School Idols of the Lighthouse War
Chapter 18.1
Salvation - Briefing
September 14th, 2019. 8:13 AM
At the home office of David North...
David: Some individuals are exempt from rules that should apply to everyone.
David watches the photo of Trigger's aircraft logo of Three Strikes...
A hero is suddenly a risk factor the moment the war is over.
So you murder him. Crude, but effective.
Then on a simulation... The Black chess piece named Alicorn destroys a white chess piece.
In reality, they've no need for living heroes, just dead ones.
Here's a question, Alex. Can we stop Captain Matias Torres?
Alex: Depends on if you treat the captain or Three Strikes or the School Idols as a singularity.
Trigger's aircraft destroys a black chess piece called the horse.
David: They are. What happens when 3 singularities exist on the same field?
Alex: That requires seven months' calculation with the current resources.
David: We'll just have to trust the guys and girls in the field.
Back on the computer, with the blueprint of the Alicorn...
Alex: David, evacuate.
David: No, I still have to finish up here.
4 days later... on September 14th, 2019.
Briefing is underway... Starting with the blueprint of the Alicorn.
David: ...The Erusean Military finally sent parts of the Alicorn's specs.
It's basic capabilities listed here were as we predicted. What's interesting is... this over here.
What they see is a big gun on the submarine.
In addition to main guns, they have a 600-mm/128 caliber rail cannon.
Maki: That's a big gun I've seen in my life.
David: The barrel exceeds 70 meters! It's range is over 3,000 kilometers. That matches what we calculated from the bombardment on Anchorhead Bay.
The mini-nuke they seem to have obtained has a yield of one kiloton.
Eli(webcam): That is a huge amount! It can cause some deaths!
Karibuchi(webcam): Exactly! Continue, David.
David: It'll destroy anything within a 400-meter radius of ground zero. Casualties are to be in the tens of thousands.
As seen from the numbers of deaths in the impact.
Honoka(Webcam): That's very horrible if this happens!
You(Webcam): Clearly much, Honoka-chan!
Skald: I know some things are left unsaid, but... let me say it.
That's less damage than I expected.
David: Nice catch. Do you remember this speech?
At Torres's radio sound file...
Torres: "This boat has the means to end this hideous war, in a definitive and elegant manner."
"The world shall be horrified by the number of lives we take."
"Only then will they let go of their weapons..."
"...Weapons that would have to taken the lives of 10 million!"
Sound File ended.
David: The imagery invoked by those words and the actual predictory damage just don't match.
Count: So, here's a question.
David chuckled.
David: Sorry, got no quizzes for today.
At the map of the Usean Continent...
David: They will launch the nuke on September 19th.
Húxiān: Why are you so sure?
David: That's because it's the anniversary of the end of the Continental War. Anti-war demonstrations and victory parades are in full swing in Oured.
There's about a million participants in total. That number will rise on the anniversary.
However, this nuke isn't that powerful.
They'd have to thread through the eye of a needle to achieve their desired results.
Skald: Terminal guidance would be needed.
David: Right. How do they intend to achieve it when even GPS won't work...?
Eli(Webcam): There is a possibility that keen eyes and skill are needed.
David: That's true, Ayase.
Húxiān: You're all thinking too much. If we sink the submarine, it's problem solved.
David: Crude, but effective.
Húxiān and Shizuku: Crude?
The map is zoomed out.
David: Alright, look at this. The Alicorn's expected course.
We know it was off Anchorhead Bay and it has to get Oured with in range before September 19th.
They must avoid being detected by Osea and it's allies' sound and surveillance systems and ships.
Taking into account its maximum operating depth, this is the only possible route.
The Alicorn will move along the Azalea seamount chain and reach a rather blandly-named body of water called PX80443.
The waters here are shallow due to an undersea mountain range and nearby islands. This is where it'll be. We also know roughly when they'll arrive in the area.
Count: Quite the prediction you have here.
David: Indeed. But if it makes it through, then you're looking at Peony Trench.
The sub's max operating depth is 600 meters. Tracking it will be impossible.
Wiseman: Right. Now I'm gonna give you the mission details, so listen up.
Our mission is to cooperate with the patrol aircraft to find the Alicorn.
In the first phase of the mission, multiple patrol aircraft will drop sonobuoys to build a sonobuoy barrier.
Then, in the second phase, we narrow down the possible location of the Alicorn by analyzing the data obtained from the sonobuoys. The results of our analysis will be data linked and shown on an overlay on your radars.
And for the final phase... Trigger and Honoka, you two will gonna look for the submarine.
We have the MADs--Magnetic Anomaly Detectors--for this task. It will be fitted on Trigger and Honoka's aircraft.
Fly over where we expect the Alicorn might be. If the submarine is right beneath you two, your MAD will detect it.
You both also have nautical charts on your radars, so use them as well.
Once it's found, our fleet and the Satsuman fleet will commence a unified attack with ASROCs and sink it.
Count: And if we miss?
David: Four of our ships of the Osean fleet will be joining the mission. There will or won't be a second salvo.
Miyafuji(Webcam): I send SN Takao, SN Myoko, SN Fubuki and SN Harekaze on this one too, they are already on route at the designated location as we speak.
Jaeger: So who's flying today, Wiseman?
Wiseman: All Osean pilots except the School Idols in this base, Fencer and myself.
Count: Woah!
Wiseman: This is an order. Now get you fat asses moving! Alexa, before we go to the mission, which School Idols are going to sortie? Honoka will go right away.
Alexa(Webcam): I want You, Ayumu, Eli, Setsuna, Saint Snow, Guilty Kiss, Hanayo and Rina be ready.
Wiseman: Rina? The shy tech girl?
Alexa(Webcam): That one. She has the Rina-chan board, and it's well modified on her flight helm.
Wiseman: Okay, then. It's her debut. Now good luck and be careful out there!
Alexa: We will!
Briefing ended.
Alexa: Okay girls, we have our orders, Honoka, prep your MAD, the two of us will go hunt the submarine.
Honoka: Okay. Fighto dayo!
Alexa: And Rina, time for you to shine!
Rina: Rina-chan Board says: Nico-ri!
Alexa: Okay. Get to your aircraft! We are going in!
End of Chapter 18.1