77. Casual Conversation 03: Anti-Ship Combat Drills, Asteroid Exercise
I’ve posted this casual note here for the Kakuyomu version. It was originally intended to be inserted between “23. Embassy 1” and “24. Embassy 2.”
It’s the sort of scene one might imagine from the days of the Fūrinka and the 0001 Thunderbolt Squadron’s training exercises. Since inserting it there might cause some confusion, I’ve decided to post it here instead. m(＿ ＿；)m
The 0001 Thunderbolt Squadron, advancing into the Solar System under the command of Agirakana’s fleet captain, was escorting an H3-class assault landing vessel, AA-0001. After completing the escort mission, the squadron was reassigned to patrol duties across the entire Solar System.
This is the central command chamber of the 0001 Thunderbolt Squadron’s flagship, the S2-class light cruiser LC-0001.
In the central command chamber of the 0001 Thunderbolt Squadron’s flagship, the customary placement is a raised seat for the squadron commander—though, in practice, the Thunderbolt Squadron is never formally assigned a squadron commander. Instead, the flagship’s captain assumes the role of acting squadron commander, issuing directives to the squadron’s subordinate destroyers.
Within the 0001 Thunderbolt Squadron, the ships are designated as follows: 01–01 is the flagship, a light cruiser LC-0001; 01–02 through 01–07 are the subordinate destroyers. Incidentally, in the case of the 0002 Thunderbolt Squadron, the same structure applies—02–01 is the flagship, and 02–02 to 02–07 are the destroyers.
Lieutenant Colonel Kabra Hainante, the captain, sat in the captain’s chair before the now-vacant squadron command seat, initiating the squadron-wide broadcast. Lieutenant Commander Arthur Nabaita, the executive officer, was already stationed in the auxiliary command center. The auxiliary command center served as a backup—should the central command center lose functionality, it would function as an emergency command post, issuing directives for emergency ship operations during combat.
“Commencing, our 0001 Thunderbolt Squadron will now begin exercises within the asteroid belt. Prepare for exercise commencement in three minutes. Additionally, ground assault personnel are to remain ready for close-combat operations—leave behind emergency support teams and await orders in the anti-ship boarding pods.”
Immediately after the order, every screen in the command center—including those on console desks—switched to simulation mode.
“Conditions remain as stated yesterday. Asteroid Juno, Psyche, and Europa are to be treated as enemy heavy cruisers. The fleet will engage and neutralize them. Initiating scenario.”
Buuuuuuu, buuuuuu.……
The drill alarm sounded throughout the ship.
Though asteroids are, in reality, non-maneuverable, the simulation treated them as capable of combat maneuvers, dynamically recalculating their relative positions to each ship. The fleet would proceed with the drill, adjusting hypothetical relative velocities and positions based on this simulated data.
The captain of the flagship, Hyannante, who also served as fleet commander, had no knowledge of how the scenario would unfold after the drill began.
Forming a triangle centered on the flagship, six long, rectangular destroyers split into three pairs, each pair moving in formation. The fleet accelerated toward the three enemy vessels.
"Space scanner detected three high-velocity objects, distance 0.2 AU."
"Designating these as Target A, B, and C, respectively."
Speeds for targets A, B, and C are all twenty percent of light speed.
Optical observation results have come in. The shapes of targets A, B, and C are all spherical—probability of being combat vessels exceeds ninety-nine percent. Classified as enemy ships.
"Target A shall be referred to as the enemy's first flagship, Target B as the enemy's second flagship, and Target C as the enemy's third flagship."
The white markers labeled Target A, Target B, and Target C on the screen shifted to red and switched to display the lead ship, second ship, and third ship instead.
"Enemy capital ship to third vessel: confirmed class, S3-grade hull vessels."
"Switching offensive equipment to counter-annihilation configuration—initiating antimatter injection."
"Commencing assault operation against enemy fleet. Squadron, first combat speed."
"……All divisions, assume assault posture and accelerate to maximum combat velocity—charge."
At the stern of each destroyer, plasma thruster nozzles were clustered together, and from every nozzle, a blinding blue-white stream of high-speed plasma erupted, propelling the six destroyers forward in a sudden, unified surge.
"Enemy fleet has initiated acceleration toward our position."
"Launch first wave of intercepting guided missiles."
Eight通用 hatches—four on the northern hemisphere, four on the southern—opened across the spherical hull, scattering countless guided missiles around the ship. Each missile began its flight, rapidly altering course to accelerate toward predicted intercept zones with enemy guided munitions along the line of fire. Naturally, a multitude of guided missiles had also been launched from the destroyers under command.
On the screen, countless white threads extended from the blue circle marking the flagship LC-0001 and the blue triangles representing the destroyers, stretching toward the enemy fleet.
"Enemy vessel has separated multiple low-mass fragments. Fragments are now moving toward us along their trajectory. Likely guided munitions."
This time, countless red threads extended from the three red circles representing enemy ships, stretching toward the 0001 Task Force.
The red and white threads overlapped, both vanishing from the screen. Amidst this, numerous red threads continued stretching directly toward the 0001 Task Force.
"Countermeasure missiles, second wave launched."
An endless stream of white threads surged forward, intercepting the still-extending red threads.
"Main vessel also engaging enemy fleet at maximum combat speed—charging forward."
"All squadrons confirm completion of multi-warhead counter-destruction missile launch, accompanied by decoy rounds. Charging forward while firing all forward-axis cannons."
The enemy guidance missiles, having penetrated the second wave of defensive netting, rapidly closed in on each vessel of the task force.
"Countermeasure missile barrage breached—multiple guidance missiles approaching our vessel."
"Close-combat defense protocol initiated."
"All task force vessels have initiated close-combat defense."
Several countermeasure guidance missiles slipped through the net of proximity-defense kinetic rounds and struck the friendly vessel.
"Destroyer 01-02, hit. No impact on navigation."
"Destroyer 01-04, hit. Main gun muzzle destroyed, no impact on navigation."
"Destroyer 01-03, hit. Deviated from assault trajectory, continuing straight."
"Destroyer 01-03, further hit. Damage escalating... signal lost. Mass dispersion confirmed. Destroyer 01-03, lost."
The damage to the task force spread rapidly—but so far, only 01-03 had been sunk.
Kinetic projectors fired high-velocity slugs at approaching guided missiles, scattering them in a continuous barrage. Each guided missile struck by a kinetic round triggered a mutual annihilation reaction, vanishing in a flash of light. Emerging from that flash, several guided missiles pressed closer to the vessel. One after another, they were shot down—but finally, one slipped through the point-defense screen and struck the hull of LC-0001 directly.
A warning tone echoed through the ship. On the screen, a flash of light now enveloped the vessel’s immediate vicinity, just as before.
Beep, beep, beep,...
“U2 sector: mutual annihilation impact, hull breach, damage propagating inward. Compartmentalization reconfiguration underway. Affected sectors sealed.”
“Affected sectors sealed.”
“U3 compartment: large-scale mutual annihilation impact, hull loss, severe damage. Damage propagating rapidly. Central command center offline.”
At that moment, the operators stationed in the central command center—crew members included—were declared dead.
From this point forward, Lieutenant Commander Arthur Nabaite, the deputy stationed in the secondary command center, would assume command of the task force as task force commander.
One division of the torpedo squadron was assigned to each of the three enemy vessels. Each destroyer expended all its ordnance—including decoy warheads—then launched a barrage from its main armament, the axial cannon, before charging forward. The division maintained a two-ship abreast formation, carefully aligned so that the firing arcs of the axial cannons and the mutual annihilation projectiles would not overlap.
Lieutenant Naibaito, commanding emergency operations from the secondary command center, received word of the central command center’s failure—
“This is Lieutenant Commander Arthur Naibaito of the flagship, assuming command of the task force.”
On the main screen in the secondary command room, markers for friend and foe flickered into view. Already, one of the six destroyers under his command had vanished.
An operator’s voice crackled through the static.
“Guided munitions from our side have breached the enemy’s interception grid in multiple locations. Continuing advance.”
“Direct hit on enemy second vessel. Mass dispersion confirmed. Enemy second vessel destroyed.”
“Direct hit on enemy third vessel. Mass dispersion confirmed. Enemy third vessel destroyed.”
The final anti-elimination missile, having pierced the enemy’s interception grid, appeared to have struck the enemy’s flagship—its red marker began to flicker.
“Direct hit on enemy flagship by anti-elimination missile. Enemy flagship severely damaged, propulsion offline. No mass dispersion detected. No further reactions.”
“Squadron, cease fire. From this moment, 01-01 will proceed to capture the enemy vessel—rapid approach to enemy flagship. Prepare for boarding maneuver.”
“Ground assault unit, cutting team—prepare for launch of anti-ship boarding pods.”
Each boarding pod carried six members of the ground assault team, seated and awaiting launch toward the enemy vessel.
“01-01 approaching enemy flagship. All squadron vessels, remain alert for enemy counterattack.”
“Enemy vessel acquired within anti-ship pod launch range.”
“Pods one through four, launch.”
Four anti-ship penetration pods, fired at high velocity, impaled the enemy vessel—asteroid Juno.
Buuuuu, buuuuu.……
The drill’s termination buzzer sounded through the ship. Even the captain of the Hainan, who had been marked as destroyed, straightened from his forward lean, peered at the screen, then exhaled and settled back into his seat with a relaxed sigh.
“Alright, situation concluded. That’s it for now. Command will now be transferred to the flagship’s captain.”
“Hurry the recovery of the anti-ship pods.”
“……Pod recovery complete.”
“All squadron vessels, transition promptly to standard navigation formation.”
Even the destroyer, previously marked as destroyed, returned to its assigned position. The day’s torpedo squadron assault drill was over.