Thousands of battleships floated above the enclosed city in which Baron Glynn resided on his home planet; the vessels blocked the light of the sun.
On the bridge of one such ship, a noble in Calvin’s faction—a commander—was intoxicated over their easy victory. He had commanded the detachment that took control of the planet.
“The crown prince sent us a secret weapon, but we didn’t even have to use it, did we?” he boasted.
The commander’s adjutant was equally relaxed. “Isn’t it a secret weapon precisely because, unused, it remains secret?”
“I suppose so. No reason not to let sleeping dogs lie, and all that.”
Calvin’s secret weapon and its supplies now took up much of the space aboard the commander’s ship. The weapon was unwieldy and had come with its own specialized staff. Even the commander didn’t know many details about it. He was curious, but it was clearly dangerous, so mostly he wanted nothing to do with it.
Together, the commander and his adjutant looked down at the enclosed city from a bridge window.
“What a devastated planet.”
“Baron Glynn’s got a reputation for being an idiot. Guess Prince Cleo picked the wrong ally.”
“I doubt this was about his abilities. It’s all politics. That’s above my pay grade, though.” The commander hadn’t been told anything about what was going on behind the scenes.
“We really did achieve a flashy victory, though, didn’t we? And we’ll have to change our plans, won’t we?” His adjutant asked, intending to confirm their plans with him.
“Well, it’s not over yet. House Banfield still has a ground force on the planet. Our allies should be heading for them now.”
“They ought to be cleared out soon. Baron Glynn reported the unit’s size to us, after all.”
“…I really wouldn’t want him on my side.”
With the end of the war in sight, the pair felt utterly relaxed until an allied ship a few kilometers away suddenly exploded. The commander and adjutant looked down in surprise and saw the wrecked vessel crash to the ground somewhere near the enclosed city.
“What’s our status?!” the adjutant yelled at a bridge operator. “Hurry!”
“The attack came from above!”
“Are there enemies up there? Only our allies are supposed to be above us in space!”
As sirens blared, they shifted to high alert. Meanwhile, more and more of their allies exploded, pierced by beams. Some fired upward, but their own allies came falling from space toward them. The ships shot down by friendly fire likewise plummeted toward the ground.
“Is it House Banfield? They don’t know when to give up…” The commander took his seat, prepared to issue orders.
Just then, the operator identified the enemy ships. “N-no, the vessels bear…House Exner’s crest!”
The commander was confused for a moment before remembering who that meant. He recalled that there was a baron with close ties to House Banfield among the enemy forces.
“That upstart baron?! Didn’t he defect?”
A moment later, a mobile knight the commander had never seen before appeared outside the bridge windows, swinging down a huge sword gripped in its right hand.
That was the last thing the commander saw.
✦ ✦ ✦
The mysterious mobile knight was the Vanadís Frey, and its pilot was Kurt, who took stock of the situation around him from its cockpit as he fought.
“Entering the atmosphere and fighting on the surface… What a reckless plan.”
The mobile knight Kurt piloted was one the Sixth Weapons Factory was particularly proud of. The original Vanadís model had a slender, feminine frame, but Kurt’s was outfitted with extra armor that made it look bulkier. The cockpit was situated where a woman’s chest would be, and every time Kurt boarded the craft, he found himself wishing that it had been placed somewhere else. Still, the Vanadís boasted superior specs that the Sixth Weapons Factory had every right to be proud of.
✦ ✦ ✦
Mobile knights spilled from within the ship he’d just destroyed the bridge of. One approached the Vanadís Frey, a megaphone in hand.
“You’re filth clinging to House Banfield—and you don’t know when to give up!”
The enemy pilot was apparently familiar with House Exner’s position.
The mobile knights nobles piloted were different from those manned by normal soldiers. Piloted by superhuman knights, they could move with likewise superhuman speed and strength. The enemy mobile knight fired a beam machine gun at the Vanadís Frey as Kurt closed the distance between them, going for a close-quarters fight. He wasn’t worried about being hit, since his extra armor would absorb the damage.
“You’re good. However…!”
Kurt immediately noticed the enemy pilot’s skill, but he still sped toward the craft without fear. The enemy tried to switch to a close-quarters weapon, but Kurt swung the sword in the Vanadís Frey’s hand and bisected his foe’s machine. The sword’s physical blade was overlaid with an energy beam that gave off a faint yellow glow. The sword had incredible cutting power—the perfect weapon for Kurt, who specialized in close combat.
When he destroyed one of the hostile mobile knights, the other enemy craft grew more cautious.
“Don’t get too close!”
“Guy’s got skills.”
“I heard that Baron Exner’s heir was good, but this is—”
Hailing from a command ship in Calvin’s forces, they were well informed about the nobles in their enemy’s ranks.
“I have nothing against you,” Kurt told them. “I suggest you surrender before you get hurt.”
“You arrogant brat!”
The enemy mobile knights surrounded the Vanadís Frey, firing on it in an attempt to shoot it down, but Kurt had expected that. Attacks rained down from above, taking out his enemies for him.
“Did you think I came out here all by myself?”
He looked up in his cockpit and saw his mothership above him. Mobile knights streamed from it one by one.
Unlike the Vanadís, the mobile knights House Exner’s soldiers piloted were all a generation behind the times. With Kurt opening the way for them, though, that was no problem.
“Let’s overwhelm them!” he ordered his men.
They responded in unison, “Yes, sir!”
Looking down at the planet’s enclosed city, Kurt saw small allied ships descending into it. Armed soldiers alighted from those ships to begin a ground battle within the city.
“Don’t forget to back up the ground forces. Rescuing Baron Glynn is an important mission!”
“Sir!”
As Kurt said “rescuing Baron Glynn,” he sighed to himself. I don’t like lying to my men when they’re putting their lives on the line for this fight… I understand being reckless in order to win, but Liam’s gone a little too far this time. I’ll have to give him a warning later, as his friend.