Return from Ceres

[cloningblues]

[Back on Star Rose, Asagi watches the fleet returning from the battle of Ceres through a window as it passes by the station. It was a victory where humanity managed to hold the line against the Wulgaru, and his decisive action in taking command over Team Rabbits when Izuru wasn't available had a part in that. And yet...]

Many ships are missing...

How many casualties did we suffer in this battle alone? And in this whole conflict?

Comments

[herodrawing]

Probably... a lot.

[majestic_keiki]

Yeah...We won, but I'm not sure we can keep it up if every battle is like this.

[cloningblues]

We have very powerful units and good training, and so do most other people in Unity Group. But not everyone is so lucky.

It's not just the Global Defense Force. UN Spacy, ESUN army, anti-BETA TSF units... All of them suffer such casualties when participating in battles of this size.

[majestic_keiki]

Right and while everyone is doing their best to keep up, we can only do so for so long...And even if we win in the end, thousands or millions will have died along the way if it keeps going like this.

[herodrawing]

Is there something more we can do? It feels like we're hogging all the good stuff for ourselves.

[cloningblues]

It's not hogging. Someone has to pilot the AHSMBs.

We're fighting for survival. Everyone is. The best we can do is perform the missions given to us, as good as we can.

[majestic_keiki]

And regardless, others chose us as the ones to use them, we aren't hogging things. Somebody else concluded that we were the people most suited to using them.

We're just doing our duty like everyone else.

[herodrawing]

That's true, but it still feels that way. Those capital ships we saw around Ceres were supposed to be really strong, but they blew up like it was nothing.

[majestic_keiki]

Yes, and this was just one group of alien invaders.

We'll just have to keep fighting to avoid it repeating.

[cloningblues]

If we weren't caught in an ambush, this could've gone better...

It won't happen next time.

[kill_all_vagans]

Too many.

... But even one life is too many.

[cloningblues]

Is it possible to fight a larga-scale battle where only a single person dies?

[kill_all_vagans]

I'd like to believe that. If you could kill an enemy commander, throw their forces into disarray, and then demand they surrender with the promise that they'd be treated fairly, then, then-

That...

[Even Flit can see the holes in that. It would require so many things to go right.]

...

It's easier said than done...

[cloningblues]

We don't even know if the Wulgaru have commanders. The closest they have to one might be that white unit... And you've seen how strong it was.

[kill_all_vagans]

Strong enough to get the better of Red Five on two separate occasions now...

[Not to mention humiliate Leos. Flit has no doubt that AGE-1 wouldn't fare well against this enemy, even with the Titus gear. For an enemy like that, you'd need speed... incredible speed and maneuverability...]

... But there's no way an AI or mindless soldier would showboat like that!

[A beat.]

... Unless it was one like Elizabeth...

[cloningblues]

That wasn't an AI. That was a real Wulgaru soldier. A really good one.

Who's Elizabeth?

[kill_all_vagans]

She was a really advanced AI who was here for a little while. You know, with her sister Cathy!

[cloningblues]

Oh, that Elizabeth! I almost forgot about her. I even helped her when she was stuck in my room once...

[Asagi feels stupid right now for forgetting.]

I wonder what she's doing now.

[kill_all_vagans]

Hopefully not having to deal with as much as we are.

[cloningblues]

At this rate, those are matters all people will have to deal with eventually.

[not_a_prize]

...That... I don't think I can answer that...

[Peola herself looked a little antsy as she watched the thoroughly mauled fleet return.]

You should always expect losses in battle but... this is ridiculous...

[cloningblues]

The plan was a failure. The Wulgaru figured out the admiral's plan and set an ambush. And it was all those soldiers who paid the price.

[not_a_prize]

Who even made that man an Admiral anyway... and after just how many people died because of his incompetence what kind of punishment is he expecting?

[cloningblues]

Demotion? Dishonorable discharge?

It can't look good when your subordinate takes over in the middle of operation and does a much better work than you...

[not_a_prize]

That's... really lenient. I figured something that bad would have had something harsher happen.

[cloningblues]

Like what, execute him? We don't live in bronze age.

[not_a_prize]

What? No no... nothing like that...

[Lies, she was probably thinking it.]

Its just that a lot of good people probably died because of him, I just think that getting stripped of his rank or being tossed out...

It doesn't sit well with me.

[cloningblues]

Like it or not, those are the rules we have to obey.

At least maybe someone more competent will take command now.

[gold_four]

I think the last estimate of that fight was forty percent of our forces. Even accounting for national forces and what was left to protect Earth... that's a lot.

[cloningblues]

That's even more than it looks like from here...

[gold_four]

That'll be because the Star Rose doesn't really have the full capacity needed for so many ships. We threw most of what we had into that, and that we came out with anything less than a solid victory is... not good.

[Ataru doesn't want to give the thought so much sting, but still...]

[cloningblues]

The admiral underestimated what the Wulgaru are capable of. And all of those soldiers paid the price for his mistake.

[gold_four]

Ugh... And just when it seemed like we finally had a edge. I mean, yeah, that fight where you had to dodge your own suit didn't go well, but that was against some new units...

[cloningblues]

Did you really have to remind me of this?

At least Izuru fought the white unit from before to standstill this time. Forced it to retreat, even.

...

[Feelings of inadequacy, rising.]

[gold_four]

Yeah, but that means nothing if the rest of don't survive. And if I recall, someone else was our fearless leader for the duration.

[cloningblues]

And let me tell you, being leader isn't easy. I think I found some newfound respect for those who have to do it on an everyday basis.

[gold_four]

Barring the idiot who almost got us all killed, you mean?

Though, that new chick was pretty good as well... and good looking.

[He has that look in his eye.]

1/2

[cloningblues]

Barring him. I'm talking about good leaders.

2/2

[cloningblues]

And does it really matter how our commander looks like? You never change.