63. Clearance 1

It seems Captain Marco transmitted the history thus far and Agirakana’s intentions via hyperspace communication to the home government, though no clear response was received. We had merely proposed the operation with the intention of carrying it out smoothly—either way, the eradication of Zeno remains unchanged.

“Initiating hyperspace jump.”

At my command, the hyperspace jump sequence began within Agirakana.

“Seal all shafts!”

“All shafts sealed. Confirmed.”

“Agirakana, all systems nominal.”

“Jump drive initiating. Target: outer rim of the Mitokana system, five AU beyond planet Shino.”

“Target: outer rim of the Mitokana system, five AU beyond planet Shino. Jump drive initiating in twenty seconds—nineteen, eighteen, …, two, one, initiate!”

Five days later, the Mitokana system.

Beyond the space where Agirakana had jumped out, a faint, yellow-tinged K-type star—Mitokana—glowed in the distance. Four hours of approach to Planet Shino remained.

As for Admiral Marco’s Arze Fleet, it was released immediately after the jump-out. Admiral Marco had been briefed briefly on the operation’s general outline, but evidently wished to collect precise data and verify things with his own eyes—so the Arze Fleet remained stationary at its release point.

Distance to Planet Shino: 600,000 kilometers.

In Agirakana’s central command room, the main cannon firing sequence had begun. Lieutenant Amanda, standing beside me, issued orders with unfeigned delight. The second time she’d fired the main cannon—clearly a cause for celebration. And given that no damage was expected to their side this time around, the occasion seemed even more justified.

“Main cannon preparation initiated.”

"Main cannon one through six, all operational. Initiating main cannon firing sequence."

"Ammunition type: planetary destruction-class annihilation rounds. Loading."

This time, since the objective is planetary destruction and not targeting Zeno directly, the anti-proton and anti-neutron distinction is irrelevant—annihilation-class antimatter is being used indiscriminately.

"Ammunition type: planetary destruction-class annihilation rounds. Loading complete."

"Antimatter injection commencing."

"Antimatter injection commencing... injection complete. Injection port sealed."

"Targeting: central point of forward planet. Target acquired."

"Main cannons, fire in unison."

"Fire!"

"Impact in twenty seconds. Seventeen, sixteen... three, two, one, impact!"

Six projectiles, accelerated to ten percent of light speed within the main cannons, struck the forward planet. At impact, molten material from the planet's surface flared white-hot, some of it blasted clear into space. Then the planet began to swell—bursting open, spilling a flash from within that flooded the screen.

“Sir, the detonation points were too close; the flash overwhelmed the screen, and the explosion itself was unclear. How unfortunate. The Arze Fleet is observing from a distance—shall we request the footage later?”

Across from Lieutenant Amanda, who spoke with breezy nonchalance, the operators in the command room were reporting updates in succession.

“Six hits, all detonations nominal. All blast locations within two hundred kilometers of the planet’s center. Complete destruction of Planet Shino—success.”

“Approaching while clearing large debris.”

Within minutes, fragments of the planet would begin colliding with Agirakana. Agirakana, it was said, would not suffer damage from debris of planetary scale—but larger fragments, I’d heard, were intercepted and destroyed by beam weapons before impact.

On the screen, where the flash had faded, the scattered remnants of Shino spread rapidly. Once glowing white, the planet’s debris gradually turned red over the course of a dozen seconds, then darkened further—perhaps due to a sharp drop in surface temperature.

I stared at the screen for a while, but found no trace of what might have been Zeno. I’d half-expected some larger celestial body to coalesce under gravity, but the six main cannon shells had been too powerful—Shino had simply been erased, completely.

"Detected multiple ultra-dense masses at the former planetary core location."

"Likely Zeno, estimated mass around five hundred thousand tons, currently inactive. Not moving, but judging by its survival from the earlier explosion, some form of life activity appears to persist."

Hard to say whether this is a pre-adult Zeno or one nearing death. At only half a million tons, it probably lacks sufficient propellant for interstellar near-light-speed travel, and with the planet already destroyed, it can’t grow any larger. Either way, its elimination remains unchanged.

"Assuming these ultra-dense masses are Zeno, proceed with total destruction."

"Static targets, and the expected number of individuals is minimal. A couple of mine vessels should suffice. Two will do, but for safety, we’ll deploy four."

"First shaft open."

"Mine vessel DM-0001 to DM-0004, launch!"

"Mine vessel DM-0001 to DM-0004, launching... launch complete."

"Shaft sealed."

"Shaft sealing complete."

"Your Excellency, for precaution, we will activate the Zeno Blasters.

All Zeno Blasters activated!"

"Zeno Blasters activated!"

The planet’s remnants are drawn into the gravitational wells created by the activated Zeno Blasters. Whether due to friction within the wells, or some other mechanism, electrical discharges flicker intermittently, producing brief flashes of light.

The mine vessels, already in position, began firing counter-annihilation missiles with the ferocity of a supervolcano erupting—then abruptly ceased. On the forward screen, countless beams of high-intensity neutron radiation, emitted when Zeno went offline, pulse like white sparks, uncountable and unrelenting.

The guided missiles launched from the mine vessel are progressing smoothly toward the destruction of Zeno... destruction total: forty-eight thousand seven hundred and sixty-five; full elimination of all Zeno confirmed.

Withdrawing all mine-laying vessels...

"Shaft one open. All mine vessels secured."

"Shaft Closure"

Shaft closure complete.

"Operation concluded."

The operation concluded without issue—save for a significant reduction in antimatter reserves due to the synchronized broadside of main batteries.

◇◇◇◇◇◇

Forty minutes after Agirakana’s main batteries detonated, the Arze Fleet, still in optical surveillance, learned of the planet’s destruction. Admiral Marco and his subordinates had been briefed on the general outline of the operation aboard Agirakana, yet they had remained half-convinced. Though they had witnessed a vessel the size of a planet, the plan had seemed utterly preposterous—until the planet itself vanished right before their eyes.

The Agirakana representative they had met with recently had seemed amiable, even mild-mannered. But had that been untrue? Then the attack they had just witnessed—so casually executed—might have been aimed at the capital planet, Arzeen. They had been lucky, Marco decided. The Arze Empire, he reflected, had simply been fortunate.