Area Eleven, Former Japan
Tokyo Settlement, Viceroy's Palace
March 2017 A.T.B.
Working as Viceroy of any of the Areas was undoubtedly characterized by one and the same, the difficulty of managing the subordinate staff and delegating the right people to positions where their skills could be used best. It was also necessary to supervise the area's fiscal policy, review the quality of local garrisons and stimulate the economic development of private entities. The latter was greatly facilitated due to the fairly liberal nature of the empire's economy, and a large number of wealthy nobles who were willing to invest in the local economy with the intention of achieving high enough profits. Therefore, the role of Viceroy and his administration in the matter of the economy was limited to collecting taxes, prosecuting tax offenders and ensuring that monopolies were not created, which in the long run could do more harm than good. Basically, each Viceroy had quite a bit of autonomy in managing their Area, but at the same time, the person in that position was constrained by procedures, laws, the Prime Minister, and of course the Emperor. It might seem that managing a de facto colony is something relatively simple and does not require much, apart from basic knowledge and experience in management. Unfortunately, the reality is much more different than what one might expect. This was especially the case when the Area being managed is still an unintegrated and highly unstable place. Unfortunately, that was the situation at Area Eleven, and it was even worse than anyone could have imagined. Viceroy Prince Clovis la Britannia, governor of what was once Japan and is now one of the greatest crucibles of terrorism and crime that only a living person can imagine and more than that. Of all the Areas, Eleven was at the same time the most valuable - mainly due to its large deposits of Sakuradite - but also the most unstable and requiring the most subtle approach. It was necessary to carefully balance the challenge of keeping the Area economically growing or at least stable, and the need to deal with terrorism by local militias or their criminal activities. In fact, in some cases, anti-Britannian activity and organized crime were inextricably linked, as terrorist militias had to get the money from somewhere to pay for arms, ammunition and food for their members. If someone were to assess the activities of the current Viceroy of Area Eleven, it would be a rather positive assessment, taking into account the current priorities and progress of the fight against terrorist Elevens. It is true that the number of existing anti-Britannian resistance cells was quite large and growing, but at the same time, the military, police and local OSI departments operated with literally the highest possible efficiency, while the courts or tribunals, in cases involving anyone other than full or honorary Britannian citizen, have been issuing summary judgments for several months to make the process of fighting this phenomenon much more effective. Economically, the situation was stable and new business entities were constantly being established, while the extraction, purification and distribution of Sakuradite proceeded without major obstacles. Thanks to the latter, the development of Knightmare Frames, and thus the military potential of the Empire, could progress steadily and without major obstacles. Yes, the fate of Elevens who did not apply for honorary citizenship was poor and they often lived in extreme poverty, but it was only their problem that they did not want to leave the past and move into the future, or at least that's how Clovis rationalized it all .
Nevertheless, as always, it was not enough as reports of more and more victims of terrorist attacks continued to pour in. Particularly dissatisfied with this were the representatives of the imperial court, for whom any bad news grew to the rank of apocalyptic and made them hysterical. It was true that the death toll from the recent terrorist attacks was quite high, but the statistics were still much lower than those before Clovis took over the board. It was also true that the number of resistance cells was high and increasing, but it was very often forgotten that the number of terrorists themselves had not changed significantly. Simply put, the enormous growth of terrorist organizations most often resulted either from schism within the organization and the loss of a leader that held many different people together, or as a result of internal friction. It didn't matter in principle, even the slightest, because the effect was the same, the emergence of more and more terrorist organizations. Even at this point, Prince Clovis was forced to listen to another report on recent events, all in the great and spacious office of the Viceroy. "So, this time it's stealing equipment from the military police garrison stationed here in Tokyo Settlement." The overweight but loyal and quite competent General and commander of all forces stationed in Area Eleven, Bartley Asprius, began. "One of the resistance groups was responsible for this, but we have not identified it. Regardless, however, the fact remains that a group of fifteen or twenty people successfully infiltrated and then stole the garrison's equipment, with twenty-three casualties slightly wounded." "Just that much and only slightly injured." Sitting behind the marble desk, Clovis raised an eyebrow at the news, and there was a reason for it. "So it's not a bunch of wild and dim-witted barbarians." While his comment could be identified as a moderately chauvinistic joke - and to some extent it was meant to be - there was a bit more to it than that. "Apparently, Your Highness." The obese General replied as he adjusted the monocle hanging over his right eye. It was no secret that, as a result of injuries sustained in one of the Area bombings, General Asprius suffered from partial myopia in his right eye, which was only to progress with the advancing aging process until he was completely blind. "Not only were they quite well prepared and disciplined enough to stick strictly to the plan, but they were also led by a fairly intelligent man who understood perfectly well that killing would only attract unnecessary attention." Clovis just nodded at that. "What equipment and in what quantities did the Elevens steal?"
"The report shows that there were three trucks, over a ton of ammunition and several dozen Energy Fillers." General Asprius replied, then looked again at the piece of paper with the report held in front of his nose. "In addition, they managed to steal one of the few Knightmare Frames that the gendarmerie has in stock."
"Knightmare Frame." Clovis asked in surprise, because there was a very specific reason for this, and it was the protections that had to be implemented in every combat machine of this type, regardless of the type of formation that used it. "If I'm not mistaken, each requires both a key and a unique code to activate. Isn't it, Bartley."
"You are right, Your Highness." At that moment, sweat began to slowly run down the General's face, but the firmness in his expression remained. "However, one of the pilots revealed that in an act of utter panic, he gave the enemy the key to his machine and gave away the code."
The 3rd Prince of Empire sighed and leaned back in his chair, but still remained calm and his rather short temper was far from exhausting his ability to control his behavior. His many years of perfecting his acting skills, to play scenes and situations as he felt comfortable, turned out to be completely invaluable in this particular case.
"If I am not mistaken, and I have not the slightest reason to doubt my memory. The penalty for passing on confidential information or weapons to an enemy of the state is, at best, death by firing squad." which the bald General read without much difficulty.
"There were some and quite significant mitigating circumstances in this particular case, Your Highness." he replied calmly. "First of all, the fact that this officer's wife is now heavily pregnant and the veteran's pension would not be sufficient to support the twins."
"Twins." 3rd Prince became interested in this topic, but the main reason for it were memories from the past, primarily family.
"Yes, Your Highness." Bartley nodded in response, he understood perfectly well the reason for this interest on the part of his sovereign, so he decided to get off the subject as soon as possible. "Apart from that, we are unable to identify this terrorist group, it is possible that it is new."
"Or until now this group has been operating quietly and subtly enough not to attract our attention." Clovis cited the second possibility, much more likely than the first. He might have been an artist and an art lover first and foremost, but he wouldn't have survived in that position without even the slightest bit of logical thinking or management skills. "Well, I guess Margrave Gottwald will be happy when we have another group of terrorists to destroy."
"I am of the same opinion, Your Highness." General Asprius was more than pleased to delegate a competent man to solve the case.
Both Clovis and Bartley were more than aware of the Margrave's resolute desire to destroy any form of resistance on the part of the former Japanese. In fact, the General and Viceroy understood perfectly well his great zeal, which stemmed directly from a sense of unfulfilled duty, which was more than understandable. Colonel Gottwald, not only had he failed in his duty to protect the Empress Marianne in the past, but on top of all that, he was ousted from the ranks of the vi Britannia Guards in a very tense atmosphere, as were the rest, and all because of the 'purge' carried out by Prince Lucius. In addition, the Margrave was unable to find the eldest and youngest of the children of the late Empress, who, after a long and meticulous search, were declared missing.
In fact, Viceroy suddenly had a solution to a problem that had been brought up a few minutes earlier and still hadn't been resolved.
"Bartley, you mentioned the faltering morale in our city garrisons and bases earlier. Isn't it?"
"Yes." The obese General replied, but a moment later his quite sharp mind combined the question with an earlier descent about a former member of the royal guard of the vi Britannia line. "Do you think about it, Your Highness?"
"Indeed, Bartley." The 3rd Prince nodded, then moved closer to the desk and assumed a much more than dignified pose, resolute and resolute, worthy of a Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire. "I think bringing a popular war hero - preferably from the royal family - here and engaging him in military operations, while bringing it to the attention of the local public, would undoubtedly kindle the fervor in the hearts of our brave soldiers."
General Asprius had no need to add anything else to this, for the implications were self-evident. There was no doubt who the 3rd Prince would ask for help in the near future. Although the Emperor himself, in the presence of the entire court, refused to support Clovis, it would be something completely different for this commander to act with his own initiative.
Occupied Egypt
Factory
March 2017 A.T.B.
Operation Gomorrah, although it seemed to be an extremely difficult undertaking, in practice and so far, the forces under the command of Major Peter Kowalsky and Captain Akito Hyuga quickly found out that the implementation of this plan was extremely difficult. Although initially everything seemed to go smoothly and without complications, the contact of forces under the command of Colonel Malcal made it clear to the Japanese and the Pole that the Knights of the Purple Rose deployed a much larger number of Knightmare Frames in this part of the world than it was initially considered at all attention. Despite everything, and fortunately for the pilots, finding the factory itself was not a major problem, because the structure was largely prepared to prevent discovery by air reconnaissance. However, the great gates leading inside were not so well protected, on the contrary, the metallic color was easily visible against the background of the desert bathed in sunlight. At that time, none of those assigned to storm the factory could say that the mere attempt to get inside the complex would be a huge challenge for their skills. Practically from the very beginning of the infiltration of the factory, EU soldiers were plagued by intense shelling and hostile ambushes inside the complex. It didn't matter if they were talking about regular infantry or Knightmare Frames, the Knights of the Purple Rose literally tested Delta's abilities in every possible way, costing the men led by Major Kowalsky and Captain Hyuga many lives, not to mention all those lost in the process. fighting machines. First, it was necessary to force the first line of defense, and still slowly and arduously advance deeper into the complex. Ultimately, however, and although it was not easy, the defenders were shattered and there was complete disorganization in their ranks when, during a fierce firefight in one of the warehouses, tanks with liquid Sakuradite were hit, leading to a chain reaction and destruction of the warehouse. The Delta pilots and infantrymen managed to withdraw in time, but fortunately the event cost them only a few dead and wounded, which could not be said of the defenders. As it turned out very quickly, the commander of the defenders was also present in the warehouse where the explosion took place, who did not survive the explosion and the Stormcommander piloted by him became his grave. Since then, it can be said that Delta Zero pilots began masquerading enemy personnel as ordered from higher levels of command. In fact, few who took part in this deed did it with pleasure or without the slightest remorse. They were soldiers, and a soldier was trained for roughly two things, effectively and industrially killing enemy soldiers he encountered, or capturing and securing an area. Slaughtering essentially defenseless civilians wasn't one of the things that counted as basic training. Accordingly, different pilots have dealt with the feelings that arose in them as a result of these obviously dishonorable acts in different ways. Some tried to rationalize this situation by claiming that they were eliminating enemies contributing to many deaths on their side. Others, no less numerous, claimed that they were only carrying out orders and as soldiers they were strictly obliged to carry them out. Yet another group of pilots took as an excuse narratives that ultimately they are just like guns that fire, but only after the trigger is pulled, and within such a narrative, they are not responsible for the deaths of these defenseless civilians, but their commanders. There was also quite a large group of probably objectively the most pathetic group of pilots who claimed that the enemy was responsible for this, because no measures were taken to repel such an attack. As part of this narrative, various others were indicated, such as: Prince Lucius, the commander of the local garrison, or Chief Engineer Tallgeese himself, who basically had little to do with defense and his role was strictly focused on research work or supervising the personnel subordinate to him. Meanwhile, Peter and Akito themselves, thought little about it and rather tried to focus on completing their mission, so they easily gave up any attempts to think about it, at least for the moment. Despite everything, it was clear to the duo that in the end, they would have no choice but to face their own feelings.
At this point, Peter was charging his Alexander Commander at an enemy Stormtrooper, whose pilot was unsuccessfully trying to shoot down the approaching enemy. Major Kowalsky, however, successfully maneuvered to finally approach the enemy machine and with a quick movement knock the Stormtrooper off balance, then fill the Knightmare Frame with shots from his rifle and push it away before the core, hit by one of the bullets, exploded, giving the pilot no chance to save his life. "Good job, Major." The voice of Peter's direct subordinate, Captain Hyuga, was heard over the communication channel. "Four Knightmare Frames destroyed, two pilots dead, and several times as many due to the destruction of a liquid Sakuradite storage." Akito in his Alexander Commander and four more machines of this type approached Peter's Knightmare Frame. He was accompanied by an additional three pilots, all at Alexanders Mass. Although such a small bodyguard in such a place might seem strange, it was justified by the need to disperse all forces, including infantrymen, to clean the entire complex as thoroughly as possible and to achieve all the goals that were set in this task. "Let's skip the unsubtle banter and focus on what's important right now." Peter replied with his mouth slightly raised, but at the same time aware of the need to focus on something much more important than small and insignificant exchanges full of spite. "While our infantry and other panzer infantry groups are successfully infiltrating the area, and I've received dozens of reports of personnel eliminations or isolated Knights of the Purple Rose so far, there are still several other sectors to be searched. Especially since Chief Engineer Carl Tallgeese has yet to be located and eliminated by us." Peter didn't even wait for the Captain's answer, but only directed the piloted Alexander towards another, still unexplored large gate, which undoubtedly led to another large room. So far, the pilots and infantrymen infiltrating this place have encountered highly diverse rooms. In addition to warehouses, workshops were located here, where prototypes were built. Workshops where prototype plans were defined and prepared using the highest quality graphic equipment. Assembly lines where KPR-01/S and KPR-01/SC, also known as Stormtrooper and Stormcommander, were produced. However, the aforementioned models were not all that the team of engineers and mechanics produced here for the Knights of the Purple Rose. There were still various prototypes and unidentified Knightmare Frames left on the assembly line still unfinished that will most likely never be finished given the state of the factory.
"If that's what you want, Major..." Akito replied dryly, but Peter could easily tell that the words were said with the corners of his mouth upturned, which was a definite improvement over his previously listless state. "After all, we should be done soon, considering how many sectors have already been searched and how many personnel working here have been eliminated."
Peter just nodded at his words, though he didn't seem convinced, all in spite of the simple fact that much of the complex had already been penetrated. Even more, in his wildest guesses, this complex couldn't be that big, and yet it all seemed to stretch for hundreds of meters. So, only one question crossed his mind: how could anyone be able to build something so technically advanced in such a short time?
However, the more Peter and his entourage walked deeper into the complex, the more the question seemed to be unfounded and should rather be replaced by: why only so many? For if Imperial technology dominated EU technology to such an extent, why did Prince Lucius and his men limit themselves so much? There was no logical solution to this except one that came to Peter's mind at the last moment. It could be that the Purple Prince decided to do nothing else, due to the desire to keep it all safe from the sight of his enemies inside the Holy Britannian Empire. He had quite a few enemies beyond any doubt, and solely because of the status of his mother, who was born and raised commoner. Only one, trivial and basically meaningless reason caused that the man who stood metaphorically opposite Peter and the EU had a small army of fierce enemies. On the other hand, this status guaranteed the same number of supporters, because new nobles or those more liberal and progressive could find a sensible leader in the person of Prince Lucius.
Thinking about it for a brief moment, Peter couldn't help but think about how complex and varied the world around him was. Seemingly, everything should be clear and transparent, thus without any room for nuances or understatements. In this image, everyone would live according to and in accordance with the prevailing legal and social principles that have been developed by all previous generations. Seemingly, everything should be so clear that man, as the greatest achievement of centuries of evolution, should easily comply with all prohibitions, orders or regulations, regardless of anything. Inspired by such a train of thought, everyone should humbly accept the place that was given to them by being born in such and no other environment, social class, family, country. And yet, despite this, people constantly and constantly strive for change, for something that will change their lives, or sometimes knowingly or not doom themselves to the deterioration of their own situation. In fact, the reality that the Colonel observed on a daily basis seemed to indicate that the more the human race evolved, the more its representatives began to act illogically and without submitting to any natural patterns.
Peter was snapped out of his thoughts about man and his role in society as a result of the strong and omnipresent sound of the gates opening. He and the other four pilots immediately pushed their planes into defensive positions. However, when it turned out that the next room was shrouded in darkness, then all five became concerned, but given the current mission and its priorities, they had no choice but to move forward.
They immediately activated small searchlights mounted on the heads of their machines, which were supposed to better allow them to see what they were dealing with. Very quickly their attention was drawn to the fact that this room - although not as vast as the previous one - was still quite large and made in a similar style, metal was ubiquitous, while quite massive vaults supported the ceiling, and the only ones possible to encounter ornaments was either the flag of the empire or the coat of arms of the Knights of the Purple Rose. As they moved forward, the pilots and Peter noticed two scaffolds on opposite sides, each with three Knightamre Frames, but very different from anything Delta pilots had encountered before. These machines seemed to be - at least to some extent - a cross between the Sutherland and the Tallgeese, although definitely more graceful and streamlined armor shapes. As a basic loadout, Knightmare Frames each carried one large assault rifle.
"What is this?" One of the accompanying pilots asked at one point, and there was a clear note of anxiety in his voice, and it was hardly surprising, considering the situation. "All these Knightmares don't even have cockpits for pilots, so how are they supposed to be piloted?"
A close-up of the camera was enough to confirm this revelation. Basically, there were two possible explanations. Either the cockpits simply weren't fitted to these particular prototypes, or they weren't needed at all.
"I'd like to know that myself." Peter answered him, and then, almost as if on cue, there was an unpleasant rustle on the general communication channel.
It only took another moment for the gates to close at a rapid pace until the EU troops lost the option to withdraw while it was still an option.
"Looks like it's part of someone's plan." Akito stated while maintaining his typical stoic calmness. Something that the vast majority of people here envied him.
"You're right." On the general channel used by the five pilots, a calm, half-laughing, youthful voice sounded. "Looks like the dedication of all those factory security guards and engineers and technicians working here will not be wasted and will enable me to complete my two greatest projects."
His statement was misunderstood by the pilots. Nevertheless, the man did not stop his speech and only seemed to become more and more excited, full of passion.
"You should feel proud, brave defenders of United Europia. Thanks to your input, today or at least in the next few days, I will finally refine and finally complete the Brain Power System, and my latest work, Artificial Intelligence."
Not much time passed, and the ubiquitous darkness fell like a curtain, thanks to powerful lights mounted in the ceiling. The dawn that effectively illuminated the darkness of this place. The full majesty of the room was revealed, and most importantly, another Knightmare Frame, located at the other end of this quasi hangar.
The aforementioned machine was undoubtedly something worth keeping an eye on. To some extent, it was remarkably similar in design to the KPR-00 Tallgeese, but with many noticeable differences. First of all, ubiquitous on the torso, arms and shield, dark blue, which contrasted perfectly with the white, which occupied most of the rest of the armor. Meanwhile, the red plume characteristic of the Tallgeese has been replaced by a yellow one that is clearly different in shape from the original. Aside from the appearance, however, the Knightmare was almost nine meters tall and extremely wide. It was impressive to say the least, and its presence quite intimidated the two pilots.
"I suspect that as the person you have undoubtedly been looking for, I need not introduce myself."
His words were immediately understood by all five of them, and Peter's eyes widened at the sheer shock that such a declaration undoubtedly was.
"Chief Engineer Carl Tallgeese." Akito's words, which were heard on the general channel, were not even a question in the slightest, but instead a firm statement.
"In the flesh." Carl replied, clearly pleased with himself. "As I said before, you will be honored to be part of the finalization of my two projects and thus make a significant contribution to my career as a leading researcher of the Holy Britannian Empire. Congratulations and I trust you will be great collaborators."
"A bad joke." Akito commented dryly and without any specific facial expression or tone of voice. He was as impassive as most of the time.
"Why do you think, Chief Engineer, that we will be willing to participate in the finalization of your tests?" Peter asked the question, even though he felt he would get an answer moments later, no matter what.
"Because you don't have much of a choice, United Firends." Carl replied with a half mocking smile both on his lips and in his tone of voice. "That's why these great prototypes from my newly developed GX-00 series will debut here first, and then on the front lines when the last manufacturing defects are eliminated."
After this announcement, the Factsphere Sensors of the machines mentioned by the Chief Engineer were activated almost instantly and started emitting a strong red light. And the great assault rifles were raised and ready to fire.
Meanwhile, the EU pilots took up defensive positions and the ranged weapons used by their Knightmares were prepared to begin firing. Peter, meanwhile, needed all his self-control not to lose his temper. Here, he and the people who trusted him found themselves in a deadly trap, with previously unknown machines. It was an extremely risky situation, but despite this, Major was well aware of the need to fight, because otherwise it risked a hopeless death without fighting.
"Speaking of machine testing, as their builder and father, I feel obligated to attend this dress rehearsal, United Friends." This was not the end of the Chief Engineer's long, conceited and tedious speech, to which the only reasonable response was a long groan.
It was then that Knightmare, remarkably similar to KPR-00, began to move and prepared for battle. In the right hand of the Dober Gun, ready to fire in an instant, while the Beam Saber in the machine's left hand was activated and a moment later a beam of white light emerged from the initially empty scabbard. The shield, meanwhile, effectively prevented the enemy from quickly destroying the sword, which used energy as a form.
"I have to be loyal to my work and to the men who have worked hard to achieve these results, who are beyond a reasonable doubt already dead."
This statement took all five pilots by surprise. It became clear that this man deliberately, indirectly and in an even more unspecified way, led to the death of his subordinates, which, above all from the point of view of Peter, was absolutely inexcusable. Majo Kowalsky valued above all not only the loyalty of the soldiers to the officer, but above all the loyalty of the officer to the soldiers under his orders. It was ultimately the duty of every true leader to take care of the well-being of his subordinates, for whose fate such a person was directly responsible!
"You sacrificed your people who worked with you and trusted you for the sole purpose of finalizing some unfinished projects?!" Peter felt his blood boil as the practically shouted question seemed to be an outlet for fury.
However, what led Major Kowalsky to an even more emotionally expressive state were the next words of the Chief Engineer.
"Well, while the loss of so many people familiar with the rhythm of my work, such advanced electronics and Knightmare Frames technology in general is painful for my research and results, it all comes at a price, scientific success as well." He replied, though his tone of voice contained a noticeable tremor at this point, "However, if it means opening up the possibility for us to introduce an unmanned panze infantry to the battlefield, then that is a sacrifice I am willing to make, if the sacrifice of those few hundred will save the lives of thousands people."
This completely changed Peter and Akito's perception of this man. Just a moment ago, he seemed to them to be one of those stereotypical and crazy scientists who are ready to sacrifice literally everything and everyone for their great invention. Now, however, his character has taken on a new, definitely different overtone for the duo. He seemed more like the type of person who believed that his work would bring real benefits to people.
"It's just a pity that all your work and the sacrifices of all these people will be exploited by an oppressive and genocidal state that promotes social stratification and an antiquated class system." Peter's statement was lined with a quiet and extremely minimal hope that perhaps this man could be persuaded to desert and join the EU.
In the current situation, the companies, corporations, consortia and factories that were involved in the production of war materials needed so many highly qualified specialists in engineering, electronics or any other technology strictly based on Sakuradite that any acquisition of a person competent in this field would be quite a big success.
Basically, there was a pretty specific reason why electronics and military companies fell so far behind the Holy Britannian Empire. The decisive factor was the technological and economic stagnation that affected Europe around 2005 A.T.B. It was then that companies began to focus not on creating innovative or even revolutionary solutions, but rather on improving and increasing the efficiency of what had already been developed and implemented for production. Although at first glance it could all look like a matter of laziness of technicians, scientists and owners of the largest companies, there was a quite clear reason for this, which was the very limited availability of United Europe to the new, most important raw material in the world, which became what it used to be there was oil and other minerals. That thing was Sakuradite, also known as 'Rose Gold'. Japan was responsible for 80% of world exports, and from year to year it began to play these issues in international politics more and more recklessly. Ultimately, the Holy Britannian Empire was provoked to invade, but the empire wasn't the only one pushed to the brink of it. The EU was close to launching an armed attack on Japan as well, due to the impatience of politicians and the deteriorating economic situation.
However, whatever the reasons for the seizure and transformation of Japan into Area Eleven, the issue of increasingly limited access to Sakuradite remained a fact, and a very important one at that. Yes, the EU had basically unlimited access to quite large deposits of this raw material, due to its occurrence in: Greenland, Scandinavia, the Alps, Siberia and the Carpathians. Still, compared to the resources the empire had at its disposal, it was practically a drop in the ocean of endless civil and military needs. A balance was necessary between the two, as a result of which none of the branches was sufficiently supplied with the key raw material for modern economies.
"An oppressive and genocidal state." The Chief Engineer snorted derisively and it became clear that an attempt was made to turn him over to the EU side. "As if United Europia is anything else or a better alternative than the empire I serve."
"There is a difference if you serve a free state or a despotic monarchy." Peter replied with a conviction in the tone of voice that became obvious to all six people present, the Chief Engineer and the other four pilots, including Akito. "I do not deny that the country I fight for and serve has many flaws. However, I even consider this ossified democracy to be a better alternative to the Darwinian, hegemonic empire that is basically conquering everything around it at the moment and dividing its own citizens into nobility, commoners and numbers."
"I will not deny such a division, because I myself do not have blue blood in my veins and my life has been a constant struggle against numerous adversities." Carl wasn't about to brazenly lie or deny it, because that was completely unnecessary at the moment. "However, this does not mean in the least that I will betray the country where I was born. There is an entity that has given me a chance to realize myself fully and do many wonderful things, or to cooperate with outstanding scientific personalities of our great empire."
"Prince Lucius vi Britannia?" Although seemingly a question, it sounded more like a statement that came from Akito's mouth. "It was this man who allowed you to build and develop all these machines. isn't it?"
"Indeed, we are European Friend." The Chief Engineer confirmed his suspicions, then elaborated on it a bit. "He is the one who made it possible for me to study at one of the best colleges in the empire, and he is the reason why I stand before you as Chief Engineer of the Logistics Department of the Knights of the Purple Rose. So there's no way he would betray the man to whom I owe so much."
Peter couldn't say he didn't understand the man sitting in what was probably a prototype Knightmare Frame. More than that, he understood it perfectly well, given the personal experience of Major Kowalsky.
Observing everything objectively and looking at these two fighting people, it was not difficult to come to the logical conclusion that the two faced each other for understandable reasons. Both are loyal to something, whether it's an individual or a supranational state. In fact, the whole conversation between Carl, Akito and Peter was incredibly honest, especially considering the issues of being enemies. Nevertheless, one issue remained to be resolved.
"How exactly are you going to fight us, Chief Engineer?" This time the question was asked by Akito, who mentally was fully prepared for the fight and was waiting for the first move from the opponent. "If I'm not mistaken, you're just an engineer with no practical training in pilotage..."
At his words, Carl just laughed outrageously, which was a priceless and self-explanatory reaction.
"I may have some pretty serious gaps in my military training, but don't underestimate the fact that I was and still am a specialist in robotics and Knightmare Frames themselves." The Chief Engineer replied with no sign of anger or malice. "Besides, and as I mentioned before, I have my two most important projects to test and finalize, which will be here and now!"
In the next few seconds, the fight between the two opposing sides began in earnest. Six cockpit-less Knightmares of the GX-00 series began firing. Almost immediately, two accompanying Alexanders Mass were hit, whose pilots had not even the slightest chance of survival. While the third, he successfully maneuvered between the missiles flying towards him and reciprocated by returning fire. His arrows easily hit two of the Knights of the Purple Rose machines, the first exploding due to armor piercing and hitting the Energy Filer. Meanwhile, the second Knightmare lost the arm in which the assault rifle was held, and both legs, which made the machine basically completely inoperative and unfit for further combat.
"These prototype Knightmares have no pilots at all and yet are able to function." He spotted the last survivor of the trio of Sergeants who were piloting the Alexanders.
"This is…!" Peter's eyes practically popped out of their sockets after realizing something he had suspected before, and he wasn't the only one. "These are unmanned Knightmare Frames, just like the Alexander Drones we use?"
"You just realized now?" asked a laughing Carl, whose Knightmare still hadn't moved and was obviously waiting for the GXs-00s to defeat the enemy. "This is what I was telling you earlier. You are honored to witness the Brain Power System. A device that is powered by a not very large and perfectly integrated element, which at first glance does not differ from the rest of the Knightmare. However, what is inside is already more than remarkable and worthy of all attention."
"Brain Power System." Akito, sitting in the cockpit and trying to avoid being shot at by three of the two remaining unmanned Knightmare Frames. "What is it, you're using human brains to power these machines?"
At this accusation, the Chief Engineer practically burst into uncontrollable laughter, while Akito, Peter and the last of the surviving pilots maneuvered and tried hard to avoid the incoming missiles, and once they had the opportunity to return fire, it quickly became apparent that these machines were no good at all. they are inferior to them in terms of manoeuvrability. It was clear it couldn't be drones, because the machines - or rather what was responsible for piloting them - were simply too advanced for something as limited as a drone.
"Do you really think something as ridiculous as literally ripping people's brains out and putting them in machines has the right to work?" Carl asked with pure disbelief and obvious mockery.
Only then did the man control his laughter, and both Akito and Peter could practically feel a cold smile form on the Chief Engineer's lips.
"No, the Brain Power System is much more real than that stupid suggestion, and much more useful on the battlefield than your pitiful drones. Me and my engineers have done an in-depth analysis of the algorithm used by your drones, which made us laugh out loud. At the same time, however, we also realized that it simply would not be enough, at least considering our current technological development. Therefore, secretly from Prince Lucius, I decided to develop two solutions to this problem, which would theoretically, at least, give the possibility of creating unmanned Knightmares. Subsequently and after improvements, this was to completely eliminate the need to send formations of Knightmare Frames piloted by organic crews to the battlefield."
"You talk a lot about the background of this system." Peter frowned at the story he was telling as he dodged again and tried to destroy the unmanned machine, but it once again successfully dodged the barrage of missiles. "However, I doubt you're going to tell us more about how this works and what it actually is. Am I wrong?"
"Yes you are, my European Friend. Ultimately, the dead do not reveal their secrets." Carl chuckled, then proceeded to explain. "Although the process of creating this was not an easy thing, the goal behind it was finally achieved. We had two concepts, the first is to create a completely artificial and inorganic form of intelligence. The second and much more successful was to scan the human brain - specifically the brains of our best pilots - using the most advanced electronic machines, which on this basis were to create an algorithm ideally suited to piloting Knightmare Frames. This is Brain Power System. Something that will soon reach its peak once the last bugs have been ironed out."
"I do not think so." Peter summed it up quickly and simply, not even having the slightest intention of allowing this project to be finally finalized and potentially pose a great danger to his comrades fighting on the front lines of this brutal war. "Perhaps you are brilliant, and your work could change the face of the battlefield forever. After all, I have no intention of letting this project tip the scales of this war completely in favor of the country I am fighting!"
With that resolve, Peter proceeded to fire two more rounds of missiles. This time, however, he decided to do it with a simple trick. He fooled two of the three remaining machines with a quick, short burst of fire ahead of the predicted route they were going to take, to which both unmanned machines almost immediately reacted by sniping, but that was exactly what Peter was waiting for, because it was him who gained initiative and fired another volley. This time, however, it turned out to be accurate and a few moments later both machines from the GX-00 series were reduced to nothing more than burning wrecks.
Scanning the entire room with his Alexander Commander's forward camera, Peter quickly and easily noticed that Akito and the last of the three pilots accompanying them had managed to deal with the rest of the machines using the Brain Power System in a similar way.
That said, there was only one enemy left to defeat in this room, so the eyes of all the people gathered here focused on him, or rather on the machine he piloted. It must be honestly admitted that the sight of quite tired and exhausted pilots piloting their machines, who were facing the still quite mysterious enemy, was something impossible to forget from the perspective of a third person.
"Looks like…" Carl began, unimpressed by the whole situation. "... that this will be decided between us. Well, aside from that, the Brain Power System turned out to be a huge disappointment. While the algorithms are now working properly, they are still very predictable and thus will not work well on the battlefield."
There was a short silence for a brief moment, broken once again by Carl. "Even so, it's still a lot of progress. But now it's my time and my second project."
Meanwhile, inside the cockpit of the recently assembled machine, codenamed KPR-00/2, Carl Tallgeese decided to activate a special machine system known as 'Artificial Intelligence', which was essentially one of the development variants of the Knightmare Frames unmanned program. After a short while, Knightmare with dark blue paint started to move rapidly and took up fighting positions. The left arm with a shield and Beam Saber has been prepared in such a way as to be able to easily defend against melee attacks. Meanwhile, the right arm of the Dober Gun was aimed at Aleksander Commander, piloted by Akito.
"I am honored to present you a prototype bordering on the 7th KMFs generation, KPR-00/2, or simply Tallgeese II." The Chief Engineer introduced the machine he piloted with great enthusiasm in the tone of his voice. "Me and my latest creation will be your next opponents."
"You mentioned a system or an Artificial Intelligence program earlier." Akito remembered the name and decided to delve a bit more into it. "Is it the one responsible for piloting this machine and not you?"
"Pretty smart." That's what Carl called him, without losing his amused throne or smile. "It is essentially what the name suggests. It is nothing more than a form of inorganic intelligence that has the ability to learn and, based on, among other things, observed fights, apply its own, often unique, combat tactics.
"So you're basically just a rider sitting on the back of a big tiger." Peter summed up the situation with amusement, but nevertheless began to work out in his mind the best way to deal with this opponent. "No matter how big or dangerous this tiger is, it needs to be euthanized by us as soon as possible."
"If you want that fight, European Friend." That was the end of the conversation, after which Carl keyed in a combination on the main keyboard in his cockpit that activated the machine's intelligence to combat behavior, along with the command to destroy the three still operational EU machines.
Initially, Tallgeese II targeted Alexander Commander, who was piloting Akito. Therefore, the trio of pilots prepared themselves for either evasive or offensive manoeuvres. It was a certain automatic mechanism of action that each of the pilots worked out sooner or later.
For the trio of pilots, it was no small, even a huge surprise when the dark blue Knightmare unexpectedly pointed his Dober Gun at Alexander Mass, piloted by a pilot that neither Peter nor Akito, nor even the Chief Engineer, had deigned to remember. Moments later, a gleaming beam of energy shot out of the cannon and after about a second or so at most, UE's machine exploded and all that was left was a burning wreck without even a fraction of its former grandeur or grace.
Akito and Peter didn't waste a second in the face of this development. Considering how easily their subordinate was destroyed, it would be foolish to delay even a moment, when the machine was able to get up so easily and without the participation of an organic pilot, simply change the target and fire with almost childlike ease.
The evasive maneuvers performed by both pilots were quite chaotic and focused primarily on avoiding the energy beams constantly coming towards them. Another thing that was amazing for both United Europia officers at the time was the ease with which the Artificial Intelligence went from combat, shooting and aiming mode to reloading magazines. It seemed that in front of the two pilots was basically the perfect tool for modern warfare. For how could they fight such a thing if until now all they had been able to do was predict the trajectories of energy beams?
During the next shot, an energy beam hit a few meters from where Akito's Alexander would have been, which resulted in an explosion and sending debris and shrapnel into the machine piloted by Captain Hyuga. Undoubtedly, it was the hit closest to destroying the machine he was piloting, and if it wasn't for the need to reload the Dober Gun magazine by the Artificial intelligence responsible for Tallgeese's piloting, Akito would already be dead, of which he was well aware.
Meanwhile, Peter's Alexander began firing at the enemy machine. Basically, it was an obvious attempt to take advantage of this short moment, which failed once again with no results.
"It doesn't look good." Peter expressed his opinion on the situation and their current position, just after changing the communication channel. "If we don't do something, soon we will either be destroyed or our Energy Filers will run out of liquid Sakuradite and we will be destroyed."
"So what do you propose?" Akito also had no doubt that this battle could end differently if everything continued to go in this direction. "Currently, our capabilities are limited to dodging and little else. However, if this fight drags on, this machine may improve its fighting behavior."
"It's already happening!" Peter replied with a bit more vehemence than he would have liked, and in the meantime managed to dodge another beam of energy. "Tallgeese II is constantly adapting to the way we fight and developing new ways to fight with us."
"So what should we do?" Akito asked him in response, and his so far stoic and typical calmness slowly began to give way to ever-growing desperation. "Our ranged weapons are completely useless in the face of the Tallgeese II's armor, mobility and evasiveness. I don't think we have anything that could enable us to win."
Peter fell silent for a moment, focusing all his attention on the next beam of energy. The rapid change of position of the Alexander Commander piloted by him undoubtedly saved his life, because the energy projectile passed the machine by practically a few centimeters. If not for that, he would undoubtedly be dead.
However, suddenly, in what could be described as a pure stroke of genius, an idea formed in Petr's tactical mind to deal with this machine, although what was on his mind at that moment should be classified as a desperate move, born primarily out of sheer desperation and a natural will to survive.
"Akito!" The young Major began by making sure that his friend's attention was fully focused on him. "I think I have a solution to our predicament!"
"Speak." At his words, Akito regained his composure and his typical stoic calmness definitely returned. "Whatever can defeat this beast and ensure our survival is definitely better than the prospect of being killed within the walls of this cursed factory."
"I'm glad to hear that, Akito." Peter replied, obviously pleased with the way things turned out. "Now listen carefully, I'm going to get the Tallgeese's full attention, or at least try to do it to the point where you get close to this machine."
Akito didn't say anything for a moment, and only after a short time of thinking and avoiding the energy beam, he decided to say just two words. "Go on."
"When the machine reloads the Dober Gun magazine again, only then will we attack." Peter continued. "I will start firing while you get close enough to the machine to start melee combat."
Peter fell silent for a moment, as this time he had to dodge the beam of energy coming towards him. "While I realize this isn't the best option at the moment, it's still a sensible plan of action given the fact that hand-to-hand combat hasn't happened yet and the Artificial Intelligence of Tallgeese II hasn't had the option to experience this type of combat yet, which gives us a certain chance of winning."
"I hope that's enough." Akito muttered clearly enough for the mic to pick it up and Peter was able to hear it.
"More faith in my plans and our own abilities, my friend." A laughing Peter replied, then controlled his amusement and, like Akito, focused entirely on avoiding another beam of energy coming towards him.
They both had to admit that Artificial Intelligence was becoming more dangerous and advanced by the minute. Accuracy, even when firing in constant motion, was basically unrivaled and only the maneuvering skills of both pilots could save them from death. Another proof of how great pilots these two were and how great skills they managed to develop in themselves.
When the Artificial Intelligence of Tallgeese II once again ran out of ammo and the exchange began, Akito and Peter rushed to attack. Major Kowalsky wasted no time and began firing as soon as the opportunity arose. Tallgeese II once again showed its technical superiority over the rifles that were equipped with the machines competing with it. If any of the Aleksanders, or other and mass-produced variants of the Tallgeese series, were to come under such fire, there is no doubt that none of these machines would survive a direct hit. Despite heavy armor, better systems, and a much better inorganic pilot, the Tallgeese II was hit a few times. While in most cases the shells ricocheted and bounced off the armor, there were a few that either managed to penetrate the armor without much damage, especially in those where the plates were thinner, or it was just a dead spot.
Akito charged in his Alexander Commander, from which the attention of the Artificial Intelligence was successfully diverted. Thanks to this, Captain Hyuga was able to slam the blade into Tallgeese II's knee without too much trouble, all on impulse and not the most fortunate decision considering that the Dober Gun and the machine itself turned towards Akito's Alexander, but Akito himself wasn't scared . If this threat to life caused any feeling, even the slightest, in the young man, it would be a strange rush of adrenaline.
"Akito!" Peter shouted, scared for the fate of the man with whom he had already established a quite deep relationship, at least compared to how they both treated each other a few weeks ago.
"Any last words, European Friend?" Carl asked tauntingly and with such a cocky smile on his lips, while being completely relaxed as you can imagine. All this right after reconnecting to the communication channel of both remote controls. "This fight gave me a lot more data than I initially assumed. Not to mention how much the AI has developed and started to develop newer and newer tactics or ways to counter those used by you."
After these words, the Chief Engineer laughed mockingly and decided to ask a provocative question, this time directly to Akito.
"Do you feel content dying knowing how many lives you will save?"
"Die!" That was all the young Japanese answered, and a moment later the seemingly one-sided situation changed in a way that none of the people present there could have predicted.
United Republic of Europia
Egypt, Alexandria
March 2017 A.T.B.
"Well, despite this unforeseen complication, everything has gone according to plan so far and the surgery is basically a great success." Prince Lucius vi Britannia said at one point, sitting in a comfortable chair in the cockpit of the Stormcommander piloted by him, and on this occasion having a conversation with the commanders of the 1st Corps of Knights of the Purple Rose.
Since the seizure of the port of Alexandria a few hours ago, everything has been going according to Purple Prince's plans and the objectives of the operation. The objectives had been achieved and a quick supply by sea turned out to be completely impossible at this point. Lucius wasn't a bit surprised by the decision by the commander of what was left of the EU forces in the area to retreat in the only sane direction, El Alamein.
What surprised the Purple Prince, however, was the degree of thought and organization of the retreat of all these divisions in that direction. It came to light how good a commander and strategist Franz Malcal Junior turned out to be. Instead of trying to recapture lost positions and losing troops unnecessarily in a situation where he found himself between a rock and a hard place, he decided to simply retreat.
"Everything is going according to plan?" The question was asked by Captain Sir Ciaran de Revil, on a communication channel created especially for senior officers of the 1st Corps. "Even though a force of about two hundred Alexanders, supported by about five battalions equipped with Panzer-Wespes, have been sent to the Alexandria area and are currently shelling the city?"
Although it was supposed to be a slightly malicious question, it was 100% correct. Indeed, the city had been under fire for about half an hour from mobile self-propelled artillery, which managed to destroy about 15% of the buildings in the districts that were located on the outskirts of the city. It became clear that their goal was to slow down or prevent the 1st Corps from any advance or movement towards the retreating troops.
"It doesn't matter much at the moment, Ciaran." Lucius replied nonchalantly and more or less in line with what he had planned all along. "I have no intention of coming into contact with retreating enemy units. In fact, we will allow them to withdraw to El Alamein unscathed."
Purple Prince had no doubt that if he could see his officers and friends, he would no doubt see a priceless sight of people who had literally and figuratively lost the ability to speak. This reaction was hardly surprising, given the simple fact that each was convinced that the ultimate goal of the operation would not only be to cut off the supply of what remained of the EU troops in that part of the world, but also to destroy them.
"Is it reasonable, Your Highness?" The question came from Major Sir Lothar Zedlitz, who decided to be the first to ask about these issues and get satisfactory answers. "We have perhaps a unique opportunity to destroy their army and destroy their forces in Egypt once and for all, thereby opening up the possibility for our empire to take all of Africa."
Lucius sighed at this suggestion, and basically a counter-argument to what had long been agreed and planned. At the same time, Purple Prince felt that it would be quite a long and not necessarily pleasant conversation. Nevertheless, a slight diversion would be the sounds of shells falling on the outskirts. This variety was important because it was also quite funny, all because there were no 1st Corps troops or even civilians there, because they were evacuated deep into the city, and in the case of the latter, they were hidden in the underground. In fact, normally Lucius wouldn't care about the lives of civilians, but under the pressure of some of his people who were much more respectful and respectful of honor, and because of the desire to maintain the image of a man concerned with the fate of bystanders, he finally had to give in and ordered the civilians taken from the outskirts . It was one of those moments when a person in power or politics is forced to act against his own beliefs in order to maintain his image.
"This is essential as the Prime Minister is about to sign a ceasefire with the EU and Chancellor Verrat that will allow us to consolidate power over the occupied territories." Lucius replied, calmly and in his typical elegant English accent, which was the standard among the upper classes of Holy Britannian Empire society.
"CEASE-FIRE?!" A furious growl sounded over the comms channel, from Sword Master Sir Schnee Hexenhaus, and the only sensible response was to rub his ears. "We and our subordinates fight and shed our blood every day for the empire, for the citizens of our empire and Britannian glory, while you and the Prime Minister make these kinds of arrangements behind our backs?!"
There was no small consternation at this statement, for while Lucius accepted and appreciated criticism, no one had ever dared to challenge him and so openly accuse him in front of the other subordinates. It was so much stronger and resonated much more that Schnee was his old friend.
"Schnee, shut up!" Another officer growled subtly in response, Colonel Sir Ledo Offen, his second-in-command and someone with a much cooler head.
Basically, it reminded Lucius of the good old days of New Colchester, when the two also bickered with each other. Like fire and water opposites, Schnee remained energetic, direct, impulsive and almost always ready to act, while Ledo was more quiet, calm, conciliatory and quick to keep his mouth shut even when he personally disagreed with something. Once again, the differences between them became more than apparent, and Purple Prince's reaction was to almost immediately twist his lips into a nostalgic smile, remembering what was and what will never be again.
"That is enough." Lucius had successfully prevented any escalation of this quarrel between them before it happened. "Schnee, although I should probably demote you to Second Lieutenant as an example and as a warning to others, I won't, because I appreciate the opinion of subordinates. As for you, Leda, thank you for your loyalty."
After this chastisement and reward, Purple Prince proceeded to explain to all the other officers the intent and true ultimate goal behind this operation.
"First of all, the seizure of the two most important forts for the EU army in Egypt has never involved eliminating the remnants of a once powerful army group. Instead, the aim of the operation was to push the EU out of Egypt as quickly as possible, while minimizing losses as much as possible. The main motivator for such and no other conduct is the increasingly weak morale among our soldiers."
Since Lucius had no doubt that the officers did not understand what he meant, he decided to explain it in such a way that everyone could understand it.
"You may not have been able to see it for various reasons, but it doesn't change the fact that it is a fact that every commander of the Britannian forces on the front line must realize and struggle with on a daily basis. Let me put it bluntly and remember this well, the morale of our troops has been depleted by the long, hard fighting and seeming infinity of this war. The best example of this is the savagery and high level of looting that prevails in the areas close to the front. Me and the Prime Minister have come to the logical conclusion that in this case, the best we can do is ask for an armistice, which will enable us not only to improve the morale of the troops, but also to thoroughly secure the newly conquered territories, repair the local infrastructure and make our logistics no longer based solely on air transport, which can easily can be shot down."
The words hung over the people listening, none of whom said a word.
"I will take that as tacit approval and full support." Lucius did not leave them even a few seconds in this particular case for any polemics or the possibility of expressing doubts. It was a clear signal that the issue of this topic was definitely closed at this point. "Now, however, we should move on to a more important, all-important topic."
No one uttered a word or the slightest groan. Basically, if it wasn't for the electronics that were constantly working and making delicate sounds, you could basically hear a fly flying nearby. All the high-ranking officers of the 1st Corps eagerly awaited the next words from Purple Prince, which came quite quickly.
"How will we spend our time after this campaign ends and rest." Lucius announced, which almost immediately relieved the tension and made the officers laugh.
"Really?" Ciaran asked in response, amused, as soon as he managed to control his laughter. "We're talking about tactics, the battlefield, morale, and imperial politics right now, and for no apparent reason or even an ounce of logic, you're talking about what will happen after the fighting is over."
"All your style, Your Highness." Ledo added, with a playful note in his tone of voice and intoning it quite softly.
Basically, it wasn't an isolated situation where the tension and stakes were quite high, and Lucius allowed himself to make a joke and relieve the heavy tension that was omnipresent. However, the situation in this case was so special that Purple Prince allowed himself to make a joke only when everything seemed to be over.
In principle, and in view of the facts presented, everything seemed to be settled already, and it became at least obvious to every senior officer here talking, starting with those of the rank of Major. Since the EU is only conducting delaying actions at this point to prevent the Knights of the Purple Rose from engaging in direct combat with the retreating remnants of the army group.
However, aside from these issues, Lucius decided to tell them his plans to celebrate this triumph.
"First and foremost, we and our soldiers will be taken away from here almost immediately and transferred back to our homeland. Specifically, to Pendragon, where a great parade will be held in honor of our great victory, and we will be welcomed as true heroes of the empire, which we undoubtedly are. After that, and I am telling you this in the greatest secrecy, there will be a wedding."
Although they all had some guesses about it, not all of them were sure about it. In general, among friends and associates of the Prince Lucius, it was an open secret that the man to whom they swore loyalty had a rather fiery and long-term affair with the daughter of Duke Alexander Krushevsky. Nevertheless, no one could be sure what exactly it was about, because it could just as easily be a wedding planned for one of his numerous younger siblings.
"Wedding?" Schnee asked, obviously surprised and expecting any sensible answer. "Whose exactly?"
Lucius laughed heartily at his questions. It was basically one question, just split into two. Nevertheless, Purple Prince allowed himself to enjoy the uncertainty of his people for a while before giving a concrete answer in this regard.
"My and Monica, of course." Lucius answered him, which caused a collective sigh among the people gathered here and which ultimately caused some surprise and disappointment on the part of the Purple Prince. "Don't act as if this is something unannounced or surprising to you. In fact, I thought you were fully aware of that, given the relationship between me and her…"
Before anything else could be said, however, Lucius had to end this trivial and insignificant tirade, all because of the fact that a message appeared on his Knightmare's monitor requesting a video call. The request in question was from Mariemai Khushrenad, which was worrying to say the least considering the current situation. Lucius has repeatedly told his associates and friends that it is not advisable to talk to him when he is in the middle of a fight, unless it concerns exceptional situations, such as giving information about an ongoing operation or about some significant changes in his political position. All other issues, undoubtedly important in some cases, had to wait.
"You'll have to excuse me for a moment, but it seems the head of my personal intelligence service wants a word or two with me, and I have no intention of keeping her waiting." Saying this, Lucius was well aware that the subordinates listening to him understood perfectly well the need to talk to this teenage girl.
As soon as Lucius turned off the communication channel completely, he immediately reached for the button, thanks to which the video call was established, and he was able to look straight into the eyes of a certain red-haired and extremely influential teenager. Although Mariemaia's face was unusually calm, Lucius could tell, looking directly into her eyes, that this conversation was going to be tense.
"Mariemaia, you're good." Purple Prince greeted her warmly and friendly, but very quickly went from the hello mode, straight to the point. "Why exactly do you want to talk to me? We both know exactly where I can be contacted when I'm in the middle of an operation."
"Forget it, we both know perfectly well that the operation is basically successful and will only be completed in a matter of hours." She started with a cold in the tone of her voice. It wasn't until she began to explain the reason for the call that her tone of voice became much more tense. "As for the reason, it is the ongoing attack on your Knightmare Frames factory."
These revelations had the Purple Prince nearly falling out of his cockpit seat, if only there had been enough space. Still, Lucius was in shock, and there were many good reasons for that, but he had to start with the most important.
"First of all, who is responsible for this attack, Mariemaia?" The question came out of his mouth as soon as he got his emotions under control and put on his best poker face. "Also, I want to know how you actually know that this attack is happening at all and how anyone unauthorized was able to come into possession of information about it?"
"From what I and my sources have been able to determine so far, Wyvern Zero is responsible for this attack. However, how they managed to find out about the existence of this facility, I cannot say. A reply came from her. "I was able to ascertain this when Char decided to contact me as he didn't know what to do in the face of the attack and the fact that the enemy had broken through and infiltrated the complex."
Lucius nodded a few times and extremely quickly as he began to think about the first question he was going to ask in this unexpected conversation. After a while, he decided on the first and probably the most important.
"What is the status of the defenders?" He decided to ask about it first, because it gave him a rough idea of what the situation was there.
"They suffered heavy casualties and eventually lost more than half of their combatants. The previous commander in charge of defending this place, Captain von Zalewsky, is dead." Mariemaia replied almost without thinking, but she still had doubts about how Lucius might react to bad news. "From what I have been able to ascertain, only Char and his battalion retained any combat capability. Despite everything, the losses incurred by the formation he commands are huge and amount to about a third."
"So many experienced men and women." Lucius muttered quietly under his breath as he considered his next move or any decision in that regard. "Is anything known about the state of the complex."
"Infiltrated and largely destroyed." Mariemaia replied, which did not satisfy Purple Prince's curiosity.
"The status of engineers and others working in the production or design of machinery?"
"Most of them are dead, and only a few managed to reach the evacuation corridors and escape to places where they were safe and far from the combat zone."
"What happened to the stock or prototypes stored there?"
"Much of the ammo and liquid Sakuradite was used against the defenders. So the vast majority of the material stocks stored there have been lost. As for the prototypes, most of them have also been lost, or at best buried underground."
"What about Carl?"
The last question was met with a deathly silence that spoke much more than a thousand words. Mariemaia looked down as Lucius took a quick, casual breath and let it out slowly.
"Dead." Purple Prince summed it up bitterly, resulting in another gasp, this time much quieter than the previous one. "Is it known how he died?"
"Everything I know comes from reports of Char." Mariemaia began, then went to the heart of this particular topic. "He claims that our late friend gave him orders to allow a Wyvern Zero pilot to infiltrate the factory because he wanted to test some recent projects that he started and finished basically on his own, without even informing anyone about the work in progress."
Lucius was half nervous at first and half confused at first. All because of one perfectly legitimate question: Why would a sensible man like his longtime friend Carl Tallgeese ever decide to do something like this? That question spawned another: what exactly was he going to test, and how would that affect the empire's progress in this war, or how much would it strengthen the Knights of the Purple Rose? On the other hand, anger welled up in Purple Prince, because his lifelong friend and person whom he trusted with his life decided to work on some secret project that Lucius had no idea about. The question of whether Carl wanted to positively surprise him with something or not didn't even matter at the moment.
"I don't know what it was exactly, and Char doesn't know any more about it than I do. Regardless, the fact remains that the factory is basically lost to us. Likewise, most of the personnel, machines or prototypes were not necessarily Knightmare Frames as you probably know."
"Yes." Lucius nodded grimly at this, but after a few blinks and calming down, or rather suppressing his inner emotions, he decided to ask one more question. "Did Char say anything else?"
"No, but he did ask me if he should ask any of the formations at Ricardo Citadel for backup."
Lucius frowned in irritation. "Char can do what he sees fit in this regard. While I will not deny that I ordered and went to great lengths to keep this place completely secret, I still counted on him being able to keep his sanity in the event of an attack and summon help."
"I will pass your words on to him immediately." Mariemaia replied while nodding her head. "Do you want anything else, Luc?"
Lucius thought about the question for a moment, and just as he was about to say no, he remembered an email from a few days ago. It was then that he was contacted by a fairly recognized authority in the field of production and construction of Knightmare Frames. He was a man who in terms of talent undoubtedly matched the late Chief Engineer, but Lucius initially rejected his job offer due to having one outstanding mind in the said field. While there was nothing wrong with having two Knightmares specialists, it also meant that two completely different ideas for the development of these machines would clash in many fields, which could not be afforded. Now, however, nothing stood in the way of hiring this man.
"Could you contact some recognized authority on my behalf, at least regarding the development of Knightmare Frames?" he asked her politely.
"Of course." Mariemaia smiled at him in return, signaling that his request would be granted as soon as possible without major complications. "Just tell me who to contact and you can consider it done."
"I appreciate your enthusiasm for this mission." Lucius was genuinely pleased with her typical willingness to obey his every command. "That man will be Doctor Kinnon Zimmad."
"Kinnon Zimmad?" Mariemaia seemed surprised by this fact, and there was a very specific reason for that, because this man had a rather specific approach to building Knightmare Frames. "I didn't think you'd want this particular man as the main builder of Knightmare Frames as a replacement for Carl."
"I didn't think so either, but I don't have much choice and he is an extremely experienced man with great knowledge in this field, which may prove invaluable in the construction of new machines." Lucius tried to counterargue, but he was well aware of the flaws in the man he wanted to win over. "Not to mention that the arms race will only progress and become more and more fierce over time. I need this man so that I don't have to rely on mass-produced machines for the armies of our empire."
"Do I really have to get into this kind of argument with you, Luc." Mariemaia was well aware that she was exaggerating a bit at this point. Nevertheless, she preferred to shut down the plan to hire such a man before it happened. "He has infiltrated and studied the machines Kinnon was working on many times. I will tell you only one thing, this man does not create what is most practical and friendly for the soldiers sitting at the controls, but what is technologically possible. These two categories in his particular case absolutely do not go hand in hand. The best example of this is the completely unsuccessful in almost every respect, the Zaku series, which turned out to be completely unsuitable for the realities of the real battlefield."
"Still, I'm going to offer him the role of chief scientist and machine builder at Flash Robotics." Lucius answered her firmly this time, without joy or the slightest trace of amusement. "This has already been put in place and is definitely a 'some' solution to the problem, compared to rejecting this offer."
Mariemaia only nodded understandingly, but still wasn't entirely happy with this decision.
"I'll see what I can do Luc, good luck at the front." With these words, the video call ended, and Lucius furiously slammed into one of the armrests that had been attached to his chair.
"fuck!" He growled furiously, his eyelids drooping and tightening in accordance with his current mood. "Carl, my friend."
To say that there was a fire in the heart of Purple Prince is to say absolutely nothing. While his mood had been quite good so far, this news literally and figuratively awakened the dragon in the soul of Prince Lucius. His anger was all the greater because Carl wasn't just a valued member of the research team, a great engineer or designer of the Knightmare Frames and their equipment. Most of all, Carl was his longtime friend, with whom he had many good memories, and losing him in such an unexpected way was extremely painful.
His eyes fluttered open, but not a single tear fell from them. If there was one thing Lucius didn't want at that moment, it was to feel the same way he felt almost eight years ago when his siblings were exiled. Lucius never wanted to feel the same sadness again as he had experienced powerlessness to a degree that he had no intention of experiencing the same again.
But it wasn't long before all the anger had vanished from his youthful face, replaced by a grim, pure grimness. On the other hand, part of the hair, for physically illogical reasons, simply fell over his eyes and effectively covered it.
"Wyvern Zero." He spoke the name of the enemy formation quietly, almost indifferently, but in many ways such and extremely subtle anger was much more terrifying than even the strongest, most animal expressiveness. "Before, it was just a matter of fighting on the battlefield and professionalism. But now, it's personal."
Moments later, Sword Master Hexenhaus tried to make a two-way connection with him, which Lucius accepted almost immediately.
"Luc, the enemy formation is retreating." Sir Schnee said.
Lucius's gaze a moment later fell on the tactical map, which clearly showed that the enemy Knightmare Frames had started a retreat and in a few or several minutes, the whole formation would disappear from the area.
Seeing this, the Purple Prince immediately made contact with all the pilots from the 1st Corps.
"The operation is over, the enemy has just been driven out of Egypt." He announced dryly and without even the slightest trace of feeling in the tone of his voice.
AN: And this is the end of this chapter. I know, many important things had the place apart from the presented action, but I did it to leave you quite a lot of freedom to interpret and imagine what happened there.
Actually, it's over of Egypt's Arc and in the next chapter, the consequences of this event will be presented primarily from the perspective of United Europia.
For Gundam fans, if you are familiar with name Zimmad, than you now know what kind of the Knightmare Frames shall be adapted in the future.
On that moment its all, thaks for you support and see you soon, my dear readers.