Chapter 167: The Amir Campaign (Part One)
Jamde’s aide craned his neck slightly, curiosity plain on his face as he glanced toward Jamde. He didn’t have the clearance to see the contents, but Jamde’s expression alone was enough to make him wonder what had just been said.
After the initial surprise passed, Jamde quickly regained his composure and began thinking through PROJECT Corporation’s intentions.
“Hmm… maybe they’re trying to use this opportunity to take control of certain cities…”
He arrived at the answer almost immediately. It was a very straightforward exchange of interests. PROJECT Corporation would commit armed forces, equipment, and funding to help New America fight the Free States. In return, they wanted primary control over the cities captured in the wars they participated in.
Under normal circumstances, Militech would never agree to something like this. But now… since PROJECT Corporation clearly wanted to expand its influence, there was no harm in letting them try.
After all, even if they did seize those cities, the existing local powers would inevitably resist their entry. That alone would be a massive headache.
By agreeing to the request, they could also use PROJECT Corporation’s strength to pin down part of the Free State forces. And even if PROJECT Corporation really managed to take a city, the losses they’d suffer wouldn’t be small.
“You can leave for now. I’ll come by later.”
After weighing the situation, Jamde gave the order to his aide. He still needed to discuss this with his allies—and with Myres.
...
After sending out the message, Roland simply waited in silence for New America’s reply.
He was confident they would accept. On one hand, New America needed to expand its gains. On the other… they would probably think he was insane. Taking an entire city required far more than just armed forces—it involved politics, economics, and countless other factors.
That was exactly what Roland intended to take advantage of.
“Their boss isn’t stupid,” Myres said calmly, looking at the politicians aligned with Jamde. “She knows perfectly well what it takes to swallow other major cities. So why would she still make this request?”
“Overconfidence, maybe,” one of them replied casually. “After all, they already control one city, don’t they?”
“Then do you know how many intelligence agents from other corporations are left in Agas City?” Myres sneered as she sat down, fingers interlaced.
The politician froze, then frowned.
“What that means,” Myres continued evenly, “is that we have no clear idea how much power PROJECT Corporation really controls. Especially when there’s a fairly productive iron ore deposit there. If the Unification War weren’t right around the corner, I’d have already sent people to investigate.”
“You’re saying…” the politician hesitated, “that they might already possess strategic-level weapons?”
“I believe they wouldn’t make a request like this without confidence,” Myres said, leaning back in her chair. “At the very least, they already have a strong armed force. Armored vehicles, tanks—those are probably ready. They might even have missiles.”
“How can they dare?!” the politician snapped. “That’s against the rules!”
“What rules?” Myres replied flatly. “New America’s rules? They’re not part of New America. And what do you expect Northern California to do? They’d probably be happier if PROJECT Corporation were stronger. Even with our cooperation, do you really think they want us to reclaim Northern California?”
“Then you’re saying we should refuse them?” the politician asked, frowning.
“No,” Myres said slowly. “We accept. That’s how we get to see what this new friend of ours is really capable of.”
That was the final decision.
...
Not long after, Roland received the reply. A smile spread across his face—like an old farmer watching crops ripen.
After tending the fields for so long, harvest season was finally approaching.
As for Agas City… under the control of Lissandra, Kelly, and a large number of security forces, it had already become a place where PROJECT Corporation’s word was absolute.
They even maintained the illusion that other corporations’ intelligence departments were still operating there. In reality, those departments had been completely wiped out.
It was an unremarkable city to begin with, and PROJECT Corporation’s control over it was frighteningly thorough, so no issues had surfaced.
Now, Agas City was undergoing another transformation. Roland planned to turn it into a missile silo—an audacious move no one would have imagined he’d dare attempt.
At the same time, he had been quietly developing a number of PROJECT Corporation’s war machines: the [Kallant I Tank], the [Mountain Tank], and the [Light Falcon Missile], among others.
There was even an electromagnetic railgun, though Roland had no intention of moving that one out for now.
Agas City was the real base growing in the shadows. The PROJECT Corporation presence in Night City, by contrast, was merely a display piece for outsiders—wildly mismatched with reality. Just… mismatched in the opposite direction.
...
Higashiyama Ryoichi studied the map before him, narrowing his eyes as he considered the most likely candidates for the first battlefield.
After a moment, he marked several locations.
“Send people to scout the areas I’ve selected. At the same time, redeploy part of our forces there as a precaution.”
“Understood. Should we inform the Free States as well?”
“Yes. Have them send personnel to stand by. Unless something unexpected happens, these cities will likely be the first targets. Tell them to prepare defensive works—minefields and small-scale EMP deterrent units can be deployed immediately.”
“What about our heavy firepower?”
“Hm… don’t send too much,” Higashiyama said after a brief pause. “Deploy some mechs and armored vehicles. If necessary, add a few battle tanks. Preserve our air units as much as possible. Until the fleet arrives, our overall combat strength is still limited.”
“Understood.”
The aide nodded and withdrew.
After receiving word from Arasaka, the various Free States also dispatched personnel—but only small contingents, nowhere near what could be considered true frontline forces. They were clearly holding back.
On the other hand, they showed no hesitation at all when it came to preparing medium-range missile coverage.
If things truly went wrong, that would be their final line of insurance.
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.