Good Luck, Yukikaze

“I will. Well then, if you’ll excuse me.”

“There’s no need for you to leave here.”

“So, I am your hostage, General Cooley. You think you won’t be attacked as long as I’m here.”

“Being human really means being aware of your value in a situation, doesn’t it?”

“I’d love to hear how you value me.”

“I have no thoughts at all of making you a hostage in order to use the Intelligence Forces,” Cooley said. “As I said before, I’m not making any deals here.”

“Then what is your reason for detaining me, General Cooley?”

“You can direct the Intelligence Forces from here and get information more accurately and precisely than if you used your own computers. I believe here to be a good environment to decide what’s best for the human race that you love, General Linneberg. However, if you wish to leave, then be my guest. You’re not being forcibly detained. I’ll send one of my men with you. We wouldn’t want you getting lost now, would we? Lieutenant Katsuragi?”

“Yes, General Cooley.”

“See the general out, would you? There’s no need for you to return here. You may not have been here long, but you’ve done well.”

“Thank you very much. I feel the same about you all. I’d like to especially give my regards to Captain Fukai. And to Yukikaze,” Katsuragi said.

“Not a bad speech,” said Major Booker. “I can hardly believe it. Seems the JAM really changed you. I hope we meet again, Lieutenant Katsuragi. Good luck.”

General Linneberg, leaning forward in his seat as though to leave, slid back into it and spoke to General Cooley.

“I suppose it’ll take some time to move the lieutenant here back under my jurisdiction. I can wait till then. By the way, General, how long will it take before we know for sure if the JAM are sending a present to us?”

“I think the FAF will look very different by dawn. That would be in a little less than an hour.”

“Not too long to wait then,” General Linneberg replied, making himself comfortable. “I’m used to it. By the way, the SAF has coffee service, doesn’t it? Self-service, maybe? I’d love an espresso, if you can get me a cup.”

“I’ll make it for you,” replied Major Booker. “Extra strong.”

7

WATCHING GENERAL LINNEBERG tilt back the tiny demitasse cup in his large hand, Lydia Cooley made her decision.

There was no need to wait any longer. The time was ripe. The best defense was a good offense. She’d show the JAM her determination. That would draw them out.

“Major Booker, break time’s over. Get the command center staff back in here. Captain Foss, bring Captain Fukai back here. Have all personnel report for combat duty. We’re accepting the JAM’s declaration of war. I’m declaring war on them right back. Yukikaze is cleared to attack. Execute it immediately.”

The command center suddenly grew tense. The clink of General Linneberg returning the cup to its saucer echoed loudly through the room.

“Yes, Ma’am,” replied Major Booker. “Initiating combat against the JAM.”

Captain Pivot recalled the command center staff on the comm system while Lieutenant Eco contacted Yukikaze in the repair bay.

“Inform our alert fighters that the attack has begun,” said the general. “Maintain watch on all approaches. There’s no telling what’s going to happen, so stay sharp. Record all data. Initiate tactical combat reconnaissance.”

“Roger.”

General Cooley launched all fighters except for Yukikaze, dividing them into four groups of three planes each. Two were dispatched toward the JAM bases Rakugan and Kanworm, a third toward Banshee III, while the last flew a CAP in the skies over Faery base.

The general had decided against adopting Captain Fukai’s proposal to seize Banshee III. Putting that much of a strain on the SAF’s computers might have played into the JAM’s own strategy, so after finishing the strategy session she’d held with Major Booker and the others while Rei was asleep, the general had practically had a discussion with the strategic computer before arriving at the correct decision. The strategic computer claimed that the easiest action would be to defend Faery base to the bitter end. Put another way, the general thought, it’s afraid we’re going to leave it behind. Unlike Yukikaze, this computer wouldn’t be able to transfer itself into a new body from its old one. Banshee’s central computer lacked the capacity to transmit its entire database in toto.

To defend SAF headquarters and Faery base to the end, the strategic computer insisted that they’d need support from ground forces. They also needed to know what Colonel Rombert was up to. The quickest way to do that would be to take control of the Intelligence Forces, or at the very least work out an agreement. However, I can’t do that, the computer had said to General Cooley. For that, I need your help.

She’d agreed, knowing that the Intelligence Forces weren’t going to fall for any cheap tricks. No, she thought, rather than try and take them with a roundabout plan, I’ll attack them head on. That was her way of doing things, and so she’d do just that.

Meanwhile, the more combat-oriented tactical computer contended that Captain Fukai’s proposal still bore some consideration.

Like its strategic mate, transfer of the tactical computer’s central functions it performed for the SAF to either Banshee or any other front-line base was effectively impossible, so seizing one of the bases was a nonstarter. However, making it appear that the SAF were doing just that would be to their advantage, it had said. The general wondered if such a half-assed measure would work on the JAM, but Major Booker had agreed with the computer’s opinion. The computers understood the JAM better than the humans did, so the tactics they offered couldn’t be worthless. Besides, he went on, if Rei had thought of it, then it was likely the JAM had thought of it too. This would be a good way to outsmart them.

Working from that, they’d quickly drawn up a mission plan. Then, with the exception of Captain Fukai, General Cooley gathered all SAF personnel, including the maintenance team repairing Yukikaze, in the command center. She brought them up to speed on what was happening, telling them that this could be the end of the SAF before laying out the plan. Each man and woman prepared for combat, and even off-duty personnel were issued weapons to carry. In the end, she had told them this:

“This is a major operation, but fundamentally, the mission is just the same as it always is. The means each fighter uses is up to them, but get back here alive. That’s not a request. It’s an order. The same order I always give. That is all.”

The JAM were coming. They might be standing at the doorway right now, like the Grim Reaper. Major Booker had been filled with dread as he rushed to throw together a sortie schedule for the twelve fighter planes faster than anyone had ever attempted, but hearing the general say that the mission was the same as it had ever been was like taking aspirin for a fever. He grew aware of how calming Cooley’s words were.

The general, after considering that the prediction Captain Foss had been willing to bet her life on might be incorrect, had chosen the optimal strategy and then made her final decision. Maybe that was only natural, but Major Booker’s thoughts were so feverish from planning sorties that he hadn’t even considered the possibility that Foss was wrong. The general was even cooler-headed than he expected. Booker suddenly realized that Cooley’s decision was informed by both possibilites; whether the JAM were launching their final attack against them or the prediction had been completely wrong, the SAF would not be left at a disadvantage. General Laitume couldn’t attack, and no deals had been struck with General Linneberg. Whatever the JAM did now, the SAF would be free to concentrate on them and them alone.

Only General Cooley could have moved the SAF like this, he thought. Whether it was thanks to God-given talent or the results of her efforts, this woman, Lydia Cooley, was potentially the ultimate communicator with the JAM. General Linneberg must also see her value in that regard. There was no need to ask the Intelligence Forces for help. He would act by himself to protect Lydia and her Special Air Force. She didn’t have a thing to worry about...