Episode 81: Close Combat

Two thousand personnel, soldiers and androids combined, exited the S.U. military vessels and ran across the surface of the Chicken Ball.

But not all two thousand moved in the same direction.

They split in four directions, beginning to search for a way to enter the interior of the Chicken Ball.

"Can't get inside quick enough, or we'll be cannon fodder."

Dawson muttered, aligning the main cannon and gun turret of the Sparrow Hawk toward the surface of the Chicken Ball—the location where the S.U. soldiers and androids stood.

Then, before firing, the main cannon's muzzle shifted position to another direction.

"And the fleet over there will hold back so the fleet over here doesn't target the surface troops."

Dawson spoke as if he had expected it, then fired the Sparrow Hawk’s main cannon toward the SU space fleet attempting to bombard from the surface. The enemy vessel shattered and exploded from a single Charged Particle Beam strike.

Counterfire would come from other enemy vessels. Dawson directed the Sparrow Hawk to evade and return fire, destroying enemy ships one after another.

"Communicate to the allied fleet. Five vessels—burn the enemy ground troops with cannon and small arms fire. Avoid hitting the Chicken Ball defense systems. Remaining vessels engage the enemy fleet in artillery combat."

Dawson’s orders reached all units. The Sparrow Hawk and the escort battlecruiser took the front line, deflecting enemy cannon fire with armor, and joined other allied ships in firing upon the enemy fleet.

The enemy fleet navigated through the defensive weapons of Chicken Ball, maneuvering carefully to avoid damage.

The enemy fleet did not ascend from the surface into space because rising in altitude during combat risked becoming a target for Chicken Ball’s defensive weapons.

Indeed, just now, a torpedo launcher from Chicken Ball opened beneath an enemy vessel that had drifted slightly above the surface, destroying the ship completely—paying the price of damage to the launcher from the nearby explosion.

However, if the vessel maintains altitude so low that its hull grazes the surface, the torpedo launcher will not open. A safety setting prevents the launcher from opening when an obstruction is detected at the firing port.

Manual override can disable the safety, but Goard is rated as lacking adaptability—expecting that from Goard is excessive.

The manual Dawson handed over did not include procedures for manual override under changing combat conditions, as Goard was deemed incapable of handling such adjustments.

Though losing the opportunity to eliminate the enemy, Dawson did not feel the need to go to such lengths.

After all, the enemy launching close combat was precisely Dawson’s objective.

“Ida. Handle the enemy infantry.”

“Understood! Combat androids and engineer robots are engaging the threat!”

Ida responded via comms, and, as expected, a live feed was transmitted in parallel.

The scene projected by Ida showed a barrier separating the surface from the interior of Chicken Ball. The barrier was being severed from the outside, sparks flying.

Shortly thereafter, the barrier shattered. Combat androids with the same frame as Ida, and personnel in combat space suits, entered through the breach.

At the moment of detecting the enemy intrusion, Ida shouted.

'Full fire. Open fire!'

The rotary-barrel laser weapon—Gatling Laser—in Ida's hand roared to life. It unleashed a continuous barrage of blinding beams at the enemy just entering. Other combat androids and engineer robots under Ida's command opened fire with their respective weapons.

The enemy androids were destroyed in moments. The enemy soldiers attempting to hide behind them were riddled with holes.

The enemy were also trained soldiers. Immediately after learning of the ambush, they ignored the casualties among their comrades beyond the barrier and threw explosive devices through the opening.

‘Grenade!’

Ida’s shout prompted an immediate response from the nearby Engineer Robots. The robots charged toward the thrown explosives and shielded their allies from the blast by sacrificing themselves.

Moments later, enemy infantry surged through the breached barrier. A standard tactic: create chaos with explosives, then seize the bridgehead while the enemy was disoriented.

Thanks to the Engineer Robots’ sacrifice, Ida’s unit suffered no casualties and experienced no disruption.

Ida’s team eliminated the advancing enemy with precise fire. All were destroyed.

‘Another explosive thrown in would be troublesome. Secure the entrance.’

Ida’s order triggered movement among the allied androids and robots. A firefight began across the destroyed partition.

Immediately after combat started, the Engineer Robot stacked the bodies of destroyed enemy soldiers and androids on the other side of the partition, using them as a makeshift barricade.

The enemy pressed forward with strong intent to break through, firing continuously without regard for the corpses of their fallen comrades.

Yet their insistence on holding this position became their downfall.

Standing still to exchange fire offered no advantage—only a clear target from above.

One Orbit Patrol Cruiser, under Dawson’s command, fired all three Charged Particle Beams simultaneously, vaporizing most of the clustered SU Space Force soldiers and androids.

Some enemy soldiers remained, but their suits were breached by the heat and shock of the near-miss barrage. They would not survive long.

Ida seemed slightly dissatisfied at the speed with which the enemy had been eliminated.

‘Ah. Engineer Robots will repair the bulkhead here. Others will meet the enemy approaching from another location, alongside me.’

A few Engineer Robots retrieved armor plating from the corridor wall and began welding it to the damaged bulkhead.

Ida and her unit moved in another direction, glancing at the work without pause. Then the Train arrived, moving through the interior of the Chicken Ball.

They boarded the Train and advanced toward the next group of enemy soldiers expected to enter the interior.

Dawson observed Ida’s actions on the monitor and transmitted a signal to the allied vessel.

Ida has repelled the first wave of enemy soldiers. This increases the likelihood that the enemy fleet will attempt to breach the Chiken Ball barrier with artillery fire and deploy ground forces. If a ship is observed redirecting its cannons away from the primary target, prioritize engaging it.

Dawson continued the artillery barrage with the objective of disrupting coordination between enemy ships and ground troops.