Editing Tytania:Volume 4 Chapter 7 (section)

=== I ===
A total of sixty thousand vessels from both sides were deployed in orbit around the planet Vardana, engaged in an offensive and defensive struggle over Uraniborg.

It was a dance of death set against a backdrop of eternal night.

The grand spectacle that the anti-Tytania faction had dreamed of, and that Tytania supporters could never have imagined, had manifested around the planet Vardana. Beams of light intersected in a dizzying display. Destroyers were blown into fragments. Cruisers drifted aimlessly like drunkards, their propulsion systems destroyed. Battleships, even while engulfed in flames, continued to spew beams from their turrets.

Vast amounts of human blood and energy were being wasted, swallowed up into the everlasting darkness.

The horrific spectacle was broadcast live to all of human society via the media, accompanied by neither the scent of blood nor the sound of screams; tens of billions of people watched on, their palms sweating, despite the slight time delays. Some were mesmerised, calling it “art from hell,” while others cried out, “Someone stop this futile slaughter!”, yet those not directly involved could do nothing but lament their own helplessness.

By the standards of Space International Law, this battle of unparalleled scale was not considered an “act of war”. It was not a case of independent nations exercising their right to combat following a formal declaration. It was merely a series of private wars between mercenary groups belonging to massive corporations.

However, the reality of the situation far surpassed both law and common sense.

Quite prosaically referred to as the “Uraniborg Incident”, this war was the largest-scale slaughter of the Tytania Age. It began without a formal declaration of war, intensified all at once, and ended in a manner that no one, except for a single individual, could have ever imagined.

While Idris did not move from the combat command centre of Uraniborg, Ariabert boarded the battleship ''Austra'' with Jouslain in tow and raced across the battlefield. The ''Golden Sheep'', which was supposed to be the flagship, also appeared at various points across the battlefield as a single battleship, but it functioned effectively as a decoy, causing great distress to the forces of Uraniborg.

Like a swarm of mosquitoes descending upon an elephant, small double fighters<ref name="ftn37">“High-speed double fighter” (高速複座式戦闘艇) is pronounced “double fighter”.</ref> danced around the colossal space battleship, mocking the heavy, sluggish movements of its main cannons. In response, small-calibre autocannons spat out streaks of red and blue tracers, aimed directly at them.

In the silence, the double fighters were scattered, sending fragments of both organic and inorganic matter spinning into the void. As the gunfire reflected off these pieces, the shimmering clouds of debris were disrupted, dancing erratically until they became part of a vast, luminous nebula.

Regardless of its humanity, it was a magnificent painting of death, as beautiful as anything mankind could ever create.

As the ''Golden Sheep'' charged across the battlefield, leading a dozen escort vessels in its wake, the artillery fire from the Uraniborg fleet concentrated upon it, attempting to pursue and encircle the formation. In the meantime, the ''Austra'' moved in another direction, scattering small and medium-sized enemy ships and launching a persistent assault upon the port gate<ref name="ftn38">“Port gate” (港門) is pronounced “port gate”.</ref> of Uraniborg. The gate, which had only just finished its repairs, was swallowed once more by light and flame, taking with it a heavy cruiser that had thrust its forward section out as if to depart for battle, and fell into silence.

“Enemy ships are also emerging from the fourth port gate!”

“Hoh hoh!”

There was a pleasant ring of tension in Ariabert’s voice.

“A simultaneous ''sortie''? It seems Idris has thought this through at least a little.”

“What is Idris’ objective?”

On occasion, even Jouslain would raise his voice.

“Perhaps he intends to disperse our forces.”

“Precisely.”

“And what if we do not fall for his scheme?”

Jouslain had asked an abstract question.

“Just watch.”

Without showing even a hint of fluster, Ariabert answered, issuing two or three orders to Captain Edna Fredericks. He then issued further commands to the communications officer.

The ''Austra'' began a slow turn, appearing to head towards the fourth docking gate. To the enemy, it looked as though the ship was exposing its broadside. Just as the fleet from Uraniborg attempted to close the distance and attack, several ship silhouettes darted out from the shadow of the ''Austra'', intercepting their path.

“Unable to avoid!”

Simultaneously with that scream, which took the form of a report, the side walls of the cruisers collided. Had there been an atmosphere, the jarring sound of the impact would have thundered like a clap of lightning.

While there was no sound, the impact shook the hull, sending cracks racing through the walls. Inside the ship, soldiers who had been standing were knocked down by an invisible force, instruments erupted in sparks and smoke, and exposed gun barrels were snapped in two.

“The skiff<ref name="ftn39">“Single-seat fighter catapult” (単座式戦闘艇) pronounced “skiff”.</ref> is half-destroyed! Launch impossible!”

“Repair it! How long will it take?”

“We need one hour.”

“Damn it, they got us.”

The tactical methods employed by the Ariabert-Jouslain Allied Forces were diverse and extremely sophisticated. Ariabert appeared as if he were even enjoying the manoeuvres of local combat, having already established an advantage across the entire battlefield.

The moment over a dozen heavy cruisers of the Uraniborg fleet attempted to pass through the web of photons stretched between the patrol ships, enemy gun ports opened all at once.

The concentrated fire against the dense formation of large vessels was so effective that even aiming was unnecessary. Spears of pale blue light shimmered as they battered the line of ships. Small fireballs expanded rapidly, shining with particular intensity before scattering. In that silent world, a turbulence of energy erupted. It collided, tangled, and sucked everything into itself, growing larger and more ferocious.

The small and medium-sized vessels struggled desperately to escape this deadly turbulence, but they were swallowed up in groups of a hundred, spinning within the energy vortex. Soldiers were flung from floor to ceiling and from ceiling to wall; they were slammed against surfaces, their limbs broken as they coughed up blood. Amidst the threat of being consumed by the merciless turbulence, one massive ship charged through, overcoming the chaos. It was the battleship ''Faratax'' of Uraniborg.

“Eleven o’clock! Three consecutive main battery salvos!”

The voice of Captain Edna Fredericks rang out clearly.

The nine main guns of the ''Austra'' unleashed a dazzling, pure white flash.

The power displayed was enough to leave every witness breathless. The nine white dragons tore through the massive hull of the battleship ''Faratax'' of the Uraniborg fleet, positioned ahead, and continued straight on to pierce the heavy cruiser ''Diamentra'' behind it. As the massive frame of the ''Faratax'' scattered, transforming from an orange fireball into a white cloud, countless fragments of light, large and small, flew in every direction behind it.

In the midst of the desperate struggle, the destruction of the dock gates that Ariabert had carried out beforehand was beginning to yield devastating effects. Each gate’s original capacity for ships to enter and exit had been significantly reduced. While intact vessels were being prevented from launching through the narrowed entrances, repair work was simultaneously obstructing damaged ships attempting to flee inside.

“Requesting temporary return! Open the dock gates!”

A ship that sent this anguished transmission to Uraniborg was, in the very next moment, pierced by a spear of energy. One by one, the dock gates were transformed into a graveyard for the forces of Uraniborg.

“Battleship ''Paramiduse'', unable to continue combat!”

“Heavy Cruiser ''Kappenberg'', main battery damaged, repairs impossible!”

Communications reporting damage flooded the circuits.

Idris had not even eaten and was sitting in his seat within the combat command centre, leaning halfway forward.

“The unit that gathered at spatial coordinates J8, E4, P11… Why aren’t they attacking the enemy from the right rear!? If we can break through that sector, the enemy should be forced to spend time reorganising their formation!”

He issued highly detailed instructions, but…

“If we move that unit, the enemy will charge into the space left wide open. If that happens, the second port gate will be directly exposed to heavy gunfire.”

He could do nothing but grit his teeth at that reply.

The flames of war grew increasingly intense, with no end in sight.

However, this was because the forces of Uraniborg had calculated themselves to be twice as strong as the enemy. Had the forces on both sides been equal, the battle would likely have already reached its final stage.

It seemed as though a fact was being proven: as long as an unconventional stratagem as nonsensical as Fan Hyulick’s failed to meet the necessary conditions, no one could triumph over the deployment and command of Ariabert Tytania.

Ariabert organised his entire force into a long, serpentine formation and set Uraniborg to circle in a clockwise direction. Without so much as a glance at the enemy attempting to close in from behind, he concentrated his bombardment upon the six harbour gates of Uraniborg. Naturally, the gates were defended with exceptional strength, yet they could not withstand the concentration of firepower, which exceeded all expectations, and they began to explode and burst into flames one after another. Consequently, many vessels were trapped within the harbour, unable to ''sortie'', while elsewhere, the ships that had already departed were prevented from making temporary returns for supplies or repairs.

“Sixth Unit, maximum speed!” ordered Ariabert. “Advance rapidly at two o’clock position, break through the enemy centre diagonally, and divide their forces!”

To Jouslain, Ariabert’s figure appeared less like a combat commander and more like the conductor of a symphony orchestra. He even felt as though he were hearing the performance of a full orchestra within a silent world.

The voice of the reconnaissance officer rang out with excitement.

“We have successfully divided the enemy forces.”

“Good.”

“However, while they are in disarray, it appears the enemy is attempting to regroup.”

“No need for concern. Exactly as anticipated.”

Ariabert appeared as though he knew no fatigue.

In contrast, Idris appeared to those around him to be utterly exhausted. At his feet, coffee and truffle pies lay scattered. That was due to Idris brushing aside the lunch tray that his attendant had brought, thinking he was being helpful.

“Concentrate all fire on the ''Golden Sheep''! Ignore the cost!”

Idris’ voice rose with fervour. The ''Golden Sheep'' was a battle-hardened warship, renowned as Ariabert’s flagship. Destroying it had now become Idris’ supreme mission.

Idris had no way of knowing that Ariabert had transferred his command seat to the ''Austra''. If they could concentrate their fire upon the ''Golden Sheep'' and succeed in killing Ariabert, the tide of battle would turn in an instant. Jouslain was by no means incompetent from a military standpoint, but he did not possess the feat of defeating forty thousand ships with only twenty thousand. Besides, one cannot clap with only one hand.

That was precisely Idris’ aim. Lacking even trusted comrades, he was forced into a solitary struggle, attempting to mimic that one-handed clap all on his own.