Preparations for the fortress siege were underway, with the raiding fleet receiving much-needed supplies from Central Command. Thanks to the supply fleet being positioned along their route, the rendezvous went smoothly.

Inside the Melea’s hangar, Molly stared in disbelief at the sheer volume of supplies. “It’s weird getting resupplied right before heading into a hot zone,” she remarked. The timing seemed too good to be true, as far as she was concerned.

“We’ve got allies deployed all over this system,” Emma explained. “I’m guessing Command basically raided their stockpiles to get us this stuff.” The ongoing war against the United Kingdom of Oxis had stretched Algland’s resources thin, so Central Command had to pull some strings to gather these supplies.

“They’re really going all out, aren't they?” Molly commented. “I bet the fleets they took this from are furious.” The thought of other fleets being deprived of essential supplies was sobering.

“Maybe,” Emma admitted. “But perhaps they figured they’re already pushing us to the limit with this mission.” She chose to believe that Central Command was trying to give the raiding fleet at least some support, considering the suicidal nature of their assignment. Of course, she had no idea what their true motives were. It was just conjecture.

Emma’s gaze swept across the hangar. The rows of Raccoon Mobile Knights were bristling with an almost comical amount of weaponry. They were clearly overloaded. Doug and Larry’s Raccoons even had massive shields strapped to them, making Emma question their maneuverability.

Larry and Doug, staring at their heavily armed mechs, were on the verge of a brawl.

“There’s no way we can charge a fortress in these lumbering tanks!” Larry exclaimed. “We need to switch to a lighter loadout for better mobility!”

“As if a little extra speed would stop us from getting blown to smithereens!” Doug retorted. “We’re in this mess now, so just accept it!”

“No way! We’re going to die!”

Exasperated by their bickering, Emma pushed off the floor and landed lightly between them.

“Don't worry, Warrant Officer Larry,” she said reassuringly.

“Captain?”

“I’ll make sure to open a path,” Emma promised. “Just follow my Atalante, and I’ll get you to the fortress.”

Larry paused, momentarily speechless, then realized the flaw in her plan. "Yeah, but what about after we get to the fortress?!"

“From there—” Emma began, but a member of the newly arrived unit approached and finished the sentence for her.

“—from there, it’s our job. Long time no see, Captain. You’ve become quite dependable since your rookie days.”

The female soldier, clad in a powered suit designed for ground combat, removed her helmet and saluted. Larry noticed the black color of her suit and instantly recognized the unit. The same mark, reminiscent of an ancient knight’s helmet, was emblazoned repeatedly on her armor, each one crossed with an “X”.

“Knightslayers… The Treasures?!” Larry yelped, backing away. The soldier, seemingly accustomed to this reaction, offered a wry smile.

“We get called Treasures wherever we go,” she sighed. “Our official designation is Special Ground Combat Unit... but anyway, we're joining you on this mission. Just get us to the fortress, and we'll take care of the rest.”

Emma was inwardly relieved that a special forces unit had been dispatched along with the supplies. After all, these were experts in fortress assaults. She had worked with them once before and been thoroughly impressed by their capabilities.

“That’s a huge help,” Emma said. “Though, if you’re being deployed, does that mean the fortress we’re attacking is a particularly important target?”

She assumed it must be a high-priority target, but the soldier corrected her. “No, it's more of a political squabble, from what I hear. The Empire lost the fortress rather easily, and they’re desperate to save face by retaking it. Central Command wanted to just leave it alone, though.”

Doug crossed his arms, clearly displeased. “So we’re risking our lives for some nobleman’s ego?”

“That’s about the gist of it,” the soldier confirmed. “Nothing unusual, really. We’ve been cleaning up their messes left and right in this war. Oops, I’ve said too much. Well then, we’ll be counting on you, Melea.”

As the soldier walked away, Emma turned to Larry and Doug. “Well, we don’t have to worry about what happens after we reach the fortress now.”

Larry scratched his head, a conflicted expression on his face. “If we even get there.”

In contrast to Larry's pessimism, Doug, his earlier fear replaced by a newfound resolve, grinned broadly. "Well, now that we've come this far, all that's left is to steel our nerves."

Larry still looked unconvinced, but apparently unwilling to argue with Doug any further, he resigned himself to his fate with a sigh.

Meanwhile, the Varona team was performing their own custom modifications in preparation for the fortress assault.

“Ideally, we'd add larger boosters,” Ain muttered, “but this is the best we can do with the available option parts.” Unlike Emma’s strategy of brute force, Ain was prioritizing high-mobility combat.

His command unit was already a high-mobility type, but the two other Varonas under his command were being fitted with additional boosters as well.

One of the team’s mechanics approached. “Lieutenant, we've adjusted the mechs for high-mobility combat, but are you sure about this? We've stripped down the weaponry to the bare minimum to reduce weight.”

“Once we get to the fortress, it's the ground troops' job to take over,” Ain explained. “Besides, our objective is to destroy the surface defense systems. We need speed more than firepower.” Ain had chosen this approach due to his confidence in his own and his subordinates’ skills. While not a Knight, he was highly proficient in piloting Mobile Knights. He wouldn’t have been chosen as a test pilot otherwise. The same went for his two subordinates.

Ain removed his glasses and looked up at his Varona. “Deploying valuable test pilots in a place like this… the Banfield family’s expansion has made them awfully careless,” he mused. They shouldn't be on the battlefield at all. However, another possibility crossed his mind.

“Or maybe it's pressure from the Nevan faction…” Many were resistant to switching to the current generation of mechs. Even within the Third Weapons Factory, there was a faction that favored the Nevan over the Varona. The Nevan was a legacy Mobile Knight, the cornerstone of the Banfield family’s power for generations, and held sentimental value for many Knights. The Varona’s adoption had faced considerable opposition.

The mechanic gave a wry smile. “Let's worry about those politics if we survive this.”

“You're right,” Ain agreed. “Now isn't the time for that. Survival comes first.” His gaze drifted towards the heavily armed Raccoons. He wondered what Emma's strategy was, but he didn't have enough information to make an informed guess. “Let’s see what the ‘Lightning Knight’ has up her sleeve.”

The Armored Nevan development team, meanwhile, was having trouble with a decidedly unmotivated Rick.

The lead developer tried to encourage him. "This is the Armored Nevan's chance to shine, Ensign Martin. Its standard configuration is more than enough to give us a significant advantage in a fortress siege." The mech was already heavily armored and armed, and its additional boosters compensated for any loss in speed. This kind of battle was perfect for the Armored Nevan, requiring no special modifications.

"Yeah, yeah, got it," Rick replied listlessly. "Just business as usual, huh?"

The lead developer sighed at his apathetic response. “We didn't anticipate being deployed to a combat zone either,” he said. “It’s against our wishes. However, a good performance here could help push for the Nevan’s adoption. Ensign Martin, please survive and bring us back some valuable data.”

“If you want to motivate me, maybe lay off the corporate talk a bit,” Rick grumbled. “Fine, I’ll do my best, seeing as I don’t want to die.” Even though he was motivated by self-preservation, he couldn’t resist complaining. “Ugh, I became a test pilot specifically to avoid war. The universe is just cruel, isn't it?”

The lead developer gave him a pitying look. “The current head of the Banfield family is quite the warmonger, you know. As a Banfield Knight, I’m afraid war is inevitable.”

“I joined the technical test team to escape war,” Rick whined. “This is just unfair.”

On the bridge of the Melea, Allison paced restlessly. She tried to appear calm, arms crossed, but her fingers drummed incessantly against her arm. Tim, taking pity on her, spoke up.

“Looks like we’re spearheading the next fortress assault, Supervisor,” he observed.

Allison, still facing away, responded curtly. “This ship has the best specs in the raiding fleet. It's the only rational choice.” Despite calling it rational, she clearly wasn’t happy about it. The raiding fleet had been assigned the vanguard position for the siege. And within the raiding fleet, the Melea had been placed at the very tip of the spear. They were effectively the entire force's battering ram, a consequence of being equipped with the most advanced Mobile Knights. The Melea itself had also just undergone refitting, further solidifying its perceived ability to withstand the initial onslaught. While leading the charge wasn’t unexpected, it was undeniably the most dangerous position. Allison had likely hoped to weather this war safely from the rear. Her plans had been thwarted, and her frustration was palpable.

Tim, watching her back, chuckled softly. “Moderation is key in all things, Supervisor. Reach too high, and you'll find yourself bearing the heaviest burden, just like this. If you survive, it’ll be a valuable life lesson.” It was because they had the newest Mobile Knights that they were now facing such a perilous situation. While his words held truth, Allison whirled around, her face contorted in anger.

“Such insightful words from a Commander who’s leeched off the military for years, accomplishing nothing,” she snapped.

Tim remained silent.

“Besides,” Allison continued, her anger simmering, “no risk, no reward. If you were so afraid of dying, you should’ve retired gracefully instead of clinging to your position and collecting a paycheck. I find it offensive to be lectured on life by someone like you.”

When Tim offered no retort, Allison lost interest and turned back to the front. "Fortunately, this ship boasts both an ace Knight and a ground combat unit directly under the Earl's command. Such an opportunity is rare… I intend to seize this victory and climb even higher." Tim's attempt at comfort had been completely unnecessary. The bridge crew exchanged uncomfortable glances at the defeated-looking Tim, who pulled his cap lower over his eyes.

"Suit yourself," he mumbled.