Mob No. 24: “So you want a one-on-one fight…”
The attack on allied forces by the enemy intercept troops triggered the attack on the enemy main fleet by allied left wing forces.
In addition to the allied main fleet engaging from the start,
the enemy intercept troops who betrayed, the allied left wing forces,
and the right wing forces led by Ms. Rossweisse who annihilated the enemy left wing and defecting forces joined.
In this state we can’t lose for sure.
But even if they’re just pirate and mercenary rabble, it’s not like none of them are skilled, and the guys from the enemy left wing who fled from Ms. Rossweisse have probably joined up too.
We can’t be too careless.
For now I’ll switch the enemy intercept troops to allies on the friend or foe identification system.
Sure enough, a group who seemed to have lost it came charging at us laying down an abnormally dense barrage.
They’re probably thinking of withdrawing from the battlefield.
[Stop the ones charging now! Don’t let them get away!]
An order to intercept came from headquarters so the left wing forces including me went towards that group.
But they were no small fries.
They had a hornet emblem so were probably from the same pirate group or mercenary rabble, but their ability was considerable.
They weren’t just charging in frenzied, their aim was to break through the left wing forces and raid the allied main fleet!
Then rather than standing in their way, it’s still safer to hit them from the sides or rear.
“Was there a pirate group with an emblem like that? Never seen it but?”
While inadvertently grumbling, I increased speed and attacked from the enemy’s flank.
Thankfully several drones and one small craft were shot down.
But a counterattack came as expected.
While the drones were one thing, the manned small craft moved extremely well.
The same or better than those intercept guys earlier.
But it lowered their penetrating power, so I felt the vanguard slow a little.
Others were also attacking from the sides and rear similarly.
Even so this [Wasp Squad]’s charge didn’t decrease much.
If these guys and the intercept guys had pushed full front from the start and timed it with the defecting forces, I feel like we would have lost.
Anyway we have to stop this [Wasp Squad]’s charge or we’re in trouble.
I targeted one large combat ship, slipping between drones and small craft to [stick to] and take it out.
If it comes to this the bombardment will die down for fear of friendly fire.
And when I thought I had gotten right up to the large combat ship, a small blue painted craft barred the way.
Like the other ships, the hornet emblem was painted in white.
Looking at it, it seemed like a customized version of the state of the art Triair Industries craft [Storm Zero] Ms. Noswile rode in.
I thought I’d definitely be surrounded after passing head-on but for some reason the overall group took distance, leaving some craft behind to follow the vanguard.
Well the vanguard is the priority so that’s natural.
And the remaining craft took up positions to block the path to the main fleet.
“So you want a one-on-one fight…”
This isn’t a joke! Saying stuff like this is the role for protagonist buffed guys!
No, the [Blue Wasp] is the protagonist in this case.
The enemy ship is without a doubt faster than mine so it’ll be hard to run away.
Then I have no choice but to somehow restrain them and flee!
With that decided, I’ll give them a [Feign Shoot Down]!
Diverting all energy except maneuvering, armaments, and radar to the thrusters, I desperately tried to get behind them.
This makes it so they don’t stay wary when they get behind me.
But this is the protagonist dodging me.
Let’s prepare a second shot.
While thinking that I repeated combat orbits to get behind them, rolling, looping, twisting.
They did the same, occasionally covering me with beams while aiming to move into position.
No one approached or attacked from either side.
Now while there’s no interference is the chance to execute it.
I opened the throttle, keeping straight in mind as much as possible.
The opponent followed after me.
A beam grazing the hull feels lifeless.
And the instant I thought here, I simultaneously raised the nose, did a max output burst from the attitude control thrusters on the underside of the craft for just a moment, and stopped the main booster.
The craft rotated and seemed to jump over the opponent’s craft, and firing a beam at that timing would turn the opponent into a hornet’s nest for sure.
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But as expected of a protagonist.
Sensing that, they barely dodged left by tilting their ship vertically.
I knew you’d do that!
So I jettisoned my spare two proton torpedoes in the direction they’d likely turn to evade.
Then restarting the main booster, I went out past their evasion turn radius and did a vertical turn to get behind them.
They try to flee using their speed. So directing their awareness here with beam shots will make them less likely to notice the left proton torpedoes, and if they notice and hastily turn they’ll show an opening.
That’s why the proton torpedoes are painted matte black instead of glossy.
Even if they shoot to intercept the proton torpedoes, the blast will make controlling the craft difficult.
Whether it worked out was a gamble but they desperately evaded as hoped. That instant is the chance!
“Bingo!”
The beam hit part of the booster and engine, making normal maneuvering impossible.
I could have just shot them down but since the [Wasp Squad] main force was more important, and the guys who had positioned to block the path to the main fleet came to rescue [Blue Wasp], I fired and detonated the proton torpedoes as if for a smokescreen, then used that opening to exit that combat space.
Then following the [Wasp Squad] main force, they were withdrawing from the combat space while under fierce interception from allied headquarters and pursuit from the left wing forces.
A mere 15 minutes after the enemy intercept troops attacked allied forces.
With both wings annihilated,
the enemy main fleet attack from the [Wasp Squad] who seemed to be their top elite but were betrayed, the defeat was ensured.
Adding that most of the remaining enemy main fleet were the washed out mercenaries, pirates, and hoodlums I expected, the baroness’s side promptly fully surrendered.
With Earl Rosello’s
[I have accepted the surrender of the Griente baron forces. End combat and begin rescue of survivors and recovery of the injured.]
declaration of the end of hostilities, and
[Troops and mercenaries. Thanks to you all, my territory was protected and the painting will be returned. There are those who died in this battle. I pray for the repose of those souls, and intend to continue governing in a way that does not shame them.]
words of new resolve, this conflict ended.
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