Episode 32: Pirate Ship ABC and Destroyer

Dawson waits in the sector where three destroyers are expected to appear.

"According to the schedule, they should jump in within the hour."

"SU ships routinely deviate from their schedules. In Amato Imperial Japan, we wouldn't need to wait an hour in advance."

"In Amato Imperial Japan, the environment itself makes survival difficult for space pirates. They're annihilated immediately upon detection."

"Considering that, SU's security operations seem rather careless. Pirate bases appear constantly."

While exchanging such remarks, Dawson and the others wait for their prey to arrive.

When a spacecraft performs long-distance travel, it jumps a fixed distance, waits for the jump drive to recharge, then jumps again. Repeating this process allows movement within a spiral arm at speeds exceeding light speed.

Most civilian spacecraft, for the sake of cargo capacity, do not carry energy recharging systems like the one aboard the *Mandible*, making continuous jumps impossible.

Military vessels carry recharging systems, enabling continuous jumps. However, the stored energy can also be diverted to charged particle beam turrets or thermal beam gun emplacements. Therefore, it is standard practice for military vessels to reserve energy in the recharging system for dense defensive barrages.

Military vessels cannot freely expend energy from their charging systems. As a result, like civilian ships, they must recharge the jump drive's energy after each jump.

Pirates target the intervals between jumps. SU pirates attack merchant vessels and military ships during these periods.

The method of attacking during jump intervals directly correlates to the difficulty of pirate operations on the Star Arm Nebula (main route) and the Interstellar Side Route (sub route).

The Star Arm Nebula connects stable regions of space with minimal obstacles. Each vessel can perform jump movements according to the capabilities of its own jump system. Therefore, when pirates attempt to intercept a vessel along the Star Arm Nebula, they must accurately predict where the target vessel will emerge after jumping, based solely on that vessel’s jump capacity.

At first glance, this appears difficult. However, if information about the target ship is available, prediction becomes possible through computational analysis in the network. Accurate data is essential, requiring the expenditure of appropriate information resources. For example, a pirate base commander or an information broker capable of accessing data servers.

In contrast, conducting piracy operations along the Interstellar Side Route significantly reduces difficulty.

The Interstellar Side Route contains both safe and hazardous sectors. Most vessels specify safe sectors when performing jumps. In effect, setting nets in those sectors means prey will catch itself. There is no need to track vessel jump capabilities.

There is no need to collect information about attacking vessels if one does not intend to distinguish between profitable and unprofitable targets. No need to gather data means no need to spend extra funds.

This is why pirates increasingly operate along the Interstellar Side Route rather than the Star Arm Nebula.

To Dawson, spending resources on information is natural. He was drilled on the importance of data at the Officer Academy. With Oine’s processing capacity, predicting a vessel’s jump destination is straightforward.

Thus, success in the Star Arm Nebula was inevitable. It was natural that the targeted SU military vessels would appear exactly where predicted.

"Ship silhouette confirmed. Targeting for long-range artillery—three destroyers. Oine’s assessment?"

"Same as Dawson’s. No doubt about the targeted destroyers."

"Then send a message to the pirate vessel ABC. Tell them we’re beginning operations. Recovery of the destroyed destroyers is your responsibility."

"Message sent. Still, those three. Their names suggest they were intended to be grouped together as ABC."

"From the perspective of Amato Imperial Japan’s sensibility, their names feel like they’re meant to merge into one."

"Ah, I see. A naming convention like A for head, B for torso, C for legs—like a combined robot."

"Still, those three ships look like metal rectangular prisms—hard to imagine them merging."

"From a structural standpoint, merging seems impossible."

Dawson and Oine redirected their focus from the ABC ships, their disappointment evident, toward the SU destroyer.

"Relative distance confirmed. First shot: eighty percent energy, maximum convergence. Second shot: one hundred percent energy, slightly reduced convergence for targeting priority."

"Understood. Charged Particle Beam operational. Ready to fire at any time."

"Then fire."

Dawson pulled the trigger on the control stick. A bright white beam extended straight from the Charged Particle Beam on the <>. The beam's diameter matched that of the destroyer-mounted version used previously. The expected yield was comparable.

The target was the S.U. destroyer. Both Dawson and Oine judged the yield sufficient.

The assessment was correct. The charged heavy particle barrage pierced the destroyer's armor at an angle, destroyed the fusion generator behind the armor, and released the energy contained within.

Ignoring the destroyer glowing from the surge of energy, Dawson adjusted aim to the next destroyer.

"Re-fire!"

This time, the charged heavy particle beam was three times the width of light compared to the previous shot. The increased width resulted from full energy output and a slight reduction in charged heavy particle convergence rate.

The targeted destroyer lost most of the area from its bridge to the command center, severed entirely by the thick beam of charged heavy particle light.

One destroyer disabled by generator damage. One rendered ineffective after losing command and navigation functions. That makes three.

"Let's see. What will the third do while we finish reloading?"

With two sister ships rendered inoperable, the remaining one would not attempt to flee alone and seek revenge.

Dawson's prediction proves completely wrong.

"Final destroyer. Turning bow around. Preparing to retreat. Appears to be fleeing to a range beyond our fire, then jumping to escape."

"…Seriously? What's the current reload status?"

"Below twenty percent. Unable to fire."

"Would we have time to finish reloading and target that destroyer before it jumps?"

"Unlikely. Even if the *Mandible* jumps in close to the destroyer, it would likely abandon its companions and flee. It is not a vessel that would stay to fight."

"Then there is nothing to be done. We must ignore that one. We must transport the destroyed destroyer before it calls for reinforcements."

"Could we not turn the incoming reinforcements into a victory?"

"Idiot. I will not engage an unknown vessel. The *Mandible* is barely capable of fighting a destroyer under normal conditions."

"Even a single broadside would be fatal. The armor on this ship is that weak."

Let the pirates who have transferred to an Orbit Patrol Cruiser or destroyer handle the direct combat. We will remain concealed, moving stealthily, and achieve results one vessel at a time.

Dawson sent a message to the pirate ship ABC, requesting that they tow the two destroyed destroyers to Chicken Ball.