Episode 63 Sparrow Hawk

The miniature battleship was complete.

"Special Lieutenant Dawson. Please name the vessel!"

Himenā spoke, and Dawson stared at the finished battleship.

"Small in size, but a predator nonetheless. I'll call it Sparrow Hawk."

"Sparrow Hawk?"

Himenā did not recognize the bird's name and searched for it using a spatial projection monitor.

"Small and delicate in appearance, but it is a type of hawk. I see. The name fits perfectly—small, yet a raptor. It suits this pocket battleship."

Himenā nodded repeatedly. Dawson looked at her with a questioning expression.

"You keep calling it a 'chibi battleship' or a 'pocket battleship.' That's just a temporary designation, isn't it? There's no official class name?"

"Hmm. Probably. Since this is the first ship of its class, I think future vessels will be known as the Tsumi-class battleships."

Dawson lets out a dry laugh. A name casually given had become significant.

Regardless, the battleship Sparrow Hawk was complete. That removed the reason for remaining at the space station Wago Yam.

"Then let us proceed with acceptance and depart for the Orion Arm."

As Dawson attempts to contact the crew resting at the hotel, a pause comes from Himena.

"Before summoning the others, I must relay a classified matter to Special Lieutenant."

On the monitor, Himena displays an image of a massive ring.

Ships resembling work vessels surround it, but the contrast is odd.

On screen, the ships appear miniature—no, the ring itself is planetary in scale.

"What is this?"

Himena leans in and whispers the answer directly into Dawson’s ear.

"A massive spatial jump device capable of traversing inter-arm distances in a single leap, constructed from data obtained from destroyed SU vessels."

"A jump device? Is this it?"

Existing jump mechanisms are small enough to fit within ships and function fully.

Dawson cannot comprehend the purpose of creating a ring of planetary scale.

Yet Himena appears to see it differently.

"This large ring is a spatial distortion-type jump device. The difference from conventional jump devices that navigate through dimensional walls lies in the ability to move across long distances in an instant."

"Across star arms in an instant?!"

This is a highly innovative technology.

Previous jump systems required navigation—despite being faster than traveling through normal space, they still demanded considerable time spent within jump space.

If a jump ring allows instantaneous movement across vast distances, it would result in significant time savings.

"Did you know such rings existed in the SU, Oine?"

Dawson turned the conversation toward her. Oine, standing beside him, tilted her head.

"Neither the Hamano Onna nor the Chicken Ball had information on this ring. I suspect it was constructed near Earth—the cradle of humanity."

"Why do you suppose that?"

"Constructing rings on a planetary scale would make information control nearly impossible. Yet no such reports have surfaced. The operational zones of both the Hamano Onna and the Chicken Ball lie near the galactic center, within Orion's arm. If information about this ring has not reached those regions, it suggests the source is farther out—closer to the solar system, where Earth is located."

Dawson was impressed by the thorough analysis.

Himena also agreed with Oine's prediction.

"Considering the application, constructing this ring near Earth would be most effective. Since the ring is one-way, it can transmit influence from people living on Earth to various locations in the Orion Arm while simultaneously delaying the arrival of influence from the Orion Arm to Earth."

Dawson's attention, however, focused elsewhere.

"Does showing me this ring mean I can return to the Orion Arm using it?"

"Exactly. The construction of the battleship Sparrow Hawk took longer than expected. To offset the delay, authorization for use has been granted."

"I can't help but think it's being used for a favorable jump experiment."

"There is some truth to that, but it is safe. Safety protocols have been established."

Dawson felt the unease in the statement, but accepted it as part of the mission.

"The ring matter is understood. One thing still concerns me. Is our mission still to 'prevent SU's advance into the Amato Star Arm'?"

"Regarding that, the mission has been adjusted to include further details."

"Further details? In what direction?"

"Prepare the groundwork to enable SU to sign a treaty ensuring they never advance permanently into the Amato Star Arm."

Dawson let out a flat, incredulous sound.

"Expecting a single ship to negotiate a treaty with a massive nation that dominates most of a star arm. This request is beyond unreasonable."

"It is only groundwork. Groundwork. If we can reach the stage where SU is willing to listen to Amato Imperial Japan's proposals, that should be sufficient."

"Reaching that stage would be rather reckless."

Dawson voiced the complaint, yet he understood the purpose of the mission.

Currently, there is no diplomatic relationship between SU and Amato Imperial Japan. To bring Amato Imperial Japan to the negotiation table requires one of two methods. One is to gradually deepen relations until a negotiable position is reached. The other is to forcibly subdue them and force them into the seat.

The leadership of Amato Imperial Japan, aware of SU’s history of invasion, likely chose the latter approach—compulsion through force.

Given that foundational premise, Dawson likely observed the fact that he had secured a single base using a small vessel named the *Mandible*—wondering just how far he might push the limits. If Dawson managed to complete preliminary preparations, Amato Imperial Japan could achieve substantial gains while minimizing costs.

"Anyway, they did hand over a battleship. Might as well see what you can do."

"Please do your best. A higher evaluation for Special Lieutenant Dawson would improve the reputation of the rear operations room as well!"

Dawson nodded in acknowledgment. Only then did he manage to establish contact with the crew.