Episode 144: The pirates head toward the battlefield

From the Big Cock, pirate ships and vessels depart one after another.

A sense of cheerfulness emanates from the welcome offered by Lord Ron and the adult entertainments in the pleasure district. The ships moving through space seem to carry a more positive momentum.

The destination of these vessels is the Star Arm Nebula—specifically, the main route connecting the Earth vicinity to the Big Cock. This location is considered the most reliable passage through the nebula.

"Considering the influence of nearby star systems and black hole gravity fields, only one Star Arm Nebula route can accommodate a large fleet. The pirates intend to challenge us in that location."

Oine projected the targeted sector onto the spatial display monitor.

The Star Arm Nebula allows passage for hundreds of thousands of vessels, but straying even one step from the route exposes ships directly to cosmic currents and gravitational fields.

Currents and gravitational fields vary in intensity, so several narrow Interstellar Side Routes exist, allowing movement of only a few vessels at a time.

These side routes require significant detours and limit the number of vessels that can pass, making them unsuitable for the S.U. Space Force’s movements.

"So that’s why they chose this location to fight the Space Force."

Dawson’s tone carried more disbelief than admiration.

Kiwaka, the radar observer, seemed to question the tone in his voice.

"A sound strategy, I believe?"

The vastness of space makes predicting an enemy’s position difficult. Even if predicted, a near miss remains possible.

From that perspective, knowing the exact location where the fleet will appear is the greatest advantage.

Yet Dawson, having solved difficult enemy emergence prediction problems at the Officer Academy, considered analyzing potential enemy positions routine. His concern was whether the location was suitable for combat.

"The fleet must know it is the only route. If they know, they will prepare defensive formations to anticipate an attack. Fighting an opponent ready for assault is significantly more difficult."

"Indeed, Captain Dawson, you often employ surprise tactics, such as ambushes, to prevent the enemy from preparing."

"Any engagement is easier when the opponent is unprepared or caught off guard, rather than facing a direct, well-organized stance."

From Dawson’s perspective on combat, it was impossible not to conclude that the choice of battlefield was fundamentally flawed.

“If I were leading, I would engage as soon as the S.U. Fleet passed through the Star Arm Nebula and breathed a sigh of relief. Most of their vessels would scatter along separate routes. I would accept that as a necessary engagement to reduce enemy numbers.”

“If they split apart, then individual elimination becomes a viable strategy.”

Dawson nodded firmly in response to Oine’s explanation.

“Pirates are inferior in equipment compared to regular forces. Even if we rely on weapons like torpedoes capable of destroying a target with a single hit, we still prefer to face as few enemies as possible at once.”

From this standpoint, the approach of the pirate forces under Lon’s command—direct frontal assault—was precisely what Dawson disliked.

Unexpectedly, quiet Corry spoke up.

"Ah, um, isn't the goal to reduce the number of pirates?"

"Winning against S.U. Space Force while reducing our own numbers—doesn't that lack purpose?"

"Ah, after the battle, to reduce the rewards. There's a story like that in visual media."

Corry’s comment introduced a perspective Dawson did not possess.

To Dawson, capable individuals were allies by default. Even those without capability, he believed, should be directed toward alternate roles. That was efficient use of personnel. He considered it healthier for both the individual and the organization.

Therefore, if incapable individuals held positions of authority, he felt a rebellious urge to remove them—no matter the cost—to expel them from the organization entirely.

From that perspective, a battle that wastes brave pirates who could fight until death feels entirely disadvantageous.

But Dawson is not so foolish as to miss the purpose behind such actions.

"Protecting one's status as a pirate requires capable pirates to die. Quite selfish of you."

"The pirates are inferior in equipment. The situation favors such an approach."

"If it must be done, it should wait until the final battle with the space fleet. Though, by then, Lord Ron might be overthrown through battlefield achievements."

Dawson continues leading the pirate fleet at the front lines to prevent other pirates from surpassing him in combat merit.

Yet, judging by the refined attire and elaborate decorations displayed at the previous banquet, Lord Ron appeared more suited to commerce than combat. Achieving superior combat merit over other pirates would be difficult.

There was a method—assigning the greatest combat achievement to a favored pirate to deter rivals—but if that favored pirate attempted a coup, there would be no way to prevent it.

In short, for Lord Ron to maintain his current position, it was preferable that capable pirates die in battle.

"According to that logic, our pirate fleet should not be stationed in the front lines."

"Wait. Captain Dawson has sufficient combat record. Why isn't he being sent to the front?"

Kiwaka voiced confusion. Oine dismissed the question.

"Dawson has significant combat experience, but he is not tied to the interests of Big Cock, the faction based at Chicken Ball. Given that the conflict between pirates and the SU Space Fleet will likely continue, he would presumably wish to keep him on hand."

"Is that so. For Lord Ron, it's better to have an outsider achieve victories than a relative, isn't it?"

As they spoke, a communication arrived from Lord Ron's pirate vessel.

"Dawson-sama, your deployment location has been sent. As expected, it's a relatively unimportant position."

Bela relayed the message, and Dawson lowered his eyes to the content.

"True, it's unimportant—assuming the battle is just beginning. Once the pirate forces collapse, this location will become one of the key escape routes."

"An escape route?"

Dawson explained using the screen of the combat zone.

"Currently, the pirates are forming conventional fleets. The Imperial Navy has twenty million ships. They will fight in standard formations. This means both sides will engage with full combat forces head-on."

"But the pirates have poor equipment. Can they win in a direct confrontation?"

"Only if fortune favors them. They will lose seventy percent of the time. When they lose, the question becomes how they escape."

Two rectangles face each other. They collide. The shape of one collapses. That one is the pirate side.

"The pirates have no military training. Their evasion strategies fall into two broad categories. Either scatter randomly, or gather with comrades perceived as safe."

"Wouldn't scattering make us easy targets for the Space Navy, one by one?"

"If I were commanding the Space Navy, I’d eliminate scattered pirate vessels quickly, to reduce their numbers. That makes sense."

On the monitor, the broken square fragmented—half dissolving into mist, the other half coalescing into several circular shapes.

The square representing the Space Navy began eliminating the mist-like points.

"Our fleet is expected to become the central point of one of those circles, according to Lord Ron. And likely, we’ll move to the next engagement site without reducing our strength."

"Where is the next site?"

The Star Arm Nebula is the only location where the large fleet can proceed as a single unit. That is the only destination we are approaching.

If we retreat from that location, predicting the Space Navy’s route will become difficult.

Dawson did not think so.

"Almost all pirates gather and fight, then break and flee. The Space Navy would prefer chasing fleeing pirates rather than deviating onto unnecessary routes."

"Are we guiding the Space Navy while moving to the next battlefield?!"

"Somewhat risky, but a good tactic. If they follow, we can lead them to a location advantageous to the pirates."

If Ron and his associates had devised this strategy, the person would be considered a capable tactician. One might even think it wise to entrust everything to them.

Dawson disliked entrusting his fate to others.

While retreating, he began considering alternative locations in case the next combat site designated during the withdrawal proved unsatisfactory.