CH 277

The Search for the Empress

In the end, it was decided that Kisei would leave the battle with Schleer and Valentina. They did not assign other escorts. The battle inside the basin is already intense and unpredictable so they do not want to pull away too much of their force.

Because of that, Kisei and the two are currently flying over the mountain range just outside the basin. Both sides concentrated their forces in the center of the basin but the outside was so peaceful that it felt like a lie. Aside from their group, there was not even a single striker or warship around at all.

“But…….it’s not like I’m a manfinder you know. Wouldn’t it be better if we have more manpower here?”

Unlike his usual self, Kisei doesn’t seem to be that confident. He has no plan of losing in a fight but what they’re doing right now is tracking. He was usually used like a radar of some sort but securing the empress is something so important that it can change the tide of the war. No matter what, letting her escape is not an option.

“I’ve already dispatched as many recon ships as we could…… the [Twilight Eyes] is sweeping the area as well. Still, with our radar and visuals so unreliable, they won’t be of much help even with their specialized equipment…….”

By flying along the ridgeline, a small enough group should be able to escape their net. That’s why they chose to rely on Kisei’s 6th sense but…….

“So, are there any signs of them at all, My Love? I want to quickly find her and beat her up.”

“Nope, none.”

Kisei’s reply was extremely brief. However, that’s within their expectations. “I guess as much.” Diaroze, who’s in the backseat, folded her arm and muttered to herself.

“Rather…….the Empress is probably using the new 4 Heavenly as her escorts, right? If even Tersis and the others can’t handle them then they must be quite some aces. This is going to be troublesome.”

Kisei frowned while remembering the battle he had with the old 4 Heavenly. Three of them managed to give him a hard battle. It’s terrifying to think that there are two more pilots at the level that can corner the 3 of them.

“About that, I have a plan.”

The one who came up with a solution was Schleer. If the new 4 Heavenly go all out in a defensive battle, they can assume that they won’t be able to win easily even with Kisei at their side. It’s also possible that the Empress will be able to conjure something up when they’re busy dealing with them as well.

“This area has our old communication lines and radio bases installed underground. That’s why we should be able to connect with our main force even in this condition.”

“If the new 4 Heavenly show up, we call the old 4 Heavenly. Well, that’s a simple strategy.”

Schleer pouted at Valentina’s comment.

“…….it will take some time for them to arrive but there’s no other way. Aside from Kisei-san, they are the only group who can at least hold back the new 4 Heavenly after all.”

“Right. If everything goes well then they might even be able to crush the new 4 Heavenly after all…….or they will try. Let’s have them stall the enemy until rescue arrives then.”

Humiliated at the hands of the new 4 Heavenly, Tersis and the others seem to be burning with the desire to get even. Personally, Kisei himself does have some interest in fighting them but he would only feel bad snatching someone else’s prey.

“That said, that’s only if we find the Empress. Since there’s no sign of her so far, there’s no need to worry about that right now. Still, a full planetary search would be overkill right?”

Galea-E is not a very large planet but it’s still unreasonable to search the whole planet for a single striker. Even if they decide to go that route, it would be nice if they know what they want to look for.

“I thought you’d say that so I came up with a plan.”

With a grin, Diaroze tapped on Kisei’s shoulder. Kisei is currently piloting so she’s plenty of time to think. Diaroze put up a tactical map on Kisei’s sub-monitor. Her expression looked like it was saying ‘I’m here for a situation like this’.

“First, we should start thinking like the Empress…….And there’s no doubt that her first priority would be to escape from this system.”

“Tactically speaking, there’s no way for her to recover from this battle anymore after all. It would be natural to think that she wants to get back to her home turf safely for now………and?”

As though she was saying ‘That goes without saying’ Valentina grins and urges her to continue.

“Even so, there are many obstacles preventing the Empress from safely escaping. The Noredian main forces certainly landed on Galea-E but the small units should still be in orbit. That included the surrendered noble forces as well.”

With a grin, Diaroze leaned out of her seat and pointed at the monitor in front of Kisei with her finger. As he was crushed by her plump chest from behind, he moaned in a small voice.

“With Duchess Angel in our custody, there’s a possibility that the noble forces will try to capture the Empress to exchange her for their mistress. A ransom for a family head is always exorbitant after all.”

That’s what a Vuld loyalty amounts to. Those who sincerely obey the Empress are mostly only her Imperial Guards. If betrayal can bring more benefits to them then the nobles would turn their back to the Empress without batting an eye.

“In other words, even if she managed to get to space, the Empress would still be under threat………if she leaves the planet normally that is.”

“The polar orbit?”

Schleer clapped her hand as though she realized something. Both the Calencian fleets and the Noredian noble fleets should be circling the orbit of Galea-E right now. Naturally, they’re there waiting to intercept the enemy. Of course, the Empress should be wary of them so she would pick a route to avoid them.

If that’s the case then the polar orbit comes to mind……..it is a route that passes over the north and south poles of the planet. Because of that, the fleets would need some time to arrive at their point of exit.

“Exactly. And. Here’s the main subject. If she intends to swing herself away at the polar orbit then she will need a mass driver facing either the north or the south pole and a ride booster. If she wants to escape back to Noredian territory alone then she can’t waste her propellant by breaking through the atmosphere with her striker’s engine after all.”

Galea-E has gravity and atmospheric density that’s thin enough for strikers to enter and exit its satellite orbit without any problems. However, if she intends to travel an ultra-long distance then she will have to consider her limited fuel, thus she needs to minimize its usage to some extent.

“……I see! So the Empress is aiming to get to our supply base.”

Their supply base is utilizing a mass driver and mass catcher for sending and collecting supplies with ride boosters on standby for striker transportation. It has everything the Empress requires to escape the planet.

“Hmm, a supply base with a mass driver pointing to either north or south pole,……..this place huh.”

A red dot lit up on the tactical map. It’s not far from where they are right now.

“Seriously, your head is really the only good thing about you huh……..very well, shall we?”

Valentina concluded with a wry smile.