Mob #107: “That foolish son…”
Phew…that was close.
Since he reacted to the decoy missile before, I tried it again thinking he might overanalyze and react the same way, and he took the bait perfectly.
I wanted to keep him alive for information, but there was no margin for that.
If I had tried to pacify him by shooting his nozzles, I would’ve been the one shot down.
Since he was intent on killing, it’s only natural for me to resist with intent to kill as well.
Though it seemed he’d have time to escape, and it’d be dangerous to approach when he was about to explode anyway.
Just as I was resigning myself to him escaping and fleeing, several beams came from the escort ships’ direction and immediately blew up the [Blue Wasp]’s ship seconds before it would’ve exploded.
[Whoo-hoo! Shot down someone famous-like! Nice assist, creep! I’ll praise ya!]
It was that Bishop rank mercenary who had tried to corner Lambert before, and make Miss Roseweiss his woman, along with his lackeys.
This sort of thing happened a lot when I was a newbie.
Sometimes they’d even claim your accomplishments as their own without firing a shot or even deploying, so this was better than that.
And above all, I didn’t want any credit this time, so it was a perfect coincidence.
Leaving their celebratory shouting behind, I headed to the carrier to refuel and rearm.
In the hangar bay, not only Arthur’s ship but several others were being repaired.
The transport fleet had come to a complete stop and was using all available ships to search for and rescue ejected pilots while also recovering bodies.
In this case it didn’t matter whether they were enemy or ally.
After refueling and rearming, and confirming my ship had no damage, I launched from the carrier to assist in search and rescue.
We couldn’t search for dozens of hours, but in the roughly two hours I had I was able to rescue several ejected pilots and recover bodies that were intact.
Even after the rescues, there were several vacancies in the standby area.
As long as I live as a mercenary, this will be an everyday sight, and I could end up on that side someday too.
Oddly, not a single pirate or apparent Wasp Squadron member was rescued.
The bodies also had nothing to identify them.
That Blue Wasp might have been among them, but there’s no way to know, so I’ll pray for them all.
Though I’m sure the killer side would think, who’s he to pray.
After finishing the rescue efforts, we set out again, and when I went on patrol for my shift, Arthur contacted me right away.
[Mr. Uzos, can I ask you something?]
“Yo. You’re not hurt are you? You good?”
Arthur didn’t seem injured, and Seira was behind him.
[We’re fine. But can I ask?]
Arthur looked at me seriously.
“About shooting down Blue Wasp?”
[Yes. Is it okay? Having accomplishment treated as an assist and taken from you?]
Anger showed on Arthur’s expression.
Well, it’s natural to get mad when someone takes credit for your accomplishment.
“It happened to me a lot as a newbie. And I didn’t want any credit this time anyway.”
When something unpleasant happens over and over, you get used to it to some degree.
And I had a clear reason for not wanting credit this time.
Just then, someone chimed in on the channel.
[If the military’s involved, you don’t want any accomplishments right?]
[I agree. If people like us joined the military, we’d just be used as [Credit Generators] or [Invincible Meat Shields].]
[What’s that about?]
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It was Dan at the helm on the same shift, and Moritz on break.
Arthur seemed confused by what they were saying.
He might be from the imperial territories.
“So you see. Us colonial types, if we join the imperial military filled with people from the homeland, we get treated like crap and die young as a rule.”
Dan, Moritz and I are all from colonies, so we know well how people who join the military or central government get treated.
Of course not every single one gets treated terribly, but it’s a fact that the vast majority do.
“That’s why it’s better they took the credit this time. Sorry, even though you were worried.”
Then Seira chimed in from behind.
[That’s why I said you didn’t need to worry. If you have complaints you should’ve protested from the start.]
[You’re certainly right…]
It seems Seira understands how we colonials feel.
Well, Dan, Moritz and I feel iffy about imperial service, but there are also colonials who do important work in the military and central government.
“Anyway, that’s how it is, so don’t worry about it. And there’s much flashier people too.”
In my sight was Lambert and Miss Roseweiss’s ship, back from refueling and rearming.
[He’s amazing…isn’t he?]
Arthur made a mix of admiring and envious expressions.
He’s probably gazing at Lambert and Miss Roseweiss’s ship on his screen.
No doubt a face that would make depraved women drool.
After driving off the pirates and Wasp Squadron, those guys didn’t make any more noise, and it was extremely quiet until shift change.
And the next morning, we arrived at Planet Galostidar with its gates that allow jumping straight to the capital.
Side: Count Tovar Circlus
In a room of the Circlus family manor on Planet Blosrant in Count Circlus’s territory, Tovar Circlus faced his older brother and lord Fygus Circlus not as siblings, but as lord and retainer.
“Milord. I have a report.”
“What is it?”
“The joint operation with our collaborators failed. Squadron leader Tias was…confirmed shot down.”
“By who?”
“He was dogfighting that dirtbag at first, but took fire after an intense battle. There was no follow-up attack from the dirtbag, and he had time to escape, but it seems he was finished off by someone who jumped in from the side.”
“Slow escaping… I distinctly recall lecturing him that vigilance of one’s surroundings and caution is critical on the battlefield. Can’t be helped if it was ship trouble though.”
Even as he was informed of his son’s death, Fygus didn’t change his expression in the slightest, simply sipping his whiskey. Tovar also continued his report without altering his expression.
“What will you do about the Wasp Squadron?”
“Disband the Wasp Squadron and incorporate them into the regular forces. Have them participate in operations as regular Circlus troops going forward.”
“Understood.”
With the report finished,
“Brother. What about Tias’s revenge?”
Tovar addressed his sibling as a brother again, asking about his beloved nephew.
“Battlefield affairs breed no vengeance. The enemy struggles desperately not to be killed as well. Tias lost that struggle, that’s all. And from the enemy camp’s view, we’d be loved ones they took vengeance on. His body can’t be recovered but we must hold funeral rites. We’ll say he was shot down suppressing pirates.”
“…Understood.”
Without showing emotion at his brother Fygus’s dispassionate words, Tovar left the room.
Just before closing the door,
“That foolish son…”
he didn’t miss his murmured words choked back or the droplets falling into the whiskey glass he held.
Side: End
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