That's how we do factional politics (please keep reading! Please bookmark!)

A Titan was an infantryman's nightmare when it appeared on an enemy position.

But when it descended from the sky to cover friendly troops,

it was the infantry's guardian angel.

Viscount Ankarin had not planned to call in a Titan drop from an Orbital Assault Ship this early.

But there was simply no quick way to deal with the Federation main battle tank rampaging through the streets.

This venerable weapon of ground warfare had been gradually disappearing from the battlefield in an age when directed-energy weapons flew everywhere.

But ever since Deflection Field technology had trickled down from space warships, and superconducting batteries had become increasingly widespread,

main battle tanks had somehow reaped the benefits of a "balance patch."

With hybrid propulsion combining high-powered gas turbines and superconducting battery packs, main battle tanks gained even greater power output than before.

Not only could they carry sturdier armor and large-caliber Electrothermal-Chemical Cannons capable of both direct and indirect fire,

they could also run low-powered Deflection Fields with support from their superconducting battery packs.

Once that powerful confining magnetic field enveloped a tank,

most weapons could not penetrate its defenses.

Even with infantry having evolved to the point where everyone had an Exoskeleton and a Gauss Rifle,

Daddy Main Battle Tank was still Daddy.

Of course, wherever there was a daddy, there was bound to be a granddaddy.

And the HCP was the main battle tank's granddaddy.

So once Viscount Ankarin contacted the Orbital Assault Ship overhead, using his company's communications operator as a relay,

he immediately demanded that they drop a "granddaddy" to support him.

"This is urgent. Use my position as the drop coordinates and have the pilot make the final adjustments during terminal descent!"

"Forget everything else. Just drop one and fuck up the tank in front of me. Thank you!"

Viscount Ankarin was an Imperial noble, as well as the commander of the Blood Dragon Regiment personally appointed by the emperor.

So his command extended beyond a single regiment of Orbital Paratroopers.

The four Orbital Assault Ships transporting the Blood Dragon Regiment were also under his direct command.

Faced with an order from the big boss, the ship's drop coordinator could only hurry over to the HCP squadron and find its most daring pilot.

Then the coordinator kicked both pilot and Titan out the door.

After a long, agonizing ten minutes, Viscount Ankarin and the other members of the Noble Squads on the ground

finally heard a rumble from high overhead, followed immediately by an explosive crack.

That was the sound of the HCP separating from its Drop Pod after completing atmospheric entry.

Then they heard a heavenly voice over the comms channel.

"Red Wolf joining the channel!"

"Entering terminal descent. Preparing to provide ground support!"

"My lord, requesting target designation!"

To Viscount Ankarin and the others, the HCP pilot's gruff voice sounded like that of an angel of war.

He immediately led several nearby members of the Noble Squads in laser-designating the target through gaps in their cover.

The crew inside the main battle tank immediately received an alert from their omnidirectional laser warning system.

But before they could call on the Mobile Infantry surrounding the tank to move up and disrupt the laser designation,

a blue-tinged white plasma beam descended from the sky.

The impact of plasma heated to tens of millions of degrees instantly overloaded the main battle tank's Deflection Field generator.

Its armor plates melted like butter.

Then its superconducting battery pack detonated.

The "miniature sun" produced by the explosion swallowed not only the tank, but also the Mobile Infantry around it who had been fighting alongside it.

Having completed that danger-close fire support mission, the Titan retracted its compact Heavy Particle Cannon behind its shoulder.

At the same time, it released two streams of flares behind it, like a pair of red wings.

Amid the flashes of two man-portable surface-to-air missiles detonated by the decoys, the red-painted Titan landed, braking its descent with the plasma thruster array on its back.

"Red Wolf on the battlefield. My respects, Lord Viscount!"

Behind the red Titan's towering frame, in the night sky lit by gunfire and explosions,

more and more Drop Pods continued to fall.

With HCP support, the Orbital Paratroopers advanced as though no one stood in their way.

Most lightly armored targets were picked off and blown apart by the 50 mm Gauss Rifle in the HCP's hands.

Whenever they encountered a tough opponent like a main battle tank, Red Wolf simply deployed the compact Heavy Particle Cannon mounted behind his shoulder and blasted it.

If one shot was not enough, he fired another.

No ground unit could compete in power output with an HCP equipped with a Subcritical Reactor.

And Yasin Base's HCPs had already been blown away along with the base hangar in the first round of orbital strikes.

By the time Viscount Ankarin advanced to the Communications Center with his Noble Squad and an HCP,

most of the fighting inside Yasin Base was also drawing to a close.

As increasing numbers of Imperial Orbital Paratroopers and HCPs landed, the surviving defenders lost their firepower advantage and were swiftly split up and annihilated.

At the entrance to the Communications Center, Viscount Ankarin successfully rendezvoused with Tailstinger, who had infiltrated Yasin Base ahead of them.

"Emperor above, you're finally here! We need to check on the Core Communications Room immediately."

Tailstinger wasted little time on pleasantries with Viscount Ankarin.

Ever since losing contact with Judas, he had felt that something might have gone wrong here.

But during the fierce exchange of fire between the base defenders and the landing forces, he had never found an opportunity to slip inside.

And so he had waited until Ankarin and the others arrived.

"I've lost contact with my subordinate. I suspect the two naval intelligence agents accompanying him have turned traitor."

"Naval intelligence agents? Turned traitor?"

At Tailstinger's words, Viscount Ankarin's eyebrows shot up.

"That's a serious accusation. Do you have conclusive evidence?"

"Of course. I obtained evidence of one of them defecting three days ago."

Once the Orbital Paratroopers leading the way sent back the all-clear, Tailstinger immediately led Ankarin and the others into the Communications Center.

As he considered the respective powers backing the Naval Intelligence Directorate and Star Dragon Fang,

Viscount Ankarin felt as though he was beginning to understand something.

My lord Marquis. So you're trying to make me choose.

Meanwhile, Tailstinger, who was walking ahead, suddenly asked,

"I heard your fleet's commander-in-chief, Marquis Ascania, is on rather good terms with the Regent?"

"Hmm, that's not really a question I can answer, but they are said to be quite close personally."

"I see."

Tailstinger slowed his pace until he was walking beside Viscount Ankarin.

Then he spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"And you, Lord Viscount? I've heard the Regent welcomes talented people from all walks of life. With the Empire in such troubled times, many nobles have pledged their loyalty to him."

"Me? Hahaha..."

Viscount Ankarin could not help laughing. He now fully understood the "story behind" this mission.

And things were heading in the very direction he least wanted to see.

"My loyalty lies with His Majesty the Emperor, of course."

Hearing Viscount Ankarin's answer, Tailstinger gave a couple of dry chuckles, then moved ahead again.

"Oh? It seems you really are a loyal servant of the Empire~"