Connections

In orbit above Robert IV lay the temporary anchorage of the Star Dragon Empire's Royal Navy Eighth Expeditionary Strike Group.

On the bridge of the strike group's flagship, the Dawn Divine Sword, Marquis Ascania sat in the captain's chair, listening to reports from his tactical staff.

"Robert IV's Defensive Fleet has been completely routed over the past three days of fighting."

"All three Giant Kraken-class battleships and fifteen Hydra-class cruisers belonging to the Defensive Fleet have been sunk."

"The few destroyers and frigates still afloat signaled their surrender. Assault teams have boarded and secured every vessel that surrendered."

"We lost twelve frigates and eight destroyers. Two heavy cruisers also require major repairs."

"We have full control of Lansford Naval Port, but the Space Elevator connecting it to the surface is locked at the highest authorization level. None of the captured port personnel has the authority to unlock it."

The tactical officer paused, apparently choosing his words, then continued.

"According to the captured port personnel, that authorization had rotated to a Federal Navy major on tactical duty in the command center."

"We reviewed the surveillance footage from Lansford Port. Major DiMaria Randall appears to have taken an escape pod down to the surface."

The tactical officer was about to continue when the marquis raised a hand to stop him.

"He escaped to the surface? So the authority to unlock the Space Elevator is still on this planet?"

"Yes, my lord."

Marquis Ascania narrowed his eyes. Through a magnified section of the bridge's panoramic viewport, he looked toward Lansford Naval Port, five thousand kilometers away.

At present, every capital ship in the Eighth Expeditionary Strike Group except the Dawn Divine Sword, along with a large number of heavy cruisers, was docked at the port.

Rest and repairs were only a secondary purpose. More importantly, they were trying to use the immense processing power of capital-ship control intelligences to crack the Space Elevator's lock.

Major Randall had once joked with Amber that the Empire would bring in ten supercomputers to crack it.

Judging by the number of ships in the port, the combined processing power of their control intelligences probably far exceeded that of ten supercomputers.

Marquis Ascania did not know much about the technology, but even he knew there was no predicting how long it would take those control intelligences to crack the lock.

And with the Space Elevator locked, the Empire's ability to deploy ground troops had fallen sharply.

On top of that, there had been the nuclear detonation in the atmosphere and the mass of warship wreckage now circling the planet in low orbit at nearly two thousand kilometers per second.

All of it severely restricted orbital drops and the use of aerospace transports.

At the thought, the marquis pressed a hand to his forehead and sighed.

"So, among all you staff officers, not one of you considered before the battle that someone might lock the Space Elevator?"

"Uh..."

The tactical officer reporting to him froze. He kept glancing at his colleagues, hoping one of them would say something to save him.

But the tactical officers beside him had no idea what to say either.

They really had not expected the people at Lansford Naval Port to lock the Space Elevator while fleeing.

It was as absurd as someone climbing through your window to break into your house, and you stopping to lock the front door before escaping through another window.

"Forget it. Don't waste time coming up with excuses."

Marquis Ascania looked at the officer giving the report.

"Assess whether it would be faster to wait for those dozen or so shipboard control intelligences to crack the lock, or to find that navy major on the surface."

"Once you've assessed it, carry out the better option. You needn't report back to me separately."

"Yes, my lord."

The tactical officers soon finished reporting on the past few days of fighting.

The marquis left the bridge, with only the senior tactical officer following him.

They soon arrived at a private conference room. The people waiting inside immediately rose to their feet.

"My lord, you're here."

The middle-aged man who spoke first wore no military uniform. Instead, he was dressed as an Imperial noble.

A gold badge pinned to his chest depicted a dragon clutching a star.

It was the emblem of the Star Dragon Empire's Defense Intelligence and Security Directorate.

"Sit. Let's talk."

Marquis Ascania nodded and took the seat at the head of the table. He went straight to the point.

"You lost the people you sent out?"

The question visibly caught the middle-aged DRSD man off guard.

Still, he kept his expression under control and nodded.

"The Mongoose special operations platoon we dropped to the surface has been out of contact for more than forty-eight hours. We now consider the mission a failure."

"So what do you want my help with?" Marquis Ascania looked at the intelligence officer, a complicated expression flickering in his eyes.

"Cooperation would be a better word." The middle-aged man paused, then continued.

"I know the Space Elevator lock is troubling you, my lord. As it happens, DRSD has a plan that could take that burden off your shoulders."

"Hmph. Go on."

At that, the middle-aged man smiled faintly.

He turned on the conference room display and brought up an analysis report.

The report chiefly described three seemingly unrelated events.

An Imperial Spy's defection from Yasin Base, the loss of contact with the Mongoose special operations platoon, and the escape to the surface of the person holding the authority to unlock the Space Elevator.

DRSD's intelligence officers used extensive combat records and casualty reports from Imperial ground forces, together with the locations of those three events, to predict the routes involved.

They reached a conclusion that sounded almost impossible.

The latter two incidents were very likely connected to the Imperial Spy who had defected.

"Look here. Based on the scene, our undercover personnel at Yasin Base identified this as the last known location of the defecting spy."

"This is where an Orbital Paratroopers squad lost contact. Their last report said they were preparing to ambush a Federation unit."

"This is where the Mongoose special operations platoon lost contact completely."

"And finally, this is the area where we predict the escape pod from the naval port may have landed..."

The marquis had paid little attention at first, but after glancing over the analysis on the screen, he straightened in his chair.

"Based on the AI's analysis of battlefield conditions, terrain, distance, and other factors, we have reason to believe this entire chain of events is connected to that defecting Imperial Spy."