouldn't be strange if it was implemented in the core network's education system."

 

Lynn turned to her computer system and ran her fingers over the control panel.

 

"Even during class, sometimes the teacher will give you a little hint or help you. I thought that's how it was, but I didn't really get it at first."

 

"Does that voice give you advice?"

 

Chiaki asked. Lynn nodded.

 

"The tricky thing is that it's not the same voice every time. I thought maybe he was imitating someone, but after a while it became the same voice every time. Maybe he's watching our reaction and fixing the voice that makes it easier to react to."

 

"Eh?"

 

"So, the helpful ghost who contacts you suspiciously knows your situation from start to finish, and is super intelligent enough to know how much you understand and how well you're able to deal with the situation and give you advice, and even prepares a voice that matches you. If you look at it that way, there's no one more grateful for a student."

 

"But there's no such thing officially?"

 

"That's right. It's not surprising that there are so many legends and seven wonders in a school this big, and some of them are officially recognized by the school, and some are legendary ghosts that are treated as mascot characters. But even if you look into it officially and unofficially, there is no system of helpful ghosts that occasionally help students."

 

"It's not advice from the instructors, is it?"

 

"The voice is different."

 

Lynn answered.

 

"Yes, the closest case would be a little advice from an instructor observing the situation, but that's not it."

 

"Is there any other reason why you decided that it was a suspicious contact?"

 

"That's too convenient. Suspicious contact disguised as a helpful ghost comes when you're using all your strength, as if it was planned. If it's help when you're in a desperate situation where you have to deal with it immediately, it's easy to agree, and you don't have the time to think carefully about whether it's okay to agree to it or not. Also, when I started to actively agree to help, the number of times I was helping visibly increased."

 

"What?"

 

"I know this is suspicious, so I'm going along with it, but it's dangerous if the cadets start relying on me. And that's probably what they're aiming for."

 

Lynn called up the weekly communication records from the personal records that seemed to be a diary and displayed them.

 

"It's the same as illegal drugs or game apps. At first, they hand it out for free and pretend to be generous, then they focus on selling it to only those who are likely to be good customers. If they don't go along with it, or if they ignore it, I think the helpful ghost will stop appearing, but unfortunately I'm not enough to test it alone, and even if I did prove it, there's not much benefit, so I haven't suggested it. If the intelligence department were to assign the operatives they sent in with all their effort, they'd probably assign them to more useful tasks."

 

"So, what happens next?"

 

"If it's illegal drugs, then the middle They poison you and then sell you expensive products. If it's a game app, they make you pay more and more to squeeze money out of you. Now, if a helpful ghost were to possess a candidate who is still halfway through their journey, what do you think they should ask for in the best interest? "

 

"Like a soul?" "The candidate's future?"

 

"Probably the future. If they can get good grades easily, that will lead to the candidate's future. In return, they'll do whatever they say. That's probably enough to achieve the helpful ghost's goal."

 

Lynn turned away from the computer and faced Marika and Chiaki.

 

"I heard from my brother in the intelligence department that the goal of the hypothetical enemy who is likely to have infiltrated the Imperial fleet is not to win, but to continue the battle. If the hypothetical enemy can at least capture and analyze the battle situation as accurately and reliably as the fleet headquarters that is directing the battle, then they can sneak into the direct communication with the officer who is at the crossroads of whether to win or lose and is currently being asked to make a decision, and whisper in his ear the choice that will lead to the development that the hypothetical enemy wants. If it's the whispering of a helpful ghost that has been useful since the military academy days, and the situation requires a difficult decision, then it should be easy to get the hypothetical enemy to issue an order that will lead to the development that they want."

 

"To that end, I'm going to use a helpful ghost that has been useful since the military academy days to help me. Are you saying they're scattering it around?"

 

"If you think about it like that, it all makes sense. If you really wanted to control the Imperial Fleet, you could use your abundant electronic warfare and technological power to manipulate the command and communication network and computer system however you like, but that alone won't move the Imperial Fleet. The most important parts are built to be judged by living, intelligent beings. And if you just scatter bait wherever you can, no matter where or what situation occurs, there will almost always be a grass at the military academy who was once saved by a ghost, and when the time comes, they'll whisper to you a decision that's not your own."

 

Lynn pointed the gun at her head.

 

"You give orders like that without even knowing if it's your own decision or if someone else has instigated it. Doesn't that mean you can move the Imperial fleet the way you want?"

 

"So you can continue fighting without having complete control over everything."

 

Marika nodded fearfully.

 

"Well, that's why the intelligence department is so interested in mobilizing people like us to do something about it."

 

"Plus, if it's as we predicted, it's going to be huge."

 

Lynn said.

 

"If you can be a helpful ghost to the officer cadets, well, maybe not 10%, but about 1%, then you'll have more pawns to use in emergencies among the officers who go out to the field every day. If you use only one particular pawn, you'll find all sorts of suspicious things, so you'll probably use them in turns."

 

"So maybe some pawns will end up unused?"

 

"Doing something fraudulent on a large scale for a long time is what an idiot who wants to get caught would do. Even if you're a helpful ghost who wants to interfere with the cadets' future, it's not desirable for your allies, who you worked so hard to raise, to go on a rampage and get caught and become unusable, much less for the investigation to spread to you. So I think it's a modest request to be unobtrusive but still be of some use."

 

"This isn't a plan that just started yesterday or today, is it?"

 

Chiaki said with a grim face.

 

"No matter how you look at it, it's a long-term plan that takes 10 or 20 years to prepare and wait for results, right?"

 

"I think so. In other words, the imaginary enemy of the intelligence department that is planning and executing this plan is a huge organization with the ability and patience to execute such a long-term plan and wait for the results to be huge, and it's an opponent that even we who are acting as a decoy on the front lines can imagine. The intelligence department wants to catch the pirates even if it means sending them to the military academy."

 

The Bentenmaru received a set of camouflage panels from a private transport company that same day and began equipping them in interstellar space.

 

The camouflage panels, which cover the entire hull like a papier-mâché, are used to camouflage the exterior of the hull and conceal the true identity of the spaceship. Since spaceships in combat are rarely detected by visual or optical observation, camouflage is often used on long voyages or when entering port.

 

The camouflage panels are also diverse, ranging from simple balloon-like ones that simply change the silhouette, to ones that can withstand some direct hits with additional armor, ones that cover the turret and missile launchers with movable hatches to make effective use of the internal armament, and ones that can be adjusted to the original engine layout and even perform combat maneuvers. The exterior panels are patterned, but since there are many different types of spacecraft that are equipped with camouflage panels, the internal structure is fixed to the main body of the spacecraft using many flexible arms.

 

Bentenmaru is equipped with camouflage panels that cover the exterior of the turret and missile panels. The mobile thrusters used for attitude control and combat maneuvers are covered to the minimum extent necessary, and the engine and propulsion nozzles, which are more reinforced than necessary, are also covered to conceal their original performance.

 

Camo work requires speed and the work is not complicated, so the Bentenmaru completed the outfitting of the camouflage panels that same day. They then performed a shakedown, test run, and light evasive maneuvers to confirm that there were no problems with the maneuverability as a transport ship.

 

The next day.

 

The Bentenmaru had transformed from an old, slender pirate ship into a thick, standard transport ship, and instead of using any of the many false ship registrations they had on hand, it was given the registration of the Tom & Jerry 37, a real civilian high-speed transport ship specializing in military supplies that had come to Port Seruna via the Intelligence Department, and landed at the West Gaiapolis Spaceport.

 

After landing in the cargo ship section, the Tom & Jerry 37 moved under its own power to the adjacent maintenance section and entered a huge hangar that could fit an even larger transport ship in its entirety. The period of its stay in storage was to be determined, under the pretext of maintenance to connect containers for transporting precision parts and prepare for transport.

 

In reality, light maintenance was performed while the ship was in storage, and a wired connection to the military academy's education network was made.

 

Connecting to a network, whether wireless or wired, was tantamount to entering a combat airspace. Its existence alone was well known, and the wired connection to the Imperial Fleet's information network, which was tightly connected to everything from aircraft carriers to powered suits, unmanned probes and drones on any ship belonging to the Imperial Fleet, was a huge job enough to make the entire crew of the Bentenmaru as tense as if they were in a state of war.

 

Moreover, the connection to the fleet's information network would continue as long as the mission continued.

 

Led by Coorie, the connection work, which was mobilized with the Bentenmaru's electronic warfare staff and those with some knowledge or not, was completed that day, but confirmation and adjustment work continued throughout the next day.

 

Lynn, Marika, and Chiaki, who were taking classes at Gaiapolis West School as officer cadets, were strictly ordered by both Nash and Coorie not to get close to Tom and Jerry 37, which had entered the maintenance area.

 

On the third day since the Bentenmaru arrived in storage, Lynn, Marika, and Chiaki, who were still busy with their packed schedules as cadets, received news from the Bentenmaru's Coorie that preparations were complete. From then on, the latest status of the three connected to the network through interfaces such as intercoms is monitored not only at the military academy but also at Bentenmaru.

 

"I knew that if you have a mobile device, if it's tapped, your location and the contents of your conversations can be leaked."

 

After school that day, Marika finally returned to her room and removed the intercom from her ear.

 

"When they get to this point, it really hits home."

 

"We haven't even started catching bugs yet."

 

After removing her intercom, Chiaki also took out her personal card-shaped mobile sensor from her bag in the locker. She restored the display of the sensor, which she had left running in her bag, and checked to see if any intrusions or suspicious events had been recorded in her room while she was away, and at the same time, she sensed the room to see if there were any monitoring systems such as wiretaps or hidden cameras set up.

 

"You shouldn't say anything careless, right?"

 

"Hm."

 

"Yes, sensing is finished. No abnormalities. Well, from today, this child is also under real-time monitoring by Bentenmaru, so if anything happens, you'll probably get a warning or something, but you can talk."

 

"Even if you take off the intercom, the child is still monitoring you."

 

Marika held the removed intercom close to the card-shaped sensor on Chiaki's hand to confirm that it was turned off. Even if you turn off the main switch, the monitoring function may still be active, so you can't let your guard down.

 

"For our own safety."

 

Chiaki turned off the display on the card-shaped sensor, put it back in her bag, and closed the locker.

 

"Even on the Odette II and Bentenmaru, the crew are monitored 24 hours a day, so what are you talking about now?"

 

"On the Odette II and Bentenmaru, the only thing they monitor 24 hours a day is vital signs to check for survival, they don't record every conversation or action. It's exhausting."

 

"Get used to it. Just make sure you don't do anything careless, the records will be erased eventually, and they'll tell you where your forgotten items are, so it's convenient."

 

"I see, Chiaki, you've been on the Barbaroosa since you were a child, so you're used to it."

 

"You mean used to it? You were taught that it's normal on a spaceship where you never know when a life-threatening emergency will occur, and it's actually saved you a few times. What? Are you worried?"

 

"Of course I'm worried. Everything about my daily life, even my physical condition, is being monitored."

 

"Just think of it as work and get used to it. It's easier than being a captain, with no responsibility, right?"

 

"I see..."

 

Marika thought for a moment.

 

"Even after the Seven Days of Fire, you should still think of it as a state of combat."

 

"What is this girl saying now, when she's a cadet at a place like the Imperial Military Academy?"

 

"Hey, do you think suspicious contact will reach us?"

 

"I don't know."

 

Chiaki started up the computer system on her desk.

 

"I wouldn't target them."

 

"Really?"

 

"Of course. If you're going to target them, it's better to target top candidates, especially top-tier students who are likely to get promoted and serve in the fleet in the future, as that will increase the success rate of your plot. No matter how high the graduation rate is, the only benefit of targeting freshmen who don't have a stable grade, let alone a career path, is that you can tame them before they get used to the academy."

 

"Of course."

 

Marika slowly moved to her desk and started up her computer system. In addition to the automatic scanner, she manually started up a wiretapping and surveillance scanner and a dummy data generation scanner, then checked the messages addressed to her.

 

"Lynn also said that there would be no suspicious contacts for the first month, and even if there were, they wouldn't be noticed, so even if something does come, it's still a long way off."

 

"But, well, if you let your guard down thinking they won't come, they will, and if you wait for them thinking they will come, they won't come, so it's definitely tiring."

 

"It feels like my nerves are worn down every day. The food is delicious and I can sleep soundly, but I don't feel like I've had a good night's sleep because I sleep too deeply."

 

"If you can train crew members at this level, you can make a fleet of incredible levels."

 

Suddenly, an alarm sounded in the room. Alarms sounded from all four directions in the computer system and lockers, and Marika and Chiaki immediately responded by typing on the computer keyboard.

 

"Contact Lynn!"

 

Chiaki read out the alarm that was displayed as the highest priority on the 3D display.

 

"Bentenmaru is currently handling the situation!"

 

"Good timing, as expected from Lynn."

 

Bentenmaru has already entered combat mode. Leaving aside the mobile device that had rang once in the locker, Marika and Chiaki concentrated on reading the information displayed on the display in front of them.

 

Lynn was taking an electronic warfare course in the Shouniac Memorial Building, also known as the Electronic Building, where the Kaiser Blade Caliber Grade Black, the largest and best computer at Gaiapolis West Campus, was installed. Dozens of cadets were taking the course at the same time, and the situation was intercepting electronic attacks from orbit at a ground base. Since it was a training situation, the details of the situation were largely omitted, but an electronic warfare fleet was hovering in the sky and relentlessly attacking to neutralize the ground base's fighting power.

 

The cadets were assigned roles at the ground base and were dealing with the electronic warfare fleet in orbit. It seemed to be a virtual reality-based simulation, so not everyone taking the course was dealing with the same situation with different roles. They respond to each situation as they command electronic warfare or deal with individual battle situations.

 

The basic educational policy of the military academy is to conduct training exercises that are like real combat, using virtual reality or, in some cases, real equipment. If a fatal mistake is made, it is pointed out and they are asked to rewind the situation to the moment of the mistake and try again, or to recover from the situation in which the mistake was made.

 

The situations of each cadet progress simultaneously in parallel, but the progress is not uniform. As it is training, waiting times and preparation times that are present in real combat are conveniently omitted, so electronic warfare that would take several days in real combat can be completed in a day.

 

The battle on Lynn was already approaching the end. Since the situation was set up to face an electronic warfare fleet in orbit without an effective physical interception method from a ground base, the use of ultimate weapons that would instantly end the battle was not an option for either side. The ground base, which is cut off from the network at the same time as being attacked by the electronic warfare fleet, has the choice of holding out until reinforcements arrive, or neutralizing the electronic warfare fleet with an electronic attack.

 

"Wow."

 

Marika exclaimed as she saw the situation displayed on the screen.

 

"Isn't this a display for instructors? The situation of both enemies and allies is completely visible."

 

"It's for training purposes, so it omits the carrier-based aircraft and the air force for base defense, but it sets up the situation in detail."

 

The battle situation seen on the bridge of the Odette II and the pirate ship is only from one side of the friendly side. The situation of the enemy is estimated information, so it's better to think of it as unreliable.

 

However, the battle situation sent to Lynn via Bentenmaru shows confirmed information for both enemies and allies, and even predicts the future situation. Chiaki looks around in admiration.

 

"This is not a battle situation for a whole class, but for just one student. You're a military academy after all."

 

"Also, the whole situation is displayed like an administrator screen for a war game. It would be easier if you could see the situation like this in a real war."

 

"You can't see it."

 

"But, unless you have an equal number of forces and the situation is balanced, the outcome of a battle is 90% decided by the time it starts. If that's the case, if you see something like this, the loser won't have to fight a battle that will result in unnecessary sacrifices, and if the outcome is already known, you don't have to fight at all."

 

"Do people who want to fight in real life even think about what will happen if they lose?"

 

Chiaki said with a grim look.

 

"The opponent may not always take the best move, they may make a mistake. Before a battle begins, everyone thinks they can win based on their own convenience and wishful thinking, both sides."

 

"Yeah, I see. So, um, what's going on here?"

 

Marika tried to get an accurate picture of the latest situation from the battle situation on both sides, but realized that this wasn't what she should be doing right now.

 

"No, what's going on here?"

 

If there is any suspicious contact, Bentenmaru will immediately move to identify the person who made the contact. If the records are later examined and the content of the specific communication has been rewritten and cannot be traced, it is highly likely that the person who made the contact has appeared there with authority close to the top of the core network.

 

Because it is not known when or from where suspicious contact will occur, Bentenmaru, stationed in the maintenance area of ​​the spaceport, has set up a strict monitoring system from Gaiapolis West School's educational network to the core network. However, if it becomes known that the situation is changing, it is possible that the targets of monitoring, including virtual enemies, may not appear, so monitoring must be carried out in a manner that is consistent with the management's normal system, without the monitor even noticing that they are monitoring.

 

The first targets of monitoring are three cadets. When the cadets are wearing intercoms, both their conversations over the network and their voices are monitored. Furthermore, for each conversation over the intercom, the other party is confirmed and a judgment is made as to whether it is a suspicious contact or not.

 

Just hearing the explanation of the monitoring system is enough to make you tired, but Bentenmaru's staff, mainly Coorie, quickly created it by simply tweaking the tools provided by the core network management company. After a half-day test run, they made corrections to any problems that came up, and then they made adjustments as they went along, so this morning they were contacted to start the operation.

 

If they went to Bentenmaru, they would probably get more accurate information, but Marika and Chiaki only got a rough outline that felt like a leftover.

 

"Maybe it would be better if you explained it to them later."

 

Marika called out to Chiaki, who seemed to understand the situation better than she did.

 

"Hey, is there anything we can do to help you with the current situation?"

 

"Don't get in the way of Bentenmaru or Lynn."

 

Chiaki answered, staring at the display without making a move.

 

"They're not the kind of easy targets that you can grab after just one or two contacts. Right now, what we can do is..."

 

Chiaki thought for a moment and said.

 

"Understand what's going on. If we understand what's going on, it might be easier to deal with it if it happens to us."

 

"That's right."

 

Marika looked at the text of Lynn’s communication. There was a voice playback mode, but the automatically transcribed textual communication record made it easier to understand and didn't mishear.

 

Reading the display that scrolled through Lynn’s communications with each department of the simulated base and her instructor, Marika displayed the latest simulation status on the sub-display. If you don't understand the basic situation settings, you won't be able to keep up with the conversation.

 

Lynn’s simulation was approaching the final stage of the settings. The base's functions were being maintained, but all of the electronic warfare fleets in orbit were still alive and well, and the allied fleet would soon be rushing to reinforce, so if they could hold out until then, the base would win.

 

The attacking side wanted to reuse the electronic warfare fleet after occupying the enemy base. Therefore, they wanted to keep direct attacks on the base to a minimum. In other words, they want to take over the surface base as unscathed as possible. To that end, the electronic battleships are working together to continue the takeover via the network. The base side, which does not have a powerful anti-orbital force capable of repelling the battle fleet, can only endure until powerful reinforcements arrive.

 

Lynn, who is in command of the base side, has succeeded in maintaining the base's functions until the end by carrying out electronic attacks and defenses against the electronic battleships in orbit. The battleship fleet, aware of the difference in strength that will require them to retreat when reinforcements arrive, has dispatched a landing force to forcibly build a wired communication network for the base. Lynn must not only engage in electronic warfare against the electronic battleship fleet, but also intercept and deal with the landing forces.

 

"Well, this is a terrible situation," Chiaki muttered, having read the minimum settings.

 

"I understand that you can't train or learn in an easy situation, but even so, the battle fleet's strength is set to be overwhelmingly superior because they're faithful to the basic principle that siege warfare requires three times the strength."

 

"The battle fleet has the advantage."

 

Marika, who was watching the same battle situation, said.

 

"So they'll provide cover for the airborne forces that will enter the base from orbit with electronic attacks and naval gunfire. The structure of the base can be detected from orbit, but, oh, by looking at where the naval gunfire is aimed at from orbit, you can roughly predict the point where the airborne forces will enter the base, right?"

 

"They're not that easy to beat."

 

Chiaki called up the outline of what had been shown so far on the battle situation display.

 

"The electronic battleships in orbit have been bombarding the base like regular flights since the operation began. The base's core is housed underground and heavily armored, so even full-power naval gunfire can't penetrate it, so there's no need to worry about that, but the ground facilities are pretty damaged."

 

"Why doesn't the battleship fleet in orbit just destroy the base's antennas? If they did that, they wouldn't have to worry about electronic attacks from the ground."

 

"That would mean electronic attacks from orbit wouldn't be possible either, right?"

 

Marika looked surprised when Chiaki told her that.

 

"That's probably because it's for training purposes, but if the antenna on the base is destroyed, neither the battleship nor the base will be able to launch electronic attacks. Well, they're probably doing training on what to do in that case, and it seems that Lynn isn't just using the antenna on the base to carry out electronic warfare."

 

"What? Are there hidden antennas around the base?"

 

"That's probably true, but you see, the setting for the planet is that they do agriculture and fishing, and this base is the only headquarters that handles electronic warfare, but there are several bases on the planet's surface and in the polar regions, and of course some of them are destroyed in the initial battle, but they fight back using civilian observation observatories and communication networks."

 

"So that's what the setting is for."

 

"Even so, they're omitting a lot of settings for training purposes. I'm told that they're doing it, but if they can do this much, it makes me wonder if they don't even need to fight in real life. So, the immediate problem is that they can predict that the battle fleet will launch regular ground attacks when it passes over the next base, and that the landing forces will enter the base at the same time."

 

"Does the base, or rather Lynn, know about this?"

 

"The landing craft landed half a day ago, and they're fighting them off, so they must know. They've repelled most of the landing craft that landed near the base, but they haven't been able to intercept the ones that landed far away, and they must know that there is an assault force moving from there."

 

"I see, that's the situation."

 

Marika looked at the situation at the base again. The ground base, which is waiting for the arrival of friendly forces, has suffered considerable damage from the past three days of fighting.

 

"The scheduled arrival time of the friendly forces is soon, so if Lynn can withstand the assault forces here, she'll probably win."

 

"Even if we endure and finish, there will be various evaluations after the battle, but that's how it is."

 

"Lynn is aware that the airborne forces will be entering the base to provide covering fire for regular orbital attacks, but the number of ground troops we have is gradually being reduced and the number we can deploy is limited. We can imagine several routes for the entrance, but based on the estimated strength of the airborne forces, there are not enough to be deployed on all of the possible routes, so we have no choice but to predict the entrance routes and deploy them accordingly."

 

"In that situation, there was a suspicious contact."

 

The attacking airborne forces are approaching the base on a route that avoids ground forces. Marika took over, watching the battle situation display that showed the latest situation of both sides at the same time.

 

"Lynn was planning to send out an intercepting ground force after observing the naval gunfire pattern from orbit, on the assumption that the parachute would be protected by an orbital battle fleet. However, while the base was being bombarded from orbit, a mysterious helpful ghost appeared on Lynn's intercom."

 

Marika called up the text record automatically generated from the communication records on the display. There was already a discrepancy between the call record generated in real time on the monitor on the Bentenmaru side and the record on the school side.

 

"Lynn decided that the parachute would infiltrate from a point where the bombardment was weak, so he tried to send an intercepting force there. The helpful ghost told him that the bombardment from orbit was a diversion for the attacking side, and that the key attacking side, which should have been thin, would be the route of the parachute's invasion."

 

The communications Lynn was dealing with were reports from each part of the base and command communications in response to them. Voice and text communications came pouring in like a raging tide. Lynn, who is in charge of the defense of the base, must leave things that can be handled automatically to the automatic response, and continue to give accurate instructions to those that cannot.

 

The shift in interception posture requires changing instructions each time the invasion of the airborne forces is not part of the normal electronic warfare defense procedure. The computer, which always takes the optimal action, cannot respond until the situation has begun, so it will not take the initiative unless it has all the information it needs to make a judgment.

 

Lynn only briefly asked about the basis for the information about the invasion route of the airborne forces that came from an unknown voice communication, and did not pursue it any further. He had the marines head to the invasion route to intercept the airborne forces.

 

"Hey..."

 

The marines headed to the instructed route and succeeded in intercepting the invasion force that had invaded just as the helpful ghost had informed them. After making contact with the airborne forces and confirming it, they continued the battle with the advantage and repelled them.

 

"Just as you'd expect from Lynn."

 

Chiaki was impressed by his brilliant command.

 

"If you can handle this well even in a simulation, your instructor must be very impressed."

 

"Are you doing this on purpose, Lynn?"

 

Chiaki looked up at Marika, who was staring at the battle situation display for both sides with a serious look on her face.

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

"So, senpai, aren't you intentionally creating a situation that makes it easier for a helpful ghost to appear?"

 

"Eh?"

 

He said, and Chiaki looked around at the battle information displayed in front of her.

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"No matter where the airborne forces invade, their goal is the central computer and the core network connected to it. The central computer is protected deep underground in the base, so there's no need to worry about it being suddenly captured unless they dig an underground tunnel. In that case, the only thing the airborne forces can target is the core network, so if we wait at the terminal of the core network directly above the central computer, they'll come there even if we don't say anything."

 

As Marika told him, Chiaki brought up a 3D display of the conceptual diagram of the base structure that he had only seen diagonally.

 

"Oh, I see, that's what you mean."

 

"If we can repel the airborne forces quickly, it will be easier for Ahto, but I don't think it's like Lynn to do something unnecessary like moving the marines against an enemy that knows where to defend and doesn't know which route they will come from."

 

"Eh??"

 

Chiaki looked over the battle information again. Because it was a simulation, the waiting time and time lag that exist in reality were omitted, and the battle was in an end-of-life situation. Learning that the parachute forces had failed their mission, the orbital electronic warfare fleet began to withdraw at the same time as the advance guard of powerful enemy reinforcements arrived. Although it was a little past regular working hours, the simulation was ending with the victory of the base side commanded by Lynn.

 

"What do you mean? Please explain it in an easy-to-understand way."

 

"Well, that's why."

 

Marika slowly shook her head as she looked around at the combat information of the friendly and enemy simulation that had entered the combat processing stage, slowly gathering her thoughts.

 

"If Lynn is perfect and has flawless command with no room for a helpful ghost to appear, I think there probably won't be any suspicious contacts. It would be difficult to trick a top student like that."

 

"You're saying that Lynn's command is not perfect?"

 

"Well, there are some final command steps that could have been given earlier, but they're being deliberately put off and put off until later."

 

Marika picked out some situations that could be major triggers in the day-long battle simulation.

 

"The timing of communication jamming against an electronic warfare fleet in orbit, or electronic jamming against an orbital bombardment, it would be easier if they had a set method, but it seems like they're deliberately taking too much time."

 

The battle display showed the words "Situation Completed," indicating the end of the simulation. The final results were displayed in a list.

 

"The helpful ghost can only appear when the candidate is in a situation where they are confused or unable to make a decision. So Lynn, I think you purposely created a number of situations where the helpful ghost could easily make suspicious contact and then stuck around."

 

"Hmm, right."

 

After dinner.

 

Lynn answered while doing her daily work of catching bugs and scanning on her computer system, holding a cup of tea made by Marika who had come to her room.

 

"I see, so if you have free time, you can see the simulation data sent from Bentenmaru, enemy and ally, as much as you want. If you look at that, you can tell what they're thinking, right?"

 

Chiaki looked away when he said that.

 

"I'm embarrassed to say it, but all I could do was read the battle situation and understand what was going on. I don't think I have the talent to be a commander like Marika or Lynn."

 

"Really? Now that I've perfected my training method, maybe I can be trained to be a better commander without having self-taught habits like Marika and I?"

 

"I'll talk about my talent later. So, senpai, are you deliberately controlling the battle situation while commanding the battle so that suspicious contact would occur?"

 

"Controlling the battle situation isn't that great. However, in the cases so far, the helpful ghost appears when multiple parallel situations are going on and you have to make a lot of decisions in a short time. So when I thought I could create such a situation, I would delay my decisions so that the instructor wouldn't get suspicious and things would get messy and disorganized, but I guess Marika knew about it."

 

"Even though my senior is good at multitasking and getting things done efficiently, there were some parts where she wasn't very efficient, so I thought maybe she was doing it on purpose."

 

Marika was glancing at Lynn’s computer.

 

"So, how was it?"

 

"Helpful ghost? Suspicious contact?"

 

"Suspicious contact."

 

Marika answered.

 

"I mean, is it possible to create a helpful ghost on purpose?"

 

"Who knows? I managed to create one this time, but I think it's difficult to create one on purpose if the other side isn't interested. But I was lucky to be able to summon it when Bentenmaru's backup was perfect. If I had been able to monitor it, I wonder if something would have happened after that."

 

Lynn asked Marika and Chiaki.

 

"Did you see that far?"

 

Chiaki shook his head. Marika answered.

 

"I think Bentenmaru was trying to track or analyze the helpful ghost that appeared at Senpai's place, but Bentenmaru doesn't have enough free time to let us know about the situation, and he wouldn't have let out unnecessary communication data to show his tail, and seeing as there were no alarms or anything afterwards, I don't think he got much results."

 

"You shouldn't expect something big right from the start."

 

Lynn grinned.

 

"If the person who contacted me suspiciously is as important as we expected, he should know that an aggressive investigation into the school's core network has been started through official channels. If he wants to hide, he should be looking at the network he infiltrated. Well, I think that if Bentenmaru contacts me, he will tell me about that too."

 

Lynn’s computer played a light ringtone.

 

"Yes, here he comes!"

 

After confirming that the caller and the contents of the communication were disguised, Lynn opened the communication line. On the communication monitor, a Coorie appeared with Bentenmaru's bridge in the background.

 

"This is Bentenmaru."

 

From the other side of the communication monitor, Coorie looked around the room.

 

"Everyone's here. Thank you for your hard work. Especially Lynn, thank you for your hard work today."

 

"Thank you for your hard work on the ground."

 

After answering, Marika tilted her head.

 

"Eh, but Bentenmaru is still working, right?"

 

"We're still in combat mode and continuing to monitor the core systems."

 

Coorie answered with a sullen look on his face.

 

"There's no need to move the ship, so we're resting, and there are no plans to use the radar or onboard weapons, but the electronics are on 24-hour combat mode. I think this will continue for a while, so we've set up the shifts properly, so don't worry."

 

"Operating normally?"

 

Marika asked to confirm.

 

"Yes, there are currently no problems with the Bentenmaru or the surrounding area."

 

"So, is it such a troublesome enemy?"

 

Lynn and Chiaki looked at Marika's face as she asked.

 

"Do you understand?"

 

Coorie with the swirly glasses loosened his lips.

 

"Yes, it's quite a formidable enemy. This time, after we had our monitoring setup set up, there was a suspicious contact with Lynn, so I was lucky enough to pretend not to notice, but to be honest, I didn't think it was such a big deal. I was underestimating him.'

 

Marika looked back at Coorie on the communication monitor with a shocked look on her face.

 

'Is it such a big deal!?'

 

'The central intelligence department gives jobs to country pirates like us. I won't go into the details, so if you want to hear about it, please ask Lynn later.'

 

'Was it such a solid deal?'

 

Lynn asks.

 

'Well, we've already set up our monitoring setup, but I thought that if I suddenly responded differently to the first contact this week, it would raise suspicion, so I tried to deal with it as usual. Should I have held off a little longer?'

 

'There's no problem with Lynn's response. The other party is a seasoned veteran who has been working in the core network for years. If we were to change our approach here, they might get suspicious and contact might stop for a while. If that were to happen, we would need to constantly monitor not just the three of us there, but the other cadets as well, otherwise we wouldn't be able to monitor for ghost rescuers or suspicious contact, but unfortunately Bentenmaru doesn't have the resources to do that right now.'

 

'What happened?'

 

Marika asks.

 

"We took the trouble to bring Bentenmaru down to the ground and prepare to be able to use its power in electronic warfare, but did we make a mistake?"

 

"No, the battle formation and the shift arrangements to deal with it were mostly correct. The only thing I got wrong was the scale of the hypothetical enemy."

 

"What?"

 

"Well, I knew it would be a big deal, since it was an enemy that could sneak into the military academy's education network."

 

Lynn started tapping on her computer console while communicating.

 

"Even Bentenmaru has the highest level of administrator authority, right? They're the kind of people who can easily rewrite the cadets' call records, so I knew it wouldn't be easy."

 

"With all the preparations we've made up to now, I thought we had put together a system that would enable us to track the data of the three candidates and all of the data related to them."

 

Coorie continued to explain with a sullen look on his face.

 

"This time, Bentenmaru is just a subsystem, or rather, a monitor. The Kaiser Blade Calibur is a monster of a different dimension at the core of an educational network, and even if you challenge it with the calculation power of Bentenmaru, it won't even be taken seriously.'

 

'It's not like Bentenmaru's computers are old-fashioned now,' Lynn muttered.

 

'You know, we hack and update old computers to make them faster, and then use our skills and cheating to beat the latest models that we would never be able to beat in a fair fight.'

 

'Thanks for the positive evaluation.'

 

Coorie laughed.

 

'Well, if you want to engage in electronic warfare in space, there are circumstances that change at the time, so I'll do something about the Imperial Fleet's latest electronic warfare ship, the Stecken class. Whether it's old or new, the data standards that travel through space and FTL lines are the same, and the goal is the same - to take down the enemy. But when I tried to hunt down a malicious familiar that was stealthily hiding in the Imperial Fleet's core network while pretending to be doing my job properly, I saw the shadow of a bigger monster at the end of its tail.'

 

'You saw it?'

 

Lynn spoke up.

 

'I thought that the most we could do with the system that started up today was to check its operation.'

 

'The frequency of suspicious contact is not that high.'

 

Coorie nodded.

 

'If they jump into a place where we are waiting, then of course we won't let them get away. However, they are probably aware that they usually hide and sneak around, so they must be reasonably prepared. In that case, we need to check our entry route while also erasing our movements one by one so as not to be caught by their surveillance. If we react too dramatically and they notice our surveillance, all the preparations we've made will be wasted.'

 

'Wow.'

 

Chiaki shook her head in disgust. "I don't know what you're saying, but I can see that you're putting in a lot of effort and doing something troublesome."

 

"It would be difficult if the Bentenmaru were to take on everything by itself, but this time, the intelligence department is involved and we're doing it with the full cooperation of the military academy, so we're making it easier for us when it comes to lines and equipment."

 

"In other words, while we were fully prepared and waiting, the helpful ghost jumped in, whether he knew about the situation or not. It's public knowledge that the contractor is conducting an aggressive investigation into Gaiapolis's education network, so it's not surprising that he knew, but the fact that he's looking like that means he got away?"

 

"It wasn't that he got away, I let him escape."

 

Coorie corrected Lynn’s words.

 

"Of course, I don't expect to be able to identify the identity of a stealthy enemy in just one contact. This may look like electronic warfare, but what we're doing is more like intelligence warfare, so it's not a strategy that produces results that easily."

 

"Didn't it go as planned?"

 

Marika asks.

 

"Well, what exactly happened?"

 

"As I said before, I won't go into the details of the investigation. If you want to know the details, I'm sure Lynn understands, so please listen to my explanation later. The familiar that appeared on Lynn’s communication line gave appropriate advice on the base defense simulation that was being done in class, and had a short conversation with Lynn. It was just as the captain and Chiaki saw."

 

"So you saw it after all."

 

Marika muttered.

 

"Since we were the ones who sounded the alarm, we were watching what happened. What was unexpected was the way the helpful ghost appeared. I thought it was a sleeper that was hiding in the system and would only come out when necessary, then erase its tracks and go back into hiding again, but I was wrong."

 

"What!?"

 

Lynn spoke up again.

 

"Well, if he can give accurate advice by watching the simulation in progress, that means he's watching the entire situation, friend and foe, just like the instructor, and then he speaks out, right? Wasn't he a sleeper who was stealthily hiding in the instructor-level network?"

 

“I had set up the net with that in mind, too," said Coorie.

 

"Even so, if they were wary from the start, it would make it harder to do the rest of the job, so when I checked the route while being careful not to let them know that I was monitoring, it seemed like they weren't sleeping in stealth on the education network, but had come down from above."

 

"Above?"

 

With a strange look on her face, Lynn pointed to the ceiling of the room.

 

"Where do you mean?"

 

"Where do you think it is?"

 

Coorie's round glasses took on an eerie light.

 

"It's above the education network that connects the military academies, and even higher than the core network."

 

The three cadets looked at each other after being given the hint.

 

"What do you mean, even higher than the core network?"

 

The Imperial fleet maintains a top-priority communication network for reliable battle command to the periphery and reliable information gathering from the periphery. Marika knew the name of the most robust and most precisely managed network in the galaxy.

 

"Command communication network!?"

 

"That's right."

 

Coorie's face returned to its sullen expression.

 

"The helpful ghost that appeared during the simulation came down from the highest level of the command communication network. This means that in order to uncover the identity of the boss who is releasing and controlling the familiars, we need to move freely through the command network that controls the galaxy's largest military force. We've been assured by the person in charge that there is no limit to the scope of the offensive investigation, but we've also been told to be as subtle as possible. This is a situation that requires high-level judgment, isn't it, Nash?”

 

There was a moment of silence. Huh!? Lynn yelled in a hoarse voice and started tapping away at the keyboard.

 

``You've got to be kidding me, the Intelligence Department has cracked our lines after the last time?''

 

``Cracking is too harsh.''

 

``Ahh!!''

 

A new communications monitor opened without Lynn even touching it, and Nash appeared.

 

``You! How did you do it? What did you do?''

 

``Of course, it's always important to establish a means of contacting the Intelligence Department's important agents.''

 

``I thought I had checked for backdoors and blocked them all because they were supplied computer systems, but did you install something in them while I wasn't looking, or was it software?''

 

``It's a legitimate communications line. If we installed something that troublesome in the system you use, it would lower our credibility, so we haven’t done anything like that.'

 

'So it came on the Bentenmaru line!'

 

After identifying the route of the newly appeared communication monitor, Lynn stopped typing.

 

'A line for a subcontractor? Does the Imperial Fleet even have something like that?'

 

'Even if someone is eavesdropping, the automatically generated dummy conversations are inoffensive. So far, the encrypted communication has not been cracked.'

 

'So does that mean it's obvious that it's an automatically generated conversation and that encrypted communication is being played behind the scenes?'

 

'Recently, the quality of the automatic generation has improved, and it is now possible to hear conversations that are in line with the business content, so there is no need to worry. Even if this communication was monitored and recorded by an outside party, it would take about 100 years to decipher it, so there is no need to worry.'

 

'I'm not amateur enough to listen to you just because you said there's nothing to worry about.'

 

Coorie answered bluntly.

 

"But, well, we're taking all the measures we can at the moment, so if they're not working, then they're not an enemy we can deal with."

 

Coorie on the communications monitor turned to Nash.

 

"You've submitted your report and you heard what I just said, right?"

 

"Yes."

 

Nash answered. Ignoring Lynn, who was disappointed that she didn't realize that her communications were being monitored, Coorie continued to ask questions.

 

"So, what is your client's opinion? As the report says, the helpful ghost came from a command and communication network that is higher up in the backbone network. In other words, the suspicious contact is coming from the command and communication network. You said that you will not limit the scope of our offensive investigation, but will you continue the investigation without changing your policy?"

 

"Before that, there are a few things I want to confirm."

 

Nash on the communications monitor raised one hand lightly.

 

"Your personal feeling is fine. Or the feelings of the crew of the Bentenmaru is fine too. How big do you think the entity that's making suspicious contact from the command network is?'

 

'That's where you're going all of a sudden?'

 

Lynn groaned.

 

'So your report was so thorough that there was no need to check if the familiar really came down from the command network.'

 

'Is it okay if it's just my feeling?'

 

Coorie's glasses emitted an eerie light.

 

'I don't check with my staff to see how they feel. Feelings and intuition are important, but it's not something I go around asking or checking with all the staff during a battle.'

 

'That’s fine. The intelligence department doesn't operate on such vague feelings anyway. But it's very valuable as a reference opinion. Because the report submitted by Bentenmaru this time is the first to prove the existence of the hypothetical enemy that has been rumored in the Imperial Fleet.'

 

'Is that true?'

 

Coorie answered in a disinterested voice.

 

"If the existence of the helpful ghost or any suspicious contacts have not been verified contacts up until now, I don't know why they asked an outsider, a pirate, to do such a big job, but that's okay. Where did the helpful ghost come from, and what kind of being is making the suspicious contact? If you don't mind my guess, I'll tell you."

 

Coorie put his index finger on his swirling glasses.

 

“Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

 

Lynn made a strange noise. Coorie continued.

 

“The only higher-ranking entity that can move freely through the core network and command network without leaving a trace is the Joint Chiefs of Staff. If they have been operating like this for years without being caught and have achieved enough results to make the intelligence department feel a sense of crisis, then they can move through the command network on the same level as the Joint Chiefs of Staff's direct messages. The network administrator privileges required for an offensive investigation is not enough.”

 

“So you got the sense that the Joint Chiefs of Staff are the enemy this time?”

 

Nash asked, carefully choosing his words. Coorie slowly shook his head.

 

“That's not quite right. The enemy has at least the same managerial qualifications and superiority as the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the know-how to fully utilize them, and they are moving around in the command and communication network and the core network. It's like the enemy you're chasing has a wild card that can get in anywhere and do anything, so it's extremely troublesome, but I think it's a different entity from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.'

 

'Isn't it wishful thinking that the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the brains of the Imperial fleet that protects the galaxy, shouldn't have something like that?'

 

'Do you think pirates have something like that?'

 

Through his round glasses, Coorie glared at Nash.

 

'If it was an order from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, they wouldn't move in such a roundabout way. Time is the top priority, and they'd rush through the shortest route in the chain of command. Even if they were secretly monitoring so they wouldn't be noticed, they would disappear and reappear, go back and forth to different levels, this is the work of creatures of the dark side who are used to doing such bad things on a daily basis.'

 

'Wow.'

 

Lynn shrugged as if he was talking about himself. Nash closed his eyes and seemed to nod.

 

'That’s good.'

 

'Hmm?"

 

Coorie asked again. Nash opened his eyes.

 

"I'm grateful that you saw the same things I did."

 

Lynn’s eyes widened. Marika looked curiously at Nash and Coorie on the communications monitor.

 

"What, what do you mean?"

 

"I was also speculating that this issue may have come from the Joint Staff Headquarters, which is above the intelligence department."

 

Nash looked at Coorie's face through the communications monitor.

 

"It's not just the report from Bentenmaru. This is the first time that a helpful ghost has appeared in a place where a strict monitoring system has been set up, but this is not the first time a similar phenomenon has occurred. Similar phenomena have been reported in various places, from the core to the frontier. Even after checking them later, there was no record of any evidence, so the reliability is not very high, but all of the phenomena indicate that if such a thing were possible, the person who performed it had the highest or near highest level of administrative privileges."

 

Nash smiled on the communications monitor.

 

"Yes, Coorie. I also thought that it was someone else, on the same level as the Joint Chiefs of Staff."

 

"Well then, that's easy."

 

Coorie smiled wickedly.

 

"Give me the same authority as the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Then I can finally chase the ghosts on an equal footing."

 

"The same authority as the Joint Chiefs of Staff?"

 

Nash repeated Coorie's words to confirm.

 

"Does that mean you want me to give you command over the seven fleet headquarters?"

 

"If I can't have the same freedom in the command and communication network without that, then that's what it comes down to. I don't need command authority, just give me the authority and I'll do whatever I want with the rest."

 

"That's a matter that requires a high level of judgment. I understand that it's necessary to investigate the network, but I hope you understand that it's not something that can be granted here and now."

 

"Don't say nonsense. And one more thing, tell me all the departments and companies that have authority equal to or greater than that of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.'

 

'If you look at the hierarchy diagram of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, you'll see that.'

 

'Don't talk nonsense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff is the galaxy's biggest hellish amusement park with a hundred demons and monsters marching around in a night parade. You can't tell which department has what level of authority and is roaming the network by looking at the official hierarchy diagram. Just the authority and freedom to the command and communication network, and how often it is used, I want a list of all the departments with the highest authority, and then a list of companies with the same authority, all of them.'

 

Nash on the communication monitor looked at Coorie's face with interest.

 

'You're not going to pick a fight with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are you?'

 

'That's what I'm supposed to say.'

 

Coorie looked back at Nash from the communication monitor.

 

"If you want to complete your mission, there is a possibility that you will make the Imperial Fleet's Joint Staff Headquarters your enemy. Does the Intelligence Department have the guts to designate the Headquarters as a hypothetical enemy?"

 

"This is a matter that requires high-level judgment. Besides, the Joint Staff Headquarters has not yet been decided as the Intelligence Department's hypothetical enemy."

 

"Yes, fortunately. There must be other companies and organizations with equal authority besides HQ. Since the command and communication network is a network, there must be companies and organizations that look after it. I have a list of them all. It would be pointless for us to press for high-level decisions, so I'll wait as long as I can. How long will it take for the list to arrive?"

 

"I just sent it."

 

Coorie looked a little surprised.

 

"...You had it prepared?"

 

"I had it prepared after analyzing and evaluating the report from Bentenmaru. It has just arrived from the relevant department, so I have not checked it yet. Please forgive me if there are any minor errors. More reliable data will be sent once the review is complete.'

 

'OK, receipt confirmed.'

 

Coorie tapped the panel outside the communications monitor.

 

"I'll analyze this list. I'll think about which areas we should focus on. I'll leave it to a higher level judgment to decide whether to actually start or not."

 

Coorie turned his gaze back to Nash.

 

"How long should I wait?"

 

"You don't really think that I can make that decision while we're communicating, do you?"

 

Nash gave an ambiguous smile.

 

"I can't promise you how long it will take for this matter. I will contact all the relevant parties as soon as possible and make a decision, so please wait a while."

 

Coorie snorted.

 

"You know, but the process of contacting all the relevant parties could be an act of enemy treason. The hypothetical enemy can move around the command and communication network with the same authority as the headquarters. In other words, the communication you make to all the relevant parties could be seen in the same way."

 

"I know."

 

"And one more thing. We have a clue that may help us get a hold of the enemy's tail. But the longer we spend on this, the lower our chances of winning will be. We only just managed to get a foothold in the core network yesterday, but we don't know how many years they've been active, so the only advantage we have is how quickly we can move and corner them.'

 

Nash pondered for a moment on the communications monitor.

 

'Okay. Can you wait a moment?'

 

'Like this? Without disconnecting the line?'

 

'Fortunately, my boss is close enough that I don't have to worry about being monitored. If I don't come back for too long, I don't mind, just disconnect the line and wait for his next contact.'

 

After a moment, Coorie nodded.

 

'Okay, good luck. See you later.'

 

Nash stood up on the communications monitor and disappeared from the field of view. All that was left was the communications monitor, which showed a background color that seemed intentionally washed out, rather than a bleak one.

 

"I've gotten so used to being a court attendant, you know."

 

Coorie waved and saw Nash off. He turned to the three in Lynn’s room.

 

"Well, that's how things stand now. If you have any questions, feel free to ask now."

 

The three looked at each other. Marika timidly raised her hand in place of the restless Lynn.

 

"Yes, Captain, please."

 

"What was that?"

 

Marika asked.

 

"I know you're working as hard as you can, but is it okay to grasp that much?"

 

"It’s not a problem from the Bentenmaru's side. Of course, it would be a challenge for Bentenmaru to infiltrate the command and communication network on her own, but fortunately, I'm now in a position where I can freely use Gaiapolis' Kaiser Blade Caliber. We have enough facilities and preparations.'

 

'Because the Imperial Fleet's command and communication network is the largest and strongest military network that spans the entire galaxy. It's hard enough just to get into it, but to go there to work with the highest authority on top of that.'

 

'As things stand, the intelligence department can't do the job.'

 

Coorie answered with a sullen look on his face.

 

'I only requested an increase in authority based on the current situation and the expected developments. If Nash's mind is working normally, this should be an opportunity for the intelligence department.'

 

'What's the opportunity?'

 

'All I’m asking for is authority, not additional budget or equipment. In other words, if i use this card well, I should be able to find out what the intelligence department is thinking about this case, and what their position is beyond just public opinion, but there's no way I can find out that much in this short time, so what should I do?'

 

'You're pretty relaxed.'

 

Lynn was impressed.

 

"You have the luxury of worrying about the position of your boyfriend in the intelligence department, as expected of you."

 

"He's not my boyfriend."

 

Coorie emitted a strange ray from her round glasses.

 

"All I'm worried about is whether I can complete the requested job to a level where I can get paid, and whether I can do the intelligence department and the Imperial fleet a favor that will be useful later."

 

"You don't seem worried though."

 

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

 

Nash returned to the communications monitor.

 

"Yes, welcome back. What did your boss say?"

 

"Unfortunately, it seems that I can't grant you command-level authority over the command communications network."

 

Nash nodded.

 

"They said they didn't expect anything more than an aggressive investigation into the current education network. They said they would not be able to take responsibility as an intelligence department if an outsider were to go on a rampage through the command and communication network, so please spare us.”

 

Nash smiled and looked around at Coorie on the other side of the communication monitor, and at the three cadets in the dormitory.

 

“So, the results were not what you expected. I'm sorry. There's nothing I can do about it like this, so I'll try to do something about it, but please don't get your hopes up.”

 

Nash returned his gaze to Coorie.

 

“Well, that's pretty much what I expected.”

 

Coorie nodded with a sullen look on her face.

 

“I'll wait without getting my hopes up, until the groundwork goes well.”

 

"Well, that's it then."

 

Nash bowed slightly.

 

"Everyone, please be careful not to push yourself too hard. We'll contact you if the situation changes. See you later."

 

The communication from the intelligence department via Bentenmaru disappeared, leaving behind rainbow noise. Almost reflexively, Lynn checked the communication line and confirmed that it had definitely been cut. The dummy call data was still flowing.

 

"You saw it, didn't you?"

 

Waiting for the rainbow noise to disappear, Coorie looked around at the girls. Lynn and Chiaki looked dejected and pouted in dissatisfaction. Only Marika nodded with a difficult look on her face.

 

"So that's how it is?"

 

"That's how it is. You shouldn't take anything an intelligence officer says at face value. If we have that conversation at the very end, even if the communication from the previous time was monitored via the intelligence department, we won't have to make the other party unnecessarily nervous.'

 

'Nash, I'm impressed you were able to convince your boss in such a short time.'

 

'Yeah, that was probably just a play. What intelligence department has a boss who is convenient enough to know the latest status of his subordinates' work and give the necessary approvals?'

 

'So, Nash, you were acting like that even considering the possibility that this communication might have been leaked?'

 

'That's what it means. If they have to be so careful with the lines sent from the intelligence department, then they must be fully aware of how troublesome the enemy is.'

 

'Wait a minute!'

 

Chiaki interrupted.

 

"Don't talk like it's just Coorie and Marika who understand, explain it to me! What in the wor is going on? Is the intelligence department going to let me continue this job or stop it!?"

 

"You saw Nash's face, didn't you?"

 

Marika said to Chiaki.

 

"If it was something that would cancel my operation, I would think he would look a little more serious. But he was smiling like I'd never seen him before. Coorie didn't change his expression either, so I thought, "Oh, what you're saying and what you're doing are completely different."

 

"So, what you said and what the operation plan is from now on are the complete opposite, is that right?"

 

"Probably."

 

Marika looked back at Coorie, not looking very confident.

 

"If the operation was really canceled, I would think Coorie would have checked a few more things, but he just brushed it off so I thought maybe."

 

"That's why you shouldn't believe anything the intelligence department says."

 

Coorie on the communications monitor said with a cool face.

 

"I'll go through the list that the intelligence department made for me and see where in the hierarchy it’s likely to have potential enemies. I can spread my net even with our current authority, and I should be able to guess where the potential enemies are from the authority level."

 

"Um, so that means we're continuing the operation."

 

Lynn looked closely at Coorie's face on the communications monitor.

 

"Sis, how can you put up with such a troublesome person?"

 

"We're not dating."      

 

Coorie's round glasses emitted a strange ray of light again. Lynn hurriedly made an excuse.

 

"No, that's not what I meant. I just thought that I'd be able to understand what you're saying because I'm used to dealing with troublesome places like the intelligence department."

 

"You might not be putting up with them."

 

Coorie gave a gentle smile.

 

"Maybe I'm just interpreting things the way I want, and I should just take that idiot's words at face value."

 

"But Coorie didn't think that way, did he?"

 

Marika gave an innocent smile.

 

"In that case, I believe in Coorie. And so do you all, right?"

 

"This is a huge responsibility."

 

Coorie's mouth loosened. Marika nodded.

 

"Do your job properly, there are many important things at stake."

The revised list from the Intelligence Department arrived at Bentenmaru the next morning.

 

Hyakume, who was on the morning shift, checked it immediately and found that the changes from the original list were focused on the names and authority of the companies.

 

The original list listed all of the departments within the Joint Staff Headquarters that had priority over the command and communication network. In the revised version, the access frequency had been replaced with the latest one, and there were no other major changes to the content.

 

The company list had been revised to include changes to the names, departments and authority, access frequency, and even communication capacity. They had even attached data from the last few years, and Hyakume was impressed by the careful work of the Intelligence Department's Records Division.

 

At this point, the Bentenmaru electronic warfare staff, led by Coorie, had identified the department within the Joint Staff Headquarters that had the authority to freely use the command and communication network, and another company that was contracted to maintain and develop the command and communication network, as most likely to be the enemy's main base.

 

GT&T, the largest communications company in the galaxy, and the corporations under its umbrella are entrusted with the maintenance of the command and communication network by the Imperial Fleet. The command and communication network is different from civilian communication networks in terms of reliability and response speed, but they share some principles and structure. Many technologies were put to practical use in the development and construction of military command and communication networks, which are much more expensive than civilian networks because reliability is paramount. In addition, military networks that can be used reliably even in remote areas with poor communication environments are sometimes partially opened to the civilian market under certain conditions.

 

However, in core star systems, where the command and communication network is directly managed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, GT&T's level of involvement is low. The Advanced Communications Research Institute within GT&T has many research themes and development plans commissioned by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and it routinely accesses the command and communication network, but the level of secrecy is not very high, and even Bentenmaru's current authority allows him to check the content of the communications.

 

The command and communication network in core star systems is directly managed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Even if that is publicly announced, it is not easy to learn more about the inside story. However, the list that Nash circulated with a note of strict confidentiality included this information in a well-organized format.

 

A team led by Schnitzer, an expert, analyzed the command and communication network of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

 

The Joint Chiefs of Staff is at the top of the command and communication network. However, its true nature is the largest and strongest bureaucratic organization in the galaxy, which continues to grow in a complex and mysterious way, and even unraveling the intricate chain of command to make it easy to understand is a struggle for outsiders.

 

The Command and Communication Network Management Command Center, which constantly monitors and manages the command and communication network within the Joint Chiefs of Staff, effectively has the highest level of management authority. However, its role is limited to monitoring and maintaining the content of communications and the structure of the command and communication network. Although it uses and monitors the command and communication network on a daily basis and holds the highest level of authority, it rarely actually uses that authority in activities.

 

Within the Joint Staff Headquarters, the Strategic Staff Intelligence Division was the one that used the command communications network the most frequently and in terms of traffic volume. Much of the traffic was related to strategic goals and information sharing with each fleet headquarters from the First Fleet to the Seventh Fleet. Due to the sheer volume of communication data and the fact that it rarely appeared on the education network, Schnitzer quickly decided that it would be too much trouble for no gain and removed communications from the Strategic Staff Intelligence Division from his monitoring list. The remaining divisions, with their high level of authority, were also investigated and prioritized in order of frequency of command communications network use.

 

The same process was carried out on a list of divisions and private companies outside the Joint Staff Headquarters that had high authority over the command communications network, both within and outside the Imperial Fleet. As these were far more numerous, the number of staff, mainly Coorie and Hyakume, was mobilized in greater numbers than Schnitzer's marines.

 

Coorie's methods were more practical than Schnitzer's. He made a list of all divisions and companies with the same level of authority over the command communications network as the Joint Staff Headquarters, and investigated their frequency of access to the education network.

 

If there is a discrepancy between the number of accesses recorded on the education network and the records on the Bentenmaru side, it is possible that the access records are being faked, or that the accesses themselves are being faked. Also, in cases where there are few or no access records, there is no problem in removing the mark.

 

Of course, it is also possible to fake the accesses themselves, erasing your tracks each time despite frequent access, and bringing the access records to zero. Deciding that an enemy with the authority to freely rewrite even the administrative records would only bring up data that suits them by examining past records, Coorie boldly narrowed down the scope of his investigation.

 

This is not a job that can be completed overnight. The Bentenmaru crew had gone to great lengths to complete their electronic battle preparations, and had thought that it would be an easy job of just monitoring until the start of the main battle, but they were now busy with daily investigation work.

 

As the days of work dragged on, more data from the Bentenmaru, which continued its aggressive investigation of the core network, accumulated. A few days later, the system for monitoring access to the command and communication networks of the Joint Staff Headquarters and the private companies and organizations that had been targeted was in place, and the actual access situation could be monitored.

 

The expansion of Bentenmaru's authority from the intelligence department was also not done all at once. No one in Bentenmaru knew how Nash had acted within the intelligence department or how the ongoing operations were being evaluated. However, Bentenmaru's authority over the core network and command and communication networks was expanded and increased little by little every day.

 

At the regular contact the following week, Coorie still looked dissatisfied with Bentenmaru's expanded authority. However, at the regular contact the week after that, the three cadets were surprised to see Coorie thank Nash.

 

“As things stand, Bentenmaru does not request any further expansion of authority.''

 

Coorie said to Nash over the communication line.

 

“If there is someone on the command and communication network who is monitoring with that intention, and Bentenmaru uses more authority than it currently has, there is a possibility that its movements and intentions will be read by the hypothetical enemy. Well, it's up to us whether we use it or not, so I don't think there will be any inconvenience even if we are given more authority than we currently have.'

 

'I'm glad you're satisfied.'

 

Nash replied with a smile.

 

'The latest data you shared with me was useful as a means of persuasion. My understanding that a network as large as a command and communication network would be operated properly has changed considerably, and it has helped us to smoothly advance some of the negotiations.'

 

"The reason the network is built and operates properly is because the intelligent beings involved are doing their jobs diligently. People who don't know the truth seem to think that the most efficient network built from scratch by computers operates without maintenance, but if that were the case, we wouldn't have to go to all that trouble."

 

"The data on how much access the Fleet departments and private companies that actually maintain and service the command and communication network are faking is quite shocking."

 

"Oh, that."

 

Coorie said nonchalantly.

 

"That data was only available to us because you gave Bentenmaru permission, but even we had no idea that the access records of the core network were being tampered with so regularly until we actually kept the records and compared them. I'm sure you understand, but most of the access and tampering is for maintenance and emergency response measures, and the reason they were tampered with and don't appear in the official records is because of your operations, such as submitting reports and getting permission every time and not being able to keep up with the times, or having to submit mountains of written explanations if you report after the fact. If you want to continue to operate the core network smoothly, you need to make it a bit more open, otherwise it won't last long.'

 

'I'll give you a suggestion.'

 

Nash gave a wry smile.

 

'You're being asked to change the operating policy not only of the command and communication network but also of the core network. This may be the biggest shock you will have to the Imperial fleet from this incident.'

 

'I'll gladly accept it if the reward is increased.'

 

Coorie's round glasses lit up.

 

'The problem is that the fact that so many irregular accesses are part of the daily operation of the backbone network makes it easy for those who commit fraud to do so. Of course, I didn't realize they were operating so blatantly until I looked into it. If it's so easy to rewrite records not only on the backbone network but also on the command and communication network depending on the administrative authority, then it's easy to do anything illegally if you want to do something illegal, right?'

 

Coorie lowered his voice deliberately.

 

'Has that ever happened before?'

 

'I can't say it's never happened before.'

 

Nash answered with a plausible look on his face.

 

'Otherwise, it would be hard to understand why the Imperial Fleet, whose basic strategy is to overwhelm the enemy with superior military power, has suffered so many crushing defeats that it is not proud of. However, the Joint Staff Headquarters is also aware of this danger, which is why they prioritize direct command from each fleet headquarters over centralized command from the Joint Staff Headquarters when it comes to the Numbers Fleet.'

 

'Well, thanks to that, we can expand our surveillance area as much as we want without worrying about it, and we can move from one place to another without worrying about erasing the records of surveillance.'

 

Coorie looked away from Nash on the other side of the communications monitor.

 

'Thank you. I appreciate it, this makes my work much easier.'

 

'Oh.'

 

Lynn, Marika, and Chiaki, who were on a regular call in their dorm rooms at the military academy, spoke in unison. Nash on the communications monitor smiled with satisfaction.

 

Coorie glared at Nash.

 

'What? I don't need to condescend and talk about my hardships?"

 

"Yes, it was a lot of hard work, but that one word just now made it all worth it."

 

Nash nodded.

 

"So, do you think you'll be able to get better results with your expanded authority?"

 

"Last week, the helpful ghost only contacted Lynn once."

 

Coorie returned to his professional grimace.

 

"No overt contact has been confirmed yet with the Captain or Chiaki, but there have been several instances of access from an unknown source to their communication records and report cards. We can assume that this is not limited to just the two of them, but is occurring with similar frequency with all other students. In fact, when we compared the difference between the records of all access and data flow to the education network and the actual data flow measured by Bentenmaru, we found a significant difference that was greater than the margin of error. At this stage, we believe that the suspicious contact controlling the helpful ghost has an accurate grasp of all students' grades, class attitudes, and abilities at the same level as the military academy.'

 

'So you've finally come, huh?'

 

Lynn looked at Marika and Chiaki with amusement.

 

'With your grades, we might be able to experience a suspicious contact soon.'

 

'Well, that's what I came here for.'

 

Marika looked at the communications monitor with a disinterested look on her face.

 

'But doesn't that mean the enemy is bigger than Coorie expected?'

 

'Why do you think so?"

 

"Well, if they're looking at all the freshman grades and all that in detail at this point, then we should think that the enemy isn't just doing this at the Gaiapolis military academy, but all the military academies in the empire. I think there's an enormous amount of data to check just at our academy, and if they're analyzing that much data accurately, doesn't that mean they already have a system somewhere that can efficiently process large amounts of data?"

 

"I expected that much. There's no problem."

 

Coorie said calmly.

 

"The reason we're using the Kaiser Blade Caliber here isn't just to target and extract only the necessary data from the enormous traffic of the backbone network. It's because, unless we at least have the computing power to deal with the massive enemy systems that are supposed to be operating on the other side of the FTL lines, we won't be able to fight on equal terms."

 

"As expected, Sis."

 

Lynn clapped her hands.

 

"So that's what I expected."

 

"That's right. Now we are finally ready to fight against the virtual enemy. Up until now, we could only wait for the virtual enemy to make a random move on our monitored targets and then detect it, but from now on we will be able to do a lot more. However, we don't know how carefully the virtual enemy is watching the network, how carefully they are using stealth, or how much they are prepared for emergencies. So, if we are to uncover the enemy's true identity and find out where they are, we need to win the battle in one fell swoop."

 

"As always, you're so practical."

 

Nash gave a wry smile.

 

"What kind of move are you thinking of?"

 

"Before that, I'm sorry to ask you this every time, but there's something I need to confirm."

 

Coorie looked straight at Nash through his round glasses from the communication monitor.

 

"What is it?"

 

"The request that came to our captain and her friends this time was to infiltrate the military academy to confirm the existence of an underground organization that had formed within the Imperial Fleet in pursuit of a different policy from the original Imperial Fleet, and to wait for contact from the Imperial Fleet officer training stage to find out the identity of the enemy. If this operation is carried out at full strength, regardless of the outcome, it is expected that the hypothetical enemy will at least refrain from activities at the military academy. In other words, if this operation is carried out, the surveillance network that has been built up so far and the future results that it will bring will almost certainly be lost. Is the intelligence department aware of this?”

 

“Ah, that matter.”

 

Nash nodded.

 

“Don't worry. The surveillance network that we were able to create at Gaiapolis West Campus with Bentenmaru's cooperation this time was only possible thanks to Bentenmaru's capable staff, especially excellent pirates such as Coo-chan, Hyakume, and Schnitzer.”

 

“Don't call me Coo-chan.”

 

Coorie emitted a strange ray from her swirling glasses. Nash continued without paying any attention to it.

 

"If we could assign you to this job on a long-term contract, we could maintain and grow this surveillance network, but that's not possible."

 

"That's fine if you understand."

 

"As per the contract, the work of the Bentenmaru will be shared with the intelligence department for analysis and evaluation after the entire operation is completed. As a result, we will learn about pirate methods and know-how. After this operation is completed, it is up to us to decide whether to build our own surveillance network or add a new system to the current surveillance network."

 

"So, are you okay with me carrying out the proposed operation and the Intelligence Department's virtual enemy going quiet for a while?"

 

"No problem."

 

Nash nodded.

 

"No matter what the outcome, if we can contain the activities of the virtual enemy for a while, that will be an achievement."

 

"You're worried about success and failure even before the war has started?"

 

Lynn, who was listening to the story, folded her arms with a serious look on her face.

 

"As expected of the intelligence department, or is that how the Empire wages war?"

 

"What are you so impressed with? You're the ones fighting the war."

 

The three looked at the communications monitor in shock as Coorie said that.

 

"As you know, admission and graduation for military academies occur once every quarter of the standard calendar."

 

Coorie had probably already completed the minimum operational proposal to the intelligence department. He began to explain to the three involved.

 

"In other words, just as the Seven Days of Fire for new recruits takes place four times per standard calendar year, the largest joint graduation exercise for the four military academies in Gaiapolis also takes place four times per year."

 

"Graduation exercise."

 

Lynn, who had already experienced it once, muttered.

 

"Well, freshmen like Marika and Chiaki aren't assigned to the front lines, so aren't they just observing and occasionally helping out?"

 

"What's a graduation exercise?"

 

"I'm looking it up now."

 

Chiaki was tapping away at the mobile device she'd brought into Lynn’s room.

 

"It's an exercise on the scale of an interstellar war, held once every term at the military academy. All ships from the training fleet belonging to the military academy will be deployed, and the Numbers Fleet will play the role of the enemy fleet."

 

"The entire training fleet will be deployed!?"

 

Marika spoke up. Though she'd only seen a small part of it, the training fleet in the Gaia G4 star system is a large fleet, complete with strategic battleships and even an aircraft carrier strike force. Although it's called a training fleet, its size far exceeds that of an average independent star system's self-defense fleet or an interstellar nation's defense force.

 

"And if there's another fleet to play the enemy fleet, that means the fleet participating in the exercise is twice the size of the training fleet!? Are we going to gather that many and go to war here!?"

 

Marika screamed, thinking about the preparation and effort involved.

 

"Don't worry, it's just an exercise. We're not the ones who put together the fleet or plan and move it, so don't worry."

 

"Oh, I see, that's right."

 

"What exactly are you planning to do in the graduation exercise?"

 

When Nash asked, Coorie gave an evil smile.

 

"That's nice, you read our proposal properly, but you ask questions because our young people are listening. I don't mind that theatricality. There's no need to explain this to the Intelligence Department, but even though they're exercises, the amount of information exchanged during each graduation exercise, where strategic-scale fleets engage head-on, is far greater than that of an actual interstellar war.'

 

Coorie's glasses gleamed.

 

'The candidates who will be participating are all current students, with the majority being the most senior students about to graduate. All of them must make various decisions while in combat mode. It is believed that the graduation exercise is the event where the virtual enemy's helpful ghost will be most likely to appear in large numbers. And with the Numbers Fleet also participating, not only will a large amount of combat information be flowing over both the education network and the core network, but the command and communication network will also be used in the field. This is the busiest time for helpful ghost, which means it's also the biggest hunting season for us.'

 

The graduation exercises, held four times a year in the Galactic Standard Calendar, are large-scale exercises that simulate fleet battles on the scale of an interstellar war. They are organized by the training fleet of the military academy, but are the largest exercises regularly held by the Imperial Fleet.

 

There are many opinions, such as how many opportunities there are for fleet battles these days, and that the exercises are highly effective because large-scale battles between fleets often occur in the border areas, but the Imperial Fleet has no intention of canceling the graduation exercises, which are held continuously as a major event for cadets to graduate from the military academy.

 

The training fleets, which are organized separately from the First through Seventh Imperial Fleets, are inferior in size to the First Fleet, the Imperial Guard Fleet that directly guards the Holy King's family, but are second only to the First Fleet in terms of the priority given to the latest equipment.

 

Among the officers serving in the Imperial Fleet, those who graduated from the academy are expected to serve the longest in the fleet. If that is the case, it is most efficient to educate the officer cadets, who will be serving the longest, on the latest equipment that they will be using in the future.

 

Generally, the newest ships and equipment are deployed to the First Fleet first. Next, they are deployed to the Training Fleet, and the candidates who have become familiar with the latest equipment are assigned to the Numbers Fleet.

 

Even though it is a training fleet, the equipment it is equipped with is the latest. In terms of nominal combat power alone, it is not uncommon for the Numbers Fleet to exceed the frontline strength of a fleet of the same size.

 

Even though the crew are cadets who have not yet been assigned to a fleet, they are equipped with the latest equipment, and the Numbers Fleet, which acts as the enemy in the exercises, takes turns forming the exercise fleet.

 

The Seventh Fleet, which works on the frontier and often engages in actual combat, rarely takes part in graduation exercises. Furthermore, the First Fleet, which is the Imperial Guard fleet, does not act as the enemy in graduation exercises. The enemy of the training fleet is formed from the Second through Sixth fleets, whose areas of responsibility are within the territory of the Galactic Empire.

 

The assumptions for the exercises are different each time. In the case of the graduation exercise held in the Gaia G4 star system, a fleet battle between the training fleet and the Numbers Fleet is set, and in most cases, the scenario is that the training fleet defends its home star system from the enemy fleet of the invading Numbers Fleet.

 

Preparation for the graduation exercise begins one month before the exercise begins. The situation for the fleet battle, which will take place in the Gaia G4 star system, is assumed one month in advance. The general headquarters, which is made up of graduating cadets, must prepare for the fleet battle in accordance with the assumed situation.

 

For the fleet battle, the training fleet in the Gaia G4 star system must commit all of its fighting power. All of the cadets at the military academy, from freshmen to the most senior students who are scheduled to graduate, must prepare for the all-out battle while attending regular classes.

 

Preparation for the fleet battle is the task of preparing all ships, equipment, and personnel for battle on the scheduled start date of the operation. At this stage, the cadets gain practical experience in matters necessary for war, such as maintenance, supply, and organization, and gain experience in determining priorities.

 

Even for Marika, Chiaki, and Lynn, who have experience in several battles and interstellar wars, this was not an easy task. The cadets must give orders for the maintenance and supply of all the ships belonging to the training fleet, and organize the crew. From the large ships of the training fleet, such as the huge strategic battleships, the latest electronic warfare ships, and attack aircraft carriers, to the mobile cruisers that fight on the front lines, and the amphibious assault ships that perform landing operations, to the heavy attack aircraft that are classified as small cruisers, to the small powered suits worn by single people, and even the unmanned probes deployed on site, the cadets are in charge of everything from operating the supply fleet to provide sufficient maintenance and supply for all of these.

 

Although there are many precedents and the computer can give the necessary advice each time, the cadets must give the instructions that they believe to be the most appropriate, or close to optimal, from the nearly infinite options. The cadets who are close to graduating must check the maintenance and supply of large ships, check the equipment, organize the crew, and even arrange for the necessary supply ships and maintenance docks.

 

The new students don't have it easy either. Compared to the graduating students and the upperclassmen, they are given less authority and responsibility, but they are assigned to a department and must prepare their respective weapons and armaments, and perform the necessary supplies and maintenance.

 

It is said that the reason the cadets are made to prepare for large-scale operations is because it is the most direct and practical way for students to understand the Imperial fleet and space warfare. The active officers, whose work will consist of more than half of their work as fleet officers, all agree that the most practical class at the academy is the preparation for the graduation exercises.

 

The cadets who prepare for the large-scale operation of the graduation exercises four times a year learn firsthand about war and the structure and movements of the Imperial fleet that wages it. At the same time, this places a great burden on the cadets.

 

"No way!"

 

Chiaki screamed for the umpteenth time that day.

 

"I don't understand why intelligent beings, supposedly intelligent and cultured, would do something as irrational and time-consuming as war, which is nothing but destructive!"

 

"There's a theory that the reason the cadets are even made to prepare for the exercises is to turn fleet officers into pacifists."

 

She also couldn't finish her maintenance and supply schedule within the extracurricular activities, so Lynn, who had been working on it until her free time after dinner, took over the task on the side. A cadet's role is not only to create the schedule, but also to contact the people in charge and the contractors.

 

"The fleet officers are the ones who know the power of the weapons they use best, but if they are told how much work it takes to use them, they will not use large-scale strategic weapons so easily."

 

"The ones who want to use large-scale strategic weapons are the big shots who leave everything from preparation to launch to the field. That's right, when war breaks out, it's good to lecture the big shots who don't know the field on everything from supplies to logistics, and make them sick of having to ask about everything."

 

"They're poisoning us, they're poisoning us."

 

Lynn laughs.

 

"If you have to prepare everything yourself, you'll think fighting is too much of a pain, you don't want to do it. This is what I'm saying, more useful for avoiding actual combat than any interstellar law or moral education."

 

"It's much more reliable than a written report afterwards, and I think it's also useful for learning how spaceships work."

 

Marika, also with a gloomy face, said.

 

"I thought the Bentenmaru did something similar, so I assumed the Imperial Fleet would do it too, but I didn't think a cadet would be made to do it."

 

Marika looked up at Lynn.

 

"Isn't it exactly these kinds of troublesome, tedious jobs that helpful ghost is needed for? If there's a contact that could help, wouldn't everyone jump at it, even if it seems a little suspicious?"

 

"Look, this isn't a class where you use an intercom and receive guidance from an instructor."

 

Lynn pointed to her ear.

 

"There's a mountain of things we have to do, but unlike a real battle, we don't have to deal with it in a time-consuming manner. Unlike a battle, even if you can't choose the best move, the situation won't suddenly change and you can recover. More than that, the purpose of the assignment is to teach you the importance of preparation and preparation, so I think it's probably harder for ghosts to come out to help you."

 

"It's negligence to not come out when you're needed."

 

Chiaki sighed as she scrolled through the remaining items on her list that needed to be dealt with.

 

"You can easily dominate the Imperial fleet if you attack it yourself, without going to the trouble of trying to win over trainees!"

 

"So, doesn't that mean that the mysterious forces who are sending out the helpful ghosts and making suspicious contacts to manipulate the Imperial fleet to their own advantage are at least dumber than the fleet's maintenance and supply personnel?"

 

Marika and Chiaki laughed helplessly.

 

"So you're saying that logistics is more difficult than combat?"

 

"Maybe so, but realistically speaking, it's the effort and effectiveness. With combat training, you can see results right away, so it's easy to sell your gratitude, but with maintenance and supply, even if you take the time to help, the results will come a long way, after the battle has started, or even after the battle has ended, right? By that time, there won't be many trainees who remember where and how they were helped."

 

"Do they really think that far ahead?"

 

Marika was mechanically processing the list.

 

"When I'm preparing for the graduation exercises, I don't have an intercom or internet connection, so it's easy to understand why the helpful ghost doesn't appear, but this is more like a task that needs to be completed than a class assignment, so maybe that's why they don't help me?"

 

"Hmm?"

 

Lynn looked at Marika, who was working steadily.

 

"What do you mean, Marika?"

 

"Um..."

 

Marika stopped typing on the keyboard.

 

"Originally, the helpful ghost only targets the top 10% of students, and doesn't appear for the top 1% of students. But having good grades doesn't necessarily mean you're good at clerical work, so I think the people the helpful ghost wants are probably people who can do that kind of work well, so if you're doing this kind of work, you're left alone."

 

"So even the helpful ghost is neglecting the supply and maintenance?"

 

Marika nodded when Chiaki asked.

 

"It's also possible that they don't show up because it's simply not within the area of ​​expertise of the helpful ghost."

 

And so, the 1258th Gaiapolis graduation exercise began.

 

The scenario for the graduation exercise was simulated before the actual exercise began. The cadets attended regular classes and completed their assignments, while keeping a close eye on the ongoing interstellar war and must respond if necessary.

 

As this is an interstellar war set up for the exercise, the political reasons and developments that led to the outbreak of hostilities are completely omitted. Instead, even the details that would be omitted in a battle simulation conducted in class are calculated as if it were a real battle, and the situation progresses as it progresses.

 

The attacking exercise fleet, the "Red," was formed from the Imperial Third Fleet. It advances straight from the direction of the core star system to engage in a fleet battle with the military academy training fleet, the "Blue," which is defending the Gaia G4 star system.

 

In a normal war, various battles would occur before the large fleets collide on the battlefield. Both the attacking and defending sides dispatch scouts to confirm the enemy's exact strength and position, and intercept without giving away accurate information. The defending side, knowing that a large fleet is coming and even knowing its course, reinforces the strength of the scouts to weaken the attacking side as much as possible, launching attacks while conducting reconnaissance, and even attacking the supply fleet of the attacking fleet.

 

The attacking side is also in the same situation, wanting to weaken the enemy's strength as much as possible before the decisive battle. They send out several advance ships to neutralize the many patrol bases stationed in the Gaia G4 star system and the patrol network connecting them, and while repeatedly engaging in skirmishes with the intercepting side, they open holes in the patrol network.

 

The attack on the supply fleet of the attacking fleet "Red" had a 60% success rate in the simulation. According to the simulation results, the fleet that was supposed to supply the Third Fleet's training fleet "Red" returned with only 40% of the planned supplies.

 

Among the defending fleet "Blue," those whose maintenance and resupply schedules were delayed until the very last moment before the start of the battle also had the results of the simulated battle reflected. The success rate of attacks by the exercise fleet "Red" against the supply fleet of the exercise fleet "Blue" was 30%. Because the defensive headquarters had always provided escorts for the supply fleet, as instructed by their predecessors, they were able to keep damage to a minimum compared to the attacking fleet.

 

However, the judgment at the simulation stage had a huge impact on the defending fleet before the actual exercise began. Specifically, after 30% of the supply fleet was damaged, the randomly assigned resupply schedule was canceled with an explanation of the situation.

 

If the necessary resupply that was arranged cannot be carried out, the candidates must either prepare an alternative means or prepare to participate in the exercise without resupply. Non-participation is treated as desertion before the enemy. If they do not want this to happen, they will need to take measures such as finding supplies that should be stored within the star system, arranging transportation, and completing the transportation and resupply before the predicted start of the battle. And all the cadets would come to experience for themselves the meaning of the ancient saying that there is no such thing as a battle that is fully prepared before the start.

 

The 1258th Gaiapolis graduation exercises began several hours earlier than originally planned.

 

The cadets had been told by their senior students and instructors that there were many cases where the exercise start time could be earlier or later than scheduled.

 

The exercise started several hours earlier in Galactic Standard Time, which meant midnight at Gaiapolis West Campus.

 

Since it was the day before the exercise, most of the cadets had been up half the night preparing, so they responded immediately to the situation and began to move to their respective battlefields for an emergency sortie.

 

A fleet battle began in the Gaia G4 star system.

 

"So this is a battle between two Imperial fleets equipped with the latest equipment."

 

Bentenmaru, also known as Tom & Jerry 37, had entered a huge hangar in the maintenance area of ​​the West Gaiapolis Spaceport with its exterior panels still on to disguise it as a transport ship, and was watching the 1258th graduation exercise over the network from the simulation stage of the scenario.

 

The Gaiapolis Military Academy's fleet "Blue", which was on the defensive, was an expensive formation equipped with the latest models from battleships and aircraft carriers to powered suits, while the fleet "Red", which was participating in the exercise from the Third Fleet, was in active service and had plenty of experience and achievements, although its ships and equipment were not as advanced as those of the "Blue". In accordance with the principle that the attacking side should attack with three times the force of the defending side, the number of ships in the "Red" fleet was three times that of the "Blue" fleet in a simple comparison.

 

The exercise began as soon as the main force of the "Red" fleet entered the patrol airspace set up on the outer edge of Gaiapolis. The defensive fleet, which had confirmed the almost exact position of the attacking fleet, immediately switched to combat mode and began intercepting the attacking fleet.

 

The amount of communication, which had been increasing even before the situation started, soared as soon as the actual exercise began. The attacking side launched simultaneous attacks to destroy each of the unmanned patrol networks stationed on the periphery of Gaiapolis, while the defending side engaged in electronic jamming.

 

"This is incredible. If Bentenmaru were to monitor the battle situation alone, it would be impossible to keep up."

 

Since there were many targets to monitor and Bentenmaru did not need to maneuver in combat, Hyakume had placed as many temporary monitors as possible around the radar/sensor seat on the fixed bridge of Bentenmaru.

 

"If that were to happen, we would only follow the main forces of both sides. If the goal is to determine the outcome of the entire battle, there is no need to monitor all the communications on the battlefield."

 

More electronic equipment that is not even fixed has been installed around Schnitzer, the battle commander's seat.

 

"No, I mean, there's no need to monitor the entire battle situation for this job."

 

Displays, monitors, control panels, and so on had been added to the electronics battle station like a barricade, so at a glance it was impossible to see where Coorie was.

 

"Well, it's an all-out battle between the training fleet, which is lavishly equipped with the latest equipment from the Imperial Fleet, and the Third Fleet's training fleet, which is blessed with updated equipment in the center, so I'm sure we'll get some interesting data, but that's just a side thing, like a side note to this job, not our main job, so don't go after it!"

 

"But even though it's an exercise, it's a rare opportunity to see the latest flagships of the Imperial Fleet fighting in a serious fleet battle, so I'll get some data."

 

With a look of licking his lips, Hyakume happily names the recording areas.

 

"Do we have time to analyze?"

 

"It won't be possible while we're here."

 

There's no additional equipment here, and Luca is sitting neatly in the navigator's seat with his usual crystal ball in the center.

 

"It's not a sane plan to monitor not only the Red and Blue fleets, but also the backbone network and command and communication network, and all the networks as far as the eye can see in real time."

 

"We've already faced the Imperial fleet once," Schnitzer said gravely.

 

"It shouldn't be impossible."

 

"That's a scam that uses 120 years of progress as a joke!"

 

Hyakume slammed him down.

 

"We only messed with the Imperial fleet a little through an ancient network, we didn't take on that terrifying force head on. And this time we're not facing the Imperial fleet either."

 

"That's right, don't make the mistake of deciding friend or foe."

 

Coorie said from the back of the electronic warfare seat.

 

"What we have to deal with are the ghosts that try to recruit the cadets to do bad things, and where will they come from and what will they say? If possible, we'd like to chase not only the three cadets we're monitoring, but also the other ghosts that are sure to appear, but how much can we handle with the increased data traffic?"

 

"Umm,"

 

Sandaime, who is being called out to do work outside of his specialty just because he's on the bridge, timidly called out, looking at the displays and monitors that were added for this job in addition to his regular job of managing the engine.

 

"It's only just started, but there's been a huge increase in unauthorized access. Well, there's a lot of access from companies, so they're probably monitoring it with enthusiasm because they can get valuable combat data, but can we chase them all with this?"

 

"You only need to monitor the communications coming down from the command communication network that are of unknown origin."

 

All I can hear is Coorie's voice.

 

"You can ignore the data coming from the Gaia G4 star system for now. Just be careful of the unauthorized access coming from higher authority!"

 

"That's why there's already this much data at this stage."

 

Sandaime glances at the graph of the amount of access data that Coorie must also be looking at.

 

"It's also increasing every hour. I wonder if the school's Kaiser Blade Caliber can keep up with the analysis."

 

"Don't worry, we're having it learn the patterns, so right now, at the beginning of the battle, we're checking everything by brute force, but soon we'll be able to look at the access patterns and pick out and pursue only the suspicious ones. It'll be fine, our mainframe is a Kaiser Blade Caliber grade black, so we should be able to monitor a dozen fleet battles of this scale at the same time with no problem."

 

"It's started, huh?"

 

The door opened. Misa came into the bridge carrying a mountain of energy drinks and ration packs to provide food and nutrition even in battle mode.

 

"What's it like?"

 

"On the outer edge of the Gaia G4 system, the attacking fleet "Red" has launched an attack to disable the defending fleet's patrol network. In response, the defending fleet "Blue" is conducting electronic attacks to slow down the attacking fleet's advance."

 

Schnitzer projected half of the Gaia G4 system onto the main panel on the bridge ceiling and summarized the situation.

 

"I see."

 

Misa placed the supplies he had brought with him on an unused panel and sat down in the observer's seat, turning on the surrounding displays.

 

"But since it's an exercise, they won't actually be attacking and destroying patrol bases and drones (probes), right?"

 

"It's the same up to the point where mobile cruisers and aircraft are launched for a direct attack and approach the target. However, since it's an exercise, they won't actually be firing beams, missiles, or live ammunition."

 

"How do you judge hits and stuff?"

 

"A judgement has been set for the command network."

 

Schnitzer switched the display on the main panel to both the "Red" and "Blue" command systems. Both are at the top of the Imperial Fleet's command network.

 

"Both are in training mode, so no physical attacks are carried out, but electronic attacks that don't cause physical destruction are carried out just like in real combat. Each physical attack is simulated, a hit judgement is made, damage is calculated according to the effect, and the victim's abilities are limited according to the damage."

 

Schnitzer switched the display on the panel to a table showing the degree of hit judgement.

 

"It will give detailed results ranging from no effect to minor damage, medium damage, major damage, what percentage of combat capability has been lost, how much of the ship's or base's functionality remains even after the loss of combat capability, and even if there are survivors."

 

"Is it necessary to determine survivors?"

 

"The rescue order will be calculated based on how many survivors there are in the damaged departments and how much capability remains. Depending on the extent of the damage, the side that has been damaged must decide whether to send support or rescue, or surrender to the enemy and leave the rescue to the enemy at their own discretion."

 

"I see."

 

Looking up at the main panel, Misa looked around at the displays on the observer's seat. At the moment, there is no need for a display about the Bentenmaru itself, so she switches to the battle situation that monitors all the displays.

 

"If we take damage, we have to deal with it accordingly, and if we're destroyed, it doesn't mean we can relax after that. I thought they'd do some damage control, but it's more than that."

 

Misa tilted her head.

 

"What if we get declared killed in action? If we get hit directly in the first battle and declared killed in action, can we just relax and play the role of a corpse after that?"

 

"There's no such easy way to do it in graduation exercises."

 

Schnitzer's voice contained a smile.

 

"If the attacking side is declared killed in action, they can leave the battle line and rest, but the training fleet has a zombie rule."

 

"Zombie rule."

 

Misa repeated Schnitzer's words.

 

"Well, the Imperial Fleet doesn't let you die, even if you die."

 

"If a corpse is recovered, it is resuscitated, and unless there is an injury that requires prolonged treatment, it is expected that you will return to the front line in about half a day, depending on the extent of the damage. No matter how many times you die in training, it's fine as long as you don't die in real combat."

 

Misa scrolled the battle display from the latest current situation to predicted future developments.

 

"There won't be that many zombies in the early stages anyway. When will they start being mass-produced?"

 

"Once we've neutralised the patrol network around the outer edge of the Gaia G4 star system to some extent, the attacking fleet 'Red' will begin its attack on the inner planetary system. The defending fleet 'Blue' will launch a guerilla attack to weaken the attacking fleet as much as possible and break up the fleet before intercepting them in the inner planetary system. The first two guerrilla fleets are currently scheduled to attack the 'Red' fleet in half a day. Once this starts, the amount of information we need to monitor will increase by another order of magnitude."

 

"Are you okay?"

 

Misa called out to Coorie, who was hiding deep inside the electronic barricade and only the tip of her unkempt blonde braid was visible.

 

"It's okay, it's okay, don't worry."

 

A reply came from behind the barricade.

 

"We've built the system with a margin of error, so as long as our staff doesn't start recording unnecessary battle information and analyzing it in real time, or making unnecessary battle power judgments, there shouldn't be any problems."

 

"I wonder if any of our staff are silent in front of such a rare opportunity."

 

Misa muttered in an exaggerated manner.

 

"It's supposed to be a graduation exercise and will last for three days. If that's the case, you should replenish your nutrients now."

 

Misa stood up from her observer seat.

 

"I'll deliver it, so if you have any requests, let me know, and I'll bring them. However, since it's just started, no drugs."

 

"Well, I'll get you some kind of energy drink, something that will wake you up."

 

Hyakume raised his hand while still facing the display.

 

"I'll also have some snacks, something I can take in this condition."

 

Hearing Schnitzer's voice, who wasn't even looking at her, Misa pulled out a random bottle and carton from the pile of supplies. He throws one into Coorie behind the electronic barricade.

 

"You too, Coorie! Make sure you're getting at least a minimum amount of nutrition, because the more fatigue you let build up, the longer it takes to recover."

 

"Don't worry, I know."

 

"So," Misa asks after handing the ordered items to Hyakume and Schnitzer.

 

"Where are our infiltrators positioned in this battle area?"

 

"Lynn has boarded the flagship Stecken-class electronic warfare fleet of fleet "Blue," and is currently engaged in electronic warfare with the enemy fleet "Red."

 

Schnitzer expands the display range of the main panel until both the attacking and defending electronic warfare fleets are displayed.

 

"I heard that the military academy has a generous budget, but do they have four state-of-the-art electronic battleships? It seems like they could crush the attacking side with just these."

 

"The attacking side has nine electronic battleships."

 

Schnitzer updated the current location of the attacking fleet to the latest information.

 

"We are also already engaged in long-range electronic warfare. In terms of individual ship performance, the defending side is superior, but in terms of simple strength, the attacking side has the advantage. At the moment, both sides are evenly matched, but if things continue like this, the attacking side, which has more numbers, will gain the advantage."

 

"The military academy side is also excellent, so they won't continue with this strategy that is clearly a losing strategy. So, what about our captain and his partner?"

 

"The amphibious assault ship Grunwald 59 is waiting to launch a preemptive attack on the fleet 'Red'."

 

Schnitzer displayed the current location of the guerrilla force, which was far away from the main force of Fleet Blue. If Fleet Red maintained its current course, it would be the front line that they would come into contact with first.

 

"My dear, our captain must be in a tough position, being deployed to a place where the fighting is likely to break out first, even though she is a freshman."

 

"The more tense the rookie, the less patient they are."

 

Schnitzer calmly pointed out.

 

"They are not used to being on standby. They can only maintain the tension before setting out for half a day at best. That's why they want to let them experience their first combat training while they still have enough stamina to maintain that tension."

 

"It is basic to plan operations while taking into account the stamina of the crew, but combat also involves proceeding in ways that are unexpected when planning operations."

 

Suddenly, Misa made a strange face.

 

"But isn't an amphibious assault ship a type of ship for landing missions on planets? There are no plans to take over any planets other than the home planet this time, so is it useful in anti-ship battles?"

 

"If we can use a destroyer to break into the supply fleet and disrupt its formation, and successfully separate the escorts, we have the option of engaging in hand-to-hand combat with the enemy aircraft carrier. Whether or not we can do this will depend on how the battle unfolds, but since the supply fleet's escorts are thinner than initially expected, there is a possibility."

 

"In a powered suit?"

 

After checking where Marika and Chiaki were currently assigned, Misa laughed.

 

"Hand-to-hand combat against an enemy ship? That's a pirate-like workplace."

 

The 1246th class, the most inexperienced freshmen at Gaiapolis West, were also assigned to each department for the exercise according to their aptitude and past performance.

 

When it was announced that the Fleet "Red" would invade the Gaia G4 star system earlier than planned, Marika and Chiaki had just finished all the preparations for the exercise and gone to bed. The two were woken up from their sleep in their work clothes as the battle was about to begin, and they got ready as per the latest discussion, rushed to the spaceport, and boarded the amphibious assault ship in orbit by shuttle.

 

The Grunwald 59, which was their first ship since the Seven Days of Fire, left low orbit after loading all the cadets who were scheduled to board. They headed to intercept the Fleet "Red" which was invading the defense zone from the outer edge of the Gaia G4 star system.

 

Originally, an amphibious assault ship is not a type of ship that would be deployed at the forefront of a fleet battle. The current trend in space battles is for heavily armored combat ships equipped with large caliber guns to fly around at high acceleration. There are not many opportunities for amphibious assault ships equipped with many powered suits and dropships to enter the atmosphere and take control of the ground.

 

However, space fleet battles are not just fought between capital ships. Before the actual gunfight begins, the exact positions of the two sides are sought out through reconnaissance and observation, and electronic warfare is used to deceive each other's presence and position. Once the gunfight begins, behind the front lines where battleships and mobile cruisers are battling, aircraft carriers launch, return, and replenish their aircraft while continuing to maintain a patrol network that covers the entire battle airspace.

 

If the battle drags on, destroyed combat ships will be pulled up for first aid and replenishment, and there will also be situations where non-combat ships must enter the battle airspace to provide rescue and evacuation.

 

Amphibious assault ships, which are equipped with everything from large boats that can be used for a variety of tasks as large mother ships to powered suits, are commonly deployed at the rear of the battle airspace in fleet battles as large general-purpose work ships that can handle a wide range of tasks, from supply to recovery and rescue and evacuation. However, in this operation, the assault ship Grunwald 59 on which Marika and her friends are aboard has been moved to the rear of the guerrilla force, far from the main star.

 

The front line of the Red Fleet, which is mainly made up of battleships and mobile cruisers, is made up of ships that fight on the front lines of anti-ship battles. The destroyers that were escorting the supply fleet and the frigates that were supposed to be escorting the main force of the Blue Fleet, were gathered for the attack on the supply fleet, and there were enough of them. Behind them were the assault ships including Grunwald 59, and patrol planes and electronic warfare planes were deployed around them, making it a large fleet in terms of numbers alone.

 

"We'll use our reserve forces to attack the supply fleet behind the Red Fleet, and if all goes well, the aircraft carriers that are with it too?"

 

Chiaki exclaimed in amazement as he replayed the battle outline for the umpteenth time.

 

"Is this the plan that the excellent cadets who graduated this term came up with? Do you really think such a convenient plan will work?"

 

"I don't know if it will work, but if there is a plan that can be done and we don't execute it, that would be negligence on the part of the command center."

 

Marika, wearing only the display unit of her powered suit around her neck, is still in her underwear as she zooms in and out to check the structural diagram of the eight Minosdelova-class large aircraft carriers that are the main aircraft carriers of the Red fleet.

 

"If only our own ships can fight front-on with the enemy's vanguard battleships and mobile cruisers, we can't send other ships to the front of the fleet battle anyway. Of course, depending on how the fleet battle progresses, there will be plenty of opportunities to use them, but it's better to decide on a role from the beginning and deploy them in order to minimize the number of idle forces, right? That's the convenience."

 

"So there's a reason why a fleet is a fleet."

 

Fleet forces are forces that are kept on standby without plans for combat, under the pretext of reserve forces or emergency use.

 

"No matter how hard we try to gather forces that can overwhelm the supply fleet's escorts, if the actual battle went so smoothly, we wouldn't have any trouble."

 

"You don't want to have any trouble. Well, I don't think it'll go well enough that we'll get an order to sortie even if we're like a spare spare for a powered suit, but we have to check the situation at the sortie destination first."

 

Marika enlarged the three-dimensional structure diagram of the Minosdelova-class large aircraft carrier in front of her.

"Well, if it were a fighter or attack aircraft, it would only be able to get in through the landing deck or the ship's elevator, but a powered suit can enter through the access hatch for humans, and can even operate inside an aircraft carrier, so there seems to be a reason to deploy a powered suit."

 

"The strike force will attract the escort forces of the supply fleet first, so the powered suit will be deployed alone and attached to the aircraft carrier? Who not only came up with this pirate tactic, but also created and authorized the execution procedure!"

 

"Maybe it's Lynn. Maybe there's a pirate fan among the trainees or instructors."

 

"I hope that people who want to become professional soldiers don't decide on strategies based on their hobbies or preferences."

 

As an operator who wears a powered suit, you have to keep in mind the structure of the spaceship you're about to enter and the placement of the targets you need to capture. Muttering to herself, Chiaki called up the structural concept diagram of a Minosdelova-class large aircraft carrier that was installed in the internal memory of her powered suit, which she had removed from her own powered suit just like Marika had, and placed it on the display unit that she wore around her neck. A 3D display was superimposed around her face.

 

In a normal fleet battle, aircraft carriers are not deployed on the front line. Large aircraft carriers that carry a wide variety of aircraft are mobile bases on the front line. Aircraft carriers must send fighter-attack aircraft to the front line, reconnaissance aircraft, patrol aircraft, and electronic warfare aircraft to the battle airspace, and supply and rescue aircraft to other locations as needed. Their role is to be a mobile supply and maintenance point located in close proximity to the front line, and they are not required to have direct anti-ship combat capabilities. Direct anti-ship combat is the role of battleships and cruisers.

 

As per theory, all eight of the Minosdelova-class large aircraft carriers belonging to the Red fleet were operating with the rear-guard supply fleet, not the vanguard battle fleet. The supply fleet is escorted by a sufficient number of destroyer fleets and interceptors dispatched from aircraft carriers.

 

Fleet "Red" has infiltrated by opening a hole in the patrol network protecting the Gaia G4 system. They have used powerful electronic jamming to deceive the current position and numbers, so the data on the supply fleet in the rear is not accurate. It is reconstructed from observations from patrol networks far enough away that they are ignored by Fleet "Red", as well as data obtained from approaching reconnaissance aircraft, unmanned probes, and electronic warfare during the battle, so it is not very reliable.

 

However, the composition of the supply fleet is highly reliable, as numerous forced reconnaissance missions have been conducted even before the start of the graduation exercises. A large-scale reorganization, such as moving a large aircraft carrier to the front line with or without an escort, would not be enough to completely deceive, so it is determined that the composition of the supply fleet will not change even after the start of the battle.

 

"It's unclear at this point where they will be released and how far they will have to fly on their own."

 

Marika switched the structural concept diagram of the Minosdelova-class large aircraft carrier that had been displayed up until then to the battle display.

 

"In the first place, depending on the battle situation, the transport ships of the supply fleet are also a strong candidate, not the aircraft carrier."

 

This time, a list of the large transport ships belonging to the Red Fleet was displayed.

 

"But, well, when it comes to transport ships, their structure is simple compared to their size, so unless the operational goal is something complicated like seizing or taking over, I don't think we'll be boarding them in a powered suit."

 

"They're not even in a corner, and they're allowed to carry out such a desperate operation, so it wouldn't be strange if something happened."

 

Sighing, Chiaki looked around at the cadets in their underwear on the preparation deck.

 

"I didn't expect that we would be sent directly to the battlefield on an amphibious assault ship, because freshmen are useless no matter where they are."

 

"Because we're freshmen, we're at the bottom of the order of deployment, and we're treated like a reserve even for the reserve force."

 

Marika slid her finger across the three-dimensional list, skillfully switching between them.

 

"Even just in powered suits, there are a lot of space cavalry troops made up of the most senior students, and an assault team made up of operators from specialized courses, and it's hard to imagine an amphibious assault ship going into a supply fleet right from the start of the battle."

 

"Can I just say a word?"

 

Having been spoken to from above, Marika and Chiaki turned towards the voice on the powered suit preparation deck, still in a weightless state. Since the entrance exam, candidate Kiara Feish, who has often been placed in the same group during practical classes, was standing upside down in underwear with only a display unit hanging around her neck to gather information.

 

"I don't mind."

 

Chiaki raised one hand to Kiara.

 

"It's just pointless chatter before a mission anyway, and we don't know how long it'll last."

 

"That's true."

 

Kiara nodded.

 

"In practical training, things usually go according to schedule, but with graduation exercises, the progress of actual combat takes priority, so we don't know how long we'll be on standby. I've heard that the freshmen are placed in places where they have to wait longer, and the upperclassmen are busier, but how much can we trust such legends?"

 

"It's an exercise that's been carried out over 1,000 times. If that's a statistical fact, surely we can trust it?"

 

Chiaki said, and Kiara shook her head.

 

"It's like a battlefield jinx, it's unreliable. I looked up combat data from past graduation exercises during this standby period, and the trend that freshmen have fewer opportunities to fight and upperclassmen have more doesn't apply to at least the last 200 graduation exercises."

 

Chiaki exchanged looks with Marika, who had been listening to her.

 

"Just now? Did you check it? While you were waiting?"

 

"I was hoping to find some useful or reassuring information."

 

Kiara touched the display unit around her neck.

 

"It's archived from the latest battle information for this exercise to almost all battles that have been recorded in history, and even graduation exercises that were held at other schools, not just Gaiapolis, so I probably couldn't see all of it even if I spent my whole life looking at it."

 

"You saw it!?"

 

Chiaki exclaimed.

 

"Did you see, even if you didn't see all of those troublesome battle records that you don't really understand?"

 

"Not at all."

 

Kiara's expression softened.

 

"I just tried to make some statistical data by giving some conditions and did some searches. You see, the basic performance of the Trooper Commando E-type computer is the same as that of a large ship, the only difference is whether it has a redundant system or not."

 

Kiara lightly poked the display, which is actually part of the powered suit.

 

"It doesn't even budge when you search and analyze past data while monitoring the latest information, so it's almost a waste to use it alone."

 

Marika smiled as she looked at Kiara.

 

"That's amazing, you're using the powered suit's computer to analyze past exercises while on standby. Does that mean you succeeded in extracting any useful information?"

 

"I don't know if it's useful information, but it's interesting, so let me hear it."

 

Kiara nodded with a smile.

 

"I'm sure you know, but most exercises, not just graduation exercises, have a scenario and proceed according to that. When the exercise actually begins, the actual progress takes priority over the scenario, and nowadays tree-like progression scenarios are automatically generated faster than actual combat, so there are almost no situations where the scenario deviates."

 

"Well, since most of the tactical progress is dependent on the computer, it's not going to be an improvisation without a scenario unless you come up with other options yourself."

 

"But,"

 

Kiara looked at Chiaki and Marika with a haughty look on her face.

 

"In recent graduation exercises, there have been more and more deviations from the scenario."

 

"You can investigate that much?"

 

Chiaki rolled her eyes. Kiara nodded slightly.

 

"It's simple, all the past problems, including the scenarios created in advance and the battle records of the exercises, are all publicly available, so you just need to look at the battle records that deviated from the scenarios."

 

"I don't think it's that easy though."

 

Marika interjected.

 

"So, how much recently?"

 

"Comparing the past 200 graduation exercises to the most recent 20, it's 10 times."

 

Kiara lowered her voice and looked around at Chiaki and Marika.

 

"After the graduation exercises started, there have been more and more deviations from the tree-like progression that is assumed to unfold."

 

"Why?"

 

Marika asked frankly, and Kiara shook her head.

 

"I still don't know the reason. But it wasn't that long ago that the Imperial Fleet started relying on computers to decide optimal tactics, and recently it's become more and more like that. It's weird, isn't it? The development of the battle, which is supposed to be left to the computer, is increasingly different from the computer's predictions. I'd like to investigate it and write a paper about it, so please keep it a secret from the others."

 

"Are you looking for a research position?"

 

Marika asked, and Kiara nodded.

 

"I hope so. Well, I can do research while working in the fleet, so I don't know what the future holds."

 

"Our system also monitors how the candidates use the computers, right?"

 

Chiaki said.

 

"If you use them differently from the other candidates and draw different conclusions, won't a research institute scout you out?"

 

"No one has come yet."

 

Kiara shook her head, still smiling. "So, going back to the topic, recently in exercises, scenario deviations have often happened with the freshmen."

 

"Really?"

 

"So, I thought it might be dangerous, so I looked into it."

 

"You accessed the exercise scenario this time!?"

 

Chiaki's voice was as expected subdued. Kiara laughed and waved her hand.

 

"No way, the graduation exercise scenario is top secret among the instructors. They say that if you can steal it before the exercise starts every time, you're guaranteed a premium medal in electronic warfare for that team or individual, so there's no way I could see the scenario this time! Of course it would make things easier if I could see it."

 

"So, what happened?"

 

"I was looking into whether there had been any cases in the previous graduation exercises where a powered suit launched from an amphibious assault ship had caused damage to an enemy fleet. If there had been even one such combat situation, it should have been incorporated into the scenario assumptions for the next time onwards."

 

"Really?"

 

"So, what were the results?"

 

Marika asked with interest, and Kiara answered.

 

"Not even once. In real combat, combat units with powered suits sometimes go on a rampage at enemy ships and engage in hand-to-hand combat, and it's not uncommon for amphibious assault ships to be deployed in anti-ship battles during graduation exercises, but no powered suit has ever been able to reach an enemy ship after launching from an amphibious assault ship. Even before that, there were only a few times when the powered suit was prepared to launch at an enemy ship."

 

"So, will it be easy this time too?"

 

Marika checked the current location of the Minosdelova-class large aircraft carrier of the "Red" fleet, whose ship structure diagram she had been looking at just a moment ago. Soon the guerrilla force would begin an attack on the supply fleet. Because the ships of the "Blue" fleet were approaching the supply fleet, the information on the composition and current location had been rewritten to something more reliable.

 

"So, the scenario for what happens after the powered suit launches from the amphibious assault ship probably hasn't been created."

 

Kiara said with amusement.

 

"And a scenario deviation occurs when an unexpected development occurs that is considered unlikely in the tree-like development."

 

"I see... but why do you tell us that?"

 

Kiara smiled at Marika who asked the question.

 

"One reason is that I thought you guys would listen to my predictions, which are based on multiple assumptions and have a very low probability of coming true, without laughing."

 

Kiara turned her gaze to Chiaki.

 

"The other is a thank you for the entrance exam. Because you came to the depths of the base in an assault boat to rescue us, the landing force, we all survived and were able to enter the military academy. I wish I could buy you a drink at the bar, but you see, we're underage and we're not allowed to drink alcohol or take intoxicants. And juice wouldn't be cool, so instead..."

 

"You mean a forecaster?"

 

"It's not that great. But if you predict and prepare for even the most unlikely of situations, you won't be confused when they actually happen, right?"

 

"I heard there's a good tea shop downtown."

 

Marika said.

 

"If things turn out as you say and we manage to survive the graduation exercise, why don't you go?"

 

"An invitation for tea?"

 

Kiara looked around at Marika and Chiaki.

 

"Who's going to pay?"

 

"If your guess is right, I'll pay. If it's wrong, you pay?"

 

"I'm in."

 

Kiara raised one hand. After raising her hand in the same way, Marika noticed and lightly clapped her hands together with Kiara.

 

"You really have a lot of talent among the candidates."

 

"Otherwise, we wouldn't survive."

 

Kiara waved her hand and left. Marika was left behind and exchanged glances with Chiaki.

 

"Y-Yes."

 

"Thank you for your advice. Do you think that was a suspicious contact?"

 

"I wonder?"

 

Marika looked at the battle situation, which was still displayed in 3D.

 

"I wonder if that would be the case if we couldn't access the conversation later."

 

Marika updated the battle situation to the latest version. The Blue Fleet's guerrilla fleet, whose target is the Red Fleet's supply fleet, is steadily preparing to attack. This will probably be the first battle of the graduation exercise.

 

The battle unfolded just as Kiara predicted.

 

In the opening battle of a large-scale exercise like the graduation exercise, contact between the two sides is usually mild and just a wait-and-see approach. However, this time the Blue Fleet's command decided to use the reserve forces they had scraped together to attack the supply fleet in the rear right from the start.

 

The Blue Fleet's supply fleet was almost completely stripped bare, and a guerrilla force was formed by pulling out its escort forces, and all of its ships were deployed against the Red Fleet from the very start.

 

The three-day battle period envisaged for the graduation exercise will be a short-term battle in terms of fleet combat. After the graduation exercise begins, neither the enemy nor allies have any major supply plans. For a battle period of around three days, the fleets can exert their full strength without supplies.

 

As a result, the role expected of the supply fleet after the graduation exercise begins is not that great.

 

While the Red Fleet had gathered its frontal forces for the fleet battle, the Blue Fleet, on the defensive, deployed its reserve forces, which had diverted their frontal forces, to attack the supply fleet. As a result, the Red Fleet, which should have had superior forces, was attacked by a much inferior force.

 

The attack by the Blue Fleet on the defensive against the supply fleet became a one-sided game, which is rare for a graduation exercise. It was not a surprise attack, and even though the supply fleet and its escorts had anticipated the attack and dealt with it, the Blue Fleet's attack had an unusually high success rate.

 

It is rare for a one-sided game to unfold on the battlefield, as expected by the commanders. However, the Blue Fleet's command reduced the supply fleet's escorts by almost half in the first wave of attacks, and then targeted the remaining escorts and the direct escorts of the aircraft carriers in the second wave of attacks.

 

The second wave of attacks did not have as high a success rate as the first wave. However, the strike force succeeded in achieving its original objective of drawing the escorts and the carrier's escort aircraft away from the supply fleet.

 

Without delay, the order was given to the amphibious assault ship to advance. With the goal of dropping the powered suits onto the carrier and taking control, the amphibious assault ship advanced on the supply fleet, now without the escort fleet.

 

"It's a trap, right?"

 

"It's a trap, I guess."

 

"It's a trap."

 

On the bridge of the Bentenmaru, Coorie, Hyakume, and Schnitzer were in agreement.

 

"The rear guard is taking damage, but the vanguard continues its advance without looking back. I understand the hope that if we can inflict significant damage on the supply fleet, the vanguard's advance will stop, and if possible, they will allocate their frontal forces to the rear guard and send reinforcements, but they are not that easy to beat. The vanguard will probably ignore the damage to the supply fleet and continue to achieve their goal."

 

"It's a good plan for a candidate who is supposed to be a rookie when it comes to actual combat. So it's not that trap, it's the situation over here that's the trap."

 

Still trapped in the electronic barricade, Coorie said. "It's rare for an amphibious assault ship with our operatives on board to send out powered suits for hand-to-hand combat against the enemy's main aircraft carrier force, it's nothing but a trap."

 

"I wonder if it's a trap?"

 

Luka muttered in the navigator's seat.

 

"What?"

 

"If this is a trap, who set it, and why?"

 

"Currently, the number of units under the command of Fleet 'Blue' has increased to an unprecedented level, even in previous graduation exercises."

 

Schnitzer said.

 

"Initially, the Red Fleet's attack on the supply fleet was mainly made up of destroyers and frigates. After the first wave was successful, the Blue Fleet's aircraft carriers joined in the second wave, and after the amphibious assault ships began their attack, almost all of the assault craft and powered suits joined in."

 

"Is the purpose to put a strain on the communications system of the battle system?"

 

"No, the units that enter the battle airspace, from battleships to powered suits, act on their own initiative. Of course, the network for collecting battle information is still active, and as the number of units increases, the amount of communication increases accordingly, but there is more than enough for the exercise. The strain on the communication system, which is well prepared, is not enough to be a problem."

 

"What do the Red and Blue command centers, let alone the referees, think about this chaotic situation!"

 

"The referees of the command communication network only announce attacks and damage assessments, and declare the end of the exercise or the cancellation of the situation. They do not oversee the development of the exercise."

 

"But you can manipulate the direction of the exercise by arbitrarily tampering with the attack results, right?"

 

"It's not impossible."

 

Schnitzer called up a list of the successes and failures of the first wave of attacks by the Blue fleet against the supply fleet.

 

"But, when I checked the attack judgment list later, it didn't seem like the judgement was particularly favorable to one side. Blue attacked Red's supply forces with more than enough force, and the defending side countered with insufficient force. Blue was able to concentrate its forces from the beginning of the battle, so it has been advancing the battle to its advantage so far, but what is currently unfolding in the rear is a local battle that is far from a fleet battle. It won't affect the outcome of the fleet battle. In fact, Blue, who used their already scarce reserve forces to attack the supply fleet, will be at a disadvantage from now on."

 

"But who cares who wins or loses in the exercise? I don't know if it was intentional or just a coincidence, but if they spread more combat units than expected on the battlefield, what will happen to this local battle after this?"

 

Schnitzer thought for a moment before answering.

 

"It will take a long time."

 

"That's all?"

 

"More new communication lines will be set up."

 

"What do you mean?"

 

"Whether it's a powered suit or a carrier-based aircraft, as long as they're inside the mother ship, they're incorporated into the mother ship's network and use the network they belong to. It's a way to make the most of limited communication resources. If all units used the communication network independently while inside the mother ship, the amount of information would increase pointlessly and the risk of interception from the outside would increase. However, if they go outside the mother ship's network, each unit must independently establish a communication line with the mother ship or with a higher-level information network."

 

"Of course it would, they'd have to be cut off from the network and make their own decisions about what to do. That's one of the reasons we have to do the exercises. So, in that case, what problems might arise that we need to be concerned about?"

 

"When units advance into the battlefield, there will be more cases where each unit will be directly connected to the command network, rather than through each carrier."

 

"So then?"

 

"The amount of communication through the command network that we need to monitor will increase exponentially."

 

"What? So Schnitzer is saying that this battle situation is not a trap set by "Red" for "Blue," but a trap set for us who are monitoring it?"

 

"If the hypothetical enemy we need to pursue is careful enough, then that's a possibility we should consider."

 

Schnitzer nodded.

 

"However, this opportunity for each combat unit in the battle airspace to directly connect to the command and communication network may be a chance for the hypothetical enemy controlling the helpful ghost to contact the target directly without going through the backbone network. If the target of surveillance can be contacted directly from the command and communication network, rather than via the backbone network, we will have a greater chance of approaching the contact point without much trouble."

 

"If the situation develops in a way that fits into our overly optimistic battle scenario, let's hope that the Blue HQ has the brains to at least consider the possibility of a trap. Can we just monitor the powered suits launching from Grunwald 59 in the battle airspace directly?"

 

"Eh?"

 

Hyakume made a strange noise.

 

"Well, I guess you're asking me about that."

 

"Who else is there? The supervisor, Kaiser Blade Caliber, still has some power left, right?"

 

"Well, that's nothing to worry about, but the battle area is an outer planetary system with the latest electronic battleships under electronic interference. In such a dangerous place, how many FTL connections do you expect to monitor, not just the captain and one other person?"

 

"One thousand."

 

Coorie said simply.

 

"From our perspective, we can use the Red and Blue ships and facilities in the area as much as we want, so it's easy, right?"

 

"That's easy if you just set up a monitoring line, but what about the monitor? We're having our agents glued to the monitors, and it's not something you can adjust on the fly."

 

"I'm not expecting all of the communication content, I just want to monitor the unauthorized access coming down from the command network. A powered suit that's on the front lines and can do something reckless like crashing into an aircraft carrier is not going to get any direct orders coming down from the command network, if you think about it seriously."

 

"500!"

 

Hyakume shouted, banging furiously on the control panel.

 

"However, the destination is random. There's no way you can set it to a specific destination."

 

"All right. Hurry up, the amphibious assault ship will soon be entering the powered suit sortie sequence."

The amphibious assault ship Grunwald 59, accompanied by three destroyers as escorts, charged into the supply fleet. The target was eight Minosdelova-class large aircraft carriers, protected by a meager escort fleet and direct escort fighters.

 

In order to protect as many ships as possible with a small escort force, the transport ships and aircraft carriers of the supply fleet were in a tight formation. The sight of the large ships crowded together in a small space with only the same dimensions as the ships themselves makes it look like an ancient space city of block accumulation that shouldn't exist.

 

The escort ships that were determined to have been sunk retreated outside the battle airspace. The escort ships that remained in the battle airspace were all elite, even though they were the remaining fleet, and they seemed to be fighting on equal terms with the vastly superior numerical fleet of the Blue fleet.

 

Taking advantage of the opportunity when the guerrilla fleet separated the supply unit's escort, the amphibious assault ships sent out their onboard assault craft and powered suits. The battle plan, which was largely based on wishful thinking, suddenly slowed after the third wave of attacks. The six amphibious assault ships, including Grunwald 59, that had entered the battle airspace had dispatched their onboard assault craft as scheduled and were preparing to attack, but they had not yet gained enough air superiority to deploy the onboard assault craft, which do not have very high combat capabilities in space.

 

The theory is that the powered suit squadrons will deploy only after they have secured air superiority in the battle airspace. Compared to fighter planes and attack aircraft that are specialized for mobile combat in space, the anti-aircraft combat capabilities of the powered suits are virtually nonexistent. And once the attacking side has secured sufficient air superiority, there is nothing the defending side can do, so at that point they usually surrender.

 

Conversely, there is no hope of any effect if powered suits are deployed in space combat before sufficient air superiority has been secured. The latest battle situation is also communicated to the standby powered suit squadrons, so the cadets can only wait for their sortie, watching the rapidly updated battle information and the delayed sortie schedules each time.

 

In the meantime, the powered suit sortie schedule was scrapped. The attack on the guerrilla force's supply fleet was still ongoing, so it wasn't as if the Blue fleet had eased up on its offensive.

 

The sortie schedule and information once again announced to the powered suit squadrons were enough to surprise even the most senior students, who were trained to respond to any and all combat situations.

 

Six amphibious assault ships, including Grunwald 59, entered the battle airspace and boarded the Minosdelova-class large aircraft carrier directly to send the powered suit squadrons into the battlefield. It's a literal pirate tactic, avoiding the danger of flying in a battle airspace where they don't have complete air superiority using only the powered suit, while at the same time taking on the expected interception with a large, well-armored amphibious assault ship.

 

"So who's in charge of the battle and where?"

 

Chiaki, still in her powered suit, grumbles as she waits to go out.

 

"You think you can get a good score by doing a hidden talent-like operation right at the start of the military academy graduation exercises?"

 

"If you capture an enemy ship in an exercise, you'll get a good score."

 

It's no fun to waste energy before going out, so Marika answers, leaning against the maintenance rack next to her in the first standby position, with her eyes closed and her upper arms raised in a weightless state.

 

"But if a regular Numbers Fleet ship were to be taken over by some rookie from the military academy, even if it was just a training exercise, it would be a complete crushing blow to their pride as active duty, so they'll probably put up a strong resistance."

 

"I wonder if that aircraft carrier over there has any combat simulations for when a powered suit enters the ship."

 

Chiaki moved both hands to search for the documents he was looking for on the 3D displays that were displayed around him. The Minosdelova-class large aircraft carrier is also a vessel belonging to the Imperial Fleet, so they have all the documents. It is a large ship with a rotating structure that has recently become mainstream, equipped with flight decks on all four sides of the hull, and there is plenty of space on the flight deck, storage deck, and maintenance deck, and it has a large number of aircraft and crew members on board.

 

Even when he searched for the crew manual, he couldn't find any instructions on situations that simulated onboard combat.

 

"Well, the priority order for attacking is the combat information control room, then the engine room, I guess. And since it's in the center of the rotating structure, you can't reach it unless you attack from the flight deck on the outside."

 

"Other than the standard security small arms, there are powered suits for maintenance work, and the space inside the ship is large, so isn't it likely that they'll fly aircraft inside the ship to intercept it?"

 

"What's that?"

 

"It's a tradition among spaceship crews to make do with what they have, not just ours, so I think they'll intercept it using anything that seems usable inside the aircraft carrier. I wonder what they'll do."

 

The target of attack is ordered before the sortie. However, once you step outside the amphibious assault ship, you're inside an enemy ship under strong electronic interference, and you have to decide and act on your own as to the target of attack.

 

"Well, if the target of the attack is the central hull, we have no choice but to go straight there without making unnecessary detours."

 

An announcement was made on the powered suit preparation deck to prepare for the sortie. Instead of a catapult launch like in training, they would be directly attached to Grunwald 59, which had been forcibly docked to the Minosdelova-class aircraft carrier.

 

Even in the latest battle situation, Grunwald 59 has not yet docked to the Minosdelova-class. However, the candidates wearing powered suits who left their individual maintenance racks and moved to the landing deck on the outermost edge of the amphibious assault ship experienced an impact that even the inertial control system could not absorb inside the amphibious assault ship as it began combat maneuvers, and heard a roaring sound.

 

Both the aircraft carrier and the amphibious assault ship are operated in a weightless state with artificial gravity turned off during battle. There is no need to align or adjust the direction of artificial gravity when forcibly docking. With reckless maneuvering unusual for a large ship, Grunwald 59 leapt into the tightly packed supply fleet and succeeded in forcibly docking with the Minosdelova-class large aircraft carrier, Myradodo, the largest combat ship belonging to the Red Fleet, which was three times its overall length and over twenty times its effective volume. Using rocket anchors and docking arms, Grunwald 59 forced a landing on one side of the outermost flight deck equipped on all four sides of the carrier's central hull, and large and small armored landing hatches opened, and powered suits were spit out like a cloud of mist.

 

The remaining carrier escort aircraft launch an attack on the amphibious assault ship that has been forced to land on the flight deck. The missile and beam attacks are virtual and cannot be seen with the naked eye, so damage can only be confirmed by checking each time.

 

The powered suits that were released do not have the time to check the damage to the carrier. The engineering corps, supported by the marines who rushed out first, begin the task of forcibly removing the elevator hatch used to lift the carrier-based aircraft from the supply deck directly below.

 

The senior students and the cadets who have been wearing the powered suits for the longest time are the first to deploy, so Marika and her fellow freshmen are the last to leave Grunwald 59. Just as Marika and her friends land on the flight deck of the large aircraft carrier Myradodo, the engineering corps finally succeeds in removing the elevator hatch on the flight deck, and the first wave of powered suit troops slashes into the maintenance deck below.

 

Despite the fact that the team had been firing large mopping weapons at the maintenance deck below before the raid, the powered suit troops took advantage of the weightless state and jumped through the wide-open elevator hatch to the lower floor, escaping in an overflowing manner. Later, a large attack aircraft with extra armor panels slowly rose from the maintenance deck to the flight deck and began firing with the large-caliber rotating turret mounted on the top of the aircraft.

 

Marika left Grunwald 59, flew low over the flight deck, and left the mother ship. She headed straight for the bow.

 

"Wow, as expected of a real battlefield. The communication was cut off in an instant."

 

I had no intention of transmitting from here in the first place. Transmitting a message on a battlefield under strong electromagnetic interference without confirming safety was the same as loudly announcing my current location.

 

Flying away from the elevator hatch where the preceding powered suit unit was trying to open an entry path and towards the bow of the ship, Marika performed all-round surveillance. She looked all the way around, vertically and horizontally, to check the surrounding situation.

 

Two powered suits were following her. One was a yellow-green Chiaki, and the other was sky blue.

 

"Kiara, we're following you."

 

As Marika turned towards her, the two powered suits raised a hand as if asking permission to accompany her. Raising a hand in understanding, Marika returned to a flying position and headed for the tip of the flight deck.

 

The Minosdelova class flight deck is equipped on all four sides of the spindle-shaped central hull. The flight deck, which also serves as a catapult, extends longer than the central hull. Having reached the tip, Marika reversed course and descended, licking the tips of the flight deck, the supply deck below it, and the maintenance deck at the lowest level, before entering the lower structure.

 

The tips and surrounding areas of both the supply deck and maintenance deck are open, but since the ship is now in combat mode, armored shutters are tightly closed. At the back, surrounded by the flight deck structure on all sides, she could see the bow of the hull structure that is the main body of the aircraft carrier as a spaceship. Behind a biological truss structure supported on all sides by a curved structure calculated using the finite element method, lies the main body of the aircraft carrier Myladodo.

 

Entering the large square hole-like structure sealed off by flight decks on all sides, the strong electromagnetic interference raging on the battlefield subsided somewhat. Chiaki, who was close by, spoke to me in low-power mode where there was no risk of interception.

 

“Are you trying to sneak into the ship from here?"

 

"Yes."

 

Marika flew into the depths of the complexly interwoven curved structure.

 

"I considered other routes, but this one was a bit of a detour, and it seems like there are hardly any people in the bow of the main carrier during combat."

 

Because the combat airspace is in an outer planetary system, the light of the mother star Gaia G4 is so weak that there is no need to block out light even if you look directly at it. Inside the bow, surrounded by the flight deck, it is dark, and the powered suit automatically corrected the view to be brighter.

 

"Um."

 

It took a while for her to remember the procedure for switching the view. Marika switched her view to infrared mode and confirmed that there were no unnatural heat sources on the bow. Inside the bow, surrounded by flight decks on all sides, there were only curved structural materials, and the radar and sensors that are often equipped on spaceships could not detect them.

 

"Well, they wouldn't put radar or sensors in places where you can't see clearly."

 

"There's no response from the antenna."

 

Kiara said, switching from the standard sensor as if used to it.

 

"Should I tell you why I came here too?"

 

"Please, if possible. I think it's better to share anything useful."

 

The expression of the wearer can't be seen through the powered suit. Marika stares at the light blue powered suit as it moves forward in a searching position, trying to read something from its movements.

 

"The objective of the mission was either the Combat Information Command Room or the Engine Room. If we were going to the Engine Room, we had to go from the rear, but if we were going to the Combat Information Command Room, I thought it would be quicker to go from the front. I thought there would be more of us, but it's only the three of us."

 

"Think of it as everyone else creating a diversion for us."

 

Marika looked at the information on Kiara's powered suit again. While both Marika and Chiaki have only worn the powered suits for double digits, hers has worn them for triple digits.

 

"You're more used to powered suits than we are, aren't you?"

 

"Oh no, I only been wearing trooper commandos since I came to the military academy."

 

"But you were in the infiltration team during the entrance exam. That alone makes you more used to hand-to-hand combat than us. Can I ask you to be the leader?"

 

"Me?"

 

Kiara's powered suit faced the two of them. It slowly returned to its original position. She must have checked the data for both Marika and Chiaki.

 

"Is it okay?"

 

"I mean, there's never been an exercise before where freshmen put on powered suits and boarded an enemy aircraft carrier in hand-to-hand combat, right? And no scenario had been created for that until now. I'm sure that inside the aircraft carrier and at our headquarters, computers are automatically generating scenarios for what will happen next and they're acting like it's within the realm of expectation, but isn't this exactly the unexpected progression that you predicted?'

 

'It could just be a fluke, and for now there's no benefit to having hit an unexpected development.'

 

Kiara seemed to think for a moment. When she spoke again, her tone had changed.

 

'Since the computer will assist us anyway, it doesn't matter who's the leader. Besides, going together might increase our chances of survival. Okay, I'll go first, please support me and check the rear.'

 

'The reason is easy to understand, and the instructions are clear. I'll ask you to keep it that way from now on.'

 

Marika and Chiaki raised their hands.

 

"Where do we enter?"

 

"There's a maintenance access hatch next to the central hull. It's automatically monitored, of course, but there's also access points nearby, so if you can camouflage yourself well, you should be able to sneak in unnoticed."

 

"There are four, number one through number four, right?"

 

Chiaki said after calling up the central hull structure diagram of the Minosdelova-class large aircraft carrier and checking it.

 

"Which one do we go from?"

 

"Our mother ship made a forced landing on the first flight deck, so that side should be in chaos right now, so we'll go to the opposite side, the third access hatch on the bow."

 

"Roger."

 

Marika and Chiaki said in unison.

 

"No good."

 

On the bridge of the Bentenmaru, Hyakume let out a pathetic cry.

 

"I was able to get to Grunwald 59's powered suit command system, but there's no way I could set up monitor lines for the thousands of units that were deployed."

 

"Don't be so pathetic, I have the same authority as the command communication network, do something about it!"

 

"The aircraft carrier Myradodo, where Grunwald 59 was forced to land, is in a state of combat even inside the ship."

 

Schnitzer displayed the latest battle situation on the main panel.

 

"In the battle airspace, the large transport ships and aircraft carrier fleets of the 'Red' fleet are in a tight formation, and the 'Blue' guerrilla forces and amphibious assault ships have jumped in and are scattering aircraft and powered suits. The number of active units far exceeds the density of FTL lines that can be set in normal space."

 

"I know that's the pretense!"

 

Coorie bared his fangs as he banged on the control panel in his nest.

 

"The Captain and Chiaki's monitors were cut off as soon as we set out, and we don't know what's going on like this."

 

"You know, don't you?"

 

Misa looked up at the main panel on the bridge ceiling. Four of the eight Minosdelova-class large aircraft carriers that were in close formation with the Red Fleet's supply fleet were already attached to amphibious assault ships and released their powered suits. The remaining four aircraft carriers were on a trajectory to escape from the crowded fleet, and the remaining two amphibious assault ships and destroyers were chasing them. The escort fleet and carrier-based aircraft that had been separated from the supply fleet had returned to the supply fleet, so it looks like the future melee will intensify even more.

 

"Yeah, the battle situation you're seeing now is something the referee has predicted and calculated based on the latest information. It's not exactly real-time accurate information."

 

Misa frowned at Hyakume's explanation.

 

"What's that? Is there any point in displaying it?"

 

"It's like a service for spectators, it's not accurate, but it's updated from time to time according to the latest information, so it's not removed. If you zoom in on just the battle situation of the aircraft carrier Myradodo, which our captains are attached to, it looks like this."

 

Hyakume manipulated the display on the main panel. A conceptual diagram of a large aircraft carrier with flight decks on all four sides and a spindle-shaped hull in the center was displayed, and red and blue glowing dots were scattered all over it. A conceptual diagram of an amphibious assault ship that had been forced to land was also superimposed on the first deck, and blinking white glowing dots were concentrated around it.

 

"The red and blue belong to each force, and the white glowing dots are the ongoing battles. Even this battle situation is not accurate, so it's impossible to connect to enemies scattered across a battlefield under strong electromagnetic interference with a FTL line."

 

"Fleet 'Red', use the Myradodo line."

 

Schnitzer passed the data to Hyakume.

 

"If a combat unit infiltrates the Myradodo, they can use the combat information from inside the carrier."

 

"Oh, that's a good idea!"

 

Hyakume began to reset the FTL line.

 

"Is it okay?"

 

"If we use the FTL line on the Myradodo side, we can connect to the combat unit inside without worrying about line density or resetting, there's no problem. Oh, wow, is it okay for a huge carrier to be infiltrated like this?"

 

"Is it okay for the carrier to have someone ride their FTL line for free?"

 

"I'm just using my authority to monitor the line and take a quick look. If I had the time to monitor the communication status of the FTL line while fighting inside my ship, hand-to-hand combat wouldn't be an issue in the first place."

 

Hyakume banged on the control panel.

 

"All right, we've found the captain and one other person! Wow, as expected, they've already entered the carrier!"

Lynn was watching the same situation from the electronic warfare command room of the Stecken-class electronic battleship Carl Marie Isaac.

 

The guerrilla attack on the Red Fleet's supply fleet was taking place in the outer planetary system of the Gaia G4 star system. The main force of the Blue Fleet was in the inner planetary system, and the four Stecken-class ships were fighting electronic warfare across the entire star system together with the main force organized for the fleet battle.

 

It took over ten hours at the speed of light to get from the outer planetary battle airspace to the inner planetary system. The straight-line distance to the advancing Red Fleet was also ten hours at the speed of light. For this reason, long-distance electronic warfare was being carried out via the patrol network stretched across the entire Gaia G4 star system and the advancing relay ships.

 

Currently, rather than electronic attacks on the vanguard of the advancing Red Fleet, the Blue Fleet was devoting the majority of its electronic warfare power to electronic interference with the rearguard supply fleet, which had developed into an unexpected development.

 

Although the Red Fleet's supply fleet is far away, the Blue Fleet's combat units are networked around it via FTL lines, and are deployed like mountains, from large amphibious assault ships to small powered suits. There are plenty of ships equipped with antennas large enough and powerful enough to launch electronic jamming, so there is no problem with long-distance electronic warfare.

 

The full-scale battle with the Red Fleet's main force, the vanguard fleet, has not yet begun, and the electronic warfare is still in its early stages, so the Blue Fleet, with four Stecken-class ships as its main force, has plenty of reserve power.

 

The Blue Fleet has deployed its surplus electronic warfare power in an attack on a supply fleet in a distant outer planetary system. The electronic warfare fleet, which carries the majority of the Red Fleet's electronic warfare power, is accompanying the vanguard main force for the fleet battle, and its fighting power is directed towards the Blue Fleet.

 

Thanks to the large amount of force deployed to crush the supply fleet's escort forces, and the large amount of electronic warfare power from Fleet Blue, the attack on the supply fleet went in their favor, to put it mildly. The vanguard fleet and the advancing electronic warfare fleet immediately took measures to intercept, but even though a hole was made, the guerrilla forces were able to use the Gaiapolis patrol network, and since they had made sufficient preparations and secured lines for the attack in advance, they were able to advance the battle in their favor throughout.

 

The great success of the guerrilla forces that attacked the supply fleet was not originally anticipated in the exercise scenario. It was thought that the results of the initial battle, whether a great success or a great failure, would not have much impact on the overall trend of the battle, so although countless patterns of repeated attacks and retreats for the guerrilla forces had been devised, not much consideration was given to how they would play out in the event of success.

 

As a result, when the attack was successful and the battle progressed according to their convenient assumptions, Fleet Blue decided to deploy the surplus forces of the guerrilla forces in the attack on the supply fleet without sufficient consideration or prediction.

 

This was also part of the reason why the amphibious assault ships, which should have been deployed in combat situations where the environment changes from outer space to the surface of a planet, were deployed in anti-ship combat. If existing forces can be used in any form, it is a sin for both the commanders and the field not to deploy them on the battlefield.

 

"I wonder if it's okay."

 

In the electronic warfare command room of the Stecken-class electronic battleship Karl Marie Isaac, which belongs to the Blue Fleet, the only information on the battle situation can be seen from the Blue Fleet. The situation of the enemy Red Fleet can only be inferred from the frontline combat information brought by the patrol network, reconnaissance planes, and observation planes that are judged to have survived in the Gaia G4 star system.

 

"What will happen after this, with such an easy deployment from the first day?"

 

Six amphibious assault ships, which entered the battle with the eight large aircraft carriers that were operating with the supply fleet as their targets, succeeded in forcing a landing on four enemy aircraft carriers. As the remaining four aircraft carriers had left the supply fleet, the two amphibious assault ships that had failed to make a forced landing gave up the pursuit and remained with the supply fleet to support their allies in suppressing the four enemy aircraft carriers that had made a forced landing.

 

From Lynn’s seat in the corner of the vast electronic warfare command room, she could see the instructions and expression of the instructor who was supervising, but she couldn't see the face of the referee who was supposed to be in the distant command communication network. She had no idea what the referee, who was supposed to keep the exercise unfolding as expected, was thinking in allowing such an unfolding.

 

Although she was working in the command room of an electronic warfare ship that was scheduled to participate in the actual battle, Lynn, who was almost the lowest-ranking student, was currently only responsible for confirming future procedures for electronic jamming of the supply fleet's escorts. The escort fleet was fighting the Blue fleet's guerrilla forces and was trying to return to the supply fleet, which had lost all of its direct escorts. At this stage, the only support that a distant electronic warfare ship could provide was jamming enemy radar and transmitting accurate observation results to allies, as per theory, but it was not a situation that required immediate manual response.

 

Lynn superimposed the battle situation display on the display in front of him. He tried displaying a computer-generated prediction of how the exercise would unfold from here on out.

 

It was not an exercise scenario that the referees or instructors would have in their hands. It was a prediction of the future made by the Kaiser Blade caliber that was also installed on the Stecken-class. Although it was just a prediction, it was revised point by point based on the latest combat information from all battlefields and real-world developments, so predictions up to a few minutes ahead were highly reliable. But as it went on for a few hours or days, that reliability rapidly decreased.

 

"Well, it's only a fleet battle scheduled for a short period of three days. Even if the supply fleet is wiped out at this point, if we can destroy our main force within the time limit, fleet 'Red' will win, so the vanguard's decision to ignore the rear guard and advance at this point is acceptable for the fleet battle, and it's also a good idea to let the new recruits experience a rare situation for training."

 

Lynn limited the battle prediction to an assault on the supply fleet.

 

The computer predicted that the battle between the supply fleet and the guerrilla fleet would continue for a while.

 

"That's what it's going to take."

 

The amphibious assault ship that had been forced to land on the aircraft carrier had completed the sortie of its assault craft and powered suits. Seeing the latest situation, where all the powered suits on board had been completely expelled, even the new recruits who were not originally scheduled to be deployed, Lynn sighed.

 

"That means that Marika and Chiaki are both out there fighting hand-to-hand in unfamiliar powered suits."

 

Lynn narrowed down the battle situation she was monitoring even further. The latest battle information from Grunwald 59, which had successfully landed on Fleet Red's Minosdelova-class large aircraft carrier, Myradodo, was displayed.

 

"Hand-to-hand combat, huh? It's probably not that different from a bang on a huge flight deck or maintenance deck, but I wonder if our cadets would be able to handle it if the cramped interior of a ship became a battlefield."

 

In general, hand-to-hand combat inside a spaceship only occurs in very special circumstances. First of all, hand-to-hand combat training is only done by special forces and some marines. In a regular fleet, the outcome is decided before the conditions for hand-to-hand combat are met.

 

"Wait a minute."

 

Lynn noticed something odd when she tried to move the battle prediction in the future.

 

"The computer isn't working?"

 

The battle situation monitor, which should display the expected development in seconds in a theoretical fleet battle, remains in a stalemate in the hand-to-hand combat situation inside the aircraft carrier.

 

"What? There's too much uncertain information, so you can't predict the future?"

 

Most of the powered suits that are deployed inside the aircraft carrier lose their data link due to strong electronic interference as soon as they step out of the amphibious assault ship. As a result, the mother ship Grunwald 59 is unable to grasp the movements of the powered suit units that have been deployed.

 

"We can't predict the battle situation because we don't get combat information from each powered suit? That makes sense. Sometimes the battle situation changes drastically because a powered suit returns to the mother ship's network and leaves behind all the combat information from that point on. But isn't it dangerous for the command system to release all of its forces just because it's pushing forward and not know where it is or what it's doing?"

 

Since we're on the "blue" side of the fleet, we don't know how the "red" fleet's aircraft carriers are assessing the damage situation. If a powered suit gets inside the ship, it should cut off the ship's network from reach and make it unusable. Thinking about it, Lynn realized that it might be possible to assess the damage situation based on how much the carriers know about the ship's interior.

 

"This is terrible, is it a game of territory inside the aircraft carrier?"

 

After muttering, Lynn remembered that she had heard such a story from Captain Kaien of the Barbaroussa Landing Force, who had boarded the Odette II. Whether it's hand-to-hand combat inside a spaceship or ground combat, the process is the same if you're fighting a battle for control; you just have to steadily expand the area of ​​control little by little. Ground combat is the accumulation of steady work. Captain Kaien continued by saying that all battles, not just land battles, are the result of the accumulation of steady work.

 

The electronic warfare power of the electronic battleship Carlmary Isaac is also directed at the Myradodo via the FTL network of the Grunwald 59, which has been forced to land. With an allied access point in close proximity to the enemy ship, the efficiency of electronic warfare has increased, and the electronic warfare victory rate is leaning in favor of the Blue fleet.

 

"Well, unless it was a training exercise, everyone would run away if they were put in such a crazy battle situation."

 

Lynn suddenly tilted her head.

 

"If you can't anticipate what will happen after success, then the ongoing hand-to-hand combat is an unexpected progression in the exercise scenario, right? If so, who benefits from this progression?"

 

The battle information was suddenly rewritten. The invading powered suit forces succeeded in taking control of the first flight deck of the Myradodo, the supply deck, and part of the maintenance deck, establishing an access point and placing part of the enemy aircraft carrier under Grunwald 59's control.

 

All powered suits operating within the range returned to Grunwald 59's battle information network. All battle information from each powered suit was returned to Grunwald 59, and the future predictions based on the latest information were also revised.

 

"Oh, I thought it was a reckless landing operation, but for now it seems to be going well."

 

Lynn checked the updated list of incapacitated units. The powered suits deployed in the exercise were exposed to simulated attacks, and the degree of damage was evaluated each time. If the damage accumulates, or if a single attack results in a fatal blow and the suit is deemed incapacitated, it will become a corpse on the spot and will be unable to move until it is retrieved by allies or captured by the enemy.

 

Already, nearly 10% of the powered suits that had been dispatched from Grunwald 59 had been deemed incapacitated and had withdrawn from the battlefield. Lynn confirmed that neither Marika nor Chiaki's name was among the powered suits deemed incapacitated.

 

"That means they're both still fighting."

 

Lynn updated the latest situation of the Myradodo, which had expanded its control zone and was now receiving combat information.

 

"Aren't those two doing a good job?"

 

"It seems more like they're stealing than fighting inside the ship."

 

Lead by Kiara, Marika, Chiaki, and the three powered suits had successfully entered the inside of the Myradodo's central hull through the maintenance access hatch at the very front of the central hull.

 

Of course, a strict security system was in operation inside the battleship during combat mode. Any foreign object that does not react to the friend/foe identification system is deemed to be an enemy and the automatic security system is activated. If it is automatically identified as an enemy, it is intercepted and eliminated.

 

The security system linked to the friend/foe identification system is independent for each block. It would be easy if the friend/foe identification system could recognize allies, but it is nearly impossible to trace the identification signal, which is randomly changed every few minutes in addition to the almost infinite combinations.

 

Therefore, any foreign element that enters the ship must either dutifully subjugate each block and turn off the security system, or destroy the security system itself one by one.

 

The method that Kiara used to enter the Myradodo was more sophisticated. Before entering the ship, she connected to the ship's internal network through the access hatch, entered the security system for each block in maintenance mode, and rewrote the settings to ignore the friend/foe identification system for a limited time.

 

"Even so, that's a very efficient move."

 

Even in the unmanned blocks at the bow where only maintenance personnel can enter, security systems and friend/foe identification systems are installed. Since it is impossible to know what might happen inside a huge spaceship and what might slip in, security systems and friend/foe identification systems are usually installed in sealed areas that no one can enter from completion to disposal.

 

The bow of the ship, which only has wiring for sensors and radar for future upgrades, was almost completely empty and unmanned. As they proceeded through each block, Kiara entered the Myradodo's internal network through the maintenance access hatch, connected the Trooper Command E-type computer system, and performed the necessary procedures.

 

"Even though they are the enemy forces in the exercise, it's the same fleet and the same standard network, so it's easy."

 

Kiara answered while still in her powered suit, opening the access panel on her chest and connecting the necessary connectors, and performing the rest of the operations on the 3D display panel. The internal block was a pressurized environment, and the sensors were not detecting any harmful atmosphere, so all three of them had their face shields open and were talking to each other by voice.

 

"If you look for the manual for maintenance staff, you'll find it, so it's not a difficult job."

 

"Not only did you crack the security system, but you were also good at doing the fine operations even though you were wearing a powered suit."

 

At the end of the bow block, where the lights are still out, three powered suits open the access hatch and attach themselves nearby. Marika and Chiaki's only role is to shine the light from the side and to monitor the surroundings by increasing the sensor sensitivity.

 

"You see, doing detailed work in a powered suit is difficult because you're not doing it with your bare hands. But you can open panels and connect connectors as fast as with your bare hands, I think it's amazing."

 

"Oh, there's a trick to it."

 

Kiara answered while waiting for the progress of the computer-driven security system rewrite.

 

"I mean, it's more like an adjustment. You bring in the data from the powered suit you used before and adjust it."

 

"No, we've only been wearing powered suits since we got here."

 

"Really?"

 

The head sensor part of the powered suit is fixed, so it doesn't move even if the wearer inside turns his head. However, Marika thought that Kiara must have looked at them again.

 

"But you're used to it."

 

"I'm used to spacewalking."

 

"Ah, so that's why you can move your body so well. Well, with a powered suit, data is collected every time you wear it, and your body shape and habits are recorded. Data can be carried over from person to person, so if you bring your old data, even the latest powered suit can be adjusted to a certain extent to fit your habits. Why, if you play an instrument or sew in the powered suit and have it collect data, it remembers even the finest movements of your fingertips."

 

"Sewing!?" "Instruments!"

 

Marika and Chiaki spoke up at the same time. Chiaki asked with a pressing voice.

 

"You can do that with a powered suit?!"

 

"It's not that difficult if you adjust your fingertips carefully. Well, even with the latest powered suits, fingertips are not automatically adjusted, so you have to adjust each finger slowly, but once you get it adjusted, the feeling will transfer to other powered suits."

 

"I thought for sure that the powered suit orchestra was just a joke by the manufacturer."

 

Marika remembered a demonstration she had seen at a technology trade fair some time ago.

 

"I see, if you can handle an instrument, you can do most precision work."

 

"Well, with the recent powered suits, there are automatic modes that automatically move your fingertips if you specify a task by having the camera recognize the target, but okay, I'm done."

 

The smallest display on the access panel lit up. After changing the color in detail, a message appeared saying that the settings had been changed.

 

"Well, shall we go?"

 

"Wait, I wasn't able to check earlier, but I can see the situation inside now, right? First, I'll make sure there's no one there."

 

"Oops, I forgot."

 

Following Marika's instructions, Kiara checked the security system of the next block, temporarily disabling the friend/foe identification system. She scanned quickly while in time-limited maintenance mode.

 

"Okay, no crew members here."

 

In the block two blocks before, someone who seemed to be a maintenance worker was doing emergency repairs on the energy conduction pipe, so she deliberately chose a different route, knowing that there would be more access hatches to break through.

 

"Well, let's go."

 

The large access hatch for moving between blocks slowly began to open via a motor.

 

"Even if the other side is a military academy's training fleet, I never thought I'd get to watch hand-to-hand combat between two Imperial fleets."

 

Bentenmaru, who has the same authority as a referee on the command and communication network and can simultaneously monitor the combat information of both the "Red" and "Blue" fleets, has a much more accurate grasp of the situation of the close-quarters battle unfolding inside the Myradodo than the people involved. Hyakume switches from one incoming battle information to the next.

 

"This is serious."

 

Schnitzer's expression is grim as he watches the close-quarters battle on a large aircraft carrier.

 

"When it comes to hand-to-hand combat, you can't grasp the situation at the edge. If you don't receive information, you can't give accurate instructions. You can't control the battle when the front line and headquarters are separated."

 

"Well, it must be pretty tiring to see this kind of melee when you're in charge of battle command. What do we do?"

 

"The scale of hand-to-hand combat on the Bentenmaru is orders of magnitude smaller."

 

Schnitzer is checking the battle front spreading from the first flight deck of the Myradodo to the central hull from multiple directions.

 

"Battles on such a scale that hand-to-hand combat in more than two places at the same time are rare. There are only a few front lines, and as long as you can keep an eye on them, you can control the battle."

 

"The number of accesses from the command and communication network has increased dramatically."

 

Sandaime reported.

 

"Even though it's just a training exercise, it's unusual for an amphibious assault ship to be on board a regular aircraft carrier, so it seems like the idle heads of the Joint Chiefs of Staff are coming to watch in droves out of curiosity."

 

"You can ignore the people who are watching through the regular channels, the problem is the ones who are messing around through the irregular channels of the command and communication network!"

 

Coorie spoke up.

 

"Has anything been bothering you?"

 

"So far, we haven't seen anything that would make us worry."

 

Sandaime answered.

 

"There's been more and more snooping through the command and communication network, but so far we haven't found anyone interfering with the 'red' or 'blue' combat information networks."

 

"This is a development that was not anticipated in the initial scenario for the exercise."

 

Schnitzer said with a serious look on his face.

 

"If the exercise progresses in an unexpected way that was not even properly scripted, can the helpful ghost give accurate advice?"

 

"Hm, what? What do you mean?"

 

Coorie responded.

 

"The helpful ghost can only give accurate advice to an ongoing exercise if he has a full grasp of the battle's developments up to that point and can accurately predict future battles. If the helpful ghost gives inappropriate advice and the cadet suffers a disadvantage as a result, the cadet will resent the helpful ghost and will never listen to his advice again."

 

"Hmm?"

 

For a moment, the sound of keystrokes disappeared from Coorie's electron nest.

 

"The helpful ghost only appear when the battle's progress can be predicted, and they won't appear this time because it's unpredictable, is that right?"

 

"If it becomes a melee, the helpful ghost will be more likely to appear, so that prediction is not wrong. If it becomes a melee, the number of decisions each combat unit has to make will increase, and some of those decisions will affect the course of the battle. But the current hand-to-hand combat is not going to affect the outcome of this exercise, at least."

 

"Hyakume!"

 

Coorie called out.

 

"Is it impossible to connect a FTL line to a specific combat unit in a melee?"

 

"It depends on the situation."

 

Hyakume answered.

 

"Of course, it's possible in a situation like this, where both sides can use the command and communication networks as they like and the deployed combat units independently maintain FTL links. But if this isn't a training exercise, but a real battle, it's much more difficult. I don't need to explain, you can see that forcing a direct line to a combat unit that has independently silenced its radio and is in stealth mode is not easy, even if you know the enemy's exact coordinates and vectors."

 

"In other words, it's possible to send a rescue ghost in a training exercise, but it's difficult to send a rescue ghost in a real battle, huh?"

 

Coorie began tapping on the control panel again, with a force that sounded like a continuous sound.

 

"Well, who created this situation and why? Is it possible to just let the exercise scenario develop into a crazy situation like this?"

 

"You can create any battle situation by stacking a number of different situations. In fact, a scenario in which an amphibious assault ship attacks a ship was included as an option."

 

"But the fact that the amphibious assault ship was hastily creating a scenario for after the attack when it was about to enter the supply fleet means that at least the management had figured out that the situation was unlikely to go that way. Isn't it possible that someone somewhere intentionally created this situation?"

 

"It's possible."

 

Schnitzer answered Coorie.

 

"No, to be more precise, that's the only thing I can think of. Unless something is intentionally controlling an unfolding that deviates from the scenario, it won't happen. Battles unfold based on the knowledge and thinking of both sides. Both sides only give instructions to the extent that they can predict the future of the battle. Moreover, this is an exercise where both sides have a set scenario, so it's inconceivable that something like this would unfold if left to chance."

 

"Who - that can be left for later, how can that be done?"

 

Schnitzer rewound the battle display.

 

"I think the turning point will be when Fleet Blue decides to deploy its overwhelmingly advantageous forces in an attack on the supply fleet, or when Fleet Red decides not to send reinforcements even if it detects an attack on the supply fleet."

 

"You're so slow. If there is someone who wanted this to happen, wouldn't that person have been watching the entire exercise and intervening at every turning point to move the battle situation in the direction they wanted?"

 

"Hey, hey."

 

Hyakume cried out in a voice that sounded fed up.

 

"Do you think there are other people doing such troublesome things besides the virtual enemy who is sending out the helpful ghost?"

 

"I don't know if there are any other people."

 

Typing on the keyboard, Coorie answered.

 

"But, if the objective of the hypothetical enemy is to use the helpful ghost to manipulate the cadets, and by extension the Imperial fleet, as they please, then I feel like the people who are happy to interfere in the exercise scenario and twist the battle into an unlikely development are doing the same thing."

 

"Let's recheck the command information on the command communication network."

 

Schnitzer switched the connection on the control panel.

 

"Since the Blue Fleet's guerrilla forces began their attack on the supply fleet, there have been several developments that were fortunate for the guerrilla forces and unsuccessful for the escort fleet. The commands that triggered each movement should be left in the battle information. If we can move both sides' forces directly from the command communication network, we can create any battle situation we want, whether it's hand-to-hand combat with an aircraft carrier or ramming battles between battleships."

 

"Please. I think they're probably using the same irregular communication route as the helpful ghost. It was a mistake to only monitor unauthorized intervention coming down from the command communication network, so if we're going to do it, we have to do it thoroughly."

 

"Hey, are you planning to monitor all the command communication networks?"

 

"There's no need to watch the command communication networks of the entire galaxy, just the FTL line that is the exit point for the Gaia G4 star system where the graduation exercise is being held. The monitoring range is only expanding a little higher, so do something about it!"

 

"Yay."

 

After replying, Hyakume switched the display to the command communication system.

 

"I never thought I'd have to do this kind of work against the world's greatest command and communication network that controls the Imperial fleet."

 

"So, if the one who's supposedly interfering with the exercise is the real enemy, then this guy who I managed to get a hold of isn't the real target."

 

"What!?"

 

"You should check this too!"

 

A bundle of analysis data was sent from Coorie to Schnitzer and Hyakume.

 

"What in the world is this!" "What is this!"

 

Hyakume and Schnitzer spoke up at the same time.

 

"It came out from the depths of the command and communication network. It's a member-only site of the Joint Staff Headquarters, and even with my current privileges it was a bit of a hassle to see the contents, so I thought it was probably a professional site, but this is what was copied before it was detected."

 

At first glance, it looked like a training scenario with a tree-like unfolding. The unfolding is the same as this graduation training scenario, but the details are different. And each predicted unfolding has a detailed magnification.

 

"Is this the General Staff Headquarters Numerical Strategy Research Group?"

 

Hyakume exclaimed in astonishment.

 

"The Numerical Strategy Research Group, eh?"

 

Schnitzer muttered in a low voice.

 

"You've caught something incredible again."

 

"I've got a firm grip on the tail, so keep an eye on it so you can catch the main body at any time! It's a little different from the main target that the intelligence department wants, but it's still a big irregular fish!"

 

"What is it?"

 

Misa asked. Hyakume sends the same data to Misa's observer seat.

 

"Have you heard that? The inappropriate joke about the bigwigs using the units they command as the subject of betting?"

 

"Huh?"

 

Misa's eyes became nasty.

 

"What's that?"

 

"It's the one where they're making betting pools on things like the results of fleet-to-fleet combat competitions or athletic meets between military academies as the subject of betting. Every few years it makes the news, gets criticized for being inappropriate, and causes a bit of a fuss with people involved being demoted or retired, but this is also a long tradition of the Imperial Fleet, so I thought it wouldn't go away no matter how many times they issued self-restraint declarations and banned it, but I didn't expect it to disappear, as they've created a dedicated site within the command communication network and are operating it, and one of the topics is the graduation exercise."

 

Hyakume scrolled through some of the information on the site. The latest bet is currently being conducted on the ongoing Gaiapolis 1258th graduation exercise. The bets are not only on the outcome of the final battle between the "Red" and "Blue" fleets, but also on how the battles before the battle will unfold.

 

"Oh, I see, I was wondering why people from somewhere like the Joint Staff HQ came all the way here to watch the graduation exercises, so the bet is on how it will unfold. Of course, if the powered suits end up fighting hand-to-hand on an aircraft carrier, that's a long shot."

 

"What's more, if the rookie cadets succeed in taking control of the aircraft carrier, the payout ratio will be insane. Participants are from all departments of the Joint Staff HQ. The Numbers Fleet's fleet headquarters is probably involved as well. The amount of money being wagered is incredible."

 

"Can they hold him down?"

 

Schnitzer has gathered the necessary access data based on the information from Coorie.

 

"Oh, it's probably okay. Our authority is equal, so I'll register some accounts with the authority of the Staff Council and the Fleet Command. If the creation standards are the same as the regular ones, this is definitely an inside job."

 

Hyakume checked the latest status of the hand-to-hand combat going on inside the aircraft carrier Myradodo. Marika and Chiaki's combat units successfully entered the inside of the Myradodo, and penetrated deep into the central hull while avoiding the battle.

 

"Our cadets are fighting very well, but I wonder what they'll do if they find out that not only are their battle conditions being controlled from the outside, but they're also being used for gambling."

 

The large, triple-layered access hatch, armored, heat-resistant, and airtight, slowly opened.

 

"Beyond this hatch is the central computer of the Myradodo, the Kaiser Blade Saber's protective deck."

 

The central computer that controls the aircraft carrier's functions is installed on the front side of the central hull of the Myradodo. It was inside the heavily armored block at the innermost part of the central hull.

 

The Kaiser Blade Saber, the model before the latest Kaiser Blade Caliber, was cooled in a huge capsule of liquid helium which was kept in a superfluid state at absolute zero, and for further protection it was stored in a containment pool filled with impact-resistant gel. The outermost part of the capsule, separated by three protective walls, should be at room temperature, but when Marika stepped into the central computer block through the open access hatch, she felt a cold air seeping in through her open face shield.

 

Since this block would be left unmanned under normal operating conditions, there were no lights on. Since the area was designed to be operated in a constant state of weightlessness, there was no clear floor or ceiling. Marika closed her face shield to ensure she could see.

 

The view captured by the powered suit's sensors was displayed on the inside of the face shield. In the center of the huge cylindrical space, a large white cocoon is visible, supported by a biological organic structure based on the finite element method that grows from the surrounding walls. Correcting my night vision, I confirm that the protective capsule for the central computer looks more like a cocoon housing the pupa of a giant creature than an ancient ruin. It is connected and operational with thick data cables, power cables, double outer pipes supplying shock-resistant gel, and the innermost pipe supplying superfluid helium.

 

Although it cannot be seen with the naked eye, the sensors of the powered suit detect the rapid movement of large amounts of fluid and energy.

 

"Is that the central computer in the middle of a battle?"

 

"Well then, let's split up."

 

Kiara's powered suit floated up into the air inside the weightless cylindrical protective deck. She headed towards the protective capsule, which was supported from the wall by curved pillars full of holes.

 

"As explained, there are twelve control panels. If you enter the same command from three of them at the same time, you can declare domination in the exercise. However, in order to enter the command, you need to connect a connector from the powered suit. The procedure is the same as before; the network settings for this powered suit have already been completed, so once you connect the connector, just give the signal.'

 

'Can I connect the connector to any control panel?'

 

Chiaki then asked, floating up. The control panels on the surface of the protective capsule that houses the Kaiser Blade Saber, the central computer, are for emergency use and are not normally used, so they are irregularly positioned.

 

'It's best to have them equidistant from the center of the protective capsule.'

 

Kiara, who was ahead of them, pointed to a control panel located roughly in the center of the cocoon-like protective capsule. In Marika and Chiaki's field of vision, part of the protective capsule's 3D display surface, which was a direct copy of a diagram of the Myradodo's internal structure from the powered suit's database, flashed.

 

Marika flew toward the instructed destination, avoiding the organic structures that seemed too thin to be supporting a giant cocoon.

 

The control panel on the surface of the cocoon-like protective capsule was so small and crudely made that it was hard to imagine it was being used to operate a huge computer like that of a spaceship. It seemed to be a direct copy of a military-standard control panel, and there was no confusion in removing the button-fastened access panel or connecting the connectors.

 

With the control panel in front of her, with its lights still out, Marika opened the chest of her powered suit and selected a connector for connection.

 

"This is cadet Kato Marika, I will now connect the connector."

 

"This is cadet Chiaki Kurihara, I will also connect now."

 

Chiaki and Kiara's powered suits are already out of sight.

 

"This is cadet Kiara Feish, I'm already connected. Since you've come this far, connect carefully and securely."

 

"Understood."

 

Marika pulled out a cylindrical connector the size of a thumb from the chest of the powered suit. The hand of the wearer inside is not directly inside the suit. From the outside, the wearer's hand is at the wrist of the powered suit, and the hand of the powered suit itself is beyond the fingers extended inside. The intricately shaped fingertips are said to be capable of precision work, but they are basically just tracing the movements of the flesh hand that is in front of the machine's hand. In other words, whether or not precision work can be done depends on the wearer's skill.

 

After making sure that what she was holding in her fingertips was definitely a universal joint C-type data cable, Marika inserted the connector into the slot on the control panel.

 

No reaction. Just as she was thinking that she must have made a mistake and should insert it again, the control panel, which had all the lights off, came back to life.

 

"Connection confirmed!"

 

Kiara's joyous voice was heard.

 

"Authentication has commenced, and we are now declaring the takeover of the Myradodo's central computer!"

 

"Congratulations on your outstanding performance on the first day of the graduation exercise."

 

Nash, who had been called by Bentenmaru via a personal line, an insurance company that was said to have a highly confidential encryption line that surpassed military use, was smiling brightly on the other side of the communication monitor.

 

"It's the first time in the history of graduation exercises that a battle has escalated to hand-to-hand combat, and that the resulting aircraft carrier has been taken over successfully. It's the hot topic at headquarters right now.'

 

'It's not like we did anything.'

 

Placing a communications monitor on the corner of the additional display on the Bentenmaru's electronic warfare desk, Coorie answered with a sullen look on his face.

 

'Besides, we even forced the enemy carriers to land their amphibious assault ships, and we only managed to shoot down two of the four carriers, and that was only by taking down two ships, including the rescuing landing ship, so the only one that was forced to land was chased away in the end.'

 

'Wow, that's impressive. I never thought I'd see four amphibious assault ships' worth of powered suits attacking a large aircraft carrier, even if it was just for a training exercise, while I was still an active member of the Imperial Fleet.'

 

'Thanks to that, the graduation exercises in the Gaia G4 star system, where the middle and final battles are still to come, have drawn unnecessary attention. Haven't you calculated the pros and cons of that?'

 

Coorie glanced at the communications monitor, which was tucked away behind other displays because it was too much of a bother.

 

'Graduation exercises are a common annual event held at every military academy, but with so much attention being paid to them, I expect the cadets will be more enthusiastic, which will create more opportunities for the helpful ghost to exploit.'

 

'You're in the intelligence department, so can you get away with being so carefree and optimistic?'

 

'We are pursuing a strategy to place unique talent in the right positions to achieve greater efficiency.'

 

'No matter how outrageous the operational plan, as long as it's going well, no one will complain.'

 

'That's about it. It's not like they would have contacted us outside of regular hours, using a civilian line, and calling when we were outside of HQ just to talk about something like that. Is there something wrong?'

 

'That's right, I thought I'd finally caught the tail of something big, but it wasn't the kind of thing you were looking for, but I thought I'd have to report it. I'll send you the materials, so take a look.'

 

Coorie sent Nash a report that Schnitzer and Hyakume had concisely summarized.

 

After skimming through the report that arrived via the heavily encrypted FTL line, Nash cried out in despair.

 

'The Numerical Strategy Research group... Why did you get something like that?'

 

'No matter how wild the Joint Chiefs of Staff go, no matter how much they bet, it's none of my business.'

 

On the bridge of the Bentenmaru, Coorie glanced at the communications monitor while checking the FTL line.

 

"If you're an intelligence department attached to the headquarters, you already know that a long-established bookmaker called the Numerical Strategy Research group is moving large sums of money with the bigwigs. The Numerical Strategy Research group is ostensibly a volunteer-run study group for space warfare strategies, but this graduation exercise seems to be pretty lively with a series of unexpected longshots."

 

Coorie explained quickly, his eyes on the display and away from the communications monitor.

 

"What should we do? Pretend not to see it and leave it alone? Or notify the military police or somewhere like that? I'll leave it to them."

 

"Why would you send such important information over a civilian line like this?"

 

"You're stupid, the Numerical Strategy Research group is different from other stupid departments in that we know we're doing something dangerous and we're dealing with it appropriately. If we wanted to let it go, how could we talk over a command communication network?"

 

"There's a chance it could be intercepted?"

 

"It's no fun if the other person isn't that considerate. Besides, if you look into the details, you'll see that the members list includes a whole bunch of staff officers from the General Staff and those with ranks of colonel or above, so if the intelligence department wants to do something reckless, it would be easier for them to investigate this list and get a hold of their weaknesses."

 

"I'm really glad to have you guys on my side."

 

Nash shook his head slowly.

 

"Yes, if we have a list of members of the Headquarters Numerical Strategy Research Group like this, we can control the Headquarters at will depending on how we use it. However, if we don't use it very well, we could lose your job."

 

"You know that. And this one is a big one, and there's a good chance it's the real deal."

 

Coorie sent the next data over the communication line. Nash skimmed over the data and instantly summarized the main points.

 

"...The command communication network said there was interference with the graduation exercise scenario?”

 

"To be precise, there have been multiple instances of irregular interference from the command network into the command systems of the Red and Blue fleets during the exercise. It wasn't intentional, so it was hard to find traces, but the commands on the Red and Blue battle information lines have been slightly altered, causing the situation to deviate little by little from the exercise scenario. The interference from the command network and the way they erased their tracks are the same as the helpful ghost, so I think they're the same enemy. Has the intelligence department noticed this?"

 

Nash looked at the data sent again.

 

"No, we knew that recent exercises have been filled with incidents that would not occur in normal space combat, but the intelligence department is not aware of any forces that are intentionally causing this. What is their purpose in doing this?"

 

"We've thought about it a lot, but we haven't found a good reason. Our navigator says he's just having fun."

 

"That's certainly an interesting and unusual development."

 

"If he was just trying to control the battle situation during the exercise, there would be a good excuse."

 

"What is it?"

 

"If he can control the progress of the exercise as he pleases, then he can control not only the battle, but also the timing of the release of the ghost rescue and the enemy. Don't you think so?"

 

"..."

 

Nash nodded slowly, exhaling.

 

"It's a tricky opponent."

 

"I'm glad we're on the same page. Also, can you find out who this cadet is?"

 

Coorie sent Nash a final message.

 

"Cadet Kiara Feish? She’s a candidate in the same class as Marika and Chiaki, right?"

 

"She's one of the new cadets who crashed the central computer of the Third Fleet's new aircraft carrier, Myradodo. For a cadet who just enrolled, she's too skilled at using tricks. If she's a talented rookie who's trained hard, that's fine, but we can't check if that's really the case. You can look into it again."

 

"Got it."

 

Nash suddenly thought deeply on the communications monitor.

 

"If this cadet, Kiara, guided Marika and Chiaki in the hand-to-hand combat on the aircraft carrier, isn't it possible that she herself is a helpful ghost?"

 

Coorie turned her glasses round and round at Nash on the communications monitor.

 

"There's no record of a living helpful ghost appearing so far. But that's just what we're assuming, and if we look for it with that in mind, we might find some cases like that."

 

Coorie put her glasses back on the display.

 

“There are two more days until the graduation exercise. If the ghosts are going to be of any use, it will be on the third day, so please give us the results by then. Please hurry.”

 

Afterword

 

Greetings for the new chapter

 

Thank you to everyone who has read this for the first time and to those who haven't read it in a while. Sorry to have kept you waiting.

 

I'm going to present "Miniskirt Space Pirates 13", now called "Super Miniskirt Space Pirates 1: Pirate Officer Cadet".

 

I had been thinking about the plot for a long time, where the young pirates pretend to have entered a military academy, but in fact they are there for some kind of request. As for the subject of the automatic optimal battles left to the computer, which will be the subject of their entrance, I had been vaguely thinking about it since last summer.

 

Automatic driving of automobiles is likely to be put into practical use soon. Autonomous driving, which has better eyesight than humans, reacts quickly, and doesn't tire, will become more reliable as technology develops.

 

So, what about combat?

 

The original idea was, can air combat be automated as well? That's about it. A machine should be able to optically observe in all directions, that is, with its eyes, while also being able to monitor radar and sensors, and enter into dogfights while fully understanding the attitude, position, and situation of its own aircraft. Furthermore, since the machine does not require a human on board, there are no load restrictions for human protection, and it should be able to perform combat maneuvers to the extent that the power and strength of the machine allow.

 

If the observation and control systems are sufficiently developed, machine control will be more accurate and precise when left to the machine rather than by a human. So, what happens if the technology of both sides is sufficiently advanced?

 

The order of search, confirmation, and combat will not change. Depending on the position at the start of the battle, the performance of each side, and their equipment, there should be a number of steps to take, in order of the probability of winning. And what happens in a battle between machines that can always continue to choose the step with the highest probability of winning?

 

The battle situation will also differ depending on the victory conditions. Should I completely destroy the enemy, or just stop their advance? Situations like this require strategic judgment that takes into account not only the battle situation at hand, but also the surrounding area.

 

When I was thinking about it, it was just something that I thought I had to do as a space opera writer. The result was, "This can be used as material." At the time, I had no idea where I'd use it, but I realized after the main story started. It can be used.

 

The Imperial fleet has appeared many times before, and is the largest in the galaxy in terms of military force, has a long history, and uses the highest level of technology. For now, it's best to assume that this is the strongest combat method currently imaginable, so why not just say that it's being used here? No, there's no way they're not using it.

 

And so, the author is once again faced with a number of troublesome settings for computer combat in the network age. It's fine, because that's how it is.

 

And then there's the writing process. When I have the time, I think about it carefully and move the story forward until I'm satisfied with it, but the deadline approaches before I can think about it.

 

Terrible things happen one after another before the deadline. The main computer I use for writing at home messes up with an update and won't start up, or the mouse breaks, or I thought I'd transferred my data but didn't and some of my manuscripts disappeared, and I don't even get surprised anymore, thinking, "Oh, yes, that's the time of year."

 

I've been in this business for a long time, and I've learned from experience that any trouble that can occur will occur. At the end of each day, I make backups of the manuscripts I've written just in case, and I have an old-fashioned machine that I can use just to write manuscripts, and if it breaks I can just fix it or buy a new one. The manuscripts that were lost aren't that much, so I can just rewrite them from memory and play them over. It's a waste of time to panic and make a fuss about it.

 

In reality, it's just that the troubles that occur on a regular basis seem to be concentrated when there's no time before the deadline. Don't worry, I'm used to it now.

 

And as those who have read the main story already know, this story will continue for a while.

 

Well, it's been a long time since the series resumed, and it's a military academy that trains the essential members of the Imperial Fleet, the strongest fighting force in the galaxy, so I started with a ton of possible settings. Well, it's not going to end that easily.

 

And so, the Super Miniskirt Space Pirates have begun. I'm thinking of new space pirate adventures in new locations and formats. Thank you for your support.

 

June 23, 2019 (Eh, is it okay to state this clearly?)

Sasamoto Yuuichi

 

Sasamoto Yuichi

 

 

 

1963: Born in Tokyo.

 

1974: Becomes hooked on "Space Battleship Yamato" from the original broadcast.

 

1979: Watches "Mobile Suit Gundam" from the original broadcast.

 

1982: Reads "Galactic Beggars’ Army" and learns how to use airplane pilot manuals as reference books.

 

1984: Published "Operation Fairy"

 

1992: Published "Come and See the Stars Dance"

 

1992: Begins researching rockets from the first H-II rocket to write a space opera.

 

2008: "Miniskirt space pirate" battle begins!

 

2012: "Moretsu Space Pirates" televised.

 

2014: "Moretsu Space Pirates" theatrical animation was released.

 

2018: "Miniskirt Space Pirates" second battle begins!

 

 

Matsumoto Noriyuki

 

 

 

Worked for a game company for about 10 years. After that, he became a freelance illustrator, working on illustrations for light novels. Currently, his main activity is manga. His representative works include "Rin - Noriyuki Matsumoto Art Collection" (Enterbrain), "Tsubame Yodamari Shoujo Kiko" (Tokuma Shoten), and "Minami Kamakura High School Girls Bicycle Club" (Mac Garden).