Episode 85: Cleanup
Dawson had protected the Chicken Ball from the SU Fleet.
Among his accomplishments, he was pleased that the enemy fleet had been completely destroyed.
"All defensive weapons of the Chicken Ball were used. If this information were brought back to the SU Fleet, future defense would be difficult."
Dawson exhaled relief and issued orders to the Engineer Robots.
Sealing the holes opened by the fleet. Removing destroyed corridors and barricades from combat. Retrieving destroyed androids and robots. Transporting enemy corpses.
Dawson also directed the surviving friendly fleet, overseeing the operation to transport SU Fleet vessels to the Chicken Ball’s port.
Transporting five hundred destroyed enemy vessels with only about twenty remaining ships is a demanding task.
Fortunately, there is a transport vessel available—called a Carrysh.
Using this Carrysh on pirate ships slightly improved operational efficiency.
While overseeing this cleanup, a congratulatory message arrived from a company supporting Chicken Ball.
Dawson glanced at the message. A faint smile touched his lips.
"Seems the corporation has decided to break away from SU government and establish its own faction."
Oine, Cori, and Hitokane nodded, unsurprised. Beira and Kiwaka looked skeptical.
"Didn't the corporation hand Chicken Ball's coordinates to SU forces? Why would they go independent now?"
"That’s right. If they truly sought independence, they’d need the pirate group known as Chicken Ball. Why provoke hostility now?"
The two objections were valid. Dawson understood the corporation’s reasoning.
"Pirates are merely a gathering of thugs. Their credibility is low compared to military personnel. If they are to serve as combat assets during independence, they must at least be capable of defeating an opponent at a base like Chicken Ball. Such reasoning is unavoidable."
"So they deliberately provided the information to test their capability?"
"If they’re forced into a life-or-death conflict based on such arbitrary grounds, pirates would naturally be angry."
Ordinary pirates do not know that corporations support Chicken Ball. Corporations only communicate with General Kernel. In essence, pirates direct their anger toward the SU Space Force they have actually fought.
Evidence of that anger exists for Dawson.
From the work report issued by the Engineer Robot, Dawson selects a single photograph and transmits it to Bera and Kiwaka.
The photograph shows pirates using the corpses of SU Space Force soldiers as targets.
"Ugh... Dawson-sama, please stop..."
"Why... why would they do something like this?"
"Even if Bera is excusable, didn't you learn, Kiwaka? A person untrained as a soldier, exposed to battlefield heat, will react this way."
The relief from the fear of death easily loosens the restraint of human reason.
Actions toward those considered enemies tend to be harsh. Examples are numerous—abuse of prisoners, massacres of occupied populations—dating back to when humanity lived only on Earth.
Soldiers are taught battlefield etiquette to prevent unnecessary violence. History teaches that treating enemy soldiers as human beings earns favorable evaluation in later generations.
The pirates had not received such education.
The pirates are a criminal collective that attacks merchant vessels. Even with a privateering license from TR, that remains unchanged.
A criminal will not listen to a plea to honor humanity.
"Let me be clear — the pirates of Chicken Ball are still among the well-behaved. If this were another location — if it were Hamano Onna, as I know it — the situation would have been far worse."
Dawson's opinion is shared by Oine.
"Yes. There are those who might torture someone alive just for sport. Or perhaps even eat them while still alive?"
Oine's words were half-joke, but the others, unaware, turned pale.
Kiwaka's expression said clearly he could not believe it.
"What is this? Are Orion Arm pirates reverting to some primitive barbarism?"
"Hard to deny. On Hamano Onna, drugs that would reduce a person to a vegetable were commonplace."
"Some restaurants even used banned substances as hidden flavoring."
Kiwaka rubbed his head, overwhelmed by Dawson and Oine's explanation.
Dawson watched Kiwaka's reaction and felt a pang of memory—this was how he had felt at first.
At Chicken Ball, cleanup prioritized sealing the large crater and repairing defensive weapons.
Once both tasks were complete, the Engineer Robots were redirected immediately to repair S.U. military vessels.
Dawson’s fleet had dwindled to nearly twenty ships. Replenishment was urgent.
"Enemy vessels—five hundred of them—could be reduced to one hundred by salvaging only usable components."
"Ships below destroyer class are shredded beyond repair by Chicken Ball’s defense systems. They’re only useful for spare parts."
"Conversely, that means we could acquire one hundred vessels of cruiser class or larger. That’s not a bad outcome."
Combined with the remaining twenty, that made one hundred and twenty—equal to the combat strength of a reinforced battalion.
Even considering the constraint that crew would have to be replaced with artificial intelligence to maintain operational capacity, it was a significant force.
"Maintaining control over the sectors dominated by Chicken Ball and that particular corporation would be sufficient force, one might say."
"Given this force and Chicken Ball as a backdrop, the corporation is likely to adopt a firm stance toward SU."
"Perhaps not. The corporation's argument will undoubtedly be two-pronged: 'We question SU's ability to maintain order, so we request permission to build our own forces,' and 'Since we now maintain order in our sector, we will no longer pay taxes to the SU government.' They do not wish to confront SU directly, like TR does."
"Then the corporation would side with SU even if it declared independence?"
"The corporation is a gathering of merchants. And as merchants, they likely intend to remain neutral, trading with both SU and TR. That is more profitable."
"From SU's perspective, if they don't actively oppose us, we'll overlook their actions. From TR's perspective, having SU as a rival is ideal. That's the situation."
"An effective strategy, indeed. Except for the fact that maintaining neutrality is extremely difficult."
Taking sides in any direction risks provoking retaliation from the other party.
Yet, consistently favoring both sides may lead SU and TR to temporarily unite, dividing corporate assets and orbital zones.
The corporation must therefore maintain favorable relations with both SU and TR while preserving a safe distance, extracting profit without inciting lasting hostility.
Considering the burden, Dawson never considered joining the corporation.
"Always walking a tightrope. Either a balding mind or a stomach ulcer from stress—no other future possible."
"From the perspective of corporate personnel, success in such extreme conditions is what matters."
Dawson and Oine both shook their heads, unable to comprehend the idea.
"Regardless, this means the Chicken Ball and corporate sectors have now detached from SU. The reduction of SU's controlled space is something to be welcomed."
"Even if this sector gains independence, it doesn't seem likely to stop SU from advancing toward the Amato Arm."
"I understand that. This result is merely a preliminary step toward completing the mission."
Dawson hoped. He hoped that once word spread of Chicken Ball and the corporations breaking free from SU, momentum for independence would grow in other sectors.
And that the corporations rooted in those sectors would align with that momentum.
There are successful precedents. Anyone observant would not fail to target the second eel.
If unrest over independence breaks out in other sectors, SU will act to stop it.
That would force SU to redirect its gaze—previously aimed at Amato Arm as a disposal site for excess personnel and obsolete vessels—back toward its own immediate vicinity.
"If independence movements are unlikely to emerge, we can always spark them ourselves."
Dawson muttered to himself, then resumed checking the performance of each department within Chicken Ball.