Ch.349Tannhäuser Workshop Battle (5)

Meanwhile, Ouroboros was firing one shot every 30 minutes, neutralizing enemy capital ships and defense facilities.

The combined fleets of both sides, totaling around 600,000 vessels, were entangled with each other, while millions of carrier-based aircraft were engaged in dogfights between them.

“By the way, Commander.”

“Yeah, what is it?”

“I have a question.”

When Jessica suddenly expressed her curiosity, I raised a mental question mark above my head.

‘What could it be?’

Picking up on my curiosity, Jessica clarified her question…

“You know the Ouroboros main cannon? Wouldn’t it be better to just fire it in spread mode and blast everything?”

“Ah, that’s what you’re asking about.”

I realized I had never explained this to Jessica before.

I decided to give her a very clear answer about why we weren’t using the spread mode to obliterate everything.

“Well obviously, it’s because we can’t completely annihilate Tannhäuser’s defense fleet.”

“…Even in this situation?”

Of course, Jessica’s expression twisted into something complex and subtle at my response.

But that didn’t last long. Perhaps she had confidence that I wouldn’t do something without a good reason.

Jessica quickly adjusted her expression, pondering something deeply.

Eventually, as if she had figured it out, she clapped her hands together and spoke again.

“Ah, are you perhaps keeping other commanders in check who might swoop in after the battle?”

“Yeah.”

‘Smart girl.’

Jessica was right.

If I were to recklessly charge in and completely physically annihilate the enemy fleet… what would happen afterward?

It’s simple when you think about it. Our mischievous users wouldn’t leave Tannhäuser empty of defense forces.

Of course, it would be too time-consuming to create another temporary clan like before and gather users again…

But even if they don’t come in thousands, could my fleet alone defend a base whose defensive forces and facilities have been completely depleted?

Especially my fleet, which would suffer a sharp decline in strength after this battle when many mercenary contracts are terminated?

Of course, with the recent update allowing movement between owned bases through internal gateways, I could move some defense fleets from Avalon or Barracuda to Tannhäuser if necessary…

‘Hmm, that would be excessive.’

It seems unlikely, but users docked at Avalon or Barracuda might cause trouble if they think this is their chance.

For these various reasons, whether I liked it or not, I couldn’t completely annihilate Tannhäuser’s fleet.

So the method I chose was to push back the enemy fleet through the current fleet battle.

Then, surgically remove capital ships trying to break through the front line…

When we reach Tannhäuser, cleanly eliminate specific areas of the anti-air network with Ouroboros’s flamethrower.

Then dispatch assault teams including Ignis, Partia, Smeragi, and Oxianor, who are currently on standby, to occupy the base.

And once we occupy the base, even fleets that were fighting until the last moment would automatically surrender.

Even if mercenaries get ground up in the process, I had no other option.

“The probability of our mischievous users having a fit is extremely high.”

“Well… that’s true.”

Meanwhile, at the same time.

As if to prove Icarus wasn’t wrong, in community spaces like galleries and chat rooms…

—————————————–

Title: Hey, if we play this right, couldn’t we backstab and take Tannhäuser?

Author: Anonymous

Content: [Live video of the Tannhäuser battle being broadcast by users.swf]

For real

It takes time for base defense fleets to recharge after being depleted

This looks totally doable, right?

Once the defense fleet is gone, we could probably take it with just 30-40 people lol

Comments:

-[Mischief mode ON]

-[Sigh, looking for another opportunity to snatch it]

-[LOLOLOLOL]

-[I agree]

-[One person eating three bases is too much, right? Right?]

-[Tee-hee]

—————————————–

Users who were watching the situation were gradually revealing their intention to quickly devour Tannhäuser once it became empty after the defense fleet was annihilated and Icarus’s mercenary corps disappeared.

Of course, most users were just watching like spectators at a neighborhood fire.

Or secretly adding fuel to the fire, considering whether to join in. But that didn’t last long…

—————————————–

<This is a public anonymous chat room.>

<Everyone please use polite and proper language to maintain etiquette.>

-[Looking for people to raid Tannhäuser right after the battle ends 1/???]

-[You’re going to die doing that]

-[?]

-[The last update connected bases with real-time warp networks internally]

-[Yeah, that’s right]

-[What does that mean?]

-[It means if you think Tannhäuser is empty and charge in, they can bring reinforcement fleets from Avalon or Barracuda]

-[Wait, that’s possible?]

-[Clans have been deploying defense forces very flexibly that way]

-[Our clan leader also pulled forces from another base before our base got raided last time]

-[I see]

—————————————–

Right after someone in the chat room pointed out that “backstabbing Tannhäuser” would be impossible,

Similar discussions about Icarus and Tannhäuser were starting to flow seriously in the gallery.

—————————————–

Title: Looking for users to eat Tannhäuser

Author: Anonymous

Content: [Image of a toad laughing mischievously]

Who are we?

“Masters of classy base snatching.”

[Image of a toad parodying the “I WANT YOU” poster]

“JOIN THE TROUBLEMAKERS.”

Comments:

-[Look how much effort they put into this]

-[LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL]

-[They’ll try anything just to cause some trouble once, geez]

—————————————–

—————————————–

Title: You gays trying to eat Tannhäuser below should see this first.jpg

Author: Anonymous

Content: [Full text of the base system update notice.jpg]

You central district folks seem to have forgotten because you’ve never taken a base

For bases owned by the same person, forces can move between those bases through internal gateways

And this isn’t just possible for user fleets, but also for base defense fleets

What does this mean?

It means if you happily charge in because Tannhäuser’s defense fleet is depleted, defense fleets that Icarus brings from other bases will welcome you

Comments:

-[Then can’t we just incite the users already docked at the existing bases?]

-˪[Would they do that, idiot? LOLOLOLOL]

-˪[Is that the best you could come up with? Inciting docked users?](Author)

-[This instigator isn’t giving up easily]

-[What a mess lol]

—————————————–

Users presumed to be veterans were trying to shut down the discussion, saying it was nonsense.

Of course, once greed had taken root, it wouldn’t disappear so easily.

—————————————–

Title: Why worry about base defense fleets coming through gateways?

Author: Anonymous

Content: [Image of a smiling toad]

Look, if users docked at Avalon and Barracuda rise up and start a revolution, the problem is solved!

Are they giving up something that could make everyone happy just to save themselves?

Comments:

-[What is this guy?]

-[???]

-[Sis, my head hurts]

-[My brain refuses to process this BS]

—————————————–

Despite someone already pointing this out in the comments, there were still people openly suggesting that docked users should be incited to revolt.

However, those docked users, who were the hope and dream of these troublemakers, had ‘absolutely’ no intention of playing along with their nonsense…