Of course, other than those of the 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion, the mage commanders gathered together in the combat operation center erupt into shouts once they are informed.
“Unbelievable! Has the general lost his mind?!” “Take and hold ground with our current forces?! But we can’t have more than two hundred!” “This is armchair stupidity! The chokepoints will be defended!” “They clearly haven’t accounted for how much AA fire will be on the ground!” “We don’t have enough supplies! Do they expect us to do this only with what we capture?!” “There are far too few mages!”
In other words, imperial soldiers do seem to have the ability to object. Unfortunately for them, they are still Imperial soldiers.
I respond succinctly. “I understand your objections. If you wish, I will record them in writing. However, the order has already been given. Furthermore, mission pay has been issued.”
An order is an order, as the old adage goes. The commanders fall into meek silence. Some even cast optimistic glances my way. “Pay, you say?”
“They’ll be beefing up forces. This is the replenishment we’ve been waiting for, gentlemen. There is no need to attempt the mission with a single division. The brass will be providing more hands.”
The higher-ups will pull a few divisions out of their magic hat, it seems. I snicker. The others don’t seem to get the joke and begin prying me with very serious questions. How many reinforcements could they expect?
“What are the numbers?”
“Two additional divisions, from the homeland.”
“What? I’m sorry, did you say two?” asks one magic officer, leaning forward in disbelief. I nod, understanding his sentiment. “They are serious about this in the capital. They plan to squeeze out two divisions worth of mages.”
In response to hearing how many soldiers the higher-ups promised, I am immediately met with a flurry of follow-up questions.
“How are the divisions constituted? What is their actual order of battle?”
“Three regiments per division, with three standard companies per regiment. Together with the division already present, that should make nine regiments.”
“Colonel Degurechaff, if the regiments are staffed to full capacity, that will mean close to one thousand mages…”
“Yes,” I say with a nod. “Assuming full strength.”
“Colonel, with all due respect, when you say full strength, I wonder if there is something you aren’t telling us.”
“You’re not wrong,” I admit. “At face value, that would be enough force to overrun even Moskva, as flimsy as its defenses are now. That’s assuming we were willing to make it a one-way trip, obviously.”
Even the mage division under my command, already in the East, only has about two hundred mages at most, leaving us at roughly two-thirds strength.
“However, according to the general, they plan to wrangle together full numbers by any means necessary.”
“So we have a promissory note for numbers at least,” I say, grinning.
“With all respect,” says First Lieutenant Grantz, interrupting, “There is a question as to whether the mages they send will be useful.”
“Do you have a reason for saying that, Lieutenant Grantz?”
“Yes, Colonel. I had the opportunity to trade pleasantries with the mages of Capital Air Defense, and it seems that even the ability to fly straight earns one a gold star these days.”
His words seem to fill many in the room with unease. They turn their eyes toward me and Grantz, alarmed.
“Lieutenant Grantz, I was not there to witness this. Please share your practical concerns.”
“Of course,” he says, continuing. “From what I observed, it appeared that merely flying in formation over capital airspace was enough for a mage to pass with top marks. Based on the level of skill I witnessed, I would even be concerned about their ability to maintain airways and advance to the target…”
“If what you say is true, they are sending us hindrances, not reinforcements. We’ll be stuck carrying around mages who can’t fly like sacks…,” said a liaison officer from another regiment, frowning.
I smile uncomfortably, reminding him, “You forget, Officer. This is an airborne operation.”
“But our transports can barely reach the destinations. Even if we bring them all the way up to the front…”
“That’s true if we were just talking about the range of the transport planes.”
“Are you imagining something like V-1 long-range rockets? But would we even have enough to move full divisions…?”
A sensible objection, indeed. Yet it seems even magic officers, who should understand Imperial Army generals at least to some degree, cannot foresee what is coming. I groan… This crazy plan of General Zettour’s might just work after all.
“Colonel?”
I shrug.
“Your objections have unexpectedly made me realize that General Zettour’s plan may actually have a chance of success.”
The officers look at me blankly, and not just the liaison officers scrounged up from the other units… Even First Lieutenant Serebryakov, who has been serving under Tanya the longest, reacts similarly. I see First Lieutenant Grantz’s expression cloud over slightly.
“Lieutenant Grantz?”
“I’m sorry, but…it’s General Zettour we are talking about, after all. Are you saying he has something up his sleeve?”
“Bingo,” I say, applauding his instincts.
“It is fortunate for our side that you are not with Federation Army Command.”
“Here,” I say, tapping the map on the table. “Everyone, take a look at the map. Do you see our destinations?”
“Of course,” they reply. I grin.
“All three targets are clearly outside the combat operation range of the nearest air transport unit. No disagreement there. But what if our heavy transport planes were to make the trip one way? Would they be within range then?”
“What? But…that would mean…”
Large transport planes are incredibly precious, high-value assets for the Imperial Army. They are the exact kind of asset that you would expect to be well defended under normal circumstances. You certainly wouldn’t treat them as disposable. Gambling with such precious equipment on a mere airborne operation is jaw-dropping. And yet…
“It won’t need to make the round trip if we simply dispose of it in the end, will it?”
The liaison officers freeze, taken aback. I can’t be serious.
As someone under my direct command, Major Weiss finds it easier to speak up. While other officers stare, he asks the question on everyone’s mind, “We’re going to…dispose of… transport planes? They’re planes, not gliders…!”
Major Weiss’s opinion is very sensible. Very sensible indeed.
“Does everyone agree with Major Weiss’s thinking?”
They nod. I decide to explain. The truth is that General Zettour is likely following a strategy of selection and concentration.
“There is no need to be bound by common sense. One must be flexible when necessary. In the end, whether gliders or transport planes, it all comes down to cost and return.”