Siegfried Kircheis' special detachment
Having assumed control of all the territories,
which had defeated the Lippstadt Coalition,
joined Reinhard's main fleet,
at the now-occupied Geiersburg Fortress.
Kircheis!
Well done.
grown too great, haven't they?
Admiral Kircheis' deeds have
Personal feelings are forbidden to a ruler.
You must be tired. Well, sit down.
Wine or coffee?
Which will it be?
if there were some of my sister's cake.
Although it would be better
You can't ask for luxuries on the front lines.
Lord Reinhard, we have to talk.
About what?
butchered on Westerland.
About the two million civilians
What about it?
Lord Reinhard,
and tacitly allowed it for political reasons.
someone told me that you were aware of that plan,
Is it true?
It's true.
Lord Reinhard,
was to establish a justice
I thought the reason you sought power
under the Goldenbaum Dynasty!
which doesn't exist in the empire
That goes without saying.
they're paying for 500 years of unjust privilege.
The downfall of the high nobles is the price
It could be called a historical inevitability,
accompanied by bloodshed.
and I suppose that it's bound to be
But the people mustn't be sacrificed for it!
The new order you would make
freeing the people from unjust oppression!
must be built upon a foundation of
When you sacrifice them,
the ground you stand on?!
isn't it the same as undermining
I told you, I understand that!
far sooner than predicted.
Right now, the civil war has concluded
That's resulted in fewer sacrifices.
it was an unavoidable measure.
Strategically and politically,
Lord Reinhard...
it's a power struggle among equals.
When you fight the high nobles,
No matter what means you use, there is no shame.
their blood is on your hands.
But when you sacrifice the people,
that's a stain you can never wash away.
And no matter how you may justify it,
just for a temporary advantage?!
Lord Reinhard, why do you demean yourself so,
Enough of your preaching!
did I ask your opinion on this subject?!
First of all, Kircheis,
I asked you, did I ask your opinion?
No, you did not.
That's right.
You should speak your opinion when I ask for it.
It's done; don't speak of it again.
But Lord Reinhard...
the people for the sake of politics,
If you're saying you're ready to sacrifice
Rudolf von Goldenbaum?!
how are you any different from
Kircheis!
Yes, sir?
What are you to me?
Marquis Lohengramm.
I am Your Excellency's loyal subordinate,
We can't ignore the Westerland matter.
and stop the attack.
We must dispatch a fleet at once
Please wait, Your Excellency.
to carry out this brutal attack.
We must rather allow the crazed Braunschweig
What?
we prove the inhumanity of the nobles
And then, with footage of it,
under their rule and in their forces' ranks.
and foment dissent among the commoners
It would be more effective than stopping the attack.
Are you suggesting we leave Westerland to die?!
If this civil war ends in victory for the nobles' side,
will be repeated again and again.
the same sort of brutal acts
it will show that they are unfit to rule space.
By exposing it to the entire empire,
But there are two million citizens on Westerland!
Women and children among them...
They'd be...
Your Excellency, think about it rationally.
While those two million lives would be lost,
if this civil war drags on.
it's clear that many more will die
Please consider that!
a simple matter of numbers!
You can't discuss peoples' lives as
Your Excellency...
You're going to be a ruler, Your Excellency.
sacrifice some for the greater good of all.
And there are times when a ruler must
Your Excellency, make the decision now!
of the whole empire.
For the sake of the 25 billion citizens
Your Excellency!
When will the attack on Westerland begin?
In about six hours.
Have the fleet stand by to move out.
Your Excellency!
Don't misunderstand.
till the very last minute.
The decision is that they will wait
Leave me until I call you.
Kircheis...
ever allow me to do this.
If you were here, you'd never,
Is this the path we chose?
Th-this is...
What's the meaning of this?!
It seems that the enemy attacked early.
I'm afraid that the dispatched fleet was too late.
What?!
Then how did we get this video?
I sent out ahead as a precaution.
It's from a reconnaissance ship
Oberstein!
We will beam these images throughout the Empire.
whether justice is on our side or the nobles'.
Even a child will be able to judge
The nobles have put their own necks in the noose.
Is something the matter, Marshal?
to prevent this, but...
It's true, I never gave a decisive order
You did send the fleet to prevent it.
and the fleet was too late.
However, the enemy attack came early,
That's all it was.
You did this deliberately!
about what's already done.
There's no point in complaining
what's happened as best we can,
What we must do is use
so that those two million sacrifices were not in vain.
that wouldn't make it right.
Even if Kircheis understood,
Lord Reinhard will eventually understand.
Won't he, Lady Annerose?
Well, then, I eagerly await the day of your return.
Auf wiedersehen.
Reinhard, are you well-
of what's most important to you.
Please, come what may, never lose sight
Sometimes, it might seem annoying,
to understand the value in not losing them.
but rather than lose them and regret it, I want you
and listen to his opinion.
Discuss things with Sieg, no matter what,
Well, then, I eagerly await the day of-
...in not losing them.
Discuss things with Sieg, no matter what-
more than mine?
My sister values Kircheis' judgment
Perhaps she's right.
Your Excellency, it's Oberstein.
Enter.
You called?
Have a look at this.
It's a letter from Fräulein Mariendorf.
I heard news of your victory-
Marquis Lohengramm,
affairs of state as prime minister,
While Duke Lichtenlade is governing the overall
nobles who stayed behind on Odin.
he's also stirring up enthusiasm among the
a far-reaching scheme at work.
It seems likely that he has
You understand, don't you?
Duke Lichtenlade sees us as an immediate threat,
now that the high nobles have been dealt with.
Is that what you mean?
The old fox...
He seems to be in a hurry to shoot me in the back.
Oberstein!
As soon as tomorrow's victory celebration is over,
you will return to Odin ahead of us.
Prepare for the enemy at our back!
Yes, sir, as you wish.
I want to speak to you about.
But there is one matter
What?
It's about Senior Admiral Kircheis.
that I place too much trust in Kircheis?
You're going to tell me again
Indeed.
special treatment in front of the other commanders
I wish to say that it's inadvisable to give him
as you did a little while ago.
I believe I've already told you:
I consider myself no better than Kircheis.
Kircheis would be my friend.
Even if all of space turned against me,
In fact, he always has been.
And so, I have rewarded him.
How is that wrong?!
Your Excellency,
purge or banish Admiral Kircheis.
I am not telling you to
Reuenthal and Mittermeyer to the same rank,
I'm only suggesting that you advance
any other subordinate.
and to treat him as you would
a Number 2 in an organization.
There is no need for
those who serve under you.
You mustn't divide the loyalties of
Unless you are the sole and absolute leader,
a strong national social order!
you can't hope to establish
All right, enough.
Don't dwell on it.
Did you hear?
apparently had some harsh words.
Marquis Lohengramm and Kircheis
Are you sure about that?
It's a rumor.
Even so, that's a dangerous rumor.
It's extremely dangerous.
Is there any way we can confirm it?
end up fanning the flames higher.
If we meddle carelessly, we might just
will probably stick his nose into it.
At any rate, our chief of staff
Oberstein?
He's a sharp guy, I'll give him that.
But I hate the way he stirs up trouble.
"We don't need a Number 2" argument?
You mean his
There's some merit to it.
what's worked well up till now
The thing is, you can't force a person to change
when they don't agree with your argument.
Especially when it comes to human relations.
And I win.
Jacks, four-of-a-kind.
You buy the wine tomorrow.
I've got four-of-a-kind, too:
queens and a joker.
Too bad, Sturm Wolf.
As always, it looks like you're loved by the ladies.
I don't have very much luck tonight.
I'm going to withdraw.
A good commander knows when to retreat.
I'll let you get away with saying that this time.
See you.
Number 2, huh?
The next day, Marquis Reinhard von Lohengramm
to attend the victory celebration.
once again disembarked on Geiersburg Fortress
to attend the victory celebration.
once again disembarked on Geiersburg Fortress
Sieg Heil!
be carried into the hall.
Excuse me, but weapons may not
I'll take it here.
I'm Senior Admiral Kircheis.
It's never mattered before if I carried a gun, but...
not to allow any exceptions.
I'm very sorry, but we've been ordered
No, it's fine. I understand.
Marquis Reinhard von Lohengramm,
Presenting His Excellency
Supreme Commander of the Imperial Forces!
Begin the audience with the prisoners.
I'm sorry.
Could you just leave me alone, please?
Reinhard...
Say, Kircheis...
The Galactic Empire is at war with the rebels, right?
for nearly 140 years at this point.
Yeah, I think we've been fighting them
Well, what are they doing?
While lots of people are dying on the battlefield,
they're carrying on like it's a festival!
Their relatives never go to war.
They're the highest of nobility.
of other people's pain.
In other words, they know nothing
Power!
I want power!
Reinhard?
Power that will let me take my sister back
to what those worthless people tell me to do.
and not have to meekly listen
then enough to surpass them.
If nobles are my opponents,
then enough to surpass him!
If the kaiser is my opponent,
People like that...
What do they think people are?!
of course to rule over them!
Acting as if it's a matter
Stealing from people, trampling them underfoot,
and then it's their privilege to be forgiven?!
They're corrupt!
This whole empire is corrupt!
Lord Reinhard!
is what he did in becoming kaiser.
What I can't forgive about Rudolf
He set up his toadies as nobles,
and look where that's gotten us.
Haven't you thought about it, Kircheis?
spring into existence with humanity.
The Goldenbaum Dynasty didn't
Rudolf founded it only 500 years ago.
and the Goldenbaum family were just citizens.
Before that, there was no empire,
an upstart man of ambition,
Originally, Rudolf was just
to become a sacred, inviolable kaiser.
and then he rode the current of the times
Lord Reinhard!
Kircheis...
Yes?
for Rudolf is impossible for me?
Do you think that what was possible
It's okay. There's nobody here.
Lord Reinhard, saying things like that is...
It's okay, Kircheis. I've only told you.
Well? Do you think it's impossible?
He might be able to pull it off.
Come with me, Kircheis.
And together, we'll take the universe!
Please, win the universe, Lord Reinhard.
And then...
Kircheis...
Sir?
We do things differently, don't we?
Yes, sir.
It is! Of course it is!
Tiamat, Astarte, and now, Amritsar!
when I'm on the verge of complete victory?!
Why does he always show up to thwart me
I'm sure it must be unsatisfying to him, as well.
Count Lohengramm from the start?
He likely wonders why can't he face off with
by two strong enemies:
Lord Reinhard, you're surrounded
and the high nobles to the rear.
Admiral Yang to the front,
your own subordinates, as well!
Don't make more enemies among
All right, I was wrong.
Thank you very much.
No, it's I who should thank you.
You made your point well, Kircheis.
Kircheis?
Yes, sir?
Do you believe that I can seize the universe?
come true, Lord Reinhard?
Who else but you could make that
Lord Reinhard will eventually understand.
Hasn't he always over these last eleven years?
Hasn't he always?
Fahrenheit? It's been a long time, hasn't it?
Not since the Battle of Astarte, right?
Yes, sir.
an uncharacteristic mistake.
Siding with Duke Braunschweig was
How about it?
and live your life as a soldier?
Why don't you swear to obey me
I am a soldier of the Empire.
assumed command of the military,
Now that Your Excellency has rightfully
I will respectfully obey.
but I'd like to return to it.
I feel like I've strayed somewhat from that path,
Very well.
is too valuable to waste.
I also think your talent for command
I will allow you to join the ranks of the admirals.
Hereafter, serve me loyally.
Sir!
The body of his lord...
Quite a gift, isn't it?
Marquis Lohengramm, I shall avenge my lord!
To be continued next time...
The Day Before Destiny
In their hearts, people amass
Tears of such magnificent warmth
You go on, though the way is blocked
By heavy futility as the war drags on
Don't kill your dreams
Follow your dreams
Follow the glimmer of the distant galaxy
With your cheeks wet with tears catching the light
Make for that happy day
Cross the bridge of light
Lay bare your heart
Cross the bridge of light
Set free your tears and love
NEXT EPISODE
strikes Reinhard's other half.
A shot loosed by Ansbach
something that he cannot lose?
How does a person change when he loses
Next time, on Legend of the Galactic Heroes,
"Farewell, Distant Days"
Episode 26:
Another page turns in the history of the galaxy.
Farewell, Distant Days
Next Legend of the Galactic Heroes