I Woke Up Piloting the Strongest Starship, so I Became a Space Mercenary - Chapter 438
Fleet Operation Philosophy of Imperial Space Force
“The regrouping and deployment is complete. The reorganized squads have already started moving to seal off the designated hyperlane entry points and the operation start time has been set.”
“Understood. Then, our role is to be the Chaser.”
Colonel Serena and her second-in-command checked the data on the holo-display in the rest area. The mission was simple: A fishing operation. We had done a similar strategy before, but eventually, it was the most reliable way to eradicate the space pirates who were hiding or flying around.
In other words, the role of a [hound dog] was to chase the prey and drive it to the kill zone where the [hunter] was hiding. Namely, our position was that of a hound dog. Woof…
“Of course, you are not the only chasers. We also have a squadron of corvettes, frigates, and destroyers from our fleet, so you’ll be working with them.”
“Oh, you’ve increased the number of troops.”
“Yes. I made repeated requests to the top after you told me about the plan. Fortunately, the Imperial Space Force is adopting a high-firepower approach with cruisers and battleships as the mainstay, so there is a slight surplus of corvettes and destroyers. So we have been able to collect many smaller ships, destroyers and below, which have been dropped off from the rest of the fleet.”
“High firepower…isn’t that a fancy way of saying ‘big ship with big guns’? Well, I think that’s the right way to launch a frontline attack.”
In fact, when it came to head-on gunfights at a distance, there was no doubt that large ships with big guns, thick armor, and a ferocious barrage would be the winner. Even my Krishna would have no chance against a cruiser or battleship in a head-on battle in space with no asteroids or other obstacles to shield it.
Although my ship was capable of destroying a battleship by launching an anti-ship reactive warhead torpedo or by firing a shotgun into the bridge, generator, or other vital parts of the battleship at close range, my ship would most certainly be obliterated before I could even get close enough to fire a shot. It would be a different story if I could make a short jump ignoring the distance, but unfortunately, we have no such psionic capability or psionic technology.
Basically, optical weapons such as laser cannons were very difficult to evade. Since they could not be evaded, they could only be withstood by shields and armor, and in such a situation, the correct way to fight would be to buy time using thicker shields and armor than the opponent, and to use as much powerful firepower as possible to push through the enemy before they were overwhelmed. Therefore, it was natural for the Imperial Space Force’s fleet to be biased toward battleships and cruisers.
“Do you have any thoughts on this?”
“No, not really. I’m just saying I think this strategy is just right. After all, long-range, high-firepower, lined up side by side and firing all at once is as strong in a two-dimensional battle as it is in a three-dimensional battle.”
Of course, the way you line them up mattered. The more dispersed the targets, the longer it would take the opponent to re-aim, so in large-scale space battles in which many battleships and cruisers were deployed, formation and coordination became even more important. It would be a strategy of dispersing the enemy’s firepower while concentrating our own firepower to quickly reduce the enemy. Overkilling would also result in a loss, so it was important to hit the opponent with the appropriate amount of firepower. Depending on how well these areas have been optimized, there could be a ridiculous difference in the damage and the outcome of the battle.
Unfortunately, I had never been involved in large-scale battles between players, so my knowledge was limited to what I had heard. I did participate a little bit as a distraction factor from time to time, so it didn’t mean that I had zero battle experience.
“I’m getting a little sidetracked. I don’t really have any opinion on the sweepers. It’s a solid operation, so I have nothing to complain about.”
“Really? If you’re keeping your mouth shut because you’re concerned about something, don’t be. You are welcome to give your opinions, okay?”
“No, I’m telling you, there’s nothing to complain about. Who do you think I am, Colonel?
“Well, it’s just that, you usually have something to say about the way we do things, you know?”
“It’s not like I have knowledge of everything. You are not even following my suggestions directly, right?”
Then I looked at Mimi and Elma and they both gave me a subtle look. What’s with that reaction?
“I’m going to say this because Mimi seems to be having a hard time saying this to you, but I think you’ve always been very specific about the type of ship being organized to match what was needed for the objective, or that it would be better to do it this or that way when dealing with space pirates. You also suggested that it would be more efficient to divide the independent fleet against the space pirates into smaller units, forcing them to reorganize.”
“…I’m honestly sorry about that.”
I honestly bowed my head and apologized to Colonel Serena who was giving me the cold stare. I was the kind of person who apologizes for things I feel bad about.
“I don’t mind. The theory of anti-space pirates tactics that you talk about is a good stimulus for my head, which is stiffened by the Imperial Space Force’s fleet operation doctrine. Our old members have hunted space pirates using the tactics you taught us when we started our fleet, so there is minimal frustration. The newer members of the fleet, however, have complained about the opinions of a mercenary.”
“I’m sorry about that, but I’m serious about the strategies I am suggesting, so I hope you will forgive me.”
“I hope your strategy will work out well. If this doesn’t result in a good outcome, but rather fatal damage to our fleet… Hmmm… I’ll surely find it funny.”
Black, your smile was black, Colonel. Was she trying to imply that she would make me owe her a lot if the war didn’t turn out the way she wanted it to? But I wouldn’t give in to such threats.
“Well, then, if we get great results from this, I’ll be the one who will be playing a leading role in defending the Colonel’s honor, right?”
“Indeed, I’ll also inform the mercenary guild that you did a great deal of work in return in addition to your reward, and I’ll also make sure that the information was properly delivered.”
We exchanged smiles with each other. I think this should be more than enough to deter any attack from the other side as well, which would really help us. I expected no less from a real noble, it was really hard for me to compete with them.
“Okay, okay, I’ve lost. Well, unless we make a big blunder or something irregular happens, we won’t fail. Whatever the case, I think we’re in safe hands.”
“I hope so. It’s strange how when you put it like that, it makes me feel a little uneasy.”
“I simply don’t want to be responsible for anything that might result from this…”
Regardless of how much trouble I attracted, I didn’t want to be held responsible for things that happened in places that I didn’t directly get involved with.