commanding officer.
“Don’t be absurd. You want me to be a greater imbecile than that Fourth Fleet’s commander was?”
“In that case, all we can do is advance.”
“Exactly.” Reinhard nodded and gave orders to his communications officer. “All ships, full speed ahead! Clamp on to the back side of the enemy rushing past us. Bear to the right. And hurry!”
VII
Thirty minutes later, both formations were spread out in the shape of a ring. It was a strange sight. The alliance’s vanguard was engaged in a blistering assault on the imperial fleet’s tail end, while the imperial vanguard was attacking one tail end of the forked alliance fleet.
Viewed from far away in the depths of space, it might have looked like two glittering, gargantuan serpents trying to swallow one another, each from the other’s tail upward.
Staring at the simulated model on the screen, Lieutenant Commander Lao said admiringly in Yang’s direction, “I’ve never seen a battle formation like this.”
“I’d imagine not … It’s a first for me, too.”
But Yang’s words were only halfway true. Back when humanity had lived only on the surface of a backwater planet called Earth, this kind of formation had appeared on battlefields any number of times. Even the brilliant tactics employed by Count von Lohengramm had precedent in ground wars. Since ancient times—for better or worse—military geniuses inevitably took the stage during eras of war, turning on its head what had been orthodox tactical thought until their arrival.
“Look at this miserable excuse for a battle formation!”
The enraged cry rang out on the bridge of Brünhild . Reinhard suppressed his voice and snarled. “Won’t this mean a battle of attrition … ?”
A report was delivered to him of the death of a high-ranking officer. Rear Admiral Erlach had been blown away with the ship he had been aboard. Ignoring Reinhard’s order to go full speed ahead, he had been trying to turn around and intercept the alliance force when in midturn his ship had taken a direct hit from a neutron-beam cannon.
What sort of imbecile tries to turn a ship around right in front of enemies that are snapping at his heels! He has only himself to blame. Yet even so, there’s no denying this casts a slight pall over the empire’s victory.
Yang had understood from the moment he launched this operation that it would turn into a battle of attrition. The imperial fleet’s commander, Count von Lohengramm, was no fool. He wasn’t likely to continue a fruitless battle that did nothing but increase the bloodshed and destruction. That had been the plan: to force the enemy into making that decision …
“The enemy should start pulling out soon,” Yang said to Lieutenant Commander Lao.
“Are we going to pursue?”
“… Let’s not.” The young commander shook his head. “Let’s follow their lead—when they withdraw, so do we. We’ve done all we can up till now—there’s no way we can continue fighting.”
A conversation was being held on the bridge of Brünhild as well.
“Kircheis, your thoughts?”
“It might be about time for a tactical withdrawal …” It was a reserved but unambiguous answer.
“You think so, too?”
“If we do continue to fight, the damage on both sides will only increase. That would serve no military purpose.”
Reinhard nodded agreement, though a shade of dissatisfaction drifted across his youthful cheeks. Even if he accepted the reasoning, he wasn’t satisfied emotionally.
“Is that frustration?”
“Nothing of the sort, though I did want a more unambiguous victory. It’s just a pity is all, like leaving off the finishing touches of a painting.”
That’s just like you , thought Kircheis, an unconscious half smile forming around his mouth.
“You annihilated two of their fleets by attacking their forces separately, even while being hemmed in on three sides by a force twice the size of our own. And although the remaining fleet did
“Don’t be absurd. You want me to be a greater imbecile than that Fourth Fleet’s commander was?”
“In that case, all we can do is advance.”
“Exactly.” Reinhard nodded and gave orders to his communications officer. “All ships, full speed ahead! Clamp on to the back side of the enemy rushing past us. Bear to the right. And hurry!”
VII
Thirty minutes later, both formations were spread out in the shape of a ring. It was a strange sight. The alliance’s vanguard was engaged in a blistering assault on the imperial fleet’s tail end, while the imperial vanguard was attacking one tail end of the forked alliance fleet.
Viewed from far away in the depths of space, it might have looked like two glittering, gargantuan serpents trying to swallow one another, each from the other’s tail upward.
Staring at the simulated model on the screen, Lieutenant Commander Lao said admiringly in Yang’s direction, “I’ve never seen a battle formation like this.”
“I’d imagine not … It’s a first for me, too.”
But Yang’s words were only halfway true. Back when humanity had lived only on the surface of a backwater planet called Earth, this kind of formation had appeared on battlefields any number of times. Even the brilliant tactics employed by Count von Lohengramm had precedent in ground wars. Since ancient times—for better or worse—military geniuses inevitably took the stage during eras of war, turning on its head what had been orthodox tactical thought until their arrival.
“Look at this miserable excuse for a battle formation!”
The enraged cry rang out on the bridge of Brünhild . Reinhard suppressed his voice and snarled. “Won’t this mean a battle of attrition … ?”
A report was delivered to him of the death of a high-ranking officer. Rear Admiral Erlach had been blown away with the ship he had been aboard. Ignoring Reinhard’s order to go full speed ahead, he had been trying to turn around and intercept the alliance force when in midturn his ship had taken a direct hit from a neutron-beam cannon.
What sort of imbecile tries to turn a ship around right in front of enemies that are snapping at his heels! He has only himself to blame. Yet even so, there’s no denying this casts a slight pall over the empire’s victory.
Yang had understood from the moment he launched this operation that it would turn into a battle of attrition. The imperial fleet’s commander, Count von Lohengramm, was no fool. He wasn’t likely to continue a fruitless battle that did nothing but increase the bloodshed and destruction. That had been the plan: to force the enemy into making that decision …
“The enemy should start pulling out soon,” Yang said to Lieutenant Commander Lao.
“Are we going to pursue?”
“… Let’s not.” The young commander shook his head. “Let’s follow their lead—when they withdraw, so do we. We’ve done all we can up till now—there’s no way we can continue fighting.”
A conversation was being held on the bridge of Brünhild as well.
“Kircheis, your thoughts?”
“It might be about time for a tactical withdrawal …” It was a reserved but unambiguous answer.
“You think so, too?”
“If we do continue to fight, the damage on both sides will only increase. That would serve no military purpose.”
Reinhard nodded agreement, though a shade of dissatisfaction drifted across his youthful cheeks. Even if he accepted the reasoning, he wasn’t satisfied emotionally.
“Is that frustration?”
“Nothing of the sort, though I did want a more unambiguous victory. It’s just a pity is all, like leaving off the finishing touches of a painting.”
That’s just like you , thought Kircheis, an unconscious half smile forming around his mouth.
“You annihilated two of their fleets by attacking their forces separately, even while being hemmed in on three sides by a force twice the size of our own. And although the remaining fleet did
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