Chapter Four Birth of the 13th Fleet
I
Fifty-five stories above ground, eighty stories below ground. In the northern hemisphere of the planet Heinesen’s (ハイネセン) deciduous forest climate zone stood the building that housed the Free Planets Alliance’s Joint Operations Headquarters (統合作戦本部). The building was surrounded by the Center for Science and Technology (技術科学本部), the Logistics Department (後方勤務本部), the Space Defense Command Center (宇宙防衛管制司令部), the Officer School (士官学校), and the Capital Defense Command Center (首都防衛司令部). These buildings were arranged in an orderly fashion in a one-hundred-kilometer radius around the center of Heinesenpolis (ハイネセンポリス), effectively turning the area into a military hub.
Underground of the Joint Operations Headquarters, in a high-ceiling auditorium spanning four-stories, the memorial service for the Battle of Astarte war dead was being held. This was two days after the Alliance fleets that were deployed to Astarte lost 60% of their ships before dragging home their tired and broken bodies. It was a beautiful and sunny afternoon.
The walkway to the auditorium was already filled with attendees. These attendees included the family members of the war dead and the representatives from the government and the military. Yang Wen-li was also present among them.
Yang Wen-li chatted with the people around him while looking up to the blue sky above them. Although he could not see the sky, he knew, outside of the several layers of atmospheres, numerous military satellites were silently passing by.
Within them, there were the twelve consecutive defense satellites, Artemis’s Necklace (処女神《アルテミス》の首飾り). Regarding this Space Defense Command Center controlled powerful weapon system of mass destruction, an Alliance Fleet’s officer once boasted, “With these twelve defense satellites, planet Heinesen is basically unassailable.” When Yang heard that, he could not help but remember that most unassailable fortresses in history were destroyed by fires. It seemed that powerful militaries inevitably sprouted arrogance within their people.
Yang lightly patted his two cheeks. He felt like his mind was completely unawake. He already slept for sixteen hours straight, but it felt as if he had not slept for over sixty hours.
He had not been able to force himself to eat. It was as if his stomach lost its vigor. The only thing he had before he came was Julian’s (ユリアン) warm vegetable soup. As soon as he went back to the officer housing, he pulled the blanket over himself and slept. Within an hour of waking up, he left home to come here. When he thought about it, he had no recollection of talking to the young man under his guardianship.
‘Sigh, I really should be disqualified as a guardian…’
Just as he was thinking that, someone tapped on his shoulder. He turned around and saw his officer school senior, Rear Admiral Alex Cazerne (レックス・キャゼルヌ), smiling at him.
“You look like you have not even woken up yet, Astarte's hero.”
“Who is a hero?”
“The person standing in front of me. You probably have not read the electronic newspaper, but all the major news media are saying that.”
“I am a defeated commander.”
“Right, the Alliance Fleet lost. That is why they need a hero. If we had won a landslide victory, then there would not be a need to create a hero. We lost, so there is a need to find a way to distract the public from the overall situation. Was the El Facil battle not also like this?”
The sarcastic tone was one of Cazerne’s signature traits. He was a 35-year-old man with a medium build and a healthy muscle tone. He was currently serving as the deputy adjutant to the Alliance chief of Joint Operations (同盟軍統合作戦本部長), Fleet Admiral Sidney Sithole (シドニー・シトレ元帥). He had extensive experience in frontline combat command, and solid ability to plan, process, and delegate matters. Many suspected that he would become the future director of logistics.
“How have you been? Adjutants have a lot of miscellaneous things to do. I suspect you are quite busy?”
After being mildly counterattacked, the accomplished officer’s mouth curved into a peculiar smile.
“I think the memorial service was organized by the office of ceremonies. I cannot believe they completely ignored the service members and the bereaved families, and only focused on brownnosing the secretary of defense. To put it bluntly, this is really just a dog and pony show to bootlick the secretary who will head the next administration.”
The face of the Alliance Secretary of Defense (国防委員長) Job Trunicht (ヨブ・トリューニヒト) surfaced in both of their minds.
Trunicht was a handsome, tall, 41-year-old young politician. He was one of those radicals who advocated for a hard-line approach towards the Galactic Empire. Half of the people who knew him considered him a rhetorician, and the other half thought he was a dreaded spin doctor.
At the moment, the leader of the Alliance was Supreme Chairman (最高評議会議長) Royal Sanford (ロイヤル・サンフォード). He was an old politician who was elected as a compromise from the political whirlpool. He stuck to conventions and was unable to innovate; therefore, the younger generation politicians were pushed further into the limelight.
“Having to listen to his terrible, lengthy, inciting speech is probably more unbearable than staying up all night……”
Cazerne mocked him. Within the military, Cazerne was a rarity. Compared to the popular rhetoric of focusing on expanding the military and overthrowing empire, as promoted by Trunicht, Cazerne’s idea had much fewer supporters within the military. Yang and he were both in the minority faction.
Their seats were not near each other within the auditorium. Cazerne sat behind Headquarters Chief Sithole who was in the VIP row. Yang was in the front row directly in front of the podium.
The memorial service commenced in accordance with the standard procedures, and it progressed in much the same way.
After the Supreme Chairman Sanford dispassionately read the pre-drafted speech the officials wrote for him, Secretary of Defense Trunicht took the stage. With his appearance, the atmosphere within the venue became enthusiastic. The crowd clapped much harder for him than they did for the chairman.
Trunicht came with no script, but he loudly addressed the sixty-thousand attendees.
“Dear citizens and service members, why are we attending this memorial service? We are here to comfort the martyrs who sacrificed themselves to protect the Astarte Starzone. They were protecting their country’s peace and freedom. That was why they sacrificed their precious lives.”
After listening to this much, Yang wanted to seal up his ears. Just how shameful were these words? Why was it that the speakers could always say these hypocritical, dazzling words with such frankness? Was this men’s tradition since ancient Greece?
“I am talking about the precious lives! Lives are sacred. However, everyone, they were telling us with their sacrifices that there are things that are more important than an individual’s life! That was what they were trying to teach us! What are those important things? Those are our country and our freedom! Their deaths are beautiful, because they gave up themselves to uphold righteousness. They were the true warriors. They were all our beloved fathers, sons, and lovers. They all had the right to a blissful, fulfilling, and lengthy life. Yet, they gave up that life and went to war, and died because of it! Citizens, Let me ask you this, why did these 1.5 million service members die?”
“Because the commanders’ warfare command abilities were terrible,” Yang said.
The lone response sounded extraordinarily loud, shocking everyone around him. A young black-haired officer secretly snuck a look at him, and Yang quickly stared straight back. The other party was taken aback and quickly focused his attention back on the podium.
The secretary’s speech was still ongoing. Trunicht’s face was flushed, and he appeared to be enthralled with himself.
“Yes! The answer was what I mentioned earlier. They sacrificed their lives to defend this country and our freedom! Are these noble ideals not worthy of their death? How meaningless would our lives be if we lived only for ourselves and died only for ourselves? That could never be my message to you. All of us must put our country before ourselves. Our lives are precious, but here I must implore you imprint this truth on your heart. This is what I wish to tell you as loudly as I can. Both our country and our freedom were paid for with human lives. We fight for justice! Those who say they want to have peace talks with the Empire, those who claim to be pacifists, those who think it would be possible for us to coexist with totalitarian tyranny, and those who claim to be idealists, you are delusional! Your actions and your motives would only lead to one result, and that is a weakened Alliance, and a more advantageous Empire. The Empire would never allow such anti-war pacifism to be recognized. The Alliance is a free country, which is why disagreements with national policies are allowed. Yet, you became complacent! It is not a good thing to sing the tune of peace!”
Yang was only thinking about one thing, which was the singers of the tune of aggression were all hiding in safe places. Yang could feel that with each passing minute, the fervor in those around him increased, and that made him jaded. Whatever the era, the instigators never lacked supporters.
“I dare say this. Those who oppose the crusade against the totalitarian tyranny that is the Galactic Empire are the pests that are ruining this country. They are not qualified to be this proud country’s citizens. To defend this free society and this protect political system, only those who are not afraid to fight to the death for it are the true citizens. The martyrs would be ashamed of those cowards without that awareness. This country was built by our ancestors. We know the history. We remember our ancestors bled for this country and fought for this freedom. The country with that glorious history is our motherland! To protect this one thing that needs us to protect, should we not all stand up to fight? Fight on! Fight for our motherland! Long live Alliance! Long live democracy! Defeat the Empire!”
The secretary’s passionate cries drowned out the audience’s sanity. The fervent zealous waves washed over the bodies of the sixty-thousand people. People stood up one by one and chanted with Trunicht:
“Long live Alliance! Long live democracy! Defeat the Empire!”
Numerous fists were pumped into the air, waving their military berets high above. It was a mad tune of claps and cheers.
Among those people, only Yang sat in silence. His black eyes coldly glared at the speaker on stage. Trunicht’s raised his arms high in response to the frenzy in the room, then, his eyes landed on one person in the front row.
Suddenly, his eyes sharpened, and the corner of his mouth moved with displeasure. He recognized the young officer that was sitting down. Had he been sitting in the back rows, he would not have been seen, but he was sitting in the very front row.
Among this wave of noble patriotism, this outrageous traitor popped into his eyes when he just mentioned them.
“Officer, why are you not standing up?”
A middle-aged officer with meaty cheeks angrily roared. He wore the same commodore insignia as Yang. Yang looked over to him, and then calmly replied:
“This is a free country. If a person does not want to stand up, then he has the freedom to not stand up. I am simply exercising my freedom.”
“Then, why do you not want to stand up?”
“I exercise my freedom to not answer.”
Yang felt there was nothing cute about his answer. Rear Admiral Cazerne felt it was funny, however, as Yang’s method of resistance was juvenile. He felt Yang was being immature and was not acting like an adult. Cazerne also hated standing up, clapping, and chanting “Long live Alliance,” but it was not worth it to be called unpatriotic over not being moved by Trunicht’s speech. This was akin to the fairytale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” the ones who screamed that the emperor wore no clothes were all naive children, not adults.
“What do you mean by that?”
As the middle-aged commodore interrogated Yang, Trunicht on the podium moved his hands down, gently motioning to quell the masses. Soon, the fervor diminished, the waves silence rolled through, and the people sat back down.
The middle-aged commodore who was still glaring at Yang reluctantly sat back down with his meaty face full of displeasure.
“…Everyone.”
The secretary of defense on the podium started to speak again, but after the long speech and loud chants, his mouth became dry, and his voice became non-musical. After a cough, he continued his speech.
“Our strongest weapon is the united will of our people. We are a free country based on democracy, so however noble our goals are, we cannot force people to join us. Everyone has the freedom to disagree with the country. However, the conscientious citizens know in their hearts that real freedom comes only when we give up our insignificant selves and unite together to further our common goal. People…”
Here, Trunicht suddenly stopped talking, but it was not because he lost his voice due to thirst. It was because he noticed a woman walking towards the podium through the walkway between the seats. This was a young woman with light brown hair. At least half of the men turned to look at her as she passed by, so she was probably fairly beautiful. As she approached, the ripples of quiet suspicious murmurs widened.
…Who is that woman? What is she doing?
Yang heard about the woman from the other attendees, but the reason he turned around to look was because he thought it was a better option than having to continue to see Trunicht’s face. However, when he saw the woman, his eyebrows crossed uncontrollably. That was a face that existed within his memory.
“Mr. Secretary.”
The woman with the loud mezzo-soprano voice spoke towards the podium.
“My name is Jessica Edwards (ジェシカ・エドワーズ). I am the fiancée of the Sixth Fleet General Staff Jean Robert Lapp (ジャン・ロベール・ラップ) who died in the Battle of Astarte. No, I was his fiancée.”
“That…”
Even the eloquent “leader-designate” was speechless.
“I am terribly sorry for your loss, miss, however…”
He was at a loss for words, so he subconsciously scanned the spacious auditorium. Out of the sixty thousand people in the audience, sixty thousand of them were silently waiting for him to respond. The entire audience held their breath as they watched this woman who lost her fiancé.
“There is no need for you to console me, Mr. Secretary. My fiancé died a noble death protecting his country.”
Jessica’s calmness eased the secretary’s embarrassment, and Trunicht’s relief was apparent.
“Is that so? No, you are a role model for the women behind the scene. Your admirable spirit must be well compensated.”
Seeing that he was completely shameless, Yang opened his eyes in disbelief. Yang felt there was nothing these shameless people could not do.
On the other hand, Jessica appeared to be calm.
“Thank you very much. I have just one question I wish to ask you, Mr. Secretary.”
“What kind of question is it? If it is a question I can answer then that would be fine…”
“Where were you at the time?”
Trunicht blinked. He could not understand the point of the question. Most people in the audience felt the same way.
“Well, what do you mean?”
“In order to protect the country, my fiancé left for the battlefield, and now he is no longer with us. Mr. Secretary, where were you at the time? You, who are praising death, where were you?”
“Miss…”
Anyone could see the recoil within the secretary’s eyes.
“Where was your family?”
Jessica relentlessly inquired.
“My fiancé has already sacrificed himself. You said that the sacrifices of the citizens were necessary, so, where was your family? If your speech is completely correct, should you not practice what you teach?”
“Security!”
Trunicht yelled as he looked around.
“This lady is distraught. Please take her into another room. Band, my speech is over. National anthem! Play the national anthem.”
Someone grabbed onto Jessica’s wrist. She struggled against it, but when she saw the person who grabbed her, she relented.
“Let’s go.”
Yang Wen-li said firmly.
“You should not have come here.”
Powerful and majestic music played throughout the auditorium. The name of the Free Planets Alliance national anthem was “The Freedom Flag and the Free People.”
“Friends, one day, we will defeat the oppressors.
We will liberate the planets,
And raise the freedom flag.
We fight now, for the glorious future.
We fight today, for the fruits of tomorrow.
Friends, let us praise the spirit of liberty.
Friends, let us reveal the spirit of liberty.”
The audience started singing along with the music. Unlike the previous chaotic chants, people were uniformly singing this majestic song.
“To the dark side of tyranny,
We send the dawn of freedom.”
With their backs towards the stage, Yang and Jessica headed for the exit.
As the two walked side by side, the audiences all turned to watch them, but then quickly focused their attention back on the stage and continued to sing. The door in front of the two of them opened silently, and as it closed behind them, they heard the last measure of the anthem.
“We, the free people,
We can never be conquered.”
II
The last sunset afterglow already disappeared, and the beautiful night had brought the cool air onto the ground. The brilliant constellations started to emit their silvery glow. This was the season where the spiral-silk-belt shaped constellation shined the brightest.
The Heinesenpolis spaceport was very lively.
The large plaza was filled with various types of people. Some just came back from their trips, and some were about to go on their trips. Some were seeing people off, and some were picking people up. There were ordinary citizens wearing old fashioned clothes, black beret soldiers, uniformed-technicians, stern looking security personnel, and spaceport staff rushing to finish their jobs, and even children running about. Among the people, there were also luggage-carrying robots weaving in and out.
“Yang.”
Jessica called the name of the young man by her side.
“Hmm?”
“Do you think I am an annoying woman?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because most bereaved families just mourned quietly. I was the only one who made a scene in front of so many people, so of course people would be annoyed.”
Quiet mourning would not have improved the situation. Someone needed to demand that the leaders accept responsibility. Yang thought that, but he only said this much:
“No, not at all.”
The two of them sat side by side on a sofa in the spaceport plaza.
An hour later, Jessica would be boarding the scheduled ship back to Heinesen’s neighboring planet, Thernusen (テルヌーゼン). She was a junior high music teacher there. Had Lieutenant Commander Jean Robert Lapp been alive, then surely in the not-so-distant future she would resign to get married.
“You are an outstanding person, Yang.”
Jessica said that as she watched a family of three walk by. Yang did not reply.
“I heard you were phenomenal in Astarte. Your past accomplishments were also… Jean Robert said that he admired you. He said he was proud to be in the same class with you.”
Jean Robert was a good man. Jessica was right to choose him. Yang felt somewhat lonely when he thought of the past. She used to be the officer school office manager’s daughter. After she graduated from music school, she became Jessica Edwards. Now, she was a music teacher who lost her fiancé.
“Except for you, all the Alliance commissioned officers should feel ashamed. They lost over one million people in one battle. That is shameful even in terms of morals.”
That is not true. Yang thought. Murdering or torturing unarmed personnel or breaking an armistice agreement is immoral. After all, there is no moral superiority difference between famous and incompetent commanders. The only difference between a famous commander and an incompetent commander is that an incompetent one kills a million of his own people, when a famous one kills a million of the enemy’s people. As far as the absolute pacifists are concerned, a killing is a killing. Both are mass murderers, and there is no difference between them.
The incompetent commanders should be ashamed, but that question is on a different level when compared to the moral question. However, he thought even if he had shared that thought, she would not have understood, and she probably would not have cared to understand.
The spaceport’s boarding call was announced, and Jessica stood up from the sofa. Her ship was about to leave port.
“Goodbye, Yang. Thank you for sending me off.”
“Take care of yourself.”
“Become successful, okay? Do Jean Robert’s share too.”
Then, Yang watched Jessica’s back disappear from the boarding entrance.
Become successful… That is to tell me to kill a lot of enemies. Is she aware of that? No, she definitely is not aware of that. There are probably a lot of women with similar circumstances as her in the Galactic Empire. Right now, these women are probably all sad and angry for someone…
“Excuse me, are you Commodore Yang?”
An elderly woman’s voice said. Yang slowly turned around to find an elegantly dressed elderly woman standing in front of him with a five or six year old boy.
“Yes.”
“Ah, I thought so. This is Will (ウィル). Will, this is the Astarte hero. Say hi.”
However, the little boy shyly hid behind the elderly woman.
“I am Mrs. Mayer (メイヤー). My husband, and also my child, who was this child’s father, were both service members. They all died honorable deaths fighting against the Imperial Fleet. I learned about your accomplishments over the news, and I am very thankful for them. To be able to meet you in a place like this really makes me overjoyed!”
“……”
This is terrible. I wonder what kind of expression is on my face right now… thought Yang.
“This child has told me that he also wants to become a serviceman. He wants to be able to get revenge from the Imperial Fleet… Commodore Yang, I have a small favor to ask of you. Will you please shake hands with this child? If you could shake hands with this child, it would be encouraging for the future of this child.”
Yang could not bring himself to look directly at the elderly woman’s face.
Since he did not answer, the woman thought he probably agreed to it, so she pushed the young child in front of the young commissioned officer. However, even though the child looked at Yang’s face, he was still grabbing onto his grandmother’s clothes.
“Will, is that the attitude of a brave spaceman?”
“Mrs. Mayer.”
Yang felt awful as he replied.
“By the time Will grows up, the peace era would probably have already arrived, so you will not have to force him to join the military anymore… so kid, take care of yourself.”
After giving a light bow, Yang quickly picked up his pace and left. He wanted to run away from that situation, and he did not feel that was a dishonorable behavior.
III
According to Yang’s wrist watch, when he returned to his housing unit at 24 Silver Bridge Street (シルバーブリッジ街二四番地), it was Heinesen Standard Time 20 o’clock. This was the commissioned officers’ housing community, so most of the residents were either singles or small families. The scent of nature’s greenery permeated the air.
The buildings and facilities in the community could not be described as either new or luxurious. While grass land was abundant, the necessary funds for new buildings or remodeling was in short supply.
Yang slowed down and cut across the large area of badly cared for common lawn. A door with recognition device installed loudly creaked open, as if it was complaining about the crushing labor, but also as if it was welcoming home the resident of building B room 6.
Yang thought, if he had just paid to fix this himself, this probably would have been fixed already. Although he requested that the accounting department take care of this, it was not clear if anything was done.
“Welcome home, Commodore.”
A teenager, Julian Mintz (ユリアン・ミンツ) came out to the porch to greet him.
“I was just wondering if you were going to come home tonight. Thank goodness. I already made the Irish stew you like.”
“In that case, I am glad I came home with an empty stomach. But, why would you think that I was not coming home?”
“Rear Admiral Cazerne called earlier.”
The teenager took over Yang’s beret as he replied.
“He said you grabbed a beauty’s hand and ran away in the middle of the ceremony.”
“That bastard…”
Yang gave a wry smile as he came through the door.
The teenager named Julian Mintz was Yang’s guardianee. He was fourteen years old, with the expected height for his age. He had flaxen hair, dark brown eyes, and a delicate face. Cazerne and others called him, “Yang’s steward.”
Julian became Yang’s guardianee two years ago in accordance with the “Children of Military Personnel Wartime Welfare Act (軍人子女福祉戦時特例法).” The law was often called the “Traverse Act (トラバース法)” after the person who introduced the bill.
The Free Planets Alliance had been in a constant state of war with the Galactic Empire over the last one and a half century. That resulted in the accumulation of war casualties and wounded warriors. In order to provide assistance to the orphans, and to ensure the proper utilization of human resources, the “Traverse Act” was born.
The orphans could be adopted by military families, and the government would loan them a set amount of childrearing allowance. All orphans before the age of fifteen would attend regular schools. After that, they would determine their own educational paths based on their interests. However, if a young person wished to join the military in the future and chose a military-related school such as a military school or a technical school, then the childrearing loan would be forgiven.
It was also determined that women could enter logistics related fields that had a workforce shortage. For example, supply, management, transportation, communication, administration, and intelligence, were all in need of new blood.
“This idea was mostly inspired by the apprenticeship system of the Middle Ages, but it has one disadvantage, which is the loans often tie up their future.”
At the time, Cazerne who was working in the logistics department sarcastically told Yang.
“On the other hand, life lacks meaning without a sense of purpose. What I mean is you need a keeper, so you might as well adopt one.”
“I do not have a family.”
“Exactly. You already did not fulfill the societal obligation of supporting a wife and children. Adopting one just means you have to cough up some childrearing cost. Hmm? Rich single?”
“I know, but I like living on my own.”
“It is nice to have two people in the house too.”
“But one is enough.”
“Really. I am going to find a guy that eats like he is two people.”
Four days after the two of them had that conversation, Julian showed up in front of Yang’s door. Since that day, Julian secured his position within the Yang household.
Until then, the only member in the Yang household could hardly be called a hardworking or competent household manager. While he owned a computer, he could not be bothered to input the necessary data to make it useful, so it became a décor. Most household appliances suffered the same fate and were covered in layers of dust.
As soon as Julian moved in, he was determined to clean up the house. The day after he moved into Yang’s house, the young guardian went on a short business trip. When Yang returned a week later, he discovered that his house had befallen to the allies of efficiency and tidiness.
“I organized the computer data into six categories.”
The twelve-year-old young occupation commander reported to the flabbergasted head of the household.
“Let me see… 1. Household Management, 2. Electronics, 3. Security, 4. News and Messages, 5. Home Lessons, 6. Leisure Activities. The categories in Household Management are: 1. Usage of the air conditioner and heater, washer and dryer, and vacuum and cleaning appliances; 2. Maintenance of the security and fire alarm system; 3. News, weather report, and purchasing information and updates; 4… Please remember these, Captain.”
At the time, Yang was still a captain. He silently sat down on the sofa in his living room that was doubling as his dining room, and considered what he was going to say to this innocently smiling little invader.
“I already cleaned up the rooms and washed the comforter and the bed sheet. Umm, I feel like I cleaned up everything that needed to be cleaned up, but if there is anything you are not happy with, please let me know. Is there anything else you need?”
“Can I get a cup of black tea?”
Yang thought he would have a cup of his favorite black tea to get rid of his thirst before he voiced his complaints, but when the teenager ran into the kitchen and brought back a new looking beautiful tea set that was steeping Shiron planet tea, his hands jolted with surprise.
Then, with the first sip of tea, he was conquered by the teenager. The tea was surprisingly mellow and fragrant. While Julian’s father was only a lieutenant in the space fleet, his rank in the art of tea was superior to Yang’s, and he taught his son the steeping methods of the various types of teas.
Half a month after Yang began to tolerate Julian’s teenage household management style, Cazerne commented on the state of the environment while he came to play 3D chess.
“This has got to be the first time since I have known you that your house is actually clean. I guess the phrase ‘incompetent parents raise talented children’ is true.”
Yang did not retort.
It had been two years since that date, and Julian’s height increased by over ten centimeters. He had become a young man already, and his grades appeared to be good too. Not only did he never fail any of his classes, he would even bring back awards or medals from time to time. As Cazerne put it, Julian had surpassed his predecessor already.
“Today, the school asked me what career paths I am considering for next year.”
Julian said that as he ate. Yang stopped his motion of scooping his stew with his spoon, and looked at the young man.
“Is the graduation not June of next year?”
“If I finish all the credits then the regulations say I can graduate half a year early.”
“Oh.”
Yang felt he was an irresponsible guardian.
“So, are you thinking about joining the military?”
“Yes, since I am the son of a serviceman.”
“There are no laws against sons not inheriting the professions of their fathers. My father was a merchant.”
Yang told him it was fine if he wanted to choose a different profession. He thought of the young boy named Will whom he met at the space port.
“But, if I do not join the military, then I would have to pay back the childrearing loans…”
“I will pay them.”
“Huh?”
“You think too little of your guardian. I have enough savings to pay for that. Most importantly, there is no reason for you to graduate early. Why not spend some days having fun instead?”
The young man’s cheeks seemed to be flushed.
“You did not cause me any inconvenience by living here.”
“Thank you very much, but…”
“But what? Even then you still want to join the military?”
Julian looked quizzically at Yang.
“I did hear that you dislike servicemen, but…”
“Yes, I dislike them.”
Yang’s simple answer confused Julian even more.
“But then, if that was the case, then why did you choose to join the military?”
“It was decided that way because I did not have the ability to do anything else.”
Yang finished his stew and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Julian gathered the dishes and commanded the computer to start up the dishwasher in the kitchen. Then, he brought out the tea set and started to steep the Shiron (シロン) black tea.
“In any case, you should think it through some more before you decide. There is no reason to rush your decision.”
“Yes, I will think it through some more. Come to think of it, Commodore, the news reported that Count Lohengramm joined the military when he was just fifteen years old right?”
“Probably.”
“They published his picture and he was really handsome. Did you see?”
While Yang never saw Count Reinhard von Lohengramm in person, he did see Reinhard’s face on the laser stereoscopic television several times, and he had heard that Reinhard was more popular than the Alliance officers amongst the Logistics Department service-women. It was not surprising, since Yang had also not seen another person who was as handsome as Reinhard.
“He is not bad looking.”
“Would you like to have milk or brandy in your black tea?”
“Brandy…”
At that moment, a neurotic sound blared through the room, and the red security system light flashed. Julian turned on the monitor, and it displayed an infrared image showing a large number of people outside. Every person outside was wearing a white balaclavas that covered everything but their eyes.
“Julian.”
“Yes?”
“Have these clown looking groups been making family visits recently? Is this some kind of new trend?”
“That is the Patriotic Knight Corps (憂国騎士団).”
“I have not heard of that circus troupe.”
“They are a group of radical nationalists. If a person’s words or actions were deemed to be anti-national or anti-war, the person would be subjected to various harassments. They became famous recently. …But, that is kind of strange. Why are they storming our house? Commodore just got awarded and praised. There should not be anything for them to condemn?”
“How many of them are there?”
Yang diverted the topic casually. Julian read a number on the corner of the monitor, “Forty two people. They are currently intruding the house. Ah, forty three, no, forty four altogether.”
“Commodore Yang!”
The loud noise that came through the microphone delicately shook the reinforced glass wall.
“Yes, yes.”
Yang muttered, but his reply was not heard outside.
“We are a group of people who truly love the country. We are the Patriotic Knight Corps. We came here to impeach you. You became too egotistical because of your war achievements. You displayed actions that were intended to harm the unification of the military and to weaken the esprit de corp of the fleets. You need to reflect upon your actions.”
On his face, Yang felt Julian’s surprised gaze.
“Commodore Yang, you insulted the sacred memorial service. When all the attendees fervently responded to the secretary’s call to overthrow the Empire, you alone did not stand. Were you not mocking the whole country’s decision with your attitude? We admonish your arrogance! If you have anything to say for yourself then come out and say it in front of us! It will not do you any good to call the police. We have the ability to disrupt the reporting system.”
Yang understood. Behind the scenes, the Patriotic Knight Corps was controlled by the unprecedented patriot, Sir Trunicht. They share their hyperbolic cheap speech with contents that resembled budget consommé soup splendidly.
“Commodore, did you really do that?”
“Eh… sort of…”
“Why? Even if you disagreed, if you had just stood up and clapped then everything would have been fine. It is not like people can see what others are thinking.”
“Eh…You are talking like Rear Admiral Cazerne.”
“You do not need to be Rear Admiral Cazerne to know this! Even children would understand this kind of rudimentary wisdom.”
“So? Are you not coming out? Maybe you have some shame left in you! If you want to repent, then come out in front of us and sincerely admit your mistakes.”
The voice from outside said haughtily. Just as Yang clicked his tongue and stood up in anger, Julian yanked on his sleeves.
“Commodore, you cannot use force no matter how much they offend you.”
“You are anticipating too much! Besides, I am assuming these jerks have no intentions to discuss this matter with me.”
“Even then, you should not.”
“……”
At that moment, a high pitched crackling sound came from the reinforced window. This was not a window that could be broken by mere stones. Next, a metal ball the size of a human head flew into the room and slammed into the cabinet against the wall, shattering the ceramics that used to be displayed in there. Then, it rolled on the floor with a sound that suggested that it was quite heavy.
“Get down! Danger!”
Yang screamed. Julian grabbed the computer and quickly dived behind the sofa. Instantly, the metal ball violently split into chunks that flew in all directions. Non-musical dissonance happened simultaneously all over the room. Things such as lighting, or tableware, or backs of chairs, were all turned into junk.
Yang was in disbelief. The grenade the Patriotic Knight Corps used was one that the Engineer Corps used when there were dangers of ignitions: a non-explosive small scale home destruction grenade.
The destruction power was probably scaled down to its lowest level; otherwise, the entire house would be reduced to a pile of rubbles. Even so, why would civilians have access to that kind of ammunition?
Yang snapped his fingers as if he thought of something, but unfortunately he did not produce any crisp sounds.
“Julian, where is the switch for the sprinklers?”
“Number 2, button A4. You plan to retaliate?”
“It is because someone has to teach them a bit of courtesy.”
“Well then, please go ahead.”
“What now? Will you talk now? If you do not we will do it again.”
Suddenly, the voices outside turned into screams. The sprinklers, which were set to the highest water pressure, turned into thick water whips and were lashing the white hooded men. They were soaked as if they just encountered torrential rain, and all of them were attempting to escape from the middle of the water curtain.
“Now you know what it is like to piss off a gentleman. You are a bunch of hooligans!”
Just as Yang was yelling, the unique sound of the police siren could be heard from afar. Perhaps the residents of the other officer housings called police.
However, the fact that the police did not mobilize until now may be indicative of how much hidden power the self-righteous Patriotic Knight Corps have. It could only be assumed that Trunicht was behind them.
The Patriotic Knights already fled, but Yang was not about to start singing victory songs. The belated police in blue uniforms were commenting that the Patriotic Knight Corps was made up of ardent patriots, which made Yang fairly upset.
“Suppose you are right, then why did these people not volunteer for the military? When did surrounding and harassing homes with children make someone a patriot? Most importantly, if what they are doing is justifiable, then why did they hide their faces? Is that reasonable at all?”
As Yang was refuting the police, Julian already turned off the sprinklers and started cleaning up the dismal plight that was their home.
“Let me help!”
Yang said after he drove off the worthless police, but Julian waived his hand.
“No, you will just get in the way. I know, please sit on the table over there.”
“Sit on the table?”
“It will be cleaned up soon.”
“What should I do when I am sitting on the table?”
“Well, I already brewed the black tea, so you can drink tea.”
Yang grumbled to himself but sat cross-legged on the table. When he saw the pottery pieces Julian was picking up, he lamented:
“That was a red glazed pottery from the Ming Dynasty Wanli Emperor era. Among the relics my father passed down to me, that was the only authentic piece.”
…Twenty-two o’clock, Rear Admiral Cazerne video called them. Julian had just finished cleaning most of the room.
“Hey, kiddo. Can you get your guardian?”
“He is over there.”
Julian pointed to the top of the table where the head of the Yang household was sipping black tea while sitting with his legs crossed.
Cazerne stared at the scene for about five seconds and then asked:
“Do you make a habit of sitting on the table at home?”
“It depends on what day of the week it is.”
Yang replied from the top of the table, and Cazerne gave a smirk.
“Fair enough. I have urgent business. I need you to come to the Joint Operations Headquarters right now. A car will go pick you up soon.”
“You mean now?”
“It is a direct order from Chief Sithole.”
Yang placed the teacup back on the saucer, and the noise was slightly louder than usual. Julian was stunned for a second, but then he quickly ran to take out Yang’s uniform.
“What does the Chief need me for?”
“He only told me it was urgent, so, I will see you at the headquarters.”
The video call ended. For a little while, Yang crossed his arms, deep in thought. When he turned around, Julian was already waiting for him with his uniform in hand. As he dressed, the official headquarters vehicle arrived. Yang could not help but feel his night was exceptionally busy.
Before he exited the front door, he suddenly turned to Julian.
“It will probably be late when I come back, so do not wait up for me.”
“Yes, Commodore.”
Julian replied, but somehow Yang felt his reply was not sincere.
“Julian, what happened tonight will probably become a funny story eventually, but I do not think that will happen in the near future. It seems like bad times is upon us.”
Yang could not understand why he suddenly said that either, but Julian looked straight at Yang.
“Commodore, please just forget about what I said before. If you believe what you are doing is the right thing to do, then I trust you are more correct than anyone else.”
Yang looked at the teenager, and he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. At the end, he just quietly caressed the Julian’s flaxen hair before getting into the official vehicle. Julian stood motionlessly on the porch as he watched the taillights of Yang’s car disappear into the night.
IV
The Free Planets Alliance chief of Joint Operations, Fleet Admiral Sidney Sithole, was an approximately two meters tall, elderly black gentleman. He was not the type of man that radiated brilliance; however, as an administrator of the military, he possessed solid skills as a strategist, and his down-to-earth personality made him well respected. While he was not overwhelmingly popular, he still had a solid supporter base.
The position of chief of Joint Operations represented the pinnacle achievement for a uniformed serviceman. In war time, the person who held the position would act as the deputy-commander-in-chief for the Alliance forces. The commander-in-chief would be the Alliance supreme chairman who would oversee the secretary of defense in charge of the military governance and the chief of Joint Operations in charge of the military command.
Unfortunately for the Free Planets Alliance, the relationship between those two positions was not always cordial. The person in charge of military governance and the person responsible for military command were supposed to work jointly to allow fluid mobilization of the military. Regrettably, that would be akin to forcing oil and water to mix. Therefore, unsurprisingly, the relationship between Trunicht and Sithole could at best be described as armed neutrality.
As soon as Yang entered the office, Fleet Admiral Sithole greeted him nostalgically. When Yang was still a student at the military academy, the Fleet Admiral was his principal.
“Have a seat, Rear Admiral Yang.”
“Rear admiral…”
Right after Fleet Admiral Sithole greeted him, Yang sat down without reservation. The fleet admiral got down to business immediately:
“I asked you to come here so I can tell you the news in advance. The formal appointment letter will be issued tomorrow, but you will be promoted to rear admiral. This is not an unofficial nomination. Do you understand the reason you are being promoted?”
“Is it because we lost?”
Upon hearing Yang’s reply, the elderly fleet admiral cracked a wide smile.
“Sigh, you are unchanged from the olden days. Since your days at the military academy, you always said the most cynical things with the mildest expressions.”
“Well, is that not the truth, Principal? Excuse me…Chief.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Ancient books on military science have evidenced that dire situations required abundant rewards. We lost the war, so it is necessary to divert the attention of the public,” Yang said cynically.
The fleet admiral gave an understanding smile, and with his arms folded, he looked straight at his one-time student.
“On some levels, it is because of what you mentioned. We suffered a major defeat recently, which has shaken our military and our civilians. In order to quell the public, we must have a hero; and, that is you, Rear Admiral Yang.”
Yang smiled, but there was not a hint of happiness on his face.
“Whether you like it or not, you are going to be the hero. But, this is also kind of a mission for a military man. Besides, you actually have the achievements that make you worthy of promotion, so the Joint Operations Headquarters and the National Defense Committee are simply rewarding you based on your merits.”
“You mean that National Defense Committee? Is that the will of Secretary Trunicht?”
“In this case, the intentions of one individual should not be of concern. However, the Secretary also had a part in this. There is such a thing as the position of a public figure.”
That was supposedly true, yet Yang saw that the private individual Trunicht was able to dispatch the Patriotic Knights Corps on the side.
“Now I need to change the subject. I saw the battle plan you gave Vice Admiral Paetta before the battle started. Had we executed that plan, I think our fleets would have won.”
“Yeah… maybe.”
Yang was on his best behavior and replied modestly. Fleet Admiral Sithole rubbed his chin with his fingertips thoughtfully, and said:
“Perhaps there will be another chance to utilize that battle plan. It will be when we seek revenge from Count Lohengramm.”
“But we are talking about Count Lohengramm. He might become arrogant with this success, and he may be tempted to attempt to defeat a large armada with a small fleet again. Should that happen, then this plan would probably have a chance of resurrection, but…”
“But?”
“But, I think that is probably not going to happen. At first glance, we see that he defeated a large fleet with a small fleet. While it was brilliant, it was also outside of the realm of common military strategies. His strategy this time belonged in the realm of magic rather than tactics. I do not believe this understanding escaped Count Lohengramm. Next time, I believe he will attack with an overwhelming armada.”
“I see. Bringing a larger force than the enemy force to the battle field is still fundamental to war strategies. To a layman, however, I think they would rather welcome the thing you call magic. If one could not defeat a large military with a small amount of forces, they will probably think he was simply incompetent. Besides, this time we lost to an enemy with less than half of our numbers.”
The dark skinned Fleet Admiral saw the anguish on Yang’s face. The way Yang saw it, it was expected that the government and the civilians would harshly criticize the entire military.
“Rear Admiral Yang, consider this. The Alliance forces did not overlook the importance of this particular fundamental war strategy. We went in with twice the amount of ships the enemy had, yet we experienced a crushing defeat. Why was that?”
“Because we incorrectly utilized our military forces.”
Yang’s response was brief and exact.
“Even though we prepared a larger number of ships, we failed to make an effort to make use of that advantage. We were complacent because we outnumbered them.”
“Why do you say that?”
“This is the era people termed the ‘button war era,’ and we have exceptional advancement in both radar and computer technologies. To a certain degree, the battlefield strategies could be determined by an algorithm utilizing only two variables: the centralization of the forces and the speed with which those forces move. So, our situation could be summarized with really just one sentence, ‘do not waste your forces,’ and Count Lohengramm implemented that motto flawlessly.”
“Hmm…”
“On the other hand, consider our own fleet. When the 4th Fleet was being destroyed by the enemy, the other two fleets wasted their time and stuck to the original plan. There was also inadequate enemy reconnaissance and intelligence analysis. That all resulted in the complete isolation of the three fleets, and each were forced to fight the enemy individually. That was the expected result of us forgetting the algorithm of concentration and mobility.”
Yang stopped talking. This was the most talkative he had been recently. To what extent was that because of pride?
“I see. I understand your point of view now.”
The fleet admiral nodded several times.
“By the way, I have one more thing. This one is an internal decision. Some changes will be made to the organization of our fleets. We are combining the remaining ships from the 4th Fleet and the 6th Fleet, adding some new blood, and creating the 13th Fleet. And, you will be appointed as the first commander of that fleet.”
Yang was stunned.
“I thought one has to be a vice admiral before one could be appointed to command a fleet.”
“The new fleet is about half the size of a normal fleet. It has 6,400 vessels and 700,000 servicemen. Also, the first mission for the 13th Fleet is to attack the Iserlohn Fortress (イゼルローン要塞).”
The tone of the fleet admiral was serious.
After a short pause, Yang slowly asked to confirm:
“With half a fleet, I should attempt to attack that Iserlohn Fortress?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think it is possible?”
“Only you can pull it off. I do not think it would be possible for anyone else.”
Only you can pull it off…These are ancient killing words…Yang thought. How many people heard those sweet words then pridefully challenged the impossible and died in the process? Those who instigated with these cajoleries were never the ones that had to bear the responsibilities.
Yang remained silent.
“Do you not have the confidence?”
The fleet admiral asked, but Yang provided no answer. If the problem was the lack of confidence, he would have replied immediately. Yang had the confidence and believed that he had a chance of winning. If he should be able to direct the attack on Iserlohn, then he could probably wash away the disgrace the Alliance Fleet felt due to the last six defeats on the battlefield and the loss of hundreds of thousands of service members. The reason he delayed providing an answer was because he disliked playing into the hands of Fleet Admiral Sithole.
“If you capture Iserlohn with a new fleet then you will have achieved greatness.”
Fleet Admiral Sithole looked at Yang meaningfully.
“Whatever your personal feelings are towards him, Secretary of Defense Trunicht also approved of your abilities.”
Also, Chief Sithole’s position would strengthen with respect to the Secretary’s position. The situation seemed to belong in the category of politics rather than strategy. The Chief was sly as a fox.
“I will do what I can.”
Yang replied after a lengthy delay.
“Good. I look forward to it.”
Chief Sithole nodded in satisfaction.
“I will have Cazerne organize and equip the new fleet quickly. If you need anything at all, just let him know. We will try to make this as convenient for you as possible.”
When should we deploy? Yang wondered. There were seventy days left in the Chief’s term. In order to for the Chief to secure a reappointment, Yang must finish the campaign to capture Iserlohn before the end of the Chief’s term. Assuming the campaign itself would take thirty days to carry out, they must deploy from Heinesen within forty days.
It appeared that Trunicht had no objections to the reorganization or the deployment. Considering that it would be near impossible to capture Iserlohn with merely half a fleet, he probably considered this an opportunity to publicly eliminate both Sithole and Yang when the campaign fails. In fact, it was likely that Trunicht was already toasting to Yang digging his own grave.
I will probably not be able to have tea Julian brewed for a while. Yang regrettably thought.
Chapter Four Birth of the 13th Fleet
I
Fifty-five stories above ground, eighty stories below ground. In the northern hemisphere of the planet Heinesen’s (ハイネセン) deciduous forest climate zone stood the building that housed the Free Planets Alliance’s Joint Operations Headquarters (統合作戦本部). The building was surrounded by the Center for Science and Technology (技術科学本部), the Logistics Department (後方勤務本部), the Space Defense Command Center (宇宙防衛管制司令部), the Officer School (士官学校), and the Capital Defense Command Center (首都防衛司令部). These buildings were arranged in an orderly fashion in a one-hundred-kilometer radius around the center of Heinesenpolis (ハイネセンポリス), effectively turning the area into a military hub.
Underground of the Joint Operations Headquarters, in a high-ceiling auditorium spanning four-stories, the memorial service for the Battle of Astarte war dead was being held. This was two days after the Alliance fleets that were deployed to Astarte lost 60% of their ships before dragging home their tired and broken bodies. It was a beautiful and sunny afternoon.
The walkway to the auditorium was already filled with attendees. These attendees included the family members of the war dead and the representatives from the government and the military. Yang Wen-li was also present among them.
Yang Wen-li chatted with the people around him while looking up to the blue sky above them. Although he could not see the sky, he knew, outside of the several layers of atmospheres, numerous military satellites were silently passing by.
Within them, there were the twelve consecutive defense satellites, Artemis’s Necklace (処女神《アルテミス》の首飾り). Regarding this Space Defense Command Center controlled powerful weapon system of mass destruction, an Alliance Fleet’s officer once boasted, “With these twelve defense satellites, planet Heinesen is basically unassailable.” When Yang heard that, he could not help but remember that most unassailable fortresses in history were destroyed by fires. It seemed that powerful militaries inevitably sprouted arrogance within their people.
Yang lightly patted his two cheeks. He felt like his mind was completely unawake. He already slept for sixteen hours straight, but it felt as if he had not slept for over sixty hours.
He had not been able to force himself to eat. It was as if his stomach lost its vigor. The only thing he had before he came was Julian’s (ユリアン) warm vegetable soup. As soon as he went back to the officer housing, he pulled the blanket over himself and slept. Within an hour of waking up, he left home to come here. When he thought about it, he had no recollection of talking to the young man under his guardianship.
‘Sigh, I really should be disqualified as a guardian…’
Just as he was thinking that, someone tapped on his shoulder. He turned around and saw his officer school senior, Rear Admiral Alex Cazerne (レックス・キャゼルヌ), smiling at him.
“You look like you have not even woken up yet, Astarte's hero.”
“Who is a hero?”
“The person standing in front of me. You probably have not read the electronic newspaper, but all the major news media are saying that.”
“I am a defeated commander.”
“Right, the Alliance Fleet lost. That is why they need a hero. If we had won a landslide victory, then there would not be a need to create a hero. We lost, so there is a need to find a way to distract the public from the overall situation. Was the El Facil battle not also like this?”
The sarcastic tone was one of Cazerne’s signature traits. He was a 35-year-old man with a medium build and a healthy muscle tone. He was currently serving as the deputy adjutant to the Alliance chief of Joint Operations (同盟軍統合作戦本部長), Fleet Admiral Sidney Sithole (シドニー・シトレ元帥). He had extensive experience in frontline combat command, and solid ability to plan, process, and delegate matters. Many suspected that he would become the future director of logistics.
“How have you been? Adjutants have a lot of miscellaneous things to do. I suspect you are quite busy?”
After being mildly counterattacked, the accomplished officer’s mouth curved into a peculiar smile.
“I think the memorial service was organized by the office of ceremonies. I cannot believe they completely ignored the service members and the bereaved families, and only focused on brownnosing the secretary of defense. To put it bluntly, this is really just a dog and pony show to bootlick the secretary who will head the next administration.”
The face of the Alliance Secretary of Defense (国防委員長) Job Trunicht (ヨブ・トリューニヒト) surfaced in both of their minds.
Trunicht was a handsome, tall, 41-year-old young politician. He was one of those radicals who advocated for a hard-line approach towards the Galactic Empire. Half of the people who knew him considered him a rhetorician, and the other half thought he was a dreaded spin doctor.
At the moment, the leader of the Alliance was Supreme Chairman (最高評議会議長) Royal Sanford (ロイヤル・サンフォード). He was an old politician who was elected as a compromise from the political whirlpool. He stuck to conventions and was unable to innovate; therefore, the younger generation politicians were pushed further into the limelight.
“Having to listen to his terrible, lengthy, inciting speech is probably more unbearable than staying up all night……”
Cazerne mocked him. Within the military, Cazerne was a rarity. Compared to the popular rhetoric of focusing on expanding the military and overthrowing empire, as promoted by Trunicht, Cazerne’s idea had much fewer supporters within the military. Yang and he were both in the minority faction.
Their seats were not near each other within the auditorium. Cazerne sat behind Headquarters Chief Sithole who was in the VIP row. Yang was in the front row directly in front of the podium.
The memorial service commenced in accordance with the standard procedures, and it progressed in much the same way.
After the Supreme Chairman Sanford dispassionately read the pre-drafted speech the officials wrote for him, Secretary of Defense Trunicht took the stage. With his appearance, the atmosphere within the venue became enthusiastic. The crowd clapped much harder for him than they did for the chairman.
Trunicht came with no script, but he loudly addressed the sixty-thousand attendees.
“Dear citizens and service members, why are we attending this memorial service? We are here to comfort the martyrs who sacrificed themselves to protect the Astarte Starzone. They were protecting their country’s peace and freedom. That was why they sacrificed their precious lives.”
After listening to this much, Yang wanted to seal up his ears. Just how shameful were these words? Why was it that the speakers could always say these hypocritical, dazzling words with such frankness? Was this men’s tradition since ancient Greece?
“I am talking about the precious lives! Lives are sacred. However, everyone, they were telling us with their sacrifices that there are things that are more important than an individual’s life! That was what they were trying to teach us! What are those important things? Those are our country and our freedom! Their deaths are beautiful, because they gave up themselves to uphold righteousness. They were the true warriors. They were all our beloved fathers, sons, and lovers. They all had the right to a blissful, fulfilling, and lengthy life. Yet, they gave up that life and went to war, and died because of it! Citizens, Let me ask you this, why did these 1.5 million service members die?”
“Because the commanders’ warfare command abilities were terrible,” Yang said.
The lone response sounded extraordinarily loud, shocking everyone around him. A young black-haired officer secretly snuck a look at him, and Yang quickly stared straight back. The other party was taken aback and quickly focused his attention back on the podium.
The secretary’s speech was still ongoing. Trunicht’s face was flushed, and he appeared to be enthralled with himself.
“Yes! The answer was what I mentioned earlier. They sacrificed their lives to defend this country and our freedom! Are these noble ideals not worthy of their death? How meaningless would our lives be if we lived only for ourselves and died only for ourselves? That could never be my message to you. All of us must put our country before ourselves. Our lives are precious, but here I must implore you imprint this truth on your heart. This is what I wish to tell you as loudly as I can. Both our country and our freedom were paid for with human lives. We fight for justice! Those who say they want to have peace talks with the Empire, those who claim to be pacifists, those who think it would be possible for us to coexist with totalitarian tyranny, and those who claim to be idealists, you are delusional! Your actions and your motives would only lead to one result, and that is a weakened Alliance, and a more advantageous Empire. The Empire would never allow such anti-war pacifism to be recognized. The Alliance is a free country, which is why disagreements with national policies are allowed. Yet, you became complacent! It is not a good thing to sing the tune of peace!”
Yang was only thinking about one thing, which was the singers of the tune of aggression were all hiding in safe places. Yang could feel that with each passing minute, the fervor in those around him increased, and that made him jaded. Whatever the era, the instigators never lacked supporters.
“I dare say this. Those who oppose the crusade against the totalitarian tyranny that is the Galactic Empire are the pests that are ruining this country. They are not qualified to be this proud country’s citizens. To defend this free society and this protect political system, only those who are not afraid to fight to the death for it are the true citizens. The martyrs would be ashamed of those cowards without that awareness. This country was built by our ancestors. We know the history. We remember our ancestors bled for this country and fought for this freedom. The country with that glorious history is our motherland! To protect this one thing that needs us to protect, should we not all stand up to fight? Fight on! Fight for our motherland! Long live Alliance! Long live democracy! Defeat the Empire!”
The secretary’s passionate cries drowned out the audience’s sanity. The fervent zealous waves washed over the bodies of the sixty-thousand people. People stood up one by one and chanted with Trunicht:
“Long live Alliance! Long live democracy! Defeat the Empire!”
Numerous fists were pumped into the air, waving their military berets high above. It was a mad tune of claps and cheers.
Among those people, only Yang sat in silence. His black eyes coldly glared at the speaker on stage. Trunicht’s raised his arms high in response to the frenzy in the room, then, his eyes landed on one person in the front row.
Suddenly, his eyes sharpened, and the corner of his mouth moved with displeasure. He recognized the young officer that was sitting down. Had he been sitting in the back rows, he would not have been seen, but he was sitting in the very front row.
Among this wave of noble patriotism, this outrageous traitor popped into his eyes when he just mentioned them.
“Officer, why are you not standing up?”
A middle-aged officer with meaty cheeks angrily roared. He wore the same commodore insignia as Yang. Yang looked over to him, and then calmly replied:
“This is a free country. If a person does not want to stand up, then he has the freedom to not stand up. I am simply exercising my freedom.”
“Then, why do you not want to stand up?”
“I exercise my freedom to not answer.”
Yang felt there was nothing cute about his answer. Rear Admiral Cazerne felt it was funny, however, as Yang’s method of resistance was juvenile. He felt Yang was being immature and was not acting like an adult. Cazerne also hated standing up, clapping, and chanting “Long live Alliance,” but it was not worth it to be called unpatriotic over not being moved by Trunicht’s speech. This was akin to the fairytale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes,” the ones who screamed that the emperor wore no clothes were all naive children, not adults.
“What do you mean by that?”
As the middle-aged commodore interrogated Yang, Trunicht on the podium moved his hands down, gently motioning to quell the masses. Soon, the fervor diminished, the waves silence rolled through, and the people sat back down.
The middle-aged commodore who was still glaring at Yang reluctantly sat back down with his meaty face full of displeasure.
“…Everyone.”
The secretary of defense on the podium started to speak again, but after the long speech and loud chants, his mouth became dry, and his voice became non-musical. After a cough, he continued his speech.
“Our strongest weapon is the united will of our people. We are a free country based on democracy, so however noble our goals are, we cannot force people to join us. Everyone has the freedom to disagree with the country. However, the conscientious citizens know in their hearts that real freedom comes only when we give up our insignificant selves and unite together to further our common goal. People…”
Here, Trunicht suddenly stopped talking, but it was not because he lost his voice due to thirst. It was because he noticed a woman walking towards the podium through the walkway between the seats. This was a young woman with light brown hair. At least half of the men turned to look at her as she passed by, so she was probably fairly beautiful. As she approached, the ripples of quiet suspicious murmurs widened.
…Who is that woman? What is she doing?
Yang heard about the woman from the other attendees, but the reason he turned around to look was because he thought it was a better option than having to continue to see Trunicht’s face. However, when he saw the woman, his eyebrows crossed uncontrollably. That was a face that existed within his memory.
“Mr. Secretary.”
The woman with the loud mezzo-soprano voice spoke towards the podium.
“My name is Jessica Edwards (ジェシカ・エドワーズ). I am the fiancée of the Sixth Fleet General Staff Jean Robert Lapp (ジャン・ロベール・ラップ) who died in the Battle of Astarte. No, I was his fiancée.”
“That…”
Even the eloquent “leader-designate” was speechless.
“I am terribly sorry for your loss, miss, however…”
He was at a loss for words, so he subconsciously scanned the spacious auditorium. Out of the sixty thousand people in the audience, sixty thousand of them were silently waiting for him to respond. The entire audience held their breath as they watched this woman who lost her fiancé.
“There is no need for you to console me, Mr. Secretary. My fiancé died a noble death protecting his country.”
Jessica’s calmness eased the secretary’s embarrassment, and Trunicht’s relief was apparent.
“Is that so? No, you are a role model for the women behind the scene. Your admirable spirit must be well compensated.”
Seeing that he was completely shameless, Yang opened his eyes in disbelief. Yang felt there was nothing these shameless people could not do.
On the other hand, Jessica appeared to be calm.
“Thank you very much. I have just one question I wish to ask you, Mr. Secretary.”
“What kind of question is it? If it is a question I can answer then that would be fine…”
“Where were you at the time?”
Trunicht blinked. He could not understand the point of the question. Most people in the audience felt the same way.
“Well, what do you mean?”
“In order to protect the country, my fiancé left for the battlefield, and now he is no longer with us. Mr. Secretary, where were you at the time? You, who are praising death, where were you?”
“Miss…”
Anyone could see the recoil within the secretary’s eyes.
“Where was your family?”
Jessica relentlessly inquired.
“My fiancé has already sacrificed himself. You said that the sacrifices of the citizens were necessary, so, where was your family? If your speech is completely correct, should you not practice what you teach?”
“Security!”
Trunicht yelled as he looked around.
“This lady is distraught. Please take her into another room. Band, my speech is over. National anthem! Play the national anthem.”
Someone grabbed onto Jessica’s wrist. She struggled against it, but when she saw the person who grabbed her, she relented.
“Let’s go.”
Yang Wen-li said firmly.
“You should not have come here.”
Powerful and majestic music played throughout the auditorium. The name of the Free Planets Alliance national anthem was “The Freedom Flag and the Free People.”
“Friends, one day, we will defeat the oppressors.
We will liberate the planets,
And raise the freedom flag.
We fight now, for the glorious future.
We fight today, for the fruits of tomorrow.
Friends, let us praise the spirit of liberty.
Friends, let us reveal the spirit of liberty.”
The audience started singing along with the music. Unlike the previous chaotic chants, people were uniformly singing this majestic song.
“To the dark side of tyranny,
We send the dawn of freedom.”
With their backs towards the stage, Yang and Jessica headed for the exit.
As the two walked side by side, the audiences all turned to watch them, but then quickly focused their attention back on the stage and continued to sing. The door in front of the two of them opened silently, and as it closed behind them, they heard the last measure of the anthem.
“We, the free people,
We can never be conquered.”
II
The last sunset afterglow already disappeared, and the beautiful night had brought the cool air onto the ground. The brilliant constellations started to emit their silvery glow. This was the season where the spiral-silk-belt shaped constellation shined the brightest.
The Heinesenpolis spaceport was very lively.
The large plaza was filled with various types of people. Some just came back from their trips, and some were about to go on their trips. Some were seeing people off, and some were picking people up. There were ordinary citizens wearing old fashioned clothes, black beret soldiers, uniformed-technicians, stern looking security personnel, and spaceport staff rushing to finish their jobs, and even children running about. Among the people, there were also luggage-carrying robots weaving in and out.
“Yang.”
Jessica called the name of the young man by her side.
“Hmm?”
“Do you think I am an annoying woman?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because most bereaved families just mourned quietly. I was the only one who made a scene in front of so many people, so of course people would be annoyed.”
Quiet mourning would not have improved the situation. Someone needed to demand that the leaders accept responsibility. Yang thought that, but he only said this much:
“No, not at all.”
The two of them sat side by side on a sofa in the spaceport plaza.
An hour later, Jessica would be boarding the scheduled ship back to Heinesen’s neighboring planet, Thernusen (テルヌーゼン). She was a junior high music teacher there. Had Lieutenant Commander Jean Robert Lapp been alive, then surely in the not-so-distant future she would resign to get married.
“You are an outstanding person, Yang.”
Jessica said that as she watched a family of three walk by. Yang did not reply.
“I heard you were phenomenal in Astarte. Your past accomplishments were also… Jean Robert said that he admired you. He said he was proud to be in the same class with you.”
Jean Robert was a good man. Jessica was right to choose him. Yang felt somewhat lonely when he thought of the past. She used to be the officer school office manager’s daughter. After she graduated from music school, she became Jessica Edwards. Now, she was a music teacher who lost her fiancé.
“Except for you, all the Alliance commissioned officers should feel ashamed. They lost over one million people in one battle. That is shameful even in terms of morals.”
That is not true. Yang thought. Murdering or torturing unarmed personnel or breaking an armistice agreement is immoral. After all, there is no moral superiority difference between famous and incompetent commanders. The only difference between a famous commander and an incompetent commander is that an incompetent one kills a million of his own people, when a famous one kills a million of the enemy’s people. As far as the absolute pacifists are concerned, a killing is a killing. Both are mass murderers, and there is no difference between them.
The incompetent commanders should be ashamed, but that question is on a different level when compared to the moral question. However, he thought even if he had shared that thought, she would not have understood, and she probably would not have cared to understand.
The spaceport’s boarding call was announced, and Jessica stood up from the sofa. Her ship was about to leave port.
“Goodbye, Yang. Thank you for sending me off.”
“Take care of yourself.”
“Become successful, okay? Do Jean Robert’s share too.”
Then, Yang watched Jessica’s back disappear from the boarding entrance.
Become successful… That is to tell me to kill a lot of enemies. Is she aware of that? No, she definitely is not aware of that. There are probably a lot of women with similar circumstances as her in the Galactic Empire. Right now, these women are probably all sad and angry for someone…
“Excuse me, are you Commodore Yang?”
An elderly woman’s voice said. Yang slowly turned around to find an elegantly dressed elderly woman standing in front of him with a five or six year old boy.
“Yes.”
“Ah, I thought so. This is Will (ウィル). Will, this is the Astarte hero. Say hi.”
However, the little boy shyly hid behind the elderly woman.
“I am Mrs. Mayer (メイヤー). My husband, and also my child, who was this child’s father, were both service members. They all died honorable deaths fighting against the Imperial Fleet. I learned about your accomplishments over the news, and I am very thankful for them. To be able to meet you in a place like this really makes me overjoyed!”
“……”
This is terrible. I wonder what kind of expression is on my face right now… thought Yang.
“This child has told me that he also wants to become a serviceman. He wants to be able to get revenge from the Imperial Fleet… Commodore Yang, I have a small favor to ask of you. Will you please shake hands with this child? If you could shake hands with this child, it would be encouraging for the future of this child.”
Yang could not bring himself to look directly at the elderly woman’s face.
Since he did not answer, the woman thought he probably agreed to it, so she pushed the young child in front of the young commissioned officer. However, even though the child looked at Yang’s face, he was still grabbing onto his grandmother’s clothes.
“Will, is that the attitude of a brave spaceman?”
“Mrs. Mayer.”
Yang felt awful as he replied.
“By the time Will grows up, the peace era would probably have already arrived, so you will not have to force him to join the military anymore… so kid, take care of yourself.”
After giving a light bow, Yang quickly picked up his pace and left. He wanted to run away from that situation, and he did not feel that was a dishonorable behavior.
III
According to Yang’s wrist watch, when he returned to his housing unit at 24 Silver Bridge Street (シルバーブリッジ街二四番地), it was Heinesen Standard Time 20 o’clock. This was the commissioned officers’ housing community, so most of the residents were either singles or small families. The scent of nature’s greenery permeated the air.
The buildings and facilities in the community could not be described as either new or luxurious. While grass land was abundant, the necessary funds for new buildings or remodeling was in short supply.
Yang slowed down and cut across the large area of badly cared for common lawn. A door with recognition device installed loudly creaked open, as if it was complaining about the crushing labor, but also as if it was welcoming home the resident of building B room 6.
Yang thought, if he had just paid to fix this himself, this probably would have been fixed already. Although he requested that the accounting department take care of this, it was not clear if anything was done.
“Welcome home, Commodore.”
A teenager, Julian Mintz (ユリアン・ミンツ) came out to the porch to greet him.
“I was just wondering if you were going to come home tonight. Thank goodness. I already made the Irish stew you like.”
“In that case, I am glad I came home with an empty stomach. But, why would you think that I was not coming home?”
“Rear Admiral Cazerne called earlier.”
The teenager took over Yang’s beret as he replied.
“He said you grabbed a beauty’s hand and ran away in the middle of the ceremony.”
“That bastard…”
Yang gave a wry smile as he came through the door.
The teenager named Julian Mintz was Yang’s guardianee. He was fourteen years old, with the expected height for his age. He had flaxen hair, dark brown eyes, and a delicate face. Cazerne and others called him, “Yang’s steward.”
Julian became Yang’s guardianee two years ago in accordance with the “Children of Military Personnel Wartime Welfare Act (軍人子女福祉戦時特例法).” The law was often called the “Traverse Act (トラバース法)” after the person who introduced the bill.
The Free Planets Alliance had been in a constant state of war with the Galactic Empire over the last one and a half century. That resulted in the accumulation of war casualties and wounded warriors. In order to provide assistance to the orphans, and to ensure the proper utilization of human resources, the “Traverse Act” was born.
The orphans could be adopted by military families, and the government would loan them a set amount of childrearing allowance. All orphans before the age of fifteen would attend regular schools. After that, they would determine their own educational paths based on their interests. However, if a young person wished to join the military in the future and chose a military-related school such as a military school or a technical school, then the childrearing loan would be forgiven.
It was also determined that women could enter logistics related fields that had a workforce shortage. For example, supply, management, transportation, communication, administration, and intelligence, were all in need of new blood.
“This idea was mostly inspired by the apprenticeship system of the Middle Ages, but it has one disadvantage, which is the loans often tie up their future.”
At the time, Cazerne who was working in the logistics department sarcastically told Yang.
“On the other hand, life lacks meaning without a sense of purpose. What I mean is you need a keeper, so you might as well adopt one.”
“I do not have a family.”
“Exactly. You already did not fulfill the societal obligation of supporting a wife and children. Adopting one just means you have to cough up some childrearing cost. Hmm? Rich single?”
“I know, but I like living on my own.”
“It is nice to have two people in the house too.”
“But one is enough.”
“Really. I am going to find a guy that eats like he is two people.”
Four days after the two of them had that conversation, Julian showed up in front of Yang’s door. Since that day, Julian secured his position within the Yang household.
Until then, the only member in the Yang household could hardly be called a hardworking or competent household manager. While he owned a computer, he could not be bothered to input the necessary data to make it useful, so it became a décor. Most household appliances suffered the same fate and were covered in layers of dust.
As soon as Julian moved in, he was determined to clean up the house. The day after he moved into Yang’s house, the young guardian went on a short business trip. When Yang returned a week later, he discovered that his house had befallen to the allies of efficiency and tidiness.
“I organized the computer data into six categories.”
The twelve-year-old young occupation commander reported to the flabbergasted head of the household.
“Let me see… 1. Household Management, 2. Electronics, 3. Security, 4. News and Messages, 5. Home Lessons, 6. Leisure Activities. The categories in Household Management are: 1. Usage of the air conditioner and heater, washer and dryer, and vacuum and cleaning appliances; 2. Maintenance of the security and fire alarm system; 3. News, weather report, and purchasing information and updates; 4… Please remember these, Captain.”
At the time, Yang was still a captain. He silently sat down on the sofa in his living room that was doubling as his dining room, and considered what he was going to say to this innocently smiling little invader.
“I already cleaned up the rooms and washed the comforter and the bed sheet. Umm, I feel like I cleaned up everything that needed to be cleaned up, but if there is anything you are not happy with, please let me know. Is there anything else you need?”
“Can I get a cup of black tea?”
Yang thought he would have a cup of his favorite black tea to get rid of his thirst before he voiced his complaints, but when the teenager ran into the kitchen and brought back a new looking beautiful tea set that was steeping Shiron planet tea, his hands jolted with surprise.
Then, with the first sip of tea, he was conquered by the teenager. The tea was surprisingly mellow and fragrant. While Julian’s father was only a lieutenant in the space fleet, his rank in the art of tea was superior to Yang’s, and he taught his son the steeping methods of the various types of teas.
Half a month after Yang began to tolerate Julian’s teenage household management style, Cazerne commented on the state of the environment while he came to play 3D chess.
“This has got to be the first time since I have known you that your house is actually clean. I guess the phrase ‘incompetent parents raise talented children’ is true.”
Yang did not retort.
It had been two years since that date, and Julian’s height increased by over ten centimeters. He had become a young man already, and his grades appeared to be good too. Not only did he never fail any of his classes, he would even bring back awards or medals from time to time. As Cazerne put it, Julian had surpassed his predecessor already.
“Today, the school asked me what career paths I am considering for next year.”
Julian said that as he ate. Yang stopped his motion of scooping his stew with his spoon, and looked at the young man.
“Is the graduation not June of next year?”
“If I finish all the credits then the regulations say I can graduate half a year early.”
“Oh.”
Yang felt he was an irresponsible guardian.
“So, are you thinking about joining the military?”
“Yes, since I am the son of a serviceman.”
“There are no laws against sons not inheriting the professions of their fathers. My father was a merchant.”
Yang told him it was fine if he wanted to choose a different profession. He thought of the young boy named Will whom he met at the space port.
“But, if I do not join the military, then I would have to pay back the childrearing loans…”
“I will pay them.”
“Huh?”
“You think too little of your guardian. I have enough savings to pay for that. Most importantly, there is no reason for you to graduate early. Why not spend some days having fun instead?”
The young man’s cheeks seemed to be flushed.
“You did not cause me any inconvenience by living here.”
“Thank you very much, but…”
“But what? Even then you still want to join the military?”
Julian looked quizzically at Yang.
“I did hear that you dislike servicemen, but…”
“Yes, I dislike them.”
Yang’s simple answer confused Julian even more.
“But then, if that was the case, then why did you choose to join the military?”
“It was decided that way because I did not have the ability to do anything else.”
Yang finished his stew and wiped his mouth with a napkin. Julian gathered the dishes and commanded the computer to start up the dishwasher in the kitchen. Then, he brought out the tea set and started to steep the Shiron (シロン) black tea.
“In any case, you should think it through some more before you decide. There is no reason to rush your decision.”
“Yes, I will think it through some more. Come to think of it, Commodore, the news reported that Count Lohengramm joined the military when he was just fifteen years old right?”
“Probably.”
“They published his picture and he was really handsome. Did you see?”
While Yang never saw Count Reinhard von Lohengramm in person, he did see Reinhard’s face on the laser stereoscopic television several times, and he had heard that Reinhard was more popular than the Alliance officers amongst the Logistics Department service-women. It was not surprising, since Yang had also not seen another person who was as handsome as Reinhard.
“He is not bad looking.”
“Would you like to have milk or brandy in your black tea?”
“Brandy…”
At that moment, a neurotic sound blared through the room, and the red security system light flashed. Julian turned on the monitor, and it displayed an infrared image showing a large number of people outside. Every person outside was wearing a white balaclavas that covered everything but their eyes.
“Julian.”
“Yes?”
“Have these clown looking groups been making family visits recently? Is this some kind of new trend?”
“That is the Patriotic Knight Corps (憂国騎士団).”
“I have not heard of that circus troupe.”
“They are a group of radical nationalists. If a person’s words or actions were deemed to be anti-national or anti-war, the person would be subjected to various harassments. They became famous recently. …But, that is kind of strange. Why are they storming our house? Commodore just got awarded and praised. There should not be anything for them to condemn?”
“How many of them are there?”
Yang diverted the topic casually. Julian read a number on the corner of the monitor, “Forty two people. They are currently intruding the house. Ah, forty three, no, forty four altogether.”
“Commodore Yang!”
The loud noise that came through the microphone delicately shook the reinforced glass wall.
“Yes, yes.”
Yang muttered, but his reply was not heard outside.
“We are a group of people who truly love the country. We are the Patriotic Knight Corps. We came here to impeach you. You became too egotistical because of your war achievements. You displayed actions that were intended to harm the unification of the military and to weaken the esprit de corp of the fleets. You need to reflect upon your actions.”
On his face, Yang felt Julian’s surprised gaze.
“Commodore Yang, you insulted the sacred memorial service. When all the attendees fervently responded to the secretary’s call to overthrow the Empire, you alone did not stand. Were you not mocking the whole country’s decision with your attitude? We admonish your arrogance! If you have anything to say for yourself then come out and say it in front of us! It will not do you any good to call the police. We have the ability to disrupt the reporting system.”
Yang understood. Behind the scenes, the Patriotic Knight Corps was controlled by the unprecedented patriot, Sir Trunicht. They share their hyperbolic cheap speech with contents that resembled budget consommé soup splendidly.
“Commodore, did you really do that?”
“Eh… sort of…”
“Why? Even if you disagreed, if you had just stood up and clapped then everything would have been fine. It is not like people can see what others are thinking.”
“Eh…You are talking like Rear Admiral Cazerne.”
“You do not need to be Rear Admiral Cazerne to know this! Even children would understand this kind of rudimentary wisdom.”
“So? Are you not coming out? Maybe you have some shame left in you! If you want to repent, then come out in front of us and sincerely admit your mistakes.”
The voice from outside said haughtily. Just as Yang clicked his tongue and stood up in anger, Julian yanked on his sleeves.
“Commodore, you cannot use force no matter how much they offend you.”
“You are anticipating too much! Besides, I am assuming these jerks have no intentions to discuss this matter with me.”
“Even then, you should not.”
“……”
At that moment, a high pitched crackling sound came from the reinforced window. This was not a window that could be broken by mere stones. Next, a metal ball the size of a human head flew into the room and slammed into the cabinet against the wall, shattering the ceramics that used to be displayed in there. Then, it rolled on the floor with a sound that suggested that it was quite heavy.
“Get down! Danger!”
Yang screamed. Julian grabbed the computer and quickly dived behind the sofa. Instantly, the metal ball violently split into chunks that flew in all directions. Non-musical dissonance happened simultaneously all over the room. Things such as lighting, or tableware, or backs of chairs, were all turned into junk.
Yang was in disbelief. The grenade the Patriotic Knight Corps used was one that the Engineer Corps used when there were dangers of ignitions: a non-explosive small scale home destruction grenade.
The destruction power was probably scaled down to its lowest level; otherwise, the entire house would be reduced to a pile of rubbles. Even so, why would civilians have access to that kind of ammunition?
Yang snapped his fingers as if he thought of something, but unfortunately he did not produce any crisp sounds.
“Julian, where is the switch for the sprinklers?”
“Number 2, button A4. You plan to retaliate?”
“It is because someone has to teach them a bit of courtesy.”
“Well then, please go ahead.”
“What now? Will you talk now? If you do not we will do it again.”
Suddenly, the voices outside turned into screams. The sprinklers, which were set to the highest water pressure, turned into thick water whips and were lashing the white hooded men. They were soaked as if they just encountered torrential rain, and all of them were attempting to escape from the middle of the water curtain.
“Now you know what it is like to piss off a gentleman. You are a bunch of hooligans!”
Just as Yang was yelling, the unique sound of the police siren could be heard from afar. Perhaps the residents of the other officer housings called police.
However, the fact that the police did not mobilize until now may be indicative of how much hidden power the self-righteous Patriotic Knight Corps have. It could only be assumed that Trunicht was behind them.
The Patriotic Knights already fled, but Yang was not about to start singing victory songs. The belated police in blue uniforms were commenting that the Patriotic Knight Corps was made up of ardent patriots, which made Yang fairly upset.
“Suppose you are right, then why did these people not volunteer for the military? When did surrounding and harassing homes with children make someone a patriot? Most importantly, if what they are doing is justifiable, then why did they hide their faces? Is that reasonable at all?”
As Yang was refuting the police, Julian already turned off the sprinklers and started cleaning up the dismal plight that was their home.
“Let me help!”
Yang said after he drove off the worthless police, but Julian waived his hand.
“No, you will just get in the way. I know, please sit on the table over there.”
“Sit on the table?”
“It will be cleaned up soon.”
“What should I do when I am sitting on the table?”
“Well, I already brewed the black tea, so you can drink tea.”
Yang grumbled to himself but sat cross-legged on the table. When he saw the pottery pieces Julian was picking up, he lamented:
“That was a red glazed pottery from the Ming Dynasty Wanli Emperor era. Among the relics my father passed down to me, that was the only authentic piece.”
…Twenty-two o’clock, Rear Admiral Cazerne video called them. Julian had just finished cleaning most of the room.
“Hey, kiddo. Can you get your guardian?”
“He is over there.”
Julian pointed to the top of the table where the head of the Yang household was sipping black tea while sitting with his legs crossed.
Cazerne stared at the scene for about five seconds and then asked:
“Do you make a habit of sitting on the table at home?”
“It depends on what day of the week it is.”
Yang replied from the top of the table, and Cazerne gave a smirk.
“Fair enough. I have urgent business. I need you to come to the Joint Operations Headquarters right now. A car will go pick you up soon.”
“You mean now?”
“It is a direct order from Chief Sithole.”
Yang placed the teacup back on the saucer, and the noise was slightly louder than usual. Julian was stunned for a second, but then he quickly ran to take out Yang’s uniform.
“What does the Chief need me for?”
“He only told me it was urgent, so, I will see you at the headquarters.”
The video call ended. For a little while, Yang crossed his arms, deep in thought. When he turned around, Julian was already waiting for him with his uniform in hand. As he dressed, the official headquarters vehicle arrived. Yang could not help but feel his night was exceptionally busy.
Before he exited the front door, he suddenly turned to Julian.
“It will probably be late when I come back, so do not wait up for me.”
“Yes, Commodore.”
Julian replied, but somehow Yang felt his reply was not sincere.
“Julian, what happened tonight will probably become a funny story eventually, but I do not think that will happen in the near future. It seems like bad times is upon us.”
Yang could not understand why he suddenly said that either, but Julian looked straight at Yang.
“Commodore, please just forget about what I said before. If you believe what you are doing is the right thing to do, then I trust you are more correct than anyone else.”
Yang looked at the teenager, and he wanted to say something, but nothing came out. At the end, he just quietly caressed the Julian’s flaxen hair before getting into the official vehicle. Julian stood motionlessly on the porch as he watched the taillights of Yang’s car disappear into the night.
IV
The Free Planets Alliance chief of Joint Operations, Fleet Admiral Sidney Sithole, was an approximately two meters tall, elderly black gentleman. He was not the type of man that radiated brilliance; however, as an administrator of the military, he possessed solid skills as a strategist, and his down-to-earth personality made him well respected. While he was not overwhelmingly popular, he still had a solid supporter base.
The position of chief of Joint Operations represented the pinnacle achievement for a uniformed serviceman. In war time, the person who held the position would act as the deputy-commander-in-chief for the Alliance forces. The commander-in-chief would be the Alliance supreme chairman who would oversee the secretary of defense in charge of the military governance and the chief of Joint Operations in charge of the military command.
Unfortunately for the Free Planets Alliance, the relationship between those two positions was not always cordial. The person in charge of military governance and the person responsible for military command were supposed to work jointly to allow fluid mobilization of the military. Regrettably, that would be akin to forcing oil and water to mix. Therefore, unsurprisingly, the relationship between Trunicht and Sithole could at best be described as armed neutrality.
As soon as Yang entered the office, Fleet Admiral Sithole greeted him nostalgically. When Yang was still a student at the military academy, the Fleet Admiral was his principal.
“Have a seat, Rear Admiral Yang.”
“Rear admiral…”
Right after Fleet Admiral Sithole greeted him, Yang sat down without reservation. The fleet admiral got down to business immediately:
“I asked you to come here so I can tell you the news in advance. The formal appointment letter will be issued tomorrow, but you will be promoted to rear admiral. This is not an unofficial nomination. Do you understand the reason you are being promoted?”
“Is it because we lost?”
Upon hearing Yang’s reply, the elderly fleet admiral cracked a wide smile.
“Sigh, you are unchanged from the olden days. Since your days at the military academy, you always said the most cynical things with the mildest expressions.”
“Well, is that not the truth, Principal? Excuse me…Chief.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Ancient books on military science have evidenced that dire situations required abundant rewards. We lost the war, so it is necessary to divert the attention of the public,” Yang said cynically.
The fleet admiral gave an understanding smile, and with his arms folded, he looked straight at his one-time student.
“On some levels, it is because of what you mentioned. We suffered a major defeat recently, which has shaken our military and our civilians. In order to quell the public, we must have a hero; and, that is you, Rear Admiral Yang.”
Yang smiled, but there was not a hint of happiness on his face.
“Whether you like it or not, you are going to be the hero. But, this is also kind of a mission for a military man. Besides, you actually have the achievements that make you worthy of promotion, so the Joint Operations Headquarters and the National Defense Committee are simply rewarding you based on your merits.”
“You mean that National Defense Committee? Is that the will of Secretary Trunicht?”
“In this case, the intentions of one individual should not be of concern. However, the Secretary also had a part in this. There is such a thing as the position of a public figure.”
That was supposedly true, yet Yang saw that the private individual Trunicht was able to dispatch the Patriotic Knights Corps on the side.
“Now I need to change the subject. I saw the battle plan you gave Vice Admiral Paetta before the battle started. Had we executed that plan, I think our fleets would have won.”
“Yeah… maybe.”
Yang was on his best behavior and replied modestly. Fleet Admiral Sithole rubbed his chin with his fingertips thoughtfully, and said:
“Perhaps there will be another chance to utilize that battle plan. It will be when we seek revenge from Count Lohengramm.”
“But we are talking about Count Lohengramm. He might become arrogant with this success, and he may be tempted to attempt to defeat a large armada with a small fleet again. Should that happen, then this plan would probably have a chance of resurrection, but…”
“But?”
“But, I think that is probably not going to happen. At first glance, we see that he defeated a large fleet with a small fleet. While it was brilliant, it was also outside of the realm of common military strategies. His strategy this time belonged in the realm of magic rather than tactics. I do not believe this understanding escaped Count Lohengramm. Next time, I believe he will attack with an overwhelming armada.”
“I see. Bringing a larger force than the enemy force to the battle field is still fundamental to war strategies. To a layman, however, I think they would rather welcome the thing you call magic. If one could not defeat a large military with a small amount of forces, they will probably think he was simply incompetent. Besides, this time we lost to an enemy with less than half of our numbers.”
The dark skinned Fleet Admiral saw the anguish on Yang’s face. The way Yang saw it, it was expected that the government and the civilians would harshly criticize the entire military.
“Rear Admiral Yang, consider this. The Alliance forces did not overlook the importance of this particular fundamental war strategy. We went in with twice the amount of ships the enemy had, yet we experienced a crushing defeat. Why was that?”
“Because we incorrectly utilized our military forces.”
Yang’s response was brief and exact.
“Even though we prepared a larger number of ships, we failed to make an effort to make use of that advantage. We were complacent because we outnumbered them.”
“Why do you say that?”
“This is the era people termed the ‘button war era,’ and we have exceptional advancement in both radar and computer technologies. To a certain degree, the battlefield strategies could be determined by an algorithm utilizing only two variables: the centralization of the forces and the speed with which those forces move. So, our situation could be summarized with really just one sentence, ‘do not waste your forces,’ and Count Lohengramm implemented that motto flawlessly.”
“Hmm…”
“On the other hand, consider our own fleet. When the 4th Fleet was being destroyed by the enemy, the other two fleets wasted their time and stuck to the original plan. There was also inadequate enemy reconnaissance and intelligence analysis. That all resulted in the complete isolation of the three fleets, and each were forced to fight the enemy individually. That was the expected result of us forgetting the algorithm of concentration and mobility.”
Yang stopped talking. This was the most talkative he had been recently. To what extent was that because of pride?
“I see. I understand your point of view now.”
The fleet admiral nodded several times.
“By the way, I have one more thing. This one is an internal decision. Some changes will be made to the organization of our fleets. We are combining the remaining ships from the 4th Fleet and the 6th Fleet, adding some new blood, and creating the 13th Fleet. And, you will be appointed as the first commander of that fleet.”
Yang was stunned.
“I thought one has to be a vice admiral before one could be appointed to command a fleet.”
“The new fleet is about half the size of a normal fleet. It has 6,400 vessels and 700,000 servicemen. Also, the first mission for the 13th Fleet is to attack the Iserlohn Fortress (イゼルローン要塞).”
The tone of the fleet admiral was serious.
After a short pause, Yang slowly asked to confirm:
“With half a fleet, I should attempt to attack that Iserlohn Fortress?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think it is possible?”
“Only you can pull it off. I do not think it would be possible for anyone else.”
Only you can pull it off…These are ancient killing words…Yang thought. How many people heard those sweet words then pridefully challenged the impossible and died in the process? Those who instigated with these cajoleries were never the ones that had to bear the responsibilities.
Yang remained silent.
“Do you not have the confidence?”
The fleet admiral asked, but Yang provided no answer. If the problem was the lack of confidence, he would have replied immediately. Yang had the confidence and believed that he had a chance of winning. If he should be able to direct the attack on Iserlohn, then he could probably wash away the disgrace the Alliance Fleet felt due to the last six defeats on the battlefield and the loss of hundreds of thousands of service members. The reason he delayed providing an answer was because he disliked playing into the hands of Fleet Admiral Sithole.
“If you capture Iserlohn with a new fleet then you will have achieved greatness.”
Fleet Admiral Sithole looked at Yang meaningfully.
“Whatever your personal feelings are towards him, Secretary of Defense Trunicht also approved of your abilities.”
Also, Chief Sithole’s position would strengthen with respect to the Secretary’s position. The situation seemed to belong in the category of politics rather than strategy. The Chief was sly as a fox.
“I will do what I can.”
Yang replied after a lengthy delay.
“Good. I look forward to it.”
Chief Sithole nodded in satisfaction.
“I will have Cazerne organize and equip the new fleet quickly. If you need anything at all, just let him know. We will try to make this as convenient for you as possible.”
When should we deploy? Yang wondered. There were seventy days left in the Chief’s term. In order to for the Chief to secure a reappointment, Yang must finish the campaign to capture Iserlohn before the end of the Chief’s term. Assuming the campaign itself would take thirty days to carry out, they must deploy from Heinesen within forty days.
It appeared that Trunicht had no objections to the reorganization or the deployment. Considering that it would be near impossible to capture Iserlohn with merely half a fleet, he probably considered this an opportunity to publicly eliminate both Sithole and Yang when the campaign fails. In fact, it was likely that Trunicht was already toasting to Yang digging his own grave.
I will probably not be able to have tea Julian brewed for a while. Yang regrettably thought.
