The Saga of Tanya The Evil, Vol. 8: In Omnia Paratus

by Carlo Zen

  “They will. I’m an Operations man with a smattering of logistics knowledge. For a time, I was treated like a logistics man with a smattering of operations knowledge, but that doesn’t mean I’ve lost my touch. The way I see it, it’s precisely because the enemy is sensible that they’ll aim for the railroad.” Zettour’s voice is filled with confidence and conviction.

  “…That’s why you’re certain you can divine their intentions?”

  “The principle of war has nothing to do with ideology. No matter what you personally believe, ignoring the laws of physics will come back to bite you.”

  “Yes, I agree…”

  “The Federation Army doesn’t have much choice, either, especially when it comes to transportation by truck or horse. If they’re plotting a counterattack, their options are limited. That naturally means railways take on a life-and-death importance.”

  The point the logistics specialist Zettour makes has Tanya sinking into thought in spite of herself.

  Could the fate of the battle over the eastern front be decided by the fighting surrounding the railroads, unlike in the historical war against the Soviet Union? It’s starting to seem like a fairly reasonable hypothesis.

  However, the eastern army believes that the biggest risk is the potential enemy armored vanguard advancing over highways or open fields.

  “The Federation Army seems to value roads and highways higher.”

  “I think they care about railways more. Though the Federation Army excels at bringing prodigious amounts of matériel to bear, I doubt they have enough forces available to commit large amounts of armor to deal with A Group and still be able to punch through B Group’s defenses with what’s left over. That’s why our enemy will be tempted to take advantage of the railways as well. They’ll want to hold a critical position in order to temporarily stabilize the B Front.”

  That makes sense.

  Limited resources, limited choices, limited solutions.

  What a sad war when both sides are scraping the bottom of the barrel. This is the ironic outcome war’s extreme consumption has wrought.

  Capitalism and Communism fight in the same arena after all.

  “I want the Salamander Kampfgruppe to welcome that enemy vanguard. Basically, you’ll be defending to the last. Without further orders, retreat will be prohibited.”

  “…With all due respect, that position is rather close to the enemy lines. If you order it, I’ll promise to put up a hard fight, but physical limitations can’t be ignored. I’m really not sure a single Kampfgruppe will be enough to hold it.”

  “All I want is for you to stubbornly stand your ground. Hold Soldim 528 no matter what it takes.”

  “I’d appreciate the authority to declare a retreat if food, water, or ammunition runs out and there’s no hope of resupply.”

  “I can’t allow retreat. Hold until your allies break the encirclement.”

  The order essentially saying to defend with their lives is maddening. “General?! Surely that’s a bit…!!” Tanya replies with military rationale as her shield. If the side that acts most like a fool is destined to lose the war, you would be hard-pressed to claim that assigning the Salamander Kampfgruppe to defend a base is the right move.

  “The Salamander Kampfgruppe is by design, fundamentally a breakthrough force! Tying it down with orders to defend a static position should be out of the question. That negates all its strengths!”

  “Things are going downhill either way… And the Salamander Kampfgruppe is the only force I have at my disposal. Sorry, but just accept the short end of the stick.”

  “I’d like to ask…did my unit get the short end of the stick because of some political wrangle?”

  “I can neither confirm nor deny that.”

  In other words, he’s not denying it.

  In this situation, silence says it all.

  “But I’ll also promise you this… It’ll depend on the situation, but I’ll make sure to furnish you with reinforcements. You won’t be left to die.”

  “…I’ll do what I can with what I’m given.”

  JUNE 9, UNIFIED YEAR 1927, SOLDIM 528

  Shit, so I’m basically Freeman?

  Behind some abandoned rubble that was once the outskirts of Soldim 528… With that most excellent cover, Lieutenant Colonel von Degurechaff complains loudly in her head as she peers through binoculars to check enemy movements alongside the other officers.

  Surrounded by Commies, unable to withdraw, the Kampfgruppe is currently embroiled in a defensive battle.

  If that were describing someone else, I would sympathize, empathize, and praise their ferocity. The heroic struggle of a surrounded unit is sure to grace the pages of history books.

  And that’d be great—as long as I’m not involved in a big way.

  “Surrounded by Commies, huh?”

  If this were the Korean peninsula, heartwarming naval artillery fire would be supporting us from the coast… No, at least in Freeman’s fight, they had air superiority.

  Meanwhile, I’m an aerial mage, so I have to go get it myself.

  I have to do everything. The army is being outrageous. Who takes the foundation of modern society—the division of labor—and just chucks it out the window?

  Tanya sighs as she crouches, ready to return to base.

  Her adjutant must have noticed, because she asks in a concerned voice, “Colonel, are you all right?”

  “I’m just sick of our nasty neighbor’s visits.”

  “…They certainly are a nuisance.”

  “That they are.” Tanya laughs.

  You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your neighbors. And as long as our neighbors are the Federation Army, we can’t ignore them.

  “Damn it all. I’m jealous of Lieutenant Grantz. He’s probably enjoying General von Zettour’s hospitality right about now.”

  “You don’t think he’ll mess anything up, will he?”

  “What’s there to worry about? General von Zettour is a patient guy. He’ll hold off collecting on a mistake or two until a critical moment.”

  “That’s tolerant, ma’am?”

  “It’s a suspended sentence, so I think it comes from a place of kindness. Now, then.” Tanya shakes her head and enters the Soldim 528 encampment like an inspector would. It doesn’t take long to make the rounds. That is to say—it’s a very small base.

  Good grief, thinks Tanya with slumping shoulders as she calls out to the familiar face of her vice commander on watch at the perimeter.

  “How are things, Major? What’s the status?”

  “It seems we are well and truly surrounded.”

  The comment her second-in-command makes with such an air of importance is actually ancient news. She could call him reliable, but that would be too charitable.

  Is there anyone who wouldn’t notice if they were surrounded by the Federation Army? My frank assessment is that it’s highly unlikely. If someone like that does exist, I’d want to have the structure of their mind studied to advance science.

  “I can see that. And it’s what the general predicted.”

  If we’re going to be hit by a Commie tsunami, then it’s only natural that we prepare trenches and a coordinated defensive plan. Traditional wisdom says it’s best to have a shelter against every storm, and “prevention is better than the cure” is by no means limited to medicine.

  It’s important for believers in the principle of a market economy to be sensitive to costs that are difficult to visualize. For people in Tanya’s position, it’s important to never forget that skimping on risk management could end in tragedy.

  Safety doesn’t come free.

  It’s that simple—even a child could understand.

  “But I guess I didn’t think we really would be…”

  “Major Weiss, it’s great to be honest, but please have a little more faith in your superiors.”

  “Well, their estimates are always so optimistic.”

  “Certainly, when you get good
news from above, it’s best to take it with a grain of salt, but this was a negative prediction. You should be able to trust that.”

  They’re coming, they’re coming, we were warned. That should have allowed us to steel our resolve somewhat.

  “If you know it’s going to rain, you just have to make sure you have an umbrella.”

  Anyone shaking in their boots now is the exact type of numbskull who gets rained on because they ignore the forecast. The question is: Did B Group come prepared for the weather?

  Given the thin spread of troops, I have my doubts.

  “But wow, there sure are a lot of them. What does the air force’s recon have to say?”

  “Here is the report. They say it’s four or five divisions.”

  Her adjutant hands over the air force’s photo analysis. Apparently, they’re quite the diligent bunch and sent up an observation unit as soon as we were surrounded.

  “The blessing in this curse is that we get air support. But…,” Tanya murmurs, “look at them mustering those numbers when all we can scrape together is an augmented regiment.”

  The Federation troops confronting B Group are suspected to be unseasoned replacements, but…the Federation Army has been known to form new units rather than replenish.

  “The issue is the quality of the troops. There’s no info about that?”

  “I understand your concern, Major Weiss, but no, there isn’t.”

  Lieutenant General von Zettour’s predictions are the latest intel we have, but I hardly find wishful thinking such as Maybe they’re exhausted to be much comfort.

  “So we don’t have a firm grasp on enemy strength beyond the face value of ‘four or five divisions.’ That’s tricky. If one of those ends up being a guard division or something, we’ll be in trouble.”

  “I doubt it’ll be a guard division.”

  “If you’re already feeling that confident, that’s a load off my mind, ma’am, but…”

  Tanya smiles wryly at her vice commander’s strained remark. Officers on the front lines regarding those in the rear with skepticism is typical during wartime, but she can’t overlook the fact that he’s doubting proper situational analysis.

  “Come on now, trust your allies more. The Federation Army’s guard divisions are under constant observation. Is Imperial Army Intelligence so inept that they’d miss movement this obvious? I certainly hope not.”

  “So you trust them?”

  “I’d like to do so unconditionally. Sadly, trust is built over time, and our fellows are currently in the rebuilding phase… Don’t forget to always envision the worst-case scenario.”

  Trusting someone is different from overestimating them.

  “In any case, our friends in A Group are the ones conducting a major offensive, not us.”

  Setting aside the outcome of Operation Andromeda, which is now under way, it’s a fact the main battlegrounds will be the southern cities. Though the Federation grows people on trees, the Empire has already annihilated them in two different battles. Rhetorically, nearly inexhaustible and infinite are close, but reality comes through in numbers.

  Are they really so confident that they can afford to send a guard division away from the critical battle? If that were even remotely true, they would have repelled the Imperial Army long ago.

  “Then what if we conducted reconnaissance in force with mages or armor?” suggests Weiss.

  An assertive idea. Perhaps that’s how a young major should think, but does even a seasoned field officer like Weiss get anxious when surrounded? Is that what’s egging him on?

  As an aerial mage, he should be able to relax a bit more, since he can always withdraw via air if push comes to shove. Not that I don’t grasp how difficult it would be to propose shamelessly abandoning your comrades.

  At any rate, Tanya rejects his idea with a frown. “We’re outnumbered, so we don’t have the leisure of wearing ourselves out. All we can do is learn what we can passively.”

  “At least a surprise nighttime raid, what about that?”

  As Tanya is about to shake her head and refuse, an unlikely participant voices an opinion.

  “It’s not a bad idea. We could learn a lot from even a single strike.”

  “You too, Lieutenant Serebryakov?”

  “…Remembering the Rhine makes me want to flex my skills. Taking our shovels on a field trip could be good.”

  “No, I refuse, you warmongers.”

  The savage nature of Tanya’s subordinates is sometimes worrying. In my previous life, I never would’ve imagined there would come a day when I’d be living and working alongside the type of people who get a thrill from a nighttime sneak attack.

  “Call me conservative, but I’m prioritizing the preservation of our troops.”

  “Are you sure, ma’am? If you’ll excuse my insistence, with your permission, Lieutenant Serebryakov and I could lead a party of volunteers to attack.”

  Growing tired of her subordinates’ refusal to listen, Tanya doubles down. “Whatever you say, no is no. Besides, we’re supposed to be focusing on defense.”

  “But in positional warfare…”

  “This isn’t a trench battle—it’s the defense of a stronghold. Our job isn’t a cultural exchange with the enemy trenches, it’s preparing to welcome our guests.” As the ones surrounded, we’re essentially under siege. “Let’s be serious—we may not like it, but we know what the enemy is capable of. I mean, they’ve only just arrived, but they’re already fully on guard.”

  “What are you thinking, ma’am?”

  “Today and tomorrow will be dedicated to fending off enemy offensives.”

  After that, we can play it by ear. I wouldn’t say it’s a bad idea to strike at the enemy once they’ve loosened up a bit. After all, some assertive action tends to become imperative in order to maintain the defenders’ will to fight. Even my subordinates blessed with plenty of combat experience are itching to move…so I imagine we’ll have to sally out and strike at some point.

  “This will tempt them to be careless, so…adopt a passive attitude. It’ll be a fierce defensive battle with Lieutenant Tospan’s infantry in the leading role. We can expect some backup, but it’s dangerous to assume the reinforcements will be able to rescue us.”

  Which means we need to save some energy just in case and somehow cope with whatever the enemy throws at us in the meantime.

  “Captains Ahrens and Meybert will play supporting roles as planned. We’ll keep them in reserve for the time being. Oh…” Remembering something to add, Tanya continues, “We might send them in as additional forces depending on how the situation plays out. Have them prepare with the worst-case scenario in mind.”

  That’s when Tanya notices Captain Meybert running over, and she smiles wryly at his apt timing.

  “Captain Meybert, good of you to come. The enemy is here, but I want you to keep the guns quiet for now.”

  “Ma’am?”

  “What is it, Captain?”

  “N-no, understood… I was hoping to be kept for later as well.” He smiles, explaining how lucky he feels.

  Tanya is utterly shocked.

  The artilleryman is worried about requesting to hold back his barrage?! Usually, firing away is all he can think about!

  “I never thought I’d hear those words come out of your mouth, Captain! I approve, but what a surprise.”

  “Well, we aren’t receiving any shells. I have no choice but to be conscious of that.”

  “Welcome to my nightmare. We’re literally encamped on top of a railroad, and our resupply is still proceeding at a snail’s pace—what kind of joke is this?”

  You could have never imagined this situation back at the academy.

  We were taught that as long as you held the rails, you wouldn’t have to worry about supplies. In the case of a Kampfgruppe being supported by a railroad line…barring the rails being blasted to bits, it should have been impossible to be short of supplies.

  Thus, common sense does us no go
od.

  In the ten days since arriving at this position, we’ve managed to stockpile mainly food from the Council for Self-Government. In other words, we aren’t getting deliveries of shells and so on from the homeland. We have to do everything we can to fortify this position in preparation for a defensive battle, but we barely have enough resources—it’s bad enough to be cry worthy.

  So Tanya racks her brain for ways to increase staying power.

  “All right, here are your orders.” Her officers await her command with bated breath, and she delivers it in a grave tone. “Prepare your troops for nap time. On the double.”

  “A-are you serious, ma’am?”

  Her vice commander replies, puzzled; he’s disappointed. It’s such a critical instruction that she wants to snap at him for not comprehending its importance. If her subordinates don’t manage their time properly and fail to get enough sleep, that’s their own fault, but if they fail to get enough sleep due to the rotation schedule, that’s Tanya’s error.

  No one has time for that kind of mistake when fighting a war.

  “Tuck your soldiers in. We need to establish a rotation and give everyone a chance to rest properly.”

  “…The trick will be securing enough places to sleep.”

  First Lieutenant Serebryakov murmurs precisely because she’s one of the veterans who lived through the demands of round-the-clock interceptions on the Rhine front. Not getting enough sleep is bad for your skin, sure, but first and foremost, it’s bad for fighting a war. Exhaustion does a real number on the brain. The drop in mental acuity is unacceptable.

  “The troops are already building a half-entrenched position, but we don’t have nearly enough beds for everyone. We’ll probably have to use sandbags, but still, we can’t skimp on water or sleep.” Tanya orders her vice commander from experience. “Make sure at least one of every three meals is hot, even if you have to use mages as heat sources.”

  “That’s against regulations…”

  “Sometimes a commander needs to act on their own authority. Major Weiss, we’re at war, so officers need to take their turn napping, too.”

  [chapter III] Andromeda