The Tuatha de Danaan’s resupply point was the container ship Bernie Worrell, which was waiting for them on the outer reaches of the Philippines. This was the same camouflaged commercial freighter that Sousuke’s helicopter had stopped on for resupply en route to Yamsk-11 in Siberia.
The submarine’s hiding place was in between the Bernie Worrell and one of the archipelago’s seven thousand islands, an uninhabited one known as Tagapul. The shallow water and the strong currents created by the island made it a less-than-ideal resupply point, but it was the best way to shake off the radars of both the US Navy and Amalgam. Activating ECS while resupplying would be far more likely to cause issues.
Sousuke helped take supplies to the de Danaan’s flight deck, then moved on to counting cases of the 12.7mm ammunition used in the ASes’ head-mounted machine guns.
“Sousuke,” Mao called to him after tucking her tablet under her arm. “When you’re done there, do those 76mm shells, too. You’re the one who uses ’em, right?”
“Got it,” he called back.
Sousuke’s Laevatein used a Boxer-2 shotcannon made by OTO Melara, which did indeed employ 76mm shells. It was a high-caliber ammunition even by AS standards, and while the Boxer he’d used when piloting the Arbalest (whose ammo was 57mm) was famous for being finicky, the Boxer-2 was even worse. If used correctly, though, it packed an incredible punch in close-range combat.
“Not that I think we’ll be using that much of it,” Mao added.
Sousuke hummed silently. He was indeed the only member of the team who used 76mm shells, but what they’d sent was close to double what he’d need. The logistics team had probably gotten the wrong idea about how many were necessary, as there had been another member of the crew who’d used the same shells until recently. “I think it’s because Kurz used them a lot.”
“That’s right...” Mao agreed.
“I guess getting M9 equipment really was trickier.”
The loss of Kurz Weber’s M9 at Yamsk-11 had left the de Danaan with only three ASes at present: Sousuke’s Laevatein, Mao’s E-type M9, and Clouseau’s D-type M9. Those were the only machines they had, even with all the remnants of Mithril scattered around the world.
The loss of Kurz’s machine meant they could repurpose the spare parts allotted to it, which helped them a little with their resupply issues. But head engineer Sachs had still insisted that their next sortie would be their last. The next time they fought, the last of Mithril’s AS forces would end up disabled beyond repair. Even if they made it back alive, their machines would have to be permanently benched.
The US military seemed to be quickly integrating M9s into their ranks, but Mithril’s M9s would soon disappear forever. Their role as the strongest out of all conventional machines, given only to the truly elite, was coming to an end.
That much was life, but it was probably a little bittersweet for Mao, who had been involved in their development since the days of the original prototype XM9. She let out a weak sigh and sat down on a small container next to Sousuke.
“Hey,” she said. “Are you really going?”
“Going where?”
“To Merida Island. With Tessa. It’s suicide, you know.” There was no anger in her voice now, as there had been during the briefing. She just sounded sad and uncertain. Mao was deeply worried about Tessa... And about Sousuke too, most likely. She added, “If you say you’re going to Afghanistan instead, she might give up on her plan.”
“I wonder,” said Sousuke, after finishing his checks and closing the ammunition case. “She might go by herself anyway. She has sufficient motivation.”
“Motivation, huh?” Mao scoffed. “The ‘TAROS changing history’ stuff? We’re supposed to let her go commit suicide based on that flimsy nonsense?”
“Nonsense?” he replied, but he was unable to fully dismiss her claims. Even he, who had personally witnessed so many impossible things—truly supernatural phenomena—thought Leonard’s plan sounded awfully far-fetched.
Shouldn’t they leave them to whatever weird device they were building on Merida Island, and concentrate on the missile base in Afghanistan? Newly acquired information told them that there were two lambda driver-mounted ASes awaiting them there. Not the Codarl-types, but rather the new, more powerful ASes. Mao and Clouseau were used to fighting lambda driver-mounted opponents by now, but they’d still have a hard fight of it on their own.
But if Sousuke and the Laevatein were to accompany them, their chances of success would increase. The Laevatein would be more than a match for the enemy ASes, and Sousuke’s experience would be particularly invaluable while waging guerrilla warfare in the Badafshan region of Afghanistan. He knew the area like the back of his hand; back routes, weather patterns... and he could even gain the help of the locals (if there were any left). It would be his fight to lose.
Of course, Andrey Kalinin knew all that, too. Why had Kalinin, who had fought with him in that region long ago, chosen this battlefield in particular? Was he hiding in that land that meant so much to both of them, saying, “Come to me; I’m waiting”?
Unlikely; Kalinin never allowed himself such sentiment in battle. Viewed from the practical side of things, then, it was clear that Kalinin was simply providing an “easy road” for Sousuke and the Laevatein, who represented the greatest threat to them, to take. Their main force would be on Merida Island.
Afghanistan was the easy road; Merida Island was the hard road. One was a practical operation, rooted in common-sense motivations; the other, a dangerous operation rooted in nonsensical motivations. Which would a normal soldier choose? And which was the one the enemy was more desperate to protect... the Afghanistan base, or Merida Island?
When he thought about it that way, there was only one conclusion for Sousuke to reach: Tessa was right. The enemy wanted to protect Merida Island. He knew that because Leonard was there. The fact that the Belial wasn’t in Afghanistan was proof enough of their priorities.
Still, that didn’t mean they could just ignore the nuclear base. Amalgam was clearly serious about launching the missiles. Which meant...
“Impressive,” Sousuke said with a sigh.
“What is?” Mao asked.
“Tessa,” he clarified. “We have to do it exactly as she commanded. Forget the nonsense about changing history, and remember the fact that the major is with them.”