Episode 71: Preparations Underway
Isolate the corporations supporting ＜Chicken Ball＞ from SU.
Dawson decided to begin the groundwork for this.
First, he would have General Kernel, the administrator of ＜Chicken Ball＞, establish contact with the corporations.
"I understand. You're cultivating artificial intelligence within ＜Chicken Ball＞ and exporting it to corporations. You'll also present small vessels equipped with artificial intelligence."
"Designing the vessels and sourcing materials will be our responsibility. We'll just take SU's vessels."
"More vessels marked with anti-piracy insignia are appearing in the vicinity of ＜Chicken Ball＞."
Going to work elsewhere. Fortunately, we have the Carriesh. If we can locate the orbital zones where we can hide and gather the ships we’ve destroyed, we can bring back a large number of captured vessels to Chicken Ball.
If necessary, we could also pay credits to pirates affiliated with Chicken Ball and hire them to do the work.
The matter was settled. General Kernel entered negotiations with the corporation.
No physical assets exist yet, so this negotiation is merely preparatory, for future dealings.
Still, when the time comes to begin, having arranged matters in advance will affect how things proceed.
Viewed as a move anticipating the future, this negotiation is necessary.
After entrusting the negotiations with the corporation to General Kernel, Dawson took his companions and set out on a distant hunting expedition.
The regions where destroyed ships are stored and the zones designated for destroying SU fleet units were already selected during the prior intelligence gathering.
"Hide the destroyed vessels in a star system where the star has died and no one remains. A jump point reachable by the *Carryshu* in a single leap, and a route frequently traveled by SU naval forces during their war with TR. Based on Oine and Dawson's survey, there are only three such locations."
"Three locations are sufficient. We know the SU navy uses warfare as a method of reducing personnel. There is no need to concern ourselves with casualties."
As Dawson predicted, alternating between the three attack sites proved effective. SU naval fleets continued to pass through without interruption.
Dawson's forces consisted of two battleships and one Orbit Patrol Cruiser.
A fleet with more than double the number of ships can still be destroyed if no battleship is present on the enemy side.
In fact, the Sparrow Hawk initiated the attack with its battleship-class Charged Particle Beam, firing at extreme range. Then, as it advanced, the Escort Battlecruiser and the Orbit Patrol Cruiser carrying Ida closed the distance and opened fire. Caught off guard and under relentless bombardment from the Charged Particle Beams, the SU Navy vessels had no means of response and were destroyed without significant delay.
The Main Cannon of the Sparrow Hawk is powerful, but at extreme range, the charged particles released from the projectile attenuate sufficiently to allow the destruction of enemy vessels without complete disintegration. The remaining ships are then finished with precision strikes from the Escort Battlecruisers and Orbit Patrol Cruisers, targeting vital components. This method leaves two types of vessels: one with melted outer hulls but intact interiors, and another with nearly intact hulls but critical systems destroyed.
Repairing these two types at Nikoichi results in fully functional ships and scrap material.
The scrap retains utility. It can be used as raw material to convert standard, easily acquired vessels into small combat ships.
Dawson continued this routine—systematically destroying SU Navy vessels and sending captured ships to Chicken Ball.
Chicken Ball similarly repaired and modified incoming SU vessels, converting them into combat-capable ships. At the same time, newly created SU-made artificial intelligences were mass-produced, trained, and deployed onto repaired vessels, with operational data collected continuously.
During this process, General Kernel employed an unexpected method.
He appointed Goud and his team as instructors for the newly created artificial intelligences.
"Being responsible for both the mess hall and now training new artificial intelligences. Hmm. A task befitting a rear admiral such as myself."
"Please ensure the emotional stability of the artificial intelligences. Ethics and combat training will be handled by us."
"Ah. I could probably teach navigation."
Goud and his team accepted the military-style assignment with enthusiasm, proceeding to train the artificial intelligences.
They had their own intentions, separate from General Kernel.
Most of the artificial intelligences being trained would be sold to corporations, but Goud and his team remained the instructors.
The action was calculated: to use the gratitude of the AI they had educated for future advantage.
Two months had passed since Dawson established the policy.
The work proceeded smoothly, until a halt was called by Chicken Ball.
They objected to filling the port with more SU vessels, citing potential issues.
"Chicken Ball is a pirate stronghold. We must leave space in the port for incoming pirates. Accepting more vessels is not feasible."
General Kernel communicated the directive, and Dawson had no choice but to comply.
"But do they really need that many vessels?"
The number of repaired vessels is approximately twenty. However, surplus materials have also been used to construct smaller vessels. Including those smaller vessels, nearly fifty ships occupy the Chicken Ball port.
"About fifty ships. No wonder the port is full."
Fifty vessels constitute a full squadron. A sufficient force to defend a single region of space.
The number also serves as proof of Dawson’s destruction of SU vessels, but simultaneously confirms the vast number of personnel and family units within the SU space fleet.
That is, the SU space fleet continues to wage war against TR without visible disruption despite losing a full squadron. The loss does not fall outside the scope of 'personnel reduction' for the SU space fleet.
Indeed, a massive nation controlling most of a single stellar arm. Excess in both material and personnel.
Regardless, if we cannot increase the number of vessels further, there is no choice but to proceed to the next phase.
That is, to present to the corporation.
A large number of vessels can be operated precisely by artificial intelligence alone. If we can demonstrate this capability, the corporation will act. The direction will shift toward independence from SU.
Indeed, the corporation had originally planned independence from SU. If it gains sufficient combat capability for self-defense, it will choose independence without hesitation.
General Kernel’s assessment aligned with this expectation. Dawson decided to conclude the scheduled meeting early.
Yet Dawson, who had spent most of his life in military academies, and General Kernel, an artificial intelligence only recently activated, did not truly understand the nature of a major corporation that had survived for decades within SU-controlled space.
That a vessel operated solely by artificial intelligences provided by pirates would not be trusted, regardless of how favorable the data showed the results to be.