The Finest Hour

by Carlo Zen

  Why do they want to continue the war?

  Eventually they realized something. Weren't they the ones that started the war? That was no small matter. No, it was the open truth.

  Which was why in the Empire, the psychological foundation had been laid from the beginning. They believed those remnants the enemy, hoped to continue the war.

  Hence their own hopes.

  We'll bring the iron hammer down on those who dare harm the Reich.

  May the evil enemy be struck from this world.

  So the fanatical cry of "Smite the enemy!" spread. No one questioned their belief in the righteousness of their own country and justice.

  Which was why they couldn't understand.

  The Empire failed to comprehend the fear the other countries had---the fundamental fear that an immensely powerful state, an unrivaled hegemon, would be established in the center of the continent.

  Additionally, due to the manner in which the Empire had been founded, it had always had multiple conflict zones.

  The conflicts stemmed from incompatible views: To the Empire, those places were unquestionably imperial territory, while to the surrounding countries, the land had been stolen from them.

  Ultimately, that was why the Republic worked with the other powers to encircle the Empire using exterior lines strategy, and why the Empire developed its interior lines strategy to break through that encirclement. Then, finally, the Empire was overjoyed to have eliminated all the threats to its security.

  But to the other parties, it looked like a grave threat to their security that couldn't be ignored. Sadly, the Empire was so busy showing off the sharpness of its sword that it didn't notice how much it frightened everyone.

  Then nationalism and mutual distrust fanned the flames.

  Of course, everyone wished for peace. Yes, earnestly. Which was why for the sake of peace and protecting everyone, they took up their guns and fought. Other countries with their own agendas added their support.

  In this ironic way, the wish for peace didn't cause the war to abate but only escalated it.

  THE SAME DAY, THE UNIFIED STATES

  In one room of the recruitment office, the major introduced as both the occupant of the office and the head of the department in charge of conscription spoke honestly as he somewhat awkwardly offered Mary a seat.

  "Miss Mary Sue, we're very happy to receive your application." His voice was calm, and he looked her straight in the eye. "But the Unified States views dual citizenship as an extremely complicated issue. Especially given the citizenship laws in the Entente Alliance, volunteering for the Unified States Army could ultimately harm your status there. So I have to warn you that despite your youth, it's very likely you'll need to make a choice regarding your nationality."

  He continued politely, saying he didn't mean to press her for the difficult decision but still respecting her will. The kind people of the Unified States were always so considerate like that.

  Everyone said the same friendly things to the Entente Alliance refugee kids. "We're glad you want to help, but you don't need to worry about that right now."

  "Don't your grandmother, your mother, and...yes, even your deceased father want you to stay safe here out of harm's way? Isn't everyone worried about you?"

  "Yes, but that's exactly why I want to do what I can---to protect this peace. I think I can help."

  So Mary explained earnestly in her own words why she was volunteering. "I think there must be something I can do." She appealed to the major to let her do what she could for the Unified States and for peace.

  "Well, you do have a point. The Unified States Army is currently recruiting voluntary units that will be sent to our ally the Commonwealth. That's one way, as you mentioned, to protect this peace. But there are many other helpful, necessary tasks young people can undertake inside the Unified States."

  The call had gone out regarding the Unified States Volunteer Expeditionary Forces to be deployed to the Commonwealth. It was said these troops would, as a rule, not intervene in combat actions but be "stationed" in the Commonwealth. The troops were nominally being deployed in connection with patrols to guarantee free passage and civilian rights according to the law of war.

  But everyone read the move as a turning point, the Unified States' first decisive step, which was why Mary reacted immediately.

  She raced down to the nearest office to turn in her application only to be kindly told, "It's too soon," as usual.

  "You mean as a good citizen of the Unified States?"

  "Exactly. Children should be protected. Our situation isn't so dire that we have to send them off to war. Actually, you're only just old enough to volunteer. It won't be too late if you take some time to make your decision, you know.

  "Wouldn't you like to try being a good citizen?" he asked. The Unified States was generous enough to interpret the law flexibly and grant dual citizenship to refugees from the Entente Alliance who had close relatives who were already residents.

  In that way, by offering the refugees a quiet life and a little peace, it made a place for them. Mary understood that the reason they didn't want to send the youth to war, as he explained to her again, was that they hoped the ones they had taken in would be safe.

  But Mary could volunteer. The citizenship she had been granted and her ability as a mage qualified her. So she had already considered her position and arrived at her decision.

  "I know. I thought it all over, but sure enough, I'd like to volunteer."

  The flag on display in the center of the room was not the flag of her fatherland but of the Unified States. To Mary, it wasn't the flag of her home. It was different from the Entente Alliance flag the mother and father she loved and respected had displayed in their house.

  But...it was the flag of their second home, the country that was kind enough to take them in. If my grandmother and mother, the family I must protect are here... If there is something I can do to help stop the war...

  "Miss Mary Sue. If you go to battle, you might get injured. You could die. You might upset your grandmother and mother."

  "...I do feel bad about that, but I would regret not doing what I could have even more." She had worried about that. It was the only thing she had worried about. But compelled by her inner drive to do something, she could state positively, "That may be so, but there's something I've got to do."

  "...Are you sure?"

  "Yes, I've decided to volunteer."

  In her mind, she thought of her home country and the people's backs as they prayed at the church. Grief, sadness, and a wish for peace... She would give her whole self for those things, if it would make a difference.

  For God, for their families, and for themselves, they would do what they could.

  "All right. Then you need to make an oath to the flag. Do you remember how it goes?"

  "Yes, I memorized it."

  "...Seems like you're quite determined. Once you volunteer, you must do whatever your military duties require of you... Do you understand?"

  The major pushed his point in what could be called his final confirmation.

  Because Mary understood that he was hoping she would change her mind, she replied too quickly, leaving no room for objections.

  "Of course. I'll make the oath!" Standing, she raised a hand and swore. She pledged herself to the Unified States. "I pledge allegiance..."

  It was one girl, Mary Sue's contract with the Unified States. Power had to be wielded with justice, so she would do what she could.

  "...to the Unified States and its countrymen, one nation under God, indivisible..."

  She would use all of her strength for the family she had to protect, for the people. And to carry out God's justice.

  "...and to defend its Republic..."

  To create a world in which she would never again have to experience the sadness of losing family to the Empire.

  "...in the name of liberty and justice."

  She swore with her own sense of justice that she believed in.<
br />
  "May God protect you."

  Dear God, please, oh please, protect us.

  Thus, with a sincere prayer, Mary Sue enlisted and was assigned with the other volunteer mages to the Unified States--Free Entente Alliance 1st Mage Regiment.

  AUGUST 24, UNIFIED YEAR 1925, IMPERIAL ARMY GENERAL STAFF OFFICE, DINING ROOM 1

  The cafeteria at the General Staff Office made a rule for itself that the meals it served must be equal or inferior in quality to those of the mobilized soldiers in the field. Due to the prevalence of that touching rumor around the Empire, Dining Room 1 was deserted as usual.

  The only ones to appear at the cafeteria were those required by unavoidable circumstances to eat there. The people thus in the predicament of reluctantly sipping the awful pseudo-coffee were stuck washing down their complaints about its quality with either tasteless water or said pseudo-coffee.

  "I suppose it's a reward for the victory. You and I have been promoted. Congratulations, Lieutenant General von Zettour."

  "Thanks, Lieutenant General von Rudersdorf. Now let's get back to business."

  "Indeed. This isn't the place for a celebration, in any case."

  And so the awful ersatz coffee put a damper on the pair's celebration of their respective promotions to lieutenant general. When Zettour made the practical suggestion of getting back to business, Rudersdorf didn't feel the atmosphere was right for a celebration, either. That was the General Staff Office cafeteria in a nutshell.

  "All right, then."

  So Rudersdorf flatly changed gears and brought up the pending issue before them, the next stage of their operations.

  Though the Republican Army on the mainland was completely under control, remnants of the forces calling themselves the Free Republican Army were holding out in the Republic's colonies. The Commonwealth had joined the fight, and the Imperial High Seas Fleet was facing its navy, but unfortunately there was still quite a large gap between the two in terms of strength.

  Even if the Empire sent its entire fleet, it would only amount to half the size of the Commonwealth's.

  Though the public and some of Supreme High Command were enthusiastic about an invasion of the Commonwealth mainland, Zettour and Rudersdorf were at wit's end over how few options they realistically had, given their army's fighting power.

  "With circumstances such as they are, I think it makes sense to launch operations in the south with the objectives of blockading the Inner Sea and defeating the last of the Republican forces."

  For that reason, as part of their plan to handle the war situation, they first considered a southern campaign against the remnants of the Republican Army.

  They would demonstrate that the Empire was capable of sending troops to the colonies. Such a reality could inspire at least the Republican Army and colonies to make peace.

  To the Imperial Army General Staff, who could no longer find any point in the war, that speculation was a realistic plan of compromise to end the fighting quickly. If they could settle things without occupying every last hostile country and just negotiate, that would be easier.

  "Allow me to make one point. I understand what you're saying, but our nation has limited power projection capabilities, and our maritime forces on the Inner Sea are equally tight."

  "You're quite right, Zettour. That's why I'm asking you."

  As Zettour pointed out the difficulties and Rudersdorf grudgingly agreed, neither the fleet's strength nor the Empire's projecting power supposed even a limited-scale overseas invasion. Even the suppression of neighboring countries was a strain on the Imperial Army, since it was set up for domestic interior lines operations.

  "Under these circumstances, the most we could do on the southern front would be combat on a limited scale for mainly political purposes. Will that work?"

  Which was why Zettour emphasized that they wouldn't be able to expect much from the military on the southern front, saying that no matter how effective it would be, from a purely military perspective, they couldn't expect to have command of the Inner Sea and be able to cut off transport routes.

  "That's no problem. Our main objective is to draw the Kingdom of Ildoa to our side by supporting them down there. I get where you're coming from, and I won't deny an idea just because it isn't purely military in nature."

  In response to the warning, Rudersdorf smiled and said he would readily accept politics as a limiting factor.

  It would be a nerve-racking battlefield, but...even if it was as roundabout as Open Sesame on the Rhine front, Rudersdorf and Zettour were interested in any operation that would be effective. They figured anything useful was worth trying.

  "Even in the worst case, having a sympathetically neutral Kingdom of Ildoa would tell the Republic and Commonwealth that we could threaten their lifelines. Especially in the colonies. That actually is something we need, but..."

  "The usual logistical problems?" Rudersdorf asked with a perplexed expression. Zettour always spoke confidently, as if he were reading a formula or theory, so it was rare for him to trail off. Are our supply and communications lines really so strained?

  "No, those issues I can overcome. I just can't shake the feeling that it would be essentially a pointless deployment. Is a limited peace impossible?"

  "I don't mean to throw your words back at you, but why would a limited peace be impossible? We just do as Supreme High Command wills."

  A brief silence fell between them. And after meditating on the question, Why can't we end the war? there was only one answer.

  "Ultimately, I suppose the problem is that we haven't completely defeated the enemy."

  It was all he could do to voice the words.

  Not fully defeating the enemy was a most regrettable error. Their chance had slipped through their fingers while they were drunk on celebrating their triumph. Of course, their victory was still a victory. Encirclement, annihilation, advance, occupation. Everything proceeded according to plan, and the Imperial Army had eliminated all their enemies.

  But there was one element missing from their celebration: the end of the war and the restoration of peace. Now that the Republican fleet they let escape had turned into a headache, shouting about resistance to the bitter end, peace seemed awfully far away.

  Thus, both of the generals felt the need to put the last nail in the coffin.

  "If we must, then all we have to do is beat them. In that sense, if you think of sending troops to the southern continent as a move for the sake of peace, it's not a bad idea."

  Which was why Rudersdorf declared that they wouldn't make the same mistake twice. They would simply defeat anyone who stood in their way.

  "Understood. Then I'll arrange the right troops and commanders." Zettour's cheeks relaxed into a smile when he nodded in response to that confident reply. Yet, something in his face said it still wasn't sitting right with him, and he repeated his previous comment. "But I'd like you to bear one thing in mind, or rather, I want to reconfirm it with you. We're a nation with a land army, and we've prioritized interior lines strategy."

  "As you say. You've pointed that out many times."

  The Imperial Army was designed and outfitted to move around inside the country. Sadly, the Empire was in a mad rush to give them a measure of expeditionary capability, but the army's logistics arm had been overworked since the war started, and there were already reports of complicated obstacles.

  "That's right. Going to war in a foreign country is likely to put quite a strain on the army's support services. Even if the sea command situation is different than in the waters near the Commonwealth mainland, an operation on the southern continent is still an overseas operation. We'll have to be prepared for some losses." Zettour hesitated, then continued, "But...that's why I intend to deploy mainly light divisions. I don't plan on sending in very large units. You've said you understand that, so there should be no problem."

  "As the one in charge of the operation, I don't have a problem with light divisions. Do you?"

  "No, there shouldn'
t be any issues."

  They knew it would be a difficult expedition, which was why they chose light divisions. But the way Zettour said, "There shouldn't be any issues," Rudersdorf couldn't help but hear some hesitation.

  "...My friend, what is it you want to say?"

  "We must have made a mistake, don't you think?"

  The way Major von Degurechaff had shown up at the General Staff Office, apparently wanting to say something, had lingered strangely in the back of his mind. He knew right away that she had hesitated and returned to her base, unable to say whatever it was.

  Now he could only speculate, but he almost had the feeling that back then she had wanted to scream at him: You're making a mistake! It was too late now, but he wished he had heard her out. That's why he asked his brother-in-arms, Were we wrong?

  Rudersdorf, for his part, felt much the same as Zettour. Have we made a mistake? It was a strange feeling. But now that he mentioned it, yes, it was true.

  "I'm sure we did. Remember that in war, we have an opponent, so things won't always go as we'd like. It's not uncommon that an enemy responds in an unexpected way, right? You're just so good at reading them that you don't screw up often enough!"

  But though Rudersdorf didn't deny the error, he was going to cut his losses and not get overly caught up in it. In the fog of war, not every shot could hit the bull's-eye. All they could do was their best, and if they got the second-best results, then hoping for anything more was too much.

  "...If you say so. Anyhow, let's keep the burden to the minimum."

  "Very well. Frankly, I'd like to have as many reserve units on hand at home as I can, so it'd be better if you could make do with as few as possible."

  Zettour was especially concerned with keeping the load light, and Rudersdorf nodded in agreement. It was certainly desirable to minimize the strain on logistics.

  "So," he continued. "Okay, how about you give me those guys again? Your unit, the 203rd Aerial Mage Battalion," he added. "They're only a fifty-man load on logistics, but they pack more punch than the usual augmented battalion, so it'd be very efficient."