VOTOMS Pailsen Files Ep. 10: Strategic Motion

On Melkia, Secretary of Defense Noidot flies to the capital for a meeting at the Supreme State Strategic Conference Building. Wokkam addresses a crowd of high-ranking officers at the meeting and states that the Hundred Year War is about to come to a close due to secret negotiations between the Gilgamesh and Balarant. He tells them they’re the only ones who know this, and that if they just sit back and wait, the war will end. Wokkam then shows video displays for strategic course Z0-5, which he says will result in the least amount of casualties and pave the way for peace. He then suggests an alternate plan that will give them a geopolitical victory because he claims Z0-5 doesn’t include post-war planning. Wokkam’s plan is to attack Monad, a heavily fortified Balarant planet. Noidot is conferenced into the meeting from his helicopter and speaks to Nehalco, who wants to stop Wokkam. Noidot says that won’t be easy, so they have to expose Wokkam on something, but he’s cut off when his helicopter suddenly explodes in a ball of fire. Wokkam explains that the Balarant have spent 50 years fortifying Monad, and an officer asks why Wokkam objects now when his own department was involved in the planning for Z0-5. Wokkam answers that circumstances have changed, and the officer rejects the plan, which would require 120 million soldiers. Another officer points out that the most Gilgamesh has ever sent into battle is 20 million soldiers and asks Wokkam what kind of casualties he’s predicting. Wokkam explains that the Intelligence Division’s ISS force will take control of Monad’s core, and recess is called when news come in of Noidot’s helicopter crashing. In a private room, Nehalco, Rackinson and several other officers discuss the possibility that Wokkam arranged Noidot’s assassination because it’s too coincidental. Nehalco comments that they’ll have to compromise with Wokkam because the committee members are in fear now. He thinks they should actively support the mission so that Wokkam doesn’t get all the credit for it. Wokkam tells Ruske that he’s going to Kuzusk and will wait for the results. When the meeting starts again, Wokkam states that attacking Monad is risky and may prolong the war, but he thinks it’s more embarrassing to end the war and not control the planet. As they fly to Kuzusk, Ruske informs Wokkam that the Barkoff squad is also on its way. Later, Wokkam meets with Pailsen and says it’s unfortunate Pailsen won’t reap the benefits of the seeds he’s sown. Pailsen comments that the war is going to end soon, three months earlier than what his personal analysis had predicted. Wokkam says everything will end at Monad and returns the Pailsen Files disk. Pailsen tells him to stop the operation because his work was a mistake. Wokkam doesn’t believe that since Pailsen found several supreme survivors and found a way to make an artificial one through Zaki. Pailsen comments that while the others are miraculous, Chirico is the only true supreme survivor. Wokkam apologizes for using so many chemicals to interrogate Pailsen and comments that people who are injected with lethal doses don’t live more than two weeks.

The Barkoff squad flies in a VIP helicopter and is taken to the remote hospital on Kuzusk. The squad is taken to a room where they’re watched behind a glass wall by Wokkam and Ruske. The glass wall is lifted, and Wokkam introduces himself. Ruske tells them they’ve been transferred to ISS, which offers vastly higher pay and retirement benefits over the regular army. Ruske asks if there’s any questions, and Barkoff asks if Wokkam had collected them together from the start. Wokkam answers that he was watching them and decided to bring them together because the military hadn’t noticed their abilities. Barkoff asks if there’s something special about them, and Ruske explains that the question will be answered after the next operation. After three days of rest, the Barkoff squad will be part of an advance force for a special operation involving the entire Gilgamesh force. As Wokkam and Ruske leave, Kochak runs over before the glass wall closes. Kochak says he’s done everything they ask and wants to retire, but Ruske tells him that’ll happen after the next operation. Later, the squad gets to relax inside the luxurious facilities and swim in pools and spas. Wokkam comments to Ruske that Chirico seems no different from the others and that they’re all supreme survivors. Ruske gets a phone call from Melkia and informs Wokkam that the military is unanimously supporting the plan to attack Monad. With the three days of leave over, Chirico thinks about how Wokkam is watching him. As they move out, Zaki complains about having to leave. Pailsen looks out his window and sees Chirico and the others boarding a helicopter. Nehalco gives a speech to the assembled soldiers and declares that Monad will be the battle that decides the fate of the Astragius Galaxy. In space, a massive Gilgamesh fleet approaches Monad. As the fleet opens fire on Monad’s exterior defenses, thousands of Scopedogs and AT Landing Craft launch from battleships. On Melkia, an Rackinson comments that every second of the operation costs 4.5 billion credits, and in four days the figure will surpass all of Melkia’s budget. Nehalco says that once the war is over, the military will have to dramatically cut its budget, meaning they’ll have to retire. Gilgamesh battleships move closer to Monad and come under heavy fire from the planet’s gun turrets. The Barkoff squad launches from an AT dropship and speeds through a trench on Monad’s surface and down into a large shaft.