AND THEN GETTING MY LOLI REMINDED ME I NEVER POSTED THIS!! In the BD booklets, they released an entire script for another .5 episode called Middle Game that was planned to air between episodes 11 and 12. It focuses on Vincent and Al playing chess (AND DIO HAS CLEARLY TAUGHT HER WELL!!! My grasshopper.) as Vincent infodumps all about Ades and its generals and Turan and warstuff.

It's really great and informative and should have been the .5 instead of 9.5 because 9.5 was boring. :(

Translation is by the super cool LE scanon and at most I just reworded a couple of things.

Also Vincent knows his shit complimenting Dio huehuehue.




#11.5
Middle Game

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Storyboard: Takaaki Suzuki

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CHARACTERS:

Al: Alvis Hamilton
Vince: Vincent Alzey
Adjutant: Rumolt Dorfstrand (Vincent's vice-captain)

[ Intro ]

Episode #10, the Urbanus is shown in the middle of the battle trying to evade as it retreats.

[ Title ]

Sky

The Urbanus is flying.

[ Urbanus' bridge ]

Al and Vince are sitting on opposite sides of a chessboard.

Al moves the white pieces.

Al: "Pawn to E4"

Vince: "Pawn to E5"

The adjutant places cups on a small table near the chessboard.

Adjutant: Coffee's ready!

Vince: Good to hear that!

Al picks her cup and has a drink of her coffee, then she suddenly looks at Vince and raises her eyebrows a bit surprised.

Adjutant: "Prepared with first quality coffee beans, ground by hand"

Al: "It's bitter!"

Adjutant: "Sugar and milk will make it more pleasant"

Al: "Thanks!"

While Al mixes some sugar and milk with her coffee, the adjutant brings in some files to Vincent with the latest reports.

Adjutant: "All checks inside the ship are now completed. Systems, weapons, crew: we have no losses and everything is in order. We have small damages caused by the enemy fire but no abnormality in vital sectors of the ship. Following the "ram attack" we have also minor damages to the hull, almost negligible."

Vince: "Thanks to the providential covering fire from the Silvius."

Adjutant: "Anyway, the firepower of the enemy seemed to be incredibly low. It was like Ades were shooting blank shots. That, or it was simply a miracle."

Vince: "Is this the true power of the Federation? Well, judging from the information that Tatiana gathered during her patrolling mission, it seems like they missed us on purpose..."

While Vince sips his coffee, Al moves.

Al: "Knight to F3."

Vince: "The Knight? ...Well, it's clear that the spirit of chivalry is important to many in the Federation too. Isn't that true for the Second Fleet?"

Thoughts on Kayvan's fleet (episode #1)

Adjutant: "Yes, the commander of Ades' Second Fleet, General Kayvan. Our files report that his full name is Mehrzad Kayvan Horasani. He is nicknamed Noor by those closer to him; it comes from the way he is used to attack in battle, because he crushes everything during his advance just like a ray of light."

Vince: Like a ray of light? That could be an effective strategy in a battle. But it could be a weak one against someone who plays it clever... Pawn to D6."

Al: "So, well, Pawn to D4."

Adjutant: "His fleet is also known as the heavy assault fleet and uses 4 squadrons of assault ships and 2 squadrons of standard ships-of-the-line as his front line to employ that strategy. Therefore the auxiliary ships, the vanship carriers, the light ships, the supply ships and those for the logistic support are usually positioned at the center of the formation to maximize the result of the assaults. It's apparent that when fighting against enemies deployed in close formation, the Federation has an advantage in terms of breakthrough power. This formation is also effective should the enemy attack the sides, no matter what direction he comes from, but it might face some difficulties in manoeuvred battles."

Vince: "These are now the strong points of Alex' pupil. Besides using aggressive tactics according to classic battle schemes, she continuously bugs the enemy with clever moves and unexpected tactics... the training Tatiana received allows her to come out with smart tactics... very smart tactics..."

Vince is lost in his thoughts for some moments, then he puts aside his memories.

Vince: "How did you get this precious information?"

Amazing Giselle - Thoughts on the capture of the Ursuraghna (episode #5)

Adjutant: "Pirates are very good at gathering information. See the memory of that girl, Giselle. She was able to get tons of data: she basically knows every ship built in the last 100 years, their technical data, their names, their inner layout, any modification... she also knows the names of the captains, their rank, their family background, their house, their personality and even their tastes."

Vince: "That's incredible. However, without all this knowledge it would be impossible to hide from the Federation and at the same time engage in skyfishing."

Adjutant: "True, for example I know that for one of the ships they obtained for us, the old standard ship Ursuraghna, she took advantage of a family feud concerning some possessions of the captain, to succeed in the capture."

Vince: "A direct assault in a battle could be hard to counter, but you could overcome the disadvantage thanks to useful information... Yeah, habits and personality of the captain can give indications on his tactics, on how he employs his subordinates and the moves he usually makes; moreover, technical data of the ships can tell where to hit and if it is easy to sink them; actually, all this knowledge represent a great advantage for us. All right, Bishop to G4... a bishop, like someone who is very fast on the battlefield.

The fleet of Sorush (Episode #3)

Adjutant: "You are referring to the fleet of di Sorush, I suppose"

Vince: "It seems he uses a red color scheme similar to that of Tatiana's vanship."

Adjutant: The fleet of Sorush, the Fourth Fleet of the Federation, is also known as the godspeed fleet. The name explains it all, the first six squadrons are made of new generation warship models, which are the fastest ever built: actually, a rapid deployment is fundamental for this fleet. Also, the auxiliary ships have been modified to gain speed so that the fleet can move quickly everywhere on the battlefield, as its nickname suggests. However, this means a higher fuel consumption, less ammunition on board and a lighter armour, therfore it is not a fleet suitable for prolonged military campains or for battles where heavy gunfire is fundamental."

Al: "The Pawn in D4 captures the Pawn in E5!"

Vince: "Anything else?"

Adjutant: "The full name of the commander , the Lieutenant General Sorush, is Sorush Rakhshanian Shahab. As for his nickname "godspeed" maybe it comes from the surname "shahab," which means shooting star. Others say that "godspeed" comes from the way he quickly makes advances with women, but we don't have enough evidence on this point."

Vince: "Hmm... speed as a weapon? The Silvius, my Urbanus... I wonder which is the fastest? Speed, speed... let's see. the Bishop captures the Knight in F3."

Al: "Really? Hmmm... then the Queen captures that Bishop."

Vince: "Moving the Queen already?... The Queen is a powerful piece, it reminds me of that other fleet..."

Thoughts on Sadri's Fleet

Adjutant: "Right, the First Fleet of the Federation, the "Paterna", also known as the fleet for manoeuvred battles: it is mainly composed of standard ship-of-the-line battleships. It also lines up many old federal battleships, among which there is the flagship Anshar, however this fleet can count on to the high level of training of the crews, the huge experience gained in battle, a great maneuvre ability and good firepower."

Vince: "We know this fleet can quickly re-deploy according to many different three-dimensional battle schemes: the squadrons are like the hands and the feet of the formation, and all this is due to the high skill of the crews we were told about."

Adjutant: Yes, we had a clear confimation of this: besides using the classic formation displaced on a single level, it can use formations with the wings on two levels, or formations on four different levels on the battlefield... although it had to suffer a defeat in the battle against our commander Tatiana."

Vince: "That was a hard blow. Such a huge deployment of warships beated by a single ship... so the Pawn in D6 captures the Pawn in E5."

Adjutant: The commander is the admiral Sadri. His full name is Sadri milzal AlBarr Sadiq. We know he was held in high esteem by the previous Augusta Farahnaz, to whom he vowed absolute loyalty, moreover he was loved both by his companions in arms and by the aristocracy for his courage and sense of honor. Although his unconventional tactics didn't show it in full this time, his ability in commanding the ships and in keeping high the morale among the troops makes this fleet maybe the most fearful fleet of the Federation."

Vince: "A key element for an army."

Adjutant: "So true. Morover, it appears that the Premier Luscinia has reached his actual position thanks to his support."

Al: "Bishop to C4."

Vince: "Who knows? Maybe he will be our worst enemy... anyway Knight to F6... a knight? Now that I think of it, there's another "knight" that could become another dreadful enemy.

Orang's Fleet (episode #3)

Adjutant: "Yes, the fleet of Orang, the Third Fleet of the Federation also known as the fleet for long-range battles. This fleet has an effective organization like the First Fleet, but it is more suitable for long-range operations since it has more auxiliary and supply ships than the other fleets. The core of the fleet is composed by three squadrons of standard ship-of-the-line battleships adapted for long-range operations, two squadrons of standard ship-of-the-line battleships and one squadron of new generation warship models for high speed operations."

Vince: "It will be hard to fight against such a well organized fleet, however it could become the next enemy for our beloved Anatoray in the near future."

Adjutant: "That's true."

Al: "Knight to B3."

Vince: "... long-range operations."

Adjutant: "Yes, thanks to the extended-range capability it can easily move from one battlefield to another. The commander is the Lieutenant General Orang. His full name is Moradazad Orang Kermani Hadid. It appears he usually cooperates with the Lieutenant General Sorush, moreover they are best friends in private. According to our data they became friends when they were students at the military academy, although they have two completely different characters, so the Knight suits him better. Their strong and quite old friendship does not only show up during battles but also by the fact that the two generals use to live together. His nickname is "Armatin", which means steel. That's because his fleet is often used as a crowbar that wrecks the enemy only to crush it in collaboration with the Fourth Fleet, as we've already seen."

Vince: "Queen to E7... the Notos' fleet was truly crushed with this strategy."

Adjutant: "Yes, the Notos' fleet was drawn by Orang's, only to be attacked by Sorush who was coming from the opposite direction: it was completely annihilated."

Al: "Knight to C3."

Vince: "Hmm... their ability in combined attacks can be of great danger for us. Pawn to C6."

The battle between the Third Fleet and the Pirates (episode #7)

Adjutant: T"hen ... if we fight him with the vanships... it would surely be a bad move since his fleet would be able to counter them easily."

Al: "Bishop to G5."

Vince: "What do you mean?"

Adjutant: "From the report: 'using 8 ships taken from the aristocrats as a decoy, we attracted a huge number of pirates, we then caused enormous damages to them with a new strategy that combines high-elevation quick-fire guns and jet-propelled shells of new conception. They escaped by luck, taking advantage of the natural conformation of the battlefield before we could place the final blow that would have destroyed them completely. Nevertheless, as soon as more ships are equipped with this new weapon, whatever attack that uses vanships will be impossible for the enemy.'"

Vince: "Really? In the meantime, Pawn to B5."

Adjutant: "Indeed, to counter this fleet it would be necessary to fight it from a distance. Even though it is so well equipped, it nevertheless has some weak points. So, wouldn't it be better to attack it from a distance to weaken it little by little? Moreover a close attack would be a tremendous waste of military resources, that's why I say it is better to weaken it little by little."

Al: "Knight to B5, your Pawn is taken... eheh."

Vince: "That's troublesome... Anyway to stop your advance, the Pawn moves to B5 thus capturing your Knight."

Al: "Bishop to B5, and it's check!"

Vince: "Check?! W-what... all the squares around the king have been cleared already?"

Some data on the composition of the Federation (Episode #6)

Adjutant: "Well, in the last 10 years the Ades Federation subdued all the neighbouring countries: they often cooptated the local nobility to make the annexations easier, at the same time this left a semblance of autonomy... although this is only on paper since these are in fact tributary provinces of Ades."

Vince: "So they obliterated every possible enemy around the king. But at the same time they strengthened the defense too. Knight to D7."

Adjutant: Actually, the Federation has a strong defense. Their sovereign, whom they call Augusta, has five fleets under her direct command: four are used for military campaigns aimed at new conquests. But the fifth is usually deployed for the personal defence of the Augusta."

Vince: "The Fifth Fleet? What about it?"

Thoughts on Vasant and the Chaosian soldiers

Adjutant: Well, the Lieutenant General Vasant, whose full name is Vasant Keiozad, is the only woman among the five generals. She is native of Chaos, a country subjugated by the Federation long time ago. Her nickname is the Amethyst of Chaos."

Vince: "A woman who is also a general? That's not uncommon even in our nation, where women can reach the position of commander or even sovereign."

Adjutant: "Well, it is true that in the Federation the military career is usually a male thing, even though the role of Augusta is usually for women from generation to generation. Sure she had to work hard and even fight with courage and determination, without sparing herself; let's not forget all the suffering she went through with the Chaosian refugees too."

Vince: "The burden of becoming a subdued country... It's not easy to win back the trust [of the Federation] without showing extreme loyalty. Although at the end of the day she made it! But for sure she had a very tough life."

Adjutant: "Many among the Chaosian refugees joined an autonomous fleet under the Federation's flag, moreover the General Vasant leads the fleet that defends the capital city of Morvarid, thus being the ultimate defense of the Augusta. For this purpose the fleet lines up 4 heavy-armoured squadrons and two standard ship-of-the-line squadrons. She is also calm and cautious, a crystal-clear soul, and she is also very close to the current Augusta in private."

Vince: "The defense system is clearly tough. Even a surprise attack on their headquarters would be extremely complicated."

The purging of the Aristocracy (episode #6)

Adjutant: "Besides, the defense has become stronger after the purging of the aristocracy."

Al: "Castling on the queenside: King to C1 and Rook to D1."

Vince: "What?!"

Adjutant: "Many among rebellious noblemen were killed by the extermination unit led by Alauda, although there's Luscinia behind the scenes. Their properties were seized too. As a consequence the remnant of the aristocracy and even some small countries accepted to completely submit under Ades' rule. If an aristocrat was not to submit, depending on his status he was either killed or stripped of everything and lowered to the status of commoner. Virtually there are no local rulers anymore and the federation is now completely centralized. It is not an exaggeration to say that the whole country is under military rule. The seized properties were used for both the military spendings and to support the lower classes in order to boost the popular consent and increase the numbers of those willing to join the armed forces."

Vince: "That's the worst enemy! The spirit is high, they have plenty of resources, and the military power keeps growing, moreover they truly believe to fight the good fight."

Adjutant: "Yeah, that's a great danger for us. The popular support to the national cause is increasing, and when a country with enough resources starts an expansionist policy, for sure this will get the neighbouring countries into deep troubles."

Vince: "That's the reason why they set their eyes on the Kingdom of Turan, isn't it?"

Vince, motionless, stares at the chessboard, worried.

[ Half episode/commercial ]

[ Urbanus' bridge ]

Vince and Al are studying the chessboard.

Adjutant: "Some more coffee?"

Vince: "Yes, please."

Al: "Me too! But this time, please, with a loooot of milk and sugar!"

Adjutant: "Roger."

The adjutant pours some coffee into the cups.

Thoughts on the destruction of Turan operated with an Exile

Adjutant: Turan's always been the key nation in the south, and by far the richest one. So for the Federation it was fundamental to conquer Turan at any cost in order to extend their control on the other southern countries. We know as a fact that at soon as the Federation extended its reach up to the Turanian borders, daily confrontations were the norm, although an actual invasion was never attempted. Sure, the military power of the Federation was predominant, but Turan and Notos had signed an alliance: for this reason the Federation was delaying a direct attack."

Vince: "Because those two nations would have helped each other if one had been under attack."

Adjutant: "Correct, but there's more. It would have been a prolonged war capable to waste the Federation's military power and cause instability in the recently conquered regions. If this had happened, insurgencies in the north would have erupted quickly, thus opening a second military front."

Al: "A domino effect, right?"

Adjutant: "Yes, that's what frightens the Federation the most."

Vince: "A possible weak point of the Federation?"

Adjutant: "Yes, and this is the reason behind it: the land available for agriculture, once fertile, is withering. So far this was compensated by the importation of foodstuffs from Turan, considered the granary of the southern countries. Turan believed this could grant them peace with the Federation as they could abundantly satisfy their needs."

Vince: "But without food it is impossible to fight no matter how huge your army is."

Al: "Because your stomach is empty!"

Adjutant: "With no foodstuffs from the southern countries, discontent would probably surface, with revolts able to tear the Federation apart So they felt threatened. On the other hand, to keep the war potential it was deemed necessary to gain control of this "grain belt". The strategy to gather the popular support to recover those reserves of food was to foster the desire of those people expelled [by those returned with the Exiles] a long time ago to go back to their homeland."

Al: "And to reach their goal they do not hesitate to drop an Exile..."

Adjutant: "Exactly. With a single mortal blow they could destroy the headquarters of the enemy and crush the will of the survivors to oppose the occupation of their land at the very root. The opportunity to use the Exile was seized at the false Peace Conference. Additionally, showing such an astonishing military power they killed any resistance in the other local countries, thus obtaining the full control of the "Grain Belt"."

Vince: "And then there is the destruction of the Notos' fleet", Turan's main ally."

Adjutant: "Killing any possible attempt of military retaliation, they induced the other nation to kneel in front of the Federation's mighty power."

On the return of the Exile (episode #1)

Vince: Exile, the migration ship used to leave this star only to return back later. It's used again as a weapon. How much blood was shed last time to stop that Exile? And now on this star, unexpectedly we have to fight battles of that kind once more... We need to strengthen our defence. Rook to D8."

The sceene is now on Glacies

Adjutant: For the time being our military is not yet ready. If only that other nation, Glacies had answered our request to arrange a negotiation."

Vince: "At least a single word... they are not intersted in negotaitions at all, even for an agreement on mutual defense. They don't care if other countries are ruined, as long as the war remains out of their borders."

Adjutant: "They are stubborn beyond any expectations."

Luscinia's figure

Vince: "Eh, as stubborn as a mule. We have but two possibilities: surrender or resist to the bitter end."

Al: "Rook to D7, your Knight is mine."

Vince: "By all means it is clear we'll have to fight."

Adjutant: "Eventally our strategy will lead us to fight the Federation. At the moment the commander-in-chief Luscinia made a point to destroy the returned nations, as a symbol of his policy. Given what he has done with the purging of the aristocracy, If we were to surrender and submit to the Federation now, just to obtain an easy peace, then it is likely that one day our aristocracy and even Her Majesty could be executed with some excuse... and then it will be the turn of the people."

Vince: "You are right. If my death could bring peace upon our people, I'd be happy to die; but [given Ades' behaviour with the subdued nations] in this case I will be accountable for the ruin that would hit both our people and Her Majesty. We can do nothing but to fight, because we are obliged to."

Adjutant: Yes, from what we know about the enemy, we absolutely need allies to increase our war potential. Anyway, that will be easer once our fleet arrives."

Vince: "Unfortunately we cannot count on any Guild battleship as wished, maybe Alex' Silvana will be here... The plans for operation "Pentaconta Dynamis" are almost ready and will be base on this Urbanus-class battleship leading a fleet of warships carrying a great number of vanhips."

Adjutant: "What a dream if we had 50 Scolopendra Cannons for long-range bombardment, 500 Urbanus-class battleships for the attack and 5000 vanships armed with torpedos filling the sky."

Vince: "Sure, but at the moment we don't have that many fighter vanships and we are short of soldiers. We only have captain Tatiana's Silvius. If only Claus and Lavie..."

Al: "Vince!"

Al's voice brings back Vincent to reality.

Vince: "Oh, it's not over yet."

Al: "Vince, it's your turn."

Vince: "So by all means we need allies... allies. OK, Rook to D7, it captures your white Rook."

Adjutant: "At the moment the only potential allies are the Sky Pirates and the Turanian Government in exile."

Focus on Kartoffel - The captured ships

Vince: "Of course the Sky Pirates could stand in for the vanship pilots we lack at the moment. Their ability is evident so if we get enough of them it would be just perfect for some guerrilla tactics."

Adjutant: "Brilliant, if we gain such a precious ally we could then weaken the enemy with small attacks. Moreover their intelligence would be so useful. In fact we do not fully know this world, since we come from the outside, so all information would be of capital importance. Without any data on the enemy our defeat would be granted because with such a tiny force at our disposal it would be hard to effectively hit such a big enemy. But with good data it is possible to concentrate our attacks on its weak points."

Al: "Good... Rook to D1."

Vince: "Yes, quickly hit the enemy and keep moving our military forces fast. Focused attacks, quick reaction and intelligence. This will gain us time while we wait for our main force. By all means we need to form an alliance with the Sky Pirates."

Adjutant: "Besides, they have to realize that after the destruction of a whole nation they will be next in the plans of the Federation for world domination."

Vince: "Maybe our visions of the future are not exctly the same. But this notwithstanding, what we all lack is time. Time is almost over both for us and for the Sky Pirates, they will not have another chance after our offer."

Adjutant: "Correct. Apart from the lands surrounding the Grand Lake, it appears that there is no other area in this world where life is possible. They will not find new places or new lands to move to. Fortunately, the Federal battleships cannot directly attack their bases. As for Turan's soldiers, they will either join the Federation or the Sky Pirates. There are many brave people among them."

Vince: "But we don't have enough weapons for them. At the moment we only have 15 old-type battleships."

Adjutant: "Nevertheless, it is equivalent to a whole squadron, so it is can be a discrete military force, depending on how it is used. At least it could limit the movements of the federation attacking behind the lines."

Vince: "You have a point. If we attack the supply routes we could limit the operability of the enemy forces at the frontline. I think it is a good idea if we lend these ships to the pirates and the Turanian government in exile so that we can obtain their support! OK, Queen to E6."

The Turanian Government in exile (episodes #5 - #6)

Adjutant: "I wonder what level of military preparation the Turanian Government in exile could offer."

Vince: "At the moment Tatiana is looking after its preparation. We are not fully operative yet, but our goal is quite clear now. Sooner or later we'll have to face an entire Federal fleet, therefore it is vital to us to forge and lead this alliance quickly, even if we are not completely ready."

Al: "Bishop to D7, it's check, again!"

Adjutant: "But will this small force, rapidly put together, be able to operate effectively?"

Vince: "Good point, but don't forget that Dio has been able to draw to Millia's cause not only to Fam and Giselle but also all of the Sky Pirates. I believe that guy has been really far-sighted. Anyway, Knight to D7, your Bishop is taken."

Thougths on Luscinia and Alauda

Vince: "These are our countermeasures for now. What we miss now is some details on the leader of the Federation, Luscinia Hafez."

Adjutant: "We know that he was the bodyguard of the previous Augusta, Farahnaz. Alauda is his right hand man."

Vince: "We also know, from Dio's report, that Alauda uses Guild technology."

The image of Dio observing Alauda on the Lasas and his starfish fighter comes up

Adjutant: "We can suppose both were trained by the Guild. Therfore there's a Guild on this world as well, though it does not show up, as if it were non-existent."

Vince: "What if there is no Guild?"

Adjutant: "Or maybe it under Luscinia's total control."

Vince: "That's more likely. Paradoxically the same Guild who built the means to leave this star and come back has also trained Luscinia, the one who wants to kill all those who have come back, thanks to the power he was entrusted with..."

Thoughts on Liliana

Al: "Queen to B8, once more, it's check."

Vince: "The white queen Millia's big sister Liliana: is she the key to everything?"

Adjutant: "Well, she is a living key, the one who can summon an exile for that very fact..."

Vince: "Well, there should be at least 5 more living keys, given the five moon-shaped bodies orbitating in the sky. But it looks like it is impossible to find them."

Al: "Even I cannot feel their presence."

Adjutant: "Provided that it is still possible to find them."

Vince: "It is absolutely possible that not only the Federation but also the other nations have tried to find them. If they had an exile they could even think of destroying the Federation. As for me, it would be better if everybody comes to the conclusion that it is no longer possible to find them."

Adjutant: "The fact is... that actually there is a possible target."

Vince: "That's you Al, and our beloved Anatoray. By the way, Knight to B8. But be assured that in the same way this Queen is now held in my hands, we will not let anybody take you away, no matter what. I swear on my name, Vincent Alzey, vice-governor general of Anatoray!"

[ Urbanus' Bridge ]

The setting sun illuminates the bridge. The raylights shine on Al's face while she is smiling

Al: "Thank you, Vince."

Vince: "Oh, well, this is the promise I made to Claus some time ago."

Al: "Yes! Rook to D8, and so now it's check-mate."

Vince: "W-whaaaat?!"

Vince, dumbstruck, stares at the chessboard.

[ Anatoray ]

The Urbanus flies over fields of wheat that are sparkling with golden reflections under the setting sun.

The shape of the Urbanus is outlined against the setting sun.

The Urbanus anchors at a huge rock.

Black shadows silently move across the fields of wheat heading towards the Urbanus (it is the extermination squad led by Alauda)

- The End -