Chapter 16: Tactical Analysis (No Help From Friend)
I looked down at the files strewn on the table, the names of certain units popping out to me while other things flew over my head. I assumed that they were locations or tactics or something, but I had no way to know for sure.
"You're gonna get slaughtered, Midget," a perpetual annoyance stated looking over the map.
We were seated in an amphitheatre sized room, eight of us circling a large table that had seats sized appropriately for all of us. I was seated with the Gravity Ball on one side and the Colony Maker on the other, while Raging Form occupied an entire side of the table by himself. Across from those of us who are definitively Link Joker, sat the tacticians of the Royal, Shadow, and Gold Paladin clans, Marron and Charon. And the final two were the leaders of the Jewel Knights, Ashlei and Salome.
Without looking up from my study of the files, I weakly slapped the back of the cyber dragon's head, "Rude. At least explain why their plan wouldn't work. Also, explain for the rest of us, as I've no idea as to why it wouldn't work."
He side-eyed me before deciding to completely not answer. "Question: What does that scrap-heap you call a brain remember about Nebula Lord Dragon?" The smug was palpable.
I paused for a moment, thinking on what I could recall of the unit. After a moment I replied, "A cyber dragon, he is one of the current ringers as it were among the Star-vader forces. And then there's that quote of his about showing mercy to those in despair. Other than that… he can draw power from the Locks around him to empower himself and his allies."
The answer seemed unsatisfactory to the others at the table, but all I could do was shrug, "He never really stuck out, especially when compared to the other leaders."
The cyber dragon sighed. "Of all the… Okay… For the babies among us… Nebula Lord Dragon is the commander in charge of pacifying both Dragon Empire and Dark Zone. In other words, we're going up against his strategies. Worse, we're going up against him in a fortified position. He's an efficiency monster. His tactics revolve around getting the most enemies down for the cost, three enemies for a production unit. ten Platoons for a body. There is nothing he won't sacrifice if he thinks that in taking it his foes lose something much more valuable. The best way to take him out is before he can settle in, which isn't an option. Now also remember that most of the expedition is Shadow Paladins. You know, the people who sacrifice their own allies. Even if Midget here comes up with a perfect battle strategy, it's going to be a slog for every meter of dirt and at minimum 70% of the forces that I've seen are going to be dead before we hit any objective. Does he stand out now?"
"Wow, calm your non-mammalian mammaries, we already have Soul Saver Dragon making everyone confused." I shot back, gritting my teeth as I consider those facts. If that really was how Nebula Lord was, then it really was an uphill battle.
Rather than suggest anything serious, I decided to lighten the mood, "Any chance that he'd bring you into his base if you put on an act of having gotten away?"
"No." The reply was spat out with grinding teeth. "I'm already dead to them."
"Bugger, well there goes the suicide bomber idea," I shrug in obvious jest. Looking back across the table, I nod to the tacticians, "Any plans that you think can get past that sort of defense?"
"Not without a good knowledge of where to expect our foes," Charon replied voice and face utterly serene, as if nothing that was being discussed here was new news.
"Easy," The cyber dragon sighed. "Just figure out where an ambush would be most effective if you don't see it coming, but where it can easily turn into an advantageous position even if it is discovered. Then add a couple fallback positions not too far away for where the rest of the forces would launch from in case of ambush but would be able to retreat away if either they or the scout force is prematurely discovered." He looked over the map and poked three different locations. "Here, here and here. Those are the biggest ones along your planned route. There will probably be some patrols as well but even I can't clock his forces down to the microsecond."
"I see," Frowning at the map from her own position, Ashlei murmured as she studied the points and tapped one of them. "In that case, the Jewel Knights can at least provide the bulk of forces headed for this point. Charon, Marron, is that alright or do you have some objection to it?"
"Yes," the Shadow Paladin stated with confidence. "Salome, as you are perhaps the most veteran members of the First Army, your experience is needed here defending our own borders. It wouldn't do to secure Amon's loyalty only to find that our country has fallen. Why then he would probably turn on us then and there," the miniature giant chuckled at the bleek image.
"Then the problem remains," Raging Form quietly rumbled.
"Oh, I think I can figure something out," Charon assured his fellow paladin.
Marron in a flash of understanding blinked and glared sourly at Charon. "That is simply cruel."
"The word you are looking for that describes them is crude, my dear," Charon rejoined and even Raging Form snorted as he realized what Charon had in mind. "But they are effective… For brutes."
Looking between the pair, I spoke up, "And for those of us not in the know?"
The tactician of the Shadow Paladins chuckled, "Quite simply, I intend to use the animosity some brain dead buffoons have with my superiors to our advantage. When they hear that we intend to be in…" He looked over the map before pointing to one of the cities near to one of the ambush sites, "Barsaive, they will mobilize to attack. And well… They'll run into the invaders long before they would meet us."
"Alright, so, you're baiting some people into being meatshields for us, but the question of who remains," I grouse, staring at the young looking man.
"You know our Vanguard's world far better than we. Who was it that always is after our Vanguard, Ren, again? Kiko Yahami or something like that? Suffice it to say his bonded Units in our world are just as predictable and boneheaded."
I blink, taking a few moments, "That Yahagi kid? He uses… Well, he's switched a bit, but if I recall correctly that would mean the Spike Brothers. Not to disparage you in anyway, but are you sure they'll be good for this? Or that they won't survive and then turn around and attack us?"
"They're far too loud. We'd hear them from a mountain range away and that's assuming they are trying to be stealthy. And once their blood gets boiling, they can't stop themselves. All we really have to do is wait for them to get into a fight with the Star-vaders or the lost Craians they have under their influence," Charon assured me. "As an added bonus, they are local and native to Dark Zone so they're easy to mobilize and they have plenty of reserves. An excellent solution to a man who plans on wearing us down through numbers."
"And given their own skill at deployment tactics, and reinforcing rushes, they're the sort who are best for sending at entrenched positions…" Or at least, that's what I assumed. I've never had a head for tactics, so I could be wrong.
Marron was still frowning and clenching his hand. "It doesn't feel right... Using them like this."
Looking at the giant, I cocked an eyebrow, "Well, 'can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs' would be the most appropriate phrase here. Or 'skulls' in this case, I guess."
The Gold Paladin stared at me in disgust for a moment before shaking his head, even as his counterpart chuckled darkly. "I might understand, but that doesn't make it right."
"And that, dear Marron, is why you are tactician for the First and Second Armies," Charon stated calmly. "You and your methods represent the ideals the United Sanctuary wishes to showcase. A world it wishes to bring to existence. We of the Third Army exist because sometimes the reality does not work out perfectly. It is our sin, and our penance."
Rolling my head back, I consider the plan. It accounts for a single point, though it does present us with a decent force at least. Still, I have to ask, "And you think that you can lure them out to attack all three points? Or do you intend to just hit them one after the other?"
"Down to 50% casualty rate depending on the execution," the Gravity Ball unit muttered eyes darting over the map. "With Shadow Paladins casualties are always a bit up there… but it's a decent option. Nebula would have to deal with the Spike Brothers, which would draw on the forces from all around the area. Some from the initial reinforcement point and some from the latter one as well. Add that they've been identified so the ambush would be minimally effective... That creates a weak point that we'd already be in position to exploit. He'll see through it in about five minutes, but the possibility of another coordinated assault from say Dragon Empire will keep him from being able to commit completely to defense. It will hurt, but it's not going to end in only one out of ten reaching the United Sanctuary border when we're done."
"Then, how can we ensure anything from the Dragon Empire?" I asked looking between the more experienced members among us.
"We don't," Marron states calmly. "Simply the threat that it might happen is more effective than any actual attack that the Empire could muster in conjunction with us at this point. In essence, we're going to use that efficiency he prides himself on against him. He might in theory wipe out 30% more or even all of our force if he commits to attacking this expedition fully. But if he does and the Dragon Empire does launches their own offensive at nearly the same time, he will lose much more of his defenses, crippling him. If he chooses to send a moderate response against our forces then we will fair much better, but if Dragon Empire did attack he would be much better protected and able to fend both off. In other words, it is much more risky for someone in his position to attack our expedition force with all his might."
There is a gleam in Charon's eye as he continues where they other giant leaves off. "Especially since we aren't limited to never telling Dragon Empire about our assault. If we see him over-committing we can call in the Empire which would deal massive damage to the Invasion on our continent even if it means that the expedition forces would be all but wiped out."
"So, we maybe lure in the Dragon Empires forces, that still leaves one point uncovered… Or are you saving that one for us?" I respond, with confusion scrawled my features.
"It would be foolish to assume that we would never fight," Ashlei states.
"I never assumed anything, who's all going?" I look between the group, hoping to anything that they'll not say just us.
"You are quite unsure what you did to affect the Narukami, correct?" Charon asked me directly.
I shrugged, no matter what anyone said, I couldn't be sure. It all felt like a dream after I ranted at Vowing, and the encounter in that weird dreamscape was odd as could be. In the end, I shook my head, "I don't know. As much as I'd like to say yes, the only thing I can say for sure is that when I ranted at him I got through to him."
The tiny tactician clicked his tongue as he considered that, annoyance alighting his eyes as he turned back to the maps. His gaze turned up to the me and the Colony Maker and declared, "So it's something that might happen but not something we can plan on. That will make the fact that we are almost assured to encounter Luquier more difficult." Then he shook his head and waved to the two of us, "Go take a break, you two aren't much help right now anyways. Leave the pipsqueak though, he seems to know what he's talking about."
I couldn't help the look that crossed my face at that.
I could go for a good while without seeing Luquier again.
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I put my head in my hands as I watched the lot of them talk about their plans, the Colony Maker sitting quietly next me, a bottle of water in her hands.
Food and drinks had been provided to us, though I'm not sure if they expected the Colony Maker and I to eat, given our… physiologies.
Still, I nursed a cup of what was essentially Cray's version of coffee as I considered how useless I felt at the moment. I was just a normal person before I got dragged into all of this, and they acted like I should have known how to move an army and plan out tactics.
It… I don't want to say it wasn't fair, but I'd admitted to being just a normal person before this whole mess started up. How can they expect me to be able to keep up with them at the level they're going at?
I slugged back the coffee and crumpled the cup in my hand, it was all so much easier when this was just a card game…
I considered the way it would play out mentally if we were talking about the game itself. Honestly, the Spike Brothers were like the Bermuda Triangle and the Shadow Paladins, they had a good offensive game against the Link Joker, but could be caught up in the Star-vaders' cage if they weren't careful.
From the perspective of the game, the plan had a fair chance, but… this isn't a game. Not for me, not since I woke up in Star Gate.
I let my head hang down and sighed.
It all circled back to there, didn't it?
A foreigner, in a foreign place, in someone else's body.
I barked out a laugh, and mumbled quietly, "Me and that dragon have a bit in common, don't we?"
"Oh, I don't know," A far too cheerful and familiar voice said from behind me. "You have motivations I can understand. So you we can trust."
I looked up and see Junos standing beside me, his armour and cape resplendent even in this gloomy room. I sighed and shook my head, "If you think I'm talking about the Gravity Ball, you're a fair bit off the mark. Me and him are definitely different."
At his puzzled look, I grimace, "Don't worry about it, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually."
Soon enough, Dragruler Phantom's true being would come to light, though I dunno if Junos would figure out that I was referencing him when it comes up.
