Chapter 159: Final Battle — Ambush from Concealment

The pirate fleet's detachment struck the S.U. Space Force from behind. One vessel equipped with a决战 cannon was destroyed, another sustained minor damage, and multiple ships in the line of fire suffered collateral damage from the blast.

Dawson observed the Space Force’s movements slow in response to the surprise attack.

"Then, a pincer movement from front and rear. What choice will they make?"

Dawson watched the Space Force’s next move, tension rising.

The Space Force had two primary options.

One was to eliminate either the front or rear pirate fleet with the entire force.

The other was to split the fleet and engage both pirate groups simultaneously.

What choice the Space Force ultimately made—

The commander of the Space Force is cautious, as expected from the previous engagement where they cut off the enemy’s retreat.

— The Space Force chose to split their fleet, deploying approximately fifty thousand vessels here while sending the remaining fleet to position near the star, preparing to confront the pirate fleet led by the battleship Ōhokotaka.

This situation was partly anticipated, but favorable for Dawson.

The enemy’s strength differential has narrowed. Moreover, most of the barrier ships have moved to their side—this is advantageous.

The Space Force commander is cautious by nature. Avoiding confrontation with large battleships equipped for decisive combat, including Ōhokotaka, and attempting to counter with every barrier ship available was consistent with their disposition.

And because of this caution, they naturally avoided being attacked from behind, thus positioning a fleet to guard their rear.

The situation left Dawson no choice.

"Enemy forces are concentrated on the main body. Their rear is exposed. Enemy fleet numbers have decreased. Now is the time to strike!"

Dawson addressed the pirates hidden in the shadows of planets and moons, then launched the Sparrow Hawk against the remaining fifty thousand warships.

This served two purposes: to raise the morale of the allied pirates, and another intent.

"High-energy reaction detected in the enemy's remaining fleet. A决战 cannon remains!"

"How many?"

"One!"

Hearing Kiwaka's report, Dawson smirked. He had them.

The决战 cannon was formidable, but a single shot from one ship could not completely destroy a planet or moon.

That meant the planet or moon could absorb two attacks, providing a measurable sense of relief to the pirates.

"Let's test it!"

Dawson directed full火力 from the Sparrow Hawk's turret and gun mounts, deliberately drawing attention.

As intended, the enemy's决战 cannon's aim shifted toward the small planet shielding the Sparrow Hawk.

"High-energy reaction—critical point. It's coming!"

"Evade into the planet's shadow!"

The Sparrow Hawk retreated fully into the planet's shadow. Immediately afterward, the intense, powerful light of the决战 cannon arrived.

The light, deflected by the planet's surface, branched out across the terrain and passed just beside the Sparrow Hawk's hiding position before vanishing into empty space.

After the wave of light subsided, the planet remained intact.

“Oine. What was the scale of destruction on the planet used as a shield?”

“It did not reach the core. With careful execution, three shots could be absorbed.”

“No. Overusing the shield is risky. Consider it certain that even a planet of this scale can withstand only two shots.”

Dawson compiled the current results into data and distributed it to the pirates.

With this data, the pirates no longer needed to fear the决战 cannon excessively, and could act with greater confidence.

“But first, we must gather the pirates currently stationed here. Scattered like this, we can do no more than harassment.”

“That may be so, but the number of enemies remaining here is approximately fifty thousand. Our forces number less than ten thousand. The disparity in strength is too great.”

“Use the terrain to our advantage. It can be done.”

Dawson transmitted the rendezvous point to the pirates, confidence evident in his tone.

He gathered the pirates arriving through the shadows of stars and directed them toward an assault on the five-thousand-ship fleet of the Space Navy’s special forces.

"Hit-and-run. Hide behind planets or moons. Rain attacks on the enemy without exposing ourselves."

From the shadows of stars, he extended the turrets mounted at the bows of the ships and engaged the enemy using only the turrets.

Each ship could deploy only one turret, reducing overall firepower. Yet, the sense of security provided by shields allowed each turret to operate at full capacity.

Meanwhile, the Space Navy executed evasive maneuvers to avoid the approaching glow of the Charged Particle Beam, knowing most of their forces would be blocked by celestial bodies, but still launching counterattacks.

The purpose of this counterattack is to reduce the number of attacks from the pirate forces and lower the probability of damage to the decisive weapon, the main cannon.

"High-energy reaction. Filling of the decisive cannon has begun."

"Concentrate fire on the enemy Super Large Battleship. It will hold. Two hits, at most, can be endured on this planet."

Under Dawson's command, the pirate ships' fire converges on the enemy Super Large Battleship.

Yet the space fleet also recognizes the importance of the decisive cannon and scrambles to protect it, using their own ships as shields.

The defense holds.

"Launch signal detected for the decisive cannon!"

"Evacuate!"

The Sparrow Hawk and the pirate ships retract their hulls from the edge of the star and vanish completely into the planet's shadow.

Immediately after, the battle cannon’s beam struck the star. A violent surge of light flowed across the star’s surface and surged backward into the void beyond the star’s rim.

As the flood of light ended, Dawson issued another command to the pirates.

“Enemy battle cannon is charging. Exit the star’s shadow. Full attack. Reduce enemy numbers as much as possible. Return to shadow immediately after attack.”

Pirate vessels surged forward from the shadow and opened full broadside fire. The combined firepower destroyed enemy vessels one after another.

But enemy counterfire came quickly. Responsive pirate vessels retreated into the star’s shadow. A few vessels that failed to clear in time were destroyed.

“Enemy has another high-energy reaction!”

“The battle cannon is charging. Oine, select the next evacuation point.”

“Already done. Shall I notify the pirates?”

Do it. Now, use the star as shield and continue harassment attacks on the enemy's Super Large Battleship!

Attacking while using the star as shield, they gradually erode the space fleet's vessels.

Then the决战 cannon fires, and once again the star absorbs the impact.

This star can no longer serve as shield. Move to the next location!

Sparrow Hawk leads the way, piercing through space toward the next evacuation point. Attacks on the space fleet continue throughout.

The space fleet halts its vessels to perform stationary firing, increasing accuracy aimed at Dawson and his group.

A voice, neither a scream from life-support systems nor a cheer of thrill, comes through the pirates' communications, amid near-miss detonations.

'Yieeaaah! This is dangerous—run, run away!'

"Damn it! Haah—this is what battle’s supposed to be like!"

Dawson adjusted the camera feed toward the fleet, satisfied by the clear surge of adrenaline.

"Maintaining stationary fire to increase accuracy is not incorrect. But was it the right approach here?"

The meaning of Dawson's question was proven immediately.

The three Super Large Battleships, including the *Kagami*, positioned near the star, fired their battle cannons. The projectiles pierced through the 150,000 vessels of the fleet and struck the 50,000 vessels currently engaged in fire against Dawson's group.

Worse still, the Super Large Battleship that had been active just moments before was split apart by the three incoming battle cannon beams and sank in silence.

Broadcasting that much energy was like pointing a target at them. Staying stationary was the same as inviting a sniper to aim at the reaction signature.

Dawson smiles beneath the mask’s mouth.

The disparity in combat capability remains, but this makes engagement significantly easier.