Event: Old Grudges

Trigger Condition: The MDA chooses to have us dispatch ETSF to support them. D100=57 (30~70)

So, why are we going to fight?
…
Hatred
is an instinct.
No matter how much you deny it,
you cannot swallow it down.

And love is great.
Love can transform hatred.
But the deeper the love was,
the deeper the hatred becomes when it shatters.

Love and hatred are, in essence, one and the same.
Futile rage still holds a glimmer of hope,
but when the heart dies, only one thing remains.

Soldiers are simple. For comrades who have not yet achieved retaliation or revenge, not turning their guns toward the Royalists is already a testament to strict military discipline, let alone fighting side by side.
You can’t force them onto the battlefield, can you? Mind control, is that it?

Thus, after several days of probing and guiding the sentiments of the rank-and-file soldiers through mid-level officers, a special Soldiers’ Congress was convened.

“But, Comrade Commander… Your speech seems to focus heavily on macro-level strategic issues… Only about 10% of it addresses the soldiers’ emotions, right? How will you face their discontent?”

Listening to the young woman’s voice in his earpiece, the Commander, sitting on the podium and glancing at his script, couldn’t help but smile faintly.

“Expecting a single speech to solve everything would be strange. Just watch.”

Just then, soldiers began to file into the venue. A glance at the surveillance feed showed them all alert, without a trace of lifelessness.

?
Zooming in, some even seemed to be suppressing smiles, holding back something with effort.

…
Huh?

Event Effect: Triggers the event "Rebirth."

Event: Rebirth

Possessing the most advanced battlefield computational capabilities, it took UNION a while to recover—not because she had figured things out, but because the congress had ended. However, one thing she was sure of.

Gliding past the soldiers, past the applause, past the corridors, the data stream returned to the command room.

“Comrade Commander, how exactly did you guide them in the past few days? Why did it have this effect?”

A head of white hair suddenly burst onto the screen, causing the Commander, who was organizing his congress notes, to flinch and nearly scatter the documents everywhere. “How did you bypass the notification tone? Never mind, consider this a chance to show you something…”

After placing the files back on the desk, the lesson began.

“Even among the Royalists, they come from different factions. The MDA is just one of them. We were deeply hurt by the Royalist Navy in the past, while the MDA is primarily air force–oriented. Past military observer reports concluded that they excel at aerial bombardment. From this perspective, hatred and the like have little to do with them.”

“Moreover, this isn’t the first time the ETSF has supported the MDA. During the TC/TB War, the ETSF provided them with air defense support, and we hadn’t even begun the fourth round of military reforms back then. The history of cooperation dates back to that time.”

“What’s more, our support isn’t without reason. Our defensive preparations are thorough, but if the SCOURGE were to fortify the airport as a forward base for an extended period—as you’ve calculated—even we would be in grave danger given that level of attack intensity. Protecting them is also about protecting ourselves.”

“And one more thing—our young comrades are all simmering with pent-up fury. This anger has been stifled, left unvented due to the interruption of the war.”

He chuckled softly.

“Guess who the pressure valve will be.”

After finishing, he went back to organizing his things, letting UNION digest the information on her own. After all, her processing speed was incredibly fast.

And indeed, it was fast. “This is logically sound, but… humans are emotional beings. Even with this explanation, there’s bound to be some lingering resentment, almost like sulking. That’s nearly impossible to alleviate. How did you guide them?”

…

He looked up and smiled slightly.

“Just some simple internal propaganda. You can note it like this—compared to a tough guy, humans find it hard to hold a grudge against a ridiculous clown.”

“And what exactly was that?”

He chuckled again.

“Questions that aren’t conducive to international friendship are better left unasked.”

World Event: Anteth Alliance Supports MDA

Today, under the escort of the Anteth Alliance Air Force, the first contingent of ETSF has embarked on their journey.

Under the tremendous pressure posed by the SCOURGE, two opposing factions have finally come together. Here, there is no ideological stance, no divergence in beliefs—only humanity fighting for survival.

The commander of the Wright Island Outpost declared that the SCOURGE’s occupation of the Bandit Airport as a forward base is unacceptable to both the MDA and the Anteth Alliance. At this moment, all of humanity should unite to jointly resist the invasion of the SCOURGE.

According to reliable sources, this support includes anti-aircraft and artillery units, featuring new weapons from the Anteth Alliance, with plans to steadily increase the scale of assistance in the future.

Wish them luck.

D100=58 (30~70)
Not a shred of luck to be found.

Unexpected Event: SCOURGE air forces have taken off from the Bandit Airport in an attempt to intercept the transport ships.