Ah, finally time for the story to start properly.
So the solution this adapation takes for the vaccant chief of staff seat is to...just not adress it at all. Umm, ok that's one way to go about it.
Actually, I do wonder if Flegel ends up with it. That would be one explanation why Mückenberger had to vacate it so early.
One thing that annoys me about this adaptation is it's sense of pacing. Despite taking it's sweet ass time to get to the starting line it feels like it's constantly rushing from scene to scene. I'm missing a certain gravitas that was both present in the Novels and the OVA.