From Cannon Fodder to Star Conqueror

Orbital strikes are essentially bombardments conducted from outside the atmosphere—at least, that's how the humans in this world perceive them.

After experimenting with high-energy lasers, charged particle cannons, heavy particle cannons, and railguns aboard near-orbit test ships, the militaries of various nations eventually realized that instead of using these flashy weapons, missiles were far more effective.

Habitable planets have thick atmospheres, which significantly diminish the effectiveness of directed-energy weapons upon entry. Even projectiles fired by railguns often lose half their velocity in the final stages of descent.

Even on planets with extremely thin atmospheres, these point-to-point weapons aren't ideal for ground attacks.

In terms of destructive power, a 140-kilogram tungsten rod traveling at Mach 14 delivers less kinetic energy than a 155mm electrothermal-chemical cannon firing high-explosive shells.

Regarding precision, ground forces equipped with guided weapons can achieve targeting errors on par with high-energy lasers, while delivering far superior destructive force and area damage.

For these reasons, most factions reverted to orbital bombardment for ground attacks—something the Minotaur-class orbital assault ships orbiting Robert IV were currently demonstrating.

These 1-kilometer-long warships, resembling thick silver doors, carried no anti-ship weapons and only a handful of defensive cannons.

Their vast internal spaces housed missile launch silos, deployment bays, warp drives, and fusion reactors.

Standard configurations allowed each Minotaur-class ship to carry:

500 "David" tactical ground missiles

10 "Tunguska" tactical hydrogen bombs

500 orbital paratroopers—one-quarter of an Imperial regiment

The 8th Expeditionary Strike Group had deployed 50 such warships, now dispersed across Robert IV's orbit.

Guided by intelligence from Commander Adam, they had already launched a round of tactical hydrogen bombs targeting multiple Federal troop concentrations on the planet's surface.

Traveling at terminal speeds of Mach 30, these tactical warheads left most Federal units unable to react.

Only 15% of the warheads were intercepted, while the remaining bombs detonated at 200–350 meters above ground level, causing catastrophic casualties among Federal ground forces.

After completing the nuclear strikes, many Minotaur-class ships remained in low orbit, continuing missile attacks with "David" tactical missiles.

However, most lowered their orbits further to deploy orbital paratroopers.

Inside their ships, troopers entered drop pods, which were then launched vertically toward their designated landing zones.

These troops would be the first Imperial forces to set foot on Robert IV, tasked with seizing key cities, facilities, and strategic points before establishing secure landing zones for larger transports carrying heavy equipment.

This sequence of orbital assault had become the standard human military procedure for planetary invasions.

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Among the pods descending like meteors, a few featured flashy designs, with faint traces of Imperial noble crests—silver dragons—visible beneath the scorched outer coatings.

Inside one such pod, Viscount Ankarin sat with his squadmates, bracing for the intense "atmospheric breakthrough" phase.

Unlike most Imperial nobles who served as ship captains or ground commanders, Viscount Ankarin led the 72nd Orbital Assault Regiment of the 107th Expeditionary Division—a role that earned him the nickname of "the anomaly" among his peers.

But Ankarin didn't care.

To him, those cowards who obsessed over opera, music, horseback riding, and fencing could never understand the unmatched thrill of orbital drops.

He had started by buying a decommissioned orbital assault ship, gathering like-minded nobles for "space bungee jumping" experiments.

Later, he joined the military and became the first noble orbital paratrooper in the Empire's history—eventually rising to command the 72nd Regiment and earning the Emperor's "Blood Dragon Honor" for valor.

Under his influence, many young nobles defied their families and joined this "game for the brave", forming a group called the "Noble Squad" within the Blood Dragon Regiment.

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Their current target was Yasin Base.

As they entered the atmosphere, remnants of Federal anti-air defenses retaliated.

Despite being capable of atmospheric re-entry, drop pods were inherently fragile.

Federal forces didn't need to destroy them outright—disabling their attitude control thrusters was enough to send them tumbling and crashing uncontrollably.

High-energy laser beams streaked across the skies, while electromagnetic projectiles lit up the night like shooting stars.

One by one, drop pods were struck, spinning, disintegrating, and exploding.

But Viscount Ankarin remained unfazed.

Through his pod's small viewport, he ignored the hellish scenes outside.

Instead, he focused on recalling the secret mission entrusted to him before the drop by Marquis Ascania, the strike group commander.

> "Upon landing, proceed immediately to the communication center. Agents from 'Star Dragon Fangs' will rendezvous with you."

Replaying the marquis's instructions in his mind, Ankarin felt both calm and contemplative.

He couldn't understand why his mission involved securing the communications hub or why he needed to meet with an undercover agent from Star Dragon Fangs.

Given the marquis's political ties, Ankarin suspected the mission was far more complicated than it seemed.

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His thoughts were interrupted by a loud roar from the pod's retro-thrusters, accompanied by crushing positive G-forces.

The braking engines had activated—final descent had begun.

Ankarin opened his eyes and scanned his team.

"Gentlemen! Prepare for battle!"

(End of Chapter)