< STAR WAR >
It was a game with many variables from the start.
Even if you turned it on and did nothing, it always ended with a different conclusion. Even if you played it exactly the same way, the situation changed every time.
‘It’s a mess.’
Now that I had actually entered this world, it was even more chaotic. The variables that hadn’t changed when I was just clicking away at a game were now shifting because of me.
The butterfly effect I caused was much larger than I had anticipated.
[All forces. Advance!]
Raccoon Man personally led the Allied forces.
*Boom—! Boom—!*
The two armies met in a place where the dark energy was calm, as if they had made an appointment.
Normally, such a massive head-on collision wouldn’t happen. There was usually a clear difference in strength between the two sides.
But.
Wait? This seems winnable?
You too? Me too!
When both sides were confident in themselves, dragging things out would only lead to mutual loss, so they decided the matter in a single decisive battle.
Isn’t it romantic?
However, typical battles weren’t like this. Usually, each side looked for the other’s weakness. This would cause the front lines to stretch out, leading to endless skirmishes.
“This is a strange battlefield.”
Vice-Captain Siela looked quite intimidated.
Allied forces: roughly 7,000 ships vs. Imperium: roughly 3,500 ships.
Total: approximately 10,000 ships.
Just having the two fleets facing each other was enough to make one’s skin crawl. The killing intent faintly radiating from each warship stung the skin. An ordinary person might have fainted from the pressure alone.
“Our fleet, stand by!”
The fleet I led remained in the rear as a reserve unit.
“Is the battlefield always like this?”
Lysandebuzz moved only her eyes to look at me. She looked quite comfortable.
“No. It’s because they’re both confident.”
“Wasn’t Grand Marshal Humildas just cowering all this time?”
“It’s because we defeated Sagitta’s fleet of 1,500.”
“Ah! Since they have plenty of troops, the enemy might look easy to them. They’re probably thinking it’s no big deal.”
I nodded.
“And the characteristics of the battlefield played a role. This is the heart of enemy territory.”
“It’s because they’re here to destroy, not to conquer! Since there are no fortresses to defend, a stable front line can’t be formed.”
Correct again. Lysandebuzz was from a prestigious family, so her understanding was quick.
“And they’re confident. They are an ever-victorious army that hasn’t lost until now. In particular, they even defeated Grand Marshal Poena, who comes from the most prestigious family.”
In truth, Grand Marshal Poena was largely overrated. Even so, he was a level above Grand Marshal Humildas.
Many people said Grand Marshal Humildas reached his current position through pure luck. They were right. Raccoon Man’s performance fluctuated wildly.
*Thump—!*
Such a man was now personally leading the campaign. He was even in charge of the center, commanding from the front.
‘I wonder how this will turn out.’
Even I found it difficult to predict the gambler Raccoon Man.
For now, the formation was as follows.
Left Wing: Poena + Uganaoda
Center: Humildas
Right Wing: Naparrr
Reserve: Pak Yu
The difference in troops was nearly double.
“Something feels off…”
However, the side that didn’t make sense was the Imperium Grand Marshal. A massive head-on collision was not the style the Imperium enjoyed. It was because the troop losses would be too high.
“What is the matter, Captain?”
The Vice-Captain tilted her head after seeing my reaction.
“I think we need to scout. We should check the main paths for mobile fleet formations.”
“Pardon? The total force the Imperium Grand Marshal mobilized for this war was 5,000 ships. Of those, 1,500 were defeated by us. There shouldn’t be any more troops to reinforce them…”
The Vice-Captain was right. It might just be my paranoia.
However, this was too reckless for the Imperium’s typical personality. Then, a certain faction flashed through my mind.
“Kranoskan!”
At my words, everyone wore an expression that said, ‘No way.’
“No matter how much of an ally they are to the Imperium Grand Marshal, this isn’t a defensive war. It’s a war of pillage. Would they really send troops?”
“Because it’s a war of pillage. They’ll want a piece of the pie.”
“But isn’t Grand Marshal Kranoskan in a tense standoff with Grand Marshal Jojida?”
“Naparrr, a guest general under Grand Marshal Jojida, came here as a reinforcement. So, that side has some breathing room too.”
There were more vacancies.
“Grand Marshal Ugo-girl also brought 1,500 ships.”
From the perspective of Kranoskan’s army, a gap of 4,500 ships had been created. No matter what anyone said, the Empire’s largest battlefield was the conflict zone between Grand Marshal Jojida and Kranoskan. The scale of the troops mobilized there was on a different level.
“And there’s a greedy fellow among Kranoskan’s subordinates. The standoff has been long, so he must be itching for action.”
“Who is that?”
“Sumuaythai.”
At my words, everyone’s face turned pale. He was the commander of the most infamous light mobile unit in the Empire.
“Understood! I will immediately organize three light mobile fleet squads and send them out as scouts.”
There were a total of three main paths passing through this battlefield. The problem was that the paths were far apart from each other. Even if the enemy came, we wouldn’t know where they would pop out. So, we waited in the center of the paths.
*Thump—!*
The Allied forces and the Imperium forces drew closer.
“Captain. Engagement is imminent.”
The battlefield was clearly visible. Since we were the reserve, we were positioned slightly behind and above the main force.
“As expected. Are they going with that?”
The Imperium’s ships bunched together. A massive wave of energy swept the surroundings. That alone would be enough to refract and deflect some lasers.
However, forming such a formation wasn’t something just anyone could do. It meant the Imperium’s forces were that elite.
*Rumble—!*
The Imperium forces charged toward the left wing while tightly packed. It was the mixed unit of Ugo-girl and Uganaoda. No matter how much they tried to coordinate, there were bound to be cracks.
“The Imperium forces seem reckless.”
The Vice-Captain furrowed her brows slightly.
“No. That’s the best method. Since the troop difference is twofold.”
“If they push only one side like that, won’t they be surrounded?”
“Exactly!! Surrounded… Ah!!”
A realization struck me. I think I knew what the Imperium wanted.
“Our fleet will move to the right wing immediately.”
“Shouldn’t we wait behind the left wing?”
“No. Reinforcements will definitely come. The Imperium is not led by someone who doesn’t know basic military tactics.”
“Is Sumuaythai really coming?”
“I’m 99% sure. We must intercept the enemy coming as reinforcements.”
Of course, we wouldn’t be able to stop them perfectly. Sumuaythai used light mobile ships. They were ships that had removed the marine barracks to increase the size of the main cannons. They would likely ignore us and pass right by.
“Both armies have begun engagement!”
The Imperium forces dug into the space between Ugo-girl and Uganaoda’s forces. The mixed army melted away like ice cream in midsummer.
*Bzzzt—!*
Due to the repulsion emitted by the massive fleet, the Allied center could not easily approach. They couldn’t even establish a proper encirclement because the left wing had been pierced too easily.
“This is incredible.”
“Looking at this mess, the Imperium would win even without reinforcements.”
The coordination of the Allied forces was far worse than expected. It seemed Raccoon Man was having an off day. Out of his hit-or-miss luck, he had landed squarely on ‘miss.’
“Wait?! The Imperium forces are spreading into a thick linear formation.”
“Hammer and anvil. Dammit. All ships, prepare for battle. Preheat the main cannons immediately! Direction, Path 2.”
If you were traveling along a path with an acceleration drive and suddenly dropped out, you would be momentarily vulnerable. It was only for a fraction of a second, but that was the moment we had to aim for.
“Captain! The Path 2 squad that went on reconnaissance has returned.”
“Patch in Path 2 communication!!”
[Large-scale enemy detected! Scale: approximately 2,000 ships.]
“All ships. Concentrate reactor energy into the main cannons.”
I grit my teeth.
“Not yet!!”
Lysandebuzz concentrated. She had to accurately predict the timing when the enemy would drop out of the path.
“Now!!”
Along with her shout.
*Flash—!*
From Path 2, 2,000 light mobile ships appeared.
“Fire!! Unleash everything.”
*Boom! Zip! Whir—!*
Multi-colored attacks poured toward the newly appeared enemy.
*Bang! Bang!*
The enemies were thrown into confusion. In a short time, nearly 100 ships were rendered combat-ineffective. But they were elites. They regained their senses immediately and deployed their shields.
“Captain! The unidentified enemy ships are moving.”
Those bastards ignored my fleet as if we were insects. They zipped right past us, as we didn’t even have shields. Their urgent priority was to play the ‘hammer’ in the hammer and anvil tactic.
*Whoosh—!*
They dashed toward the rear of the Allied forces. Their movement was as elegant as a school of sardines in the ocean. They truly lived up to their reputation as the infamous light mobile unit.
They began to circle the Allied rear, pouring out attacks. Simultaneously, the Imperium Grand Marshal’s army, which had been spread out like a thick wall, also began to push forward.
U Sumuaythai
ㅁ Allied Forces.
ㅡ Imperium
Sumuaythai’s army attacked like horse archers, hitting and running. With every maneuver, hundreds of ships were sliced away.
“We can’t just leave them be. Our fleet, move to the target point.”
I immediately blocked their rear with my fleet.
ㅡ Our Fleet
ㅇ Sumuaythai
ㅁ Allied Forces.
ㅡ Imperium.
The Allied forces began to crumble severely. However, because we had narrowed Sumuaythai’s range of motion, they couldn’t perform their hit-and-run tactics effectively. They were moving in a circle, but if they tried to pull out, they would get hammered by us.
Why not just move up or down? Due to the dark waves, it was extremely dangerous for a large-scale army to perform rapid vertical maneuvers.
“Captain! Sumuaythai’s army is charging toward us.”
They seemed thoroughly enraged. The fact that we were few in number and looked like easy targets also played a part.
“Not a chance.”
I placed thirty defense ships in the front and positioned the corvettes on the flanks. And then.
“Fire!!”
I used eighty bombardment ships as the main damage dealers.
*Boom! Boom! Boom!*
The charging enemies were startled and veered off. In the end, they gave up on us and concentrated their attack on the Allied main camp again.
*Crash! Bang—!*
Every ship in Sumuaythai’s army was a light mobile ship. Since their defense was weak, their damage was also significant. In particular, because we prevented them from hitting and running, the damage accumulated quickly.
“Sumuaythai’s army is making a complete detour and pulling out.”
In the end, they couldn’t hold out. The problem was that during that short time, the damage to our Allied forces was immense.
*Beep—!*
It was Humildas’s signal to retreat.
“We’re pulling back as well.”
I immediately withdrew my fleet’s troops. Even during the process of retreating, both sides engaged in fierce combat.
“The enemy ships have stopped their pursuit.”
The Imperium side also suffered considerable damage because the hammer in the hammer and anvil tactic was lackluster. If it weren’t for me, the Allied forces would have lost more than half of their strength. They might have even suffered damage close to total annihilation.
“Damage report for our side.”
“Thirty corvettes have sunk.”
That was the damage we took when we trapped Sumuaythai’s army. Compared to the Allied forces losing nearly half their troops, we were barely scratched.
“Sigh. They should have just listened to me.”
If they had waited, the enemy would have retreated on their own.
***
We returned to the base. The Imperium forces and the Allied forces were in a standoff with two planets between them.
The atmosphere inside the barracks was gloomy.
“Agggh!! Those damned bastards.”
Raccoon Man seemed furious as he raised both his dainty arms and slammed them onto the table. However.
*Crash—!*
The power was quite impressive for such a small frame. Looking closely, the fur on one side of his body was scorched. It seemed he had fought in such close quarters that they had engaged in boarding actions. That’s how much Raccoon Man had staked on this battle.
“What are we supposed to do now?”
The enemy now had a total of about 4,500 ships, while the allies had about 3,500. Even the troop numbers had been reversed. Now, the only advantage left was that they were on the defensive.
“We must divide our forces and fight a siege. If we carry out a delay-of-game tactic while replenishing warships, it’s fully possible.”
Grand Marshal Ugo-girl tried to comfort Grand Marshal Humildas. It was because her forces were the ones holding out like that.
But.
“In the meantime, our Marshal’s Office will be devastated!”
Raccoon Man clutched his head. Vast colonies had already been laid to waste. Under the pretext of avenging his son, the Imperium Grand Marshal was engaging in indiscriminate destruction and looting. While his losses were heavy, he had achieved his goal to some extent.
“Grand Marshal!! The Imperium forces are retreating!”
At those words, everyone was bewildered. But soon, everyone’s faces brightened.
“Prince Dalip!! Prince Dalip must have raised his army! Otherwise, there’s no reason for those bastards to retreat so easily!”
Just moments ago, he was complaining about a lack of faith, and now he was using the title ‘Prince.’
“We must strike now! It’s time for revenge.”
Raccoon Man clenched his fists. I shook my head.
“It’s not a good idea to pursue immediately.”
“You, who only watched from the back, keep quiet.”
Grand Marshal Ugo-girl narrowed her eyes. She was incredibly beautiful. Perhaps because she was from the Succubus Tribe, she exuded a dreamy aura. However, her clothing was so radical that I didn’t know where to look.
‘I didn’t just watch, though.’
It seemed she still hadn’t grasped the situation. Well, having just come out after being beaten up at the front lines, she probably didn’t know how the war had progressed. She’d only realize it after reviewing the battle later.
“The Imperium isn’t the type to just withdraw.”
“Then, are you saying we should let this great opportunity slip?!”
Raccoon Man’s eyes darted around. If the Imperium withdrew like this, Raccoon Man’s honor would hit rock bottom. Troops could be replenished, but losing public sentiment was a problem. For the record, ‘public sentiment’ was limited to the nobles.
They had suffered too much damage in this war.
The influential families wanted only one thing from Raccoon Man: peace in Sector 16.
He might be put on trial this time. That was why he was so desperate.
“Even if they set an ambush, their numbers won’t be many. What’s urgent is the army of Prince Dalip, who raised his forces in District 9.”
Ugo-girl also spoke in a firm tone. She probably needed many prisoners. Since she had suffered losses, she needed to gather essence. She could sell that essence at a high price to the wealthy and use that money to rebuild her army.
*Shift—*
*Shift—*
Naparrr and Uganaoda avoided my gaze. They had also lost many troops and had no notable achievements to speak of.
“Very well! Everyone, pursue the Imperium forces. Sir Pak Yu, what will you do?”
“I will follow slowly from behind.”
“Do so.”
There was no need to pursue in a hurry. As long as we were careful of ambushes, we could sufficiently harass the Imperium’s rear. Not all ships were in top condition, so many would fall behind.
‘Don’t blame me, Raccoon Man.’
I clearly warned them. Since they were offering to be human shields themselves…
I should just say thank you.