Episode 86 Private Military Company
Repair of the Chicken Ball and maintenance of the captured SU space vessels.
Although additional defense systems were required for Chicken Ball and some vessels remained unrepaired due to material shortages, a temporary conclusion had been reached.
A development had occurred in the relationship between Chicken Ball and the corporation.
Dawson would hear the progress report from General Kernel.
"Chicken Ball wishes to be fully converted into a Private Military Company and enter into operational cooperation?"
"Private Military Companies are legitimate entities and may be engaged in transactions. Pirates are criminals and cannot be transaction partners. But a Private Military Company may be."
"That is a favorable interpretation. But will the pirates comply? They are individuals who chose attacking merchant ships as their livelihood through ship modification."
"If they become employees of a company, they will receive regular pay."
“What if you refuse?”
“Then we cannot provide support as before. If you do not incorporate into a company, you must build vessels through your own manufacturing company, establish a subsidiary Private Military Company, and leave Chicken Ball to fend for itself.”
“If they can do that, why didn’t they just start that way?”
“It’s expensive. Companies prefer to minimize costs when achieving the same result.”
“So it’s cheaper to lease from an existing entity than to build one from scratch. If you form a subsidiary, you must guarantee employment. But with a partnership, you bear no such responsibility.”
Dawson understood the company’s logic.
Goud Mujiyo, a brigadier general attending the meeting, spoke with a questioning expression.
“What need is there to think about it? Just become a Private Military Company.”
Dawson and General Kernel both react with disbelief to Goudo’s careless words.
“Normally, I’d consider it.”
“But only if Chicken Ball were truly a pirate base.”
Goudo shows no sign of understanding their explanation.
Dawson then takes the lead in providing a detailed explanation.
“Chicken Ball is still officially a pirate base. But secretly, it’s serving as an outpost for Amato Imperial Japan. You understand that?”
“Of course. I understand that much.”
“Then you understand that becoming a Private Military Company and partnering with that corporation would interfere with operations?”
“Interfere with operations?”
Dawson sees that Goudo still does not grasp the point. He continues explaining.
Our mission is to ensure that forces within the SU-controlled space domain, including the SU government, never reach the Amato Arm permanently. For this reason, it is preferable that our combat assets remain free to maneuver.
That is logical. Even if we discover a groundbreaking strategy, we cannot implement it without movable assets.
The freedom to deploy these assets would be restricted if we were to militarize Chicken Ball. As a corporation, we would need to account for how much capital we invested, where, whether material usage was appropriate, and how many personnel we employ. As a corporation, we would need to maintain records.
I see. Our available assets would have to be made public. Any unaccounted funds or materials would then be open to scrutiny.
If things reach this state, the secret mission of the Amato Imperial Japan Star Navy risks exposure through ledgers and material movements. If our existence becomes known, the Amato Star Arm is likely to be endangered.
"Just existence being known?"
"The SU government treats the Amato Star Arm as a personnel and waste disposal site because it believes the Amato Star Arm is a barren world where settlers would die out. But if it becomes known that people already live there, and that a portion of the star system is already developed, they will send forces to seize it."
"We abandon people and supplies only because Orion Star Arm lacks surplus capacity. Once a new habitable location is found, we will deploy excess personnel and materials to claim a new territory. And facing a new settlement as a resource, there will be no reason for corporations to remain separate from the SU government."
Corporations sought independence from the SU government because they no longer wished to pay taxes. But tracing back to the origin, it was due to the lack of development potential in the Orion Arm, economic rigidity becoming apparent, and difficulty in finding new business opportunities. They wanted to maintain existing privileges.
When economic growth can no longer be expected, the government will raise tax rates to increase revenue. But if that happens, corporate profits will decline. So they chose independence in advance, securing their profits before such a time arrived.
For this reason, both the SU government and the corporations wish to keep the existence of the Amato Arm hidden.
Yet there is a risk of this secret being exposed, especially with the Private Military Company known as Chicken Ball.
"Refusing the corporate offer would be the easiest solution."
Refusing an offer from a pirate would lead the corporation to question the reason.
Dawson and General Kernel agreed.
Goudo understood this situation was awkward, to say the least.
"How do we proceed? We must keep Amato Imperial Japan hidden, yet appear cooperative with the corporation. Is there a solution?"
Dawson had a method. Not a clever one, but a kind of rhetorical maneuver.
"Establish a Private Military Company. Not at Chicken Ball, but at a different location provided by the corporation. Chicken Ball remains a pirate base as before. The company will now also serve as a supplier of ships and personnel."
"I see the complexity. But what changes?"
Simply put, inserting a military company between the corporation and Chicken Ball cuts off the corporation’s direct access to Chicken Ball’s inner operations.
The corporation will investigate the military company’s ledgers, personnel, and financial flows, as it would with any business partner.
But Amato Imperial Japan’s influence extends only to Chicken Ball. Pirates have no connection to Amato Imperial Japan.
Sending pirates to the military company ensures the corporation can only track the military company’s activities, which are led by pirates.
Of course, as the military company’s personnel are drawn from Chicken Ball, scrutiny may still occur.
But officially, the corporation and pirates have no relationship.
Thus, even if the corporation requests action, the pirates can deny involvement.
Retaliation mediated through the company might reduce corporate support for Chicken Ball, but the support is not exclusive to corporations. Alternative methods exist, such as requesting aid from TR, or securing resources through pirate networks. Once it becomes clear that the tightening of support is ineffective, corporations will likely resume aid and take steps to improve relations with Chicken Ball.
If Chicken Ball remains at odds with the pirates, cooperation with private military companies to which pirates are assigned will face complications.
Corporations wish to utilize private military companies as combat assets. They would not want such complications to persist.
Thus, although time may be required, the relationship between the corporation and Chicken Ball will inevitably return to its established path, even if temporarily strained.
The company is competent enough. They will deduce that we are hiding something by observing the Private Military Company positioned between us. Even if they deduce it, they will pretend not to notice.
Why is that?
If they know the disagreement will end in a temporary rift, probing our actions is unnecessary effort. Only the S.U. government benefits from the rift. The company would suffer only time wasted and increased hostility from pirates—complete loss.
If they make rational judgments, the company will silently accept it.
Dawson’s assessment aligns with General Kernel’s directive.
When they actually proposed establishing a new military company at a location separate from Chicken Ball, the corporation immediately proceeded to the terms of business cooperation with, 'Understood. Regarding that—' and offered no complaints or grievances.