Wisdom of the British Ancestors

 

「This is the Enterprise. The Aubade Force confirms that the only vessel near the Eustitia on the Pyrochlore continent is the Gracious Queen. We’d like to offer support. Can you launch your fighters?」

「This is the Gracious Queen, currently at sea. Leave it to us. The distance is considerable, but we’ll find a way.」

The emergency request came from Robin aboard the Enterprise, addressed to George of the Gracious Queen.

「Understood. We’re counting on you.」

Admiral George, captain of the Gracious Queen, opened the operations map.

「Hmm… From our position, even the units equipped with metallic hydrogen storage reactors will be pushed to their limits. Time to borrow from the wisdom of our forebears.」

「That… doesn’t sound very reassuring…」

British ancestral wisdom. Even Robin flinched at the ominous sound of those words.

「It’s perfectly fine. Leave it to us. As a company with British lineage, we’ll deliver a proper blow, out of pride if nothing else.」

「R-right. If it’s for pride, I guess I can trust it…」

Robin would later remember this— A ridiculous, harebrained operation executed solely for the sake of British pride.

「Red Sprite Squadron, Buzzard Squadron. Begin preparations.」

Under George’s orders, the operation commenced.

「A direct path to the Fortress Areas of Gogyou or Misumaru from here would take us far off course. We’re heading straight to the site instead.」
「Sir!」

The Red Sprite Squadron leader, a Somali-type Familia, saluted crisply.

「Red Sprites have just enough thrust to carry Silhouettes. But the fuel won’t be enough. That’s why we’ll exchange all their external weapons for external tanks. Your mission is to accompany the Buzzards and provide in-flight refueling at all times!」

「Sir! Theoretically possible… but this is borderline madness!」

「Indeed it is. But our home country on Earth once pulled off something far crazier. So why not us?」

「Of course, sir. Wait… this has a real-life precedent?!」

「It does. Back then, the sea was the Atlantic. The target was 6,000 kilometers away. Unlike the Pacific, there were few islands. Bombing enemy airfields was difficult. But the true goal wasn’t neutralizing them—it was delivering even a single blow for the sake of our homeland’s dignity. For just two bombers, they repurposed eleven aging aircraft as refueling planes.」

「Wait… refuelers for the refuelers for the refuelers? That’s what we’re about to do?!」

「Exactly! Quick on the uptake, aren’t you?」

「Mmm. The tea’s lovely.」

The Somali-type folded her cat ears down and sipped her tea.

「Quite so. You can’t run a war without tea. Compared to that old mission, this is a stroll in the park. As long as the Buzzards reach the battlefield, they can refuel on-site with metallic hydrogen.」

「That’s true! So twenty Red Sprites will refuel five Buzzards midair to get them there safely!」

She was starting to sound slightly hysterical.

「Admiral George, may I offer one suggestion?」

「By all means! Just don’t nag me!」

「Let’s develop at least one unit with an integrated metallic hydrogen generator!」

「You don’t mince words…」

George covered his ears instinctively. Even though the budget had already been approved, BAS Corporation—perpetually broke—had yet to produce a single such Silhouette.

「Buzzard Squadron, launch!」

「This is Red Sprite Resupply Squad. Launching!」

The fighter squadrons launched from the Gracious Queen.

They accelerated to cruising limits, heading straight for the L451 Defense Dome.

Red Sprites began refueling one another midair. As a rule, the fuel in their tanks wasn’t used for themselves. Like a relay race, one Red Sprite passed fuel to another, keeping just enough to return to base, while the final five topped off the Buzzards mid-flight.

The operation was a success. Though one aircraft had to return due to trouble during a refueling pass, four Buzzards arrived at the battlefield and joined the combat.

◆　　◆　　◆　　◆　　◆

「Aimer, I’m leaving command of the Eustitia to you. All Silhouettes, launch!」

Unit 5 and the Type-0 Squad were already ahead, flying low through the terrain.

Kou issued orders from within the MCS.

「Yes. I’ll deploy the Eustitia as a mobile force to support L451 Defense Dome.」

「Enemy units advancing at eleven o’clock.」

「Loop around from the five o’clock direction and strike their flank.」

The Epos and Lanius Squad hadn’t launched from the Eustitia yet. They would deploy upon contact.

「Maintain forward speed at 200 kilometers per hour. Once we engage, adjust to combat speed.」

「Understood.」

The Eustitia rolled across the land, kicking up clouds of dust.

「Enemy sighted. Their flagship is a land-cruiser P150 Gespenst.」

Kou, who had gone ahead, reported in. After confirming the target, he landed, and the rest of Type-0 Squad followed.

「Judging by the equipment, the Argo Army must’ve acquired some of Albert’s weapons.」

The Eber I and II tanks, as well as the P150 Gespenst, were all designed by Albert. Dozens of Silhouettes of the same models used by the Argonautai could be seen moving in formation around them like escorts.

「Mass production-wise, the T-04s are superior, but it seems they prioritized performance for these small intervention units. The Argo Army’s main force is still unconfirmed, but it’s likely fielding large numbers of Silhouettes designed by Vasa instead.」

「They’ve even got Kazakhs and their command models. They offloaded surplus gear to their allied Defense Domes and kept the best toys for themselves, huh?」

Astraea began her tactical analysis of the enemy force.

「Patrol unit incoming. We’ll strike first—draw their attention away from the L451 Defense Dome and toward Nisos.」

「Are we going to be the decoy?」

「You’re perfect for the role. Armor’s on par with the Megareus, two A-carbuncle reactors, and the seal of approval from both the Father of Technology and the Avatar of Destruction.」

Kou, unusually, cracked a joke.

Aimer chuckled softly.

「Then we’ve got this. Easy.」

No matter how thick the armor of the enemy land-cruiser was, a weapon equipped with an A-Spinel reactor was no match for the Eustitia’s armor and Whis output.

「Let’s go, Type-0 Squad!」

「Yes, sir!」

Kou charged into battle, ambushing the enemy patrol of three Kazakhs.

Unit 5 swung its Kogetsu, cleaving the enemy cleanly in half, MCS and all.

「T-target acq—」

They didn’t even finish the sentence. The Type-0 Squad’s Cold Blades flashed—a surprise assault in close quarters from ultra-lightweight Silhouettes.

The Kazakhs stood no chance. Their armored muscles were better at repelling bullets than swords.

The remaining two were destroyed in an instant, their twisted wrecks left behind.
No kill confirmation on the MCS—just a quick pull and toss.

「That’s that for now, but they’ll notice the silence soon. Time’s ticking.」

「Which means the trap’s sprung.」

「After this, the Eustitia will stir things up. Aubade Force reinforcements should arrive soon. I’m counting on you, Aimer.」

「Yes.」

Aimer nodded solemnly. She never let confidence become arrogance. But inside, she couldn’t help but feel happy that Kou was relying on her more and more.

 

 

AN:

It’s been a while since the Brits made their appearance. But hey, Abel isn’t the only one with the British soul in him!

…Though I do feel a little sorry for the Familias who keep getting dragged into it.

The Red Sprite is one of those creepy-looking aircraft Abel developed, with a vertical inline engine that looks like a gaping mouth.

It can survive atmospheric re-entry, but it can’t detach and escape solo while carrying a Silhouette.

Aviation technology remained in a kind of limbo until Kou unlocked it, so we’re still in the trial-and-error stage.

In that sense, even though they can build transformable units, aircraft performance is still stuck in the 21st–22nd century.

And so, while Kou and the others remain unaware, a massive operation unfolds behind the scenes.

If they’d had a metallic hydrogen generator on board, they could’ve made the flight without any midair refueling…