276: War of Independence 1

The blue light of the teleportation array slowly dissipated within the President's office, and the figures of Dieter, Speaker McDowell, and Commander Sonia reappeared.

All three of them had faces etched with unshakeable shock, as if they had just woken from a fantastical dream.

Speaker McDowell's fingers unconsciously rubbed the cuff of his suit, his voice still trembling slightly: "Those mechs... each one could rival an armored company. And those aircraft, able to freely traverse the atmosphere and outer space..."

He looked out the window at the familiar streetscape of Crossbell City, as if confirming that he had truly returned to reality. "I never imagined that human technology could reach such a height."

"Compared to them, the most advanced orbment airships of the Empire and the Republic are like children's toys."

Commander Sonia stood ramrod straight, her soldier's instincts making her quickly recall every detail she had seen at the overseas base. The sight of two thousand Bai Ze Mechs neatly arrayed was more awe-inspiring than the grandest parade she had ever witnessed.

"Those weapon systems... I can't even comprehend their operating principles." She took a deep breath and turned to Dieter, "Mr. President, now I finally understand why you are so confident. The technological level of this equipment is several eras ahead of the Empire and the Republic."

"Based on this, we truly have the ability to confront them head-on."

Dieter walked to the desk, his fingertips lightly tracing the map of Crossbell laid out on it: "Now you see, this is the 'insurance' we gained through our cooperation with the Company."

"But as the Company said, this is a one-time aid. We must use these resources to buy enough development time for Crossbell."

Speaker McDowell slowly sat down, his brows still tightly furrowed: "Although this equipment is very advanced, the Empire's armored divisions and the Republic's fleets are gathering at the border, with a total strength exceeding two hundred thousand. We are still at an absolute numerical disadvantage."

"Numbers are never the key to victory," Commander Sonia suddenly interjected, a sharp, military gleam in her eyes. "According to the demonstration I saw at the base, one Bai Ze Mech's firepower is equivalent to an armored battalion, and it possesses all-weather combat capability. More importantly..."

She paused, her tone filled with emotion and relief, "No matter what, I never would have imagined that the so-called regional air defense system would be such a behemoth. Those airships will never be able to enter our skies again."

"It's just a pity that it can only be used for defense, not offense."

Dieter nodded: "However, for us right now, there's no difference between defense and offense. The Empire and the Republic will certainly use 'joint military exercises' as an excuse to cross the border, and this will be our best opportunity."

His finger traced several key points along the border: "We can deliberately show weakness, let their vanguard units enter the border buffer zone, and then—"

His fingertip tapped heavily on the Aramis Mountains area, "—cut off their retreat here with the 'Giant Birds,' and then have the mech units divide and encircle them."

Commander Sonia quickly simulated the possible battle situation in her mind and agreed with Dieter's general strategy: "Even if the actual combat strength of the Empire and the Republic's elite forces is forty percent stronger than the data provided by the Company, they will have no chance of breaking through the blockade by force."

"At the same time, we can leverage our intelligence advantage to precisely strike their command systems and logistics supply lines. An army without command and supply, no matter how vast, is just a scattered mess."

Speaker McDowell pondered for a moment: "But wouldn't that be too risky? If they use the power of their Divine Treasures, the outcome might be uncertain."

"You don't need to worry about that," Dieter waved his hand, his voice firm. "The Company's director told me that someone will handle the issue of the Divine Treasures."

"What we need to consider is how to use this opportunity to thoroughly cripple the Empire and the Republic."

He pulled up an encrypted intelligence report: "According to the latest intelligence, the Empire's border armored division will launch a feint from the eastern front in three days, and the Republic will simultaneously conduct a diversion."

"The time to start the war is either when the exercises begin or when they end. We need to be fully prepared."

"It's also possible they will hire Jaegers or some other force to infiltrate Crossbell City and create chaos. However, the Company did not mention this, so we probably don't need to worry too much."

Commander Sonia's fists clenched slightly: "A very typical pincer attack, but too conservative. They clearly still see us as the old Crossbell Self-Defense Force."

"This is precisely our advantage. They think we will still be passively beaten like before; they must be imagining that the Company is merely a paper tiger, trying to scare them," Dieter's lips curved into a cold smile as his gaze swept over his two most important allies.

"But this time, we will make the Empire and the Republic pay a heavy price."

Speaker McDowell finally showed his first smile of the day: "After taking their border checkpoints, we can establish a defensive line relying on the Aramis Mountains. The terrain there is easy to defend and difficult to attack, and the heavily defeated Empire and Republic will not have enough strength to counterattack in the short term."

"As long as we can firmly occupy their bases, it will be enough to buy us ten years or more of development time."

"Not only that, but we can also use this to showcase Crossbell's new strength to the entire continent. Let all the nations still watching know that the balance of power on the Zemuria continent has completely changed."

Commander Sonia immediately began to deploy: "I suggest dividing the mech units into three echelons: the first echelon will lure the enemy deep along the border, the second echelon will be responsible for dividing and encircling, and the third echelon will serve as a strategic reserve. The 'Giant Birds' will provide cover throughout, while also guarding against possible aerial assaults."

"Very good," Dieter nodded approvingly. "At the same time, we need to prepare public opinion. Speaker McDowell, I'll leave this to you. Once the battle begins, we must immediately explain to the international community that this is self-defense, and simultaneously release evidence of the Empire and the Republic's planned invasion."

Speaker McDowell nodded solemnly: "Don't worry, I have a complete plan ready. Including that threatening diplomatic note they issued earlier, all of it can serve as evidence of their malicious intent."

The three exchanged smiles, and the air was filled with unprecedented confidence and determination. The dark clouds of war that had once hung over Crossbell City now seemed to have transformed into the darkness before dawn, signaling the imminent arrival of a new beginning.