Warfare's Ultimate Frontier 1

by Quasar Magellan

  Baron nodded in agreement. “Also a splendid speech. Xu Da, your thoughts?”

  Xu Da grimaced. “I'm just not sure I want not sure I want to go down that route. I just don't think it's necessary for me.”

  “Is there a particular reason?”

  “Not really. Perhaps it’s just that I don’t have the same drive as you all. I’ll still support Under One Banner with everything I have, but it is just not in my best interest to become an elder.”

  “It's good that you're telling us this now. Don’t worry about an elder position then — you can still support the faction in many ways.”

  Xu Da grunted in acknowledgement. “You can count on me.”

  He then left the room, as he had no other business with his allies for the time being.

  Baron addressed the remaining two. “Han Xin, Ban Chao. The two of you have much more experience on this world, in this community, than I. How can we grab spots ourselves as quickly as possible?”

  “It's not quite as easy as simply ‘grabbing spots.’ Take Yue Fei for example. Unlike the two of us, he’d decided to work on becoming an elder from the very moment he stepped onto planet four. He had to steadily work his way up in the community, and even with his great talent it still took him over a thousand years. It’s just not simply possible to climb to a seat in such a short amount of time, unless you are like Madam Zheng, and are extremely talented in a certain aspect of warfare that the community is lacking in.”

  Baron nodded. “I heard about this from Yue Fei himself. The Chinese community was sorely lacking naval strategists, so her skills were badly needed, as our naval strategists aren’t exactly on par with those from other countries.”

  Ban Chao spoke up. “You’re not wrong, but we didn’t need her skills quite as badly as you may think. We would have been fine with the few great naval strategists we had, but we just weren’t overly dominating in that field when compared to the likes of the Greeks or the British.”

  “Is that so? Then who is considered the top naval strategist in the Chinese community?”

  Han Xin responded. “It's a bit of a controversial subject at the moment, but it is a pretty close tie between Zheng He of Vesper and Madam Zheng.”

  “Oh? They have the same surname? That’s interesting. To my knowledge, though, Zheng He was given his surname by the emperor. As for Madam Zheng, she married into the Zheng family, so they’re not blood relations, are they. Plus, Zheng He is a muslim who hails from the middle east. His name is nothing more than an honor granted to him from the emperor he served.”

  “That explains a lot.” Said Han Xin. “By the way, there is another who is said to be comparable to them, but it’s rumored that he is off touring the other communities. It’s been centuries since he left though, and my memory is poor, so I don’t quite remember his name.”

  “Centuries? Could his skills have deteriorated by now?”

  Han Xin shrugged. “We’ll have to see. But for now, the two naval experts here are going at each other’s throats as if they were children squabbling for a mother’s affection. Zheng He, as the leader of the Vesper group, is using his older, richer faction to suppress hers. That’s the conflict we were drawn into.”

  Baron nodded. “Ah, so that’s how it is. Zheng He is quite the diplomat. I am quite amazed that he’s on planet four, and not another designated planet.”

  Han Xin spread his arms. “I’m not sure about him being a wonderful diplomat, but he’s certainly vengeful.

  “Ah, and that reminds me of something. Our Chinese community is quite well off now when it comes to naval experts, but we are still definitely lacking expert aerial strategists. So, if any of us could come forth with a superior, modern aircraft blueprint, then we could perhaps shoot up the ranks about as quickly as Madam Zheng did. Most of the aerial blueprints we have in our community are imported by the Sun Coalition” Han Xin stared at Baron expectantly.

  “Military aircraft? Unfortunately, I don't have any. I mainly focused on land and sea machines when I was doing my research. If only my friend Jaxon was here, we would be much better off.”

  “Who is this Jaxon fellow?”

  “He was an absolutely mediocre and tepid strategist, but he was incredibly passionate about planes. Knew a great deal about them, too. But, we’re getting off topic for now. We should focus on improving our standing. What’s the best way to do that, that is available to us?”

  Ban Chao spoke up. “Auctioning off blueprints would be the fastest. After that, it would be to take on a multitude of tasks from the community, and complete them. I would say, this may even be better for us, as two of our members are already elders. We can just tag along with them as they complete the tasks — we can quickly improve our standings this way.”

  Han Xin frowned. “Yes, that would work, but keep in mind that if you gain a seat in this way, many will look down on you, and may even assume that you bribed your way to the top.”

  Baron felt a headache forming. “The politics around here just get more complicated and confusing the more I hear about it. Let’s just decide on what our course of action will be.”

  Ban Chao considered their possibilities. “I believe two of us should tag along with Guan Yu and Yue Fei as they complete some higher-ranking tests, while the third will make blueprints or practice simulations. We can rotate in and out of these tasks.”

  Han Xin nodded. “That’s not bad. However, I think we should only tag along with Yue Fei and Guan Yu until we’re allowed to test newcomers.”

  “Like Yue Fei did when I arrived?”

  “Right. You should count yourself lucky that you didn't encounter someone else.”

  “Why's that?”

  “Most of those in the upper echelon are schemers who only care about their personal gain. Sure, they may seem welcoming and caring, but you should be wary of them. They’re always operating in accordance with their own agendas.”

  “Be as that may, we should get started.”

  Chapter 45

  Meng Yi and Meng Tian Duo

  Han Xin, Guan Yu, Yue Fei, Baron, and Ban Chao met up a few days later to discuss the matter of advancing into elder seats. Baron briefly explained what he, Ban Chao, and Han Xin had agreed on.

  "...Basically, we want to follow you two when you do your tasks. What do you two think?”

  Yue Fei chuckled. “So you three just want to mooch off of us? Normally, I wouldn’t allow it, but if it’s for Under One Banner, I suppose I’ll have to.”

  Guan Yu nodded as he stroked his beard. “I am also of that mindset. However, becoming an elder before the Faction Selection Tournament will not be an easy task. If you’re lucky, then maybe one or more of you will be able to make it into a quasi-elder position. They’re also ranked, but from 101 to 1000. Still, it’s not a bad position to be in.”

  Yue Fei agreed. “Maybe if you’re lucky and hardworking enough you will be able to make it into an elder seat within a century, like Madam Zheng.”

  Baron mused. “The more I hear of her achievements, the more accomplished she seems. She’s a great ally to have.”

  Han Xin couldn’t frown upon hearing Baron’s praise of Madam Zheng. “Remember my warnings, baron. You may be using her for our benefit, but she is also benefiting from the relationship.”

  “I understand, no need to worry.”

  Guan Yu interjected. “Let’s return to the matter at hand. A rotational system with Yue Fei and I will work, but the two of us also have to practice in simulations. We can’t just neglect our practice.”

  “What you say is true. That's why I believe it will be best if you two also have a rotational system where one is always doing tasks while the other practices, with switches every few months.”

  “I won’t get many benefits out of this, but for Under One Banner, I’ll do it.”

  “As will I.” Said Guan Yu.

  Baron smiled with relief. They’d finally nailed down their plans for the immediate future. “Now that that’s been decided, I
think it would be best if we get started immediately. Who knows, maybe the two of you will rise a few ranks too.” He looked at Guan Yu and Yue Fei.

  Yue Fei nodded in agreement. “I really hope so.”

  And so, the group split into three. Baron was left alone, while Guan Yu and Han Xin were matched up. The last, clearly, was Yue Fei and Ban Chao.

  Baron returned to his fortress of solitude to draw more blueprints, while the other two groups began hunting for contracts.

  Most contracts originated from two places. The Chinese community, and from the community’s various factions.

  The safest contracts, in terms of being paid for one’s service and receiving contribution points, naturally came from the community. However, the contracts given out by factions often paid more, even if there was some risk involved when it came to actually being paid.

  Naturally, they would find contracts that suited them.

  Xu Da hadn’t bothered to pursue an elder seat because he understood that he was the least skilled out of the bunch. That wasn’t to say, though, that he was okay with being the dunce of the bunch. So, he dedicated his time to learning more about aerial warfare. Xu Da wasn't present, but he understood that he was the least skilled out of the bunch. Therefore, he dedicated the majority of his time to focus on becoming better at aerial warfare.

  Besides, he had a resource that the others in the faction didn’t — one that made it slightly less important for him to be an elder. He had many, many connections. From the moment he’d arrived on planet four, all those years ago, he’d understood just how important one’s reputation and connections were. So, he’d shielded himself by befriending as many big names as he could.

  And it was time to call on his friends. Xu Da went around, asking his old buddies if they knew any great aerial strategists that they could send his way. His friends did try to help, but few could satisfy his needs. Yet, he continued to try, even contacting those he hadn’t spoken to in centuries.

  After a few days of searching, he was finally introduced to a person who would be able to teach him some aerial tactics — for a price. And the agreement was one of high risk, high reward.

  Xu Da vowed to make it worth it.

  Xu Da kept this little exchange between himself and his new mentor a secret. His progress would be a surprise for his faction-mates.

  As the group set their plan into action, the results slowly showed. In the elder rankings, Yue Fei swiftly moved up two rankings, while Guan Yu also moved up one. This attracted some attention, but not enough for the bigwigs to move.

  As time passed and their efforts piled up, they all improved in their own ways. But during this time, they were continuously stuck at the bottleneck in the scenario they’d been practicing.

  Despite trying everything they could, with their hundred planes against the two hundred Allied plans, they could only take out about sixteen hundred.

  It was around this time that Xu Da finally finished his training with his mentor and finally returned to the headquarters after months of absence. The moment he returned, he saw that Baron was in the faction’s main room drawing another blueprint, and from the looks of it, it wasn’t a simple one.

  Baron looked up from his drawing. “Hey, brother Xu Da! Where have you been these past few months? You didn’t even say goodbye!”

  “Nice to see you, Baron. I’ve been learning the art of aerial warfare from a teacher. I've been getting lessons in the art of aerial warfare. My teacher could be considered to be somewhat of a master. He’d taught me quite a bit, and I think I have an answer to our struggles.”

  “Oh? How confident are you in your solution?”

  “Confident enough. I went into the scenario, and with the help of the elder, was able to take out over eighteen hundred enemy aircraft.”

  Baron’s eyes narrowed. “You didn't leak word of our secret map, have you?”

  “Of course not. I would never do something so foolish.”

  “Good, good. My apologies — I had to be sure. I’ll contact the others and have them return here. Then, you can share your discovery with all of us.”

  A day later, the six of them met under the same roof for the first time in almost half a year. It was a nice little reunion of sorts.

  “Alright, everybody.” Baron started off the meeting. ” Xu Da has been taking lessons from someone close to being an aerial warfare master. He believes that what he has been taught can be greatly beneficial to us all. Go ahead, Xu Da.”

  “Hello brothers. Long time no see. These past few months must have been hard on you all. I assure you though, that I have not been slacking. My teacher taught me many things. He told me of grand maneuvers that need to be set up from the very moment the simulation begins, as well as many smaller tidbits that will help us in the long run.”

  Han Xin asked. “Who is this strategist you speak so highly of?”

  Xu Da paused for a moment before answering. “It's actually not just one person that mentored me, it's two. Meng Tian and Meng Yi are their names.”

  Baron’s eyes lit up in recognition. “I remember, they are brothers that lived around the founding of the Qin unification wars. They’re not very well known, but they must be quite capable if they can be almost considered masters of aerial warfare.”

  Xu Da enthusiastically nodded. “That’s them. I have to say, the two of them are perhaps the most adaptable strategists I’ve ever seen. Their strategies and tactics are wide and varied, and their blueprint arsenal is simply massive. They always seemed to know the best way to counter anything I did.”

  Baron mused. “Perhaps the two of them are simply more adaptable in the air than the average strategist. But let’s not talk about that for now. Tell us about how you managed to shoot down over eighteen hundred enemy planes in our practice scenario. I’m dying to know.”

  Ban Chao awkwardly scratched his head. “Actually, the strategy they recommended for such a situation was to not solely rely on planes. They said it would be best if we had ground units that could shoot planes as well. Sadly, though, I don’t have blueprints for such weapons.”

  Baron grinned. “I can see where you’re going with this. I just happened to have finished a few blueprints that might do the trick. I believe flak cannons, autocannons, and most of all, Man-Portable Air Defense Systems, or MANPADS as they are typically called, will be useful to us. These are rather basic models, but with enough research and development we should be able to upgrade them into weapons suitable for our needs.”

  “I've heard of Flak cannons and autocannons, but I've never heard of MANPADS. What are those things?”

  Baron explained. “They’re basically shoulder-mounted surface-to-air missile launchers that shoot missiles that are usually automatically guided by some sort of technology.”

  Chapter 46

  Battle at Phillippine Sea

  Baron asked Xu Da. “It must have been hard for you to get help from such masters. How did you manage it?”

  “I used my contacts to get me in touch with these guys. A lot of people owe me favors. That’s how I was able to find them at all.”

  Baron smiled with relief. “I’m glad that’s all that happened. How about you show us what you’ve learned. Would you like to compete against one of us in a scenario?”

  “I think that would be the best way to show you, yes.”

  Ban Chao stepped forward. “I’d like to see how much you’ve improved. Let me have a go.”

  “Let’s do it, brother.”

  Xu Da and Ban Chao put on their sim helmets and quickly selected the settings. They decided to pick a stage they were both familiar with. It was a common setting to pick when practicing with other strategists — the battle of the Philippine Sea.

  This battle pit the Japanese against the United States. Japan had eleven carriers with about seven hundred and fifty total aircraft available to them. Against them were close to nine hundred and fifty US aircraft, as well as fifteen carriers. Both sides also had several smaller ships, and
several submarines.

  Though the advantage in numbers belonged to the US, the flexibility of Japanese aircrafts allowed them to hold priority in terms of moving and taking action first. In terms of the skill of pilots, though, Japan was lacking, as they’d lost their best in men in earlier battles such as the Battle of Midway and the Battle of Coral Sea. Still though, this was the carrier vs carrier battle that the planet of Earth had ever seen.

  Ban Chao would lead the Americans, while Xu Da would guide the Japanese. Baron, Han Xin, Guan Yu, and Yue Fei all entered as spectators.

  Baron, from his knowledge of history, knew that the battle had taken two days to resolve itself, but there was no time limit in the simulation, and no other battles to worry about, removing any urgency from the scenario. With this gone, Xu Da and Ban Chao would have time to unleash their strategies and tactics without having to rush.

  Generally, this map was used to test how well strategists performed without any blueprint advantages — after all, this was a fairly modern battle, so most didn’t have blueprints that were very useful in this particular scenario. This leveled the playing field for many strategists looking to prove themselves to their seniors.

  The preparation time was only a month, mostly because it wasn’t really necessary to build anything. Instead, positioning and one’s strategy were the only important factors here.

  There was one huge advantage the American side had, though. Unlike the Japanese, their high level of manufacturing meant that they could, and were, constantly adding more ships and planes to Ban Chao’s arsenal.

  This would be the only cause for urgency in the battle — and it was squarely on Xu Da’s shoulders.

  But Xu Da had his own advantages. He had superior range on his airfact, and had multiple land-based aircraft that could deliver punishment unto Ban Chao’s ships and planes without danger.

  Furthermore, the easterly wind would be in his favor.

  The preparation period passed quickly with Ban Chao mostly focusing on reorganizing his men while Xu Da went about frantically trying to improve the individual strength of all of his men through training and practice runs.