Editing Tytania:Volume 2 Chapter 3 (section)

=== IV ===
Just as Duke Zarlisch Tytania was making preparations to depart from Planet Bargash to escort Fan Hyulick, a communication disc was delivered to the hotel where he was staying. The sender was listed as the Blaze Flag Army, and the message, delivered in a neutral, mechanical voice, was as follows:

''“To Zarlisch Tytania. Admiral Fan Hyulick, whom you have unjustly and unlawfully detained, is our guest and a valuable asset of ours. We therefore make the following demand: you shall release him immediately. Should you fail to do so, you shall never make it back to Uraniborg, Tytania’s stronghold.”''

This message made Zarlisch chuckle. He was never a man to yield to threats, but this was simply laughable.

“What a bunch of rats. To threaten me, Zarlisch Tytania? Did their nerve fibres burn out? But still, it is quite amusing. If they can manage even a tenth of what they claim to accomplish, that would be quite something. I suppose I shall make this a topic of conversation over a drink.”

“There is a hideout in the city belonging to a group calling themselves the Blaze Flag Army. Shall I have them raided?”

The question came from his ''aide-de-camp'', Commander Granite. Zarlisch, who was naturally of a bellicose disposition, was tempted to act, but he restrained himself. Planet Bargash was not Tytania’s private territory, but a sovereign state in its own right, so he wished to avoid trouble if at all possible. Donald Farah, who had distinguished himself in the capture of Fan Hyulick, had submitted a petition to that effect.

As far as Farah was concerned, any situation that led to open conflict with the Bargash government would hinder his future work. Even Tytania could not rule the cosmos through force and violence alone. While it was easy for Tytania to resolve disputes by force, in any organisation, those who created unnecessary trouble were not regarded as capable or promising. Zarlisch decided to summon Farah to the hotel to hear the details of his account.

Donald Farah’s account was unexpected. To sum it up, the Blaze Flag Army had split internally, and a faction had emerged seeking to submit to Tytania. This faction had approached Duke Zarlisch to offer its services.

Zarlisch scoffed.

“Do they really think Tytania needs the assistance of the likes of the Blaze Flag Army? They ought to tone down their attempts to sell themselves yourselves short.”

“With all due respect, Your Grace,” countered respectfully Farah, yet without a trace of flattery, “it is common knowledge throughout the universe that the Blaze Flag Army has been engaged in relentless rebellion against Tytania. Should even a fraction of the Blaze Flag Army submit, the entire universe will once again be awestruck by Tytania’s might. Do you not agree?”

“Hum…”

“Moreover, this time it would be even without a fight. Duke Zarlisch, I believe a man with the political acumen to subdue the Blaze Flag Army in both combat and diplomacy would surely receive the recognition he deserves.”

The expression “political acumen” struck a chord with Zarlisch. He wished to become the supreme commander of all Tytania, and his military exploits were beyond reproach. However, a weakness that both he and others could not help but acknowledge was his lack of experience and achievements in politics and diplomacy.

In that respect, he was at a marked disadvantage compared to Ariabert and Jouslain. If a portion of the Blaze Flag Army were to surrender without bloodshed, it would be a major coup. Yet Zarlisch’s reply to Farah was as follows:

“Tell those who claim to be seeking to surrender the following: if they are truly intent on swearing allegiance to Tytania, they must bring me the corpses of ten influential figures from the opposing faction. Make sure you convey that message accurately.”

“So they must not be kept alive?”

“That Fan Hyulick must be delivered alive to my mother, but there’s no need to keep alive the rest of the rabble. If these so-called surrender advocates refuse to accept these terms, I’ll simply crush them all.”

Farah attempted to raise a further objection but gave up and bowed in silence. Zarlisch was no soft-hearted man; his reaction should be interpreted as stemming from his heroic spirit. Farah was not Zarlisch’s personal retainer, and he had no obligation to offer any stronger advice.



“All in all, his reaction was within expectations. We shall proceed with the original plan as is.”

Having learnt of Zarlisch Tytania’s reaction, Doctor Lee informed his comrades aboard the ‘''Honest Old Man''’.

He had learnt of Zarlisch’s reaction through Donald Farah. Of course, Farah had not become one of Doctor Lee’s accomplices; rather, he had been lured into the scheme with the prospect of the Blaze Flag Army’s surrender as bait. Doctor Lee’s network of contacts extended far and wide, with its tentacles reaching into Tytanian subordinate organisations and regional bodies.

“Zarlisch has demanded the heads of the Blaze Flag Army’s senior officers. It may seem crude, but it is, in fact, a demand that should not be taken lightly.”

“Wasn’t that all part of your plan from the start, Doctor Lee?”

When Miranda confirmed this in the form of a question, the pirate who had almost become a professor briefly let a mischievous glint flicker in his eyes, but quickly suppressed it. He cleared his throat and looked up at the ceiling. Captain Casimir wore a warm smile, as if looking at a younger brother who wouldn’t listen to reason.

Lee changed the subject.

“Well then, next up is the Blaze Flag Army. Since we’ve borrowed their name, we ought to pay them a courtesy call, at the very least.”

Although there were no neon signs, there were several open hideouts of the Blaze Flag Army on planet Bargash. Doctor Lee, though a maverick and a pariah, was undoubtedly still a senior member of the Blaze Flag Army. He was entitled to attend executive meetings and had the right to convene them.

Doctor Lee exercised his legitimate rights and immediately issued invitations to the sixty-five senior members. In more ways than one, he needed to ensure that all formalities were observed.

After issuing instructions to Miranda, Captain Casimir, Mahdi, Pagès, Walenkov and Amzekar respectively, Doctor Lee himself set off for one of the Blaze Flag Army’s hideouts. It was a club situated in a corner of the bustling commercial district, a three-minute walk from the red-light district Latour. A hideout in the middle of nowhere would be inconvenient to get to and leave one vulnerable to unrestrained attacks from adversaries. Such a place was nothing but foolish.

''“Doctor Lee’s remarks are correct but lack persuasiveness”'' was an assessment that these men in question could not help but acknowledge.

Ultimately, his talents and vision found no outlet within the Blaze Flag Army, and Doctor Lee turned his back on the organisation.

From the Blaze Flag Army’s perspective, they considered it “a blessing to have been abandoned by such a guy”, yet, regrettably, the prodigal son who was supposed to have run away from home had returned. This exceptionally clever but sharp-tongued rover had not returned home repentant of his past misdeeds, but had come to threaten his family with a bomb.

Twenty senior members of the Blaze Flag faction had gathered in response to Doctor Lee’s invitation. This meant that forty-five of the invitations had been ignored. Even the twenty who had attended had done so reluctantly. It would be fair to say they were merely honouring a duty to Doctor Lee’s late uncle.

That sense of duty, however, was blown a hundred light-years away the moment they stood before Doctor Lee in person and heard him speak. After greeting those present and offering them drinks, Doctor Lee delivered a fiery, inflammatory speech, arguing that the Blaze Flag Army should be rallied to oppose Tytania with all its might.

When the assembled company, appalled by the radicalism and impracticality of his proposal, expressed their refusal, Lee’s expression grew stern. It was an abrupt change, as if boiling water had cooled and turned to ice in the space of two moments.

“I see. So none of you will respond, then? Well, I suppose there is no choice. To uphold the honour of the Blaze Flag Army, I shall resort to a final measure.”

“What do you mean…”

“A name as noble as the Blaze Flag Army is unworthy of you lot. To fear the military might of Tytania at such a late stage and forget your original resolve to resist is a shameful act of conformism. I hereby strip you all of the name ‘Blaze Flag Army’.”

The group, who had been staring at Doctor Lee in a daze, burst into roars of laughter the moment the shock wore off.

The male chorus of laughter continued for a good five movements, and just as it was beginning to fade from ''forte'' to ''piano'', Doctor Lee’s calm voice, unshaken even by the mockery, rained down upon them.

“It seems people cannot laugh at a poor joke, but they can laugh at a nasty truth. Well, it’s better than having you cry, so I shall gratefully accept your reaction. We’ve all worked hard today. I think we’ll call it a day.”

The group exchanged glances, their faces too exhausted from laughter to form any expression, before looking away. Doctor’s retreating figure was obscured by the door as he prepared to leave.

And so, Doctor Lee cast aside any sense of duty or deference towards the Blaze Flag Army, flinging it far beyond the Andromeda Nebula, and the anti-Tytania faction’s operation to rescue Fan Hyulick was set in motion.
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