Episode 17: The Launch Celebration

The pirates of the Heavy Hammer faction collect debris from the destroyed merchant convoy. They load every item from the convoy's transport vessels into modified medium transport ships with increased cargo capacity, stuffing them with force.

Dawson monitors the surrounding area with the long-range targeting system of the Big Jaw, assisting the operation.

Eventually, without incident, the Heavy Hammer faction and the Big Jaw depart the region via spatial jump.

Upon returning to the pirate mothership Hamano Onna, a celebration is held to mark the successful completion of the pirate operation.

Made a profit again—made a profit! Took nearly the entire merchant convoy and suffered no damage. This calls for laughter that won’t stop. Hey, bring the food—janjaka, bring the food!

Heh heh heh, as expected of Old Man, generous to a fault. Hey, don’t go mixing in strange stuff. We’re proper pirates, after all!

Seated on a露天 chair in a crowded section of the tavern district, he called over a waiter from a nearby shop and ordered food, which was promptly delivered.

Apparently, even in the tavern district,≪Heavy Hammer≫ is recognized. The waiter responded cheerfully and brought the dishes with evident pleasure.

By acting so generous, others naturally gathered nearby.

"Um, Mr.≪Heavy Hammer≫. Could you spare some of your bounty for this stingy pirate?"

This time I made a good profit. I’ll cover the meal and drink for anyone sitting at the table.

Just so you know, I’ll pay for alcohol, but not for drugs. Try anything funny, and I’ll kick you off the ship.

The pirates listened to the generous words and the warning, and entered the feast in orderly fashion.

Dawson watched the scene from beneath the mask of his space suit, shoulders shrugged. It was not inherently wrong to spend earned money generously. Yet he questioned whether it was wise to allow other pirates to join the feast without any clear purpose.

Still, he reconsidered. What the Heavy Hammer captain did with his earnings was none of his concern.

As Dawson adjusted his mindset, a loud voice came from the male captain of the Heavy Hammer.

"Hey, Heavy Jaw! One of the heroes showing up late, huh? Come on over, get yourself something to eat and drink—this feast isn’t paying for your portion!"

Dawson sat beside the Heavy Hammer’s captain, as he had been invited. Immediately, food was placed before him.

Each dish consisted of thick, oily, dark-colored meals—cultivated meat, algal-structured vegetables, edible oil, and a sprinkling of artificial seasonings and synthetic spices.

Dawson did not know the name of the dish. It bore a strong resemblance to a type of cuisine from Amato Imperial Japan known as 'Chūka.' Still, the color was too deep, and the amount of oil far exceeded that of typical Chūka.

Dawson hesitated slightly at the excessive oil, but seeing the Heavy Hammer crew consume it, he decided it was likely not toxic and tried it.

Dawson opened the visor and mouthpiece of his spacesuit, then brought the forked food to his mouth.

—Un. I see.

The flavor resembled Chūka, yet it remained distinctly different.

First, a thick artificial seasoning (chemical sauce) overwhelmed the palate with intense aroma and saltiness, then sharp artificial spices pierced the tongue. In response, greasiness clung to the tongue as if to neutralize the spiciness, leaving an odd sweetness from sweeteners at the end of consumption.

If asked whether it was edible, Dawson’s tongue judged it as “not inedible”—more precisely, “not something one would choose to eat,” and “one would leave the table if not free of charge.”

The men of the Heavy Hammer ate such food with apparent enjoyment, drinking from large, mouse-colored mugs fashioned from cylindrical pipes.

From their manner of eating, Dawson considered the possibility that the dish might taste better when consumed with alcohol. Yet he would not drink the liquor served on a pirate mother ship. Something with addictive properties beyond alcohol might be present.

Dawson sampled several dishes and decided to eat only the largest fried chicken piece, the most tolerable of the cultivated poultry. The interior tasted purely of poultry, but after frying, an unusual odor was sprinkled onto the coating. Removing a small amount of the seasoning reduced the smell to a tolerable level.

Because Dawson ate only the large fried chicken pieces, the dish was ordered again and brought out in large quantities.

"If you like it, eat as much as you want."

Dawson nodded while chewing. The movement was partly due to the food blocking his mouth, and partly to avoid speaking in the Amato Imperial Japan dialect, which was distinctive and characteristic.

As Dawson continued eating fried chicken without pause, the captain of the Heavy Hammer was called away to another companion’s table.

The man with the rat-like face—captain of a sister ship of the Heavy Hammer—takes the seat. He stares directly at Dawson.

"Hey, you. Don't get too bold. We're just doing our jobs quietly because the old man asked. So don't go thinking you can join the Heavy Hammer crew, alright?"

Dawson closes the mouth of his mask, then looks back at the rat-faced man.

"I don't want to be part of the Heavy Hammer. I don't want to serve under you. I came along only because they wanted to see my skill and my cut was acceptable. If my skills aren't needed, I'll leave the Heavy Hammer immediately."

"Are you serious, you? Just because you seized one large transport vessel, that's all?"

If you think you can just happen to get your hands on a transport vessel, congratulations. No, getting a transport vessel is simple enough—so chance is plausible. The difficulty lies in evading detection by the pirate mothership Hamano Onna and escaping pursuit by SU vessels. I will correct my statement.

If you're that confident, then show me. The Heavy Hammer faction can seize not just one transport vessel, but two or three at once, and escape completely from the SU fleet.

Dawson smiled beneath his mask at the boast.

Then show me. Take down two or three of the massive supply transports. Bring them back. Bring Hamano Onna with you.

The rat-faced man realized he had overreached and looked away.

"Uh, well, that’s hard to say. Decisions are the captain’s job. I’m not the one to be giving orders."

"You’re the captain of a sister ship to the Heavy Hammer. Your word might make the Heavy Hammer’s captain reconsider."

"Sure, maybe… but—"

The rat-faced man stammered, his words muddled. The Heavy Hammer’s captain returned.

"Oh, what’s this? Two of you plotting something? Fine, tell me!"

The rat-faced man flinched at the Heavy Hammer captain’s question.

"N-no, sir. Nothing serious."

"Hmm. Nothing serious, you say. Stealing two or three of the massive supply transports from the Star Arm Nebula in one go? Not serious at all. I see. You’re quite the captain of a sister ship to the Heavy Hammer."

Dawson’s casual remark drew a glare from the rat-faced man. As if to say: mind your own business.

But before that, the captain of the Heavy Hammer spoke first.

“Huh. So you’re planning to attack supply ships in the Star Arm Nebula too. That’s why you’ve got a proven operator on your side. You wouldn’t go after a bigger target otherwise.”

The rat-faced man paled.

“T-That’s not possible. Seriously?”

“Of course it is. Otherwise, why would we test the Big Jaw’s strength?”

“N-No, no. We only took the supply ship because the watch was lax. With the current alert level, there’s no way we could pull it off!”

There’s likely a plan in mind from the <> regarding hunting supply ships. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have made repeated trips through the Star Arm Nebula. Right?

The <> captain, a man who led many pirates, proved to be remarkably perceptive.

Dawson, too, matched that sharpness.

“We joined this hunt because we assumed the <> had interest in supply ships passing through the Star Arm Nebula. In fact, we had already devised a plan to seize one ship—ideally with your help. Still, since you’ve expressed desire for two or three ships, the plan must be revised.”

“So the <> shares the same thinking after all. Indeed, a pirate must aim for something substantial. Something so large that no one else dares touch it.”

Captain of the Heavy Hammer seemed to have taken a liking to Dawson during the conversation and did not leave the seat beside him until the banquet ended.