Editing Vandread Volume 1 Chapter 2 (section)

===Part 2===

‘UU∼∼!!’

The siren was resounding in the ceremonial hall.

The previously calm faces of the graduates stiffened in anticipation.

‘Young Cadets! Now is the time, the time to repay our founding father Gran Pa!! All hands man your posts, pulverize the enemy!’

At the completion of this announcement the cups the graduates were holding all struck the floor, as simultaneously they each scattered to their respective stations.

“ALRIGHT∼! LET’S GO, YEEAAH!!”

 

The violent impacts from the battle had already spread throughout the entire warship.

Although the vibrations beneath their feet were shaking their bodies, including Duero the graduates had rushed to the crew member managing the launch room, where they were scrabbling to change into pilot suits.

“Those who have finished donning their uniforms should launch in order! It doesn’t matter who’s using which machine!”

The commander’s heartbreaking scream encouraged them to be much more hurried.

“Huh? Where’s Bart?”

“Who knows!”

Bart’s figure ought to have been among the crewmembers but this was not the case. However, with all of the hustle and bustle he was the least thing on people’s mind.

 

After the graduates had left the ceremony hall, the collapsed tables and the broken sake cups that were dropped on the floor were jolted by vibrations. The alert resounded throughout the abandoned hanger along with an automatic voice.

‘Accompanying the launch of the Bangata, from now we will initiate zero gravity conditions. All personnel be advised.’

The gravity that had existed in the room until then vanished together with a low sound, at which the broken sake cups began to float through space. And then, at this moment, an extremely miserable shriek was raised within the supposedly uninhabited ceremony hall.

“Eh? ……WA……WAWA∼∼!!”

Due to the gravity vanishing even the tables had started floating in midair. As for what appeared from beneath the tablecloths that had gone flying into the air, it was the owner of the shriek, Bart.

He had hidden beneath the table during the confused pandemonium, apparently thinking it would help guarantee his own safety. It was more pathetic rather than sly.

However, it seemed as though this was poetic justice. Having been thrown into the air in an unseemly pose, Bart was now floating lightly through the assembly hall, barely managing to to cling to the very same bust of Gran Pa Hibiki had jumped onto a while back.

“Keh! I don’t want to die in a place like this! Escape, escape, there must be a way to escape!”

Bart carefully examined the resentful space. However, had he had the tenacity to put his energy towards using this ‘way to escape’, it’s possible his entire way of life would have been different.

 

'BACHBACHI! DODO∼N!'

Sparks were running through the engine block of the New Warship Section. The attack of the Majerian female pirates was drawing steadily closer.

“Engine block is taking fire! Output is dropping!”

“Firefighting squad! Hurry!”

“Closing supply pipes number four through eight!”

The actions of the military personnel who were hurrying about were already proving to be futile. The likelihood of the Ikazuchi’s victory at this time was low.

 

The New Warship Section’s indicators were showing the effect of the damage, namely each path that had been cut off. The bridge crew member who realized this delivered a report in a voice close to shrieking.

“Power to the Bangata launch gate has been cut off! It’s impossible for the platoons to mobilize!”

Hearing this the Prime Minister raised his shrieking voice another octave.

“I don’t care if it’s only one machine! If there’s only one then launch one!!” <<!--TN: That last part is a pure guess. Unless someone can translate “一騎一殺だ” I’m stumped.-->

These were unreasonable words. Already the Prime Minister’s statements could no longer be treated on the level of orders.

 

“What was that!?”

Upon receiving that order even the Bangata control member unintentionally asked for a repetition. However, refusing the order wasn’t an option.

“Muu……I got it!”

Saying this, he then cut the transmission in annoyance, and in partial defiance raised his voice towards the graduates.

“Crewmembers whose Bangata is ready to go are to sortie at their own discretion!!”

 

With that voice, the Bangata that were standing by at the sortie gates, as though they had fallen through a trapdoor, simultaneously sucked downwards. However, no more than about one in every five machines departed; whether because the crewmembers were unable to sortie or in the middle of a delay or such, it was the height of disorder.

A short distance from this state of affairs the bust of Gran Pa had thus far been left as it was. Even in this chaotic situation his image was still orderly and was seemingly unconcerned. Still, there was what appeared to be strange sounds coming from within the statue of Gran Pa.

The bust of Gran Pa included a pedestal by the way, the interior of which was hollow. Thus, it was in this interior that Bart had secluded himself. In some sense, this was his strong male spirit.

He stealthily spied on the situation through the transportation-use keyhole.

“Oioi……if it’s like this I might stand a chance……”

Bart had muttered as though it was someone else’s problem.