Available Pieces Part 2

 

「When did you prepare this ‘available piece’?」

Aimer asked, steering the conversation back to strategy.

「I picked it up just recently. I shoved it onto Barry. Didn’t expect I’d need to use it so soon.」

「The one who crashed? So he is still alive?」

「I did think about leaving him to sink to the bottom of the ocean for a bit, but I decided to secure him instead. It was the right call.」

「So if you hand responsibility for the Mercenary Association Headquarters to him, it resolves everything? Kou, you’re amazing.」

「It’s just a coincidence. Really, this was pure luck.」

If a suitable proxy had already been secured, the end of the conflict was within reach. While it seemed almost too perfect, avoiding unnecessary combat was always the better outcome.

「But the momentum is already in motion, isn’t it?」

「Yes, it is. The outcome is decided. Now we move with an eye on the post-ceasefire phase.」

The defensive forces of the Mercenary Organization’s Headquarters had been drawn into a complete war of attrition. To minimize casualties on Trireme’s side, orders were given to switch to long-range attacks.

◆ ◆ ◆ ◆ ◆

In the battle command center of the Gorgias, Oedipus was still alive.

The ship had suffered catastrophic losses, with countless casualties. Many crew members had been thrown against walls, ceilings, and floors by the impact. Oedipus himself had only survived thanks to the emergency protection systems built into the command chair.

Even so, everywhere he looked, there were no signs of survivors. Over half of the crew had likely died instantly. High-ranking officers, including the vice commander and other key figures of the Mercenary Association, were among the dead.

「I… I don’t even know what to do anymore.」

Oedipus had lost all sense of direction. For an hour since regaining consciousness, he had ignored incoming communications, sitting in stunned silence. The sheer devastation of the situation had overwhelmed his ability to think.

A communication came in from Captain Sans of the battleship Nabis. How many times had it been now? Oedipus answered with hollow eyes.

「So, you’re still alive, Oedipus.」

Sans studied him through the screen, noting Oedipus’s bloodied face and ashen complexion. He’s barely clinging to life, Sans thought grimly. The protective systems of the command chair had saved Oedipus from death, only to leave him trapped in a personal hell.

「Hmph. I won’t last much longer. It’s over for me. Everyone else is dead. I don’t even know who, if anyone, is still alive besides me.」

「…I see. I have news to report as well. Outis and Raimund ended in a mutual kill. They fought one-on-one and both are now missing. Command of the Roche Phalanx has temporarily fallen to me, making me the acting captain. As for Trireme, it seems Barry of Metal Iris and Kelly of Ulysses have taken the reins.」

「So, Raimund is gone too…」

「The assault landing ship Rakew has been destroyed, it received the same attack as the Gorgias and was completely annihilated.」

「I thought the use of mass weapons launched from orbit had been banned after the last war.」

「As I told Raimund, we aren’t affiliated with either side. We didn’t participate in the Asia War, nor were we part of the peace treaty negotiations. The treaty doesn’t apply to us.」

「What? …Of course.」

Oedipus fell silent, stunned as the weight of the revelation sank in. Though the logic made sense, the realization came far too late to change anything.

「Should we surrender? The enemy seems to be easing their assault right now. Perhaps they’re giving us time, or maybe they just want to minimize the damage.」

「Do as you wish. As the Headquarters, we will not surrender.」

「What did you say?」

「I won’t be leaving here alive. This isn’t some noble last stand or planned evacuation. The hull is collapsing, and it’s physically impossible to move within the ship. How exactly do you plan to rescue me?」

Oedipus sounded utterly resigned, as though he had lost even the will to live. Perhaps it was his pride speaking—if the odds of survival were slim even with a rescue, then he preferred to die with his dignity intact.

「Is it really that bad…?」

「The enemy is merciless. Self-propelled mines have poured in through the gaping holes in the deck and are detonating within the ship.」

「Bombing from inside the ship?」

Sans was at a loss for words. No matter how sturdy the armor or bulkheads were, explosions from within the vessel would be catastrophic. Even the high-dimensional shielding armor wasn’t invincible under such circumstances.

「We can’t surface on our own either. Both the drive system and main reactor have sustained massive damage. The hull is on the verge of snapping in half. The auxiliary reactor is still running, but it could fail at any moment. Even if you tried to pull me out, there’s not enough time. So, do what you want. The choice is yours.」

「Fine. Then I’ll act as I see fit. Whatever happens, don’t expect me to entertain any complaints. Understood?」

「Go.」

The communication from the Nabis ended.

With trembling hands, Oedipus activated the internal communications system, his voice strained and hollow. Explosions continued to echo from distant sections of the ship.

「Survivors, respond. If anyone can hear me, respond.」

Oedipus’s words echoed in vain, unanswered.

 

 

Sans assessed that the Gorgias had taken far more damage than initially expected. Its complete destruction was only a matter of time. The vessel’s design as a carrier had likely been its downfall—the numerous hangars left it unable to absorb or mitigate the impacts effectively.

「Captain, what are our orders?」

One of the crew members aboard the battleship Nabis asked Sans.

「We’ll dive deeper and put some distance between us and the enemy. Staying underwater may expose us to enemy submarines, but remaining on the surface or in the air risks receiving an attack of the weapon that destroyed the Golgias. And that’s the one thing we absolutely can’t endure.」

The crew understood the grim reality—they had no chance of winning underwater against an enemy operating submarines, not to mention their dire lack of resupply options.

「Can’t we surrender or capitulate?」

「This is a war started by the Mercenary Organization Headquarters, and we are under an exclusive contract with them.」

Until Fortress Area A001, the site of the orbital elevator, fell, the Mercenary Organization Headquarters maintained exclusive contracts with their higher-tier Underground Forces, monopolizing their capabilities. Forces like Sans’ were both the eyes and hands of the Headquarters, operating as direct extensions of its command.

Although individual units had been given operational autonomy, their treatment was functionally no different from that of the Headquarters’ core army.

「Surrendering or betraying the Mercenary Organization would mean that no one would ever trust us as mercenaries again. We’d have to either quit the profession or abandon our name and start over from scratch. And yet, we can’t negotiate independently, nor are we allowed to break away from the Organization…」

「Exactly. We need to coordinate with the other Underground Forces and decide how to surrender… but there’s no time left.」

Sans let out a heavy sigh. Most likely, Trireme was also waiting for them to surrender.

There was no path to retreat. If they attempted to flee, their only options would be to use the battleship to turn to piracy on another continent or to align themselves with the Stones. The Stones would probably welcome them, but the battleship would almost certainly be confiscated.

All they could do now was wait to see what the other side would do. Time dragged on, with Sans’ anxiety growing with every passing second.

Twenty minutes after the communication ended, the Gorgias exploded.