Editing Tytania:Volume 4 Chapter 4 (section)

=== IV ===
On the bridge of the ''Honest Old Man Junior'', where Radmoth’s angry shouts occasionally rang out, a faction of the alienated Blaze Flag Army sat sullenly on the floor.

“We’ve lost at the strategic stage.”

As several gazes converged upon him, Doctor Lee spoke in a detached manner.

“The reason both Dukes, Ariabert and Jouslain, chose a decisive, rapid strike was to hit Uraniborg directly. Well, that was not particularly difficult to predict…”

Doctor Lee met one of the staring eyes with his own.

“But the failure lies with our underachiever here…”

The surrounding gazes shifted to the Doctor’s side.

“In short, I am referring to Fan Hyulick…”

“There’s no need to repeat yourself! So, what, are you trying to say this happened because I cheated or something?”

“Shut up!” shouted one of Radmoth’s subordinates.

“The enemy’s strategy was to start and finish the battle before Hyulick could win the trust of the troops at Uraniborg,” continued Doctor Lee, his voice lowered.

Radmoth seemed preoccupied with dealing with the unfavourable battlefield situation. Though, all he did was repeatedly issue orders out of pure aggression.

“If given sufficient time and opportunity, Hyulick might win the hearts of Duke Zarlisch’s former subordinates and demonstrate his talent for military command on the battlefield. The essence of command lies in the soldiers’ obedience to a commander’s operational orders. However, at this moment, Hyulick has ended up in this state.”

“If only that greenhorn Radmoth hadn’t been here, things might have been a little better.”

“Mahdi, you are uncharacteristically sympathetic towards Hyulick. You are right, however; we were outmanoeuvred even at the tactical level. The decision to place small and medium-sized high-speed vessels within the fleet formation was a bold move to conduct mobile warfare within the ranks. Furthermore, the wall of massive ships on the outermost perimeter was not for defence but to ensure that any enemies drawn into the formation could not escape. We were thoroughly outplayed.”

Hyulick remained lost in silent thought.

Tytania and Tytania were slaughtering and destroying one another. Light and shadow raced across the faces of those present as they flickered past.

For Miranda, it was a sight that should have prompted a shout of triumph. At least, it should have been, but her expression gradually grew more severe. The primary reason was, above all else, the fact that she was unable to defeat Tytania using her own strength. To make matters worse, she found Radmoth’s lack of restraint absolutely unforgivable.

“Using Tytania to subdue Tytania.”

Glancing sideways at Miranda, Doctor Lee placed a hand on his chin.

“… If expressed that way, it sounds like a grand and sweeping conspiracy, but the reality is that the anti-Tytania faction, including ourselves, failed to achieve true unity even after two hundred years.”

In the meantime, a strange atmosphere was spreading through the various ships of Uraniborg, which had been forced into a desperate struggle.

“Hyulick was originally Tytania’s public enemy. Why on earth must we engage in a death struggle against Duke Ariabert’s fleet?”

Once such a doubt took root, a desire to avoid war instantly overwhelmed the will to fight. When a single ship, cornered in a situation where neither resistance nor escape was possible, announced, “We surrender,” it served as a catalyst, and more than a hundred ships hoisted white flags almost immediately.

It was not merely a matter of surrendering; some ships even went so far as to bombard Hyulick’s flagship, the ''Honest Old Man Junior'', before making their escape, treating it as a bit of extra loot on their way out. It was an unprecedented display of disgrace.

Because the enemy was so utterly disordered, Ariabert found it all the more difficult to maintain orderly combat command.

“All ships, you are authorised to engage the enemy individually. Do not refuse surrenders. Do not give pursuit. I repeat. Relentless pursuit is strictly forbidden.”

Even as the announcement was being made, the chaos within the Uraniborg fleet continued to spread. There were ships that continued the fight, ships that surrendered, and even ships that were hit while floundering in confusion, blocked from escape by the wall of massive vessels.

“I wonder what kind of battle it would have been if Zarlisch had been our opponent,” muttered Ariabert through the communication system.

Understanding it was a soliloquy, Jouslain did not respond; he simply kept his eyes fixed on the screen, letting his imagination wander.

It was hard to believe that Zarlisch would concern himself with such minute tactical subtleties. He would likely charge straight ahead, with his flagship leading the way. It was a simple tactic, perhaps, but his ferocious onslaught had crushed enemies with sheer brute force, overwhelming them with a sense of defeat and a terror that far exceeded his actual numbers.

“If given the chance, I would have liked to face that man myself.”

As he spoke the words aloud, Ariabert realised that he might be a more bellicose man than he had thought. He had chosen a military career as a matter of course, though he had never been under any obligation to do so.

The thoughts of Viscount Balamy Tytania, stationed within Ariabert’s ranks, were far from simple.

Balamy had remained by Jouslain’s side until now, observing his policies and stratagems. Having been touched by the private grievances and bitter regrets of his late father, the life he had envisioned was one far more compressed than his actual age would suggest.

At present, Balamy was using every fibre of his being to observe Ariabert’s deployment of troops. Balamy had tended to underestimate Ariabert due to him being defeated twice by Hyulick, but he now realised that this had been an arrogant mistake.

He was well aware that the task was nothing short of audacious. Even so, Balamy knew he had to strive to possess the strengths of both great leaders, Jouslain and Ariabert, in their respective areas of expertise. Only by combining the advantages of both men could he truly hope to reign at the pinnacle of Tytania. At that moment, Balamy had even forgotten about Princess Lydia, his eyes staring at the screen as if possessed. Part of the reason was that Francia had stayed by the Princess’ side.

From the very beginning, Jouslain had intended to leave the combat command to Ariabert, with no intention of interfering whatsoever. However, as he observed the confusion and disorder of the enemy, the true nature of the situation began to reveal itself to him. The enemy’s forces had already been halved, and those dying were solely the soldiers of Tytania. Having obtained Ariabert’s permission, he picked up the microphone.

“To the soldiers and officers of Tytania. Cease all futile combat and surrender immediately. No past mistakes shall be held against you.”

He paused for a breath before continuing.

“If you refuse to surrender, withdraw from the battlefield. We shall not give pursuit. We cannot bear to see loyal soldiers of Tytania perish. Once you have returned to Uraniborg, convey this message to Duke Idris.”

While Ariabert’s orders were directed towards his own allies, Jouslain’s proclamation was intended for the enemy. The troops of “Uraniborg” heard it. Even within the heart of single soldiers, the futility of the battle resonated. There were, however, exceptions. Upon the bridge of the ''Honest Old Man Junior'', the roar of a young nobleman thundered:

“I won’t permit a retreat! Fight to the very last man!”

“There is no meaning in fighting any further.”

In the presence of the raging Radmoth, one might have been deceived into mistaking the cold, composed figure of Doctor Lee for a symbol of common sense.

“We are unable to inflict any damage upon the enemy, yet our own casualties continue to rise unilaterally, and even so, we persist in this meaningless combat. This is not a hard fight; it’s a folly. Even as we speak, the dead only continue to increase.”

Before Doctor Lee could even finish, Radmoth leapt from his command seat and stood directly before him. Doctor Lee reflexively recoiled, leaning his upper body back sharply, but he was not entirely successful. A growling fist grazed across Doctor Lee’s left cheek and nose.

Doctor Lee stumbled, but rather than trying to steady himself, he threw himself onto the floor, thereby avoiding the second strike. The bridge was already in an uproar. Radmoth lifted his leg and kicked Doctor Lee’s shoulder.

In that instant, Miranda pulled a hard rubber baton from beneath her seat. She delivered a powerful blow to the back of Radmoth’s head. Radmoth let out a groan, and only his left foot moved forward a single step. Before he could react, Walenkov delivered another heavy kick to the back of the young baron’s right knee. Radmoth’s large frame froze for a split second before his knee buckled, and he collapsed onto the floor with a dull thud.

“Don’t move! Drop your weapons!”

Walenkov’s hands were bare, but his thick fingers were wrapped around Radmoth’s throat. An unpleasant sound rang out as five or six heatguns were tossed onto the floor. An expression of resignation was etched upon the faces of Radmoth’s subordinates.

“One problem solved, what a happy ending.”

Mahdi’s voice was unnecessarily cheerful. In that same interval, a psychological collapse was taking hold of the Uraniborg forces.

They fled in disorder.

Exactly as the ancient idiom described<ref name="ftn24">It is lost in translation, but “they fled in disorder” was actually an idiom in the original Japanese (算を乱す which literally means something like “counting sticks scatter”).</ref>. There was no one to command the retreat, no one to guard the rear and support their comrades; they simply fled at full speed. When a heavy cruiser<ref name="ftn25">“Cruiser” (巡航艦) is pronounced “cruiser”.</ref> snagged a light-class gunboat<ref name="ftn26">“Gunboat” (砲艦) is pronounced “gunboat”.</ref> and a fireball of destruction erupted, a small stir went through the officers on the bridge of the ''Golden Sheep''. Rather than sympathising with the unfortunate gunboat, they thought,

''“What an unsightly display for an army claiming to bear the name Tytania!”''

It was only natural that such feelings were so strong.

Princess Lydia rose from her seat. After casting a fleeting glance at the profiles of Jouslain and Balamy, she set off with her lips pressed firmly together, though her stride soon broke into a run. Noticing this, Francia shook her head slightly at Jouslain and hurried after the Princess.

Jouslain silently returned his gaze to the screen.

A different scene unfolded aboard the ''Honest Old Man Junior''.

No matter how irresponsible Fan Hyulick might have been as an individual, he did not entirely lack a sense of duty and pride as a fleet commander. While he felt no sense of loyalty toward Idris, who had unilaterally thrust this heavy responsibility upon him, he possessed enough devotion to at least do what he could. Now that Radmoth had trampled that spirit and Ariabert had exacted his vengeance on a tactical level, he intended to at least ensure that any surviving allies could escape.

However, the other vessels were in a state of extreme confusion, both in judgement and in action. There were ships that continued to fight bravely, maintaining that “whoever the commander is, our vessel shall do its utmost.” Yet, there were others that retreated, thinking, ''“It’s foolish to die in a battle like this.”'' Furthermore, some ships were even more proactive, attempting to withdraw from the battlefield altogether.

The vessels that refused to cease fighting ultimately constrained Fan Hyulick’s actions. He could not simply abandon his allies struggling through the bitter battle and flee alone.

“There are still ships fighting over there. We have to save them.”

“You can’t be serious. They’re fighting because they want to. Let’s just get out of here quickly. If we do, it’ll give them a reason to escape too. That’s the only way to reduce casualties.”

Mahdi proposed what he believed to be the best possible course of action. Miranda agreed, using her own particular way of expressing it:

“Even Mahdi can say something right once in a while. It is far too late to save those people. As befits the subordinates of Duke Zarlisch, they clearly intend to fight until the end. Let them have their way.”

“We can’t do that. Captain, turn sixty degrees—”

Hyulick’s voice cut off. Because Walenkov, wearing an expression of pity, took a glance from Miranda and brought a massive hand-strike down upon Hyulick’s nape. The carrot-top young man let out a heavy gasp, and his feet lifted into the air. Seraphine Coopers whispered into his ear, as if soothing a small child:

“You’re a hopeless man, but you must not die here.”

“Exactly,” agreed firmly Miranda. “If he were to learn later that you died in this battle, Duke Ariabert would surely find it most unpleasant. Right now, you are at two wins and one loss. Live on, and aim for a third victory, alright?”

Fan Hyulick did not respond. Not because he was displeased, but because he had fallen completely unconscious.

“Good… Miranda, let us withdraw from the battlefield at once. We must ensure they do not realise this ship is the flagship.”

“I know, Doctor. If they do, it’ll be the end of us.”

The bridge grew noticeably more frantic. As Pagès, who had disappeared to some unknown place, returned, Miranda asked:

“What about Baron Radmoth?”

“I injected him with enough sedative for three people, placed double-locked magnetic handcuffs behind his back, and bound his legs with leather straps. I’ve locked him up in the toilets.”

“Good work.”

“Don’t mention it. Comparing him to Duke Zarlisch, is like comparing a kitten to a tiger.”

“Should we kill him?”

In response to Walenkov’s question, Pagès shrugged:

“I doubt he’d grow into anything useful even if we kept him alive… What do you think, Doctor?”

“If push comes to shove, I’ll stuff him into an escape pod and send him straight to Uraniborg. I’m sure Idris will take responsibility for his younger brother’s behaviour.”

“Splendid. I look forward to watching the sibling rivalry unfold.”

Miranda laughed heartily.

The ''Honest Old Man Junior'' finally lived up to its reputation at this critical juncture. It was often said that space pirates were the spiritual descendants of ancient nomadic cavalry. They fought only when there was profit and a chance of victory. If neither were present, they would flee to prepare for the next opportunity.

The ''Honest Old Man Junior'' made a magnificent escape.



“Fan Hyulick’s fleet suffered a total defeat by the rebel forces. Heavy losses reported.”

When Idris received this first wave of dire news, he froze like a statue of flesh for a moment. To be honest, he had anticipated that bad news would be more likely than good news, but a total defeat was far beyond what he had expected.

“Hyulick, that useless bastard! He wins when he should lose and loses when he must win! When he returns, there will be hell to pay!”

Idris barely managed to suppress the impulse to slam his fist against the desk. Then, one of his aides spoke up hesitantly:

“Do you think Hyulick will return?”

“What?! What did you say…?

Suddenly, Idris’ composure returned to his master. It brought along an unpleasant companion known as a “bitter realisation of reality.”

There was absolutely no way Hyulick’s faction would return to Uraniborg. Hyulick’s group possessed neither the sense of duty nor the contrition required to crawl back to Uraniborg after such a crushing defeat just to face punishment from Idris.

Given the magnitude of the defeat, any Tytania soldier should have been subject to severe penalties; however, in the case of Fan Hyulick, that point remained ambiguous to begin with.

It was Idris who had ordered Hyulick to march, but he had not obtained the approval or permission of Clanner Ajman. If he were to be criticised for “acting unilaterally and disregarding the Clanner,” he would find it difficult to defend himself. Had they fought well and at least established a clear result, even without a victory, there might have been hope for future strategic developments; however, as it was a complete defeat, it was tantamount to announcing to the entire universe that “Tytania has fallen.”

“Issue an order for Hyulick to return! If he does not comply, place a bounty on him and secure his person. If he has something to say, I shall hear it myself… Oh right, Count Elman? Where is Count Elman?”

“What about Count Elman?”

“It was Count Elman who brought Hyulick’s faction to Uraniborg. Make him the officer in charge of Hyulick’s detention. Tell him to bear full responsibility and produce results!”

After venting his fury upon the eldest of the clan and panting heavily, Idris forced his brain cells to work desperately.

“Order all vessels stationed at Uraniborg to take up Class B battle stations. Furthermore, there ought to be more ships remaining in the various star sectors; move every single one that can be moved and gather them in the space surrounding Uraniborg. I shall take overall command.”

The day had finally arrived. Idris’ heart quickened its beat, thumping against his chest.

One of the communications officers ran to Idris’ side, saluted, and presented a slip of paper. It contained the downloaded results of the recent battle.

The losses for Ariabert, Jouslain, and the “rebel army” were estimated at 36&nbsp;destroyed vessels and just over 900&nbsp;dead. In contrast, the Uraniborg side suffered over 4400&nbsp;destroyed vessels and over 100,000&nbsp;dead.

Idris took a deep breath and exhaled, glaring at his staff officers, whose faces were etched with grief. It was not merely the defeat itself, but the fact that his officers, pale with shock, appeared utterly unreliable to him. Were Ariabert and Jouslain truly so terrifying?

“Forty thousand vessels still remain. If we include reinforcements and those on standby, the number will easily exceed fifty thousand. Furthermore, Uraniborg is impregnable and inviolable. Above all else, we have His Clanner Highness with us. Let us deliver divine retribution upon those treacherous rebels in His Highness’ very presence. Hail Tytania!”

“Hail Tytania!”

The staff officers responded in unison, but to Idris’ ears, their voices seemed to lack a certain strength.

Thus, the Battle of the Hashtbal System ended in a complete victory for the Ariabert-Jouslain Alliance, across strategic, tactical, and even political levels. However, as an inevitable consequence, the situation in which the next battle was drawn forward, with everything to be lost should they fail, had instead been accelerated.

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