Updates will be less frequent from now, since I've just started working. Sadly, I have very little time to write now, compared to when I was still studying. And I've not had the time to look through this chapter. I apologize in advance if there are any grammatical errors or the like.
Chapter Six
August 30th U.C. 798, I.C. 489
Odin, Ministry of War, Conference Room
Today, Kircheis was not standing at his usual position besides Reinhard's high backed leather chair. Instead, he had a seat of his own at the long conference table where all the High Admirals and Admirals sat, opposite Oberstein, and besides Mittermeyer. He was not here in his role as adjutant today; Rear Admiral Streit stood in his place. No, he was here today as a Fleet Admiral of the Imperial Armed Forces.
Kircheis listened attentively as the rest of the Admirals debated over Reinhard's ideas, even as he kept quiet. He had given his feedback to Reinhard the night before, at Schwarz Manor, where he was still living with Reinhard because the latter could not stand the thought of Kircheis moving out. Much to Kircheis' bittersweet contentment, Reinhard's plan had enjoyed tremendous popular support from the citizens of the Empire. Fearful of and aghast at the remnants of the high nobles' attempts to once more take away the beneficial reforms that they had received at Reinhard's hand, many able-bodied young men flocked to recruitment offices to join the military. Reinhard's enemies and the citizens' enemies were one. Kircheis should have been overjoyed at this sign of his friend's growing power and influence, but it was tempered by the fact that it had come about via shady political dealings.
So now, Kircheis watched and listened as Reinhard passionately revealed his plan to invade the Alliance via the Phezzan Corridor whilst feinting an attack at the Iserlohn Corridor. It was a sound strategic plan that Kircheis felt was the best that their side could come up with, given the constraints of Yang Wen-li being stationed at Iserlohn Fortress.
"Will it indeed go that well?" Reuenthal asked in a strange tone of voice. Asking that question under such conditions…it was a bold question…that almost verged on insolence. Kircheis noted that next to him, Mittermeyer tensed up. Luckily, Reinhard defused the subtle tension with his charismatic, sharp-edged smile that even his enemies could not find fault with. "I want to make it go well."
"What will be the name of the operation?" Muller asked, effectively dispelling the strangely disquieting moment. Kircheis nodded mentally. For all his youth, Muller was a tactful and sensitive person.
"The name of the operation…" Reinhard combed his hand through his golden locks before replying in his musical voice. "Ragnarok." In the legends, Ragnarok was the day of reckoning between the gods and the titans, which ended with the defeat of the gods. Twilight of the gods… Kircheis could feel a shiver of excitement course through his spine at that word. It had nothing to do with his feelings on the plan and everything to do with the very core of his being a military officer. And Kircheis doubted that he was the only one who felt it. The excitement building in the room ran through the veins of all the military officers – experienced, battle-hardened warriors all – present and roused their bravery and spirit like nothing else could. The opportunity to participate in the battle to end all battles…
Bittenfeld, the very embodiment of a brave and always-charging warrior, rose and cried out, "Your Excellency! Grant my Black Lancers the honour of being at the head of the formation!"
Not to be outdone, Muller too rose, and with all his youthful spirit, offered passionately, "Give my fleet the chance to participate!"
"Your Excellency, my fleet!" Farenheit, almost as aggressive as Bittenfeld in his tactics, jumped up to suggest. In that moment, every officer in the room fell in behind Reinhard. They thirsted for the chance to participate in this large-scale, ferocious and unprecedented battle; to leave their names in history. It was every single soldier's dream come true.
And as Kircheis sat there, quietly, before his leader and friend, and amidst his fellow warriors and comrade, he felt a sense of belonging, to the Imperial Armed Forces, that he had never felt before. It's because of Lord Reinhard. He's the nucleus that holds everyone together.
October 8th, U.C. 798, I.C. 489
Odin, Ministry of War, Meeting Hall
Again, Kircheis was standing with the rest of the admirals, hands behind his back in a posture of parade rest, facing Reinhard. Today was the day when personnel assignments for Operation Ragnarok would be announced. Even though Kircheis had already known all the details, since Reinhard and him had spent the past few months going through every single one of those details.
"First of all, we'll send a large fleet towards the Iserlohn Corridor," Reinhard announced. "The commander of the Iserlohn bound fleet will be Kircheis." Kircheis inclined his head in acknowledgement when his name was called. He would do his best, as he always did, to conquer Iserlohn in Reinhard's name.
"As second-in-command, Admirals Wahlen and Lutz," Reinhard continued. They had both worked well with Kircheis before, so Reinhard had assigned them to his friend again. "In addition, Geiersbrug Fortress, under the command of Admiral Kempf, will work with Kircheis to coordinate the attack. This movement will focus everyone's attention on Iserlohn. Taking advantage of that opening, we'll dominate the Phezzan Corridor in one blow and invade Alliance territory. I'll entrust that vanguard to you, Mittermeyer. The second formation, Admiral Muller." Mittermeyer and Muller nodded.
"I'll command the third force personally," Reinhard then stated. "I'll place the fleets led by Admirals Artringen, Brauhitz, Karnap, Gruneman and Turneisen under my direct command." Kircheis knew that aboard the flagship Brunhilde would be Chief of Staff Oberstein, Chief of Personnel Guards, Captain Kissling, Vice Chief Adjutant, Rear Admiral Streit and Adjutant, Lieutenant Lucke. Technically, as Chief Adjutant, Kircheis should be onboard Brunhilde too, but this time, his talents were needed elsewhere. That was the reason why Reinhard had hired Streit and Lucke in the first place – to stand in for Kircheis. In addition, Hildegarde von Mariendorf would also be travelling in her capacity as Secretary on board the ship.
"The fourth force, Admiral Steinmetz. The fifth force, Reuenthal." Kircheis knew that Reinhard had assigned the rear guard to Reuenthal because on the chance that after the Imperial Fleet invaded Alliance territory, the Phezzan Corridor became sealed, the fourth force would reverse and prevent this. And the fifth force, which went last, would have the heavy responsibility of connecting the Phezzan Corridor and Imperial territory. Furthermore, Bittenfeld and Adalbert von Fahrenheit's fleet would be standing by in reserve. Strong in offensive maneuvers, when the time came to deliver the death blow to Alliance forces, they would probably carry out important functions.
"I order Admiral Eisenach to support the Iserlohn fleet. Admiral Kesler will be Capital Defense Commander and Admiral Mecklinger will be in charge of rear support. Both will remain behind on Odin. The start of the operation is waiting for the departure of the Iserlohn fleet led by Kircheis. The date has been decided as Imperial Calender November 5th." And that was the end of that briefing.
October 13th, U.C. 798, I.C. 489
Odin, Schwarz Manor
When Kircheis finally returned to the manor after a long day, the maid, Karen, who greeted him at the entrance said that Reinhard was waiting for him in the dining room. Kircheis paused at that, slightly bewildered. It was already past nine. Surely Reinhard would have eaten by now?
When Kircheis entered the dining room, he saw Reinhard seated at the head of the table, waiting. "You're late, Kircheis. Sit." Then, Reinhard pointedly asked Karen to serve their dinner, before lapsing into a cool silence. Lord Reinhard…don't tell me…you've been waiting for me to come back for dinner? Kircheis was touched at Reinhard's gesture, but also worried about his friend's health.
After the announcement that Kircheis would be leading a fleet to Iserlohn came out, all of a sudden, Kircheis' workload exponentially increased, since he had to start preparing for the launch. As a result, these past days, by the time Kircheis returned to Schwarz Manor, it was usually around nine or ten o'clock, way past dinner time. He had not had the chance to dine with Reinhard for days. Usually, Reinhard and Kircheis shared breakfast and dinner together daily; Reinhard lunched with Hildegarde, although on occasion, Kircheis had joined them at Reinhard's invitation.
"Lord Reinhard," Kircheis said to his friend softly. "You haven't eaten?" Reinhard was toying with the empty wine glass in his hand disinterestedly, even as his icy-blue eyes gazed accusingly at Kircheis. "I wasn't hungry." He stated challengingly. Kircheis smiled at Reinhard's somewhat childish display of temper. Oh dear, Lord Reinhard must be angry that I haven't joined him for dinner for three days. Another person would have pointed out that he had been busy with work, work that Reinhard had given him in fact, but as usual, Kircheis accepted Reinhard's unfair wrath with his warm smile. Truth be told, Kircheis was glad that Reinhard still acted like a spoilt child with him, despite the change in the latter's status and power. One day, not far in the future, Lord Reinhard will sit on the Imperial throne. When that day comes, will he still remain unchanged?
As Karen entered with platters of food, Kircheis said, "Well, I'm starving, Lord Reinhard. Thank you for waiting for me. And please forgive me for my absence these few days, Lord Reinhard." Kircheis ended with a patient smile. He wasn't afraid of Karen overhearing their conversation, for he had had personally done a series of stringent background checks of all the staff members once he had recovered from his injury. He had transferred away all those who did not possess three qualities; discretion, loyalty and competence. Even though he knew that the staff had already gone through one round of selection prior to being hired, Kircheis was not taking any chances with his friend's safety. Indeed, much to Reinhard's amusement, he had done the same with the Prime Minister's Personal Guard, even going as far as to test Captain Kissling's hand-to-hand combat and marksmanship. Of course, news of Kircheis' actions had quickly spread among the other admirals, who had teasingly praised him for his zealous loyalty to their liege lord. Although Kircheis was aware that the Oberstein had watched him with wary eyes...he could only shake his head at the man's suspicious nature. Even if the worst were to happen, even if Lord Reinhard did become a second Rudolph...Kircheis knew that he would never ever lift a finger in rebellion against Reinhard.
"Who said I was waiting for you?" Reinhard retorted, then reached out and tugged at Kircheis' red curls. Kircheis endured the playful gesture with his usual smile. As usual, when Reinhard realized that he was acting like a spoilt child, he humphed and changed the subject. As Kircheis took a bite of his potatoes, he basked in the warmth that Reinhard had brought to his heart with his simple gesture. He resolved to schedule his work around dinner for the next few days…perhaps Reinhard and him could have dinner at the Ministry of War instead? That way, he could continue working after dinner, and Reinhard would not be angry at him for missing dinner.
October 20th, U.C. 798, I.C. 489
Odin, Annerose's cottage
Kircheis watched as Reinhard claimed that he needed fresh air, then left the cottage, leaving only Annerose and him in the room. Mentally sighing, he knew that Reinhard had only done so in order for Annerose and him to have a private conversation. As much as he was grateful to Reinhard for his thoughtfulness, he did not exactly know what to say to fill the awkward silence. Since Reinhard had discerned his feelings, Kircheis knew that it was probably apparent to Annerose too. And the fact that she had not said anything meant that she probably did not want to act upon it?
Annerose broke the silence by saying softly, "Sieg, both of you…please come home safely." Kircheis turned to stare at the golden-haired woman sitting on the sofa by the fire. They had informed her of their impending foray into Alliance territory, and as always upon hearing news of them going off to fight, her eyes were filled with worry. But this time, this time, there was something different about her words. Usually, she'd ask Kircheis to take care of Reinhard, but this time, it appeared that…she valued both of their safety equally.
Kircheis exhaled and smiled. "Please don't worry, Lady Annerose. We will take care of ourselves." Then they fell into silence.
Kircheis had always known that Reinhard came first to Annerose, and would always come first. He knew that Annerose saw Reinhard not only as her beloved litte brother, but also as the child that she brought up as a mother would bring up her child. Such a bond would naturally rank above all other bonds that she formed in her lifetime, and Kircheis had accepted that. Was it possible though, that slowly, she was beginning to value him as much as she did Reinhard?
It was not something that Kircheis was in a hurry to confirm. He could wait, with infinite patience, for their relationship to develop. Even so, there were many other things that he had to consider, Reinhard's feelings, first and foremost. He knew that Reinhard felt extremely possessive towards him. If Annerose and him developed their relationship to its logical conclusion…Marrying his best friend's elder sister…Kircheis shuddered to think of how hurt Reinhard would be at that. Even though he knew his best friend would support the marriage wholeheartedly, he knew that it would cause Reinhard great emotional harm. And then, there were the political factors to consider. As elder sister of Reinhard von Lohengramm, Annerose's marriage could destabilize Reinhard's reign, especially if Reinhard had yet to produce an heir…
All in all, it was not something that could be rushed. Smiling, Kircheis stood and headed for the door. "I will find Lord Reinhard, Lady Annerose." It was best, at this time, that he did not spend too much time alone with Annerose.
November 18th, U.C. 798, I.C. 489
Iserlohn Corridor, Flagship Barbarossa, Bridge
"We've detected an enemy ship. Shall we pursue?" Rear Admiral Bergengrun, Chief-of-Staff for Kircheis' fleet, asked. Kircheis shook his head with a smile. "There's no need. We should let them spread rumours of our fleet's approach as widely as possible. Our enemy is not a lone battleship. It's Admiral Yang Wen-li and the Iserlohn Fortress. We should muster our fighting spirit against the greater enemy."
"Yes, sir." Bergengrun bowed his head. Kircheis nodded back. His subordinate's attitude was markedly different compared to the first time he had been assigned to Kircheis. Kircheis recalled with some humour, that the first time he had met Bergengrun, back when he had been commanded to put down the Kastrop rebellion, the latter had been carrying a bottle of wine and drinking heavily because he had not believed in Kircheis' ability as a commander. Now, two years later, Kircheis could not ask for a better subordinate.
Kircheis turned his attention back to the impending battle. Let's see…he had a fleet of roughly fifty thousand ships with him…and the aid of Geiersberg Fortress. The objective: to occupy the Yang Fleet while Reinhard attacked the Alliance's main force, or to recapture Iserlohn Fortress if the Yang Fleet left the fortress.
November 20th, U.C. 798, I.C. 489
Iserlohn Corridor, Flagship Barbarossa, Bridge
Coming into view of the metallic behemoth that was Iserlohn Fortress, Kircheis gave the order to fire the first shots. The artillery from thousands of ships tore through space in streams of white light. However, they did not so much as make a ripple against the shiny liquid metal that Iserlohn Fortress appeared to be composed of.
That was fine by Kircheis. This frontal attack was not intended as anything more than a diversion in any case. With Yang Wen-li's intellect, Kircheis knew that all the Imperial forces had to do was to make it seem that they were a serious force to be reckoned with even if the Yang Fleet planned to pull out to fall back to defend Heinessen. In the meantime, Kircheis had to buy time for the slower Geiersberg Fortress, affixed with twelve warp drives, to make its way to the Iserlohn Corridor.
Howeve, even in the case of a diversion, Kircheis had given his all in arranging his fleet, in the best azimuth and depth for this attack. "Rear Admiral. Please inform Admiral Lutz to take a half-enveloping formation according to the prearranged plan."
"Yes sir." Bergengrun replied and left to carried out his orders. Kircheis' plan was to deploy Lutz' fleet at the edge of the Iserlohn Fortress' guns, then lure out the Alliance by threatening to stick to the guns' dead angle from the front.
As expected, the Alliance's fleet launched. Kircheis watched with satisfaction as Lutz gave the order for his fleet to advance rapidly, forcing an intermingling of green-painted Alliance ships and dark grey Imperial ships. This was to ensure that the Alliance fleet could not fire for fear of hitting friendly ships. With this technique, the Imperial fleet would then be able to get close to Iserlohn Fortress without worrying about the Thor Hammer, a huge canon beam that could decimate an entire fleet all on its own.
In the normal course of things, it would then turn into a war of attrition, with both sides sending out reinforcements to the main battle area. However, Kircheis was cautious. Yang Wen-li wasn't known as Magician Yang for nothing.
"Enemy reinforcements have come out," Bergengrun announced sometime later.
Kircheis nodded. "Let's send in Wahlen's fleet then." Then, he spotted something that sent a fissure of excitement through him. "Rear Admiral. Identify that ship please."
"Confirm ship type!" Bergengrun conveyed Kircheis' orders.
"Ship type collated. Battleship Hyperion!" Came the excited reply from the communications officer.
"The Hyperion is it? Isn't that Yang Wen-li's flagship?" Bergengrun's eyes were wide as he exclaimed.
Kircheis forced himself to think calmly. He had met Yang Wen-li once before, during the prisoner-of-war exchange. Yang Wen-li had not seemed like the type of fierce commander who would lead a fleet into battle in such circumstances. Shouldn't he be in Iserlohn Fortress, commanding the battle from a vantage point where he could see the larger picture? There was no tactical advantage for Yang Wen-li to be out here. It was not like Alliance forces were in danger of immediate defeat, and hence needed the morale boost of having their commander out on the very foremost frontline. Could it be a trap of some kind?
In any case, there was no reason for Kircheis to be drawn into an all-out battle, even if it would give him a chance to kill the enemy's fleet commander. "We'll stick to our plan. Rear Admiral, send in Wahlen's fleet."
"Yes, sir." Bergengrun replied. Was that a hint of relief Kircheis saw in Bergengrun's eyes? Kircheis smiled to himself. He had acted as the calm advisor to Reinhard for most of his military career; he did not need anyone to warn him of the dangers of swallowing what looked like extremely tasty bait.
Little did Kircheis know that by not taking the bait, his flagship Barbarossa remained in the middle of a stationary fleet. As a result, he had deprived a nearby Alliance assault-landing ship, containing the infamous melee infantry forces of the Rosenritter, of the opening it required to latch on to the flagship.
November 24th, U.C. 798, I.C. 489
Iserlohn Corridor, Flagship Barbarossa, Bridge
Kircheis watched as Geiersberg Fortress warped out a distance away from behind his fleet. Even expecting it, he had to admit that it was a sight to behold. For a fleeting moment, he wondered about Yang Wen-li's reaction to the sudden appearance of the Fortress, then cleared his head. What he needed to do was to convey his plan to Admiral Kempf, and to convince him to act accordingly.
A few hours later, Kircheis watched calmly as Kempf stared disbelievingly at him. "You want to smash Geiersberg into Iserlohn Fortress?!" Besides him, even Wahlen and Lutz, who had halted the attack on Iserlohn temporarily in order to regroup their forces, appeared stunned.
"The objective is to occupy the Yang Fleet, or to recapture Iserlohn Fortress. However, neutralizing the Fortress would also take out some of the enemy fleet, and they would have no choice but to retreat to Alliance territory. Iserlohn Fortress can always be repaired or rebuilt later on. This is the least costly way, in terms of human lives." Kircheis explained his reasoning. Wahlen and Lutz looked convinced, but Kempf still looked stubbornly mulish. Nevertheless, he remained silent as Kircheis continued.
"Admiral Kempf, I'd like you to organize the withdrawal of all personnel in Geiersberg Fortress, and set the course for it to smash into the Iserlohn Fortress at this angle. Admirals Wahlen and Lutz, please provide the distraction required to keep the enemy busy, so that they are unable to disable Geiersberg Fortress in time."
Wahlen raised his eyebrows at that. "Excuse me, Fleet Admiral, but what do you mean by disable Geiersberg Fortress?"
Kircheis smiled at that. "If the enemy fleet concentrates its firepower, it could quite possibly disable Geiersberg engines, and perhaps even cause an explosion. Defense wise, Geiersberg is not quite on par with Iserlohn Fortress. In any case, it is likely that Admiral Yang Wen-li would do his best to prevent the clash of the two fortresses. However, he would not be able to do that without sacrificing a significant portion of his fleet."
Glancing at his two second-in-commands, Kircheis added. "Please do not worry, Admirals. I have already sent a message back to the capital, requesting aid from Prince Lohengramm. The second part of Operation Ragnarok will proceed as planned. Are there any other questions?"
Wahlen and Lutz shook their heads as they saluted and left the bridge. Once outside, they exchanged glances and amused smiles. Kircheis had to be one of the most understanding, patient and polite commanding officers that they had ever served under. His use of formal speech with his subordinates, while not unprecedented, was surprising, and his encouragement of his subordinates voicing their doubts and questions even more so. Were they not on the battlefield, Wahlen felt like it would have been just like attending military school all over again, with an especially kind and patient instructor teaching him this time. Wahlen stifled a smile. Perhaps that was why a stubborn and unyielding old-school officer like Kempf could not appreciate Kircheis.
November 27th, U.C. 798, I.C. 489
Iserlohn Corridor, Flagship Barbarossa, Bridge
Kircheis watched carefully as the fleet under his direct command deployed at the edge of the Thor Hammer's range. They were intended to serve as distraction, and a warning, poised to head either left or right. At the edges of the corridor, on one side, Admiral Kempf was slowly but surely commanding the Geiersberg Fortress to head for Iserlohn Fortress, barely out of range of the Thor Hammer. Lutz's fleet was guarding Geiersberg as much as it could, from the top and bottom of the Fortress, poised for a quick withdrawal. On the other, Wahlen was leading his fleet into what looked to be a pitched battle.
A few hours later, the battlefield had turned into fierce melee battle on both sides of the corridor. A part of the Alliance's fleet, about ten thousand ships in total, had launched towards the Geiersberg Fortress. Kircheis nodded to himself. This was the expected attack that would target Geiersberg's engines. He watched for a moment, noting that Lutz was holding his own, although it was a fierce and protracted battle.
Then, Bergengrun stated, "Your Excellency, the enemy has begun its withdrawal from Iserlohn!" Kircheis answered with a nod. "Commence harassment operations. Inform Wahlen that he is to pursue the enemy no further than Iserlohn Fortress." Kircheis was understandably wary of Yang Wen-li's tricks.
"Rear Admiral, inform Admiral Kempf that he may slow down Geiersberg's approach to Iserlohn Fortress and to concentrate fire on Alliance ships," Kircheis added as an afterthought. It appeared that there was no need for him to go through his plan to smash Geiersberg Fortress into Iserlohn Fortress after all. Yang Wen-li must have seen that it was futile to continue his resistance, and that the death toll would only be higher if Geiersberg Fortress were truly to crash into Iserlohn Fortress. The only way he could have prevented that was to disable Geiersberg Fortress' engines, however, with the majority of his fleet held up by Kircheis' spread out forces, the best he could manage was a coordinated withdrawal.
Even so, Yang Wen-li would not leave easily. This was never more apparent when the Wahlen Fleet was lured into a trap by Yang. Luckily, Kircheis had anticipated such a possibility. He calmly dispatched a rescue fleet to break the enemy's fleet encirclement in order to allow the Wahlen Fleet to retreat, then glanced at the battlefield at the Geiersberg Fortress side of the corridor. Although putting up a valiant attempt to retreat, that fleet would soon be caught in the crossfire between Geiersberg Fortress and Lutz's Fleet.
Soon, it'll end. Lord Reinhard…Kircheis thought back to when they had first heard the news of Iserlohn Fortress' fall to Alliance hands. Reinhard had told Kircheis in a confident tone, "We'll take it back from them, Kircheis, with our own hands." Always so confident….and always right. Soon, Lord Reinhard, soon, I'll lay Iserlohn Fortress at your feet.
November 29th U.C. 798, I.C. 489
Odin, Ministry of War, Balcony
From his vantage point at the balcony of the Ministry of War, Reinhard watched as the fleets involved in the second part of Operation Ragnarok, led by Reuenthal and Mittermeyer, take off into space. The launch was, truth be told, earlier than anticipated, because Kircheis' request for additional forces had came to Reinhard earlier than expected. Reinhard shook his head fondly. Were it any other officer on the frontline, even if it were part of the plan, it would have rankled their pride to ask for aid so early on in the battle, and the missive would have undoubtedly reached Odin much later. Yet Kircheis must have known how eager Reinhard was to launch the other fleets, and of course, placed that above his own pride and dignity. Always so gentle, Kircheis… Since they were kids, Kircheis had always done his best to give Reinhard what he wanted.
"It's started, hasn't it," Hildegarde, dressed in Imperial military uniform too, was watching the launch besides Reinhard. He appreciated her intelligence and uncanny knack for analysis. For the sake of having someone to carry out an intelligent conversation with, more often than not, Reinhard brought her along wherever he went, so that he would not feel too lonely with Kircheis currently gone from his side.
"Yes, it's the beginning of the end, Fraulein," Reinhard replied, his heart already soaring into space, even as his nerves tingled with anticipation. To be in space, at the frontlines once more… Reinhard clenched his fist around the golden locket that he always wore. Soon, we'll be on the frontlines together, Kircheis.
Iserlohn Corridor, Flagship Barbarossa, Bridge
Kircheis watched silently as the enemy fleet on the side of Geiersberg Fortress finally retreated. They had been almost decimated, caught between the crossfire of Geiersberg Fortress and Lutz's Fleet as they were. In the end, after buying enough time for the evacuation of Iserlohn Fortress, they were forced to withdraw.
Pondering silently, Kircheis could not help but admire Yang Wen-li's brilliance. Even with such odds stacked against him and Geiersberg Fortress on their side, Yang Wen-li had managed to deal a small blow to Wahlen's Fleet, and by sacrificing less than eight thousand ships, had successfully withdrawn from Iserlohn Fortress. Still, at least Kircheis would soon retake Iserlohn Fortress at minimal costs to his force.
"Rear Admiral, give Admiral Wahlen the order to retake Iserlohn Fortress, and warn him to check for bobby traps," Kircheis told Bergengrun. Trickster that he was, there was no doubt that Yang Wen-li would have some 'presents' for the arriving Imperial forces. Kircheis frowned as he considered what little he knew of the man. The one and only time they had met, Yang Wen-li had given him the impression of a mysterious man with hidden depths, beneath the laid back exterior.
December 3rd, U.C. 798, I.C. 489
Iserlohn Fortress, Command Bridge
Standing at the command post, Kircheis could not help but feel a wave of nostalgia. How many times have I been to Iserlohn Fortress with Lord Reinhard? Of course, I've only been to the command post a couple of times. He shook his head with bemusement. Had it really been seven years since the start of his military career? For five of those years, Kircheis had always accompanied Reinhard wherever he went, no matter the battle or mission. It was only recently that Kircheis had had to lead his own fleet in battle, sometimes light-years away from Reinhard. Hopefully, everything is going as planned for Lord Reinhard…Mittermeyer and Reuenthal will conquer Phezzan soon, I suppose.
Shaking his head slightly to clear his head of random thoughts, Kircheis surveyed the command post, as around him, other military officers bustled in and out, carrying out their duties. Wahlen had reported that they had barely been in the nick of time to disable the bombs that Yang Wen-li had left in Iserlohn Fortress, so even now, the other military officers were checking the Fortress thoroughly for any more surprises, on Kircheis' orders.
Kircheis frowned suddenly as a thought occurred to him. Why should the surprise be limited to physical surprises? True, Iserlohn was important because of its strategic location and physical defenses. But there were many ways to neutralize such advantages weren't there? Furrowed brows and all, Kircheis turned to Bergengrun, who was patiently waiting for more orders from his superior officer. "Rear Admiral, please order the system technicians to go through the communications and navigation systems of the Fortress with a fine comb, for even the smallest signs of tampering."
"Yes, sir," Bergengrun saluted and left, his features grim as he considered the implications. It would mean a total overhaul of the systems, but if what His Excellency Kircheis feared was true, then not sifting out the bugs would be a disaster in the making.