I Reincarnated as the Captain of a Battleship in a Robot Anime, but at This Rate, I’m Going to Be Assassinated – Chapter 36

Chapter 36: A Twisted Battlefield, A Hectic Fortress Assault, Pirates Prevail
  “So, contact has been established.”
  
  By the time Shougo arrived at the b*idge, the Mirandora was already fully prepared for departure.
  While the damaged anti-aircraft guns and some malfunctioning third main guns hadn’t been fully repaired, he received a report that there were no issues with combat maneuvers. As Shougo sat in the captain’s chair, Kes operated the console.
  
  “Five minutes ago, we received a directional encrypted communication. An invitation has arrived from Captain Janet.”
  “What do you think? I believe we should launch an assault.”
  “It’s better to be cautious. However, being overly cautious and becoming unable to act is pointless. Either way, our fleet, including the Rebel Army, consists of four ships. If the enemy is a fortress, we’ll be at a disadvantage in terms of firepower, but we have better maneuverability. It takes time for them to launch warships from the fortress.”
  
  Rather, the concern should be the warships stationed and on standby outside the fortress.
  Naturally, if it’s a base facility, security will be tight.
  
  “If it’s a trap, we should assume that the enemy fleet is already lying in wait…… Well, we won’t know until we go.”
  “Captain Janet also pointed out that the south celestial direction from the fortress has relatively lax security……”
  “Then let’s attack from the heavily guarded direction. At the same time, the mobile unit will launch a surprise attack from directly above the enemy fleet. We’ll destroy their equipment and block the fortress entrance. How does that sound?”
  “Isn’t that dangerous?”
  “We’re storming an enemy fortress. Danger is to be expected. Even if we exploit a weakly guarded area, our firepower, excluding the Planet Killer, isn’t that high. There’s a risk of surrounding units gathering and encircling us. Besides, while I don’t want to think about it, if Captain Janet has betrayed us, we should assume she’s set up a trap.”
  
  Ultimately, no matter how they attack, their forces are insufficient.
  Even if they exploit a weak point on the battlefield, if they falter there, they could succumb to pressure from the surrounding forces and face the unpleasant prospect of being defeated individually.
  In that case, it might be more likely for them to survive if they boldly charge into the thick security network and act in a way that induces friendly fire.
  Shougo understands that this is a shallow line of thought. He even mocks himself, thinking it’s something he picked up from watching too much anime.
  However, there are no other decent strategies. Even if he were a genius tactician, what could he do when asked to capture a fortress with only four ships and a dozen mobile weapons?
  If he’s going to do something reckless, he has no choice but to choose a recklessness that seems achievable.
  
  “It’s a gamble, isn’t it?”
  “Piracy is a gamble with bad odds. We can’t always play it safe…… Besides, we can’t engage in prolonged battles. We need to launch a swift attack. If we could use the Trismegistus’ electronic interference capabilities, it would be easier, but we shouldn’t rely on it too much.”
  
  It seems that the Trismegistus listens to Yuuki to a certain extent.
  While he says not to rely on it too much, they have to rely on it. He’s fully aware that what he’s saying and what he’s thinking are contradictory, but he has to make his move.
  Due to its structural design, the Mirandora has armor thickness comparable to a battleship. Despite being a cruiser, it can also fulfill the role of an aircraft carrier. It also has maneuverability, though not to the extent of a destroyer. In a sense, it’s the perfect ship for piracy.
  The only complaint would be its unsightly appearance.
  
  “Alright, issue the order to all ships. We will now attack the enemy fortress. All combat personnel, prepare yourselves. Do you think the three Rebel ships can keep up with our movements?”
  
  Shougo asked Kes while giving instructions.
  
  “If they don’t, they’ll be shot down. They’ll follow if they don’t want to d*e.”
  
  For Kes, those words meant that they shouldn’t rely on them from the start.
  Shougo felt like he understood the nuance of that statement.
  
✼✼✼
  
  Upon returning to the fortress, Janet requested resupply for her fleet. After a formal report, she moved to the prisoner detention area within the fortress without taking a break.
  With her rank as a Major, no one would complain about her sudden visit. Moreover, since she had captured all the current prisoners in the fortress, she had various authorities, including interrogation.
  Furthermore, at least the non-commissioned officers in the fortress respected her work ethic, so they would grant her that much flexibility.
  
  “Thank you. By the way, have any of the prisoners been transferred?”
  
  Janet asked the non-commissioned officer in charge of security with a soft smile. The officer, who was still a boy soldier, saluted and replied.
  
  “Yes, sir! Two former New Balance officers have been transferred. Since they were affiliated with New Balance, I heard that their punishment will be carried out there…… Has it been reported?”
  “I was on the battlefield until just now. Thank you, I’ll go through.”
  
  She replied amicably, but in reality, Janet was astonished.
  With information being blocked so blatantly, it was harder not to be suspicious.
  It seemed that the higher-ups were up to something unpleasant.
  “……Here it is.”
  
  Based on the data, Janet headed to the cell where Captain Lopes was being held. There were several other rooms in the corridor, also housing members of the destroyer Savona. At the same time, there were also a few members of the Byblos Security Force who had been arrested for cooperating with them in Byblos.
  
  “……Captain Lopes. Can you hear me?”
  
  As soon as she reached the cell in question, Janet spoke to Lopes, who should be inside.
  
  “There are no guards. I’ve dismissed them using my authority.”
  
  She had the authority to temporarily remove soldiers on escape watch duty.
  If she said she was conducting a top-secret interrogation, no non-commissioned officer would dare disobey a Major.
  
  “Your comrades will attack this fortress soon. Also, your destroyer is docked in the sixth dock. There are a fair number of guards, so be careful if you’re heading there. And…… a message from the Space Pirates. Avoid killing people as much as possible. Well, I’ve delivered what I needed to, so……”
  
  There was no reply from Lopes, but she was certain that she was inside. It was up to them to decide how to proceed.
  Janet intended to unlock the prisoner detention area as soon as Shougo and the others arrived.
  However, that wasn’t all she had to do. She also needed to detain the base commander. At the same time, she wanted to investigate Dr. Phoenix’s whereabouts.
  The New Balance officers mentioned by the non-commissioned officer were almost certainly Dr. Phoenix and his subordinate.
  Besides, there might be something behind her subordinate’s strange excitement.
  
  “They forced that pilot into our unit without any report to us. Regardless of what they did to him, it’s still strange that he’s gone missing.”
  
  After Lopes, Janet thought she would check on Dr. Phoenix as well, but his cell was empty. His subordinate was also gone. This confirmed for Janet that the words of the man who called himself a Space Pirate were not lies.
  
  “……If that’s the case, being forcibly assigned here and then disappearing means……”
  
  It also meant that those two, especially that man named Phoenix, were indeed connected to the higher-ups.
  Janet wanted to sigh deeply, but she held back.
  If she changed her attitude so blatantly, it would arouse suspicion.
  Next, Janet had to head to the base commander. For a final confirmation.
  If he evaded her questions or lied to her there, that would be…… the point where Janet would abandon the organization.
  
  “If a coup d’état starts, I’ll be the first to punch you.”
  
  Janet muttered to herself and left the prisoner detention area.
  
✼✼✼
  
  Then…… three hours later.
  The fortress base became hectic. Warp signatures were suddenly detected, and the defense forces were scrambled. The fleet stationed outside also began to hurriedly form battle lines, but their movements were sluggish.
  
  It was a remote base, after all. A place where troops endlessly conducted exercises without experiencing large-scale battles. Therefore, their training level should have been high, but the lack of actual combat experience caused that high level of training to deteriorate.
  Their bodies could move, but they couldn’t switch their minds to combat mode effectively.
  That’s why they were unable to fire properly and were approached at close range by the four attacking fleets.
  
  “Listen up! Leave the enemy fleet to the mobile weapon unit! Our job is to block the fortress entrance! If we can trap them inside, we can prevent further enemy reinforcements! Don’t hit the gate directly. Just block it! If you understand, fire all main guns! Teurugia units, disable the enemy fleet’s propulsion systems!”
  
  The surprise attack using short-range warp was working well so far.
  The Mirandora and its fleet charged straight into the heart of the enemy fleet, only using machine gun fire. They didn’t fire their main guns until they were almost about to collide to avoid causing a chain reaction and to conserve as much energy as possible for the propulsion system.
  As the Mirandora fleet broke through the center of the enemy formation, the fortress defense force had to quickly turn around, but they were already defeated if they couldn’t respond to the next surprise attack from above.
  
  『Disable their engines with rifles. That way, they won’t be able to turn or move forward or backward! Don’t cause any explosions. That’s the scariest thing in a dense fleet!』
  
  The Teurugia led by Mark were also swift. They quickly immobilized the fleet one after another.
  That alone rendered the defense force’s deployment meaningless. Even if their escort Teurugia were deployed, they couldn’t easily attack with their immobile motherships being held hostage.
  Even if they hoped for support from their allies, the immobile units would get in the way, and their bombardment wouldn’t reach them.
  
  『Base commander! Requesting instructions!』
  『We’re immobilized. Requesting support!』
  
  In that situation, the base defense force could only fall into chaos.
  And there was one final blow.
  
  『C-commence the attack! We’re under enemy attack! Why did you let them get so close?!』
  
  It was the base commander’s strained voice, heard through an open channel from the fortress.
  
  『The fact that the enemy has aimed their main guns and our defense fleet is immobilized is terrifying! But it’s also an opportunity! If the enemy is immobile, we should be able to destroy them! Fire, s*oot them down! The defense force’s job is to defend!』
  
  It sounded like he was telling them to abandon their immobilized allies.
  Why would such a voice reach the fleet, or rather, the entire battlefield?
  The reason was simple.
  
  『Good job, Trismegistus…… That’s right, there are ways to stop the enemy without firing rifles or beams.』
  
  The Trismegistus’ electronic network manipulation could indeed seize control of Teurugia and warships. However, the AI’s development wasn’t complete enough to take over a large number of systems.
  So, they just needed to control something else.
  That was the fortress’s network. By further narrowing down the target, even the Trismegistus’ developing system could smoothly infiltrate it.
  It was…… the communication lines.