Original subtitles

Unified Year 1927, May 26th, Imperial Capital Berun Central Station

This story is a work of fiction. People, organizations, locations, laws, names, etc. have no relation to any real-life counterparts.

Is ours the type of relationship where you have to see me off?

I almost never get to see you in an embarrassing position.

I refuse to miss the opportunity.

Episode Five Unlucky Draw

You had an unlucky draw, huh?

There's no helping it.

I was the one who went against high leadership.

The government itself may fall.

...the Imperial Family itself may be in danger.

I expected to be relieved of my position as Deputy Chief of War Affairs, but...

I'm surprised to see I'm only being transferred.

I'm not being sent anywhere.

Even though we both went against leadership.

It's not fair at all.

We're soldiers.

We have no choice but to obey the will of the nation.

There's no one else in Strategic HQ

with your political skills or understanding of the operation.

And you'll have no one to complain to.

That's right.

I really don't think we can do without you...

It seems it's time.

I'll leave the East to you.

We'll win this war together.

Yeah, that's right.

I'll pray for your good luck.

Come back as a victorious general.

Get the expensive booze and cigars ready.

I'll drive you bankrupt.

Win the war together, huh?

Even a single failure will put the Empire in danger.

No matter how many times the Federation fails, it will keep coming back.

It's not fair at all.

A military officer can be sent anywhere alone with a single order.

But my influence in the East is limited.

I have no pieces to play at all, realistically.

No, I do have one.

Eastern Battlefront Imperial Eastern Theater Frontline Base

Why? Why am I being summoned by Eastern Theater Command?

Something to do with the peace talks?

But then why aren't we being given a ceasefire order?

The Ildoa observer said that a ceasefire was just a matter of time...

Well, there's no way we can continue the war, regardless.

Anybody capable of making logical decisions would know that.

The brass can't possibly be that stu...

huh?

It's been a long time, Lt. Colonel Degurechaff.

S-Sir, what are you doing here?

Strategic HQ has sent me into exile.

I'll be here from now on.

E-Exiled? The boss of my faction has screwed up?!

Is something wrong?

Sorry! I was just dizzy from lack of sleep...

Shit! Shit! Shit!

My whole career plan is in danger!

I was counting on my faction's boss to write me a letter of recommendation!

No, wait. If there's a peace treaty, maybe I won't need it...

By the way...

Peace negotiations have broken down, you see.

High leadership wants more victories to ensure better conditions in the deal.

I was opposed to this, so they got angry and sent me here.

Wh-What?!

The peace negotiations broke down, and the leadership hates my boss!

This is as bad as it could possibly get!

Hey. Hey.

Are you okay?

Sorry! I got a little dizzy from shock...

That won't do.

I'm going to need you to work even harder than before.

They're still going to overwork me, even now?

Now, due to the political circumstances I just described,

I'll be working on a large-scale offensive in the East.

The Andromeda Project?

The main goal of the operation is to ensure better conditions in a peace deal.

And that means crushing the enemy's will to resist.

Specifically, we've decided to take control

of the Federation army's resource-producing areas.

We'll be splitting the Eastern army into A Group, which will handle the offensive,

and B Group, which will maintain the battle lines.

A strikes. B defends.

If this operation works,

it will maintain our forces' ability to fight while weakening the enemy's.

It should help us in negotiations.

And General Zettour has headed to the East

to observe and take command of B Group.

It's de facto exile, actually.

The high leadership doesn't like being talked down.

I understand the operation.

But negotiations in Ildoa...

Are to be temporarily stopped, I'm told.

If leadership wants a win, then we have to win.

No matter what.

I'll ask for your honest opinion.

What do you think of the Andromeda Project?

Honestly, it's nothing short of reckless.

Continue.

B Group's assigned territory is already far too large.

They don't have the men for it.

And if A Group's offensive succeeds,

it will only mean more territory for them to defend.

B Group is a rubber band, stretched to its breaking point.

You don't need scissors to snap it.

A single poke from a needle could do it.

And if I may, I dislike the project's name.

The project's name?

The name suggests a distant horizon, or the stars in outer space.

It's romantic, in a way, but I find it far too distant a goal.

An excellent point!

The one who named it may look rough, but they're surprisingly delicate.

Your points are all logical.

But unfortunately, we aren't allowed to make any changes.

Come up with a defense plan for B Group.

A plan?

What do we need for a successful defense?

The initiative. Without the initiative, we have nothing.

An unchanging fact of warfare.

The question is, how do we get it?

It's hard to say since we're on the inferior side...

Let's aim for a counterattack.

We'll lure the enemy in with a decoy

and wipe them out when they're overextended.

Easier said than done.

Yes. We need something they'll feel is worth taking the chance on.

And the decoy will have to have the tenacity to stay in the fight

until the fish has swallowed the lure.

That, I don't think we need to worry about.

I have a card I can play.

I don't know who he's referring to, but I feel bad for them.

We'll also need hunters who can destroy the enemy once they've engaged the decoy.

Hmm... what spare forces do we have in the East?

B Group does have a mechanized division...

But we can't let them go easily.

Which means our only easily available forces are your combat team.

Oh, don't worry. I'm a hard man to work for, but I won't ask for that.

I appreciate your concern, sir!

Oh, no need to thank me.

You're going to be the bait, after all.

Even I can't ask you to be both the bait and the hunter.

Um... I'm... the bait?

This was your idea.

Of course I'll ask you to be the one to carry it out.

The bait is the group that put their capital city to the torch.

I've little doubt they'll bite.

But I suppose we don't have enough forces?

Even if we did use that mechanized division...

That's correct!

While I do hate to say it,

it seems my idea has little chance of working,

so I'll come up with another one!

Bye!

I'll use one of your companies!

Did you not hear me?

Give me one of your mage companies.

That'll be enough.

We're splitting our forces?

Indeed.

I-If I may, sir, my companies aren't just normal companies!

And if we're going to be on defense, we need mages to have any chance!

It'll be like having our limbs ripped off.

Don't worry. Lots of people have lost a limb.

Y-You insist on taking one of my companies?

Otherwise, I won't be able to save you when you're surrounded.

If you'll take Grantz, one of my young lieutenants, and his unit...

Thank you.

Now, as for the specifics...

Look. This is the spot.

Soldim 528?

It was originally a Federation rail depot.

The Empire occupied it during Iron Hammer,

but the units stationed there were pulled, and it's essentially abandoned.

It's located along rail routes and can serve as a supply depot.

The enemy would love to recapture it.

You're going to be there to welcome them.

You must defend the location at all costs until your allies arrive.

Wait! I need permission to retreat if I feel...

Impossible.

Defend it at all costs.

Allied Kingdom Military Intelligence Colonel Sir Isaac Dustin Drake

It's been a long time, Uncle.

William.

As always, you seem upset.

Yes. Our unit's problem child has made a friend, you see.

I would appreciate it if Major General Habergram would take them off our hands.

I brought you a little gift, at least.

I smuggled it in past Federation customs.

Scotch from home.

How kind of you...

Burn it once you've read it.

It's the latest information from Ultra.

Ultra...

That spy of ours high up in the Empire?

Can they be trusted?

You've heard what the Empire's up to, right?

Yes. Codename "Andromeda"?

We've been told to join the fight.

Ultra says that conflict between the Empire's military

and civilian leadership is what's driving Andromeda.

Well, that's good news.

But even knowing that...

The fight ended with an officer

from their strategic HQ being sent to the eastern theater.

Lieutenant General Hans von Zettour.

A hard man to deal with.

How so?

Is he talented?

He is. Terrifyingly so.

If you happen to see him on the battlefield...

Kill him. At all costs.

We'd been assuming that Federation air power

was destroyed during Iron Hammer...

But the Unified States have supplied them with a new air force.

Andromeda's falling apart already, huh?

I'm sure he's not getting a moment of sleep.

What's going on?

Why haven't we finalized things with Foreign Affairs?

G-General Zettour was unofficially acting as a bridge with civilian leadership...

But now...

So what happened to that fleet of unknown ships?

The north seas fleet says that more and more are coming...

Shit.

We can't have our subs just sink them all?

Our legal experts say it would likely violate international law...

I needed to know this sooner!

It's Lieutenant Colonel Uger.

Imperial Strategic HQ Railway Command Maximilian Johann von Uger

The Allied Kingdom did another night bombing raid

on our industrial areas to the west.

We're putting together a damage report...

But we don't have enough planes to stop them all.

Our industrial productivity is falling as a result.

We're already seeing problems supplying the Andromeda Project...

Why are you so damn serious?

All you do is read me those damn reports.

You can't even tell me a single joke?

I'm sorry.

Is this... Is this true?

Yes, Comrade Loria.

The Devil of the Rhine is commanding the area in question.

The little slut!

Is she tempting me?

Yes, they're a ridiculous bunch.

We should contact the army and have them deal with it.

Contact them? Have them deal with it?

Don't be stupid!

We'll take her alive ourselves!

Take her alive?

If she dies in battle, she becomes a hero!

She needs to be made an example of at a trial!

Don't let her get away! Don't kill her!

Get her alive!

Eastern Theater Soldim 528

We expected to be surrounded, but I didn't expect this many men.

I guess we should've expected this after what we did to Moskva.

Damn it. I'm jealous of Lt. Grantz.

I hope he doesn't screw something up when he's working with the general.

Quite possibly. If we're lucky, it just ends with him being fired.

Something worse might happen?!

Reinforcements are coming, right?

Eastern Battlefront Imperial Eastern Theater Forward Base Strategy Room

Message from Rerugen Combat Team!

Soldim 528 has been surrounded by multiple Federation units!

What?

That's not the enemy advance route we expected!

What were our scouts and observation lines doing?

There's too many of them!

We're outnumbered! They'll swarm us!

Our first defense lines are about to be overrun!

They're that deep already?! It's too soon!

Hold fast! Buy as much time as we can!

This is bad.

They're getting into the city far too fast.

All units, situation report!

We've pulled back and concealed our armor!

No damage!

Same for our artillery!

We're conserving it, except for those units who went to assist the infantry.

I never thought I'd hear those words from you.

Lieutenant Colonel! Lieutenant Tospan has a suggestion!

What? Lieutenant Tospan?

He's not going to do something stupid again, is he?

This is Lieutenant Colonel Degurechaff!

Ma'am!

I want to receive an order from you, ma'am!

I gave you your orders already.

Yes. But military doctrine tells us

that we should withdraw in the face of a force this size.

So I hoped you could use your authority

as commanding officer to tell us to hold the position!

Good, good.

I like you, Lieutenant!

I'll send a written order to defend the position immediately!

Yes, understood!

What's wrong, Lieutenant Tospan?

Their heavy artillery! They're firing it on top of their own men!

That's disgusting.

They see their own infantry as expendable pawns?

Lieutenant Colonel!

We are prepared to fire back!

No. We'll stop them with our mages.

Major Weiss, knock out the enemy's artillery shells!

Are you serious, Lieutenant Colonel?

I believe I had you trained on it when we formed the battalion.

We don't have enough men. Two companies can't cover the whole area.

Major Weiss, you're the oldest one here. I can't have you acting like that.

Or do you need to be re-educated?

No, not at all!

Companies 2 and 3!

We'll shoot down the artillery shells and knock out their artillery!

Follow me!

Federation Offensive Command Post

May I ask you to take the lead?

Federation mages?

Are those the volunteers we fought at Tiegenhoff?!

Stand fast! Prepare penetrator spells!

02! Situation report!

02! Situation report! What are you doing?

Weiss! What's wrong? Weiss!

Goodnight.

Lieutenant Colonel Uger?

Oh, Colonel Rerugen.

It's been a while since we've met in person.

Have you lost weight?

Yes.

As have you...

We both have difficult jobs.

Why don't we get a drink?

Unfortunately, I still have work...

Why are you so damn serious?

Colonel Rerugen!

Lieutenant Colonel Uger...

I didn't take you for the type.

For someone with a wife and kids, and a position of responsibility,

to say something like that here without knowing who else could be around.

Next Time Decoy