066 Drifting Arc 6: Allied Front 2
We were on the battlefield.
We’d gotten the call to mobilize from the Anoi administration.
On the planet Anoi, emergency deployment is triggered the moment anomalies are detected at the Dimensional Jump Gate.
The difference from Earth’s sector is that there’s no asteroid belt buffer zone between the Dimensional Jump Gate and the Anoi fortress.
So the enemy fleet comes straight through the Dimensional Jump Gate at high speed.
No risk of colliding with asteroids or rock fragments.
Our 3rd Fleet has to position ourselves carefully—can’t let the enemy ships ram us.
We formed a diamond-shaped square encompassing the Dimensional Jump Gate, and deployed the Catfolk Caprius forces in a belt-like formation along the lower-right edge, moving toward the Anoi fortress.
Similarly, along the lower-left line, the Dogfolk Graul forces deployed in a belt-like formation, moving toward the Anoi fortress.
From halfway between the Dimensional Jump Gate and the Anoi fortress, directly ahead, a mixed force of Earth military and minor territories is deployed.
The Caprius and Graul forces have rotated their deployment lines by ninety degrees.
They’re positioned to intercept the enemy fleet head-on—but since the lines of fire would otherwise point directly at each other, there’s a risk of the Catfolk and Dogfolk shooting each other by accident, so the formation angles the attack diagonally instead.
The minor territories’ mixed force will take the brunt of any shots that miss.
We three—President Kamizawa, me, and Ayame—are forming our own fleet.
Ship specifications are as follows.
President Kamizawa’s Personal Ship is making its debut.
‘KAMIZAWA’
Ship Type: Pocket Battleship
Hull Length: 500m Cruiser Class, 2 Arms
Main Engine: Type E Annihilation Reaction Furnace, High-Speed Propulsion Unit C
Armament Main Gun: Single Long Barrel 35cm Railgun, 1 Unit, 1 Barrel Standard Ammo: 80 (Remaining) / 80 (Max)
Secondary Guns: Twin 20cm Particle Beam Cannon, 3 Units, 6 Barrels
Anti-Space Cannon: Single 10cm Laser, 4 Units, 4 Barrels
Missile Launcher Pod: Standard Type D, 2 Units, 2 Barrels Max Ammo: 4 × 2 Missile Remaining: 8
Defense Beam-Resistant Coating, Special Steel Armor Plating
Beam Canceller (Anti-Beam Barrier)
Anti-Projectile, Beam-Resistant Shield Type D, 1
Stasis Field (Anti-Projectile Barrier) Type C
Electronic Equipment Anti-Ship Radar Type B, Communication Device Type B
Empty Energy Slot: 0
Status: Excellent
‘AKIRA’
Ship Class: Fleet Command Ship (Flagship)
Hull Length: 250m — Fast Cruiser Type Plus Alpha — 2 Arms — Dimensional Storage Vault S-Type (2 Cruisers, 1 Assault Ship, 1 Stealth Ship, 1 Carrier Aircraft 'Phanell', External Reactor, External Armament, External Neuro-Brain, Numerous Spare Parts)
Primary Unit: Annihilation Reactor Model G (+ External Reactor Annihilation Model D) High-Speed Propulsion Unit Model C
Armament Main Gun Long Barrel 5cm Railgun Single Mount 1 Unit 1 Barrel Standard Ammo 50 (Ammo Remaining) / 50 (Max Capacity) Special Ammo (G-Bullet) 20 (Ammo Remaining) / 20 (Max Capacity) Special Ammo (Erosion Bullet) 20 (Ammo Remaining) / 20 (Max Capacity)
(External Armament: Long Barrel 40cm Railgun Single Mount 1 Unit 1 Gun Standard Ammunition 40 (Ammo Remaining) / 40 (Max) Other)
Secondary Gun 30cm Particle Beam Cannon Single Mount 1 Unit 1 Gun
One 20cm Particle Beam Cannon, single mount
Anti-Space Cannon 10cm Laser, Single Mount ×4, 4 Guns
Missile Launcher Pod Type D Standard ×2, 2 Pods, Max Ammo 4×2, Missiles Remaining 8
Aircraft-Deployed Missile Type D Standard ×2 ×1, Max Ammo 4×2×1, Missiles Remaining 8
Defense Beam-Resistant Coating, Multi-Layer Special Steel Armor Plating
Beam Canceller (Anti-Beam Barrier)
Anti-Projectile, Beam-Resistant Shield Type E 1
Stasis Field (Anti-Projectile Barrier) Type C
Electronic Equipment Anti-Ship Radar Type S, Wide-Area Communication Device Type S, Tactical Weapon Integration Control System Type S, Sub-Computer Type D (External Brain Type A)
Empty Energy Slot 9
Status Good
‘Fanell’
Classification Attack Aircraft (Stealth)
Aircraft Length 25m
Main Unit Fusion Reactor Type G, High-Speed Propulsion Unit Type G
Armament Main Gun 15cm Particle Beam Cannon Twin Mount 1 Unit 2 Guns
Missiles Type D Standard 2 Units Mountable
Anti-Ship Blade Type E 1
Defense Beam-Resistant Coating Special Steel Armor Plate
Shield Field (Cloaking Device) Type E
Electronic Equipment Anti-Ship Radar Type F Communications Unit Type F
Empty Energy Slot 0
Status Good
‘AYAME (Ayame)’
Class Assault Ship
Hull Length 200m Cruiser Type 2 Arms
Main Unit Fusion Reactor Type C High-Speed Propulsion Unit Type E
Armament Main Gun Long Barrel 20cm Railgun Single Mount 1 Unit 1 Gun Standard Ammunition 80 (Ammo Remaining) / 80 (Max)
Secondary Gun 20cm Particle Beam Cannon Twin Mount 1 Unit 2 Guns
15cm Particle Beam Cannon Twin Mount 1 Unit 2 Guns
Anti-Space Cannon 10cm Laser Single Mount 4 Units 4 Guns
Missile Launcher Pod None
Anti-Ship Blade Type C 1
Defense Beam-Resistant Coating Special Steel Armor Plate
Beam-Resistant Shield Type E 1
Stasis Field (Barrier) Type E
Electronic Equipment Anti-Ship Radar Type E Communication Device Type E
Empty Energy Slot 0
Status Good
President Kamizawa’s SF0 history seems long—through fusion-based development, her Personal Ship has become quite powerful.
She reportedly used the profits to found an entertainment agency.
Spent a while focusing solely on the agency, but apparently the business started tanking, so she went back to earning money.
Still, her main focus remains the entertainment agency, so even while stationed at SF0, she’s been scouting out paths for her agency’s talents.
After a chat between Captain John of the Small Territory Combined Army and President Kamizawa, our Earth Force strategy was decided.
Earth Force will defend in fleet-based operations.
Destroy as many enemy ships as possible, keeping survival in mind.
John’s fine with that.
"Even if we miss, there’s the Anoi Fortress behind us—no problem."
John said that.
Anoi Fortress, as the name suggests, is supposedly better armed than any station on Earth.
We were warned that during full broadsides, the Small Territory Combined Army would have to make emergency evasions outside the firing zones to avoid the beam paths.
Beforehand, I’d agreed with the CEO that we’d keep our external armaments, special munitions, and unmanned vessels under wraps.
That’s to avoid complications like the ones we’ve had on Earth.
Though, I suppose if our lives are on the line, that’s a different story.
"So we’re okay with just surviving, right?"
"Yeah. No need to worry about capturing anything. Just shoot them down."
"Three ships, command goes to the boss. Ayame, don’t push yourself. Debt? Just relax and deal with it later."
"Yeah." "Got it."
"Alright, Akira, start gathering intel. Ayame, cover Akira’s ship. I’ll handle long-range enemy ships with cannon fire. Akira, after that, take out medium-range targets with beams."
"Understood."
I activate the Tactical Weapon Integration Control System.
Data link target: all Earth Forces ships. I’m also taking control of the entire comms network.
All thanks to the external brain, of course.
I sneak in a data link to the three command vessels—small territory mixed army, Caprius territory fleet, and Graul territory fleet.
Total battlefield awareness? Essential for staying alive.
"So, what kind of bastards are we dealing with out there?"
At that moment, an emergency transmission came in from the Anoi command tower.
"Sato’s broken out of confinement! He’s aboard his Personal Ship and has entered the battlefield. Watch out!"
I linked up with the Anoi fortress and pulled up surveillance data.
Sato’s Personal Ship was approaching from behind.
I aimed the optical sensors. I’d seen this ship before.
I marked Sato’s ship as a high-priority threat and locked on every radar and sensor array.
Then I saw something I couldn’t believe.
"Too slow! All ships, evade! Sato’s ship fired a Railgun! PK! Evade! Evade!"
I sent a warning to every ship in the Earth fleet.
Sato’s target… was…
"Boss! Get out of the way!!"
Sato’s Railgun struck the Kanzawa Ship like it was being sucked in.
Too big to maneuver quickly. That’s why it was slow to react.
"President—!!"
The Sato Ship was that thunderous fleet's battleship.
The massive Railgun struck the Kanzawa Ship dead-on.