Part 2, Chapter Three – Yang Fleet, Mobilized

Legend of Galactic Heroes, Part 2 – Ambition

Chapter Three      Yang Fleet, Mobilized

            I

            The first blow the Free Planets Alliance received was on March 30^th. It was only a few days after Yang Wen-li had departed from Heinesen.         

            Consequently, the Space Fleet Commander-in-Chief (宇宙艦隊司令長官), Admiral Bewcock, did not have time to begin his investigation of the coup d'état. The old admiral’s talents were in leading and commanding large fleets, and his military police (憲兵) work had started out weak. Nevertheless, he organized an investigation team with carefully selected personnel, and took the first step in rooting out the dark places in the military.

            Although what Yang told Bewcock was sound, logically speaking, it was not backed by any definite material evidence. Since Yang was aware of that, he had not told anyone outside of Bewcock.

            “That young man only believed in me to not participate in such folly. Knowing that, I must not betray his trust.”

            The old admiral’s son and grandson had both fallen during the long war, leaving just him and his wife. Seeing Yang and Julian together made him long for that rustic feeling. Of course, this was something he absolutely would not tell others.

            Then, March came to an end, and Admiral Kubrusly (クブルスリー大将) suffered a calamity.

            The Free Planets Alliance Chief of Joint Operations, Admiral Kubrusly was promoted to that seat at the end of last year. Before that, Fleet Admiral Sithole occupied that position for five long years, but he resigned to take responsibility for the historic defeat at the Amritsar starzone.

            Sithole himself had opposed the reckless deployment, but as the top uniformed serviceman, he could not escape the responsibility. Consequently, he had departed the capital, Heinesen, and was managing an orchard on his home planet, Cascina (カッシナ)…

            That day. Chief Kubrusly had finished up his inspection of the military facilities in Heinesen’s neighboring star districts (星区). He was heading back to the Joint Operations Headquarters (統合作戦本部) from the military spaceport via private vehicle, and he was accompanied by his senior adjutant and five guards.

            When he entered the lobby, a person stood up from one of the visitor waiting seats, and approached him at a somewhat dangerous pace. Although the guards were tense, a smile surfaced on the pallid face of the not yet thirty-year-old man in front of them, and he spoke to the chief of joint operations.

“Admiral Kubrusly, I am Falk.”

            “Oh, I thought you were in an institution…”

            Commodore Falk was the one who was directly responsible for the reckless operation in the Battle of Amritsar. Just before the battle, he temporarily lost his vision due to an episode of conversion hysteria disorder. After the defeat, he was transferred to reserve duty and ordered to involuntary hospitalization. It was an excruciating setback for the young summa cum laude graduate of the military academy.

            “I am done with the institution. Sir, I am here today to call on you to return me to active duty.”

            “Return to active duty?” Kubrusly cocked his head to the side.

            What Falk did, calling out people in the lobby to chat while standing, was rude. However, since Falk was an acquaintance, and it was not Kubrusly’s personality to be patronizing towards his subordinates, he stayed to hear Falk out.

            “What did the doctor say?”

            “Of course he said that I am completely cured, and that it is permissible for me to return to active duty…”

            “I see. In that case, you should go through the proper procedure. Take the medical certificate and the letter of support issued by the physician to the National Defense Commission’s (国防委員会) Human Resources Department, and submit your Active Duty Reinstatement Form. Once that is officially recognized, your wish will be realized.”

            “That is too time consuming. I want to return to active duty tomorrow to serve my country.”

            “Commodore, the proper procedure is something that takes time.”

            “That is why I want your help, Sir.”

            Admiral Kubrusly looked at him with increased severity.

            “Reservist Commodore Falk, aren’t you misunderstanding something? My authority is in enforcing the procedure, not in breaking it. I have heard rumors about you several times already, and I can see that you have a tendency to seek special treatment for yourself. It does not seem like you are completely cured.”

            Falk’s face stiffened, and his originally chalky face became almost jaundiced.

            “To start with, you should protect and observe the procedure. Without that, your return will lack coordination, and that will be unfortunate for both you and those around you. I will not say anything against you, so please make a fresh start.”

            Kubrusly may not have understood the meaning behind the term conversion hysteria disorder. It meant an imbalance in the nervous system that sought to completely satisfy the patient’s ego. However rich Kubrusly’s advice was in honesty and truth, the message was lost to Falk. He was just like an ancient tyrant who wanted only yesses.

            “Sir!”

            Just as the Senior Adjutant, Captain Whitty (ウィッティ) shrieked his warning, a white flash came from Falk’s hand, and without a sound, it went through the chief of Joint Operations’s right flank.

            Admiral Kubrusly’s face became blank, and his wide and thick, medium height body lost balance and staggered as Captain Whitty supported him.

            Already, Commodore Falk was pinned down by the hefty guards, and the small blaster he had hidden in his sleeve was also confiscated.

           

            “Call a doctor!” Whitty screamed, and angrily shouted at the guards.

            “You’re too slow! Why was this not caught before it was fired? That is what guards are for, you good-for-nothings!”

            The guards were mortified, and exerted more force than necessary on Falk, who was already captured.

            Falk’s disheveled hair was sticking to his forehead with sweat. Under that, his unfocused eyes obstinately stared into his lost future.

            Bewcock literally jumped up from his chair upon hearing the report. It was beyond his imagination to receive such a surprise. Of course, the old admiral did not think that the incident was completely independent.

            “So, what is the Chief’s condition?”

            “His life was spared, but it will take three months to completely recover, and he needs absolute rest for the time being.”

            “Well, that is good,” Bewcock muttered.

            Bewcock felt a bitter aftertaste. During the Battle of Amritsar, he was the one who caused Falk to have a seizure by harshly berating Falk for his incompetence and irresponsibility. If Falk was going to settle the score, it could be said that Kubrusly was sacrificed in place of Bewcock.

            The news that Reservist Commodore Falk had attacked and injured Chief of Joint Operations, Admiral Kubrusly, shocked the entire planet of Heinesen. The news also flew through ultra-high-speed FTL communication to the entire Alliance.

            It was a disgrace for the military, and some people harbored the dangerous idea that “if the incident were to happen in the Empire, they would be able to prohibit the media coverage,” and felt disappointed.

            For the time being, the Joint Operations Headquarters needed a chief, and it was imperative that a successor fill in.

            If “number one” of the men and women in uniform was the chief of joint operations, then “number two” would be the Space Fleet commander-in-chief.

            When the National Defense Commission tapped Bewcock as the interim chief, Bewcock declined the offer immediately. Publicly, his reasoning was that if a person held both the number one and the number two positions in an organization, it would open up a way to gaining dictatorial power, but privately, he thought it was necessary to disperse the targets of terrorism.

            It was not that Bewcock was afraid to be a target of terrorism, but if he concentrated the authorities and was taken down by terrorism, then the Space Fleet Command Center (宇宙艦隊司令部) and the Joint Operations Headquarters would both lose their chiefs, which would cause the two large organizations to become paralyzed. The entire Alliance Fleet might become crippled if either one of the organizations was not functioning.

            Ultimately, the one elected as the interim chief was the eldest of the three deputy chiefs (次長), Admiral Dawson (ドーソン). Upon learning this, Bewcock thought to himself, it might be better if I had taken it.

            Rather than being a serious man, Dawson was a timid and nervous person. Although he had served as the Military Police Corps commander (憲兵《ＭＰ》隊司令官) and the Defense Commission intelligence director (国防委員会情報部長), when he was serving as the 1^st Fleet’s logistics chief staff officer (後方主任参謀), in the name of warning against food waste, he had gone around examining each ship’s galley dust chutes. Upon discovering that ten kilograms of potatoes had been wastefully discarded, he publicized it. He was the petty, functionary type that disgusted the spacemen. He also had the reputation of holding onto personal grudges. During his time at the military academy, only one man ranked better than he did. That man later failed at something, was demoted, and ended up as his subordinate. It was said that Dawson had tormented the man.

            In any case, the personnel had been decided.

            The very next day, an accident occurred at the Capital Defense Command Center (首都防衛司令部) ground base. An obsolete interplanetary missile suddenly exploded while it was being inspected at the maintenance center.

            The cause of the explosion was poor insulation that led to the current in the propulsion system flowing to the fuse of the missile body. Although this was clearly a result of the weakening of the weapons manufacturing system, what shocked the world was that the fourteen maintenance spacemen who died instantly at the scene were all young spacemen in their teens.

            Had human resources been this depleted?

            The citizens felt the chill of recognition. They knew the reason. It was because the war had gone on for too long. Even within the military, the number of adults outside of the frontline had been decreasing…

            The anti-war faction representative in the congress, Jessica Edwards, expressed her condolences to the victims and criticized the military’s poor management skills. Thereafter, she impeached the entire society for the continuation of the war.

            “This is a society that sacrifices to war the teenagers who would have led our future. Does a society like this even have a future? Can a society like ours be described as normal? We must wake up from this dream of madness, and ask ourselves: what is the best, and most realistic option we have? There is only one answer. It is peace…”

            Bewcock watched this broadcast from his office in the Space Fleet Command Center (宇宙艦隊司令部). His adjutant, Lieutenant Commander Pfeifer (ファイフェル少佐), clicked his tongue bitterly.

            “She does not know our struggles. She just says whatever she wants to say. If we get invaded by the Galactic Empire, then there would be neither anti-war peace nor freedom of speech. Isn’t she too optimistic?”

            “No, what she said is correct,” the old admiral said, subverting the emotional theory of the adjutant. “In a normal society, men die in the order of their age. A society that has old veterans like me surviving while young boys die, is somewhat mad. If no one pointed this out, then the society will get crazier and crazier. There is a need for people like her to exist in society. Although, I would not want to marry a woman with so sharp a tongue.”

            The last part of what the old admiral said seemed to be a joke. Bewcock was someone who would find the mood unbearable if he had nothing to joke about. 

            That day, Bewcock went to greet the new interim chief of joint operations. The way Dawson, who was fourteen years younger than Bewcock, treated the old admiral was cheeky and ridiculous. Even things that did not need to be said, such as, “Even old wartime veterans are subject to my instructions in accordance with the order of the organization,” were said, and in too high of a pitch. Bewcock nearly lost his temper. If the old admiral mentioned things like the possibilities of a coup and its countermeasures, the timid temporary stand-in might foam at his mouth.

            In a dim room, conversations were being held in a low voice.

            “Commodore Falk failed in the assassination of Chief Kubrusly. The chief survived.”

            “Malarkey. That guy is always like this. He was this way in Amritsar too…”

            Disappointment and cynicism were interwoven intricately in his voice, and murmurs of support were voiced from each corner of the room.

            “The chief was gravely wounded, so the objective of paralyzing the Joint Operations Headquarters has basically been accomplished. Falk did rather well. It cannot be said to be a complete failure.”

            “But, are you not afraid that he will leak our secrets? The thing is, what if the military police subject him to illegal torture? Or use truth serum on him?”

            “That probably will happen, but do not worry. We thoroughly and deeply hypnotized him. Falk did this on his own free will, not because of anyone’s instruction.”

            This was because the act satisfied Falk’s narcissistic sense of self, so it was easy to suggest this belief to him, and deeply root the hypnosis. Unless they utilized a hypothetical device that could explore and analyze a person’s deep consciousness and perform a concrete re-configuration, discovery would be impossible.

            “Falk will end his life as a madman in a mental hospital. It is pitiful, but there are plenty more people who are more pitiful than he is. We have an obligation to rescue our homeland, destroy the Empire, and deliver justice to the entire universe. We have no use for sentimentality,” the speaker sounded ponderously, as if he was persuading himself. “Moreover, things have just begun. Although Chief Kubrusly survived, as a public figure, he will be like a dead man for the next two to three months. As far as the stand-in, Dawson, was concerned, it was curious enough that he was even promoted to admiral. His administrative ability aside, he has no popularity. For the moment, the management of the Joint Operations Headquarters is in shambles… In other words, there is no reason to postpone. Prepare for D-day. Do not neglect it.”

            II

            From the end of March to the early half of April of that year, the 13 billion citizens of the Free Planets Alliance found events that stirred up anxiety and shock to be plentiful.

            March 30^th – Assassination attempt on Chief of Joint Operations Kubrusly.

            April 3^rd – A portion of the military on planet Nephthys (ネプティス) revolted and occupied the planet.

            April 5^th – Planet Kaffa (カッファー) had an armed mutiny.

            April 6^th – A large scale civil war broke out in the Galactic Empire.

            April 8^th – The rebel force occupied planet Purmerend (パルメレンド).

            April 10^th – Planet Shampool (シャンプール) fell under the rebel force’s occupation.

            From Iserlohn, Yang continued to observe these events.

            Although he did not anticipate the attempted assassination of Chief Kubrusly, the events afterward unfolded as he expected. This time, he could probably boast that he alone read the hand of Marquis Reinhard von Lohengramm.

            However, in the end, Reinhard was only using this scheme as a precaution. Even if it were to fail, he would still be able to recover. There was no loss for Reinhard in trying, yet he had much to gain.

            Because of that, the entire Free Planets Alliance sunk into turmoil. Is Marquis Lohengramm a genius of war? Yang shrugged. Didn’t that blond haired young man plunged the entire Alliance into chaos without having to mobilize even one of his spacemen?

            Although Yang had read Reinhard’s hand, it was in vain. He was unable to thwart Reinhard’s plan, and he could not predict how the plan would unfold except for the coup in the capital. Even Reinhard himself, who served as both the director and the playwright, probably did not plan for those scenarios prior to their occurrence.

            The future events would unfold based on the leading and supporting actors’ mutual exchange of power. Well, Yang had been wondering, who is the main actor? Who in the world is the mastermind behind the execution of the coup? While Yang would eventually find out, he was still anxious to know.

            On April 13^th, an FTL communication was transmitted from Heinesen, and it delivered an instruction from Admiral Dawson. It stated, “Admiral Yang shall lead the Iserlohn Fortress Garrison Fleet (イゼルローン駐留艦隊) to subjugate the revolts in Nephthys, Kaffa, Purmerend, and Shampool as soon as possible.”

            “Subjugate revolts in all four locations?” Indeed, Yang was surprised. Although he had anticipated that an order to deploy would come at any moment, he thought it would be for only one location, and that other fleets stationed in Heinesen would be deployed for the other three locations.

            “In that case, Iserlohn will become empty for a long time. Is that okay?” Yang pressed.

            “Right now, the Empire is in a large scale civil war. The chance of Iserlohn being invaded by a large fleet is very low. Commander Yang, fulfill your responsibility as a spaceman without worry.”

            I see. Yang was impressed. You can also think that way. Cause and effect and action and reaction were beautifully reversed, but it was due to their ignorance…

            The situation had become unexpectedly amusing. Acting Chief of Joint Operations Admiral Dawson had the reputation of being a mediocre strategist, but this unexpected decision might have accidentally deviated from Reinhard’s speculation.

            If the large fleets remained at the capital, then it would probably be insanely difficult for the group that plotted the coup d’état. They would not be able to move, and their plan would misfire. If that was the case, then they would have to attempt an alternate method, but for the time being, they would not be able to gleefully attack the capital with the fleets absent.

            Nevertheless, the result was simply this: Dawson’s intent was probably to utilize Yang and his subordinates to the furthest extent possible. That much was understandable, but it was difficult to understand the reason behind it. Dawson was said to be someone that held onto personal grudges, but Yang had not become acquainted with him, so Yang should not have caused him any displeasure. 

            The person who solved Yang’s puzzle was Julian. Since Yang found it awkward to ask these questions, he often talked in somewhat of a half monologue, hoping that Julian would give an answer to something he was contemplating. 

            This time, after hearing Yang talk, Julian chuckled. “That is easy,” he said.

            “How old is Dawson?”

            “He is probably in his forties.”

            “And you are thirty years old.”

            “Yeah, at last.”

            “That is the reason. You have such an age difference between you, but you are both admirals. As long as you are not someone like Admiral Bewcock, he will be jealous of you.”

            Yang scratched his head, “I see. Got it. I was not thinking.”

            Although Yang’s ability to gain insight into the psychology of the enemies on the battlefields was unparalleled, what Julian pointed out was a blind spot for him.

            Over the last year, Yang was promoted three ranks, from commodore to admiral. For him, this was only something he felt annoyed by, but for others, especially for the type of people who viewed status and rank to be most important, Yang was a subject of envy and jealousy.

            Because these types of people would not acknowledge that there were those who held different values from their own, the fact that Yang’s hope was to retire early, live on his pension, and write a history book before his death would not even be believable to them.

            “If he is called Miracle Yang, then let’s see if he can subjugate the revolts in all four places! It will be great if he succeeds, and if he fails, I can punish him.” That is probably what Dawson’s thinking. But, if I fail, I might be able to retire. Just as Yang was considering this outrageous idea, Julian spoke, “If you attack the four locations one by one, it will be too time consuming and troublesome.”

            “I feel the same way,” Yang nodded heavily, “Moreover, that is against my principle of winning as easily as possible. If it were you, what would you do?”

            Julian leaned in. These days, Julian’s interest in strategies had strengthened, “If it was me, how would I do it? I would gather the enemies from the four locations in one place, and strike them there.”

            Yang took off his military black beret, and looked up, “That is a good idea, but there are two difficulties. The first is, how would I collect the enemies from all four locations in one place? The goal of having rebellions happening in multiple places simultaneously was to disperse the government’s fleet’s forces. I do not believe they will voluntarily abandon that advantage, because if their forces are concentrated, then our forces will be concentrated too.”

            Yang lightly put the beret back on his head, “The other difficulty is gathering all the enemy in one place goes against the fundamentals of military strategy. One is supposed to disperse the concentrated enemy force and defeat them separately.”

            “So it won’t work?” Julian said regretfully. The brain cells of the teenager were probably turning at full speed.

            Yang smiled, “The idea is good. I am thinking about how it would be applied. So… how would we lure them out?” For a little while, he pondered, “It is a good idea to lure the enemy from their bases, but it is not necessary to wait for them to gather in one place. We can calculate the routes they will take to their rendezvous point, and defeat them individually along those routes. In this case, if we and the enemy are approximately the same in number, we can split our fleet into two groups. Using the time difference, one group will attack the enemy’s A and B groups, and the other will attack the enemy’s C and D groups. If we use twice the number of vessels to attack the enemy, then the probability of us winning will be very large.”

            Julian nodded eagerly.

            “There is also another way. Have the fleet mobilize together, and defeat the enemy’s A and B group separately first, then head towards the enemy’s rendezvous point to face off C and D group. At this point, if we use a trick to make the enemy mistake us as an ally, or split into two to use a pincer maneuver on them, then the effect will increase. This method engages the enemy first with four times the number of vessels, then with two times the number of vessels. The probability of winning will be high.”

            The boy admired Yang, but at the same time, felt distressed about himself. Admiral Yang’s strategic wisdom gave rise like a fountain. Compared to that, he himself could not even hold a candle to Admiral Yang when Admiral Yang was fifteen years old. Even if it is by a little bit, I want to improve so I can lend this person a hand.

            Julian was unwilling to settle for being protected by Yang. Although he had no wish to become an equal partner of Yang, he wanted to be irreplaceable for Yang in some way.

            “But, well, I do not want to use either method this time. They were originally a part of the Alliance Fleet too. As long as we win the battle, I want to hurt them as little as possible.”

            “That is true.”

            “That’s why, if they would consider surrendering without a fight, that would be best.”

            “For the spacemen it will be best, but it will be difficult for the commanders.”

            “Oh, you finally understand,” Yang laughed, although the laughter did not last long. “But more than half the people in the world think that it is the commanders who caused many spacemen to die who struggled the most.”

            Yang Wen-li effortlessly glided into his position. Yang heard voices saying this with his own ear. Although there were multiple sources to that voice, Dawson might have had a hand in spreading it. In any case, if Yang was more conscious of this irresponsible voice, he might have been able to immediately understand the intent of Dawson’s orders…

            III

            Yang relayed Admiral Dawson’s order to the staff gathered in the conference room.

            “Did you say that he wants us to subjugate the rebellions in all four places?”

            Yang’s staff, including Fischer, Cazerne, Schönkopf, Murai, and Patrichev, also felt surprised.

            Among them, Schönkopf first regained his calm. “So, he wants to work us hard while preserving the fleets in the capital.”

            Schönkopf had the same insight as Yang, but he also accurately grasped the reason behind the order. “Don’t be envied,” he said, and then grinned at Yang. Yang could not bear to reply. Julian and Schönkopf were both rather sharp in this area. Compared to them, Yang would probably be considered dull.

            “In any case, this is the Joint Operations Headquarters’ order, so there is nothing we can do about it… The one that is closest to Iserlohn is Shampool. Do you want to start there?” As Murai was reaching for the switch of the 3D display, a buzzer sounded, and the image of the communications officer was displayed on the screen.

            Yang noticed that the communications officer had a large stain on the scarf in front of his chest. It appeared that he had been drinking coffee when he was taken by surprise, and spilled the coffee.

            “A disaster happened in the capital. Just now, surprising information has…”

            “What kind of disaster?” Murai asked reproachingly. The officer made a swallowing sound, and squeezed out a sound, “Cu--coup.”

            All but Yang gasped. Patrichev’s giant body tremored as he stood up.

            The image on the display then switched to the capital’s FTL communication center, but what appeared was not the smiling face of the announcer. Instead, it was a serviceman in his prime, sitting haughtily in the broadcast seat:

            “I will repeat this announcement again. As of Universal Calendar, April 13^th, 797, the Free Planets Alliance’s National Salvation Military Council (救国軍事会議) has placed the capital, Heinesen, under martial law. The Alliance constitution has been suspended. The orders and decisions of the National Salvation Military Council will supersede all laws.”

            Iserlohn’s senior officers all looked at each other, and then simultaneously looked to their young, black-haired commander.

            Yang had been watching the screen in silence, and he appeared to be quite calm to his staff.

            At the end, Admiral Dawson’s scheme did not seem to have the power to change the coup faction’s plans; or, rather, I should say that they moved very quickly; or Dawson’s reactions were much slower than they had expected; or maybe it was both.

            “National Salvation Military Council… huh…” The tone Yang muttered in was woefully adversarial. He felt that he could not feel any beauty or sincerity from those who used words such as “salvation,” “patriotic,” or “nationalist.” How did they manage to shamelessly and loudly chant these slogans as they hide in safe havens to live comfortable lives?

            Soon, the proclamation of the National Salvation Military Council, the one that was to replace the Alliance constitution, was announced. It stated something like the following:

1.       A uniform national regime is established with the noble goal of overthrowing the Galactic Empire;

2.      Political activities and speeches that are contrary to the national interest are subject to orderly control;

3.      Servicemen are granted judicial and police powers;

4.      Martial law is enacted indefinitely across the country, and all protests and demonstrations are prohibited therewith;

5.      Interstellar transportation and communication is fully nationalized. Additionally, all spaceports are placed under the military’s control;

6.      Civil servants with anti-war or anti-military beliefs are subject to explusion;

7.      The parliament is terminated;

8.     Conscientious objectors are subject to punishment;

9.      Corruption among politicians and civil servants is severely punishable; with the death penalty for the worst offenders;

10.  Harmful entertainment is expelled, so as to recover authentic and sincere customs; and

11.   Unnecessary social services are eliminated to prevent the weakening of society…

            “Wow, these people,” Yang stared at the screen, amazed. What the so-called National Salvation Military Council had requested was reactionary militarism. Furthermore, it was almost exactly the same as what Rudolf von Goldenbaum had requested five centuries ago.

            What exactly did mankind accomplish in these last five hundred years? What lessons did mankind learn from Rudolf? The National Salvation Military Council claimed that they wished to overthrow the empire Rudolf gave birth to, yet they were trying to breathe new life into Rudolf’s corpse.

            Yang laughed. He could not help but laugh. This was definitely a comedy; an utterly ugly comedy. However, even though this act was beginning as a comedy, it would not end as one.

            “Citizens and Alliance service members, allow me to introduce the chairman of the National Salvation Military Council.”

            When the name of the person was announced, it felt as if the air in the room turned into heavy liquid.

            Yang knew the middle-aged man who appeared on the screen well. He had brown, salt-and-peppered hair, and a symmetric, thin face. Yang had spoken to this person many times before, and they had also eaten meals together. This man had a daughter, and that daughter…

            Yang turned around to face the direction of a low cry.

            Adjutant Lieutenant Frederica Greenhill was standing behind him, and blood had drained from her face.

            She stared at the screen wide eyed. Her eyes could not have been any larger.

            The man displayed on the screen was her father, Admiral Dwight Greenhill.

            IV

            The Dominion of Fezzan was a trade and commerce nation located in the so-called “Fezzan Corridor” between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. Its star and artificial colonies held a population of two billion people, and its wealth was approaching that of the Empire and the Alliance.

            Right now, Fezzan’s intelligence gathering system was working at full capacity. The information gathered was fed into the head of state, Landesherr Rubinsky’s hands through the secretariat (官房). This allowed the “Black Fox of Fezzan,” Rubinsky, to know the status of the coup while staying in comfort.

            That day. April 13^th, Space Fleet Commander-In-Chief Admiral Bewcock received a notice from the National Defense Commission (国防委員会) Inspector General (査閲部長) Admiral Greenhill in his office.

            “Today, a large-scale training of ground combat troops will be held in the capital. Because this had been scheduled since the beginning of the year, no department should be restricted as a result of this. Please go about your business as usual. Due to the situation that is occurring at the frontier, these exercises are extremely important…”

            This notice was delivered to nearly all of the military leadership, and broadcast to the public.

            Thus way there would not be many suspicious citizens even if people saw groups of fully armed troops operating in urban areas. If anyone thought it was suspicious, and reported the situation to the military police, their concerns would just be dismissed with “This is a training exercise.” The notice was issued in the name of a top executive: the inspector general. People would have trust in his expertise.

            As a consequence of the frontier rebellions, Bewcock had been extremely busy with the supervision of the Space Fleet’s battle-readiness preparation, so even he did not think it through deeply. If anything, he probably thought that a coup would not be able to launch in the capital with the primary force of the Space Fleet here.

            However, the reality was that by noon, the old admiral was held at gun point and brought in front of the mastermind of the coup d’état.

            Inspector General (査閲部長) Admiral Greenhill. Chief of Intelligence (情報部長) Vice Admiral Bronze (ブロンズ中将). It was beyond the old admiral’s imagination that such high ranking officers had joined the coup.

            “I see,” Bewcock snorted. “Both the Department of Inspections (情報部) and the Department of Inspection (査閲部) were contaminated a long time ago.” The Department of Inspections’ mission was to manage domestic, non-combat military operations, such as training, rescue, and relocation. If the inspector general was a member of the coup d’état, then it would be easy to relocate units for that purpose.

            The odor of alcohol had been emanating from one of the several men surrounding the old admiral.

            “Hmm, I remember you,” the white haired commander said, looking critically at the source of the odor, “You are Rear Admiral Lynch. You were captured by the Imperial Fleet several years ago in the El Facil Starzone (エル・ファシル星系).”

            The man responded with a murky laugh, “I am grateful that you remember me.”

            “While I would like to forget you, I cannot. You’re famous. You abandoned your obligation to protect the citizens and your responsibility to your subordinates for the sake of your own safety.”

            Lynch did not appear to be hurt by this comment. A faint smile surfaced on his face upon hearing these scathing words, and, as if he was putting on a show, he opened the lid of a small bottle of whisky and took a sip. The ascetic officers around him frowned. It was clear that Lynch did not have the love and respect of his comrades. The old admiral could only speculate as to the reason his comrades allowed a man like him to join them.

            He turned to Greenhill again, “I thought that your military would be filled with people who are sensible and decent.”

            “Thank you.”

            “However, it seems that I overestimated you. Your senses of reason and decency must be asleep for you to participate in such a thoughtless act.”

            “We thought it through carefully. Admiral, please consider this. How corrupt is politics currently, and how stagnant is our society? In the name of democracy, mobocracy is rampant, and we have not a gram of capacity to self-regulate. Is there another way for us to enforce a reform?”

            “I see. Certainly, the current regime is corrupt and in a deadlock. I guess you want to say that that is why we should overthrow them with an armed force. But, let me ask you, if your armed group becomes corrupt, who is going to clean up?”

            Greenhill clearly winced at Bewcock’s harsh tone.

            “We are not going to become corrupt,” another person affirmed, “We are people with ideology and we know shame. We are not going to be like the current policy makers who fatten themselves in the name of democracy, pander to the electorate for the sake of power, collude with capitalists, and neglect the great cause of overthrowing the Empire! Corruption emanates from self-interest. We are not going to become corrupt!”

            “I see! It seems to me like you have justified your illegal seizure of power by your passion for the salvation of the country!”

            The old admiral’s sharp tongue deeply injured the self-esteem of the officers, and a man boisterously yelled, “Admiral Bewcock! We were hoping to act as gentlemanly as possible, but if you cannot control your mouth, then we will be forced to reconsider. “

            “You’re acting gentlemanly?” Bewcock’s sarcastic laughter echoed in the room, “Today is the first day since humans had been crawling around on the ground that someone who’s violently breaking rules is being called a gentleman. If you wish to be referred to as gentlemen, then after you go through the pain of obtaining power, you best publish new dictionaries before you lose it.”

            A heated haze of anger drifted up from between the officers, and Greenhill suppressed their outbursts with his eyes, “Even if we continue the discussion, I don’t think we will find consensus. We will have to leave the judgment up to future historians.”

            “Admiral Greenhill, history may not even mention the lot of you.”

            The chairman of the National Salvation Military Council averted his eyes and ignored Bewcock, and said, “Take him to another room. Do not be rude.”

            At this time, the key locations in the capital had already been overwhelmed by the coup troops.

            Important military hubs, such as the Joint Operations Headquarters (統合作戦本部), the Center for Science and Technology (技術科学本部), and the Space Defense Command Center (宇宙防衛管制司令部), as well as the High Council Building (最高評議会ビル) and the Interstellar Communication Center (恒星間通信センター), had all fallen into the hands of the coup troops without much bloodshed. The Acting Chief of Joint Operations, Admiral Dawson, had also been imprisoned.

            However, the primary target of the raid, Supreme Chairman (最高評議会議長) Trunicht (トリューニヒト), was not in his official residence. It was believed that he had escaped through secret underground emergency tunnels…

            V

            Yang was well aware that the thing called fate is a nasty old witch.

            Yang was also forced to learn the difference between fate and intent. If fate had a personality, it would probably say, “I would not be this malicious.” Of course, that was impossible. Fate was the accumulation of chance and countless people’s intentions. It was not something that had a transcendent existence.

            In any case, in order to protect the power of a man like Trunicht, he must contend with the father of his adjutant, Frederica Greenhill!

            Yang could not remember how many dozens of laps he had paced about his private room. When he took notice, he saw that Julian had been standing against the wall and staring at him. Yang saw worry in those dark brown eyes. The boy was disappointed that he was not able to be of assistance to Yang. The responsibility to make decision was Yang’s alone. No one on earth could share it.

            Abruptly, Yang sighed, and made an easygoing smile, “Julian, can you get me a glass of brandy, and have the senior officers meet me in the conference room in fifteen minutes?”

            “Yes, right away.”

            “Also, please call over Lieutenant Greenhill.”

            The boy ran off.

            There was an ancient saying that, “If one did not have to make a decision when one did not want to make a decision, then life would be wrapped in a rose-colored light; but that was not the flavor of life.” Even so, this time, the flavor of the spice was too strong.

            Two minutes later, Frederica Greenhill showed up. Her expression was calm, but her wariness could not be hidden.

            Yang had reached the point of resignation regarding his own situation. When he was 16, he lost his father. He searched for a school to learn history for free, and he was accepted by the military academy’s military history major. It was not his intention to become a military officer at all, nor did he think that he would be put in a position to have to make such a nefarious choice.

            However, Frederica’s situation was almost proof of the absurdity of God. To have to be friend and foe to her actual father was too harsh a situation for a twenty-three-year-old young woman.

            “Lieutenant Greenhill, requesting permission to enter.”

            “Ah, you look well…” Yang said stupidly, causing Frederica to not know how to respond.

            “Did you need me?”

            “… Yes. I am having a meeting with the senior officers, so please assist me with the preparation and the operation of the equipment.”

            Frederica felt surprised, “I… I was thinking I should relinquish the responsibilities of an adjutant, and I am prepared to do so…”

            “Did you want to resign?” Yang’s tone this time was rather unfriendly.

            “No, but…”

            “It will be troublesome if you are not here. My memory is terrible and I am bad with computers. I need a competent adjutant.”

            “… Yes, then I will be glad to keep serving you, Sir.”

            While her statement was professional, for a moment, a brief wave of tearful smile could be seen.

            “Thank you, please go to the conference room first.”

            Yang probably had more that he wanted to say, but he was not able to say more than that.

            Yang ran into Schönkopf when he entered the hallway. The former Imperial spaceman smiled and saluted his superior, “It seems like Miss Frederica Greenhill will not have her neck broken.”

            “Of course. We would not be able to find a more qualified individual.”

            “You are not being honest,” Schönkopf replied rudely.

            “What do you mean?”

            “Nevermind, ignore me. As a subordinate, I am just wondering what you think about her, Sir.”

            “What do you think?” Yang clumsily attempted to avoid answering.

            “Well, to be honest, I don’t know either. After all, you’re a pile of contradictions,” Schönkopf cheerfully replied, eyeing his reluctant-looking superior, “Why? For one, there is no one among the human race who hates the absurdity of war more than you do, yet there is also no one who surpasses you as a master of war. Isn’t that true?”

            “What about Marquis Reinhard von Lohengramm?”

            “It will be interesting if you two face off,” the former Empire man calmly stated, without a hint of audacity. “If the two of you both mobilize an equal number of vessels, I think you are more likely to win.”

            “That kind of assumption is pointless.”

            “I know that.”

            Tactics (戦術) is the technique of moving squadrons in order to obtain victory on the battlefield, and strategy (戦略) is the technique of adjusting the conditions to make the best use of the tactics. Schönkopf’s assumption ignored the factor of strategy in war, so in reality, it was meaningless.

            “Fine, then let’s move onto the next point. You know deep in your flesh and bones how terrible the Free Planets Alliance’s regime is in both ability and morality. In spite of that, you are doing everything you can to try and save it. That is also a great contradiction.”

            “I want to choose the best available option. I certainly understand that the Alliance regime right now is worthless. However, I’m sure you have seen the slogans of the National Salvation Military Council. Aren’t those guys even worse than the group in power now?”

            “If you ask me,” Schönkopf said, a strange light twinkling in his eyes, “we should clear out both the singing clowns of the National Salvation Military Council and the politicians they overthrew. We should clean them out thoroughly and completely. After that, it will be clear that it was impossible for them to control the situation to begin with. You then take that chance, sweep them out, and seize power as the man who will rescue democracy. That would be better.”

            Iserlohn Fortress’s young commander stared at his subordinate speechlessly.

            Schönkopf was not laughing now, “What do you think? Whatever form it takes is fine. How about you become the dictator who protects the practical aspects of democracy.”

            “Dictator Yang Wen-li? It is not a possibility I even considered.”

            “You are a military man right now and despite not being a military type, you are doing supremely well. You might do well if you become a dictator too.”

            “Commodore Schönkopf.”

            “What is it?”

            “Have you shared this idea with anyone other than me?”

            “No way.”

            “That’s good…”

            Yang turned around and left after saying that. Schönkopf smiled as he trailed Yang by five or six steps. Yang was probably aware that there are no other high-level military personnel who would allow their subordinates to say whatever they wanted about him. Being Schönkopf’s superior was a weighty job.

            There were many civilians who were residing in Iserlohn, and the coup d’état and the subsequent civil war had sparked anxiety among them. When Julian went to run errands for Yang alone in the civilian residential district, he was pointedly asked if Yang had a chance of victory.

            The boy looked directly as the asker’s face, and as if to reprove such dismay, he proudly answered, “Admiral Yang does not fight a battle where he has no chance of winning.”

            This exchange immediately spread throughout all Iserlohn. Admiral Yang does not fight a battle where he has no chance of winning. Indeed, he is a man who had always won. He will win for sure this time. The anxiety among the civilians was sedated, at least on the surface.

            As soon as Yang found out, he wanted to check the facts with Julian, so he teased, “I did not think you had talents as a spokesman.”

            “But, what I said was fact, not bluff. Isn’t that right, Sir?”

            “Hmm, that is true, this time,” Yang said. It seemed to the boy that a cloud surfaced between his protector’s eyebrows. “And I wish it is true in the future as well…”

            When Julian went out to practice piloting the single-seat Spartanian battlecraft, Yang called over Commodore Schönkopf.

            Yang had made the decision to divide the fleet under his command into a high-speed division under his own command, and a logistical support division that was centered on supply replenishment and defensive firepower, and he had been contemplating which side Schönkopf should be assigned to. After consulting with Schönkopf, he eventually decided to keep Schönkopf on staff at his side.

            After consulting Schönkopf, he asked about Julian, because Schönkopf was also Julian’s shooting and hand-to-hand combat instructor.

            “As a stand-alone warrior, he is doing splendidly. I would say he is doing exceptionally well compared to you, Sir,” Schönkopf replied unrestrainedly. “But, that is not what you had hoped for Julian?”

            Yang only answered half of the question, “Although humans have finite capacity, it is nevertheless possible use their limited abilities to alter destiny. Julian should alter his destiny as much as he is able to. While that may not actually be the case, I want him to have that possibility.”

            “What about you?”

            “It is not possible for me. I am involved too deeply with the Free Planets Alliance. I have certain obligations to the people who pay my salary.”

            Schönkopf did not think that Yang was joking when he replied.

            “That is true. Is that why you did not want Julian to officially join the military? So that there will be no need for him to feel obligated towards the Free Planets Alliance?”

            “I have not necessarily thought that far ahead…” Yang shook his head two three times. He was not someone who could always act after extensive forethought, but others seemed to think so. Yang did not know if this was advantageous or not.

            The Alliance Fleet Joint Operations Headquarters in the capital, Heinesen, had become the National Salvation Military Council’s home base, and their executives were gathered in the basement conference room.

            “Yang Wen-li has refused to join the National Salvation Military Council.”

            When Admiral Greenhill announced this, a light murmur arose from between the attendees.

            “Then, we must fight.”

            “Let’s have Miracle Yang show his hand. Let’s see if it was rumors like I expected or actual skill,” a bullish voice sounded, in what might have been an attempt to mask his anxiety.

            Admiral Greenhill did not sing their tune of trumped up fervor.

            He did not think he could seek his daughter’s forgiveness, nor did he think she should forgive him. He acted on the basis of his belief. He must use the military to rebuild the country, or the motherland would continue to collapse to a corrupt end. If Yang could not understand that, then he had no choice but to fight. Although it was not an easy decision, his once stated intention had not been shaken.

            “Admiral Lagrange (ルグランジュ).”

            In response to his voice, a middle-aged man with angular jaw and short, platinum blond hair stood up.

            “You will lead the 11^th Fleet. Deploy to Iserlohn and engage Yang.”

            “Yes Sir, but what about your daughter?”

            It was a well-known fact that Frederica Greenhill was Yang’s adjutant.

            “That is not a problem,” Greenhill replied forcefully, with a suppressed tone.

            “I gave up on my daughter the moment I made this plan. Besides, I presume that Yang had already released her from her post and has her under house arrest in Iserlohn now. There is no need to consider her.”

            “Understood. Then, as always, let’s see if Yang gets killed or if he surrenders.”

            The 11^th Fleet was one of the few intact fleets in the Alliance Space Fleet. It had joined the coup, and now, with its mighty force intact, it would attempt to block Yang’s path of advancement.

            On April 20^th, Yang appointed Cazerne as the acting fortress commander, and ordered the entire fleet to deploy. When asked about the destination, he answered, “Ultimately, Heinesen.”