Side Note:伪装 Battlecruiser <>
The伪装 Battlecruiser <>, assigned to the SU Space Force, navigated the Star Arm Nebula alongside two other伪装 vessels. Around the three ships, thirty paper-thin spacecraft, mimicking mercenary escorts, maintained equal spacing and automatically followed.
The purpose of these three vessels was the elimination of a pirate group currently disrupting the Star Arm Nebula.
Normally, deploying three specialized伪装 vessels and thirty paper-thin spacecraft would be excessive for eliminating pirates. The cost outweighed the benefit.
Yet this time, the SU Space Force disregarded cost-benefit entirely in forming the unit.
The safety of this region within the Star Arm Nebula had deteriorated to a point where such measures were unavoidable.
Captain Dawson of the disguised heavy cruiser *Hermes* sighed at this reality.
"Handling the pirates attacking supply ships in the Star Arm Nebula earlier would have avoided this unnecessary expense."
A reasonable point, yet one only possible in hindsight.
The incident of supply ships being targeted in the Star Arm Nebula had initially been dismissed as insignificant. Only two cocoons had been stolen. Everyone assumed a patrol vessel or mercenary unit would deal with it eventually.
But as time passed, the damage grew from two to ten, then to one hundred, and finally to entire ships being lost.
When surviving crew members were rescued, they all voiced the same accusations.
Was the Star Arm Nebula safe because the Star Union Military was guarding it? If so, why were the ships being stolen?
The victims’ statements garnered widespread sympathy. Public outrage erupted, accusing the Star Union Military of negligence allowing pirates to flourish.
Had this been a simple civilian movement, the SU Military would have dismissed it with minimal response—typical of their usual approach.
But the matter did not end there.
The fact that the affected cargo vessel belonged to a certain massive conglomerate escalated the situation into a major crisis.
"The stability of the Star Arm Nebula is essential to the economic stability of the entire Orion Arm. If this stability continues to be compromised, and cargo vessels are seized by pirates without intervention, the government will be held accountable."
The politicians and high-ranking officials of the SU government recoiled at the corporate representative's declaration.
An outsider might think it impossible for the SU government, which controls a vast dominion in space, to fear the words of a single corporation.
Yet in the current SU space domain, power belongs not to politicians or high-ranking officials, but to the leaders of major corporations.
Since major corporations conduct business across the entire Orion Arm, their financial strength matches that of the government, and they control numerous star systems.
The extent of danger posed by corporations that hold wealth and territory becomes clear when one considers that the predecessor of the TR (True Rights) group—a coalition opposed to the government—was once a major corporation pressured by the SU government and other corporations.
The SU government and the space fleet have finally begun to act, committing resources to secure the safety of the Star Arm Nebula.
The space fleet mobilized surplus vessels for surveillance, disbanded those gathered for the expansion plan into the New Star Arm, and assigned them to escort large corporate ships through the Star Arm Nebula. The response was immediate and intense.
Shortly after increasing security presence in the Star Arm Nebula, pirate attacks intensified.
Most pirates targeted merchant convoys without space fleet protection. While mercenaries repelled the majority of attacks, captured transport ships were a confirmed outcome.
Some pirates attacked regardless of space fleet presence. Sky Sweepers and lightly armored older vessels sustained damage.
The capture of transport ships and damage to warships escalated public anger toward the space fleet beyond restraint.
At that moment, a highly organized pirate group emerged and seized two supply transports. Thereafter, supply transports continued to be seized with increasing frequency.
Public anger toward the space fleet could no longer be contained.
"The space fleet is incompetent! The politicians who steer the military are no better! If you're going to take our taxes, do your jobs properly! If you must fight over politics and privilege, secure space safety first!"
Capitalizing on the rising public outcry, multiple large corporations issued a joint statement.
"Given the severity of the situation and the government's repeated failures, we express strong concern. If current conditions continue, we will be forced to withdraw confidence from the ruling party. And if that motion is rejected, we will not hesitate to pursue independent action."
The SU sectors were stunned by the declaration calling for a government overhaul and hinting at withdrawal from the SU economy.
Everyone feared that, left unchecked, a second TR might emerge.
That fear was enough to compel the SU government to order the navy to conduct unprofitable operations.
Driven by panic, the SU government assembled a formation of three decoy vessels—absolutely certain to trap the pirates.
This government's choice happened to succeed this time. The pirate group attacked the three decoy vessels.
On the bridge of the decoy heavy cruiser *Hermes*, the observer shouted.
"Gunfire detected from the convoy previously sighted ahead and to the left! Solid rounds!"
The ship shuddered from a hit immediately after the report. The tremor was slight. No significant damage was indicated.
The Captain issued the standard command for when under attack.
"Damage check! Concentrate the decoy vessels toward the assailant's predicted position! And classify that convoy as pirates!"
"Damage check: primary armor intact, no casualties."
"Unmanned vessel, relocating. Commencing harassment fire toward the pirate convoy!"
The unmanned vessel discharged its weak armament. Numerous energy beams launched, but fell short, vanishing into the void before reaching the location of the pirate convoy.
The Captain observed the scene and issued another order.
"This tactic matches that of the known pirates. If genuine, the pirate ships would have jumped in by now. Prepare for interception."
"Interception readiness. Camouflage plating, prepare for movement. Maximum energy supply to turrets and gun mounts."
"Pirate ships have transited. Ten vessels, astern to the right of this vessel. Additional transit detected. Twenty more, to the left of the second vessel! Unmanned ships are being destroyed one after another!"
"Pirate ships are firing. Explosion detected on camouflage armor. They are using armor-piercing howitzers!"
"Stay calm. Broadcast to all ships! Disengage camouflage. Eliminate the pirate vessels! Turrets target large pirate ships. Gun mounts target medium and smaller vessels! Engage at will once targeting is confirmed!"
Under the Captain's order, three伪装 ships released their armaments.
The pirates, startled by the transformation from supply freighters to vessels with protruding cannons and gun mounts, faltered in their actions.
The pirates' slowed vessels came into range of the disguised ships. At the moment of alignment, cannon fire and small-arms fire began.
"All ships, main gun first salvo. Large pirate vessel three, destroyed. Gun emplacement fire, medium pirate vessel two, heavily damaged—sink on pursuit."
"Maintain pressure. Eliminate them here. Information on the base, gather only from survivors."
"Understood—no, second ship has deployed anchor harpoons and captured one pirate vessel. Ground forces deployed to the captured ship. Report confirms assault teams have begun securing all sections."
"Good. Then there is no reason to spare the remaining pirate vessels. Full broadside fire—annihilate them!"
One pirate vessel after another fell, struck by fire from the disguised ships' turrets and gun emplacements.
The pirates realize the trap and attempt to flee, but their efforts are uneven. Survivors have split into a large group and several smaller ones.
"Consolidate into a single group and it would be easier to eliminate. Focus attacks on the large group. Use light fire from gun emplacements to suppress the smaller groups. Do not let either escape."
"Full broadside fire on the large pirate group. Multiple destroy."
"The large group has halted its retreat and is charging directly toward us. Initiate suppressive fire."
"The small group continues to flee. One large vessel is being used as a shield to absorb fire from gun emplacements."
"Continue attacks on the large group. Redirect one turret to fire broadside at the small group. Eliminate the large vessel."
The captain’s order was executed immediately. The large pirate group suffered severe damage. The large vessel of the small group was shattered.
The large group had few survivors left. It could no longer move in coordinated formation. It scattered, attempting to flee in all directions. Yet each one was eliminated in turn by precise fire from the disguised vessel.
The small group appeared to have escaped using the explosion of the large ship as cover, performing a spatial jump.
"Damn. They got away. Connect to the second vessel. Have them locate the pirates’ base."
"Command sent. Response received: interrogation of pirates and analysis of data from the ship."
Having completed the sweep of remaining pirate vessels in this sector, data on the pirates’ base was transmitted from the second vessel.
"This coordinate lies within the asteroid belt. Hidden in a place like this. Good. Jump to this location and eliminate the remaining pirates!"
"Captain. Vessels two and three cannot jump immediately. Energy was diverted to armament. Recharge will take time."
"Those two vessels are modified Lortle Orbit Patrol Cruisers, old systems. There is nothing to be done. Proceed alone to the pirate base. If we delay, they will escape."
"Understood. Transmit order to vessels two and three. They will follow later."
"Good. Heavy Cruiser *Hermes*, prepare for jump. Destination: the base, as reported by the pirates!"
With determined resolve, the disguised Heavy Cruiser *Hermes* moved alone into the pirate base, located within the asteroid belt.
The Captain’s calculations proved incorrect. No base-like structure was visible. Given the number of pirate vessels present, the location appeared to be a relay point for movement toward the main base.
"Even pirates aren’t so foolish as to leave their base coordinates in the data stream."
"Pirate vessels in the sector initiating escape. Attempting to evade by blending into the asteroid field."
"Originally intended to capture and extract base location. Capture appears unlikely. No alternative. Eliminate all pirates present. Turrets and gun emplacements, full operational status!"
"Targeting pirate vessels. Firing sequence initiated."
The pirate vessels fell one after another under the attack from the disguised Heavy Cruiser *Hermes*.
Several attempts at asteroid bombardment and coordinated counterattacks from the pirates were made, but the Heavy Cruiser’s armor remained intact.
"Targeting the propulsion system with the Charged Particle Beam— that one gave me the most concern. But there is no problem, correct?"
"First armor layer has detached, but the second remains intact. Damage is minor. Maintenance inspection is required upon return, but combat capability is unaffected."
"Then that is acceptable. What is the status of the pirates?"
"Numerous asteroids are drifting in the vicinity. The destruction rate is low. Approximately sixty percent."
"Sixty percent destroyed. That means forty percent escaped. We certainly gave them a lesson, but it is difficult to call this a major victory."
The mission of the disguised Heavy Cruiser *Hermes* is to eliminate the pirates and restore peace to the Star Arm Nebula.
The powerful pirate group targeting supply transports, a recent focus of attention, was eradicated through attacks by three disguised vessels. A small number of survivors escaped via transfer, but with such extensive damage inflicted, they will likely not resume operations in the Star Arm Nebula.
Yet, the failure to destroy the pirate base and the escape of forty percent of the pirates stationed in this asteroid belt represent outcomes that cannot be celebrated outright.
"More will be criticized for failing to strike the base than for defeating so many pirates."
The Captain of the disguised heavy cruiser *Hermes* attempted to salvage data from the destroyed pirate vessel, clinging to a single remaining hope.
However, the heavy cruiser's bombardment and gunfire proved too intense, and nearly all data had been destroyed.
Dawson attempted to extract data using the tracking device, but interference from materials within the drifting asteroids disrupted the system. Information could not be retrieved reliably.
The outcome was limited to the destruction of numerous pirates. The Hermes had no choice but to accept this result as sufficient.