The detached force won the fleet battle, but…
The tide of the battle was decided the moment the enemy fleet’s flagship was captured using pirate tactics.
In the initial engagement, the Salamander detachment captured three Land Battleships and heavily damaged two battleships and three cruisers, forcing the remaining enemy fleet to retreat in a panic.
Without time to bask in the glow of their grand victory, we began preparations to advance and rendezvous with the Hinkley Division.
Although we achieved a complete victory, we were not unscathed. Repairs to the slightly damaged cruisers and the replacement of armor plates on the battleships were carried out at high speed.
This was a chance for Tatiana’s Mechanic Team to shine. Of course, those with free hands were also mobilized.
I was helping with the heavy labor when Marika-san told me to come to the Shiranui’s bridge, so I interrupted my work and went straight there.
Shigure-san and Kotone were already on the bridge, talking with Marika-san and Rasen-.
“Did you call for me, Mom?”
“Ah, Shigure, listen to what she has to say for a moment. I’d also like Kanata’s opinion, Natto-kin.”
“Is something wrong, Master?”
“I may be imagining things, but there’s something that’s been bothering me a little…”
Rinsei had also captured a battleship using pirate tactics, and she was concerned about the condition of the enemy fleet’s vice-commander, who was the captain of the captured ship.
According to Shigure-san, it was all too easy. The crew of the ship Rinsei boarded had surrendered without offering any real resistance.
It was as if a towel had been thrown in a boxing match the moment a blow landed on the body.
“We’re the ones up against them. Isn’t it a wise decision to throw in the towel before they knock your jaw off with an uppercut?”
“That may be so… but as I was throwing the vice-commander into a solitary cell, I noticed a momentary glint in his eyes… Those were not the eyes of a man who had just been defeated.”
“I understand what the Director is saying. In my case, it wasn’t my eyes, but my voice.”
“Voice? What about your voice?”
The voice professional replied to Marika-san.
“The vice-commander surrendered with a meek voice, but it didn’t feel entirely like an act.”
An act… For what purpose? I didn’t get that impression from Winsers.
Rasen-, with a thoughtful expression similar to mine, addressed Marika-san.
“…Marika-sama, when the battleships were engaged in artillery fire, the vice-commander’s ship was in the rear of the fleet. As soon as we got close and it became a melee, they moved into our battle line.”
“I thought it was to support the flagship… perhaps there was another objective. What do you think, Natto-kin?”
“Please call me by my name.”
“If Natto-kin is not to your liking, how about Pathogenic E. coli?”
I’d prefer just E. coli, at least.
Well then, Mr. Grey Natto-kin, it’s time for your work.
The fleet commander, Winsers, is a fanatic. He’s not the type to resort to petty tricks.
He definitely attacked us head-on, no doubt about it.
…However, when multiple people are involved, their intentions can often differ.
Winsers is the type who leads his subordinates solely by rank and strength. It’s not impossible for his subordinates to have different intentions than Winsers.
At least, if I were one of Winsers’ subordinates, I’d want no part in being dragged along on that ideological path.
“Marika-san, let’s examine the enemy fleet’s communication records. Whether the vice-commander’s positioning was Winsers’ order is the key.”
“Rasen-, take the operator team and investigate.”
Rasen-, nodding, headed towards the captured enemy flagship with the operators.
Thirty minutes later, the four of us were listening to Rasen-‘s investigation report in the Shiranui’s operation room.
“Rasen-, Winsers ordered them to move further forward during the artillery battle, is that right?”
“Yes. Fleet Commander Winsers and Vice-Commander Graham had a somewhat argumentative exchange. They stayed in the rear, giving various excuses, until we closed the distance.”
So it was strange, just as I thought. It was as if they deliberately moved into a position to be captured.
They wouldn’t do something so foolish, would they? …Or perhaps, they would?
“Perhaps being captured was their objective.”
“Kanata-han, Land Battleships are extremely expensive weapons, aren’t they? Why would they allow them to be captured so carelessly?”
Kotone, that’s what one would normally think, but because it’s not normal, it’s a peculiar strategy.
“If there was a setup and intent, it wouldn’t be impossible. For example, there might be a mechanism rigged to explode when Marika-san boards the captured enemy ship for inspection. For an Ace of the Alliance, one or two Land Battleships might be a small price to pay.”
“I see. Let’s leave the repairs for later and have Tatiana’s team investigate.”
Marika-san gave instructions to Rasen-, who had pulled out his Handycom.
“Rasen-, have them be extremely careful about explosives. Also, inform them that there’s a high probability of some kind of mechanism on the exterior.”
“On the exterior?”
“That’s right. They were lagging behind during the artillery battle because they didn’t want their exterior, where the mechanism was installed, to be hit, were they?”
Shigure-san’s words were met with a nod from Marika-san.
Indeed. If you think about it that way, it all makes sense.
“Then it’s likely that the mechanism is in the turrets, not the armor. The turrets are the most vulnerable parts after the bridge during artillery fire.”
“Kanata’s right. Get them started on it immediately. Gather again as soon as anything is found.”
Now then… what is the enemy aiming for?
Two hours later, the same group reconvened in the operation room.
“We’ve figured out the enemy’s objective. It was a two-stage trap.”
“A two-stage trap? Marika, what do you mean?”
As Shigure-san asked, Marika-san began her explanation.
“A powerful signal interception device was installed in the rear turret of the captured battleship. I saw the video recording; this turret did not fire a single shot. Because it was a highly advanced and delicate device, there was a risk of it being damaged by the shock of artillery fire.”
“So that’s why they were afraid of being hit. Normally, after capturing a battleship, the communication equipment is dismantled before it’s sailed alongside or towed. I see, they intended to intercept Shiranui’s communications and probe our movements.”
“Yes. And then, waiting for an opportunity, they planned to cause the large-scale exothermic engine to go out of control and explode. A detonator for that was also installed.”
A combo of signal interception and battleship detonation. They certainly provided a tempting bait.
“Perhaps it’s something like this. Fleet Commander Winsers was determined to win, but Vice-Commander Graham was reluctant, or rather, he thought they would lose. So, he decided to set a trap with the assumption of defeat. If they could deliver a heavy blow to the Asura Unit, he wouldn’t be held responsible for the defeat and would even be promoted. If captured as a formal prisoner, his person would be protected by the Palm Treaty. Considering the prudence of setting a double trap, he might have also made a secret agreement with his superiors to be repatriated preferentially through a prisoner exchange.”
It’s a gamble, however, to deliberately get captured and become a prisoner. It’s based on the assumption that we would uphold the Palm Treaty.
“That’s probably about right. Which means there must be an observation team lurking nearby.”
That’s right. In this world, where all satellites are uncontrollable, an observation team is necessary for signal interception.
A Land Battleship with a large output device can pick up communications from a considerable distance, but it’s too conspicuous.
We should assume that an observation team using Stealth Vehicles is lurking nearby.
“Marika, let’s turn the trap to our advantage. Capture the observation team and send out false information.”
“If we ninjas search, we might find the observation team, but will they believe false information if we coerce them?”
“There’s no need to coerce them. For long-range communication, it’s just voices.”
“This is where I come in.”
That’s right, Kotone, the master of voice imitation, was here. In that case…
“Let’s go with that plan. Our battleships also suffered serious damage in the fleet battle. If we spread false information that we’re returning to the Garden once while towing the captured vessels…”
Rasen- took over my sentence.
“It will create a lag in our arrival at the front lines. If we suddenly appear on the battlefield when we shouldn’t have arrived yet, the enemy will be in disarray.”
In the original world, positions would be easily ascertained by military satellites, but it’s not like that in this world.
Until we enter the enemy’s detection range, there’s no way to pinpoint our location.
The easiest time to fall into a trap is when you believe you are the one who has set the trap.
This lesson is always valid.
“Alright, let’s entangle those fools who are setting traps with spider silk. Rasen-, have Hotaru scout the surrounding area. If you find the observation team, I’ll handle it.”
Marika-san intends to entangle them with her own silk. No matter how skilled the observation team is, they won’t escape.
It’s a hundred years too early to try and trap this Crystal Spider. I’ll show them a thing or two.
