AN: Here is the next chapter. I hope that the slightly longer waiting time did not discourage you from reading this story. But now, I invite you to read it and wish you a good day or night. -King's Snake
Holy Britannia Empire, Area 11
Tokyo Settlement, Viceroy Palace
August 2017. A.T.B.
The Battle of Shizuoka Settlement ended only a week ago, while the elimination of all the smaller groups took a little longer. Nevertheless, what eventually came to pass was that resistance from the Elevens was met with fire, blood, and destruction at the hands of Imperial soldiers. Thus, Shizuoka Settlement was publicly declared the first city free from organized terrorism.
The colonial media, as well as some in the Homeland, hailed this as a new beginning and the cleansing of Area 11 of all terrorism. Some journalists who were more enthusiastic about imperial policy expressed quite justified claims that this was the beginning of the real elimination of all resistance in Area 11 and the full subordination of the colony to imperial rule.
Lucius himself was not that optimistic, and the main reason for this was the fact that pacifying the resistance here was a long-term undertaking. A process that would necessarily take many months or even years. Moreover, military pacification would have been quite expensive, but still, and considering the large local deposits of sakuradite, it was worth it.
However, the return to Tokyo Settlement a few days ago took place in a slightly less pleasant atmosphere. Clovis turned out to be constantly nervous or mentally absent during their conversations and meetings.
Lucius didn't need a word out of his mouth to understand that something important was on his mind beyond any doubt. Taking into account the fact that he didn't even say a word about it on this occasion, it was more than obvious that I didn't want to talk about it and the Purple Prince had no intention of bringing it up. Although he realized that it might be related to some secret project that his brother had started and was now running into some difficulties.
Basically, it was not surprising and it was basically an open secret that every more ambitious Prince or Princess of the empire had some secret projects of their own. Sometimes it was a weapon, sometimes it was some special technology that was simply intended to give them an advantage over opponents from other - or sometimes even the same - lines of the Imperial Family. Nevertheless, sometimes they were simply behind-the-scenes political projects, but in this case they often turned out to be duds. This applied to both extremely conservative and extremely liberal projects. The end result of this was a steady and stable course of Britannian policy.
None of this changed the fact that Lucius had given a very clear order for Mariemaia to investigate any of his brother's secret projects. For obvious reasons, the results did not and could not come immediately. Still, Lucius awaited any report on the subject with great impatience.
He expected this even when he was invited to the standard daily meetings of the Colonial Council of Area 11.
Basically, it was the colonial government responsible for managing this area. What distinguished this quasi-government from the governments of standard states, however, was the fact that only half of the council was composed of civilian officials. The other half were military officers who performed the most important functions and were responsible for the most important issues related to colonial garrisons, logistics and military police.
Each branch of the colonial administration, both civilian and military, had its own console table. The viceroy, however, had his own throne to preside over the meetings.
Lucius himself was also given his own desk and quasi-throne, but clearly more modest than that of the Viceroy, to emphasize the inferiority of his current position as Extraordinary Military Advisor compared to Clovis' rank.
"As you undoubtedly know, gentlemen, the pacification of one of our most important centers producing equipment and spare parts for garrisons has been a complete success." Lucius reported his report from memory and standing casually with his hands clasped behind his back. "A significant part of the Imperial infrastructure did not suffer the slightest damage. The losses of local forces and Task Force Boudica amounted to approximately 336 killed and 1,452 wounded. On this occasion, 34 men were also missing, but considering the mainly urban nature of the fighting, they were counted among the dead statistics. "
Lucius quickly looked around the room to quickly assess the mood among those gathered. "Considering the destruction of both the Japanese Workers Syndicate and all smaller terrorist groups, I can consider this first operation a great success. Now production in the largest center of military industry on the islands will remain unthreatened."
He then sat on the throne after the presentation of the situation, and there was a quick applause from the military officials. They were all enthusiastic about it. In particular, the Commander-in-Chief of Area 11 Garrisons, General Adrian Barclay.
"Congratulations to Your Highness, it is a very significant success and with a fairly small number of casualties." General Barclay congratulated him, and the Purple Prince didn't know whether it was out of genuine appreciation of the victory or a simple desire to be on his good side.
Because of this, Lucius only gave him a moderate nod, but his much greater attention was paid to the less enthusiastic ones. Why should they be so moderate or even reluctant? This question was unanswerable to Lucius at the moment.
However, he had no intention of pretending that the problem did not exist.
Lucius, however, did not have the opportunity to answer, because the question towards the group of civilian officials was finally asked by General Asprius.
"Is there any problem with the report of Grand Master Lucius vi Britannia?" He asked firmly, and despite his cartoonish obesity, he looked really serious.
The mustachioed Colonial Chancellor, Alex Cornwallis, shifted nervously in his seat. "Well, while I don't deny the importance of this victory, did it have to be achieved this way?"
Lucius was fully and immediately aware of the object of his grudge and immediately gave him a cold look. "I assure you that when disposing of the remnants of the Japanese Workers Syndicate, I had no better choice than to bury the remaining terrorists alive."
Chancellor Cornwallis visibly shrunk under his gaze, but nonetheless continued his attempts to undermine Task Force Boudica's victory. "I mean the destruction in the ghetto during the operation and the death of civilians, some of whom were employed in the factories there."
"A strange moment to remember the people who protected, shielded and supported terrorists." Lucius leaned back and rested his back and head fully on the throne. "Especially since the local administration and the laws of the empire do not recognize Elevens as citizens of the empire. Therefore, they are not entitled to any basic rights."
"It's true, undoubtedly." Chancellor Cornwallis nodded nervously and quickly, but at the same time he seemed reluctant to drop the topic. "Still, the loss of many experienced factory workers may temporarily slow production for our garrisons."
"Temporary problems, Chancellor." Lucius answered him and frowned. "Our factories in Shizuoka Settlement are owned by experienced industrialists and they have highly qualified managers. "I have no doubt at all that these are only temporary problems."
Chancellor Cornwallis clearly looked like he wanted to say at least a few more words on the subject, but Lucius wouldn't let him and launched his own attack. "However, I am deeply concerned about the clearly sluggish involvement of the civilian administration in the fight against terrorism. Specifically, I am referring to the huge presence of Honorary Britannian of the Elevens status documents that we found in some JWS hideouts and among some terrorist bodies."
None of the civilian workers moved, and instead they all shot each other confused glances. Lucius was only encouraged by their behavior to continue his attack. These were clearly salon and backroom politicians, cunning, but at the same time not very good at dealing with open confrontation. It was quite clear that Clovis had made a wise decision
"What's more, OSI sent me quite clear reports on the origins of all these documents, which could be classified as false given the fact that the vast majority of those in possession of them did not meet the requirements for Honorary Britannian status." He even gave them a harder glare before continuing. "Given that this entire case clearly incriminates you, I would like to remind you that all this evidence will go to the OSI."
"Your Highness, with all due respect, but your actions at this point…" The Chancellor began, but was cut off by another truly nasty look from Lucius, who was not willing to listen to any more vague attempts to disobey him.
"My actions at this point will lead to the destruction of one of the sources of corruption in the civil administration managed by you." Came the response from the Purple Prince, who then turned to Clovis, who had remained calm the entire time and had not said a word. "Viceroy, I think there is not the slightest doubt about the corruption of the part of our administration responsible for issuing documents and social affairs."
"It's out of the question." The Commissioner for Social Affairs, Friedrich von Ebert, whose appearance as a mustachioed boar obviously never gained him many sympathies spoke up. "My resort is one of the best performing in the colony!"
"Apparently not in the way you mean, but instead in terms of supporting terrorism." Lucius attacked him, verbally and through body language. He was already a little annoyed that these people had the nerve to side with the Elevens at all, but his wrath would fall on them another day, or not at all.
In fact, watching this fat, black-haired, mustachioed man dressed in an extravagant black coat filled Lucius with disgust. Although he didn't usually judge people he met based on their physical appearance, in this case and combined with his resistance, it created quite specific feelings and images in the Purple Prince's head about him. A corrupt, greasy traitor and now another obstacle that Lucius needed to get out of his way, or turn him into an obstacle for someone else if that was possible.
On this occasion, during this meeting, a great division among officials became visible. Civilians, they were appointed personally by Clovis, so an attack on them - if they were not on good terms with the Viceroy - could be hastily perceived as an attack on him. Nevertheless, the fact remained that their appointments were political and intended to consolidate Clovis's power in Area 11.
Although this was a temporary measure, it became permanent when all these people managed to consolidate their positions and their removal from office was no longer an option, especially for Clovis himself, who had no intention of even getting involved in political disputes and fights with civil officials lower level, loyal to their benefactors. Commissioner Friedrich von Ebert was one such man, appointed at the beginning of Clovis's tenure as Viceroy of Area 11, who managed to consolidate his position and therefore became impossible to remove.
However, military officials were a different matter, as there had been frequent turnover in these positions three years earlier. Only since 2015 A.T.B. one could talk about any stability in the military structure of Area 11. Then the subsequent - often chaotic and turbulent in essence - rotations ended, with the takeover by General Asprius.
The conflict between the new high-ranking military and the civilian administration quickly grew due to the decisions of the Commissioners and the bureaucrats subordinated to them. Decisions that, although often had a logical basis, created enormous difficulties for soldiers and police forces in pursuing and fighting terrorists. The best example of this was the issue of former Japanese subway lines, which were left alone and were used by terrorists for quick evacuation.
Meanwhile, as for Clovis, he moved slightly in his throne, but sent a subtle smile towards Lucius, clearly understanding what his younger brother was getting at.
"Viceroy, these accusations from Grand Master vi Britannia are nothing more than hasty conclusions from a military commander who has little understanding of civil affairs." Commissioner von Ebert decided to launch a light attack, but encountered resistance.
"Absolutely, it's not a matter of Prince Lucius' lack of knowledge about the administration, it's a matter of your incompetence and attempts to protect your corrupt subordinates!" Harsh accusations, as a response to an attempt to undermine Lucius' words, were made by Chief Quartermaster Lawrence De Lugo, who during such meetings was famous for his strong attacks on - in his opinion - the corrupt civilian administration. "If it weren't for corrupt parasites like you, many dead among our soldiers and policemen could have been avoided!"
His words almost caused a verbal attack on him by all representatives of the civil authorities. However, none of them dared to utter a word when they saw the withering glare from Lucius, who rarely and reluctantly used this type of vulgar technique to intimidate and influence subordinates or people who were against him.
But then, Clovis entered the dispute with an evidently conciliatory initiative. "Composure! Although I do not doubt the loyalty and effectiveness of the civilian bureaucracy, the accusations against those issuing the documents are at least justified. For this reason, an investigation into this matter will be launched, this is beyond dispute. If there is any source of corruption among us, it must be cut out as soon as possible before it becomes infective and becomes a problem like a virus or cancer!"
Everyone now unequivocally accepted his verdict and no one had the slightest intention of opposing it. Then, Clovis turned to Lucius.
"Grand Master, it is clear that your victory has given us a lot and seriously minimizes the risk to an extremely important industrial region, for which you are to be congratulated." Clovis said. "However, gaining information about corrupt colonial officials who facilitate terrorists and cause the deaths of our people also deserves recognition."
With these words, the Viceroy walked up to him and placed his hand on his younger brother's left shoulder. "I knew my faith in your abilities and their versatility was not unfounded."
Lucius looked at him with slight confusion before giving a curt nod. "I am pleased with these words of praise and I hope that the issue has now been resolved."
Over the next few minutes, everything returned to a state of calm and the council moved on to other matters, but this time strictly separate from matters related to the Purple Prince's campaign.
Lucius largely remained passive during this, because issues such as the colony's budget, investments in infrastructure and discussion of reports on current investments were not within his competences and current interests. So he had no intention of cluttering his mind with unnecessary information.
After approximately one hour, the council came to an end and was dissolved by the Viceroy. Lucius - just like the others - was about to leave the meeting room, but Clovis stopped him. The viceroy demanded - under the guise of a small request - a short conversation with him to discuss several issues important in the context of the operation.
Lucius was a bit confused by this, but he obeyed and stayed behind the desk specially prepared for him.
Meanwhile, both high-level civilian members of the colony's civil administration and military commanders left the room. Outside, however, their cohorts of deputies, adjutants or other types of important subordinates were waiting for them. In other words, people who are key to the proper functioning of their ministries in the colony.
Even General Asprius, formally the Sub-Viceroy of Area 11, left the room, which was strange because this man was essentially Clovis's right-hand man and, in case of unforeseen circumstances, his direct deputy. So why would he be absent?
Soon, only the two of them remained in the rather large room, with only a small and slightly awkward silence in the room. Lucius didn't feel the need to break it, so he remained silent until Clovis spoke first.
"Luc." He started by calling him by the nickname of the Purple Prince. "Actually, I should thank you right now for mentioning this matter in front of the entire council."
"Pardon?" Lucius spoke, a bit surprised by his words, as he considered it much more likely to be reprimanded by his older brother for attacking his men.
Clovis just laughed heartily at his reaction. "Don't be so surprised, seeing these pathetic and lazy excuses for people - especially that fat boar von Ebert - has given me so much joy for days. But above all, I am grateful for the attack on them."
Lucius laughed too, especially after hearing the last sentence. "Now I understand everything, you wanted to get rid of them for a long time, but you had no excuse to remove them from their positions. However, my first battle of the campaign provided you with more than enough evidence for the OSI to launch a formal investigation against one of them. Regardless of the results of the investigation, you can thus cast a shadow of suspicion on other members of the civilian administration."
This was a departure for Lucius from his generally cool demeanor during his time in Area 11, but nonetheless, he had little to hide from him. The exception to this was the Purple Prince's plans to take over as Viceroy of Area 11, at any cost. After all, his friendly demeanor could go a long way in masking his motivations, although Lucius considered the possibility that Clovis might suspect his true intentions.
"Exactly, you're absolutely right, Luc." Clovis nodded at him, moving away from his brother and returning to his throne. "They will get nervous and start making mistakes. Perhaps even many mistakes.""If war is a field in which the side that makes the most wrong or rash moves wins…" Lucius muttered loudly.
"Politics does not differ from this area of life in the slightest." Clovis finished for him, looking at the large imperial flag on the ceiling of the room. "To be honest, I envy your determination combined with your undoubted genius."
Lucius didn't expect to hear that coming from his mouth, so he only snorted slightly before the words relating to it came out of his mouth. "You yourself have many talents, very… varied and giving you many opportunities to maneuver."
"They offer many opportunities, but they don't give me what I want or the strength to pursue those opportunities." Clovis sighed in resignation. "Although I admit it with regret and I tell you this in deep confidence, as a person whom I trust with all my heart and despite your political conflict with my mother. Nevertheless, I have always envied you, Scheizel and Cornelia, your determination and ability to take your fate into your own hands."
In the next moment, he seemed a pathetically defeated man, despite occupying a very high position in the structure of the Holy Britannian Empire, which the vast majority of citizens can only dream of. "Perhaps it is envy on my part, but nevertheless I envy you for having all the necessary qualities to claim the throne of the empire in the future."
Lucius gave him a sardonic smile. "If you wanted to provoke me into declaring my desire to take over the empire after our father's death, I must disappoint you. Besides, even if I were to somehow inexplicably defeat the several candidates for the throne standing in my way - including you - I would still have to face Cornelia and Schzeilizel. "I won't even mention our Crown Prince, who is not as average and clumsy as he may seem at first glance."
Clovis snorted, half in contempt and half in irony. "This clown is incapable of commanding respect even among the average-brained, uneducated lowest strata of our society. Don't try to insinuate to me that the Clown Prince is capable of doing anything, especially when it comes to behind-the-scenes politics."
Lucius just shrugged a bit dully, but mentally noted his brother's contemptuous attitude towards First Britannian Prince Odysseus, based on false appearances. "Regardless of my guesses, a few others and all that. I understand that I have the green light to possibly interfere in the investigation and fight against corrupt elements of the civil administration?"
"In no case." Clovis looked almost offended at such a proposition on his part. "The management of the civil administration and any investigations or changes within it are and will remain solely within my sphere of competence, no one else's."
"Of course, Viceroy." Lucius didn't want to risk a confrontation at this point, so he rose from the throne he was sitting behind and took his tablet in his hand. "So can I consider this conversation fully over?"
Clovis waved his hand. "Of course Luc, go and bring more victories to the empire. However, if I were you, I wouldn't underestimate your opponent. Although your last battle was fierce, the OSI sent me reports indicating the increased readiness of terrorist cells."
"After such a spectacular action, I expected something like this and I am fully aware of the consequences that may result from it." Lucius was now heading for the door and was almost within range of the sensors that would trigger the automatic lifting system. "It doesn't really matter. I do not plan to attack any terrorist cell in the next few days, because I intend to fully rearm the Panzer Infantry formations of my task force with something better than conventional ones, proven but not giving a great advantage over the enemy Sutherlands."
"I am not a military expert, but if you wish, I can cover part of the expenses required for this rearmament from the colony's budget, which has significant surpluses." Clovis suggested.
Lucius easily understood that it was - in fact - an empty gesture, but Clovis himself could have simply made it and it cost him nothing. "It will be so, if it is your will."
The Viceroy of Area 11 seemed confused at first by this answer, until he decided to respond in any way. "That's it, Luc."
Lucius nodded, then took a step and the sliding door lifted up. "That's it, brother."
Without another word, he left his brother to his own devices and headed straight to one of the hangars in the structure, where a VTOL transport was waiting for him, along with an escort of 3 gunships that would escort him back to Puretress. Everything happened without a word and the only people who joined him were the commander of his guard, Sir Ciaran, and his 2 Amethyst Guards.
The return to the headquarters of the Boudica Task Force took place in an atmosphere of slightly awkward silence, broken only by a question from the commander of the Guard, Lucius. He asked his superior, senior and friend about how fruitful the meeting was. The Purple Prince replied to this casually. Telling him it went exactly as expected before expanding on the topic.
"Basically, it happened exactly as I planned. The false documents, or rather mountains of false documents, found in Shizuoka Settlement set in motion the mechanism that will clear the area for me in the civil administration. It also helps that Clovis himself was planning to get rid of many of them, but so far has been unable to accumulate anything, or even find a solid foothold."
Ciaran smiled mockingly. "You think it's a matter of his ineptitude when it comes to intelligence and counterintelligence."
"Possible." Lucius replied without changing his calm facial expression to anything else. "If I had to say anything about it and make any judgment, I would say that my brother doesn't have much experience in such matters. Ultimately, he is first and foremost an artist, only secondly can I describe him as a type of administrator and politician, but also a salon politician."
"Well, not everyone may have any greater aptitude for power or talents that would allow such an individual to get to where you are today, Luc."
"Perhaps you're right, Ciaran." Lucius glanced at one of the portholes on the airlift where they were both heading to their destination, and his vision seemed to reach far beyond the horizon, perhaps even beyond. "Sometimes, however, I wonder if it is a matter of fate that is present over each of us and pushes us to all our victories and failures? Or is it rather a matter of one big chaos, which consists of all the actions and decisions of all individuals?"
The commander of his guard just shrugged, in a somewhat dull manner and with an expression that could be considered somewhere between a smile and a sneer. "I don't know, and if life has taught me anything, it's that dwelling on this type of issue will only lead to wasting a very significant amount of time that could be spent much better and on much more productive tasks."
"Yes, ultimately we still have to discuss the issue of rearming the formations from our task force to some better types." Lucius recalled the subject, but before anything more could come of it, the transport and its escort first approached their destination and then landed on one of the smaller landing pads in Purtress.
They, and all of the Amethyst Guard present with them, made their way to the hall used by Lucius as his distinctively ornate personal office, where he spoke with Jeremiah and recruited Purists to the Boudica Task Force.
Along the way, they passed training rooms or areas where individual pilots were either practicing live, in combat using Knightmare Frames, or in simulators. Basically, the task force suffered some losses during the fight, which were extremely important to replenish. Meanwhile, the pilots sent as reinforcements had to more or less integrate with the rest of the formation members, and at this moment it was absolutely the best time for it.
Lucius sent Ciaran and her guards outside as soon as she got inside. Then, and after taking his seat in the center on the other side, he began working using the tablet and console.
The time of about 30 minutes was spent mainly reading several additional reports on catching stragglers around Shizuoka Settlement. Nothing serious and nothing that could provide any information relevant to the fight against other terrorist organizations.
On this occasion, he also decided to once again review the reports on losses during the first operation in Area 11. Although, actually, the first operation was the creation of Task Force Boudica and the organization of all formations assigned to it into a coherent whole.
However, apart from the purely formal aspect, taking part in this operation constantly reminded him of one thing. Under normal battlefield conditions, losses may fall mainly into three categories. First, the attacker loses and suffers greater losses than the defender. Second, the attacker wins and suffers fewer losses than the defender. Third, both sides, defenders and attackers, having similar forces in terms of quality and numbers, suffer similar losses. In the latter case, there is a long-term material battle, the end of which comes when one of the parties loses the ability to replenish its own losses.
This foundation, taught in every imperial military academy, was not the most important at that moment. However, the number of losses suffered during the fight on both sides was important. 336 Britannians killed and 1,452 wounded, with 6,000-8,000 Elevens killed and three times as many wounded. In the case of the natives, they were mainly civilians caught in the crossfire or so-called occasional terrorists, and only 25-30% of this number were actual terrorists.
The losses may have seemed high at first glance, but they were only appearances. In fact, it was only a part, approximately 35%, of the inhabitants of the ghettos where fighting occurred. Not that anyone in the empire cared much about the fate of outsiders in counterterrorism operations, as long as they were Elevens. Even the most progressive liberals in the empire had nothing against this type of pacification and anti-terrorist actions. How could they, if for years they had been taught that Numbers was a lower class of man who did not have full rights as a citizen.
This, however, was not the point of Lucius' thoughts, but was instead something else entirely. It was the issue of fatalities that had become incredibly fascinating to him over the past week. First of all, the fact how often those killed represented only a smaller percentage of overall combat losses.
In this context, he remembered a quote from one of the books Monica TOLD him to read. These were Polish books to which the girl and his fiancée had great sentiment, due to her origins as a Polish noblewoman.
"Not every bullet kills, otherwise there would no longer be people in the world, because mothers would not be able to give birth." Lucius remembered this extremely universal military wisdom.
Once upon a time, and despite reading the memoirs of veterans, especially front-line commanding officers, Lucius believed that one bullet meant one corpse, and a single artillery shell meant dozens of corpses, to put it very simply. The memories matched this quote perfectly as he recalled it. As the battlefield had shown him many times, every single bullet or even artillery shell did not necessarily mean one death.
In the case of the soldiers included in the Boudica Task Force, it was the same, and it was especially clear in the case of the Knightmare Frames pilots. A popular myth in Britannian Military was that one destroyed Knightmare Frame was a single corpse, but this was never the case. In fact, it is rare for Knightmares to be damaged badly enough for pilots to not be ejected through the safety system. Even seriously damaged, without ejection of the cockpit with the pilot still alive, did not necessarily mean death.
Lucius couldn't count how many times in his short life and while fighting somewhere in Africa, the Knightmare Frame he was piloting had been damaged so badly that the Cockpit Ejection System catapulted him away from the battlefield, and as a result he had to either find his way back to The Britannian line, on one occasion, even had to break through enemy positions, either alone or with several companions.
His further thoughts on this topic were interrupted by the buzzing of his tablet, indicating a priority message. After a few clicks on the screen, it turned out that it was a priority message straight from S.K.F.D. Institute by Doctor Kinnon Zimmad.
The entire message, although undoubtedly full of eccentric style and words bordering on boastfulness or vanity, nevertheless gave him exactly what he wanted. The full completion of the 2nd Phase of Operation Weltkrieg was approaching. Now that this was done, we could easily move on to Phase 3.
Lucius' further thoughts on this subject, however, were interrupted by the opening of the door and the arrival of two people he had summoned.
"Colonel Gottwald, Major Nu, please sit down." He spoke to them in a tone that was a mixture of coldness and authority.
Meanwhile, the Margrave and his dark-skinned companion complied with his seemingly polite suggestion, which was in fact an obvious order.
Once that was done, Lucius got to the point. "I called you here for two things. The second one can wait a while, so let's get straight to the question of local factories and whether they can provide us with access to better Knightmare Frames."
Jeremiah was the one who took it upon himself to talk to representatives of the factories producing war materials, and it was up to him to report fully on the talks. "Well, since the talks did not produce the results I expected, I will answer the question briefly: no, they cannot provide us with better equipment for the Panzer Infantry, at least not of the kind we asked for."
Lucius showed no sign of dissatisfaction and just asked with a slightly raised eyebrow. "What kind of machine do they want to offer us?"
In response, Jeremiah only took out a black flash drive with data, which was immediately inserted into the appropriate input in the console in front of him. A moment later, in the very center of the round table, a hologram showing a similar, but at the same time slightly alien structure was displayed. "The design, developed by Black Arms, as a successor to the standard Sutherlands. RPI-13/S Mark 3, also known as Sutherland Swordman MK3, an improved and enriched variant of the standard Sutherland with the latest systems, capable of putting up an equal fight with the Gloucester, provided that the pilots of both machines have a similar level of skill. The main purpose of the machine is assault, armoder destroyer and anti-Knightmare.
Lucius decided to review the machine's exact specifications on his own console's screen, although he had some vague memories of certain details. As it turned out, he remembered quite well that the machine, with its efficiency, was designed for medium and close range combat, at least medium and close for Knightmare Frames. This could be extremely confusing if the individual reading about it was accustomed to looking at this type of matter from the perspective of ordinary infantry.
"Is this the answer to our need?" Lucius asked no one in particular.
Regardless, Jeremiah decided to answer the question. "Well, in accordance with the orders of the General Inspectorate of Britannian Military and guidelines addressed to individual industrial concerns, all standard units such as Sutherlands and, in particular, the best Britannian Knightmare Frames, Gloucesters, are to be sent to units classified as first-line formations."
"So mainly to those on the direct border with the EU, in North Africa." Lucius stated and in that split second, he had already made decisions regarding equipment for Task Force Boudica. "Perfect, so the basic Knightmare Frame for our formation will be Sutherland Swordsman."
His gaze then fell on the previously silent and slightly nervous Major Nu, who was staring at his chest, unable to find a better point to observe at that moment that would not be construed as a provocation. "Major, since a decision has already been made on this issue, it will require the full adaptation of our pilots to new and slightly different machines."
"Yes, my lord." The dark-skinned woman nodded at him, as if pulled out of her thoughts and still unsure of what she should expect from him. "However, I am not sure about my role in this process. I only command one of the battalions that make up the local Purists..."
Lucius' raised hand made it clear that she should remain silent.
"That's where we're headed, Major Nu." The Purple Prince replied to her coldly. "I have heard opinions that you are a wonderful staff officer. Moreover, the analysis of your handling of the final battle was not something I see often. To put it bluntly, I am offering you the position of Commander of Task Force Boudica Operations, in the case of an operation, you will be in command and your authority will be inferior to me, Colonel Garma and Colonel Gottwald. All this while being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel."
Major Nu looked at the Purple Prince, but the corner of her left eye turned for a moment towards her superior and longtime friend. There she noticed a very small but hard to miss smile on Jeremiah's lips, with a knowing and friendly tone. She then fully understood that it was her superior who was responsible for this promotion and his recommendations. Meanwhile, this must have meant that Lucius was beginning to feel that he could trust Jeremiah.
This was one of the reasons why the dark-skinned woman smiled, her awareness of promotion was secondary in all this.
"I would be honored by this, Your Highness." Was all Viletta could say, feeling honored after a moment to receive a promotion from one of the empire's best and most admired commanders.
"Excellent." Lucius showed no sign of emotion and instead continued and moved on to the next topic, the dark-skinned woman's promotion. "Your first duty will be simple, overseeing the rapid transition of our pilots to the new Knightmare Frame type. Given the machine's similarity to the standard Sutherland, it shouldn't be too difficult, but I'd prefer you retain the full importance of this task."
"I understand that perfectly, Your Highness." Viletta replied briefly. "If there is one first thing a soldier learns in the military, it is the need to become thoroughly familiar with the equipment he uses. Ultimately, knowing a weapon is essentially knowing all the strengths and weaknesses of the tool to which each of us entrusts our lives."
"I'm glad you understand, Lieutenant Colonel." Lucius moved his chair to the round table, then placed his hands on the surface and then folded them. "Now, let's move on to familiarizing our pilots with their new combat tool."
Viletta needed only a few moments to collect her thoughts and, based on her own experiences, presented a plan for several days of detailed familiarization and understanding by the pilots of her machines. A mix of using simulator training and then immediately moving on to real-life training. The latter, by repeatedly performing numerous maneuvers and fighting in situations that will allow them to get to know their machines to their limits.
Lucius felt that this plan took into account their current situation and the need to resume the offensive, at least for some time. The sandy-haired Prince also realized that this could put quite a lot of pressure on the pilots and make it difficult for them to operate effectively. Still, it was worth trying if it was to lead to any positive effect in a fairly short period of time.
At that moment, and listening to her words, another plan was born in the Purple Prince's head, to weaken his brother and strengthen his own order. Area 11 was a place full of combat-experienced officers. Most of them had to be battle-hardened and familiar with the realities of the battlefield, just like their subordinates. Among them, there simply had to be those above average in their skills, and nothing verifies this in such a cold, soulless and at the same time closest to objectivity way as the battlefield.
He could, thanks to his current imperative and the Boudica Task Force, not to mention the need to constantly strengthen his own forces, use all of this to strengthen and expand the Knights of the Purple Rose. First, gathering the best in the task force, and then gradually forming them into subsequent brigades and corps of Knights of the Purple Rose.
While the plan was indeed well thought out and desirable from his perspective, it also meant weakening the garrison staff in Area 11. But that was a secondary consideration, at least to him. Although this could mean image problems in the future, by the time this practice came to light - if at all - his order would have been extremely strengthened and expanded. It was therefore in his best interest if he wanted to further multiply his potential and perhaps become, on the one hand, the most elite, and on the other hand, the best force in the structure of the Britannian Army.
Regardless, he still had a lot of work to do that day, and focusing on one thing for too long wasn't going to help him, not in the long run. He still had to focus on some details regarding the report on the 2nd Phase of Operation Weltkrieg. But the day was still young and he had a lot of time for this, truly a lot of time.
