Translator’s Notes:
The chapters are getting harder to translate. If this is confusing apologies in advance!
I changed order city to audacity. Also, the AI model program that prevents betrayal is confusing. I thought it was against the EMPIRE, but it might actually be against the IMPERIAL FAMILY. It would make sense since attacking Prince Imumaku would be betraying the imperial family.
Chapter 14 – Rebellion
Despite being a hologram, you could tell the whole meeting room was tense. Supporters of the 1st and 2nd prince looked at Sohaira with eyes filled with thanks. Imumaku’s subordinates looked astonished. The other captains were looking at her with confusion, no, it may be respect.
Captain Fatima gulped.
Imumaku spoke.
「My imouto, I’ll give you the chance to correct yourself now. So what did you say?」
Sohaira kept staring at him from the front as she reinserted the intercom into her ear.
「Asagaya Makato, don’t encrypt my words from now on」
I called on all the fleet’s AI at once, they should interpret her message with the highest priority.
Sohaira spoke up.
「Imumaku onii-sama is betraying the empire. With cooperation from the alliance he managed to attain succession rights and negotiated for protection for his subjects on the condition of surrendering to the alliance. Moreover, he even attempted to kill the captain of the warspite, the emperor’s loyal va.s.sal, Captain Colion」
From my Ajax = Asagaya Makato’s conference room, the images of the other captains disappeared. The size of the meeting room has also shrunk. Due to image processing it was previously as big as my high school cla.s.sroom, but now it’s shrunk to it’s original 8 tatami mat size.
Sohaira sat down on her chair.
「What happened?」
「At the captain’s meeting, the flagship AI created the virtual s.p.a.ce and all the other ship AI’s accessed the server. In other words, the current meeting was held within the dreadnought, but access was refused from the other side. By Imumaku’s instructions, we were kicked」
「So we’ll be treated as confused like Colion then?」
「The people who follow the rebels are the ones confused, you did the right thing」
「But is the price of death worth it? It’s still a battlecruiser against a battleship. We can’t match onii-sama」
Communication data came in from the warspite. It was the data from it’s cameras. Although the error had disappeared somewhat, it was still a bit blurred, the imposing image of the dreadnought came into sight.
Loyalty to the imperial family is embedded in the AI model. By Sohaira’s declaration Prince Imumaku was not a member of the imperial family, but a traitor to be destroyed. Of course, amongst individual AI’s, it was necessary to choose whose words to believe. Either the 3rd princes of the 8th princesses. The other AI’s understood Prince Imumaku’s communication history, so the problem of Sohaira’s low inheritance rights should be cancelled. The only thing left if for each AI and captain to come to their own conclusion.
When signaled by Sohaira, I projected warspite’s holodata into the conference room.
Captain Moss appeared with his characteristic white beard. Despite being a strong warrior, he was visibly trembling.
「Princess, I do not know what to say」
「It was not done for you. As a member of the imperial family, I could not overlook this」
「Still, myself and the crew of the warspite will dedicate our lives to you from now on. My sword is yours, as it was once the crown prince’s」
「That will depend on how long that life lasts」
When she stared at the ceiling, data came in from another ship. The battlecruiser, resolution. The slender figure of Captain Fatima appeared next to Moss.
「I was banished from the conference」 she said to Sohaira as she saluted.
My sensor has detected the movements of the resolution. It was heading towards the Orion. I also moved slightly to the right. I’d like to avoid a situation where we’re surrounded by Prince Imumaku.
Communications came in from more ships. Captain Pidia of the battleship Monarch and Captain Dou of the battleship Audacity. From then on it was the captains of various battlecruisers appearing one after the other until roughly half the fleet appeared.
The ships a.s.sembled, separating from the formation before building a new formation confronting the original fleet, with warspite in it’s center.
The prince’s ship did not do anything at that time. We were too close. If he shot now, he would get dragged into the reactor explosion and die as well.
The two formations rapidly moved away.
Sohaira returned to the bridge. She seated herself in the captain’s chair and stared at the battle screen. The crew’s eyes were also nailed to the screen. The number I displayed begins to get smaller and smaller.
The number represented how long in seconds until the distance was suitable for shooting. The time remaining was 20 seconds, then 10 seconds, 5 seconds–