[Home Page]          [Download .EPUB]          [Download .DOCX]

Volume 1     Volume 2     Volume 3     Volume 4     Volume 5     Volume 6
Volume 7     Volume 8     Volume 9     Volume 10     Volume 11    Volume 12
Super Miniskirt Pirates Volume 1     Super Miniskirt Pirates Volume 2

discord discussion

 

NOTE: "Fastpass" translation starts at chapter 4. A better translation will come later.

 

Apr 21st, 2025

 

 

INDEX

 

Chapter 1: Distress signal from the darkness

Chapter 2: Order to capture Bentenmaru

Chapter 3: Serenity's prisoner

Chapter 4: Order to return Bentenmaru

Chapter 5: Port Seruna Imperial Fleet Base

Chapter 6: Naval port city

Chapter 7: Intelligence front line

Chapter 8: Sinking of the Barbaroosa

 

Illustration by Matsumoto Noriyuki

Design by Shindosha

When Marika first heard the news, the Bentenmaru was on its way back to Sea of the Morningstar.

 

The call came from the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association, a little early for a regular call, and Show, who was in charge, confirmed in a roundabout way that the Bentenmaru was performing its normal duties without any problems and was sailing safely without incident, before getting to the main topic.

 

"This information isn't directly related to you, but it's important. The Karyobinga has gone missing."

 

"Eh?" Marika, sitting in the captain's seat, couldn't help but take a second look at the afro-haired man on the communications monitor.

 

"That's news from my colleague in charge of the Karyobinga." The afro-haired monster said in a rare serious tone. "This is not public information, so please keep it confidential."

 

Show must be aware that the communication was being broadcast on the bridge, since headphones were not being used. Marika looked around at the bridge crew, who were listening in on the conversation, and then returned her eyes to the communication monitor. "What do you mean, missing?"

 

"I mean it literally. The Karyoubinga, which played the role of a virtual enemy in a military exercise in the Sinclair system in Eridanus, then traveled on a transport mission from the Ataka Waypoint to the Imperial Fleet Base at Seruna for a transport mission, and on their way back, it engaged in piracy with a luxury cruise ship."

 

"As hard at work as ever." Misa, who was in the observer's seat, muttered to herself. Although it was an old-fashioned experimental battleship, the Karyoubinga was much larger than the Bentenmaru, which was modeled after a cruiser. It had far more crew members and aircraft than the Bentenmaru, and the effort and expense of keeping the ship in operation is also greater. As a result, the Karyoubinga's work schedule is much tighter than the Bentenmaru's. Since the ship is larger, there was more leeway, and it seemed that the ship was sometimes contracted by military companies to carry out operational tests of new ship-mounted weapons and prototype carrier-based aircraft.

 

"Their last job as a pirate was an operation on a passenger ship?" Marika confirmed. The afro-haired monster on the other side of the communication monitor nodded, his flashy sunglasses sparkling.

 

"They should have returned to Sinclair D 36 hours ago after finishing their work, but as of now there has been no return report or regular contact. Their pirate operation on the luxury cruise ship Candice White is the last confirmed trace of the Karyoubinga."

 

"36 hours..." Marika repeated the time Show had told her. It is not uncommon for pirates to fall into some kind of emergency and become unable to communicate, resulting in a period of time where they cannot be contacted. "What are the Karyoubinga's future plans?"

 

If they cannot contact Karyoubinga, some of the work arranged by the insurance company may end up being given to the Bentenmaru.

 

"After returning to the Sinclair D, Karyoubinga was to enter the floating dock of the Horai Seiki for light maintenance and testing of a new targeting system. The crew was to be given 108 hours of shore leave."

 

Horai Seiki is a spaceship manufacturer based at Eridanus. They do a wide range of work, from the construction of custom-made ships to maintenance, outfitting, and the development and manufacture of shipboard weapons.

 

"That's strange." Even Marika noticed that something was wrong. "A pirate ship on the verge of vacation abandons its vacation plans and disappears."

 

"That's right." Show nodded with a serious expression that was rarely seen. "In the last three years, there have been only a few cases where the Karyoubinga canceled planned vacations. The last time they gave up their vacation was during the previous frontier expedition."

 

"Oh."

 

"The Karyobinga's privateer license comes with the title of Count Kahn of Sinclair D, so there are fewer restrictions than privateer licenses issued by the government like yours, but in return, they are a large family with a battleship and crew, so it's hard to keep the business running. The fact that it has gone missing without any contact with their home port or us, their insurance association, means that there must be some serious reason behind it."

 

A strange silence reigned on the bridge. Even now, the number one reason for a spaceship to go missing is due to sinking.

 

"I understand." Breaking the silence, Marika responded in a particularly cheerful tone. "Is there any need to go looking for her?"

 

"We're not at that stage yet." Show on the communications monitor bared his teeth. "At least, that's what I think. Besides, the search area for for Karyoubinga is too wide. The most likely place to find her is on a straight line from the last contact point with the luxury cruise ship Candice White to the Sinclair D, but even so, it's more than ten light years away, and if she's taken a detour or gone into hiding for some reason, the search area will be even larger. Even if it's the Bentenmaru, if the Count has disappeared of his own volition, it won't be easy to find him, right?"

 

"That's right." Marika smiled and nodded.

 

"I understand. If there's anything I can help you with, please contact me right away."

 

"I'm counting on you. Let me know if you go missing." Show raised one hand via the communications monitor and his face disappeared.

 

Marika looked around at the faces of the bridge crew, who were listening intently to the communication with the insurance association. Hyakume and Coorie were already furiously tapping away at their keyboards and control panels, gathering information.

 

"Um..." Marika began. "What do you think we should do?"

 

"You're asking us what we think we should not, not what happened to the Karyoubinga." Misa called out from the observer seat. "You've become good at asking questions."

 

"Yeah, I'm curious about the news of Karyoubinga, but with Show saying that, then no matter how much we discuss it here, it's just going to be speculation. But if there's something we have to do in this situation, that's going to be a priority."

 

"These are the latest navigational conditions around the Sinclair system in the Eridanus constellation." Hyakume brought up a route map on the bridge's main screen, with a radius of about twenty-five light years centered on the Sinclair system. "The Eridanus constellation has much better route maintenance than the Cetus constellation, so there haven't been many unexplained disappearances recently."

 

Unlike wartime, spaceships traveling in outer space rarely go missing in peacetime. Routes are maintained for safe navigation, and spaceships continually broadcast transponders to report their current location. Since transponders emitted in normal communication continue to spread at the speed of light, if there is sufficient receiving equipment, they can be tracked even many years after the flight, and if a FTL engine is used, they can be tracked until the moment the transponder expires.

 

Spaceships traveling through normal space almost never disappear into thin air. Spaceship mechanisms are multiply secured to ensure safe navigation, and even if the crew or propulsion power is lost, the spaceship will continue to move in a uniform straight line in accordance with the laws of physics.

 

Unless it crashes into a star, a sturdy spaceship will almost never evaporate without leaving behind its keel, and as long as it continues to fly in outer space away from stars, the deterioration and weathering of structural materials over time is negligible.

 

In reality, a missing spaceship is left alone when the cost of investigation exceeds the value of the spaceship itself. When unmanned resource transport ships, container ships, or privately owned spaceships go missing and no investigation is requested or insurance claims are made, they are often left alone. As a result, lost spacecraft can be rediscovered hundreds or thousands of years later.

 

"The Karyoubinga is a battleship, even if it is old-fashioned, right?"

 

The list of recent disappearances around the Sinclair system is a simple one.

 

"How can something go missing that easily?"

 

"If the captain wants to, it's easy to make a spaceship go missing." Hyakume looked up at the main screen and put his hands behind his head.

 

"If you make a FTL jump without notifying the control station, you're in luck. Unless you're being monitored somewhere, you won't be tracked. But if you try to make a spaceship go missing that doesn't want to go missing, it's going to be a big problem. It's not going to be easy."

 

"Making a spaceship go missing..." Marika felt something ominous and repeated Hyakume's words. "So that means..."

 

Suddenly, a FTL communication call sounded at the captain's seat.

 

"Yes, yes." Marika looked down at the communication panel that had been displaying the communication data of the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association until a moment ago. "From the Barbaroosa!?"

 

The call was addressed to Captain Bentenmaru's Kato Marika, but Marika could tell at a glance that the caller was Chiaki Kurihara, so she connected to the heavily encrypted FTL communication. After the distinctive rainbow noise, Chiaki appeared on the communication monitor dressed in work clothes.

 

"This is the pirate ship Barbaroosa, Chiaki Kurihara. It looks like you're still safe?"

 

"Chiaki-chan!" Marika waved at the communication monitor. "This is the pirate ship Bentenmaru, captain Kato Marika, how are you?"

 

"The captain shouldn't call the person she's communicating with Chiaki-chan! " Chiaki glared at Marika from the other side of the monitor.

 

"Since you’re contacting me from the Barbaroosa, does that mean you're safe too?"

 

Chiaki nodded with a difficult look on her face. "So you've heard about the Karyoubinga too."

 

"Do you know anything about the Karyoubinga's disappearance?"

 

"No." Chiaki shook her head in the communication monitor. "My dad was only just informed by the insurance company, so he probably has the same information as you. I called you out for a different reason. Has the Bentenmaru been approached about buying your pirate license?"

 

"Eh?" Unable to comprehend what Chiaki was saying, Marika looked back at the communication monitor. "Buying our pirate license?"

 

"Has it happened over there yet?" Chiaki nodded with a difficult look on her face. "Apparently, we received an inquiry from someone claiming to be a representative of a trading company in the Core Star Systems. They said they would buy the Barbaroosa itself and guarantee new employment for all of its crew members, and asked if we would be interested in selling our pirate license."

 

"A pirate license..." Marika said, thinking. "Is something that can be bought and sold?"

 

"A pirate license issued by the government, in our case a privateer license issued by Sea of the Forest Star, can be bought and sold by itself as long as the parties agree. But if you want to use the privateer license to engage in piracy, you need a captain with a pirate license and the Barbaroosa. You know that much, right?"

 

"Yeah..." Marika nodded, feeling like something troublesome was about to start.

 

"We haven't worked out the details, so I'm not sure, but the only things the agent said he would buy and set a price for were the Barbaroosa and the pirate license. He's not asking for the captain's custody, and he even said he'd find him a new job, so that's all he needed. He said it was a captain position for a state-of-the-art battleship, but my dad says it's probably a hired captain for a company fleet.”

 

“So that means the agent who wants to buy a pirate license doesn't want to be a pirate, right?”

 

On the communications monitor, Chiaki seemed to laugh. “Right. We still don't know who the agent is or what their purpose is, but my dad says that someone somewhere doesn't want a pirate license, but wants to put space pirates out of business.”

 

“...Who?” Marika tilted her head even more. “...For what purpose?”

 

“I don't know.” At least, she had no intention of discussing it in this communication. Chiaki shrugged and shook her head. “Generally speaking, I've never heard of a third party buying a pirate license, except for a privateer license being returned to the government. However, it's true that this is not a business with a promising future and guaranteed profits, so I wouldn't be surprised if some pirates thought about switching to another business depending on the purchase price.”

 

“If they were going to quit because the business was struggling, wouldn't everyone have quit piracy a long time ago?”

 

Chiaki smiled upon hearing Marika's answer.

 

“Generally speaking, can a privateer's license be bought or sold without the consent of the issuing government?”

 

“My father is dragging out the negotiations because he needs to confirm that.” Chiaki nodded. “He's ready to refuse, but he's going to keep talking because he doesn't know what the other party is thinking.”

 

“Just as you'd expect from Captain Blackbeard.”

 

“What would you do?”

 

“Eh?”

 

“So...” Chiaki spoke slowly, savoring the words. “What would you do if some unknown agent asked to buy your privateer’s license?"

 

"Huh?" Marika thought deeply and gave an exaggerated answer. "Yeah. I might consider it if they offered a price that would allow us to replace the Bentenmaru with a state-of-the-art battleship, give bonuses to all the crew, and even have enough money left over to get the Galactic Empire to issue us a new pirate license."

 

"What are you talking about?"

 

"Just kidding. You can't put a price on freedom." Marika looked around the bridge of the Bentenmaru. "It would be a different story if some of our crew members started talking about selling off our pirate license while we could still turn it into money, but otherwise, I think I understand that as the captain I have to protect my pirate license."

 

Chiaki glared at Marika from the communication monitor for a while, then looked away. "Anyway, don't go missing without telling us. Whatever the circumstances, it will be difficult afterwards."

 

"You too." Marika smiled and nodded. "Captain Blackbeard is probably a lot more reliable than me, but if he goes missing without knowing the circumstances or gives up piracy, we'll be in trouble too."

 

"I wonder what my dad's face would be like if I told him Marika was worried about him." Chiaki raised one hand with a mischievous look on her face. “I'll let him know you’re fine. See you later.”

 

The FTL transmission from the Barbaroosa was cut off.

 

“I have the navigation data.” Luca passed the data for the final FTL jump to the captain's seat. Marika checked the flight plan.

 

'Yes, I've confirmed it. Let's head home.”

 

As soon as the Bentenmaru touched down within the planet's orbit in the Tau star system, it picked up a distress signal.

 

“FTL transmission.” Slightly before the navigator, Luca, could confirm the Bentenmaru's current position, Hyakume displayed the data he had obtained on the main screen. “West Kyria-flagged transport ship Maria Forte 85, has been attacked by an unidentified spaceship and is requesting rescue.”

 

“What!?” Marika confirmed Luca's measurement of the Bentenmaru's current position, and the current position of the sender included in the distress signal. "But isn't this just outside the Tau system, on the high seas? And they’re being attacked by an unknown spaceship in a place like that..."

 

Though it was annexed relatively recently, just over a century ago, the Tau system is still part of the Galactic Empire. In Imperial territory, where the powerful Imperial fleet keeps a close eye on the security, an attack by an unknown force is rare.

 

"They're not a pirate, are they?"

 

Hyakume, who analyzed the data contained in the distress signal sent at faster than light speed, anticipated Marika's question.

 

"The Maria Forte 85 is transporting rare metals, precision medical equipment, and luxury foodstuffs, and its next port of call is the Sea of the Morningstar Relay Station. The distress signal has been received by the star system military, but it will take some time for the escort fleet to arrive. At the moment, the closest ships to the Maria Forte are the regular passenger ship Princess Charlotte and the factory ship Koryuu 69, but both are unarmed civilian ships. The source of the distress signal is under attack, so we are waiting for the star system military to decide whether to rush to the rescue."

 

Marika looked at the display in the captain's seat. The current location of the Maria Forte, which was sending the distress signal, and the current locations of spaceships sailing in the vicinity were displayed in 3D with vectors. There were no spaceships close enough to be reached by normal navigation. There were many spaceships in a position where they could rush to the scene using FTL travel, but the closest armed spaceship was the Bentenmaru.

 

It is an ironclad rule that any spaceship that receives a distress signal must rush to the scene unconditionally, but this does not apply in a combat situation.

 

Staring at the 3D display showing the current positions of spaceships across several light years of space, Marika spoke. "Prepare for a short jump. Inform the star system military that the Bentenmaru is heading to rescue Maria Forte 85, so send reinforcements as soon as possible. Bentenmaru, prepare for anti-ship combat!"

 

"Transmit the short jump flight plan to the control station as well."

 

Luca transmitted to all ships the short jump flight plan with the Maria Forte's current position as the target point.

 

"Prepare for short-distance jump! Alpha, Beta, increase power!"

 

"Commencing anti-ship combat preparations." Schnitzer issues a command to the entire ship.

 

"We have to consider that this timing means it's a trap." Marika muttered, leaning back in the captain's seat. "Can we send a decoy ahead just in case?"

 

"Sure." Coorie, who had already begun tapping on the control panel at a high pitch, answered with a stick of candy in her mouth. "If this is a trap to lure out the Bentenmaru with a distress signal, there could be concentrated fire as soon as the ship touches down."

 

"Am I overthinking it?"

 

"It's better to be safe than sorry. If nothing happens, we should be able to retrieve the decoy that copies Bentenmaru's transponder and reaction pattern, and if anything happens, we’re saving out ship. "

 

"We'll send the decoy ahead, and its touchdown location will be close to the Maria Forte's current position, with the Bentenmaru behind. We should time the touchdown so that the pre-jump phenomenon will be seen as overlapping, and our touchdown should be 15 seconds later."

 

Marika looked around the bridge. "...So, I wonder if this will work out?"

 

"If the enemy's target is the Bentenmaru and not the transport ship, we can avoid the first barrage of concentrated fire." Schnitzer spoke the obvious development. "But then we'll have to engage an enemy whose size and intentions are unknown."

 

"But we'll have to rescue the transport ship, too." Marika was thinking through all the possible scenarios she could imagine, in order of likelihood.

 

"As long as we don't know the scale of the unidentified forces, it's probably impossible to defeat them, and since we're going out in response to a distress signal, the first thing we need to think about is ensuring the safety of the transport ship, followed by buying time, so I guess we'll have to blind them with electronic jamming at the same time as touching down."

 

"If that's what the enemy wants, then that kind of response is expected."

 

"Yeah, of course, if it gets dangerous, we'll run away immediately."

 

"That's the hardest part." Schnitzer said matter-of-factly. "Once you realize you're in danger, it's often difficult to even escape."

 

"I see..." Marika frowned, remembering the basic principle that the outcome of a battle is 90% decided before the actual battle begins. "If the actual battle has already begun, then there's a chance that the Bentenmaru will jump into an open trap."

 

"That's right."

 

Marika looked up after hearing Schnitzer's affirmative voice. "But if we think about it, our rush to justice will be delayed more and more. We'll have to let the decoy go first, the Bentenmaru will touch down a little later, and then just let things take their course and prioritize escape."

 

Marika looked around the bridge.

 

"Ready to jump!" Sandiame announced vigorously. Marika nodded.

 

"Bentenmaru, let's go."

 

The Bentenmaru jumped into the FTL space.

 

"The decoy is touching down." Schnitzer announced from the battle commander's seat. "Countdown, five, four, three, two, one, zero!"

 

"Here it comes!" Hyakume quickly read the battle information sent over the FTL data line. Immediately after returning from FTL space to normal space, the surrounding space becomes chaotic, so the accuracy of the observation drops. However, the decoy sent observation data to Bentenmaru that the target space was under strong electronic interference. It then analyzed the jamming radio waves and began more detailed observations.

 

"As you can see, the landing destination is under such strong electronic interference that it looks like they're engaged in a fleet battle. There are three enemy ships, the rest is unreadable!"

 

The roughly processed data was sent to the main screen and various parts of the bridge, with speed as the priority.

 

"That's not the output of a civilian transport ship. What are we up against?"

 

"Even if it's electronic jamming to avoid outside intervention, it's pretty impressive." Coorie, in the electronic battle seat, commented. "If they're holding up against something like this, then the Maria Forte is no ordinary transport ship."

 

"The Bentenmaru will touchdown soon." Kane, at the helm, announced.

 

"Are they attacking the decoy?" Marika asked for confirmation. Schnitzer replied.

 

"No. It doesn't look like they're being hit by fire control radar."

 

"Evasive maneuvers as soon as we touch down!" Marika instructed. “Use electronic warfare to confuse them and check the location of the spaceships. If naval gunfire is necessary, Schnitzer, fire away.”

 

"Roger that."

 

"Touchdown!"

 

The Bentenmaru returned to normal space, sending out shock waves that pushed aside space and diffused in all directions. The same powerful electronic interference that had been detected by the decoy that had touched down earlier attacked the Bentenmaru along with the disturbed space.

 

"Here we go!" Without checking the current position or the spatial situation, Kane gave the Bentenmaru, which had just returned to normal space, a sideways slide, causing it to drift.

 

"Here it comes!" Coorie called out. "Jamming signals targeting us from three directions! I guess they must have realized that the one that touched down first was a decoy."

 

"Fire control radar confirmed, also from three directions." Schnitzer plotted three enemy ship marks on the battle display at different positions, with the tentative names Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. "I can't tell what type of ships they are, let alone their affiliation."

 

The Bentenmaru returned to a straight trajectory and continued its evasive maneuvers with random acceleration. Marika confirmed the current positions of the three ships, which were too far apart to be part of a fleet. The direction of the enemy ships was known, but the distance was still inaccurate.

 

An unidentified as friend or foe mark was plotted on the silhouette of the fourth ship on the battle display.

 

"We've spotted the Maria Forte 85, sending out a distress signal." Hyakume announced. "A second one is coming from Bravo, with a high infrared response. It's probably either damaged or overheating."

 

"First target, the second ship, Bravo." Marika spoke up while reading the relative positions of the two remaining visible enemy ships, Alpha and Charlie.

 

"Can you distract Bravo, which is closest to the Maria Forte? Tsk, they’re still trying to catch the Maria Forte?"

 

"At least the main body is still intact, although it's so close that it could be in contact with Bravo, but it's not docked yet."

 

"Is there any room for negotiation?" Marika confirmed the current positions of the three ships she could see, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and the Maria Forte. Bravo was on the verge of contact with the Maria Forte, accomplishing its mission objective, and the remaining two were preparing to attack while concealing their positions with electronic jamming. "They may not listen to us, but as a licensed pirate, if we don't follow the proper procedure, things will get bad later. Open the common channel, locate the enemy ship so we can target them too."

 

"They're sending out jamming signals that are so strong that it won't even let the fire control radar through, so I don't think you'll get a response even if they hear our communication, but okay." Setting up a common channel that can only be used in emergencies, Hyakume passed the line to the captain's seat.

 

Clearing her throat, Marika turned on the communications panel. "This is the Bentenmaru. I’m Kato Marika, captain of the pirate ship Bentenmaru. If the spaceship attacking the transport ship Maria Forte surrenders immediately, we will capture it without sinking it. End the battle immediately!"

 

Waiting for a response, the speaker only played faint noise that made it through the filters.

 

"I've fulfilled my obligation." Marika looked around the bridge. Hyakume, was motionless, headphones on his ears, monitoring the communication. "I'm not so nice as to keep waiting. Bentenmaru, commence battle. Target, bravo!"

 

"Target bravo! Bentenmaru, maximum battle speed!"

 

"The engine is at maximum output, don't be reckless!"

 

"Main guns, beginning charging." Schnitzer announced.

 

"I want to fire as a warning before Bravo comes into contact with Maria Forte."

 

"Please do so as not to interfere with evasive maneuvers." Kane was maneuvering the Bentenmaru vigorously. The most energy-intensive activities during battle are naval gunfire, followed by combat maneuvers and electronic warfare. However, electronic warfare must be continued at all times during battle, and combat maneuvers far outnumber firing opportunities.

 

After only sending out a token amount of electronic jamming to the two remaining distant spaceships, the Bentenmaru began charging at Bravo, which was approaching close to the transport ship that was still sending out distress signals.

 

"Enemy ship identified! Derrflinger-class mobile cruiser, looks like it's been heavily modified, but the pattern matches!"

 

"It's not a state-of-the-art ship specialized for anti-ship combat."

 

Looking at the catalog diagram of the ship with a simple explanation, Marika exclaimed in surprise. The large-caliber shipboard guns, concentrated armor, and powerful engines for mobile warfare were designed according to theory, and the narrow ship's shape made it seem like it would be impossible to penetrate from the front.

 

"It's an expensive ship that's deployed in the Imperial fleet. Do you know its affiliation?"

 

"I can't read the transponder. And I can't intercept the communications between ships at the moment." Hyakume reported in rapid succession.

 

"Alpha, Charlie are on the move. They're approaching us. They're jamming not only our radar but also their distress signals. If they're jamming that hard, even if they can send out normal distress signals, the radio waves will be abnormal and the mobile fleet will come flying in in no time."

 

"Besides, they haven’t stopped FTL communications." Coorie muttered. “Considering they gathered their forces to attack a transport ship, they did a sloppy job. First of all, they had to disrupt FTL communications, otherwise they would have known that a rescue team would come rushing in.”

 

"They're firing!" Hyakume shouted. "I can see it!!"

 

The sudden rise in Bravo's energy response meant that it was preparing to fire its guns. Kane, who read Bravo's aim from the density of the fire control radar, drifted Bentenmaru to the side to get out of the line of fire.

 

Six focused armor-piercing beams cut through space.

 

"The output is suprisingly low." Schnitzer read the data of the beams that had passed close by.

 

"It's a threat to limit our combat maneuvers. Keep going!"

 

Increasing the charge rate increases the destructive power of the beams, but it takes time until the next salvo. However, lowering the charge rate reduces the destructive power, but allows for continuous firing.

 

"Is it okay if I let them brush us?" Kane asked as he maneuvered the Bentenmaru to evade. Schnitzer transferred the measured data of the enemy's gunfire.

 

"It's a large caliber gun for anti-ships. Even though the charge rate is low, the concentration rate is high, so if it hits a thin spot, it will make a hole."

 

"That's scary." While making evasive maneuvers, Kane read the particulars of the fire control radars that were bombarding them from three directions.

 

"There are at least three enemy ships, with big main guns and thick armor. Even if we attack with the Bentenmaru, we can't expect much." Schnitzer calmly summarized the situation. "So, all the Bentenmaru can do now is to interfere with Bravo, which is trying to force dock with the Maria Forte, and buy time until the arrival of the star system army or the Imperial fleet."

 

"But the attacking side already knows that, right?" Marika looks at the movements of the mobile cruiser that is rapidly approaching the transport with a difficult look on her face. "The longer they wait, the higher the chances of reinforcements arriving, yet all three ships seem strangely calm?"

 

"Probably everything has been analyzed."

 

"What!?" Marika looked at Schnitzer's profile in the combat commander's seat with a startled look.

 

"Even with the full output of the Bentenmaru's Class 40 main guns, it's difficult to penetrate the armor of the Derrflinger class. The only chance we have is to approach and fire a single volley, but the closer we get, the higher the accuracy of Bravo's fire. And the closer Bravo gets to the Maria Forte, the higher the chance of us making a firing mistake."

 

"...Let's approach from a direction where the enemy can't fire."

 

Kane glanced at Marika in the captain's seat. "Roger! Go around and use the Maria Forte as a shield!!"

 

"We'll be able to disable the electronic jamming soon." Coorie was typing at a high pitch on her keyboard.

 

"The enemy's shadows are too blurry to hit right now, but if they keep firing at us, we can read their equipment and patterns."

 

"We only have one chance to fire." Schnitzer estimates the time to fire and began slowly charging the main gun accordingly. "That one chance is all we can do to make Bravo give up on contacting the Maria Forte."

 

"I think that we will have to avoid the enemy's salvos as we pass each other in a counter-attack."

 

Marika is also planning in her head how the enemy ships and Bentenmaru will move from here on out.

 

"Once we get a hit on Bravo, whether it's a success or a failure, we'll just run away! The Bentenmaru alone is no match for three highly motivated mobile cruisers."

 

"Second salvo, coming!" Hyakume announced. While Bentenmaru was maneuvering, it was bombarding the enemy ships on all three sides with jamming signals at maximum power, sending false data and blurring the ship's silhouette to deceive its current position, but Alpha and Charlie still fired a salvo at the same time.

 

Kane decided that Bentenmaru's electronic jamming was working, so he didn't move Bentenmaru this time. Six armor-piercing beams were fired from each direction, cutting through space as they slowly spread out.

 

"Good job!" Hyakume transferred information about the beams that had passed close by at close range.

 

"This salvo didn't have a very high charge rate either. It wasn't fired in hopes of hitting the target, so it's probably to observe our situation and restrict our actions. The longer it takes, the more disadvantaged the Bentenmaru will be."

 

"I know that." Kane said as he turned the Bentenmaru around. "But if we approach Maria Forte straight on, they'll be able to easily read our trajectory. Let's go all out!"

 

Aiming for the moment when Bravo's positions overlapped with the Maria Forte, Kane accelerated Bentenmaru rapidly.

 

"Third salvo is coming."

 

"As expected, the volley is so fast it's not fully charged." Kane turned the steering wheel to slightly adjust the course and attitude of the Bentenmaru. "As long as Bravo doesn't come into firing position, there's no problem! I'll leave the dazzling and blinding to you!!"

 

"I’ve got it." "Roger." Coorie and Schnitzer replied at the same time. A third volley of armor-piercing beams attacked the Bentenmaru from both directions. Kane again dodged the lines of fire with minimal movement.

 

"It's closer than before." Hyakume sent the beam data to all parties. "The charging rate hasn't changed. But if they have good intuition, they’ll be increasing it soon."

 

"As long as we're using Maria Forte as a shield, the firing data for Bravo shouldn't be very reliable." Marika tried to speak calmly as she watched the future trajectory of the Bentenmaru on the display, which seemed to be charging at Maria Forte rather than Bravo. "Bravo is in the middle of trying to force-dock with the Maria Forte, so it can't move unless it gives up on docking. And when it gets closest to Maria Forte, Alpha and Charlie shouldn't be able to fire at it, considering the risk of misfire. It'll be fine, we can save the transport."

 

"Main gun is 85% charged."

 

The majority of the power generated by the engines is used for combat maneuvers and electronic warfare, Schnitzer said, and the engines are being powered using excess power.

 

"Let's go!"

 

Setting course for Bravo, which was superimposed on the Maria Forte, Kane gave the Bentenmaru its final acceleration.

 

The Maria Forte is a transport ship that makes money based on its internal volume, and is much larger than the Derrflinger-class mobile cruiser. The Bentenmaru went around in the exact opposite direction of the immobile Bravo in order to catch the Maria Forte, and continued to accelerate while making minimal random evasions.

 

"Watch out!" Coorie focused electronic jamming on ravo, which was beyond the shadow of the Maria Forte's hull. "Bravo's energy response is increasing."

 

"They're probably aiming to fire at the same time we are." Kane was carefully maneuvering the helm. "In close combat, the maneuverable Bentenmaru will win."

 

Hearing Kane's comforting words, Marika smiled from the captain's seat.

 

"Main guns, ready to fire." Schnitzer reported. “Fire timing and aim are aligned with the predicted trajectory at closest approach. Scattering chaff at the same time as firing the main guns."

 

"Bravo is moving!" Hyakume shouted. "Energy reaction rising! Coming out from Maria Forte's shadow!!"

 

"Yes, yes, I can handle that." Kane turned the Bentenmaru in the opposite direction to the moving Bravo, rapidly closing in on them while maintaining their relative positions with the Maria Forte in between.

 

Marika was staring at the position of both sides displayed on the battle situation display. The situation was an instantaneous counterattack, and the battle plan was set, so the captain would not give any orders unless the situation suddenly changed.

 

Feeling a tension that made her stomach ache, Marika forced a calm smile on her face as she sat in the captain's seat. Only the numbers showing the distance to Bravo were rapidly decreasing.

 

"Bravo's energy reaction is rising rapidly!" Hyakume announced. "They’re firing!"

 

"Don't worry, the Maria Forte is in between us if they fire now!" As he responded, Kane removed Bentenmaru's trajectory from the predicted line of fire just in case.

 

"They fired!"

 

"What!?"

 

Bravo fired a fully charged armor-piercing beam. Six beams penetrated the transport ship, which had practically no armor, converged and attacked the Bentenmaru.

 

Thanks to the evasive trajectory he had taken beforehand, none of the beams hit the Bentenmaru, even though they were close range. Kane ran through the rain of beams without shaking the ship even a little.

 

The transport ship, which had been pierced near the center of its hull, emitted a dull, high heat. Schnitzer said quietly. "Firing main guns."

 

The Bentenmaru fired its main guns, which had been charged to maximum power, at Bravo, which had passed the closest point of approach and emerged from behind the Maria Forte.

 

"Fire chaff!"

 

Against the armor of a mobile cruiser, it would be difficult to stop the enemy ship even if all the shots hit. Without even checking if they had hit the target, Schnitzer began to release a smoke screen to confuse the enemy's radar and beam attacks, while at the same time masking their own position.

 

"Retreat at full speed!"

 

Even though they had released a smoke screen, there was a high possibility that the enemy ship would pursue them as soon as they got close, so Kane had the Bentenmaru take a trajectory to escape as fast as possible, as originally planned.

 

"They shot them..."

 

Since we were releasing a smoke screen, the information we were getting was becoming less and less accurate. Marika rewound the situation on the battle display and replayed the Bravo's main gun salvo. Bravo fired its main guns at the Bentenmaru as if not caring that there was a transport ship right in front of it.

 

"What's going on? Is the Maria Forte okay?"

 

"It's an armor-piercing beam for use against armor."

 

Hyakume passed on the last data he had obtained about Bravo's main guns' volley.

 

"It pierced the hull of the transport ship like paper. If it was a civilian ship without armor, it would be more efficient to use a beam with a lower concentration, but with a beam this concentrated, if we were lucky, it might only make a hole."

 

Bentenmaru's rear sensor picked up a strong infrared signal that was easily caught even through the thick smoke screen.

 

"It didn't seem to last." Hyakume summarized the situation succinctly.

 

"Run as fast as we can!"

 

The things she wanted to know and do, such as the damage situation of the Maria Forte 85 and whether anyone needed rescue, were overflowing with information, but Marika shook her head and shouted.

 

"If we go back, we'll just become a target, so just run!"

 

"Understood!!"

Casting a smoke screen and radio jamming at the enemy, the Bentenmaru quickly withdrew from the battle area. It would have been nice to immediately make a FTL jump, but its main engines did not have the capacity to do so.

 

If the cruiser that had destroyed the transport ship abandoned its prey and pursued it, there was no telling how far it could make it. However, the three mobile cruisers did not adopt an orbit that would allow them to pursue the Bentenmaru.

 

Once it had sufficiently cleared the battle area, the Bentenmaru jumped towards the Tau star system in Cetus.

Upon touching down in the Tau system, Bentenmaru contacted the star system escort fleet. They informed them that at least three mobile cruisers had been attacking the Maria Forte 85, and that the Maria Forte had finally come under direct attack, and attached the latest battle information.

 

The presence of at least three mobile cruisers equipped with anti-ship equipment, and possibly even more, would be a heavy burden for the star system's limited forces. Marika offered to have the Bentenmaru work with the star system's forces to rescue the Maria Forte and provide cover for the star system's forces.

 

The star system forces responded to the Bentenmaru that cooperation was not required. The Imperial Fleet, which had received a distress call at the same time as the star system's forces, was rushing to the scene, so there was no need to worry about the relative strength of the forces.

 

After receiving the latest information from the star system forces, the Bentenmaru flew to Sea of the Morningstar to bring its captain, Kato Marika, home.

 

The star system forces escort fleet jumped to the airspace where the Maria Forte 85 had sent out its distress signal just as the Bentenmaru was about to pass. At almost the same time, the Imperial Fleet's mobile fleet arrived, but the rescue fleet only found a heavily damaged transport ship. The mobile cruisers thought to be the attacker had already retreated, and their true identity could not be confirmed.

 

An emergency escape capsule and the closed habitation block were safely recovered. Having heard this, Marika left the Bentenmaru on a shuttle that landed at the Shin-Okuhama Spaceport.

 

The next morning.

 

Marika woke up early, feeling a little sleep-deprived, and first checked for emergency messages from the Bentenmaru and then checked the news online.

 

No news could be found about the Maria Forte 85, which had been attacked by an unidentified force near the Tau star system the previous day. There were no abnormalities in the Bentenmaru's regular contact, and no special notes to report.

 

After having breakfast with her mother, Marika left home on her bicycle earlier than usual.

 

Hakuoh Girls' Academy has dormitories for the middle and high school students on its grounds, and accepts students who commute from neighboring cities.

 

Hakuoh Girls' Academy is located on the outskirts of Shin-Okuhama City, far from the urban area, and there are a small number of students who walk to school from nearby suburbs.

 

Students from Shin-Okuhama City and nearby satellite cities commute to school by public transportation, including high-speed rail, with the majority of students taking the subway to the nearest station.

 

After passing the throngs of students leaving the subway station and heading towards the main gates of the junior and senior high school, Marika tried to ride her bicycle in through the side gate, which was most often used by the high school students who commute by bicycle. The side gate, which appears to be wide open, is a security gate that wirelessly checks the IDs of students and related personnel, and any unregistered suspicious individuals, cars, or bicycles attempting to enter will immediately contact security.

 

She parked her bike in the designated space in the student-only bicycle parking area on the brick-paved bicycle path. Taking her school bag that was attached to the handlebar post, Marika headed for the entrance to the high school division.

 

Uniformed high school students who had come to school from home or the dorms were drawn into the spacious entrance hall.

 

"Good morning!" At the call, Marika raised her hand at Endou Mami. "Morning."

 

"You're early this morning. Weren't you working yesterday?"

 

"Yeah, after the usual business, there was a bit of trouble." Marika, who entered the entrance hall side by side with Mami while giving a vague explanation, noticed a black figure standing in the back. "Eh?"

 

"Black Granny!" Mami whispered. The tall, sharp-eyed vice principal, Ms. Greenbell, dressed in black, was known as Black Granny because of the way she dressed and stood.

 

"What's going on?" Seeing the vice principal greet each student as they entered the entrance, Mami tilted her head. "Surprise inspection? No way, right?"

 

At least since Mami and Marika entered the middle school, there have been no baggage or clothing inspections. The vice principal, who was watching the students come through the front door with her arms folded, didn't seem to be doing any kind of inspection.

 

Marika greeted the vice principal like the other students and tried to pass her. "Good morning."

 

"Kato Marika?"

 

Marika was about to leave when her name was suddenly called, and she hurriedly turned around to face the vice principal, holding her school bag behind her back.

 

"Y-Yes!?"

 

The vice principal, who was rumored to be from the military intelligence department, looked at Marika and nodded. "Good morning, Kato Marika. The principal is calling for you. Please come to the principal's office."

 

"Ah, yes." Hearing that, Marika looked at the vice principal again and then at Mami next to her. “Right now?”

 

The vice principal nodded. "Right now. The principal is waiting for you."

 

"Okay, I understand. I'll be right there."

 

"We'll be waiting." The vice principal, who seemed to be there just for that purpose, quickly left the entrance hall via the front door, which was full of students who had just arrived at school.

 

"Um." Marika looked around, wondering if she had done anything wrong recently that would warrant a summons to the principal's office as soon as she arrived at school.

 

"I wonder what's going on?" Mami tilted her head, shifted her bag to her left hand, and held out her right hand to Marika. "Give me your bag. I'll take it to your classroom."

 

"Thanks, please take care of it." Marika left her school bag with Mami, who was going to her classroom upstairs, and took off running.

 

The principal's office was on the first floor of the old high school building. Marika walked down a wide corridor with white plaster walls and a high ceiling supported by an intricate wooden arch structure to the principal's office.

 

The last time Marika visited the principal's office was after she had decided to take on the role of captain of the Bentenmaru. After submitting paperwork and making the rounds to the relevant ministries and agencies on Sea of the Morningstar and paying her respects, she went there with Misa, who was on the staff list of Hakuoh Girls' Academy as a school nurse at the time, and took her newly officially issued privateer license with her.

 

Marika noticed that the double doors of the principal's office, which she hadn't seen in a while, were a composite structure made of armor sandwiched between wood with relief patterns. She knocked on the heavy old-fashioned knocker that looked like a gargoyle holding a bit in its mouth.

 

"Come in," a voice came from inside. Marika pushed down the silver polished mechanical lever and opened the door to the principal's office.

 

The principal's office was apparently the office of the governor himself when the Hakuoh Girls' Academy was the governor's office. There was a large desk at the back, a reception set that looked like it could hold a small party in front, and on the wall was a bookshelf that reached the ceiling and was lined with old books and relics showing the history of the Hakuoh Girls' Academy, along with a movable ladder.

 

The principal, who was called the White Witch in contrast to the vice principal, Black Granny, had just stood up from behind a huge desk that only had a simple information terminal placed on it.

 

"We've been waiting for you, Kato Marika."

 

"I'm Kato Marika from class 2." Marika entered the principal's office and closed the large, heavy door behind her. After bowing to the principal and the black-clad vice principal standing next to her, Marika looked up and repeated herself. "...I’m Kato Marika, Captain of the Bentenmaru. What do you want to talk about?"

 

"Our school just received an emergency call from the star system military." The white principal pointed to the information terminal on her desk. Standing at a distance, Marika couldn't see what information was on the display. "Please secure Kato Marika, a student of your school, as soon as possible."

 

Marika's eyes widened. The principal nodded, as if she knew everything.

 

"Your ID has now been disconnected from our school's system. Do you understand what that means?"

 

Student IDs are managed by a wireless system built into the student handbook. It is possible to immediately tell whether or not a student is on campus, and where they are on campus. Since this can involve personal information, the data is not released to the outside world, but when it comes to the star system military, it is unclear to what extent the academy's independence can be guaranteed.

 

If a student's ID is disconnected from the Hakuoh Girls' Academy system, it means that the system does not recognize the ID.

 

"Does that mean I haven't come to school yet?" Marika managed to answer, trying her best to think ahead and think things through.

 

"Is that so?"

 

"That's right." With a gentle smile on her face, the principal nodded. "We won't know that you've come to Hakuoh Girls' Academy today until we take attendance this morning. Do you know what to do next?"

 

A student, whose custody had been requested by the star system military, was informed that her ID would be disconnected from the security system. Marika suddenly realized what this meant and bowed vigorously.

 

"I understand. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, principal and vice principal!"

 

"Very well." The principal nodded with a smile. "Well, go on. Your friends are waiting for you."

 

Marika bowed once more, thinking about the meaning of the principal's words.

 

"Excuse me!" She carefully left the principal's office and closed the door as quietly as possible.

 

"Marika!"

 

"Gruier?!" Marika looked back at Gruier, who was waiting outside the principal's office in her middle school uniform.

 

"Good morning, what's wrong with you, looking so cornered?"

 

Looking at the door to the principal's office, Gruier quickly turned her attention back to Marika. "I have an urgent request for the Bentenmaru. Please take me to the Serenity star system."

 

"Um, it’s urgent?" Seeing Gruier nod, Marika started walking. "In that case, wouldn't it be quicker to ask Serenity's escort fleet to pick you up?"

 

"I've already asked the escort fleet to pick me up." Gruier immediately stepped in front of Marika, who had started to walk away. "Please come with me. I've prepared a car to take us to Shin-Okuhama Spaceport."

 

"Okay, but..." After a moment's thought, Marika quickly abandoned her efforts to keep it a secret from Gruier. "Apparently I'm currently being pursued by the star system military, is that okay?"

 

"Oh?" Gruier looked surprised, as if she was hearing that for the first time. "In that case, we need to hurry so they don’t find us."

 

A long, black limousine was parked at the main entrance for faculty and staff. Gruier let the black-clad guards who were waiting for her open and close the doors, and climbed into the limousine with practiced ease.

 

"What!?" Although it didn't have the Serenity royal family crest, the super-luxury limousine was something that was rarely seen even in Sea of the Morningstar's government district. Marika's eyes widened as she got in, looking around. "Wow, it feels like I'm not inside a car."

 

"To the airport." Sitting in a huge L-shaped leather seat in a vast cabin that was upholstered in soft crimson velvet and a functional chandelier hanging from the polished woodwork ceiling, Gruier spoke into the intercom in the armrest.

 

The limousine started to move smoothly and silently. Marika, who didn't feel any acceleration even though she hadn't sat down, sat next to Gruier. "It's rare for Gruier to use a car like this."

 

Both Gruier and Grunhilde wanted to be treated as normally as possible when they entered the dormitory and studied abroad at Hakuoh Girls' Junior High School. As a result, the number of teachers and staff for personal security seems to have increased slightly, but since the children of nobles and royalty had attended Hakuoh Girls' Academy before, there have been no noticeable changes.

 

And up until now, neither Gruier nor Grunhilde had ever used a private car at Hakuoh Girls Academy

 

"That's how urgent the situation is." Gruier answered with a tense look on her face and returned her gaze to the front. "Probably more than ever before."

 

 

The ultra-fast limousine arrived at the airport faster than the average time it took for Misa to drive her classic car, but what kind of magic had been used? The limousine passed through an intersection that Marika had never passed before, and drove straight into the airport parking lot without stopping at the terminal building.

 

"Huh, what!?"

 

"This way, hurry." Marika was pulled by the uniformed Gruier into a small shuttle that was warming up on the tarmac. It was unclear where it had been chartered from, but the small black shuttle had no markings, let alone a registration number, and it waited for the passengers to settle into their seats in the cabin before departing.

 

Looking out the window, it was clear that it was an emergency takeoff on par with an orbital interceptor. Marika saw Gruier, who was buried in a large seat in the business-style cabin, which seemed to barely move thanks to its effective inertial control.

 

"What's wrong with you, Gruier, that you're in such a hurry?"

 

"I don't know." Letting out a sigh, Gruier stood up from the backrest of the six seats facing inward in the not-so-large cabin, opened the sideboard and took out a tablet-shaped communication panel. She ran her fingers over it with practiced hands and set up a communications line. " Could you please contact the Bentenmaru?"

 

"Of course, I can, but..." Marika frowned as she saw the minimum conditions preset on the communication panel handed to her by Gruier. It was directional communication with fairly strict encryption. Apparently she really didn't want her message to be intercepted.

 

Marika called the Bentenmaru using her captain's code.

 

"Hey Captain, good timing." Hyakume answered the voice-only communication immediately. "I was just thinking of calling you myself. You're heading for the Bentenmaru, that's great."

 

"Well." Glancing at Gruier’s worried face, Marika said. "It's not me, it's Gruier who has requested that we jump to the blue planets in the Serenity system as soon as possible."

 

"Oh?" Hyakume's response was laced with surprise. "That's fine, but is something happening at Serenity?"

 

"Really?" Marika glared at Gruier, who shook her head with a serious look on her face.

 

"She doesn't seem to know the details yet. Well, I guess..." Marika's eyes widened as she updated the location information on her communications panel to confirm their current location.

 

"We'll be leaving Sea of the Morningstar's control zone soon!? How fast is this shuttle going!?"

 

"Oh, that? It’s a super express. We can meet up sooner than I thought. Any requests for the rendezvous point?"

 

Gruier answered Marika as she looked at her face. "Please do so as soon as possible."

 

"Time is the top priority, so as soon as possible."

 

"Okay. Once you leave the control zone, there's no speed limit. I'll send you the coordinates of the contact point."

 

"I can't believe you can get into space so quickly from the ground." Marika boarded the Bentenmaru in an airspace far away from not only the control zone but also the gravitational field of the Sea of the Morningstar, and watched the small shuttle leave from the porthole of the storage deck. The blue light of the Sea of the Morningstar was surprisingly far away.

 

"Ah, Captain from the bridge." Hyakume's voice came from the speaker on the storage deck. "This is the bridge. Captain Kato Marika, please come up to the bridge quickly."

 

"Let's hurry." As if she knew the situation, Gruier took the lead and ran out to the passageway.

 

"We've received a call from the insurance association. An agent is waiting on the other end of the radio. I repeat, Captain Kato, please come up to the bridge as soon as possible."

 

"After the principal's office, the next stop is the bridge?"

 

It was not an expected a reply to a call in the first place. Marika ran after Gruier, who had become accustomed to the Bentenmaru's layout.

 

As she moved through the ship, Marika noticed that the Bentenmaru was shrouded in tension, as if it were in a battle. Normally, during a voyage, you would pass and greet many crew members in the corridors, but there was no one to be seen, as if everyone was in their positions.

 

As she followed Gruier onto the bridge, Marika realized that the tension she had felt was not an illusion. All the bridge crew were seated. Misa, who was in the observer's seat, turned around and stood up. "Communications are connected."

 

Misa pointed to the captain's seat, which was one step higher. As she climbed up to the captain's seat, Marika asked Misa. "Is it okay if I don't change into my captain's uniform?"

 

"It's not pirate work, so it's fine. Time takes priority."

 

"Yes, yes." After settling into the captain's seat, Marika checked the communications panel. The Harold Lloyd Insurance Association had set up a Class III encrypted communication, the highest level of strength, instead of the usual Class II.

 

Gruier had come around to the front of the captain's seat and was looking up at Marika with a worried look on her face. Marika closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened the line.

 

"Sorry to have kept you waiting. This is Kato Marika, Captain of the Bentenmaru."

 

"Hello, I'm glad you joined this message." An afro-haired monster appeared on the communication monitor. "So that means Bentenmaru still maintains its independence as a pirate ship. That's pretty good."

 

"It seems like things are getting a bit confusing." Marika just went along with the story and laughed. On the communication monitor, Show looked at Marika through his flashy sunglasses.

 

"Let's get to the point. I have bad news, even worse news, and the worst news.”

 

Marika nodded nonchalantly to Show's unusual opening. “Isn't that the usual? What's wrong?”

 

Show bared his teeth. “Let's start with the bad news. A provisional report on the damage investigation into the Maria Forte 85 has been released. The Maria Forte was attacked without warning and was heavily damaged, and was rescued by the Cetus star system military and the Galactic Empire fleet.”

 

Marika had heard the report up until that point, as a related party. “I know. The Bentenmaru was the first to come to the Maria Forte's rescue.”

 

“The Maria Forte's navigation log and crew claim that it was the Bentenmaru that attacked without warning.”

 

“What?!” Marika raised her voice. The request for rescue from the star system military to the Bentenmaru should have been recorded, and the battle records of the Bentenmaru on site were given to the star system military without any editing. The same data had been sent to the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association, so Show should have known the chronological order of events.

 

"The Bentenmaru engaged in combat with an unknown cruiser while responding to a request for rescue! There's no reason to attack a transport ship we've never met!!"

 

Show waved his hand on the other side of the communications monitor. "Don't panic. There's still a long way to go. Based on the route records left in the control station, the Maria Forte data, and the combat data provided by the Bentenmaru, the star system forces and the Imperial Fleet have concluded that there is a strong possibility that the Bentenmaru misidentified and attacked the transport ship."

 

Unable to believe Show's words, Marika swept her eyes over the Bentenmaru's bridge. All the bridge crew members in their positions were looking at Marika in the captain's seat.

 

Seeing the worried look on Gruier’s face as she looked up at the captain's seat from the closest position, Marika smiled. She took a breath as calmly as she could and turned back to the communications monitor. "That's not true. That's annoying. So, what's the worse news?"

 

"Good, that’s the spirit. The worse news is that the Sea of the Morningstar Administration has suspended the Bentenmaru's privateer license."

 

Marika tried to think about what Show meant as calmly as possible. The Sea of the Morningstar Administration, which suspended the Bentenmaru's privateer license, is far away from their current location. There is plenty of time to deal with it rationally.

 

"There is a disclaimer that it is a temporary measure until the facts are clarified. In other words, you are now just a spaceship, not a pirate ship protected by an official license."

 

"That's pretty quick for a star system government." She heard Misa mutter. Marika opened her mouth, trying to think as quickly as possible.

 

"There is still the worst news left, isn't there?"

 

"Oh, there is." Show smiled broadly on the other side of the communication monitor. "Just as we were waiting for the suspension of your privateer’s license, the Bentenmaru was listed as a pirate by the Imperial Fleet. In other words, you have changed class from a privateer to a genuine pirate. The military forces of nearby star systems and the Imperial Fleet will not be held legally responsible if they attack or sink you without warning."

 

A strange silence filled the bridge. Marika took another deep breath. "Thank you for the valuable information. I have a few questions. Is that okay?"

 

"Yes, of course. Insurance companies maintain communication lines with their customers for that purpose."

 

"This isn't some kind of joke or a preparation for a surprise party or anything, right?"

 

Show shook his head with a serious look on his face. "If that were to happen, my job would be a little easier, but first of all, it would be a silly way to trick the crew of the Bentenmaru. Secondly, the joke is too exaggerated for our insurance association. Being designated a pirate by the Imperial Fleet is not something you can take for granted or as a joke. And, most importantly” Show leaned forward towards the communication monitor "Even as a joke, it's not funny at all."

 

"That's right. Coorie, please confirm the Imperial pirate designation." Without taking her eyes off the monitor, Marika gave instructions with one hand. "If you can confirm it, it will be a good memento. Please record it."

 

"Roger that." Coorie answered seriously and started typing on the keyboard.

 

"If the information you just told me is true, then the Bentenmaru is now a pirate ship certified by the Galactic Empire. Wouldn't the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association providing information to the Bentenmaru be an act of aiding pirates?"

 

"You're more worried about us than yourself? You're pretty relaxed, Captain Kato Marika." Show shook his finger theatrically. "First of all, your insurance contract with us is still valid. As long as there is no clear breach of contract and the other party does not request cancellation or revision of the contract, the relationship should continue. Or is there a reason why the Bentenmaru does not want to continue their insurance contract with us?”

 

“Not at all.” Marika shook her head with a smile. “Bentenmaru hopes to continue a good relationship with the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association. But, Show…”

 

“You don't need to worry. We are an old and respectable insurance association with ties to the Imperial fleet and trading companies. We have plenty of negotiation routes and methods at our disposal.” Show interrupted Marika mid-sentence and continued. “Next, let me explain our position once more. I'm sure you understand, but the work we do with you guys is barely profitable, and it's not uncommon for us to end up in the red.”

 

Show's grin grew wider. “In other words, you guys are not good customers and you're not very profitable. Nevertheless, the insurance company continues to contract with you because it is more profitable for them to do so.”

 

The amount of the insurance contract that Bentenmaru has with Harold Lloyd Insurance Company is not exorbitant. Marika had also seen it when she was being taught about the general maintenance and management of the Bentenmaru, and the contract amount is lower than that of most privately owned ships, and is kept at the same level as commercial ships.

 

“It has been a long time since there have been any real pirates around here. However, the contract that the shipping companies that operate passenger ships have with insurance companies includes insurance in case of pirate attacks, even though it is a low rate. This is not to be underestimated.”

 

Insurance companies don't just contract with one ship or one company. It is common for them to contract with a number of companies and multiple ships across a wide area. For large insurance policies, it may span several insurance companies, and if the contract amount is large, the insurance company will take out reinsurance to spread the risk. In that case, the number of insurance companies involved and the total amount of the insurance contract will increase further.

 

"All the ships that you attack have pirate insurance. Shipping companies call in pirates as a service to their customers, and you show your presence by doing so, and we insurance companies can show the usefulness of pirate insurance. It's a win-win situation for everyone, but that's not all. The fact that insurance companies and shipping companies have relationships with pirates is important."

 

With a dramatic gesture, Show pointed his long index finger, which was wearing a flashy ring, at Marika.

 

"The fighting power that pirates possess is comparable to a small army. Moreover, that power is independent and does not depend on political systems such as the star system military or the Galactic Empire. Space is a dark place, and you never know what will happen in the next second or how the situation will change. In such a situation, having a relationship with an independent fighting power is a status symbol."

 

"So our existence is insurance for insurance companies and shipping companies?"

 

Marika's answer made Show smile broadly.

 

"That's right. So please trust me.” Show's flashy sunglasses sparkled. “As long as I judge that a relationship with you is beneficial, Show is on your side.”

 

“That's very encouraging.” Marika nodded. Show looked at the display in front of him.

 

'Well, I'll give you the latest information The Tau star system’s military is busy with their main business, so although they have been notified that the Bentenmaru's privateering license has been suspended, there are currently no ships that can afford to carry out operations against it. The Imperial Fifth Fleet has also issued a pirate warrant for the Bentenmaru, but since their threat assessment did not produce any good numbers, there are no plans to organize a pursuit fleet or take action. Is there anything else you would like to know?'

 

After thinking for a moment, Marika looked up at the communication monitor. “The battle data submitted by the Bentenmaru has been circulated to you as well, right?”

 

“Oh, of course. Something was sent to us right after the battle yesterday.”

 

“Can we get the battle data that led the star system military and Imperial Fleet to conclude that the Bentenmaru attacked the Maria Forte?”

 

Tucking his chin slightly, Show shot Marika's face through the monitor.

 

“If the star system military or the Imperial Fleet had seen the same battle data that Show saw, then the Bentenmaru could not have attacked a ship in need of rescue. But since the Bentenmaru is being portrayed as the villain, there must have been battle data like that. A professional military would never misinterpret battle data, so completely fabricated or falsified battle data, different from the Bentenmaru's, must have been submitted to the star system military and Imperial Fleet Command.”

 

"I’ll look into it." Raising one hand, Show agreed. "After all, we're the insurance company that has a contract with the Bentenmaru, so there's no reason for them to refuse if we request the disclosure of relevant information."

 

"Please do." Marika bowed to the communication monitor. "We're just going to--"

 

"Oh, that's enough." Raising both palms to the monitor, Show interrupted Marika's words. "It's enough for the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association to be able to confirm that the Bentenmaru is safe. If we hear about the Bentenmaru's future operational plans, we'll have to answer honestly when the Imperial Fleet asks us. We know your future business plans. That's enough information."

 

"I got it." Marika nodded. "Well, please contact me if you get any new information. Our communication channel with the Harold Lloyd Insurance Company is always open."

 

"Have a safe voyage." Show flashed a two-fingered salute from his sunglasses. "I wish you the best of luck."

 

The FTL line to the Harold Lloyd Insurance Company was cut off by them, to prevent any subsequent tracing of communications records.

 

Marika looked up from the communication monitor. Everyone on the bridge was looking at her.

 

Marika cleared her throat and stood up from the captain's seat. "So, it seems like things have become a bit tricky, but the Bentenmaru will take care of the customer's request first. Destination: the blue planets in the Serenity system. Gruier, are you sure you want to head straight for the Big Blue Sister?"

 

The old colony planets in the Serenity system are twin planets. The two planets, naturally blessed with rich oceans and gently rolling continents, are known as the Big Blue Sister and the Little Blue Sister¹. The Serenity Royal Palace is located on the Big Blue Sister.

 

"I've already told Yotof." Gruier answered, looking straight up at Marika and smoothly reciting coordinate values. “Jump to this point, please."

 

"Is this location correct?" Luca, in the navigator's seat, entered the numbers she had been told verbally and displayed the specified coordinates on a space map. There are no habitable planets orbiting in the Serenity outer planetary system, but it was within defense range from the star system's perspective.

 

"It's fine." Gruier replied, looking up at the star map of the Serenity star system displayed on the main screen.

 

"Yotov, is that the Chief Chamberlain? We'll probably be okay. It seems that the Serenity system is in an emergency, so we'll be on high alert and prepare for a long-distance jump. We'll jump as soon as we're ready."

 

"Destination, the blue planets in the Serenity system."

 

Luca repeated Marika's words and started setting the course. Sandaime turned to the engine control panel and started preparing for a FTL jump.

 

"I thought that might be the case, so I increased the power output of both Alpha and Beta."

 

"Let's prepare for anti-ship combat as well."

 

"I hope I don't have to use it, but I'll prepare for electronic warfare as well."

 

Schnitzer and Coorie began preparing for anti-ship combat and electronic combat.

 

"Misa, prepare a seat for Gruier."

 

After making sure that there were no other bridge crew members waiting for her orders or asking any questions, Marika jumped down from the captain's seat. "I'm going to put on my captain's uniform. Then we'll talk about what's ahead."

 

 

"We're touching down." Kane, at the wheel, announced while subtly adjusting the position of the Bentenmaru during its FTL jump.

 

The Bentenmaru appeared in the outer planetary space of the Serenity star system, distorting normal space. Before the surrounding space stopped shaking due to the FTL jump, Luca confirmed their current location, and Hyakume confirmed the situation in the surrounding space.

 

"Current location confirmed." Luca quickly completed the confirmation of their current location. "Serenity star system, outer planetary system. Almost at the designated coordinates."

 

"Fleet confirmed!" Hyakume called out as the transponder and radar waves came in faster than our radar reflections. "One Maracot-class battleship, six Corback-class escort ships. It’s the usual Serenity System Defense Force space fleet."

 

"Oh my." After almost reflexively checking that the space fleet was not pointing their high-precision fire control radar in their direction, Marika looked at the battleship fleet's composition on the display.

 

"A battle fleet to welcome us? What in the world is going on?" Gruier looked at the Serenity fleet on the display with a tense look on her face.

 

“So, there is a direct communication request from the Maracot-class battleship Queen Serendipity.” Hyakume passed the communication request, which he had been expecting, to the captain's seat.

 

"To Captain Kato Marika, from Grunhilde Serenity?"

 

"Your younger sister?"

 

Gruier and her sister, Grunhilde, are studying abroad at the Hakuoh Girls' Academy. Marika looked at Gruier in the observer's seat. Gruier responded. "Please connect the line."

 

"Yes, yes."

 

While pondering the reason for Gruier nervousness, Marika connected a direct line to the Serenity System Defense Force's space fleet flagship, Queen Serendipity.

 

After the Serenity royal family crest, Grunhilde appeared in military uniform on the video communication monitor, which had no encryption settings.

 

"This is the Serenity space fleet flagship, Queen Serendipity, Grunhilde Serenity."

 

Marika remembered the time she had faced off against Grunhilde in military uniform through the monitor before. She glanced at Gruier’s profile. Seeing her sister in military uniform, Gruier looked relieved and relaxed.

 

Marika turned to Grunhilde on the communications monitor. "This is the Bentenmaru, captain Kato Marika."

 

Since it was a normal communication, it's best to assume that the contents of the communication can be monitored not only by the entire fleet, but anywhere in the star system if they so choose.

 

"We have brought her Royal Highness Princess Gruier Serenity."

 

Grunhilde nodded from the other side of the communications monitor. "I have a message for the Bentenmaru. The Bentenmaru is currently surrounded by our space fleet. There is no way to escape. Surrender immediately to Serenity."

 

"Eh?"

 

After studying Grunhilde's face, Marika turned to Gruier. "What is this, Gruier?"

 

"The Serenity star system does not want any unnecessary fighting. If you surrender immediately, we will guarantee your safety and a fair investigation of the facts. Bentenmaru, surrender to the Serenity Space Fleet immediately.”

 

“We made it in time.” Gruier gave Marika a wicked smile. “Trust me. I'll explain everything to you until you're satisfied. Please surrender to Grunhilde.”

 

Marika looked around the bridge. They had been preparing since before the FTL jump, so Bentenmaru was ready for battle.

 

Contrary to what Grunhilde had said, the Serenity System Defense Force space fleet was not surrounding the Bentenmaru. They hadn't even taken up a battle formation for anti-ship combat, and were simply facing the Bentenmaru in cruising mode. There were plenty of escape routes, and it would probably be easy to get away from this place.

 

Marika looked at Grunhilde's face on the monitor of the regular communication. The worried expression on her face was definitely not that of a commander issuing an order to surrender.

 

Nodding slightly, Marika began to speak. "Understood. The Bentenmaru will accept the surrender recommendation from the Serenity space fleet."

 

She raised both hands toward the monitor. "I have no intention of fighting. Um, what should I do next?"

 

Grunhilde gave a relieved smile. "I have confirmed that Bentenmaru has accepted the surrender recommendation. The Queen Serendipity will now come alongside, and I will board to personally confirm the Bentenmaru's surrender. Bentenmaru, please follow our orders.”

 

“Roger that. The Bentenmaru will surrender to the Serenity space fleet and will be under your command.”

 

“The flagship itself is docking our pirate ship? You mean we'll dock here and another princess will board?” Grumbling to himself, Hyakume checked the docking procedure sent by Queen Serendipity.

 

“It would be quicker if we do the docking, right?” The agile Bentenmaru is much more maneuverable than a large battleship.

 

“No, we’re instructed not to move.” Hyakume interpreted the data from the Queen Serendipity and informed Marika. “The Queen Serendipity will align its course with ours and come alongside us. We'll be treated like guests if we surrender.”

 

“The Serenity fleet is not in combat mode.” Schnitzer reported. "There's only a normal navigation radar response, and the energy response is low."

 

"There's no electronic jamming either." Coorie said. "They're capable people, but they have no intention of fighting. I wonder how much of it is just acting, and what they're thinking."

 

"What are you up to, Gruier?" Seeing that communication with the Queen Serendipity had shifted to confirmation work for docking, Marika turned her seat to face Gruier in the observer seat. "You were so angry when your sister wore a military uniform last time, but now you've done something like this, so doesn't this mean that this isn't an emergency to you?"

 

"I believe this is the safest way to protect the Bentenmaru." Gruier stood up from the observer seat and politely bowed to Marika. "Thank you for trusting me, Captain Marika. From what I can see, the Bentenmaru is in an unprecedented state of crisis."

 

Marika looked at Misa, who was sitting on a seat by the wall with her arms folded and a serious look on her face, then turned her eyes back to Gruier. "Well, it seems like things are getting a little confusing, but do you know anything, Gruier?"

 

"Unfortunately, I don't know how this happened." Gruier shook her head sadly. "But I think I understand the situation the Bentenmaru is in, just like the rest of the crew. The Bentenmaru's privateering license has been suspended, and to make matters worse, it has been designated a pirate by the Galactic Empire. If we leave the situation as it is, it's not hard to imagine that, in the worst case scenario, the Bentenmaru will be pursued by the Imperial fleet."

 

"Well, I don't think a big power like the Imperial Fleet would go after a weak pirate like us."

 

"Was the Bentenmaru framed?"

 

This time, Gruier looked around at the faces of the bridge crew. Misa, who had been listening to the conversation, cleared her throat. "A royal princess shouldn't use vulgar language like being framed."

 

"By the way, Gruier, where in the world did you get that information?"

 

"For someone in my position, information is a much more powerful force than direct combat power. Besides, a system for obtaining information is much cheaper than building a huge military force."

 

"Is that what are you doing at the girls' school where you're studying abroad?"

 

"Of course, I'm doing important work to protect the peace and tranquility of this galaxy."

 

After chanting the mantra, Gruier nodded to Misa. “Let me rephrase that. There was a fabricated battle report about the Bentenmaru, which she had no knowledge of, which resulted in her privateer license being suspended by the Sea of the Morningstar and being listed as a pirate by the Galactic Empire. This means that if this was a conspiracy, the person who plotted it had the power to easily manipulate not only the Sea of the Morningstar government but also the Galactic Empire's fleet.

 

"A conspiracy, huh?" Marika sighed. "I guess we have to think along those lines."

 

"Fortunately, the government was slow to act, and the Imperial fleet did not immediately respond to the Bentenmaru. Therefore, in order to protect the Bentenmaru safely, I decided that the safest and most reliable way to do so would be to have it surrender to the Serenity System Defense Force space fleet."

 

"I'm just wondering," Hyakume spoke up, "if the revocation of our pirate license was on suspicion of attacking an innocent transport ship, then why in the world has the Bentenmaru surrendered to the Serenity space fleet this time?"

 

Gruier gave a mischievous smile. "The charge is for the kidnapping of Gruier Serenity, the seventh legitimate princess of the Serenity Star Royal Family. In other words, kidnapping me."

 

Gruier looked around the bridge with a smile. "Don't you think that's enough for the Serenity space fleet to take action?"

 

"I've been set up." Marika said nonchalantly and sat down in the captain's seat. "First it was a mysterious conspiracy of unknown origin, and now it's Gruier."

The Bentenmaru surrendered to the Serenity system’s defense force’s space fleet.

 

Following procedure, the Serenity space fleet flagship, the battleship Queen Serendipity, approached and docked with the Bentenmaru, which was in a state of inertial navigation without propulsion. When the boarding bridge was connected to the side hatch, a wired communication was connected before the confirmation of fixation and airtightness.

 

"Bentenmaru from Queen Serendipity, this is Grunhilde Serenity, acting commander of the space fleet."

 

The voice echoed in the large airlock that also served as a workshop, and Marika couldn't help but be amazed. "The princess herself?!"

 

"The Bentenmaru and the Queen Serendipity are currently connected by wire. This means there is no risk of our communications being intercepted by outside parties.”

 

“This is Gruier Serenity.” Gruier picked up the receiver of the communication panel herself and answered the call. “Hilde, thank you for your hard work in commanding the fleet.”

 

“Serenity owes a great debt to the Bentenmaru.” Hilde's crystal clear voice replied. “It's a small price to pay if it means ensuring the safety of the Bentenmaru.”

 

“It's amazing that moving an entire battle fleet is a piece of cake.”

 

Marika checked the data displayed on the airlock control panel. The Queen Serendipity was fixed in position 30 meters to the starboard side of the Bentenmaru with a relative speed of zero, and pressurized air was beginning to be blown into the locked boarding bridge.

 

"So, how much of the procedure will we follow? If we accept the surrender recommendation, we'll have to go through a lot of complicated procedures, like disarming and confirming the change in command."

 

"Grunhilde will board the Bentenmaru." Gruier said, still holding the receiver in one hand. "The Bentenmaru should ostensibly be under Grunhilde’s command. Platoon Leader Catherine will be accompanying her as her escort and guide."

 

The control panel displayed a green light, indicating that the boarding bridge's environment had been secured.

 

"The Bentenmaru will head to the Space Fleet headquaerters together with the Queen Serendipity and her escort ships."

 

Following the outer hatch of the boarding bridge, the inner hatch opened. Along with the sound of the atmosphere inside the ship shifting due to a slight difference in pressure, a small figure and a larger figure appeared from the other side of the inner hatch.

 

"Hello, Captain Kato Marika." Grunhilde, standing tall in her military uniform, greeted us from the boarding bridge. "I'm Grunhilde Serenity, acting commander of the Serenity system’s defense force's space fleet. This is Platoon Leader Catherine of the Imperial Guard."

 

Catherine, wearing a long, old-fashioned apron dress, bows gracefully in greeting.

 

"We would like to board the Bentenmaru."

 

"Ah, uh, I'm Captain Kato Marika of the Bentenmaru, and I welcome you both on board."

 

After returning a makeshift salute, Marika points to the small beam gun that she has hanging from the holster on the waist of her captain's uniform. Just like in front of Schnitzer, she doesn't want to carelessly touch a gun in front of a skilled soldier like Platoon Leader Catherine.

 

"Shouldn't the captain hand over a gun to the people who board the ship as proof of surrender?"

 

"No need." Grunhilde, who had boarded the Bentenmaru, shook her head. "Captain Marika surrendered obediently as my sister asked, so we all know it's all a gimmick."

 

"Uh, then, let's go to the bridge first." Marika guided Grunhilde and Platoon Leader Catherine to the bridge of the Bentenmaru.

 

"How is this an escort for a captured ship?" Hyakume said, looking at the surrounding situation on the display, where even low-magnification optical observations could confirm the details of all the ships without the need for radar or sensors.

 

Surrounded by escort ships spaced perfectly apart like a demonstration flight, the Bentenmaru was on a trajectory toward the Serenity system defense force space fleet headquarters. The Queen Serendipity was flying straight ahead of it, like a scout.

 

"Aren't we being treated like an escorted imperial ship?"

 

"Steering like this is difficult in its own way." Kane said as he moved Bentenmaru in the center of the fleet arrangement, which was perfectly still as if it was fixed by invisible rods. "This is more nerve-wracking than combat maneuvers."

 

"The seventh and eighth princesses of Serenity are on the same ship." Gruier is standing at the observer's seat next to the captain's seat. "This is the treatment the Bentenmaru deserves."

 

"Gruier is really merciless when she uses her position." Looking at Gruier’s resolute profile, Marika saw the fleet arrangement on the display, with the Bentenmaru at its center.

 

"It's only natural to use what's available when and where you can." It was Grunhilde who answered.

 

"Thankfully, the Queen Serendipity was on guard duty in the Serenity system, so we were able to greet the Bentenmaru without keeping her waiting."

 

"I'm glad that you came to greet us, but what are we going to do now?"

 

In response to Marika's question, Gruier and Grunhilde, who were standing side by side, both turned to face the captain's seat. Platoon leader Catherine, who had been giving detailed instructions about the course and speed between the helmsman's seat and the navigator's seat, turned around.

 

"We're planning on having the Bentenmaru dock at the fleet headquarters under the pretext of disarmament."

 

"What!?" Hyakume exclaimed.

 

"It's just a pretense." Catherine continued. "Space force command is prepared to provide the Bentenmaru with full resupply and, if necessary, coordination on maintenance. We don't know where this ship's bow will point in the future, but it will be ready."

 

"I’m not worried about supplies, but I am interested in maintenance and adjustments."

 

"Elizabeth dock at fleet command is open." Catherine moved behind Hyakume in the radar/sensor seat and took out a data card. "Can you see it?"

 

"Is this it?" Hyakume received the elaborately decorated data card from Catherine and inserted it into the reader slot.

 

The grandeur of fleet command, a military station floating in high orbit around the Blue Sisters, is projected on a 3D display.

 

The Serenity space fleet command is a station designed to withstand interstellar war, and is also the last stronghold for the defense of Serenity. It is equipped with a powerful galaxy-wide communications system, powerful fortress cannons, solid armor, and also has a port for the supply and maintenance of its fleet.

 

In one section of the huge port area that looks like it could accommodate an entire fleet, there is a block equipped with several closed docks that look like they can be used to overhaul spaceships, refurbish them, and even build them from scratch. Each large closed dock has a proper name, and Catherine pointed to one of them, a block that looked like it would be suitable for cruisers and escort ships.

 

"Elizabeth Dock is the newest and most well-equipped dock in the fleet command. It is equipped with facilities to repair even heavily damaged battleships in the shortest possible time. The specifications used by the Bentenmaru are different from those of the Serenity space fleet, but we promise to provide our utmost cooperation."

 

"I appreciate that, but this thing..."

 

"Wow, that's amazing." Sandaime, who stood up from the engineer's seat to check the status of Elizabeth dock on the 3D display, spoke up. "I thought it was a naval base maintenance dock, but it's actually a fully automated, state-of-the-art dock that can even build new ships. At this scale, we can even replace the main engines and the nuclear reactors!"

 

"How many months do you plan to occupy someone else's state-of-the-art dock?" Hyakume scolded. “Besides, where are the replacement nuclear reactors, let alone the main engines?”

 

The two reactors installed on the Bentenmaru, Alpha and Beta, are antiques that have been in operation for over 60 years. They have long since exceeded their initial design lifespan, and are barely operating thanks to the wisdom and efforts of the engine crew. A search for replacement reactors has been ongoing as widely as possible since the replacement, but suitable ones have yet to be found.

 

"Of course, replacements are necessary to replace the reactors, but with this equipment we can perfectly maintain the main engines as well. Captain, how much time do we have?"

 

Seeing the happy face of Sandaime, Marika, who was in the captain's seat, crossed her arms and said "Hmm."

 

"I don't know what's going to happen, so I want to be able to jump out at a moment's notice."

 

"It’s private." Grunhilde interjected. "You can stay at the Elizabeth dock as long as you like."

 

"That's not the case. If the Serenity space fleet were to capture the Bentenmaru, the Imperial fleet that had designated it a pirate would probably keep quiet for a while, but it can't be forever. If they have the power to control not only the Sea of the Morningstar but also the Imperial fleet, it's possible that they will do something to Serenity as well, and I think anyone who sees it will immediately realize that the Bentenmaru's capture was a rigged game, a monkey show. The longer we take, the more we'll feel like we're playing into their hands."

 

"We’ve already taken action." Gruier nodded with a confident look on her face. "I've asked the Royal Intelligence Agency to investigate the movements of pirate ships with privateer licenses. I believe we'll receive some useful information soon."

 

"And on top of that, supplies?" Marika looked around the bridge. "Um, Schnitzer, how much ammunition and weapons do we have?"

 

"The missiles are at 25% combined." Schnitzer passed the list around to the captain's seat. "There is no need to fill it to 100%, as the ship will become heavier and maintenance and storage will be more difficult, but if there is a major battle coming up, it would be good to have supplies."

 

"We'll run out of chaff screens soon." Hyakume passed the list around the captain's seat. The chaff screens released for radar and optical observation interference and thermal source deception are stored in tanks in a highly concentrated liquid state, and are sprayed into space and dispersed explosively. "We can use as many chaff screens as we can get, so we want to keep them full if possible."

 

"We want to add more propellant, too." Sandaime returned to the engineer's seat and circulated a list of supplies to the captain's seat. "I'd like to add coolant, and if we can replace the reaction fluid and circulating agent, I'll have more peace of mind later."

 

"All this!?" Marika screamed, seeing the lists displayed in 3D around the captain's seat, overlapping one another.

 

"No, actually, this is just propellant and fluids that can be replenished at any port, and we haven't considered engine maintenance." Sandaime sent the list, which was now three times larger, to the captain's seat. "If we're going to dock and open up the engine area, I'd like to do some maintenance and replacements."

 

"If we're going to dock in a well-equipped dock like this, I'd like to do some maintenance around the turret as well." Schnitzer displayed a larger, more detailed list at the captain's seat.

 

"...I'm surprised our spaceship is flying safely." Weapons, ammunition, and chaff screens aren't strictly necessary to fly in space. However, Marika sighed as she skimmed over the lists that Hyakume, Sandaime, and Schnitzer had passed around.

 

"Okay, let's take full advantage of Serenity's kindness."

 

"Thanks!" "Great." "Now I can fight with peace of mind."

 

Listening to the voices of the crew coming from all sides of the bridge, Marika raised her voice. "However! Something could happen at any time that would require an emergency takeoff, so any heavy maintenance that would render the ship immobile is prohibited!"

 

Marika continued, ignoring the protests from Sandaime and Hyakume.

 

"Since we're allowed to use a well-equipped dock, you are allowed to do what you can, but you can only do maintenance that will return the ship to its original state in three hours in an emergency! You can do whatever you want if you can get it back to a state where it can take off in three hours, but any maintenance that doesn't allow that is strictly prohibited!"

 

Marika looked around at the faces of the bridge crew.

 

"Since we're using the dock at the Serenity space fleet HQ, so I don't think there'll be any sudden surprise attacks, but if the Bentenmaru can't move, I think it'll be a long-awaited opportunity for someone out there who wants the Bentenmaru gone, even if it means fabricating false battle information. So, in case something happens, prepare to leave the dock in three hours."

 

Hyakume turned from the radar/sensor seat and exchanged looks with Sandaime.

 

"Y-Yes."

 

"We have no choice but to do it, right?"

 

Sandaime, in the engineer's seat, shrugged.

 

"It's true that we can't be so relaxed right now, and being able to jump out at any time is the basis of being on a spaceship."

 

"I'm not going to ask you for everything to be all perfect when we leave port." Marika called out. "I’m sure you’ve realized that you can do the finishing touches and adjustments while we're flying, right? That's fine, please."

 

Looking at the captain with his hands together, Hyakume and Sandaime exchanged glances once more. Hyakume turned in his seat and faced the control panel. "Well, the facility is well-equipped and there's no need to worry about supplies, so it's much better than usual."

 

"With that being said, Gruier, Grunhilde, and the Bentenmaru will be staying at the Serenity space fleet HQ for a while."

 

Marika stood up from the captain's seat, faced the observer seat, and bowed her head. "Um, how much do you need for the deposit and minimum fee, for now?"

 

Gruier and Grunhilde exchanged glances at each other almost at the same time, then burst out laughing in unison.

 

"This isn't the kind of situation to laugh about." Marika looked at the dock depicted on the 3D screen with a serious look on her face. "The Bentenmaru's financial situation isn't so good, you know?"

 

"I know." Gruier answered as if it were obvious. “Don’t worry. Our space fleet has not fallen so far that we have our port charge mooring fees to captured pirate ships.”

 

"But how much would it cost per day to occupy such a state-of-the-art dock?"

 

If you divide the construction cost by the expected lifespan, you get the minimum cost per day. If you add in electricity and labor costs, the necessary expenses will rise quickly.

 

"Please don't misunderstand me. I'm not just thinking about repaying our debt to the Bentenmaru." Grunhilde, with her uniform cap on her neatly tied blonde hair, looked up at Marika in the captain's seat.

 

"Even though they are small, privateers have a certain amount of military power within the Empire. If they change affiliation or disappear, the balance of military power within the empire will change. Knowing who is plotting what and what they are trying to do will ultimately lead to the peace of Serenity."

 

"Show said that dealing with pirates is a status symbol for insurance companies."

 

Gruier took over the conversation. "It's not just insurance companies. The Serenity Royal Palace believes that it is profitable to do business with pirates."

 

"Are you sure?" Marika looked around the bridge of the Bentenmaru, which was starting preparations for docking with the Serenity space fleet HQ with the help of platoon commander Catherine, then turned her attention back to the two princesses. "Even though they're called space pirates, they have all kinds of reputations, you know?"

 

"That's fine." Gruier answered with a straight face. "If they are involved with criminal connections in the underworld, it would cause various problems for the royal palace, which should be impartial, but if it’s a licensed privateer ship from another star system with which they had no direct vested interest, they could openly do business."

 

Gruier chuckled. "Space pirates are allies of justice."

 

"Having personal relationships with rapid response forces that are not under the command of official authorities is a power that cannot be expressed in numbers." Grunhilde said. "For us, and for any hostile forces that may exist out there."

 

"Oh..." Not knowing how to respond, Marika looked at Gruier and Grunhilde.

 

"So, please feel free to dock the Bentenmaru. You don't need to worry about the rest."

 

"That might be fine for the Bentenmaru" Marika looked around at the maintenance and supply lists that were still displayed in 3D around the captain's seat "but the captain of a captured pirate ship can't do that. What should I do? Should I report to the fleet headquarters first and explain the situation?"

 

"Please choose the people who will go ashore." Grunhilde said. "Captain Marika will come with us to the Serenity Royal Palace and appear at the hearing as the alleged mastermind behind the kidnapping of the princess."

 

"What!?" Marika screamed, and Grunhilde and Gruier both smiled at the same time.

 

"A banquet is being prepared to welcome you."

 

 

"It’s going to kill me..." Marika muttered, feeling a dizzying headache. "A banquet at the royal palace is a rare opportunity, and now I understand why no one wants to attend."

 

After the Bentenmaru docked at Elizabeth dock, Marika explained the situation to the crew as the captain. Working on a pirate ship, it's rare to be treated as a guest at the old royal palace. Time was a top priority for the engineers, and Schnitzer, who was in charge of battle command, couldn't leave the Bentenmaru, which was undergoing maintenance and resupply, and the other crew members had to continue working at the dock depending on their placement and duties, but still, a considerable number of people, such as the marines and the navigation and observation team, should be able to leave the Bentenmaru.

 

However, not a single member of the bridge crew wanted to land on Serenity’s big blue sister. While feeling a bad feeling about the complicated expressions on the crew's faces, Marika had no choice but to nominate members who would have the least impact on the immediate mission of maintaining and resupplying the Bentenmaru.

 

From the bridge crew, she chose Misa, the ship's doctor, and Coorie, the electronic warfare specialist. Misa sighed and accepted, saying it was inevitable, but Coorie refused to land on the big blue sister, listing off a mountain of reasons.

 

“We're docking at a military headquarters, and it's the well-equipped Serenity space fleet! The captain has fought in battles, so she should know how skilled they are! Electronic warfare updates don't just involve parts, collecting the accumulated data and the latest information is essential!!”

 

As Coorie rattled off a stream of reasons, Marika quickly raised both hands. "Okay, okay, then I'd like you to do maintenance on the spaceship at the dock."

 

Coorie looked obviously relieved.

 

"Also, keep an eye on them so Schnitzer, Hyakume, and Sandaime don't start any disassembly or repairs that would make it impossible to put Bentenmaru back together," Marika added quietly.

 

"I'll definitely accept that assignment." Coorie tapped her chest in a low voice, and Marika asked in an even lower voice.

 

"Is the royal palace really that difficult?"

 

Coorie nodded slightly and whispered to Marika. "Be careful not to die."

 

"Okay, I'll be careful."

 

At the time, Marika didn't understand what Coorie meant, but she was asked by the Serenity space fleet command headquarters to prepare her formal attire as they descended to the big blue sister together with Gruel and Grunhilde in the royal shuttle.

 

"By formal wear, do they mean the Hakuoh Girls Academy uniform?" Marika asked seriously, and Misa, still wearing the white coat indicating she was the ship's doctor, shook her head in amazement.

 

"Officially, you're attending an inquisition, so the planet’s royal family expects you to wear your pirate attire." Misa spread out the lab coat that was draped over her arms. "So, Captain Marika, you'll be wearing your captain's uniform. You'll need to come out dressed like you do when you're the captain on the Bentenmaru, down to the hat. Our spaceship isn't a warship, so if we wear our usual clothes, everyone will look all different."

 

"Oh." Marika checked her captain's uniform, which was the same as when she was on the bridge of the Bentenmaru. She adjusted her collar a bit. "Then I should just get comfortable."

 

Misa took out a pocket watch from the pocket of her lab coat and checked the sidereal time, which shows the current time at the landing site and the position of the sun. "It's still daytime, so I think we should wear our usual clothes for the party while it's still daylight."

 

Misa looked out the window of the ship at the prism-like layer of atmosphere attached to the blue planet. "The evening party after dark may have a formal dress code."

 

"What do you mean, formal dress code?"

 

"It means we might be required to wear a frilly dress like a princess." Misa looked around the cabin of the shuttle, where Gruier had disappeared, saying she'd be back later. "That princess likes that sort of thing, doesn't she?"

 

"An evening party..." Marika looked at the current time of the landing site on the cabin display. "So the inquisition won't end during the day?"

 

"It'll continue into the night too." Misa grimaced. "I hope it'll be over by morning."

 

And then Misa began her long lecture.

 

Marika was told that she didn't need to remember them all and should just listen, and a massive list of the royal family of Planet Serenity was displayed in front of her.

 

The royal family of the planet Serenity, currently headed by Simsiel Serenity, the Grand Duke of the royal family of planet Serenity and grandfather of Gruier and Grunhilde, is spread across seven planets, including the two pairs of twin planets, the Blue Sisters and the Turquoise Brothers², the Red Father, the Indigo Mother, and the White Child. As it is an old royal family, there are many side branches in addition to the main line, and most of them are involved in royal duties.

 

"Well, I thought there would be six more above her since Gruier is the legitimate seventh princess and Grunhilde is the eighth princess..."

 

Marika screamed when she saw the family tree with three-dimensional photos of faces that continued above and below the current Grand Duke, Simsiel. "Do I have to memorize all of this!?"

 

"You don't need to remember everything, and I don't expect you to." Misa answered with the face of a patient tutor facing a poor student. "This is how many people from the Serenity royal family will be attending the banquet hosted by the Serenity royal family. You saw most of these faces at the awards ceremony, right?"

 

"There's no way I'd remember! I was dragged out like it was a surprise attack and before I knew it, I was taken to the Serenity royal palace on the big blue sister for the awards ceremony, and then I practically ran away in the middle of the night!"

 

"This time, the official reason is that the royal palace is holding an inquest into the princess's kidnapper, so there's no way you can escape."

 

Marika noticed that Misa was looking at her with pitying eyes.

 

"In other words, there's no guarantee that we can leave the banquet until the royal family is satisfied. And since Gruier said that it's a banquet even though it's an inquisition, it's best to assume that the elite who will be attending will not only be the royal family of Serenity, but also members of the upper class who are close to the royal family." Misa's gaze returned to that of a stern teacher. "Do you understand what I mean, Captain?"

 

"Umm..." Marika thought for a moment and looked up at Misa. "What do you mean by upper class?"

 

Misa shook her head slightly, sighed, and looked up. "I don't think that the kings, queens, prime ministers, or presidents of other star systems will come, but the ambassadors and military officers stationed here, and merchants with whom we do business will come. Even though it's a banquet in the name of an inquisition, it's safe to assume that people will come for the spectacle or some other reason. So, do you know what kind of work the captain has to do?"

 

"What am I supposed to do for people so far above me? Is there anything I need to do, anything I can do?"

 

"Make connections." As Marika tilted her head in earnest, Misa answered simply. "The people of the Serenity Royal Palace and those close to them are coming to see the face of the pirate who once saved Serenity and is now in danger. That's why."

 

"So, Captain Marika, please greet them with a confident smile in your usual captain’s uniform."

 

Gruier, who had entered the cabin, took over. Before they knew it, she had changed into an evening dress for the party.

 

"Wow, so beautiful!" Marika exclaimed, seeing Gruier in a dress for the first time in a while. She then went into deep thought. "A meet-and-greet? With people who have come to see the pirates?"

 

"The Serenity Royal Palace has connections all over the place." Gruier smiled. "I don't think there's any harm in saying hello, is there?"

 

"Maybe there's no harm, but..." Marika thought for a moment. "Saying hello here might be useful later in a tough situation, but I don’t really want to think about it."

 

"Oh, dear." After seeing Misa’s shocked expression, Gruier burst out laughing, still in her usual good mood. "You're wasting your time if you don't use what you have. Especially if you know how easy it is to use."

 

"It may be easy to use, but it seems like it would be a pain afterwards."

 

"Be careful not to get into a situation where you have to use it." After saying that, Misa sighed as she looked at Gruier in her evening dress. "Is it too late now?"

 

"Another method is to let them use it then we ingratiate ourselves with them." Gruier said with a straight face. "Either way, I think this will be a good opportunity for the Cetus constellation pirates to make themselves known to the people in the vicinity of Serenity. Do your best."

 

"Yes." Unenthusiastic, Marika once again began the task of memorizing the seemingly endless list.

 

The royal shuttle landed at the First Virginia central spaceport, which was built on the site of the first group of immigrants landing on the big blue sister. The two princesses and the Bentenmaru’s crew transferred to the planet's royal family's Aerodyne and headed to the royal palace on the outskirts of the city.

 

First Virginia, the big blue sister's oldest capital city, has the same history as the blue planet, and is home to Virginia Palace, where the Serenity royal family works. Located in the center of the government district, where huge old stone buildings stand, Virginia Palace is modeled after the castle of the first family in the creation myth, and is said to be the most magnificent and luxurious building among the Seven Jewels of Serenity.

 

The Serenity royal family has several palaces on all of the Seven Jewels. The planet's royal family's private Aerodyne headed for the Summer Palace, a detached palace used by the royal family for vacations, on the outskirts of First Virginia.

 

Located deep within the Virginia Mountains that tower behind First Virginia, the Summer Palace was a stone palace built on a broad grassland beside a rich blue lake.

 

The freeway connecting the cities goes through a tunnel that cuts through the mountain range, so the only way to get to the Summer Palace from the ground is to drive along a narrow mountain road. An arched pier made of the same stone extended from the palace onto the lake, where slender yachts and flying boats were moored.

 

The private Aerodyne landed on the cobblestone square in the Summer Palace's courtyard, where the guards were waiting in a measured formation.

 

The two princesses and the crew of the Bentenmaru, including Kato Marika, were greeted by the Grand Chamberlain Yotof Sif Sideux in front of the guards dressed in formal uniforms, who were lined up with old-fashioned ceremonial bayonets. "We have been waiting for you."

 

After greeting Marika as courteously as he would an Imperial Princess, the Grand Chamberlain ushered the Bentenmaru crew, including Kato Marika, into the Summer Palace.

 

"I am truly sorry to ask you to work so hard so soon after your rest, but I have heard that the crew of the Bentenmaru are not sure how long they will be able to stay, so I am sure everyone is looking forward to seeing you."

 

From the courtyard, the group was led through a glittering corridor with a row of chandeliers on a vaulted ceiling supported by high columns, and into the great hall of the Summer Palace.

 

The Bentenmaru delegation, led by Marika Kato, were ushered to the top of the great staircase, where the guests were called out by name in the traditional manner, and were greeted with applause from the attendees in colorful dresses and formal attire that filled the hall.

 

Marika, who was absentmindedly looking around the hall from her high vantage point, was suddenly brought back to her senses by Misa nudging her from behind. Remembering her etiquette lessons at school, she decided to greet them as flamboyantly as possible, bowing while waving her cloak.

 

"Ah, well," Marika asked in a low voice, waving at Gruier and Grunhilde, who were standing on either side of her with fake smiles "Is it pirate time or should we do it later?"

 

"Later if we have time." Gruier replied, also with a smile on her face. "Come on, let's go. Come down the stairs with me."

 

And so the inquest began.

 

Marika only wore her pirate captain uniform for the first half day. As the evening party started, she changed into costume that was practically like a dress-up doll and was led around by Gruier and Grunhilde to greet people not only in the Great Hall but also throughout the Summer Palace.

 

Marika, who had no idea where she was or what she was doing, suddenly came back to her senses the next day when it was completely light outside and she was in a canopy bed with everything she could see covered in white lace. She remembers seeing the dawn from one of the many spires in the Summer Palace, but most of her memories are disconnected.

 

"Oh, are you awake?" Misa, who moved around at about the same pace as Marika and was also actively enjoying alcohol and other luxury items, came into the room with a face that showed no signs of drowsiness or fatigue. "Thank you for your hard work. Did you sleep well?"

 

Marika looked around in a daze. A large canopy bed, the size of her own room in Shin-Okuhama City, sits in the middle of an even larger room that looks like it could fit an entire house inside. "Where am I?"

 

"Serenity's Summer Palace in the Virginia Mountains, this is a guest bedroom."

 

"Bedroom..." Marika looked around her bed, which looked like a rough sea. She was wearing a wonderfully comfortable, thin negligee, but she had no recollection of getting changed by herself. "I don't remember coming here on my own."

 

"I used to lose consciousness sometimes." Misa said nonchalantly. "This is the royal palace's famous unlimited party. Go to the great hall and check it out, there are people still going strong."

 

Recalling some scenes from her fragmented memory, Marika couldn't help but cry out. "How are members of the royal family so tough!? Don't they sleep!? Are they on crazy drugs!?"

 

"I’m sorry." Gruier, dressed in a morning dress, the formal attire for the royal palace, opened the door and entered, looking refreshed and free of fatigue or sleepiness. "Being a member of the royal family means that there is a lot of extra work to do, so banquets that are not high priority and do not come with responsibilities are rare. As a result, the royal families from all seven planets gathered together, abandoning the work they should have been doing."

 

"What do you mean!?"

 

"It was used as a convenient excuse for royals to have a party." Misa shrugged. "If you deal with it seriously, you'll be exhausted, so from today on, you should just do it at your own pace and relax."

 

"How come even Misa is so energetic!?"

 

"I've been through a lot. Do you want to drink some medicine? It's made with organic ingredients, so it's not an immediate cure, but there's no need to worry about side effects." Misa took the pot from the tea set on the table and filled a cup with the dubious tea.

 

"I'll be happy to have it." Marika took the cup and saucer that Misa had handed her. The chilled cup has a pleasant citrus scent.

 

"Be careful," Misa called out to Marika as she put the cup to her mouth. "Royal Kakiemon teacups are museum-quality."

 

"What!?" Marika nearly spat out the blue-green tea. She quickly sipped the contents down her throat and returned the saucer to Misa. "Take it back! I don't want to touch something so troublesome when I've just woken up!"

 

"Now that you've woken up, here's today's schedule." With her usual expression, Gruier took out a data tablet. Marika collapsed into the soft bed, covering her eyes with her right hand.

 

"Please spare me."

 

"That's what I'd like to say," Gruier continued with a calm expression. "Before that, we have a guest."

 

"A guest?" Marika stood up, holding in both hands a feather pillow so light it felt like it was floating in the air. "Someone went through the trouble? For me?"

 

"Come in." Gruier motioned to the open door.

 

"I'm sorry to bother you." Chiaki appeared at the door, still in her ship's work clothes.

 

"Chiaki!" Marika jumped out of the canopied bed, tossing aside the feather pillow. "Come in! Are you here to help me?"

 

"Don't just suddenly grab me by the neck!"

 

"Wow, how did you get into the palace looking like that?"

 

"I was told that time was the top priority." Gruier said with a slightly dissatisfied look on her face. "I could have prepared as many dresses as I wanted to for her to change into during travel time."

 

"This is my formal attire for the Barbaroosa."

 

"Hmm, it suits you. You came to see me without even taking the time to change."

 

"I heard that the captain of the Bentenmaru was held captive in the Serenity Royal Palace on suspicion of kidnapping the princess, so I came to see how she looked."

 

"Oh, you're still as mean as ever, I love you."

 

"Don't get attached to me." Chiaki closed the entrance door with Marika still hanging from her, and turned to Gruier in her morning dress. "Is this room okay?"

 

"Yes." Gruier nodded confidently. "In the name of the Serenity Royal Family, I do not have the vulgar hobby of eavesdropping in the bedroom of a guest."

 

"So get away!" Chiaki pushed Marika, who had her arms around her neck, away and looked around the bedroom, where the bright morning sun was shining in. The classical, overly decorated furniture, the paintings and designs on the walls, and the idea that bugging devices and hidden cameras could be installed anywhere seemed possible.

 

The window, separated by several crosspieces, was closed, as was the skylight above it. Chiaki made sure that the door she had come through was closed again, then turned to Marika.

 

"I have something important to tell you about the Barbaroosa. I have come here on the orders of Captain Kenjo Kurihara of the Barbaroosa."

 

Marika, still in her negligee, opened her eyes wide. "...In other words, to captain Kato Marika of the Bentenmaru?"

 

"That's right."

 

"Is it okay for me to be here?"

 

Chiaki looked at Gruier and Misa. "Yes, please listen. I think this story will be of interest to the Serenity royal family, who have captured the Bentenmaru."

 

"I understand." Gruier's face tightened, making it hard to believe that she was a child. Marika straightened her back and turned to Chiaki.

 

"What's the story?"

 

"The captain of the Barbaroosa, Kenjo Kurihara, has agreed to sell his privateer’s license."

 

"Whaaat!?" Marika raised her voice without thinking. Misa just frowned slightly. "Who is the other party? How and why!?"

 

"It's easier to make a fortune here and retire than to continue the unpredictable business of piracy." Chiaki answered smoothly. "Of course, that's just the official reason. The real reason is to find out who the mastermind is behind the negotiating partner who claims to be an agent of the Toar Conglomerate."

 

"But even so, how in the world could he sell his privateer’s license to an unknown agent!?"

 

"He's been a pirate since before you and I were born. He probably understands the meaning and power of piracy much better than we do." Chiaki lowered her gaze. "Another reason is the Bentenmaru."

 

"Huh?"

 

"The Bentenmaru was framed in a situation that anyone with even a passing knowledge would find strange, and was eventually captured by Serenity. The Karyobinga went missing, and the Barbaroosa was approached about buying their pirate license. Since we don't know the other party's true identity or intentions, what kind of force will they use and what will happen to the Barbaroosa?"

 

"So..."

 

"Of course, my dad wouldn't think of selling his pirate’s license while there is still money to be made and retiring to a comfortable life. So he is pretending to sell it to grab the other party by the tail. "

 

"What!?"

 

“Not only is this an enemy that can easily get the government of the Sea of the Morning Star to designate someone as a pirate, but even the Imperial Fleet, even though they haven't actually taken any operational action to that effect, labeling someone as such. Using ordinary methods, it would be better to chase them away, rather than catching them, but we have to consider the possibility that we could be crushed without our even realizing it. So, first we should do as they want and sell them our pirate license to reassure them, and block any direct attacks on the Barbaroosa. If the crew has disembarked and the pirate ship is empty, even if it sinks, the damage will be limited to the hull.”

 

"But if the keel is gone, you won't be able to renew your pirate license."

 

"My dad said that as long as there were pieces left, he could do something. He said that it's much more important that the crew survive. As long as the crew is there, we can manage even if the spaceship is gone."

 

Marika couldn't help but mutter at Chiaki's low voice. "Just as you'd expect from Captain Blackbeard."

 

"Is Captain Kenjo Kurihara simply going to sell his pirate license and hand over the Barbaroosa?"

 

Gruier asked. Chiaki turned to Gruier.

 

“Of course, there are lots of traps set up. The pirate license he’s selling is an elaborate fake, and he’s rigged it so that information from the Barbaroosa can be obtained from outside. But those are probably just bonuses. They won't know if the privateer's license is genuine unless they inquire with the government agency that issued it, and what the other party needs may not be a genuine pirate license, but just the track record of buying a privateer's license from a pirate. The real work this time is just beginning.”

 

Chiaki turned her attention back to Marika. "That's why I came here as a liaison to the Bentenmaru’s captain. From my father's point of view, it's probably a convenient way to get rid of me." Chiaki said all at once and sighed.

 

"Get rid of you?" Gruier spoke up. "Captain Kurihara probably wanted Chiaki to evacuate to a safe place."

 

"I know that. That's why I said he was getting rid of me." Chiaki shook her head in disgust. "My dad is thorough in gathering information and checking the situation, but when it comes to improvisation, he usually just goes with the flow and does what he sees fit. But this time, he was constantly butting heads with Nora, the first officer, and our combat staff, and he was contacting not only us, but all kinds of places. I didn't know that bearded old man was so sociable."

 

"That's nice." Marika muttered honestly. "I envy you for having a reliable captain."

 

After glaring at Marika, Chiaki cleared her throat. "Now we get to the main topic. The Barbaroosa’s captain, Kenjo Kurihara, has a request for the Bentenmaru’s captain, Kato Marika. Please cooperate in tracking down the Barbaroosa, which has been sold off."

 

"Got it." Marika answered immediately. "The Bentenmaru is prepared to be deployed within three hours no matter what. I'll give the order to deploy immediately. So, where should we go?"

 

Chuckling, Gruier met Chiaki's eyes. "I told you, didn't I?" Gruier continued with a smile. "No matter what happens, if Chiaki asks, Marika will try to get the Bentenmaru to leave port immediately."

 

"As the captain, you should gather more information and assess the situation more thoroughly." Chiaki shook her head and chuckled. "The Barbaroosa is still operating as a pirate ship under my father's command. The sale of the pirate license and the handover of the ship are still a long way off. And I want the Bentenmaru to act after that."

 

"What!?" Marika cried out in disappointment. "You don’t want the Bentenmaru to come to your rescue immediately?"

 

"Think about your position. Right now, the Bentenmaru has been captured by the Serenity Defense Force for kidnapping the princess. If you jump out or run away like that, the space fleet will have to chase you, even if they know it's all a staged act, and the Imperial fleet probably won't keep quiet. Can the Bentenmaru alone save the Barbaroosa while avoiding the Imperial fleet's pursuit?"

 

"That's... well... maybe." With just a little thought, it's easy to imagine that the Bentenmaru could easily find itself in a much more difficult situation than it is now. Marika hugged the feather pillow and muttered to herself. "But then, what should the Bentenmaru do?"

 

"My father thinks that if we track down the handed-over Barbaroosa, we can get close to the enemy." Chiaki spoke slowly, breaking up her words, thinking about whether she had forgotten something she should have said. "Of course, we've made preparations to track down the Barbaroosa, but that probably won't be enough. I don't know what the enemy plans to do with the Barbaroosa after it's been handed over, but they'll probably take it somewhere, whether they destroy it or use it for something else. If they manage to take the Barbaroosa to the enemy's base, that'll be fine, but even if they don't, there should be an opportunity for the crew of the pirate ship that was handed over to take back their ship."

 

"And you use the Bentenmaru for that?"

 

Chiaki nodded at Marika's words. "Looking at the situation with the Karyoubinga and the Barbaroosa, we don't know when other pirate ships will be caught in some kind of trap. That's why I can say that the Bentenmaru, which is under the protection of the Serenity Space Force, is the safest place right now. Do you have any idea what my dad is thinking?"

 

"That just shows how dangerous the situation is." Chiaki looked up at Marika, who continued. "No matter where you send anyone, you don't know if they'll arrive safely. There's no guarantee in space, but still, he sent Chiaki to the safest place, right?"

 

"That's right, it pisses me off when he treats me like a child."

 

"The order to deliver the message verbally, even though it could have been delivered by radio, may have been to maintain secrecy, or it may have been an excuse to get Chiaki to come to me, but at the same time, that means that he absolutely needs the Bentenmaru, right?"

 

Chiaki blinked and looked back at Marika.

 

"He sent Chiaki out to make sure I received the absolutely necessary mission request. I think he trusts you and relies on you, Chiaki."

 

"... You've become a lot more captain-like now."

 

"Ah, it's a big responsibility to be trusted by captain Blackbeard that much." Marika buried her face in the feather pillow she was hugging. "I wonder who in the world is doing this and why."

 

"The Royal Intelligence Agency is also working to gather information." Gruier turned to Chiaki. "So, the pirates are still gathering information and preparing for the start of their operation, right?"

 

"I think that's the case."

 

"So, Chiaki will be staying here until we hear from Captain Kenjo Kurihara?" Gruier’s words, with a big smile on her face, made Chiaki feel something ominous and look at Marika's face. Marika also nodded to Chiaki, who was wearing work clothes, with a smile.

 

"Then, let's have Chiaki attend the inquisition."

 

"A-an inquisition!?"

 

Chiaki couldn't help but ask back. Marika smiled and waved.

 

"Don't worry, it's called an inquisition, but it's actually a party hosted by the royal palace."

 

"A pa-pa-pa-party!?"

 

“What is the setting for her to be a witness at the inquisition?”

 

With a smile, Gruier said. "The Serenity Space Force has captured the Bentenmaru’s captain, Kato Marika, and in order to rescue her, a fellow pirate has invaded the royal palace, so we have to capture her and hear her story."

 

"What's that all about? What do you mean by setting?"

 

"To keep things running smoothly, it's also necessary to keep up appearances." Gruier said with a plausible look on her face. "It would be best to keep Chiaki's name a secret, but if Captain Kenjo Kurihara finds out that pirates have invaded the royal palace, he will know that Chiaki has arrived on Serenity."

 

"Is that okay?" Marika frowned. "So, you mean..."

 

"And if there are people paying attention to the Bentenmaru's movements, then the information that someone is trying to rescue the Bentenmaru should be interesting."

 

As if anticipating what was next, Gruier looked at Marika. "Following the capture of the Bentenmaru, it's time for the next bait. The Royal Intelligence Agency will be able to find some good fish."

 

"That's right." Marika clung to Chiaki's arm, who was trying to flee. "Chiaki, it's going to be a fun party. Gruier, pick out a dress for Chiaki."

 

"Of course. If she's going to be attending the Inquisition as a witness, she needs to wear something appropriate."

 

"Wait a minute! I only came here as a messenger, not to be dragged into to something as scary as an Inquisition!!"

 

"Don't worry, it's okay, there's nothing to be scared of, although it's a bit tiring." Marika smiled and waved at Chiaki, who was being dragged out of the room by Gruier.

 

 

 

Captain Kenjo Kurihara of the privateer ship Barbaroosa of Sea of the Forest Star arrived at Blue's sister Kakiyuu as a guest of the Serenity royal family five days after Marika Kato and four days after Chiaki Kurihara.

 

"Dad!!"

 

"Chiaki...huh?"

 

Captain Blackbeard appeared in full pirate captain attire in the great hall that served as the main venue for the Natsumiya Inquisition, and looked over at his beloved daughter's beautiful figure as she ran in, kicking aside the wide, flared skirt of her classic-style, shoulder-baring, jet-black evening dress. Though she was hiding her fatigue with flashy makeup, there was no hiding her green-black hair.

 

"You've changed my mind!"

 

Chiaki steps in front of Captain Blackbeard, who spreads his arms to catch him, and the long skirt of her evening dress spreads out. With the momentum of her run, Chiaki spins around and delivers a roundhouse kick to the face of her father, who is two heads taller than her.

 

"Too slow!"

 

The top of her high heels were sucked into the side of Captain Blackbeard's face, who was wearing his full-dress admiral's hat.

 

"Where were you doing that?!"

 

Without a hint of movement, the captain's thick forearm was raised, blocking the toe that came flying in a beautiful trajectory just before it hit. Chiaki was stopped for a moment in her kicking position with her left leg stretched out straight, and her jet-black long skirt, which had once flown up, fell softly around her.

 

A murmur broke out in applause from the guests surrounding the pirate captain and his daughter.

 

"Of course, that's pirate work."

 

Kenjo grinned, his mouth twisted, and his fangs bared, ready to eat.

 

"You're doing your duty well, and I'm proud of you as a parent."

 

Chiaki's toes were lightly flicked by the guarding right arm, and she stumbled in the opposite direction, but was caught by Marika in a pure white evening dress.

 

"We've been waiting for you, Captain Kenjo Kurihara."

 

Lifting the hem of her skirt lightly, Marika performed the curtsey greeting that she had become so adept at bowing over the past few days. Blinking her eyes wide, Kenjo raised his long, feathered admiral's hat in his sturdy hand, spun it around, and bowed to his chest.

 

"Well well well, Captain Kato Marika. I'm glad to hear you've been doing well in the days of fighting against the Serenity Planet royal family."

 

"You've been defeated badly after every battle."

 

Marika smiled back at Captain Blackbeard's dramatic performance and gave a wink to Chiaki, who was standing next to her.

 

"The seventh princess of the Serenity Planet royal family, Princess Gruier Serenity, and the eighth princess, Princess Grunhilde Serenity."

 

As if they had discussed it, Marika in a white evening dress and Chiaki in a black evening dress split into two groups. Two princesses appeared between them, dressed in matching red and blue evening dresses.

 

Signaling to the crew, including Nora, the first officer of the Barbaroosa, who was standing behind him, Kenjo put his removed admiral hat on his chest and knelt down before the two princesses.

 

"Captain Barbaroosa, I am Kenjo Kurihara. The fact that I have had the opportunity to meet the royal family of Serenity in person will be a story that will be told for generations to come."

 

"Welcome to Serenity's Blue Sister."

 

Gruier bowed back as if used to doing the greeting. He asked in a low voice that only Kenjo could hear.

 

"Do you have time? If you're in a hurry, I'll send everyone away."

 

"Thank you for your consideration."

 

Kenjo answered in a low voice, bowing his head.

 

"Time is precious and irreplaceable, but we should have enough time to say hello. Fortunately, the situation is not that urgent."

 

Giving a quick wink to Grunhilde who was standing next to him, Gruier nodded with a bright, socially appropriate smile.

 

"Please stand up, Captain Kenjo. Let me introduce the head of the family, Simsiel Serenity."

 

Marika and Chiaki exchanged casual winks, then both turned their eyes away from Kenjo and the rest of the Barbaroussa crew.

 

Marika and Chiaki left the hearing to Captain Kenjo and the rest of the Barbaroussa crew and slipped out of the venue.

 

The crew of the Barbaroosa, who had boarded the Summer Palace in their full pirate uniforms, had finished greeting all the attendees of the Inquisition, including Archduke Simsiel, by the time Marika and Chiaki had had a nice nap and were regaining their strength.

 

"I'm exhausted!"

 

Kenjo threw his admiral hat, which had been bouncing back and forth between his head and hands all night, onto the round table and collapsed into a large chair in the conference room.

 

"Do royalty and nobles do this every day? Wouldn't it be much easier to fight guerrilla warfare in the jungles of an uncivilized planet?"

 

"I told you to keep your interactions with your superiors to a minimum."

 

Even though they'd been up almost all night, Lieutenant Nora sat down next to Kenjo without showing any signs of fatigue.

 

"There were plenty of opportunities to leave the battlefield, but the captain stayed on the front line."

 

"Well, you're a real royal or aristocrat who lives and moves on sake and snacks, the kind of people you'd never meet no matter how many times you lived your life. Even if it's a little bit of a burden on us, if we put our spirits in and take on them, something good will come out of nowhere."

 

"They're just making us look at each other."

 

"You can look forward to it."

 

After not only getting a good night's sleep but also having breakfast, Gruier appeared in the meeting room in her morning dress.

 

"There are very few opportunities to meet real pirates with a long history. Captain Kurihara and the crew of the Barbaroussa were just as we expected, and everyone was overjoyed."

 

"See, they're just making us look at each other."

 

After giving Nora a sidelong glance as she repeated, Kenjo looked around the meeting room.

 

Among the Serenity Summer Palace, which is like a museum or art gallery, the warfare conference room, which was shown to us as a place to be used in the event of an emergency, was exceptionally equipped with the latest facilities. A three-dimensional multi-dimensional display was installed in the center of the round table, and the dedicated chairs around it were ultra-luxury items that were equipped with automatic adjustment devices and even simple medical equipment for long-term use.

 

"This is the most well-equipped conference room in the Summer Palace. There are rooms with more decorations, but we decided that this warfare conference room would probably be the best for you all."

 

"It's much more comfortable than the bridge in Barbaroussa. Thank you for providing us with this valuable conference room. I feel like I'm going to fall asleep."

 

Kenjo yawned loudly, leaning his back against the automatically reclining backrest.

 

"Dad!"

 

Chiaki, dressed in the uniform of Hakuoh Girls' Academy Sea Forest Star School, entered after Gruier and slammed the round table in front of Kenjo.

 

"Your attitude! Think about the place a bit!!"

 

"Why, you took off your beautiful dress already, what a waste."

 

Kenjo replied, lifting his head from the reclined backrest.

 

"Well, I guess it's a bit of a treat, but it's the performance people expect from a pirate."

 

Kenjo stood up from the backrest with difficulty. The seat automatically changed shape to accommodate his changed posture.

 

"This is an amazing chair. If we put equipment like this on our bridge, we'd just fall asleep and not be able to work."

 

"Captain Kurihara."

 

Following Chiaki, Marika came in in her captain's uniform, along with Misa in her white coat and a Coorie in a haori outfit who had come down to Natsumiya for this occasion.

 

"Thank you for your hard work."

 

Marika looked at the main crew of the Barbaroosa, including Kenjo.

 

"Well, is it okay if I tell you about it?"

 

"Yeah, about that matter. Sorry to have kept you waiting."

 

Kenjo leaned forward towards the round table in the conference room.

 

"Is it better if I'm not here?"

 

When Gruier called out to him, Kenjo stood up from his chair and bowed.

 

"The talk we're about to discuss will be of interest to the United Kingdom as well. We consider Serenity to be a valuable ally. If someone from Serenity's military or intelligence department in an appropriate position could attend, we would welcome that."

 

"Thank you."

 

Nodding, Gruier walked towards the round table in the conference room. She ran her finger over the intercom installed at each individual space.

 

"Call Jacqueline and Roberto."

 

Without making them wait long, a beautiful woman in an evening dress and a soldier in full military uniform appeared in the conference room.

 

"This is Jacqueline, who is in charge of this case in the intelligence department, and Colonel Roberto Belmar."

 

"So you're from the intelligence department after all."

 

Kenjo, who had seen them many times at the hearing, nodded to the beautiful woman in a black evening dress and long black gloves with her long black hair flowing down.

 

"I thought you had too good posture for a mere celestial."

 

"I'm just a court attendant."

 

"This is Roberto Belmar of the Serenity System Defense Force Space Fleet."

 

The colonel, holding his formal cap with a long feather decoration under his arm, gave a neat and tidy salute. Kenjo, standing up straight, returned the salute.

 

"Captain Barbaroosa, this is Kenjo Kurihara. Well then."

 

Kenjo looked around at the faces gathered in the conference room.

 

"Shall we begin our discussion regarding this troublesome incident?"

 

The door to the conference room was closed.

 

One third of the chairs around the round table in the strategy meeting room were empty, and most of the attendees were pirates. Kenjo briefly explained the events leading up to their arrival at Serenity's Blue Sister.

 

"So, I handed over the Barbaroosa and the privateer's license to an agent of the Toar Conzern, and in return, I confirmed that the money had been deposited in the relevant account at the Star Bank. The rest of the data came from the device I left on the Barbaroosa that was handed over, and from our tracking device."

 

Kenjo switched the star chart that was displayed in the center of the table.

 

"It seems that the Toar Conzern is a complete subcontractor in this matter. They only did the bare minimum of checks on the Barbaroosa that was handed over, changed the ownership, and then took the ship as it was."

 

Kenjo looked around the table.

 

"Now, as for where the Barbaroosa is headed," Captain Blackbeard continued after a pause.

 

"It's the fleet base of Seruna."

 

"The Imperial fleet!?"

 

Misa couldn't help but ask again. First Officer Nora, who was sitting next to Captain Blackbeard, nodded.

 

"Port Seruna Station, the largest Imperial fleet base around here."

 

The Imperial fleet is divided into seven fleets for different areas. The airspace around the Orion Arm, including Cetacea and the Serenity system, is the responsibility of the Fifth Fleet, and Seruna is one of its largest military stations.

 

"You mean the Empire wanted a pirate license!?"

 

"No, probably not."

 

Kenjo shook his head at his daughter's words.

 

"According to the information, the handed over Barbaroosa had never come into contact with the Imperial Fleet before arriving at the fleet base in Seruna. And the Barbaroosa did not enter the naval port area managed by the 5th Fleet. It seems to have been a factory area managed by a company under contract with the military."

 

Not just Seruna, most naval ports with maintenance and supply factories have factory areas managed by companies. Supplies, including weapons and ammunition, and maintenance parts are managed and supplied by private companies that do business with the Imperial Fleet, and they perform maintenance and repairs on ships and onboard equipment, and care for crew members under contract with the Imperial Fleet.

 

"So a private company?"

 

Kenjo nodded when Marika asked.

 

"At the very least, it was a private company that had dealings with the Fifth Fleet that accepted Barbaroosa into the closed docks of Seruna. There are a lot of ghost companies and paper companies around there, so I don't know which ones have real entities, but I'm currently tracking down which company took on our idiot."

 

Kenjo looked at the three-dimensional exterior view of Port Seruna Station projected in the center of the round table. When it was first built, it was a huge fortress located on the outskirts of the Empire, but as the Galactic Empire expanded, the station's function became more of a military port than a military fortress.

 

Port Seruna Station is used as a base for the Imperial Fleet, but it's not just warships belonging to the Imperial Fleet that come and go. Port Seruna Station is also a huge space city, and transport ships and work ships from private companies under contract with the military are constantly entering the port for supplies and maintenance, and there are also many private shipping routes connected to it.

 

"The number of companies that work under contract with the Imperial Fleet is countless, including subcontractors, and there are so many companies working at Port Seruna Station alone that it's annoying. But there should only be a limited number of companies that can operate a spaceship the size of the Barbaroosa and bring a civilian ship with proper armaments, even if it's old, to the fleet base. I suspect that the company that took the Barbaroosa is probably the mastermind behind this, or at least they have connections to the mastermind."

 

Kenjo looked around at the faces of the people attending the round table.

 

"If a large corporation can freely use Port Seruna Station, it's easy to get the Imperial Fleet to designate the Bentenmaru as a pirate, and even to put pressure on the Tau Star System military. Of course, we don't know who is thinking what they're thinking when they want a pirate license or set a trap for pirates."

 

"So the Imperial Fleet is not an enemy?"

 

Gruier raised her hand to confirm.

 

"At least at this stage, that's right."

 

Kenjo nodded.

 

"It's no joke to put a pirate on the wanted list in Imperial territory, but from what I've gathered, the Imperial Fleet hasn't even begun any operations, let alone preparations. Well, the military strength of a privateer licensed pirate is no threat to the fleet, so there's no need to allocate forces. At the very least, if Bentenmaru has been captured by the Serenity Space Force on suspicion of kidnapping the princess and is currently under investigation, there's no need to move the fleet now."

 

Kenjo looked at the ladies from the intelligence department who were guarding Gruier and the space fleet colonel.

 

"Have you heard anything from the Imperial Fleet since we captured Bentenmaru?"

 

The colonel answered as if they had discussed it beforehand.

 

"The Fifth Fleet HQ has inquired about the facts regarding the capture of the Bentenmaru by the Serenity Starfleet."

 

"What did you reply?"

 

"Of course, exactly as it appears on the surface."

 

The colonel operated the console on the round table and displayed the relevant documents on the display.

 

"The hull of the Bentenmaru and all of its crew members, including Captain Marika Kato, have been secured and are being interrogated by the Serenity Starfleet HQ. We have told them that we will send a report if necessary, and that they should apply for information sharing."

 

"Have you applied?"

 

Regardless of size, and regardless of whether they are called the star system military, defense force, self-defense force, or escort force, the forces of each star system have formed a military alliance with the Imperial Fleet that protects the entire galaxy. The contents of the alliance are diverse, including information sharing in times of emergency and the implementation of joint operations.

 

"Not yet."

 

Checking the latest communication status, Colonel Belmar answered.

 

"After the first inquiry, we have not received any inquiries or applications related to piracy from the Imperial Fleet."

 

"That's right."

 

Kenjo nodded.

 

"In other words, the Imperial Fleet has no interest in this matter beyond acquaintance. So, what about you?"

 

Kenjo turned his attention to Marika, Misa, and Coorie.

 

"Even though they fought the Bentenmaru, have you found out where the three Derrflinger-class ships came from?"

 

Marika shook her head in response to Captain Blackbeard's question.

 

"I heard that they were new ships that had only just begun to be delivered, so I thought it would be easy to find out their affiliation, but we still haven't."

 

"To date, 43 Derrflinger-class ships have been completed and delivered to the space force or fleet and are currently in active service."

 

Coorie took over the conversation and displayed the latest investigation results on the display.

 

"There are 44 ships, including the Zeroth Ship, which is currently being used as an experimental ship at the headquarters of the shipbuilding manufacturer Rube Mass. All of the ships have been delivered to the Imperial Fleet, the territorial star system military, and the defense fleets of space cities, and not a single one has been delivered to the frontiers outside the Empire."

 

A list of the Derrflinger class, including those still under construction, was displayed. The latest mobile cruisers are high performance but expensive, so not many have been built. However, Rube Mass is a prestigious shipbuilding manufacturer with a reputation for specializing in military supplies. The Imperial Fleet has 24 ships in service and in operation, eight each in the First, Second, and Third Fleets, and the remaining 19 ships have been delivered to free trade ports, wealthy star system military, and defense fleets.

 

The basic rule for warships is to operate the same type together. The military is greatly affected by the surrounding situation and budget, so it is not always possible to carry out ideal military preparations. However, military forces that order Derrflinger-class ships seem to have generous budgets, with the minimum number of ships delivered at one time being four.

 

"As you know, not all actions of warships in operation are made public."

 

Typing smoothly on his keyboard, Coorie switched the image on the display.

 

"However, with the cooperation of the Insurance Association and Serenity's Royal Intelligence Department, we have determined the location of most of the Derrflinger-class ships at the time of the attack on Maria Forte on the outer edge of the Tau system."

 

Coorie projected the entire galaxy in 3D onto the large 3D display in the center of the Round Table.

 

"All of the Derrflinger class belonging to the Imperial Fleet are deployed in core star systems, and there is no sign of them leaving their assigned airspace in the three days before and after today. Other Derrflinger class ships are operated by the free trade port of Nu Salyut, the Mahia Star System Defense Force, the Glare Grinde Confederate Space Fleet, and the Longzhou Xingxing Aerospace Force, but as you can see, they are all far away from the Tau star system."

 

The location of each space city and star system is plotted on a three-dimensional map of the galaxy.

 

"Of course, warships are good at jumping long distances in a short time, but if the regular army sends three mobile cruisers to jump at once, it will be difficult even if they have a substitute unless they are in a very good position. If you want to know the exact current location and operational status, you can find out by poking around in that area, but all the investigations so far have shown that all the Derrflinger-class ships are innocent."

 

"Hmm."

 

Looking back and forth between Coorie's face and the galactic universe on the conference table, Kenjo turned his eyes back to Marika.

 

"Bentenmaru, have you confirmed that the enemy ship you came into contact with was a Derrflinger-class?"

 

"It was only estimated to be a Derrflinger-class through pattern recognition."

 

Marika answered immediately. When she found out that out of all the Derrflinger-class ships in the galaxy, there was none that had been in the star system that day, Marika had been thinking about that possibility.

 

"Mid-range electronic warfare and anti-ship mobile combat. Even when we got closest to one of the ships, the enemy was using intense electronic jamming. We have the same observation data full of noise that we submitted to the Tau star system, but unfortunately we do not have any data that would confirm that the enemy is a Derrflinger-class ship."

 

"Is it possible that there is a Derrflinger-class ship that has not yet been delivered?"

 

This time, Coorie answered Kenjo's rapid-fire questions.

 

"It's not zero."

 

Coorie scrolled down the construction list for the Derrflinger-class. Below the names of completed and delivered ships, the list continued with the statuses of ships under construction, in planning, and under consideration.

 

"There are currently 83 Derrflinger-class ships under construction, and an equal number of others under negotiation or in the planning stages. Well, those are probably being advertised, so I'll take them with a grain of salt, but what we need to be concerned about are the 83 ships under construction at Roubaix Mass."

 

Coorie expanded the list that followed just below the commissioned Derrflinger-class.

 

"Even if the status is under construction, if you look closely you'll see that some ships are completed and undergoing final checks, or have already been sent out into space for manufacturer tests."

 

Whether it's civilian or military, spaceships are not delivered to clients as they are once completed, unless they are mass-produced models. The manufacturer will carry out a minimum of checks and make sure there are no problems with the finished product before shipping it out as a product.

 

When it comes to expensive, multi-functional military spaceships, the tests and checks that the manufacturer must carry out are numerous. There are many parts that require maintenance and adjustments, so the completed spaceships are not delivered to clients one after the other.

 

"However, unless we try to send a completed ship into combat without checking it first, there will be a limit to when it can be used in combat. Realistically, the ship and armament have all been checked for functionality and are undergoing final checks, so is this the right state to go in?"

 

Coorie selected and flashed the names of six Derrflinger-class ships whose completion dates were fast approaching.

 

"There are two more ships that have been completed and are underway, but the locations and schedules of all the ships are known. Of course, this is a manufacturer's announcement, so it's up to us to decide how much we trust them."

 

Coorie looked at Captain Kenjo while flashing the names of the ships in the list.

 

"However, if the manufacturer were to deploy a warship that hadn't been delivered yet in combat, and to operate it in an irregular manner, it would become a credibility issue."

 

"If it's credibility that can be bought with money, they'll be willing to pay as much as they want."

 

Kenjo snorted.

 

"Especially if it's credibility that can be polished with money. After all, their business is in a completely different league from ours."

 

"It's not an amount of money we'd pay for a mere pirate."

 

Coorie's bottle-bottom glasses gleamed.

"That would be a different story if there was some other business involved."

 

"Oh?"

 

Kenjo said with interest.

 

"Did a shipbuilding company get involved in a business that would make a disproportionate amount of money from pirates?"

 

"We haven't yet determined that the shipbuilding company is behind it."

 

Coorie denied it easily.

 

"It's true that Roubaix Mass has an office in Port Seruna, but it doesn't have its own dock. There is a dock in Port Seruna that they rent for a short period of time, but our data doesn't show that Roubaix Mass has rented one."

 

Coorie pointed his bottle-bottom glasses at Kenjo.

 

"You're aware of that amount of data, right?"

 

"Even if Rube Mass isn't the mastermind on the surface, there are plenty of people who will flock to a profitable business. So, how do you interpret the data on the Derrflinger class?"

 

"The Insurance Association has secured the battle information submitted to the Star System Army and the Imperial Fleet by the transport ship Maria Forte."

 

Coorie erased the image of Port Seruna Station that was projected in the center of the Round Table and displayed a large amount of new data.

 

"Of course, this battle record is from a transport ship, so it doesn't record the enemy ships in as much detail as the Bentenmaru. However, there is enough data observed to identify the enemy ships that should not have participated in most battles as Derrflinger class ships."

 

Coorie plotted several points from the recorded data, which was mostly not organized in chronological order.

 

"It's not a combat ship, and a transport ship should only need to keep a proper record of its own operations, but by comparing several pieces of data, such as long-distance acceleration patterns, maneuvering patterns, and energy emissions, even an automatic computer-based matching system can determine that it's a Derrflinger-class ship. On the other hand, the data on the Bentenmaru isn't very good, due in part to our active use of electronic jamming to hide, but we still have the bare minimum of data."

 

"Hmm."

 

Kenjo looked up as he ran the battle data, arranged in chronological order, over the personal display in front of him.

 

"For an amateur's raw record, this is too good to be true."

 

"If there's a military veteran on the bridge crew, they'll know how to gather combat information, but even so, this data is too convenient for anyone who wants to designate Bentenmaru as an outlaw pirate. It's made to match our combat records to the bare minimum, and even to identify the type of ship we're fighting with. Despite that, we still can't identify the Derrflinger class."

 

Coorie looked around at the faces of everyone sitting at the round table.

 

"I don't think the Derrflinger class that attacked the Maria Forte actually exists."

 

Seeing Captain Marika's expression not changing after hearing Coorie's words, Kenjo turned his eyes back to Coorie.

 

"Is that the consensus of the Bentenmaru?"

 

"You can safely assume that this is the conclusion of the Bentenmaru's electronic warfare specialist."

 

Coorie glanced over at Marika beside him. Marika nodded as if she understood. Coorie continued.

 

"Even our spaceships sometimes camouflage their ship shapes and energy patterns. Even smuggling ships around here camouflage transponders. It's much easier to hide your true identity by disguising yourself with a fake silhouette than by disappearing."

 

"You think that's what the enemy ship did this time?"

 

"Probably."

 

Coorie projected the Bentenmaru's battle information onto the center of the round table.

 

"This is the battle data. I won't go into the details, but the Bentenmaru entered the middle of a dense electronic jamming created by at least three enemy ships, so we don't have complete data from the first contact to the final departure. As an expert, I can say that it's not that difficult to create this situation. If the ship closest to the Bentenmaru has sufficient armor and maneuverability, the rest of the traps can be set up with just a probe."

 

Coorie showed us the trajectory of the Bentenmaru from when it touched down on the battlefield to when it left.

 

"Once the one who will show up and the one who will act as a decoy have been decided, of course a suitable trap is necessary, but it's easy to deceive a single ship."

 

"Even if the opponent is the Bentenmaru?"

 

Coorie nodded at Kenjo's words.

 

"If they'd prepared to fight us from the start, it would be easy. If they were planning to actually fight and sink us, that would be a different story, but if they were just going to give us a quick fight, then the equipment they'd need wouldn't be so great, let alone be prepared."

 

"So you're saying the enemy isn't a Derrflinger-class ship?"

 

"Rather than focusing on the Derrflinger-class, whose locations we know, it's more natural to think that the enemy has disguised themselves as a Derrflinger-class ship. However, to do that, the enemy needs to have data on the Derrflinger-class. They need data that's reliable enough to falsify Bentenmaru's matching data."

 

"Where's that data?"

 

Kenjo's eyes didn't move from Coorie.

 

"Who has reliable data on the Derrflinger-class ship?"

 

"First of all, it's the shipbuilding company that mass-produces the Derrflinger-class."

 

Coorie answered fluently.

 

"The modification specifications for the Derrflinger class that we have captured in our data do not actually exist among any ships that have been commissioned so far. However, Rube Mass, which handles everything from design to simulation, could easily design any modified ship based on the Derrflinger class, and it would also be easy to provide that data to those who need it."

 

"That's just what I expected. Thank you."

 

Kenjo raised his hand.

 

"In other words, the mastermind behind this is someone who has connections in the Imperial Fleet, and who can also obtain data on cutting-edge ships from shipbuilding companies like Rube Mass."

 

Kenjo looked around at the faces at the Round Table.

 

"And the fact that he deliberately came out wearing the skin of the Derrflinger class means that the enemy Bentenmaru fought had a different form."

 

"I agree."

 

Coorie replied.

 

"Working backwards from the Bentenmaru's battle records, I think the enemy is an electronic warfare fleet of at least three ships, and probably six or more. If we know that the enemy will come in with only one ship, we can do anything by placing one ship that will appear in a frontal encounter in front and the rest around to do background work."

 

Kenjo nodded.

 

"That's what we predicted. But I don't know what to do next. Attacking with more numbers than the enemy is the most basic of basics, but unfortunately, real life doesn't work that way. If you have an advantageous number of ships from the start, it's easier and less time-consuming to just push forward with the numbers. In an overwhelmingly advantageous situation, why would you go to the trouble of disguising your ship type and fighting a half-hearted battle?"

 

"Are you sure?"

 

Gruier raised his hand to ask to speak. Kenjo answered.

 

"Please, Princess."

 

"That's an interesting story. I'm no expert on combat, but wars aren't always caused by military circumstances. In fact, political situations often call for combat. If the ghost fleet you describe actually exists, surely it could start any accidental battle that meets political demands?"

 

"Arson, huh?"

 

Kenjo muttered. Arson is the term used to liken starting a war or conflict to arson.

 

"Arson, you say?"

 

Gruier repeated the word with interest.

 

"If a nation is in a complicated position, I think there are various ways to use it."

 

"It would be effective to use it in conjunction with diplomacy to shake things up."

 

Kenjo folded his arms.

 

"But war and diplomacy can't be done without an opponent. Even if you fake your entire fleet and create a favorable situation, if you don't get the other side on board, it's just a one-man show, and if it's revealed that you're playing a monkey show, your credibility will be damaged. It'll be a losing battle where the situation you're trying to create will come back on you."

 

"One-man shows and monkey shows are common."

 

Gruier said with an innocent smile.

 

"There's no such thing as pure trust. Trust is just a pretense that exists depending on each party's position and convenience."

 

Gruier looked around at the pirates, who looked a little surprised.

 

"That's what I heard from my grandfather."

 

"The Star King's diplomatic policy is incredibly practical."

 

Kenjo gave his humble opinion.

 

"So, the invisible fleet has its uses."

 

"It would not be an effective fighting force for the Star System Army or Defense Force, which specializes in base defense and protecting star systems and districts."

 

Colonel Belmar said.

 

"However, I think it would be of plenty of use to the Imperial fleet or the invading company, which is fighting the rebels on the frontier."

 

"Both Sea Forest Star and Sea of the Morningstar are rural, but they're not on the frontier."

 

Kenjo looked back at the colonel.

 

"So, the mastermind behind this is someone who does business extensively not only within the Empire but also on the frontier, is that right?"

 

"Unfortunately, the Royal Intelligence Agency was unable to find any connection between the Toar Concern, which bought out Barbaroosa's pirate license, and the attack on Maria Forte at Sea of the Morningstar."

 

Jacqueline took over the conversation.

 

"Regarding the attack on Maria Forte, we have compared the combat information from Bentenmaru with the data from Maria Forte released by the Star Government, but have not yet been able to conclusively prove that Maria Forte's combat data is a fabrication. However, considering that they deployed at least three mobile cruisers of the same size as Derrflinger and disappeared without leaving a trace, we can assume that their organizational strength is at least as strong as the fleet of a major invading company."

 

"Do you have any idea who they are?"

 

Jacqueline shook her head with a smile on her face. A list of companies was projected in the center of the round table.

 

"There aren't many defense forces or company fleets with the capacity to operate a mobile cruiser fleet in secret. But if the cruiser fleet, with the Derrflinger class as its main force, is a ghost fleet for incendiary purposes, then it's probably not the defense forces attached to a location that are operating it, but the company fleet attached to an organization."

 

"Well, they're well aware that they're walking a dangerous path, aren't they?"

 

Kenjo looked at the list of invading companies and military industries that was displayed on the screen.

 

"They're probably more than average at keeping secrets. It's not going to be that easy to expose them."

 

"But I think one of the companies on this list that has a branch in Seruna took Barbaroosa, right?"

 

Marika said.

 

"First, why don't we get Barbaroosa back?"

 

Kenjo looked at Marika's face carefully.

 

"That's a very welcome and welcome proposal, but our ship is right in the middle of the Imperial Fleet's base, you know?"

 

"But it's a factory area, not a military area, right?"

 

Operating the console with unfamiliar hands, Marika projected a full view of Port Seruna Station onto the center of the round table.

 

"Besides, it seems like the Imperial Fleet isn't really serious about fighting pirates. Barbaroosa isn't under military control, it's in a dock belonging to a private company that does business in Seruna, so if we want to take it back, now is the time before it gets accidentally disassembled."

 

Marika shifted her gaze from the full view of the station to Kenjo.

 

"What's the status of Barbaroosa's privateer license right now?"

 

"I have it in my hand."

 

Kenjo leaned his broad back against the backrest.

 

"The privateering license I gave to the agents is fake enough that even if they wanted to look at it, they would know it was fake without any special equipment. I gave them the Barbaroosa, so I was planning to give them a better fake that would take a while to authenticate if they complained right away, but I think the agents probably just left our privateering license in the treasure box and never opened it."

 

"You didn't intend to get the privateering license and pirate ship and take over the pirate business, did you?"

 

Kenjo nodded when Marika confirmed.

 

"If you want to work for Barbaroosa, you need a ship, a license, and one more thing: a qualified captain."

 

Kenjo pointed to his chest with his thick thumb.

 

"If we're going to be pirates, I or my direct stepchild needs to be on board. Pirates who got privateer licenses from the old colonial planet alliance should all be doing it under the same conditions."

 

"So, in the Sea Forest Planet government, Barbaroosa is still considered a pirate?"

 

"Yeah, that should be it."

 

Kenjo grinned.

 

"I've already talked to the relevant ministry, so our pirate license should be valid until the end of the term. I was hoping that if the agent who got the fake license would apply to the Sea Forest Planet government to have his pirate license suspended, things would get a little interesting, but so far there's been no sign of that happening."

 

Kenjo waved his hands.

 

"Well, if we hold the ship, we won't be able to pirate automatically, so we don't have to go to the trouble of asking for the pirate license to be returned or suspended. If we leave it alone for a while, it will automatically become unusable."

 

"That's why the captain is careless!"

 

Nora said sharply.

 

"You know you're at a disadvantage if it becomes a drawn-out battle, and you've even given your important pirate ship to the other side, so what are you planning to do now!?"

 

"Let's go to Seruna."

 

Everyone's eyes were focused on Marika at her dignified voice. Marika looked around at everyone's faces and then spoke again.

 

"Let's go to Port Seruna Station. There should be a henchman there who is the mastermind behind this whole thing, who thinks that righteous pirates are a hindrance, and even if he isn't, we have to get Barbaroosa back."

 

Marika turned her gaze to Kenjo.

 

"Or is it okay to get the Barbaroosa back later?"

 

"Well, the sooner the better."

 

Kenjo raised both hands.

 

"Port Seruna is equipped with the latest equipment that the Imperial Fleet is proud of. If we throw the Barbaroosa into an unmanned dock and give a dismantling command to a robot, our ship will be returned to the junk pile in no time. Well, if we have all the parts, we can leave it to the robot to put it back together, and if the shape of the keel remains, we can assemble a new one, but in that case, we'll have to do a lot of training to get used to it."

 

Kenjo leaned forward, leaning one elbow on the round table.

 

"To be honest, I want to get Barbaroosa back as soon as possible. But how exactly are we going to get to my pirate ship, which is tucked away in a military supply base, even though it's a factory area?"

 

After glancing at Misa and Coorie on either side of her, Marika spoke.

 

Hyakume received the call from Captain Marika on the bridge of the Bentenmaru, where the access panels had been left wide open for rewiring, and the wires and parts were scattered all over the place, like an upturned toy box.

 

"We've decided to set sail!?"

 

Hyakume shouted into the microphone on his headset as he dealt with the wires around the captain's seat.

 

"Did you just say that, Captain? Did you? Ah, I must have misheard after all. No, it's fine, as you said, we are performing maintenance work so that we will be ready to depart at any time within the next three hours. The cameras? Ah, we are currently reconfiguring all the bridge cameras, so it's not like we can't show you anything except audio."

 

Gravity has been cut off inside the ship to streamline operations. Hyakume leaves the captain's seat, chattering away into the wireless headset. After pointing to make sure there are no loose wires, he flies over to the radar/sensor seat, which is the messiest on the bridge.

 

"Yes, of course, if we need to launch right now, not in three hours, we can still manage that. Of course. Yes. It's not that urgent, is that good? Well, if you can just decide on the departure schedule, we can finish up the Bentenmaru accordingly, and yes, with the full cooperation of the Serenity Space Force, we'll be in better shape than we've been since the beginning of the Bentenmaru, and we can even take on the Imperial fleet now."

 

Because the seat was in the way of the work, Hyakume got down to the radar/sensor seat, which had been removed, and looked around his post with a sigh.

 

"Yes, if we depart in 12 hours, then of course we'll have plenty of time to welcome the captain. Eh? Customers? The crew of the Barbaroosa are here? We can't have everyone here, the ship is more than twice as big. Well, I suppose we could clear out the warehouse or rent space here and there for a short period of time, but where exactly are we taking such a group on board?"

 

Hyakume, who was opening the report on the panel that had already been automatically checked, held down his headset and asked again.

 

"Port Seruna Station? Did you say so? It's the largest Imperial fleet base in this area, isn't it? Captain? You are of course aware that the Bentenmaru has been designated a pirate and is wanted? Yes, if you are aware, that's fine, but what exactly are you doing bringing the crew of the Barbaroosa to a place like that?"

 

Hyakume, who was holding the headset, opened his mouth wide.

 

"You're going to turn yourself in to the Imperial fleet!?"

 

A full view of Port Seruna was projected on the main screen.

 

"How are the repairs going?"

 

Once built as a frontline fortress, Port Seruna is now a key location for the Galactic Empire's Fifth Fleet guarding the outer periphery. The entirety of the largest base in the world was projected on the main screen of the Bentenmaru.

 

"Are you sure it's all done?"

 

"It's done, it's done, it's perfect."

 

Hyakume crawled out from under the control panel surrounding the radar/sensor seat with a hydrospanner in one hand and opened a toolbox that was piled up on the seat, which had been pushed back far.

 

"I redid all the questionable connections, and the control software that had problems due to different versions has been updated to a stable version and is now working perfectly. If possible, I would like to do a thorough operation test for two to three days to come up with a setting that will not budge even if I leave it for a while, but I don't think I have time to do that right now."

 

Hyakume shoved not only the hydrospanner he was holding, but also the various tools that were attached to or attached to the belt around his waist into the antique toolbox and forced the lid closed. It wouldn't close completely.

 

"The sensors were also cleaned and overhauled, and some were replaced with high-performance parts that were out of date for Serenity but would be a waste for us, so look at this optical observation image."

 

Hyakume shook the lid that wouldn't close and forced the stopper on it, then returned the toolbox he had lifted off the seat to the back of the seat.

 

"It's an old mobile fortress, so it's low visibility and pitch black, but you can see it so clearly with the optical image of visible light."

 

"I just cleaned the main screen."

 

Coorie, who was operating normally, said this while holding a candy bar in his mouth, spreading out snacks and drink packs on the electronic warfare panel as usual.

 

"The brightness and resolution are the same as before. It's not like Port Cerna is using optical camouflage, so I don't think the visibility has changed."

 

"Even Coorie's place!"

 

Marika, who was in the captain's seat, spoke up.

 

"Kane's place, Sandaime's place, and Schnitzer's place! Are they really all repaired!?"

 

"Of course," "It's perfect," "The ship's armaments are in perfect condition."

 

Responses came back from the helmsman's seat, the engineer's seat, and the battle commander's seat. Marika looked around the main bridge of the Bentenmaru, where all the equipment was lit, but toolboxes and parts cases were piled up on the floor, access panels were left open, covers that hadn't been put back in their proper places, and unknown junk was left lying around, leaving only animal paths.

 

"I just can't trust it."

 

There were no changes to the layout of the control console and displays around the captain's seat. It looked a little cleaner, as if they had at least been disassembled and cleaned.

 

"I guess they're taking it easy because it's not like they're going to be fighting ships anytime soon."

 

"It's disappointing to hear you're taking it easy, Captain."

 

Kane, who usually only has a small control panel around the steering wheel, was buried in the displays that were lined up in two dimensions and continued to make fine adjustments.

 

"The last 36 hours have been the most hellish scene on the Bentenmaru since Captain Marika began."

 

"I mean it!"

 

Marika started to complain, something she'd probably said hundreds of times, but then held herself back.

 

After a 12-hour grace period, Marika returned to find the Bentenmaru in disarray, as if it were an inventory run, despite the report that everything was ready for departure. The bridge crew all agreed that they could leave immediately, and that they could easily handle mobile combat against a battleship fleet, but there was no way they could trust them. It was not uncommon for the Bentenmaru to perform combat maneuvers that exceeded the limits of its inertial control system, and with replacement parts, junk, and trash strewn everywhere, not only on the bridge but also in the battle compartment, engine room, and even the corridors, it was easy to imagine what would happen in a real battle.

 

"...If someone out there was going to target the Bentenmaru, this would be their best chance."

 

Sinking into the captain's seat, Marika muttered softly.

 

When the Bentenmaru was pulled out of the Elizabeth dock at Serenity's Starfleet HQ, it was still in a state where it was unable to perform fine control of its attitude on its own. As they had discussed, the crew members under Kane and others in charge had reported that even in its current state, it was still capable of leaving port and sailing under its own power, which would require fine control of the hull, but Marika, who had seen the situation inside the ship with her own eyes, would not allow this.

 

The Bentenmaru was pulled out of the closed dock by a tugboat belonging to the Fleet HQ. After leaving the tugboat towing it until it was a safe distance away from the HQ, the Bentenmaru moved into free navigation within Ao no Ane's control zone.

 

The Bentenmaru slowly left the Serenity system, escorted by three Corback-class escort ships, and then set off on its own.

 

The Bentenmaru made quick and fast jumps without passing through the sea lane, heading for the Imperial Fleet Base at Port Seruna. Marika explained that they avoided sea lane to avoid exposing the Bentenmaru to third parties unnecessarily, and that the distance they could jump in one long-distance jump was shortened to allow for adjustments to each part of the Bentenmaru, which had already been serviced. Even though they deliberately chose to jump through dark nebulae and asteroid reef areas, it was clear that they were doing this to buy time until they reached the Imperial Fleet Base.

 

"Are you sure it's okay!?"

 

Marika repeated this question, not knowing how many times she had asked it.

 

"No abnormalities in the engine system! Both Alpha and Beta are operating normally!"

 

Sandaime responded enthusiastically, with a mountain of toolboxes piled up behind the engineer's seat.

 

"Radar/sensor systems, all normal!"

 

Hyakume finally returned to his normal seat position, running his fingers through all the control panels he could reach.

 

"No problems with steering!"

 

Kane closed the multiple displays on both sides one by one and gripped the wheel again.

 

"All navigation systems normal."

 

Luca answered as usual from the navigator's seat, which looked as neat and tidy as before.

 

"Bentenmaru's onboard armaments, all normal."

 

Schnitzer, who had more displays than usual around the battle commander's seat, answered as if he didn't notice the parts and tools scattered around.

 

"However, of course, we are not currently prepared for battle."

 

"Electronic warfare systems, ready to go."

 

This side looked even more cluttered than before, but the proportion of junk food and drink packs was high, so it may not have changed much, and Coorie answered as usual from the electronic warfare seat.

 

Marika put the headphone microphone to her ear. She selected a channel so that her voice would be heard by the entire ship.

 

"This is the main bridge, Captain Kato Marika. Bentenmaru will now be in direct contact with the Galactic Empire Fleet's Port Seruna Base. In the worst case scenario, things could go awry, but is there anything that isn't ready yet?"

 

Marika looked at the ship's layout and structural diagram on the main display. All departments manned by crew members, radars and sensors not in place, and the ship's weaponry compartment all showed green signs, indicating that there were no problems.

 

"It's the captain's job to trust everyone, isn't it?"

 

Muttering to herself, Marika turned the microphone back on.

 

"Bentenmaru, I've confirmed that all ships are normal. We will now head to the Imperial Fleet's Port Seruna Base."

 

Putting the headphone microphone in her ear, Marika sat back down in the captain's seat.

 

"Well then, Bentenmaru, let's go. Hyakume, contact Port Seruna."

 

"Yes, yes, from a privateer ship belonging to the Tao star system."

 

Hyakume called up the standard message on the display and rewrote part of it as if he had thought of something.

 

"No, from the pirate ship Bentenmaru, to Port Seruna control. Requesting port arrival, please."

 

Port Seruna is one of the largest space bases in the outer periphery of the Empire, protected by the Imperial Fifth Fleet. There are several larger space cities in terms of size, scale, and population, but the only military bases larger than this one are in the central core star system of the Empire.

 

The base has a wide range of functions, including maintenance and supply for the fleet, and crew changes and rest. Regular routes have also been opened up both within and outside the Empire, and Port Seruna is known as a hub station.

 

The number of ships entering and leaving the port is greater than other stations of this size. Not only are there fleets leaving for missions and returning after completing them, but there are also warships and small aircraft arriving and departing for training, testing, and adjustments, regular flights and special-purpose transport ships carrying supplies and personnel, and more, so the military-controlled airspace is larger than a normal station and the instructions are more detailed.

 

For space control on this scale, data communication is mainly used, as it can be exchanged instantly, rather than voice communication, which takes time. Even with voice communication, data communication is essential, as voice communication may require the submission of the ship's name and ID, and depending on the ship, even the items on board and the crew list.

 

Port Seluna control is highly automated. Except for emergencies and special cases, most spacecraft are controlled automatically. To her surprise, the Bentenmaru's application for port entry was easily given an automatic permission to enter the port.

 

"Is that all?"

 

Seeing the simple port entry permission from Port Seluna control displayed on the display in the captain's seat, Marika spoke up.

 

"Even though the pirates came out of their own volition, they're just going to give us permission to enter the port so easily? Hyakumee, did you write down your purpose properly?"

 

"I did, I wrote it properly, that the Imperial Fleet had designated the Bentenmaru as a pirate and that I came to make an explanation."

 

Momoogane brought up the application for entry that she had sent on the display.

 

"But, the other party is the robot control of Port Seruna, which responds automatically. I don't think they check the circumstances of every spaceship that enters the base, so I think they'll let you enter the port unless you have a dangerous purpose like a declaration of war or an attack."

 

"That's so careless..."

 

Marika muttered in shock.

 

"No, that's not true. We requested entry into the port area of ​​the station, but control has designated the outer anchoring airspace at this stage."

 

As if to accompany Hyakume's explanation, Luca displayed on the display the planned route of the Bentenmaru as it entered the controlled airspace of Port Seruna.

 

"No matter how big the fleet base is, there are only a limited number of piers in the closed system of the station, so it's not possible to let all ships that apply to enter inside."

 

Kane said after reading the planned course of the Bentenmaru.

 

"If we're not requesting maintenance or supplies, we can get by without going out of our way to enter."

 

The space station has set up a vast anchoring airspace in its vicinity. Even if all spaceships don't enter the port area or dock at the pier, ships can be placed in the anchoring airspace and barges and shuttles can be used to transport personnel and transfer cargo.

 

"Even so, we're pirates on the wanted list who have cannons."

 

Marika grumbled.

 

"If they wanted to, they could fire a shot at the fleet base, but aren't they just letting them do too much?"

 

"We're not unidentified ships from the frontier, we're pirates who have trained with the 5th fleet many times."

 

Hyakume started collecting data on the spaceships passing by the Bentenmaru as usual.

 

"The Port Seruna control tower should have our data. They know we're not hostile, so they'll probably approve our port entry request easily."

 

"But that doesn't mean they can just designate an anchoring airspace and that's it."

 

"Well, when it comes to things the robot control tower can't decide on, inquiries should be sent to the right place. Unless the Imperial fleet at Port Seruna is really stupid, someone will call us out by name."

 

The communication panel in front of Hyakume started flashing with a ringtone.

 

"Here it comes! Captain, this is the long-awaited inquiry from control."

 

Hyakume answered the call that came with a picture.

 

"Yes, this is Bentenmaru. The pirate ship Bentenmaru, here to serve you at your request."

 

He checked who was calling.

 

"... Military police!?"

 

"This is Captain Peter Hogarth, commander of the military police patrol boat KP93, attached to the Imperial Fifth Fleet's Port Seruna base."

 

A middle-aged man appeared on the communication monitor, with a shaggy head and no uniform cap, and a rather unremarkable appearance, wearing only a jacket rather than a uniform.

 

"Um, you're a privateer from the Tau system, Bentenmaru?"

 

"This is the privateer Bentenmaru."

 

Hyakume answered with a nervous look on his face.

 

"This is Hyakume, in charge of communications."

 

"The privateer Bentenmaru"

 

The military police captain looked down at the communication monitor and said.

 

"Yes, transponder confirmed. Thank you for your continued support. What's the matter?"

 

"Well, you see..."

 

Hyakume checked the communication line as if they were chatting over tea. The communication line with the Imperial fleet's patrol boats is not encrypted or anything. It's best to assume that the contents of the communication are leaking.

 

"Actually, as you know, this Bentenmaru is a privateer ship approved by the system administration, but for some reason it seems to have been designated as a pirate by your Imperial fleet, and I came to talk to you because I thought that was a problem."

 

"Designated as a pirate? You?"

 

Captain Hogarth looked at Hyakume's face and the documents that seemed to be displayed outside the monitor.

 

"That's a big deal."

 

"Hey."

 

Marika came down from the captain's seat and crouched down next to Coorie, who was listening to the communication in the electronic warfare seat.

 

"Did they contact him properly?"

 

Coorie, who was munching on a snack, stopped moving his mouth for a moment.

 

"Well, it was the captain's orders, so I had no choice but to contact him through the intelligence department."

 

Averting his eyes from Marika, Coorie answered bluntly.

 

"However, I don't know how much Nash has done."

 

"Of course he didn't check, right?"

 

Marika asked in a low voice.

 

"I don't know about your private life, but there's no way Coorie would cut corners on something like that at work."

 

Coorie's moving hands stopped. He swallowed and slowly reached for another snack.

 

"The central intelligence department should have contacted the 5th fleet. But we don't know what's going on at the field level."

 

"That's true."

 

"And one more thing. You've probably noticed, Captain, but this communication is fully open."

 

Coorie lightly touched the headset on one ear.

 

"They should be aware of that too."

 

"Yes, I can confirm it."

 

Finally, the captain looked up at the communications monitor.

 

"Indeed, the pirate ship Bentenmaru has been designated as a pirate ship and is wanted."

 

"Umm, I don't think that's the case."

 

Hyakume asked Captain Hogarth a question.

 

"Is the information that we've been designated as a pirate not reflected on your side?"

 

"I wonder."

 

The captain shook his head ambiguously.

 

"The station's information should be synchronized with the fleet headquarters immediately through a FTL line, but the amount of updated information is huge, so it takes time for it to be reflected here at the edge of the scene, and if it's not important information, it's not impossible for it to be missed or forgotten somewhere."

 

"Hey, hey."

 

Hyakume muttered involuntarily.

 

"I wonder how the Imperial fleet can operate like that."

 

"They need to be loosened to a certain extent to keep things moving smoothly. After all, it's such a large group, yes."

 

The captain continued, tapping leisurely on the control panel at hand.

 

"The amount of updated information is huge, but necessary information is properly ranked and updated with priority. The fact that the Bentenmaru's pirate designation is not linked to the Bentenmaru's ID probably means that this information is not a high priority at Fleet HQ.'

 

The captain looked at Hyakume from the other side of the monitor.

 

'How in the world did you guys end up being designated as a pirate? Even if an active civilian ship was operating as a privateer within the Empire's territory, it's not that easy to get a pirate designation.'

 

'So, it was a misunderstanding and a mistake. It's causing a lot of inconvenience as it is, so I came here hoping to explain and have the pirate designation lifted.'

 

'It's a problem, isn't it?'

 

Captain Hogarth said, looking around here and there outside the communications monitor.

 

"It may have been the Seventh Fleet, which was fighting a mopping-up war against pirates a long time ago, or the Fifth Fleet, which is operating within Imperial territory, but the department specializing in anti-piracy investigations has long since been reorganized and no longer exists, so it was probably transferred to the military police working at the port like ours."

 

"What should we do?"

 

Hyakume agrees.

 

"We don't want to bother the Imperial Fleet for no reason, so we can come back if you tell us to."

 

"Oh, well, it would make things easier for us, but if we've already confirmed the pirate alert, I guess that's not going to work."

 

The captain muttered to himself, scratching his shaggy head.

 

"Um, for now, can you please come to the specified coordinates? We'll come to you when we anchor in the anchorage airspace. We need to interrogate them, even if it's just for show.'

 

'Well, wait a moment, I'll check with the captain.'

 

The monitor was still on, but Hyakume turned to the captain's seat, cutting off the audio.

 

'Well, it's unfolding as you've heard, what do you think, Captain?'

 

'That's a bit careless of a thing to do when dealing with pirates.'

 

Marika gave her honest opinion.

 

'Even though I went to the trouble of turning myself in, they won't let me in and I'm going to keep them offshore.'

 

Offshore detention means not letting a spaceship into the port area of ​​the station, but keeping it in the anchorage airspace outside.

 

'If that's the case, it'll be easy for them to escape.'

 

'But I can't just come back and say I'll come back next time.'

 

Hyakume pointed to the communications monitor so that it wouldn't be visible on camera.

 

"It's quite different from the plan, but I think it's better than being suddenly intercepted or driven back."

 

"We're up against a huge bureaucratic organization like the Imperial Fleet."

 

Schnitzer came to the rescue.

 

"It's better to think of it as a protracted battle and take our time."

 

"That's much better than bullets and lights suddenly coming at us."

 

After thinking for a moment, Marika nodded.

 

"Okay. Then tell the captain of the patrol boat that we'll be waiting in the designated anchorage airspace."

 

"Okay, I'll tell Captain Peter Hogarth of the military police patrol boat KP93 to wait in the anchorage airspace."

 

After repeating that, Hyakume turned back to the communications monitor.

 

Port Seruna's anchorage airspace was as congested as other space stations.

 

Military stations' anchorage airspace is divided into airspace for military personnel only and airspace for civilian ships only. Which is larger varies from station to station, but in Port Seruna, the civilian anchorage airspace is by far the larger. Furthermore, in the warship anchorage airspace, the safe distance between warships is less than half that of civilian ships, and they are usually packed tightly together.

 

The Bentenmaru was directed by air traffic control to the civilian anchorage airspace. Most of the ships at anchor are civilian ships such as transports and ferries, but even when combat ships belonging to the 5th Fleet are maintained and adjusted by contracted companies, they are placed in the civilian anchorage airspace, so it is not uncommon to see warships.

 

As the Bentenmaru reached the designated coordinates in the outer anchorage airspace a little distance from Port Seruna and fixed its position, it received a request from patrol boat KP93 to dock alongside. An officer in charge would board the Bentenmaru to question it.

 

Though she was tired of the hassle that awaited her, Marika accepted the patrol boat's arrival and Captain Hogarth's crew.

 

Soon after, patrol boat KP93 entered the anchorage airspace. It was a patrol boat equipped with a high-mobility booster, likely in preparation for a pursuit battle in congested airspace.

 

Marika went out to greet the Imperial Fleet's military police captain as he boarded, accompanied by Hyakume and Schnitzer.

 

"I think you know," Schnitzer said to Marika, who was waiting by the airlock, while checking the latest data on the patrol boat sent over the ship's radio.

 

"Even among the Imperial Fleet, which places great importance on discipline, the military police are particularly strict in their service regulations, and if they're wearing their uniforms so carelessly, you should assume that they're that kind of person."

 

"Eh?"

 

Marika turned to Schnitzer.

 

"You mean he's not that kind of person?"

 

"That means he's someone who can do that."

 

Schnitzer said.

 

"If he's dressed so carelessly as a military police officer facing pirates, you should assume that he has the position and ability to get away with it."

 

"Well, I think he's not to be underestimated just because he's working for the Imperial Fleet."

 

Marika remembered Captain Hogarth's shaggy head as she saw it through the communications monitor.

 

"What's more, the military police are second only to the special forces in terms of intimidation. I think they have no room to let their guard down."

 

"When I search for Captain Peter Hogarth of the Imperial Fifth Fleet's Port Seruna military police, all I get is a name on the roster."

 

Continuing the search over the data line, Schnitzer said.

 

"There's no information about their achievements, past history, or star system of origin. It's a secrecy system on par with that of the intelligence department."

 

"Oh dear..."

 

Personnel belonging to the Imperial Fleet may have their personal information concealed to ensure their safety while on the move and to maintain secrecy. This is common in the intelligence department, known as the brains of the Empire, but even crew members of the Seventh Fleet fighting on the front lines and military personnel on special missions often have all information except their name and affiliation removed from the public roster.

 

"So you're saying that that many people will be coming?"

 

"If you become a captain of the military police, you are the highest ranking officer on the front line. Moreover, although it is not as high a priority as it used to be, when dealing with pirates, you need to be responsive like you would be dealing with outlaws. If Coorie contacted the central intelligence department and the intelligence department did a good job, you should assume that the officer in charge has the position and ability to do so."

 

"That's true..."

 

Marika nodded gloomily.

 

"I wonder if I'm a match for them."

 

"If we don't deal with them well, we'll just be defeated."

 

Schnitzer said nonchalantly. Hyakume, who was standing in front of the control panel, reported.

 

"KP93 has docked with Bentenmaru."

 

The information on the display was rewritten. With the speedy maneuvering typical of a military station's patrol boat, the patrol boat docked perfectly at the docking position on the starboard side of Bentenmaru, connecting with the boarding bridge deployed from Bentenmaru and ensuring airtightness.

 

"Here they come."

 

"Open up."

 

After adjusting the collar of her uniform, Marika straightened her back. After the outer hatch, the inner door of the airlock opened.

 

"Captain Peter Hogarth, captain of patrol boat KP93, attached to the Port Seruna base of the Imperial Fifth Fleet."

 

The captain, who had his uniform tied up at the front but had his collar open and had apparently left his cap somewhere, gave a limp salute from the boarding bridge. Marika returned the salute with her fingers straightened.

 

"Captain Bentenmaru, this is Marika Kato. We welcome Captain Peter Hogarth aboard."

 

"How is it?"

 

Misa asked as she entered the bridge.

 

"Military police, we've just entered the captain's cabin."

 

Coorie in the electronic warfare seat answered, holding a headset over one ear.

 

"Schnitzer and Hyakume are with us, so I don't think anything bad will happen."

 

The main display showed the monitor image of the captain's quarters. After the usual greeting, the captain was facing Marika on the sofa across the table. Hyakume had sat next to him and was spreading out some electronic files on the table, while Schnitzer was standing motionless at the door to the captain's quarters.

 

"What about the patrol boat?"

 

"It's got a slightly high energy response so it can be launched at any time, but that's all."

 

Coorie switched the sub-monitor.

 

"Right now, the patrol boat's communication system is wired to the Bentenmaru, so if they wanted to, they could easily peek inside the Bentenmaru, and they could take all the data that we don't have guarded, but there's no sign of them doing so. Even though they're licensed, they're well-behaved for an Imperial vessel connected to a pirate ship."

 

"Huh?"

 

Misa looked at the exterior of the patrol boat displayed on the sub-monitor with a surprised look on her face. It was a small boat with a well-equipped communication system and engine equipment, but there were no conspicuous weapons on the outside. Since it was not designed to operate alone without support, the patrol boat was only equipped with a small-caliber beam cannon for self-defense.

 

"From our side?"

 

"If they're well-behaved, that means they have the leeway to do so."

 

Coorie tapped the control panel.

 

"They might be waiting for us to do something, so I'm only checking the ID and basic data. The main data is probably in the base anyway, so I don't think they'll find anything useful by looking at the patrol boat's system."

 

"An Imperial Fleet patrol boat docked with us, and a military police captain boarded it, so are our guys just sitting around?"

 

Misa left the electronic warfare seat and sat down in the observer seat next to the captain's seat and turned on the main switch. The observer seat had no crew members attached to it, so it couldn't be touched even during the major maintenance when we docked. It was one of the few places on the bridge that remained in the same condition as before.

 

"...That can't be right."

 

"We did the minimum amount of maintenance and adjustments before coming here, but the Bentenmaru isn't a spaceship that's so obedient that it will stabilize with just that."

 

Coorie was busy checking the coordination of the various systems in the electronic warfare equipment while monitoring the situation in the captain's cabin.

 

"We've managed to get the engine room under control up to this point, but we're not confident that we can maneuver in combat like this, so Sandaime is stuck in the engine room, and we're rushing to readjust the ship's weapons and radar/sensor systems."

 

"Well, at this rate, I don't think we'll have to make an emergency launch here, let alone the patrol boats."

 

Misa looked around at the bridge display showing the situation in the surrounding airspace. Spaceships anchored in Port Seruna's anchored airspace are asked to stop emitting radar, and in return, the situation in the surrounding airspace is transmitted from the central control. The latest situation from the central control, which includes information from radar sites placed throughout the controlled airspace and patrol boats patrolling, is highly accurate and has a wide effective range.

 

"All that's left is to hope that the captain can buy some time."

 

Misa looked at the monitor image in the captain's room. Captain Hogarth looked annoyed as Marika explained this and that with a hand gesture, while Hyakume added with a sidelong glance at the data.

 

"That's a bit too much, I guess."

 

"That's the anti-ship combat that took place to rescue Maria Forte."

 

After explaining the short jump back to the Tau system after the closest approach, Marika looked at Captain Hogarth.

 

"The same data was submitted to Sea of the Morningstar Control and the Tau Star System Military. No changes were made to the facts or the timeline."

 

"Well, well, I'm sure the way we fought was analyzed and evaluated elsewhere, not by us."

 

While moving to the captain's quarters, the captain quickly tapped on the information terminal he had taken out of the pocket of his open uniform.

 

"So, if the events unfolded as you say, Bentenmaru did not attack and destroy the civilian ship, but went to rescue it and was driven back, is that correct?"

 

"...That's the simple answer."

 

Marika admitted.

 

"The request from the star system military was to provide cover for the civilian ship that was sending out a distress signal and to scout the surrounding airspace. The enemy's forces were far greater than ours, so we were only able to gather as much combat information as we could, and it's unfortunate that we couldn't do anything for the Maria Forte."

 

"Hmm."

 

The captain looked around the captain's quarters with a difficult look on his face.

 

"In real combat, it's not uncommon for combat information to differ between friendly and enemy forces. Sometimes on the front lines, both sides will collude to fabricate battles that never actually took place."

 

The captain turned his eye back to Marika.

 

"As you know, it's not up to me to decide who's right and who's wrong. To be more precise, it's up to the higher-ups to decide which interpretation to adopt, and those of us on the front lines just follow that."

 

"Ah."

 

Marika finally remembered who the captain in front of her resembled. Though his aura, appearance, and way of speaking were completely different, she had the impression that he resembled Black Granny, the vice principal of Hakuoh Girls' Academy. He was saying the same things in the same tone as always, but there was a sense of tension, as if he was asking her to do something more than she could do.

 

"We have confirmed that the Bentenmaru has been designated as a pirate."

 

The captain switched the screen on the information terminal in his hand.

 

"If pirates were to appear within the Empire's territory, it would be a matter of responsibility for the Imperial Fleet, and in reality, we would have to send a fleet to capture or sink them, but for some reason, that has not happened. On the contrary, if we had reported to our superiors that the Bentenmaru had arrived at Port Seruna, what kind of order do you think we would have received?"

 

The captain showed Marika and Hyakume next to him the text displayed on the semi-3D display of the information terminal.

 

"That's all it says to confirm the facts. No matter how you look at it, this is not an order that the military police would give to a pirate who is on a wanted list. Well, thanks to that, we didn't have to go through the trouble of suddenly arresting the crew of the pirate ship."

 

The captain looked at Schnitzer and Hyakume standing at the door, then back to Marika.

 

"Hey, if you don't mind, could you tell me why you decided to turn yourself in at a fleet base, of all places, Port Seruna, which is quite far from the star system?"

 

"Well, you see,"

 

Marika leaned forward and lowered her voice deliberately. Captain Hogarth leaned forward to oblige.

 

"I thought that there might be some bad guy around here who was trying to frame the Bentenmaru as an illegal pirate ship."

 

"Oh, really,"

 

Hogarth said in a completely uninterested voice and sat back in his seat.

 

"So, you're saying that there's a mysterious force that attacked a civilian transport ship in Port Seruna?"

 

The captain pointed to the Imperial fleet emblem on the left chest.

 

"Is it this?"

 

"No way."

 

Marika laughed and shook her head.

 

"If that's how the Imperial Fleet is, they can easily wipe out an independent privateer like Bentenmaru."

 

Marika stared at Hogarth, who was wearing the black military police jacket rather than wearing it.

 

"If we're going to make the Imperial Fleet our enemy, we'll first run outside where we can't be found so easily."

 

Military uniforms often have badges or patches on the shoulders and sleeves that show rank, as well as badges and badges that show affiliation and qualifications. However, Captain Hogarth's uniform has no decorations other than the captain's badge and the ID on the left chest that shows he belongs to the Port Seruna Military Police.

 

"You say it's not the Imperial Fleet?"

 

The captain slowly repeated Marika's words.

 

"What other forces besides the Imperial Fleet are there in this Port Seruna?"

 

"There are a lot of them, aren't there?"

 

Marika answered, wondering how much she knew and was trying to get him to talk.

 

"Private subcontractors for maintenance and repair, shipyards, private research institutes for military development and operational studies. Of course, officially, they are all under the protection and command of the Imperial Fleet in Port Seruna, but the combined force they control would easily exceed the defense forces of independent star systems."

 

"Out of the numbers, you say?"

 

Hogarth scratched his jaw with a sour look on his face.

 

"If you ask control, they should be able to tell you everything about the ships in the fleet that are out and about at the discretion of the companies, and where they are doing."

 

"But you can't know if they're doing what they submitted to control when they set sail unless you monitor and check everything."

 

Feeling that she was slowly stepping into dangerous territory, Marika said.

 

"Not only are there warships belonging to the fleet at Port Seruna, but also new ships that haven't been delivered yet, test ships under development, and spaceships from companies whose details haven't been made public to the fleet. If there is a fleet that has laid hands on Maria Forte and tried to pin the blame on us, I think it's those guys."

 

"Hmm..."

 

Hogarth took a deep breath and thought deeply. He brought the information terminal in his hand in front of him and tapped.

 

A huge amount of documents, almost overflowing from the small display, were projected in 3D around the captain on the sofa.

 

"Well, you see, when it comes to dealing with real pirates, the announcements from headquarters are too lenient, so I'm sure the central office is thinking about various things, but the problem is that orders from above don't get through to the field because they're too far away."

 

"Oh..."

 

Marika noticed Hyakume next to her exclaim in admiration. The three-dimensional documents, without any privacy settings, filled the Captain's surroundings for only a moment, and Hogarth quickly switched the screen.

 

"If you don't mind, I can tell you something. Bentenmaru is a useful business partner for the Imperial Fleet, but its front-line fighting power is not that great. As you yourself said, it is only strong enough to easily crush not only the Imperial Fleet, but even the Company Fleet. If your piracy is a false accusation, who do you think framed you, and why?"

 

Marika glanced at Hyakume. Hyakume nodded slightly as if to tell her to go ahead.

 

"Who and where is it? That's exactly the information we want to know right now."

 

Marika spoke slowly and deliberately.

 

"As for why, I can only speculate. Is that okay?"

 

"Of course."

 

Captain Hogarth nodded in response.

 

"At the very least, I can understand why you are doing this and what kind of enemy you are thinking of. I'd love to hear from you."

 

"I'm sure you already know this, but the pirate ship Karyobinga, which has a privateer license issued in the same independent star system as Bentenmaru, has gone missing. The privateer ship Barbaroosa in the Uzumasa star system was approached by the Toar Conzern about purchasing the pirate license and agreed. And now Bentenmaru is accused of piracy, something it has never done. If all of this is being done with a single intention, then it's easy."

 

Marika looked straight into the captain's face, suppressing the anxiety she felt when making excuses to her teacher.

 

"Pirates are a nuisance."

 

"Hmm."

 

The captain just replied and looked back at Marika. Marika continued without looking away.

 

"Pirate ships with privateer licenses exist independently of the military or interstellar nations. Of course, they have dealings with the Imperial fleet and the star system military, and follow the commands of the government that issued them their privateer licenses, but they usually act on their own initiative. In other words, a considerable amount of their military power exists without being incorporated into a chain of command like the military or a company."

 

"You pirates aren't the only military power that isn't under the command of the military or a nation."

 

The captain said.

 

"As you probably know, the invading companies fighting the rebels on the frontier and the military companies that lend out their forces as needed also possess great military power."

 

"Of course I know."

 

Marika nodded vigorously.

 

"The fleets that companies own are under the company's chain of command. But we pirates don't have as much power as the fleets of armies, nations, or companies, so we have something else bigger."

 

"Hmm."

 

Looking at Hyakume next to Marika, the captain turned his eyes back.

 

"What?"

 

"Freedom."

 

Marika said.

 

"In exchange for not having a huge chain of command, pirates have the free discretion to judge all circumstances and choose their own actions. Of course, they are also responsible for their own choices."

 

Marika smiled as if to hide her embarrassment.

 

"I think that whatever is trying to make Karyoubinga disappear and trap Bentenmaru is a pirate, a force that is not part of the chain of command. That's why we're trying to eliminate them, even if it means spending a little time and money."

 

"Hmm."

 

The captain nodded with interest.

 

"So, what is this thing? Why are they trying to get rid of pirates?"

 

"They're the kind of people who want to get rid of pirates because they're the ones who are on the side of justice."

 

Marika said firmly.

 

"Of course they're doing something bad."

 

The captain grinned. Marika nodded back, smiling with relief.

 

"Jokes aside, based on the circumstantial evidence so far, we suspect that the force that framed Bentenmaru is a military contractor close to the Imperial Fleet. As you know, there are companies and businesses in Port Seruna that do business with the Imperial Fleet, and we think that one of them acted or was acted upon with some kind of purpose to attack an innocent civilian transport ship."

 

"Circumstantial evidence, you say?"

 

The captain casually slid his finger across the touch panel of the information terminal, erratically switching between displays he hadn't even looked at.

 

"If there is evidence, the Imperial Fleet will not hesitate to cooperate with Bentenmaru. However, circumstantial evidence is merely your speculation, and we do not know how accurate it is. The number of private companies that move spaceships in and out of Port Seruna easily reaches the tens of thousands, including subcontractors and sub-subcontractors. How in the world do you intend to find the culprit's company among that many companies and businesses?"

 

Marika tried to put on a social smile as naturally as possible, as Gruier had taught her.

 

"Would you cooperate?"

 

"Well, isn't that a good thing?"

 

After seeing off Captain Hogarth of the military police to the boarding bridge of the airlock, Marika crouched down on the spot as soon as the docking-off sign came on the information panel.

 

"The interrogation will start tomorrow morning, which means that at the very least, the Bentenmaru will be kept in the Port Seruna anchorage airspace without supervision. If the mastermind has set up a branch office inside the station, they'll be very nervous."

 

"Are you going to do the same thing again tomorrow?"

 

Marika crouched down, hugging her knees, and looked up at Hyakume with a pathetic look on her face, pointing her fingertips at the patrol boat on the other side of the airlock.

 

"I don't know why, but I feel like I've lost all my energy. My whole body is creaking."

 

Shaking her head, Marika stood up with a bang. She turned to face Hyakume and Schnitzer.

 

"Did I do something wrong?"

 

After exchanging looks with Schnitzer, Hyakume answered.

 

"It's okay, I think it was pretty good."

 

"Good."

 

Putting her hands on her hips and rolling her shoulders, Marika leaned against the wall.

 

"The problem is that Captain."

 

Schnitzer touched the information panel. The undocked patrol boat KP93 was on its next mission and was on an orbit around the anchorage airspace instead of returning to the station.

 

"The reason why neither his past nor current job came up in the search is probably to prevent the parties involved from taking action against him."

 

"The parties involved, you mean us?"

 

Marika pointed to her nose. Schnitzer nodded as he continued to confirm the information.

 

"Us, and the possible hostile forces we presented. We turned ourselves in, so we can contact them openly, but if the person who arranged for the Bentenmaru to be designated a pirate tries to contact the military police, they will have to start by thoroughly investigating the chain of command, including Captain Hogarth."

 

"I don't know how seriously the captain took our story, but it's certain that at least the higher-ups seem to be interested in this matter."

 

Hyakume walked ahead.

 

"In the captain's quarters, Captain Hogarth suddenly flooded the display of the information terminal, right?"

 

"Yes."

 

"We're being questioned in the captain's quarters, and they must have known about the recorder running. In that situation, doing something like that means they want to show us the flooded data. I only had a quick glance, but I could see the Fleet Command and Intelligence marks."

 

Hyakume looked over his shoulder at Schnitzer.

 

"You could see more with your eyes, right?"

 

Schnitzer's visual system can capture not only normal visible light, but electromagnetic waves of various frequencies. It has high resolution and can also be output externally.

 

"I could see it."

 

Schnitzer answered briefly.

 

"I think what the captain wanted to show us at that point was that an order had been received from the Fleet Command Intelligence Division."

 

"I thought so."

 

"He saw that much."

 

Marika was amazed.

 

"Well, I guess we can say that we have achieved the minimum objective."

 

"We'll be questioned tomorrow morning, so we're asking that the Bentenmaru not move its anchoring coordinates."

 

Hyakume left the airlock and entered the ship's corridor.

 

"The captain must be on the Bentenmaru at that time, but no other restrictions have been announced. Well, there's a good chance that they'll be announced separately later, but for now, as long as we leave the Bentenmaru here, there are no restrictions on our actions."

 

As she walked, Hyakume spread her arms slightly.

 

"What are you going to do, Captain? Shall we send a shopping team to Port Seruna while we're looking around?"

 

"Is the Bentenmaru in a condition to be emptied?"

 

Marika glared at Hyakume and Schnitzer's backs, who wouldn't look her in the eye when the topic came up.

 

"Or are there still parts missing at this late date?"

 

"Information gathering, information gathering."

 

Hyakume said, with his back to Marika.

 

"The Barbaroosa party should be arriving at Port Seruna soon. Wouldn't it be a good idea for the captain to know what's going on inside the station and where the Barbaroosa is stored?"

 

The port area of ​​Port Seruna is divided into a military port exclusively for the Imperial Fleet, and a commercial port where civilian ships come and go. Both the military and commercial ports are further divided according to their uses and convenience, and each has fully open, semi-open, and enclosed piers.

 

The commercial port, not the military port, has the most spaceships coming and going, and is the southern port with its series of open piers.

 

Port Seruna is a complex collection of block structures that spread out in all directions. As is the case with military stations, the direction of artificial gravity is basically uniform, so the sections are roughly divided into four, east-west, north-south, and six, upper and lower.

 

The military port is concentrated in the upper, eastern, and western sections, while civilian spaceships enter the north and southern port areas (bay areas).

 

A shuttle bus has just arrived at the southern port, where long-distance and short-distance regular transport ships and ferries are constantly coming and going. Buses that repeatedly transport personnel from ships anchored in the anchorage airspace discharge passengers in work clothes, business suits, and travel clothes into the crowded southern port.

 

"I wondered what kind of structure it would be, since it's the largest Imperial fleet base in a thousand light-year radius."

 

Kenjo Kurihara entered the station from a boarding bridge docked at an open pier, and looked around the wide pier with its automatic tracks, wearing a heavy old-fashioned military coat over his work overalls and carrying a cylindrical bag on his shoulder.

 

"It's just like any other trading port around here."

 

Port Seruna, built as a frontline fortress, does not have a home star system.

 

In the vicinity of a large gravity source, there is an error in the FTL jump via hyperspace. In order to deploy the fleet in an emergency, it is better not to have a star or gravity source nearby. Therefore, Port Seruna was built in the empty interstellar space.

 

A huge amount of capital and materials were poured into a place that was not even an intersection of sea lanes, and a huge military station was built.

 

The establishment of a port also changed the flow of spaceships. To supply an abundant labor force to the huge military station, several regular routes were opened from nearby star systems, and transport routes for fresh food, water, air, and other daily necessities were also established.

 

"This is an old port, too," answered Nora, wearing a traveling dress and carrying a scratched suitcase on her slender arm.

 

"Besides, this has been within the Empire for a long time, although it may be different if it was on the front line of the frontier. If it was a spaceport for civilian ships, not a military area, this is what you'd expect."

 

"Well, that's easy."

 

Passengers were discharged from the bus connecting the anchorage airspace and the pier and moved to the inside of the station on an automatic track. After confirming that the crew members were moving with the wave of people, Kenjo also got on the automatic track.

 

Even at some relay stations, there is quarantine at some locations, but in Port Cerna, there is only an emergency hospital at each port. As is typical of a military station, ID checks are performed, but this is done through the information system installed on the bus moving from the anchorage airspace to the port, or through personal information terminals.

 

"Are you coming to pick me up?"

 

At the end of the pier, the inspection gate where ID checks were once performed one by one remains in its place. After passing through the gate, Kenjo looked around the port town, lined with shops typical of port areas. There was no sign of an ambush, and no mafia members who might start a fight were in sight.

 

"Were you expecting something?"

 

Nora, standing next to him, opened her small information terminal and checked the message.

 

"Well, I went to the trouble of registering my ID under the name of Captain Barbaroosa, the former pirate ship captain, to board the Imperial Fleet's base. If they were doing their job properly, surely they would be concerned about what the captain of the pirate ship they bought was doing afterwards?"

 

"You don't seem to care, do you?"

 

Nora walked ahead, carrying a small suitcase hanging from her shoulder.

 

"Looking at their behavior after taking over Barbaroosa, I don't think they have any interest in pirate ships or pirates. At least, Toar Konzern, who is our direct negotiator, is not interested in us more than the goods that have already been traded."

 

"Well, that may be the case with Toar Konzern, but if they call themselves agents, doesn't that mean there is another mastermind who requested the purchase of the pirate license? I didn't think that person had no interest in pirates until then."

 

"From their point of view, we are already a done deal and they are no longer an issue. That makes it easy for them to move."

 

"Otherwise, they're just watching us, waiting for an easy opportunity to get rid of us."

 

Nora, who was ahead of Kenjo, glared lightly over her shoulder as she spoke.

 

"This is enemy territory now. Think carefully about where you are and what you're doing before spouting your useless opinions."

 

"I think this is still a safe zone, or at least a buffer airspace."

 

Kenjo couldn't stop grinning.

 

"The enemy territory is probably the factory area where Barbaroosa has been thrown in."

 

"No."

 

Nora snapped.

 

"It's the office district where the private companies that work at this base are located."

 

Kenjo grinned and bared his fangs.

 

"Oh, I almost forgot. This time, we don't just have to snatch the prey by grabbing it from the enemy's nose, we also need to land a hit in the chest."

 

Looking around, Kenjo found the tram stop, which was installed as public transportation within the station. Rails large enough to transport small cargo containers on special vehicles ran down the center of the main street.

 

In any structure built in the vacuum of space, whether it's a space city or a relay station, space is the most valuable thing. Public transportation that runs within the living space, whether it's a bus or tram, is more efficient than installing a dedicated track separate from the living space or pressurized section. There is also a lot of room to accommodate future development and change.

 

Even in small stations, it's common to travel by foot, as well as by electric wheelchair or bicycle, and it's not uncommon to see huge space cities complete with huge freeways with many lanes like those on the surface.

 

Because it's a tram in a huge station built as a naval port, the track is wide enough to allow freight cars to pass through even as far as the pier. The flat four-car tram, wider than it was tall, entered the port town station with its horn blaring.

 

"Well, then, let's head into enemy territory."

 

Kenjo strode out with a cylindrical bag on his shoulder.

 

Space cities, modeled after old fortresses that had been expanded over time, are sometimes likened to ancient fortress cities.

 

Space cities designed for anti-ship warfare have a series of strong armor plates on their outermost shells and are equipped with large-caliber offensive weapons. The systems for maintaining the environment necessary for life forms to function and the systems for generating and supplying the necessary energy are installed deep inside the thickly protected shell.

 

Although it was constructed relatively recently as a frontline fortress, Port Seruna is also a military port with a long history. Of the six blocks divided into north, south, east, west and top, the section called the old town, protected by thick armor, was in the center, spanning the east, west, north, south and top blocks.

 

In older stations, the huge airtight bulkhead that separates the old town from the new town is deep inside the structure, so it is not uncommon for them to be fixed in an open state and the power unit removed. However, in Port Seruna, which is also an active naval port, it seems that they still intend to use the old outermost armored part, which had become deep due to expansion, for practical use, as the operating parts of the gate that the tram passed under were shiny and seemed to be in a state of readiness.

 

"This is..."

 

Kenjo looked around as he got off at the platform, which was equipped with a sign showing the name of the station and an information transmission system that was much more luxurious than the port.

 

The old government district with its high ceilings. After military facilities moved to the newly built new town on the naval port side for convenience, the remaining private sector office area expanded to occupy an entire block of the old town.

 

"Even the smell of the air is different," Kenjo muttered, his nose twitching. In old, poorly maintained stations, the air used in closed systems can have a stagnant smell that cannot be wiped away no matter how much you filter it, but that wasn't the case at Port Seruna, even at the pier. When you go deep inside, protected by several bulkheads, the air that has been exchanged and processed by the high-end circulation system not only has a faint ozone smell, but it even feels different to the touch.

 

"They probably add various things to it to increase efficiency while working."

 

Nora touched the delicate bracelet on her left wrist. In some places, there are run-down stations that seem to spray a thin layer of nanomachine viruses, but no harmful substances can be detected.

 

Nora adjusted the display on the bracelet as thin as possible. A soft light that is difficult to see unless you're careful creates a faint three-dimensional image on the wrist.

 

"There are a lot of communication waves flying around. They're all high-strength encryption. There's also data communication, but it's probably not much information, and they're prepared to have it stolen."

 

"It's going to be hard to survive around here if you're a fool who gives out information that would be embarrassing to be overheard."

 

Kenjo looked around the old town with amusement, where military uniforms are prominent, unlike the office district of the civilian station. The office buildings that line the area, supporting the high ceilings as befitting a section that was once a military station, are sturdy, and even though they've been used by private companies and decorative panels have been replaced, the walls are decorated with logos, and business signs have been put up, but their origins cannot be hidden.

 

"I see, this is the front line. Just walking around the city is making me nervous."

 

Not only are people wearing business suits and military uniforms, but it's not uncommon to see people in work clothes or pilot suits that look like they just came straight from the port.

 

"So, where on this front line should we go?"

 

"This way."

 

Nora switched the display on her bracelet to check her destination and walked ahead.

 

"Yes, come in."

 

As Kenjo was ushered into the reception room, he was greeted by an excited voice.

 

"Welcome to the Port Ceruna branch of the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association!!"

 

"This guy's a surprise."

 

Kenjo raised one hand to the afro-haired monster who stood up from his desk.

 

"You actually existed. This is the first time I've seen an agent from the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association come out of a monitor."

 

"I have a lot of good clients."

 

Show, who is even taller than the already large Kenjo, stretched out his long, lanky arms in a flashy jacket to Kenjo.

 

"Thanks to you, it's been an easy job, but one of the few pirate ships we're looking after is missing, one is being sold, and the other is being investigated by the Imperial Fleet for piracy that we didn't commit. This is an emergency."

 

After shaking hands with Kenjo and bowing to Nora with his hand on his chest, Show pointed to the counter bar in the reception room.

 

"Would you like something to drink?"

 

"I'm about to start work, so I can't drink."

 

Kenjo looked around the reception room, where no one else was.

 

"Where are the others?"

 

"They must be heading this way."

 

After returning to his desk, Show tapped the control panel to make the chronometer's three-dimensional display appear. Stations without a home star system do not need to be bound by local time. The same numbers as Galactic Standard Time appeared.

 

"Are we being followed?"

 

"We've done the bare minimum of checking, including the crew of the Barbaroosa, but there's no sign of us being followed so far."

 

Show switched the three-dimensional display on his desk.

 

"I can't tell if the enemy has set up a sophisticated tailing system that can outwit us, or if they're just not interested."

 

"For a station of this size, surely the military surveillance system is open to a trusted private company? If we look into that kind of data, surely we can tail a small number of people and check their movements without having to assign personnel?"

 

"We're an insurance association that makes a living by providing accurate and precise information."

 

Show switched the three-dimensional display again. A complex model of fluid flowing like a family tree is drawn on the desk.

 

"We can monitor the amount of information flying around, whether wired or wireless. I don't look into it because it would take too much time and computing power to unravel all the encrypted data, but by looking at the flow of data around you, you can get a good idea of ​​who is interested in what and where."

 

Show overlaid the model of the slowly moving fluid on a three-dimensional map of the old town of Port Seruna.

 

"It's been years since we've seen a licensed pirate ship designated for piracy around here, and the crew is casually landing in Port Seruna without any military surveillance. If someone who is at least a little observant isn't worried about it, I'm sure they're either really good at infiltrating the military system or they're just not interested."

 

"Hmm."

 

Kenjo folded his arms in boredom.

 

"I tried to dress up as best I could and walked around, but it was all for nothing."

 

"Well, at least you made it to the Port Seruna branch of the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association safely."

 

Show tapped lightly on the control panel on his desk. The door to the reception room opened, and Chiaki, dressed in a business suit, raised his fist and was about to knock, his eyes widened in surprise.

 

"Thank you!"

 

Kenjo called out to his daughter.

 

"Are you safe?"

 

"Dad!"

 

Chiaki, wearing an unfamiliar business suit, glared at Kenjo and entered the reception room.

 

"Thanks to you, it was a bit disappointing."

 

Following Chiaki, Marika appeared wearing a business suit that she had previously had made to order at a high-end boutique at the Sea of the Morningstar relay station.

"As instructed, we toured the naval base and the shopping mall at Nanko. As you can see, we're safe."

 

"Oh."

 

Kenjo looked at Marika in a bright red business suit, then shifted his eyes to Chiaki's modest black business suit. Chiaki said in a low voice.

 

"What's with that disappointed look in your eyes?"

 

"No, nothing."

 

"There were a few times where radar and sensors reacted."

 

Schnitzer slipped through the door and entered the room.

 

"But there was no attempt to identify individuals. Luckily, it didn't become a situation that required guarding."

 

"So there's no reaction even when a wanted pirate wanders around inside the Imperial Fleet station."

 

Marika was wearing a business suit, and Schnitzer was wearing casual ship uniforms with an old jacket over them, instead of combat uniforms for land battles, but there was no hiding their cyborg faces with exposed glass eyes with various sensors built in.

 

"I guess we were too flashy to be decoys at the naval base."

 

"Welcome to the Port Ceruna branch of the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association."

 

Show extended his arms to Marika, Chiaki, and Schnitzer, and invited them to sit on the sofa.

 

"As you can see, this room is equipped with anti-electronic warfare specifications and is protected by jammers. You can have any secret conversation here without worrying about it leaking out."

 

Show pointed around the windowless reception room, lavishly decorated with furniture.

 

"Even though technology has advanced so much that we can now talk face to face without being in the same place, it's still inconvenient that we have to go and talk face to face to discuss secrets."

 

Show closed the door, which was decorated with a single plank of ancient wood, and locked it. He checked the lock on the information system on the wall, returned to his desk to check the situation further, and confirmed that there were no detectable electromagnetic waves in the room with a card-shaped receiver he took out of his suit pocket.

 

"With this, this room has become an electromagnetic darkroom. Your mobile devices (cell phones) and IDs that tell you where you are should no longer be usable. What do you think, Combat Commander Schnitzer?"

 

In response to Sho's gaze, Schnitzer placed one hand on his glass eye with a large sensor and looked around the room. Scanning is possible without movement, but that doesn't tell you what your roommates are doing.

 

Schnitzer increased the sensitivity and scanned all receivable frequencies, then opened his mouth.

 

"As expected from an insurance company. Our sensors can't find any other sources of radiation besides the lights and your electronic devices."

 

"So we're ready to have a private conversation."

 

Kenjo sat down on the big sofa.

 

"So, how about it, Mr. Shou? Did you get anything out of coming all the way from the head office?"

 

"As you know, in our industry, information is a much more valuable bullet than real bullets."

 

Instead of sitting down on the sofa, Show returned to his desk and pulled out a chair with an exaggerated control panel on the armrest.

 

"The military's job is to shoot, so they collect information to win, and companies are in business, so they collect information to sell, but our job is to put a price on situations and sell peace of mind. A situation that keeps moving without stopping for a moment has to decide which way it's heading, where it's going to settle, and where to price it. In that sense, I'm confident that the information gathering system of insurance companies is more precise and reliable than that of the military or trading companies."

 

Placing the chair he had pulled out next to the table, Show sat down and crossed his long legs.

 

"What would happen if the insurance association's information system didn't work properly? Then, profits and losses would pile up in the business, resulting in a deficit, and eventually the insurance company itself would be liquidated and disappear. We work for the public interest, so we have to find a balance so we don't lose money, but we don't make too much profit either."

 

Stretching his long arms out over the desk, Show changed the display.

 

An old-fashioned spaceship secured inside an enclosed dock was displayed on the screen.

 

"Let's start with some quick information. The Barbaroosa, which the Toar Conzern bought from Captain Kurihara, is currently in a rented dock downtown."

 

"Oh, it's safe."

 

Kenjo clasps his hands together as he sees that the image on the screen shows no damage or missing parts to the exterior of the Barbaroosa. He looks around the dock in the background.

 

"Is this the image from now?"

 

"The image on the monitor is from two hours ago."

 

Show checks the timestamp.

 

"If I want to get the latest images, I need to connect to the line of Lantern Shipyards, which runs this rental dock. Of course, that's not impossible, but I don't want to be tracked down, or for it to be revealed that there's someone in this base who's worried about the pirate ship we've brought over, even if our monitors aren't detected, so I'm not going any deeper than that."

 

"As expected, it's a robot dock that can be disassembled and repaired without any people around."

 

Looking around at the closed dock behind him, which is a little too large for the Barbaroosa to dock, Kenjo's eyes grow grim.

 

"I'm sure they put our old spaceship, which is well over a century old, in an expensive enclosed dock, not on a pier, but in an expensive dock, not on a pier, to avoid public attention, but if it's a robot dock, does that mean they've decided to dismantle our spaceship?"

 

"There are parts of the ship that are expensive considering its age, so if we just take those out and sell them off, it might be worth a little, but if that's the case, it's not worth putting it in a robot dock."

 

Show called up another list.

 

"I'm sorry that this isn't what Captain Kurihara was hoping for, but the Barbaroosa is undergoing a thorough automated inspection and maintenance and resupply in the robot dock."

 

"Huh?"

 

Kenjo looked again at the still image of the Barbaroosa with wide eyes.

 

"What's going on? Are you trying to turn our spaceship into a product now?"

 

"If that's the case, then if we buy it back when it's up for sale, the Barbaroosa will legally return to the captain's hands."

 

Show said with a grin.

 

"But unfortunately, that's not the case. Just now, the name of the Barbaroosa was changed from Toar Conzern to Maestro VanVanVigalo."

 

Show projected the data displayed on his desk onto the table so it was easier to see.

 

"That's a strange name, VanVanVigalo."

 

"It's one of the many spaceship operating companies in Port Seruna. Most of the work comes from the company, not the fleet, but they do all the work of spaceship navigation, testing, and unmanned operation."

 

Kenjo's eyes stopped at one point as he looked at the data displayed in front of him.

 

"Did you change the ship's name too?"

 

Hearing the low voice, Chiaki, who had looked at the column for ship names, couldn't help but speak out.

 

"Target ship QD0443?!"

 

"Yes."

 

Shou's grin grew even wider.

 

"That's the biggest piece of information the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association has obtained from Port Seruna so far. The Barbaroosa was purchased by the Toar Concern, who probably sold it to Maestro VanVanVigorro for next to nothing, and is currently being maintained as a target ship, so that's how it is."

 

"What do you mean, target ship!"

 

Chiaki stood up from the sofa and clenches both fists at Show.

 

"Are you planning to use our spaceship as a disposable target for some kind of exercise!?"

 

"...That's strange."

 

Kenjo digs his thick fingers into the data displayed on the table and rummages through it.

 

"If it's going to be used on a target ship, it shouldn't need such thorough maintenance and resupply. Even if it's a rundown ship, it takes time to bring it to the training ground and make it usable for training. It would be better to reuse it multiple times than to have it explode in one hit, so it would be better to remove all weapons and machinery that aren't going to be used and take it empty, but this maintenance is..."

 

I don't know where it got from or how, but the data displayed on the table even showed a menu of the maintenance planned for the Barbaroosa, which was docked at the Lantern Shipyards. Kenjo scrolled from start to finish with his fingertips, then looked up at Show.

 

"Basically, the engine system is checked, but not only the propellant but also the missiles are replenished, and the main guns are not overhauled, but they are checked to the minimum. What are they planning to do with a target ship that only has a symbol as its name?"

 

"Port Cerna is a military port, so the contractors who come and go use military identification symbols as they are. And as you know, QD is the symbol used for unmanned target ships."

 

Show looked around at the pirates on both sides of the table.

 

"And according to the latest information, the Barbaroosa, now QD0443, is scheduled to depart in four days. No return schedule has been submitted at this time."

 

"Where are we going?"

 

Kenjo muttered with a sharp look in his eyes, and searched for the information he was looking for in the data in front of him.

 

"The Fountain Blow training airspace?"

 

"Yes."

 

Show nodded happily.

 

"It is one of the few training airspaces in the Empire that is managed by a private company."

 

There are many training airspaces set up within the Galactic Empire. In order to assemble a fleet of battleships that can easily shatter a star with just one ship and demonstrate their capabilities, training and exercises during peacetime are essential.

 

In order to unleash the combat power of military spaceships equipped with powerful weapons without restrictions, a vast airspace is required. The combat distance in space is determined more by the search and firing accuracy than the effective range of the weapon.

 

Energy beams fired at sub-light to super-light speeds must travel distances measured in light years before they disperse and lose their power. Missiles that accelerate toward their target and mass weapons that use the kinetic energy of their warheads as their destructive power continue to fly in space even after leaving their mother ship and losing control.

 

When a large-scale fleet battle takes place, it is not uncommon for damage to occur in far-away airspace many years after the war. To prevent such a situation, the training airspace where huge military power can be unleashed without restrictions is set wide enough and strictly monitored.

 

In addition, the training airspace is also used for development experiments of new unannounced weapons. Since it is essentially a battle airspace where live ammunition is flying, the entry and exit of civilian ships is strictly restricted.

 

"I'm sure the training airspace of Fountainbleau was jointly managed by several corporations."

 

Kenjo tried to recall from his old memory how the training airspace was managed by private companies. Although it is set far enough away from sea lanes and habitable planets, the vast training airspace is not a powerful system like the Galactic Empire, nor is it something that can be maintained or managed. The training airspace of Fountainbleau is not a place where fighting is constant like the training airspace of the Imperial Fleet, but an airspace where the settings and users change depending on the time and place.

 

"Which company is in charge of Fountainbleau now?"

 

Sho's grin spread across his face.

 

"The Rakion Corporate Alliance. As you know, it's a conglomerate of new military companies that follow the Big Three. It also includes Rube Mass, which is building the Derrflinger class."

 

Show looked around at the pirates on both sides of the table.

 

"What I'm about to say is not the consensus of the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association. Please listen to it as my personal opinion."

 

Show displayed the logo of the Rakion Corporate Alliance and a list of the related companies in Port Seruna on a 3D display on the table.

 

"I believe that Rakion, or a joint project involving one or more companies affiliated with it, is the main enemy this time."

 

"Corporate Alliance..."

 

Marika repeated the word she only heard in economic news. The number of related companies lined up under the Rakion logo on the display was enormous, and it seemed like they could control the entire Galactic Empire with just that.

 

"Is it not a conglomerate?"

 

Kenjo asked just to be sure. Show answered.

 

"Companies are less connected than conglomerates. Alliances, groups, and associations made by multiple companies only grow and shrink whenever the Empire's tax system or the regulations of each star system change, and the corporate alliance calling itself Rakion was registered in several star systems quite recently."

 

Show used the color bar to point to the names of several companies under the big name Rakion.

 

"As you know, the military industry in the Empire is controlled by just three major companies called the Big Three. It's safe to say that they sell not only pistol cartridges for the Imperial fleet and the Self-Defense Forces and Defense Forces of each star system, but also radars, sensors, jammers, and even combat methods."

 

The military industry does not only provide weapons to its customers. In ancient times, mercenaries sold not only weapons but also military power and how to use them as products.

 

"So the military is the best customer to sell you more than just products, and they're a good paying customer, but of course that's not all."

 

Show listed the areas of expertise of each of the major companies he picked under their names.

 

"The military is very conservative, even though they eagerly take in the latest technology. They don't want to let go of proven weapons even if the possibility of using them is extremely low. Similarly, they want to continue doing business with those they have had a long relationship with. Because of this, there are endless problems with collusion, bribery, and corruption wherever they go, but that's not my specialty, so I'll leave it out here. That's why Rakion is a business entity where new companies that have appeared out of nowhere have come together under a big banner to gain some credibility with the military, which is their huge customer, and make it easier to do business."

 

Display the transaction record with the Imperial Fleet for each specialty. Being involved with the Imperial Fleet is a status symbol for a company, so the contract name and year are displayed ostentatiously even in the public documents on the official website. However, the contract years are only from the last few years, and even the oldest ones are from more than a dozen years ago.

 

"If the price and performance are the same, customers won't go to the trouble of re-signing with a new company. You can't develop a new customer base unless you can demonstrate that you are clearly superior in both price and performance."

 

"Despite this, the fact that new companies are making inroads in business with the Imperial fleet means they're working hard, right?"

 

Looking around the displayed list with interest, Kenjo turned his eyes back to Show.

 

"If the Rakion corporate alliance is the mastermind behind this, should we try to get to the roots of it?"

 

"This may be a bit harsh, but the biggest difference between the Big Three, which have a long history and tradition, is that the corporate alliance is a hodgepodge. Their ties are not as strong as those of the old Big Three, which run almost everything within a single company, or the conglomerates with strong chains of command."

 

Show returned the screen to the list of companies participating in the Rakion corporate alliance.

 

Marika, who was looking at the list, spoke up.

 

"Are there companies participating in Rakion in the office district of Port Seruna?"

 

"Yes, of course."

 

Show pointed with his long finger at the 3D display in front of Marika.

 

"The companies listed there are registered with Rakion and working in Port Seruna. They're all participating in Rakion, from the big battleship manufacturer Roubaix Mass to the small Lantern Shipyards, which rents out docks, and the shipping company Maestro VanVanVigorro."

 

Marika spoke carefully, looking at the long list.

 

"...Can we set up a direct line from here, the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association, to Bentenmaru?"

 

"What?"

 

Show looked at Marika again.

 

"The Bentenmaru is anchored offshore nearby, and there is no physical connection to Port Seruna. There is a trading company network in the office district that is separate from the military network, right? Is there any way to directly connect to that network from the Bentenmaru?"

 

"I don't recommend it."

 

Show grinned.

 

"If you don't connect a physical line, you'll need a wireless connection, whether in FTL space or normal space. You won't know what they're talking about or where they're listening, but you'll find out they're doing something. Especially if their purpose is something that can't be done openly."

 

Marika frowned. Show continued with a cheerful face.

 

"So don't even think about sneaking into Port Seruna's trading company private line from the outside anchorage airspace. If you really have to, do it from inside."

 

Show looked around at the faces of the pirates sitting at the table.

 

"There are also people coming and going from the office district of Port Seruna. Some offices have been doing business in the same place for as long as the military, but it's not uncommon for small and medium-sized businesses to move in but then quickly withdraw without the work or financial resources."

 

Show pointed his long, spindly fingers straight up.

 

"Until recently, an ambitious new information analysis think tank was also located in the block managed by the Port Seruna branch of the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association. Unfortunately, it withdrew before it could achieve its goals, and the floor remains vacant as it has not yet found a new customer."

 

Show looked around the faces of the pirates with amusement.

 

"So, if you're thinking of infiltrating a trading company's network and doing bad things, you should first consider setting up shop here."

 

"So, what in the world are you guys doing?"

 

On the third day of the interrogation, Captain Hogarth, who had boarded the Bentenmaru in a patrol boat this morning, looked around the ship suspiciously.

 

"Well."

 

Marika, who was walking ahead of the captain down the corridor to the captain's quarters, gave an ambiguous smile at the passageway, which was a stark contrast to yesterday, and was filled with many crew members.

 

"The Bentenmaru is under investigation, but fortunately there are no restrictions on the crew's movement, so I thought I'd do a little work for them."

 

"Well, as long as the spaceship stays still and the captain is there, we can continue the investigation."

 

Hogarth took out an information terminal from the pocket of his uniform jacket, which was loosely open and hanging up, and called up the display with one hand.

 

"Even so, um, almost half of the crew has landed at our port?"

 

The Bentenmaru, which is anchored in the anchorage airspace of Port Seruna, is being questioned by the military police. Not only is the Bentenmaru prohibited from moving without the permission of the Imperial Fleet, but the crew is also required to submit an application to land at Port Seruna.

 

Marika submitted all the applications, even though it would have been okay to ignore them if the purchasing team had just arrived at the port in a communication boat. The submitted application documents are sent in digital form to the military police via the control station, and in most cases the application is automatically returned with a license.

 

The official reason is that this allows the Imperial Fleet to know where the crew of the spaceship under investigation are and what they are doing.

 

"Our spaceship is currently closed because we can't do our main business."

 

Marika said, leading the way and trying not to show her expression.

 

"Our privateer license has been suspended by our home planet, and we're currently being questioned by the fleet, so we can't work."

 

"The fleet has their own reasons for doing things."

 

Hogus answered in a disinterested voice.

 

"We can't have a pirate ship that's on the wanted list do pirate business."

 

"We're a civilian ship, so that would be a problem."

 

Seeing Hogus following her, Marika continued.

 

"As you can see, the Bentenmaru is a rundown spaceship, and it takes a lot of work and expense just to keep it running, but as long as we're being investigated here, we have no hope of earning any income. If things continue like this, even if we're acquitted, which I believe will happen, we'll go bankrupt because we won't be able to pay the costs of running the spaceship."

 

"But are you planning on sending the empty crew ashore to work part-time?"

 

A list of the names of the Bentenmaru crew members who were scheduled to land was displayed on the information terminal. Hogus sighed as he sorted the list by affiliation.

 

"Even so, even though it's Nanko, it's amazing how easily you were able to find work for this many people."

 

"An insurance association that we have a relationship with is planning to expand its office."

 

Marika said, pretending as if nothing had happened.

 

"We have a lot of personnel in the electronics industry, so we can easily help with opening a new store."

 

"An insurance association that you have a relationship with?"

 

Marika stopped in front of the captain's room, listening to the sound of someone tapping on the information terminal at a rapid tempo. Captain Hogarth should already know which insurance association Bentenmaru has a contract with and what kind of relationship they have. If that's the case, then unless he's just killing time while walking, he must be searching for information about the business expansion plans of the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association.

 

"I heard that an agent from the head office came all the way here for that purpose."

 

Marika opened the door to the captain's room, saying information that wasn't a lie. From today onwards, I have to deal with Hogarth on my own.

 

"So, what should I talk about today?"

 

"Are you okay?"

 

Hyakume, who had slipped into the right pilot's seat, anxiously looked up from the shuttle's cockpit toward the captain's cabin of the Bentenmaru.

 

"If you're worried, you can stay behind."

 

After completing the preflight check, Kane, who was in the captain's seat, skillfully turned on the switches.

 

"From the cockpit to the cabin, the plane will be taking off shortly. If all the scheduled personnel are on board, please close the door over there."

 

"Even if I stay behind, the only thing I can do is deal with that military policeman."

 

Hyakume began to turn on the control panels around him, who had been dead.

 

"We can expect more promising developments if we go to the port and work."

 

"Aren't you worried?"

 

After confirming that there were no abnormalities on the control panel around the captain's seat, Kane glanced at Hyakume's profile.

 

"Well, it's not like we have anything to feel guilty about if Captain Marika comes on board and investigates all of our work."

 

Hyakume said, checking off a list of excuses as if making one.

 

"There's no way the captain would know about the work we did on the Bentenmaru before he came on board. For now, he's been doing a good job of coordinating things with the military police. I don't know how many more days the current situation will last, but I expect the captain to do his job to buy us some time."

 

A door-close signal was heard from the cabin.

 

"Airtightness confirmed, no abnormalities in propulsion and communication systems."

 

"We've received permission to enter Nanko from the control station."

 

"Shuttle to Bentenmaru main bridge."

 

After hearing Hyakume's report, Kane called Sandaime who was still on the main bridge.

 

"Preparation for launch is complete. Open the port side hanger deck."

 

"Main bridge understood."

 

A response came back from Sandaime on the bridge.

 

"Are you planning three round trips today? There's a backlog, so hurry back."

 

"You don't have to tell me."

 

After confirming that the external air pressure in the hanger deck was escaping, Kane released the lock point that was fixing the shuttle to the deck. The artificial gravity was cut off by control from the shuttle.

 

The small amount of air remaining inside the ship flowed out from the open cargo door. As if riding the wind, the shuttle slid out sideways from the port side hanger deck of Bentenmaru.

 

The Bentenmaru remained anchored in the anchorage airspace, with the patrol boat KP93 still moored to its starboard side.

 

Kane pointed the shuttle's nose, which had begun to move forward slowly, toward Port Ceruna, which floated in front of them.

 

"A patrol boat followed and questioned them again today, but despite that, a large number of crew members came ashore in a communication boat."

 

Hyakume, who had handed the controls over to Kane, reclined his pilot's seat and folded his hands above his head.

 

"I don't know if we're being watched or not, but I think it's about time we found some traces of the enemy."

"Marx Information Systems, eh?"

 

Hyakume looked up suspiciously at the old wooden sign hanging outside the door.

 

"Is this one of the dummy companies owned by Lloyd Insurance?"

 

"We're an old insurance association after all."

 

Show looked with satisfaction at the wooden sign hanging above the large double doors made of old wooden planks, a rare sight even in the offices of the old town.

 

"Before I started working in the style I do now, I merged and absorbed many companies in the same industry and in other industries. It was part of my job to rescue and merge companies in the same industry that were struggling in sales, and to take over the name of a company as a creditor when it went bankrupt after being given a bad credit."

 

Show turned his eyes back to Hyakume.

 

"In most cases, we either resell the companies that act as debtors to others or dispose of them to add to the outstanding debts, but sometimes we can keep them as a company and continue to do business with them depending on our financial situation or their structure. There are many cases where they have connections in areas where our sales base is weak, or they have a team of experts in that field."

 

Show smiled meaningfully.

 

"As I said before, for insurance companies, information is a more important business than the military or trading companies. If you can make a profit from your main business and get useful information, it is more profitable to maintain it even if it means spending a little on administrative work and expenses."

 

"Well, I know why you guys have such extensive connections."

 

Hyakume looked back and forth between the old sign and the afro-haired monster with a suspicious look in his eyes.

 

"Relationships aren't something you can just leave and maintain. If you don't take good care of them, like you would a houseplant, you won't be able to build a relationship that will be useful when you need it."

 

"You're right, but we're pirates, so we don't have the time to spend the whole season just exchanging seasonal greetings."

 

Hyakumei shook his head with a plausible look on his face.

 

"If we were in a position to do business while connecting with various places, rather than just using a spaceship, and had an office somewhere, we should consider that kind of business."

 

"Marx Information Systems is an information consulting company that has been in business since before our time. It's not a dummy company at all. It's an economic consulting company that still provides financial advice and asset management to famous people in the core star systems."

 

"Are you okay?"

 

Hyakumei looked back and forth between the old, worn-out sign and Shou's face, with an even more suspicious look on his face.

 

"What if they use such a famous name to attack us in the event of some unexpected incident?"

 

"It's a sad world we live in, where insurance associations have to worry about pirates with privateer licenses."

 

Show said with a grin on his face.

 

"Do you think we'd give you an office or even lend you the name of a shell company without that kind of risk management? Don't worry, even if Rakion's confidentiality system is tighter than we'd like, or if your work is slower than we'd like, we're fully prepared for that."

 

Show pointed his thumb over his shoulder at the elevator hall behind him, which was set up for each block.

 

"The Marx Information Systems nameplate is already up at the entrance to our section, though it's not very conspicuous. We paid the maintenance fee to keep the line in working order, and we've already made a forecast for the work we'll be doing this quarter."

 

"Oh dear."

 

Hyakume let out a low voice at the insurance association agent who had already created such data for a dummy company that had only been created yesterday.

 

"The biggest problem is where in the world did they bring in staff with such a track record and history."

 

Show opened the closed wooden carved door wide.

 

"We've made it consistent by saying that the Bentenmaru and Barbaroosa are seconded from their own dummy companies and transport ships with different names."

 

Not just the Bentenmaru, but all pirate ships that have been privateering licenses and have been engaged in piracy for over a century have different names on their ship registry and trading companies that only exist on paper. Even if they have a privateering license, there are restrictions and obstacles to their actions when operating under the name of a pirate ship, and it is not uncommon for them to have to hide their identity when working.

 

"Marx Information Systems, right?"

 

Once again, Hyakume looked around the sign above the entrance and the hastily put together information consulting company that had taken over an entire floor. There was no way that the personal portable computers and electronic files brought by the crew of the Bentenmaru and Barbaroosa would be enough. In addition, the floor was lined with large electronic devices borrowed from a rental company, making it look more like a field electronic warfare headquarters than an information consulting company.

 

As it was the old town of Port Seruna, a huge military base, there was an abundant supply of electricity and information lines. Not only was there a large system that efficiently processed the collected information, but there was also an electronic warfare system that could infiltrate a network that was more dense than a mesh to sniff out the information they were looking for, and the way it was connected with thick wires with production as the priority made it clear that this was not a newly opened information consultancy. Moreover, the staff that had been gathered from Bentenmaru and Barbaroosa were a jumble of casual clothes and work clothes, with no sense of unity anywhere.

 

"This is a typical electronics boarding house."

 

"Hyakume!"

 

The spare and rented electronic devices brought from Bentenmaru were not enough, so Coorie, who was slumped in his usual jersey and hanten coat, called out in his workspace, which had been set up with various equipment borrowed from Harold Lloyd's office, which was in operation because the spare and rented electronic devices brought from Bentenmaru were not enough.

 

"I'll be drilling the hole soon, so if you're free, please help me out!!"

 

"Okay, I'll be in position right away!"

 

Muenmei simply replied and turned to Show.

 

"Well, we'll be preparing to open for a while, so if any curious people come to check it out, tell them to shut them out for a while."

 

"Understood."

 

Show raised one hand.

 

"Don't worry, in the name of the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association, we will provide you with a perfect work environment."

 

"Even if you try to run away, that's not going to work."

 

Grabbed Shou's raised arm and pulled him into a floor that looked like a field headquarters.

 

"We may be used to electronic warfare in space, but we're not experts in internet warfare in closed blocks. I'm sorry for making all this arrangement for you, but we're in the same boat, so we're going to need your help with a lot of things."

 

"I sent one of our operators to help out!"

 

Show spoke up as he was pulled by Muenmei.

 

"Because of this, our sales office is complaining that its strength has been halved, but I'm also in charge of practical matters at the head office, and network warfare is not my specialty!"

 

"Okay, okay, it's enough if you help me as much as you know. First, tell me the secret trick to get around this network without leaving a trace. I tried it out and all of the standard 12 types and the mutant 18 types of dummy patterns have been countered. A snake's way is a snake's way, so you must have a way to avoid it, right?"

 

"So, what did you guys actually start doing?"

 

The fourth day of the interrogation. Captain Peter Hogues looked at Marika's face intently in the captain's room.

 

"Yes?"

 

Marika tilted her head cutely with her sales smile on her face.

 

"Because of my job, I can hear about the situation in the city from both military and civilian sources."

 

With a frown, the captain looked back and forth between the display of the information terminal in his hand and Marika's face.

 

"Most of the crew of the Bentenmaru, who landed in large numbers at Port Cerna yesterday, have not returned here. The newly established company Marx Information Systems is still in preparation at the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association, but tensions have suddenly risen on the civilian network centered on the old town and the south port."

 

"Tensions on the civilian network?"

 

Thinking with all her limited knowledge, Marika tilted her head even further.

 

"Do military police monitor such places?"

 

"You can't run a business like this if you don't know what your business partners are doing right under your feet."

 

Captain Hogarth spread his arms wide in annoyance.

 

"Even so, it must be a lot of work to monitor a civilian network as well."

 

"This is a military port, after all," the captain said nonchalantly.

 

"The military provides the infrastructure, from space to air, energy to information lines. Even though it's a civilian network, it's under our control, so if there's any strange activity, a report is automatically sent in."

 

The captain looked around the captain's cabin, which had been vacated by the crew members from the previous day.

 

"Basically, the military has no involvement in private activities, and the official policy is to stand by and watch whether companies are engaged in intelligence warfare or stock manipulation as long as it doesn't cause damage to others, but that's why they have to know a lot about things in order to be able to watch from a higher position."

 

"That's what you'd expect from the military police, who are in charge of security at a large port."

 

"Even though they're private companies, they're in the military industry, so sometimes they engage in nasty information warfare that even the military intelligence department turns a blind eye to in order to gather information from each other, and sometimes the Port Cerna network can become like an electronic warfare situation."

 

The captain, frowning, turned his gaze back to Marika.

 

"As I said before, our basic policy is to turn a blind eye to what the companies that come to us do as long as it doesn't cause any other damage, but to do that, we need to understand who is doing what and where they are. Of course, we've received an application from Harold Lloyd Insurance, which has had a long-standing relationship with you, to build a branch office for Marx Information Systems in the block it owns, but the commotion in the network has started to spread as soon as this person started setting it up."

 

The captain glanced back and forth between the information terminal in his hand and Marika's face.

 

"If you know, could you tell me? Your crew has landed and set up shop in the old town, what exactly are they planning to do?"

 

"I don't know?"

 

Marika looked straight at him, still wearing her commercial smile, and played dumb.

 

"I'm sorry, Captain, but as I've told you so far, I think you understand that I have the least experience as a pirate captain in history, and I don't have the trust of my crew."

 

"You're joking."

 

The Captain doesn't even laugh.

 

"No matter what else you have, you can't be captain without the trust of your crew."

 

"Of course, I'm sure you're aware of our situation, but the reason I became captain of the Bentenmaru is because there is a clause in the inheritance terms of the privateer license that says that only the captain's child can inherit the captain's qualifications."

 

Whether they see through me or not, once I'm on stage I have to play my role to the end. Feeling the illusion that the audience can read the back of the script, Marika forced a calm face and continued.

 

"A pirate captain with less experience than any of the other crew members wouldn't be able to do it unless there was a special clause like that."

 

"At the very least, you're going to admit that your crew is doing something when they land?"

 

Marika nodded with a smile at Hogarth' words.

 

"My crew members are excellent, so of course they won't just sit around and do whatever they have to do. I believe they're doing something to help the Bentenmaru."

 

"That's a lot of trust in them."

 

"That's part of their job."

 

Marika nodded.

 

"Another thing, I believe that being helpful to the Bentenmaru will also benefit the Imperial Fleet."

 

Marika continued, staring at the Captain.

 

"I'm relieved to hear that the fleet will turn a blind eye to civilian activities. That means they'll come out if something unbearable happens, right?"

 

"That's not for me to decide, nor is it for the military police to decide."

 

The Captain didn't take his eyes off Marika.

 

"But, even though the captain is being interrogated every day, the spaceship remains calm, the crew goes out to work without a care, and you're still able to continue as captain, Captain Marika, that means the crew trusts you enough."

 

"That's right."

 

Marika replied with a sigh.

 

"I hope so."

 

Returning to her sales smile, Marika added.

 

"I hope my crew only does what they need to do and doesn't cause too much trouble for other people."

 

"Can pirates really mess up a previously empty floor to this extent in just 24 hours?"

 

Port Seruna operates according to Galactic Standard Time, and Show, who was finally released just before midnight and took refuge in a temporary business hotel, returned to the front lines long after work started the next day.

 

The day before, the spacious floor of Marx Information Systems was littered with rented and brought-in electronic devices, and spaghetti-wired wiring tangled in the octopus-like wiring. Overnight, a camp-like snack corner was set up in one corner, where drinks and snacks could be served by the self-service staff.

 

A large number of electronic devices, not only from Bentenmaru but also from the Barbaroosa before it was sold, were brought in, connected, and started to operate. 2D and 3D displays were mixed together, and between the various electronic devices installed without even ensuring the minimum traffic flow and the operators in charge of installing them, personal belongings and luggage were piled up as if they were junk or garbage, and the floor, which had still seemed spacious yesterday, had become narrower than it could be.

 

"We're in the middle of a battle, after all."

 

The rented displays and temporary control panels around the chair were not enough, so Coorie, who was working, lined up snacks to replenish his calories on a makeshift data card container, answered.

 

"In our company, as long as we get results, we don't really care about appearances or what people think along the way."

 

"If you care about other people's reputations, you're not cut out to be a pirate."

 

Captain Kenjo came out of a corner of the room, clad in work clothes, yawning loudly.

 

"If you want to work elegantly in space, you should find another job."

 

"Not only Bentenmaru, but Barbaroosa has the same policy, too?"

 

Show looked around the floor, where the 3D displays were actively changing and many people were walking around.

 

"That's good. If we get too tense about etiquette and manners, I'm worried about the future."

 

"In a business like ours, preparations at this stage are the most important."

 

Kenjo said as he poured coffee into a huge mug like a bucket.

 

"When you actually fight, the outcome is decided 90% of the time. Even the insurance industry has already decided its profit when it signs a contract, right?"

 

"Do you think you can win?"

 

Show asked directly. Kenjo gulped down a huge mug of hot coffee and raised the empty cup as if toasting.

 

"Who are you talking to? Why would a pirate think about what will happen if they lose?"

 

"The insurance industry calculates losses first and then makes the numbers add up."

 

Show smiled back at Captain Blackbeard.

 

"If you calculate your losses while considering the worst case scenario, you can handle most situations with ease. Tell me, Captain Blackbeard, how do you plan to get Barbaroosa back?"

 

"Well, wait a moment."

 

Pouring more coffee into his mug, Kenjo started walking along the path that had been made between cables, junk parts, empty containers, and trash packs.

 

"Apparently, this project is proceeding with a lot of time, and it seems that the supply inspection of the Barbaroosa in the closed dock will take a while."

 

"Really?"

 

"That's a waste of time for a dilapidated ship like ours. Well, since it's a target ship, they might want to measure its performance accurately and use it to the fullest, and no matter how dilapidated it is, it's still a light battleship class, so it's going to take a lot of work to take care of it from start to finish."

 

"I see."

 

Show nodded with a knowing look as he followed Kenjo.

 

"Are you planning to wait until the complete maintenance of the Barbaroosa is finished before you snatch it?"

 

"Well, that's basically what I was planning, but when I was checking the automatic maintenance menu of the Barbaroosa, I found a major problem."

 

Kenjo headed to a conversation space in a corner of the floor, where there was a table and empty cases and containers lined up as chairs.

 

"What?"

 

"They're planning to operate the Barbaroosa unmanned. We knew that when they changed its name to the bland, unremarkable ship number QD0443. Of course, to operate it unmanned, you need to set up some mechanisms here and there, but it's not a problem if you plan to board it occasionally and tweak it, or just throw it away."

 

"You're not worried about them modifying the inside of the Barbaroosa?"

 

"They just don't want to spend that much money. The problem is that the Barbaroosa will be operated unmanned."

 

"Yeah."

 

Show flipped a random container over on the opposite side of the table where Kenjo was sitting and sat down. Kenjo put a huge mug on the table and looked up with a serious look on his face.

 

"If a spaceship is going to operate unmanned, there's no need to check the life support systems. It's obvious. If there's no need to carry any living, breathing, delicate lifeforms, there's no need to check the spaceship for airtightness. If the parts of the equipment that require pressurization are properly treated, the spaceship can function without any problems even if it flies with the windows open. In fact, if there's no need to carry extra air, the weight of the spaceship will be significantly lighter."

 

Pressurized air at one atmosphere weighs 1.2 kilograms per cubic meter.

 

"It's not just air."

 

Show realized what Kenjo was trying to say.

 

"If we don't have to carry the crew and their personal belongings, food, and water, we can expect a significant weight reduction. If it was originally a light battleship, the weight reduction wouldn't be that great, but for a combat ship, it's a significant weight."

 

"In addition, if we're not careful, we can completely omit the maintenance of the life support system, which is more time-consuming than the electronics and weapons. This is great for those who operate it as an unmanned ship, but it's a big problem for us, who are planning to have it scooped up."

 

"I see."

 

Show nodded. Spaceship operation is not my specialty, but even as an outsider, I can think of a mountain of problems that arise just thinking about it.

 

"So, what are you planning to do?"

 

"The maintenance list for the Barbaroosa that we know at this point doesn't include an inspection of the life support system, and there are no plans to replenish air or water. Of course, there's no need to load food onto a spaceship that's going to fly without any people on board, and there are no plans to do so. In other words, even if we manage to get the Barbaroosa back into our hands, we'll have to take care of all of that ourselves."

 

Show gave his brief opinion.

 

"That's a big job."

 

"Now, let's discuss it."

 

Kenjo leaned forward around the table.

 

"We've been taking care of the Barbaroosa's life support systems, so unless you remove them or intentionally destroy them during the maintenance, there won't be any problems if you leave it alone. However, we need to provide the minimum amount of air, water, and food."

 

"Even if it's a light-class battleship, we're trying to move it, so that's going to take a lot of effort."

 

"Unfortunately, the Barbaroosa is currently out of commission, so we can't move openly. That's why I have a request. I want you to arrange for a supply ship."

 

"Okay."

 

Show raised both hands to Kenjo.

 

"Please send us the necessary supplies and schedule as soon as possible. We'll do something about it."

 

Kenjo looked at Sho's face again.

 

"You're talking way too quickly."

 

"Of course."

 

Show waved at Kenjo.

 

"If you need to send a supply ship to Barbaroosa, and the supplies you need are water, air, and food, then it's not that difficult, even if you have to do it in secret. Even a cat at the harbor can tell that stealing a space battleship that isn't even in your name while it's under inspection in a closed dock is much more difficult. If you're bringing that up here, that means you've got a good idea of ​​what to do, right?"

 

Kenjo grinned and looked at the floor.

 

"Well, I'm working on making sure that happens."

 

Looking around the fire-like floor, Kenjo turned back to Show.

 

"The truth is, we're still in the process of deciding when and how to get Barbaroosa back. We've already decided what to do after we get it back, so we're just making arrangements while we know what we need."

 

"I see."

 

Show looked around the floor, which had become as messy as an old market in just one day, with satisfaction.

 

"So the preparations for the battle are going smoothly. That's good. If things are going well here, then we can concentrate on our main business with peace of mind."

 

"Show!"

 

Coorie called out, still holding a candy bar in his mouth.

 

"Once you're done with your talk, I'd like to ask you a question."

 

Show raised his long, slender hand as he heard the voice. Kenjo took a sip of his second cup of coffee.

 

"I'll give you the list of supplies. The detailed schedule of the operation hasn't been decided yet, so I can't specify the exact supply points or dates, but I'm sure they'll be resupplied when we jump from here."

 

"It looks like we should charter a supply ship well in advance."

 

Show stood up from the table.

 

"We just need supplies to last a short mission. It would be worse to have the chartered spaceship find out our intentions than to gather supplies. We'll need to set up a supply ship somewhere as inconspicuous as possible, so please confirm not only the list but also the schedule as soon as possible."

 

"We'll do our best."

 

Raising a hand to Captain Kenjo, Show headed to Coorie's workspace.

 

"So, what is the request we have?"

 

Show called out to Coorie, who was stuck in the middle of the 3D and flat displays that were not enough, and had various keyboards and control panels lined up.

 

"Yeah, it seems like that's faster no matter what you do, so please."

 

Coorie said without looking up, chewing and tapping on the keyboard with both hands.

 

"Can you open up access to the insurance network?"

 

"What?"

 

Show asked again without thinking. Coorie sent out a long command and turned back to Show without checking the results.

 

"It's an insurance network that the insurance industry uses to inquire about insurance for spaceships flying through the galaxy. There's no way that old-timers like Harold Lloyd Insurance Association aren't connected to it."

 

All spaceships flying within the Galactic Empire are required to be insured in case of emergency such as accidents and disasters. No matter how much technology advances and spaceship navigation becomes safer, unexpected accidents and disasters are bound to happen.

 

Spaceships have a long lifespan. It is rare for a spaceship to retire without having an accident or trouble during the long period it is registered. And when trouble occurs, expenses arise.

 

Spaceship insurance is operated based on the old-fashioned idea of ​​spreading out risk and managing it.

 

The only spaceships flying without insurance are warships belonging to empires or independent governments, and the expenses of emergencies that occur on these are guaranteed by administrative agencies.

 

All spaceships flying in the galaxy are insured with various types, periods, and amounts of insurance. There are as many insurance companies as there are stars in the sky. The proportion of single-unit accidents among emergencies in space is decreasing year by year, and the majority of events handled by insurance companies involve multiple spaceships in a linked network.

 

To make operations smoother, insurance companies have built a galaxy-wide network to access the insurance data of all spaceships at once. Construction of interstellar information networks began at the same time that FTL communication became practical, but the network created by insurance companies for the purpose of exchanging information is said to be the oldest and largest.

 

"An insurance network is not something that can be easily opened up to outsiders."

 

Show spoke the mantra with a twist of his tongue.

 

"Well, right now, we are in a position where we are willing to give you our full cooperation, but even so, opening up an insurance network is a whole other level of work. What in the world made you think of that?"

 

"If you want to investigate a spaceship flying through this galaxy right now, using an insurance network is the most reliable and fastest way."

 

Coorie swallowed the candy that was left in his mouth and began to speak.

 

"Unless the other party is a warship operated by an independent government, all spaceships flying in the galaxy are insured. Even new ships undergoing test flights before delivery are insured for a short period of time as long as they fly on their route. Navigation laws require it. The only exceptions are aircraft that conduct tests and practice without ever leaving their own experimental airspace, but that's not relevant here. The only spaceships we want to deal with are those that need to fly with insurance."

 

Coorie switched the display to face Shaw, who was standing on the other side of the 3D display. A 3D image of the surrounding airspace, centered on Port Seruna, was projected, with a large number of small bright spots superimposed on it.

 

"These are the spaceships around Port Seruna. We've checked the official data from the control tower with Bentenmaru, so we have a high level of reliability."

 

"Really?"

 

Show looked at Coorie's face and at the three-dimensional diagram of all the spaceships anchored in the anchorage airspace around Port Seruna and all the spaceships arriving and departing from there. There were so many spaceships that the bright spots looked like powder.

 

"We can find all sorts of suspicious spaceships just by comparing the official data with the observation data from Bentenmaru, but we can't fire off a high-power radar in the anchorage airspace of the base, so the data we can get is limited. We've done a superficial check of most of the spaceships inside the station over the past few days, but there are so many of them that we don't have any conclusive evidence."

 

"You think we can turn the situation around by putting them in an insurance net?"

 

Coorie nodded vigorously.

 

"Unfortunately, the control data only contains the contracted insurance company, but if we can look into the contents, we'll be fine. After all, insurance is the only thing that is recorded so strictly that if you lie, not only will it be useless in an emergency, but you might even be charged with fraud. You can lie about the type of spaceship you insure, but you can't lie about the size or operation period. If you just show me the insurance net, I can immediately check whether the spaceship currently in this area was flying when we received the transport ship's distress signal or not."

 

"The data on the insurance net doesn't record the actions of the spaceship."

 

Show grumbled.

 

"There's no way it records where you were or what you were doing."

 

"That's enough."

 

Coorie switched the 3D display list.

 

"It will be much easier to narrow down the search if we can just pick out the ships that were insured by companies affiliated with Rakion when we conducted rescue operations around the time the Karyobinga went missing. Then, all we have to do is select and check only the ships equipped for electronic warfare and fleet battles."

 

"The insurance network is not something that should be shown to outsiders."

 

In a rare low voice, Show repeated the insurance association's official stance.

 

"Insurance companies have a duty of confidentiality regarding their policyholders, and cannot disclose the details to anyone other than the parties involved."

 

"Well, it seems that's how it is to protect policyholders."

 

Of course, Coorie was aware of the situation and quickly switched the display.

 

"Of course, I'm not saying it's free. I don't know about the insurance industry, but in our industry, give and take is the most basic of basics, so if you ask to see the insurance website, I'll have something to show you."

 

"This is..."

 

The 3D catalog was replaced with new titles one after another. Shou's face changed color as he saw the list, which seemed to cover most of the major companies with offices in Port Cerna.

 

"These are the results of Marx Information Systems' efforts yesterday and today."

 

Turning to the side, Coorie hunched his back and began typing on the keyboard.

 

"Here is a set of instructions with an analyzed map of the internal network structure and main database of the company and its security system."

 

"How did you get something like this..."

 

"Oh, isn't this what you borrowed for?"

 

Reaching out for a snack, Coorie popped a chip into his mouth.

 

"When fighting a war, checking the enemy's situation, formation, strength, and supplies is the most basic thing you can do. It's okay, if you just look at the data that's there, it will take some effort, but it will come out if you look into it, and it's rare to find it all in one place, but it's not illegal or anything. However, if you have this kind of advance information, it will be much easier to steal information from the target office."

 

"Do you know how much this is worth?"

 

"It's hot stuff."

 

Coorie's glasses, which were around his neck, emitted an eerie light.

 

"Information is worth more to insurance companies than live ammunition is to the military or pirates. If you open the insurance net, I'm willing to share the data I just showed you with you."

 

"I'm sorry, but I can't promise you that I'll open the insurance net, even verbally."

 

Sighing, Show looked up at Coorie.

 

"So, well, we'll have to think of some way to meet your wishes."

 

"Okay, okay, I'll leave the style up to you. The sooner the happier I'll be."

 

"Please be gentle."

 

Speaking from the heart, Show took out an information terminal from the pocket of his flashy jacket.

 

"Can I ask you something?"

 

"As long as it's not a trade secret, then yes, please."

 

"Why did you go to the trouble of asking me to open up the insurance network? If you can find this much information so easily, it should be easy to get into the insurance network by infiltrating our network or cracking other insurance companies."

 

"Yes, you can."

 

This time, turning his back to Shaw, Coorie began typing quickly on the keyboard.

 

"There are two reasons why I asked Show to open up the insurance network. One is that I have no intention of making the insurance industry, including the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association, my enemy."

 

"What's the other?"

 

"The data I'm giving you in exchange didn't come out overnight. It takes a lot of preparation, effort, and time to enter the insurance network. It's faster to ask for help no matter what."

 

Show raised his hands in frustration.

 

"That's right. I take my hat off to you for your accurate judgment."

 

"I'll give you a bonus as a thank you for your quick judgment."

 

With his back turned, Coorie switched the display in front of Show. Show let out a strange groan.

 

"How in the world do you get something like this..."

 

"Oh, I'm impressed that you can tell what this is at a glance."

 

Coorie said as he typed quickly on the keyboard.

 

"Yes, it's a structural diagram of the military network that manages the physical network of this port from above."

 

"...Can you dive?"

 

"Yes, right now."

 

Coorie answered simply.

 

"As expected, the Imperial Fleet's military network is on a war footing, with meticulous security, identity verification done every second, and ID keys changed every minute. Even a peek would send the intelligence police flying, so if you boarded without a guide, you'd be caught in an instant."

 

Show looked over the schematic diagram of the military network, which seemed to have every conceivable security system in place. Coorie continued.

 

"Right now, we have people here who can guide us, so it's fine. You can easily view the operation schedule for the next month or so."

 

"Stop it."

 

Show took his eyes off the 3D display.

 

"Our policy is to continue working smoothly without causing any trouble. We have no interest in making a quick buck or fraudulent business interference."

 

"Yes, yes, if you need anything, please let us know anytime. We can probably only do something about it while we're here."

 

"Marcus Information Systems' business seems to be going well, doesn't it?"

 

Marika couldn't help but ask back when Captain Hogarth told her.

 

"Is that so?"

 

"Hasn't the captain received a report on the work the crew is doing ashore?"

 

The captain's suspicious gaze shot Marika.

 

"Well, if he asks something carelessly, he might say something unnecessary."

 

Marika answered the captain with a smile.

 

"That's the kind of thing my crew trusts me for."

 

Marika asked the captain again with a straight face.

 

"Are our crew doing well at the port?"

 

"Well,"

 

The captain switched the 3D display on the information terminal in his left hand in detail.

 

"At least for the past two days, there hasn't been any crazy fluctuations in the tension of the information network like there was at the beginning, and it doesn't seem like there's any active information war going on. The fact that the network in the old town is calm means that the newcomers have successfully found a place to stay."

 

"I hope so."

 

Marika gave an ambiguous smile.

 

"There they are."

 

Coorie put up a list on the 3D display.

 

"Some are on short voyages nearby, but their flight plans call for them to return soon, so if we're right and the enemy is an experimental ship, I think they're just on a test voyage nearby to make adjustments."

 

"That's impressive."

 

Nora looked at the list of ship names, registration codes, and affiliations lined up on the 3D display.

 

"There's still a lot to come."

 

Coorie looked up at Nora.

 

"There are seven ships in the port, and more than thirty outside. From now on, we need to check the listed ships one by one."

 

"That's a necessary step."

 

Nora said as if it was obvious.

 

"Is there a problem?"

 

"The enemy is specialized in electronic warfare and should be equipped with at least the guns of a mobile cruiser."

 

Nora rearranged the list of spaceships she had picked up by type.

 

"But unfortunately, there are only two cruiser-class spaceships on the list. I think these two are probably not enemies we should target this time."

 

"The rest are just freighters."

 

Nora checked the types of spaceships that made up the majority of the list. Cargo transports are the most common type of spaceship in the galaxy.

 

"There are also some survey ships, but if you register them as cargo ships, you can cover most types of ships."

 

One of the reasons why there are so many privately registered cargo spaceships is that this type has the most relaxed restrictions when registering them.

 

Even civilian spaceships are allowed to carry weapons for self-defense. There's not much to worry about if you're only traveling within Imperial territory, but pirates are not uncommon on the borders outside the Empire, and there are many thugs who call themselves independent star systems and start pirate-like feuds. Large-caliber cannons that can sink an enemy ship in one hit are bulky and require a fire control system, so they're not very practical, but every ship is equipped with missiles to buy an opportunity to escape after a hit. Also, electronic warfare weapons that are not weapons for direct combat are not as bulky as ship-mounted weapons.

 

"By inspecting, I mean going to look at each of the spaceships on the list and actually checking their exteriors."

 

"Each one?"

 

Nora repeated without changing her expression. Coorie nodded.

 

"All the spaceships?"

 

Coorie nodded.

 

"Us?"

 

Coorie nodded.

 

"There are almost no opportunities to optically observe other spacecraft during flight. The only times you can actually see other spacecraft flying with your own eyes are when they are flying in formation very close to each other or when they are in port."

 

Outer space is infinitely vast, and spacecraft travel at high speeds. Even if you are flying in the same direction on the same lane and can see many transponders around you, you will rarely get close enough to see other spacecraft with the naked eye.

 

"Fortunately, all of the spacecraft we are looking for are anchored at Port Seruna, and some are in port and moored at the pier. So we can actually see the shape of the ship with our own eyes and collect as much data as we can by pointing our sensors at it."

 

If it is a mass-produced spacecraft, the manufacturer will publish the structural diagram. There are no restrictions on collecting data by simply pointing a passive sensor. However, even if you point a sensor at a spacecraft that is parked, a normal sensor should only be able to see the main engine operating at minimum power.

 

"The enemy's spaceships are probably disguised to look like their registered type. Therefore, we need to see which ships are real cargo ships and which are disguised combat ships."

 

"Can you tell?"

 

Nora asked testingly.

 

"If you don't, we'll just get hurt."

 

Coorie answered simply.

 

"Fortunately, we have a record of direct combat, even if it was only once. If you say that the setting of the Derrflinger class is a lie, we can assume the enemy's true identity."

 

"If they're disguised from the outside, I don't think it's easy to tell."

 

"I think they're disguised from the outside."

 

Coorie nodded.

 

"But if that's the case, there's a way to tell. If the enemy is actually a company, they wouldn't use such cost-inefficient camouflage to secure profits. Specifically, camouflage equipment would only get in the way of combat maneuvers, so they'd keep it to a minimum, and a civilian ship would be well-equipped with radar and sensors."

 

"Well, I guess they have no choice."

 

Nora sighed, guessing how much work that would entail.

 

"I understand. Is our person in charge inside?"

 

"That was quick."

 

Coorie smiled.

 

"Yes, the Bentenmaru can use the shuttle, so we'll check the spaceships in the anchorage airspace. Can you check the spaceships inside?"

 

"Where are the spaceships that need to be checked?"

 

"Of course, we'll send you all the data we've got."

 

Coorie switched the list on the 3D display.

 

"The one that's in the shipbuilding dock at Roubaix Mass for inspection, but has a departure date right away, the docks rented to companies, and the spaceships in closed ports."

 

"Aside from the ones in ports, the rest are well guarded."

 

Nora thrust one hand into the 3D display, pointed to a location on the list, and switched the display to a 3D map of Port Seruna.

 

"Yes, the security measures that a military company should take in a port with many other companies in the same business are in place."

 

Coorie showed the security patterns that had been identified so far on the several flashing points in the industrial zone of private companies in Port Seruna and in the port.

 

"Of course, we can currently get images from the security cameras of the security companies and companies that manage each location by going into their networks. The data obtained in this way is also used to make this decision, but image data can easily be processed or fabricated, and if we want to get the latest, reliable data, it will make our subsequent work more difficult."

 

"At this stage, we can't have Marx Information System do anything more flashy."

 

After checking several points, Nora turned to Coorie.

 

"I understand. Our marines have been idle since the handover of Barbaroosa anyway, so let's put them to work a little."

 

"If necessary, I'll send some of our forces, starting with Schnitzer."

 

Coorie said.

 

"I don't think there's any need to confirm this with the first-in-command, but we've been following the rules up until now. From this point on, asking the marines to retrieve data on spaceships at the docks and harbors would be breaking the rules."

 

"In that case, it's better if we do this on our own."

 

Seeing Coorie's face, Nora returned her eyes to the 3D display of Port Seruna.

 

"It's too bad to hear that the marines of a pirate ship under investigation are conducting intelligence activities in a closed dock of a company. In the worst case scenario, it would be easier to say that the marines of a pirate ship that went out of business went out of control to show off their strength, or that they were contracted by a competitor to gather information."

 

"... My apologies."

 

Pushing up his glasses, Coorie bowed to Nora while still in his seat.

 

"You can thank me when you actually need it."

 

Waving her hand, Nora left Coorie's seat.

 

"I hope you don't have to say that."

 

"You're perfect, Captain Kaien."

 

Nora raised one hand in response to the voice that was calling out to her back.

 

"I hope so."

 

"So what have you started doing next?"

 

Captain Hogarth, who was about to commute to the Bentenmaru at the usual time, started as soon as he sat down facing Marika in the captain's room.

 

"What is it?"

 

With a sales smile still on her face, Marika asked again.

 

"Are our crew members working at the port causing you any trouble?"

 

"No, I haven't received any notable reports regarding the activities of Marx Information Systems. They're supposed to have opened as an information consultant, but they don't do any sales, they're registered but don't advertise, and even though they have a nameplate on the lot where they're located, it takes a lot of effort to find the contact information of the representative. From what I can see, it doesn't seem like a legitimate information company."

 

"Because that's what our crew members do."

 

Marika nodded with a smile at the words that would be a scathing sarcastic remark from the military police to the captain of a civilian ship.

 

"If they're causing you any trouble, I'll tell you."

 

Hogarth looked up at Marika with an annoyed look on his face. Marika nodded again, still smiling, as if to say, "Please tell me anything."

 

"No, Marx Information Systems isn't making any strange attacks on the military network, and it doesn't seem like they're having any trouble with other companies on the private network, and even if there is some trouble, as long as it's just between the companies, it's not a matter for the military police (us) to get involved, so it doesn't really matter."

 

Hogarth shook his head in annoyance at Marika, who looked like she was putting on a smile, and switched the screen on the information terminal in his hand.

 

"Are you aware that a shuttle and two aircraft belonging to Bentenmaru have been coming and going since yesterday?"

 

"Yes, I've received a report."

 

Just to be sure, Marika turned on the 3D display on the table and called up the flight plans for the communication boat and the two aircraft.

 

"Information gathering and familiarization training."

 

Marika answered exactly as she had received the report during the meeting.

 

"Any information is useful for a small, self-sustaining company like us to continue working, so we check what kind of spaceships are in port, and since pilots' skills will weaken if they have to stay there all the time, we go out into the surrounding airspace for familiarization training."

 

"Information gathering, you say?"

 

The captain repeated Marika's words. Marika nodded.

 

"Maybe they've given up on their current job, which has a shaky future, and are looking for a new job."

 

The captain shook his head boredly.

 

"A crew member like that wouldn't go along with a pirate ship to turn themselves in to the Imperial fleet. If you're looking for a job, this isn't a good selling point."

 

"Well, I guess it's training to maintain skills."

 

Marika checked the flight plans of the two aircraft. The number of sorties has increased from the report she heard at the meeting this morning.

 

"If it's allowed, we'd like to use the nearby training airspace for the Bentenmaru to train, but it's difficult to do that while under investigation, isn't it?"

 

"Even if they turned themselves in, there's no way they'd give permission for a wanted pirate to train with live ammunition while under investigation."

 

Hogarth gave a wry smile.

 

"They're already criticizing us for not restricting the crew's actions, so what would they say if we gave them permission to operate a pirate ship?"

 

"What are they criticizing?"

 

Marika asked enthusiastically.

 

"Isn't it the case that the Bentenmaru, which was supposed to be made into a pirate, was caught and now it's just being interrogated, and someone somewhere is putting strange pressure on us because their expectations didn't work out?"

 

"That's not what I'm saying."

 

Captain Hogarth' bitter smile turned into a grin.

 

"Even if that were the case, we can't give that information to Captain Bentenmaru, who is the person being interrogated."

 

"I see."

 

Marika nodded in agreement, looking bored.

 

"I asked you to compare the battle records of the Maria Forte with our records, is there any progress?"

 

"I haven't received any additional reports."

 

Hogarth answered in a formulaic way.

 

"We are currently requesting an investigation into where and how our request is being processed, and whether it is being processed at all."

 

"How is it going?"

 

"Of course I can't answer that."

 

Hogarth answered the same way as before.

 

"Is there any progress or not?"

 

"Of course, I can't answer that."

 

Hogus answered in the same way. Marika listened carefully.

 

"Have you heard anything about the future of the Bentenmaru?"

 

Hogus only nodded slightly.

 

"I haven't heard anything. I've heard almost everything I needed to hear so far, and I've compiled it into a report, but so far there has been no positive response."

 

"Ah..."

 

As if waiting for the conversation to die down, a call rang in the captain's room. Marika thought that the bridge communications officer would answer, but then she remembered. Sandaime was adjusting the main engine in the engine room, Kane was flying around the anchorage airspace as the helmsman of the communication boat, Hyakume and Coorie were on loan to Marx Information Systems, Schnitzer was also called in to help, and Misa was away from the spaceship to buy groceries, so the bridge was empty right now.

 

"Sorry."

 

Looking at the desk, Marika turned back to the captain.

 

"The communications person is out right now, can I speak with you for a moment?"

 

"Please."

 

The captain raised one hand. There were currently no restrictions on the Bentenmaru's communications. Marika stood up from the sofa and reached for the communication panel on the desk, which was ringing, and as soon as it was received, she canceled the 3D display.

 

"Yes, yes, I'll answer now."

 

Seeing only the information that it was faster than light and Class II encrypted communication, Marika went around to the other side of the desk. She sat down in the captain's seat and checked the rest of the information on the communication panel.

 

"Gruier!?"

 

After blurting it out, Marika stole a peek at the captain on the sofa. The captain looked down at the 3D display on the information terminal, as if he wasn't listening.

 

Being careful not to read it out loud by mistake, Marika checked the rest of the information. Gruier had called Captain Kato Marika of the Bentenmaru via the Serenity Space Fleet HQ.

 

After taking another look at the profile of the military police captain sitting at the table across from her desk, Marika connected the line. The rainbow noise characteristic of FTL communication flowed on the flat display on the desk, and the crest of the Serenity Space Fleet appeared and stabilized.

 

Preparing herself, Marika answered the call. Gruier, wearing a dress with her hair tied up, appeared on the communication display.

 

"This is Gruier Serenity, from the Serenity Royal Palace, Blue's sister."

 

"This is Kato Marika from the Bentenmaru, docked at Port Seruna."

 

As she answered, Marika considered the possibility that Bentenmaru's FTL communication might be eavesdropped on. It would be immediately obvious that they were communicating at faster than light speed, but it would be difficult to identify the other party. Glancing at the captain, Marika added.

 

"Right now, I'm being interrogated by the Imperial Fleet in the captain's quarters of the Bentenmaru."

 

The handsome Gruier’s eyebrows frowned slightly.

 

"Is it okay if I speak to you? If you're busy, we can reschedule."

 

"Well, my business here isn't urgent, so it's okay. I'll have to keep Captain Peter Hogarth of the Military Police waiting, though."

 

The captain turned to look at her name, and Marika bowed slightly.

 

"The Bentenmaru is still in a difficult situation."

 

Gruier understated the current situation.

 

"I understand. I'll keep it short. Colonel Roberto Belmar of the Serenity Space Force has sent us an interesting report.”

 

Alongside the audio and video data for communication, the communications panel displayed the receipt of a compressed information container.

 

"The details are in there, but it's information about a new product that won't be officially announced to the market. It's a promotion of war design by a military company."

 

"A promotion of war design?"

 

Unable to understand what he meant, Marika repeated Gruier's words.

 

"It's still in the planning stage for a presentation by an advertising agency, but it seems that such a project is being planned across a wide range of private companies."

 

"Um, well..."

 

Marika opened the information container that had been sent in a separate package. The amount of data, including the video, wasn't that much, but it wasn't small enough to be skimmed over while talking. Returning her eyes to Gruier on the other side of the display, Marika boldly asked him.

 

"What is war design?"

 

"They design wars according to the customer's orders, and control the development of the war from the start to the end according to the customer's requests."

 

Marika couldn't help but look back at Gruier's face as he answered smoothly. Gruier continued his explanation with a straight face.

 

"The Galactic Empire is generally peaceful, but as you know, its reality is not an eternal peace that comes without effort or cost. When there are multiple opposing forces, it is not uncommon for each side to use force to fulfill their demands. However, as long as you belong to the Galactic Empire, a full-scale interstellar war is practically impossible."

 

"Isn't that right?"

 

Marika said, mobilizing all the knowledge she had learned about the political structure of the Galactic Empire in social studies.

 

"If you want to wage war inside the Galactic Empire, you can't wage war unless you're planning to turn the entire Imperial fleet against your enemy, right?"

 

"That's how it is on the surface, but there are plenty of loopholes and tricks, and guidebooks for illegal activities."

 

Gruier said, still staring at Marika.

 

"The design of war is one way of doing things without following the order and laws of the Galactic Empire. Well, for example, what would you do if you tried to control Sea of the Morningstar?'

 

'Eh?'

 

Marika blinked at a question she had never thought of before.

 

'Well, run for president? No, I'm not old enough to run for office yet.'

 

'This is an extreme example, but if you can wipe out all those who oppose your control of Sea of the Morningstar, then the rest is up to you.'

 

'Really?'

 

Marika tilted her head.

 

'Really? What do you mean?'

 

'Whether it's the current Sea of the Morningstar government or the principal of Hakuoh Girls Academy, it's clear that there are probably people who would not obey you if you tried to control Sea of the Morningstar. But if no one opposes your rule, you can rule Sea of the Morningstar.'

 

'That's why I'm not interested in doing something as difficult as ruling Sea of the Morningstar.'

 

'That's true. So what if the Serenity royal family wanted to rule the Seven Jewels like they did in the past?'

 

Since the Golden Ghost Ship returned to Serenity, the reconciliation of the United Kingdom has progressed rapidly. The authority of the Serenity royal family has been gradually reduced, and instead the authority of the parliament is being strengthened. In the parliament, royalists, restorationists, independence parties, and reformists are engaged in heated debates, but the threat of civil war and internal collapse is far away.

 

'Please take this as a hypothetical story. If the Serenity royal family wanted to rule the United Kingdom with force, they would just have to eliminate the opposing forces. If there is no one to speak out in opposition or to express their position by force, there will be no one to impede the rule of the Star Royal Family.'

 

'But...'

 

'Of course, it is not easy to eliminate the hostile forces in the current Serenity. But what if an unfortunate accident or disaster strikes the hostile forces? Or what if the hostile forces' inhumane plots are exposed in the light of day, or if illegal hostile acts are committed?'

 

'...You're saying we should make it up!?'

 

Seeing Gruier’s social smile, Marika finally realized what he was trying to say. Gruier nodded slowly.

 

'For example, it might be easier if we made one of the opposing interstellar governments our customer. We could create a situation that could lead to an interstellar war in which the other side is completely at fault, and then have the other side destroy themselves through their own mistakes. If you plan a war that you know will be won unilaterally, arrange the details, and sell the execution, how many leaders can firmly refuse?'

 

'That's the design of war...'

 

Marika swallowed hard.

 

'Are you trying to sell something like that as a product?'

 

'Of course, it's not something that can be sold openly.'

 

With a smile on his face, Gruier said.

 

'You can't sell it unless you choose customers in specific situations and design the war to suit the situation. But there will be as many customers as there are troubles, and the deeper the problem is and the larger the scale, the greater the profit you can expect.'

 

'But how much would you have to pay to design a war?'

 

'War is designed and sold by corporations, mainly in the military industry.'

 

With a smile plastered on his lips, Gruier said. Marika was the only one visible on her communications monitor, but Marika noticed that Gruier was speaking with the other audience member in the captain's cabin in mind.

 

"If there is a war, we can sell a lot of spaceships and weapons for it. Of course, the cost of designing a war, from the timing of the outbreak to planning the operation, is not small, but the Intelligence Department believes that the explosive increase in demand for products caused by a war is probably what the corporations are aiming for."

 

Gruier stared at Marika.

 

"The most frightening thing about war design is that it proposes war as a service to customers. Of course, the cost of war itself would be enormous, but it would be a necessary cost for the star system government, and all expenditures would be justified."

 

"Services..."

 

Not really understanding, Marika looked at Gruier again.

 

"So, companies will sell and prepare how to start a war and the stage for it?"

 

"For companies, who believe that profit is the only right thing to do, designing a war is just a trivial investment for huge profits."

 

Gruier didn't take her eyes off Marika.

 

"And war is the largest economic activity in the universe. Its purpose is destruction and loss, and if you ignore the fact that it produces nothing, war brings huge profits to companies."

 

"But..."

 

"Of course, it's not a commercial activity that can be openly advertised. Designing and controlling war is in direct opposition to the Galactic Empire's ideals, so the corporations involved maintain the utmost secrecy. No matter what stage they are accused of war crimes, for example, at this stage, it will be just a thought experiment, and even if they do start a war, they will be cleverly hidden in the background and will never come out.'

 

'So they are aware that they are an evil secret society and are trying to be the masterminds.'

 

Looking at the captain, who was on the sofa poking around with his information terminal with no interest, Marika muttered.

 

'That is a very troublesome opponent. But is it that easy to design and start a war?'

 

'What would you do, Marika?'

 

Gruier said in a provocative tone.

 

'If you wanted to start a war and you wanted to make the enemy take full responsibility for starting the war, what would you do?'

 

'What would you do, well...'

 

Marika looked up in surprise, thinking about the meaning of Gruier’s question.

 

"How about we make up an enemy fleet and have it attack defenseless civilian ships?"

 

"Simple and easy, but it's an effective way to portray an enemy as the bad guy."

 

Gruier’s sociable face turned into a familiar smile.

 

"Finally, you see it."

 

Marika blinked and spoke.

 

"Wait a second, why would people who want to make up random battle data to start a war for their own convenience choose pirates as their opponents? They're just gathering data from pirates because regular armies would be problematic."

 

"That's what I thought of at first, too."

 

Gruier’s professional smile returned.

 

"But if we just want to give our operational forces real combat experience, we can just use the company fleet under our command. We can do computer simulations as many times as we want, and if we're training with actual space battleships, we can start a battle in any situation."

 

The smile disappeared from Gruier’s face.

 

"From here on, it's just my imagination. The situation that Bentenmaru was caught up in this time was probably not a training or an experiment, but was planned with the clear purpose of eliminating pirates with privateer licenses."

 

"Pirates?"

 

Marika pointed to herself without thinking.

 

"Exclude us? I don't mean that we're welcome everywhere in the universe, but why would people who think of something as big as designing a war get in the way of small, independent pirates like us?"

 

"If there was a salesman trying to start a war in a specific place, what do you think would get in the way?"

 

Marika tilted her head when asked by Gruier.

 

"The military? The press? Intelligence?"

 

"For corporations, the military and the press are people they should do business with and use. If you start a war as you want and try to manipulate its course, forces outside the chain of command that are related to both sides of the conflict and can exist both inside and outside the situation at the same time will be a huge hindrance.'

 

Gruier stares at Marika.

 

'Because forces that are not in the chain of command of either side cannot be controlled. If you design a war and want to proceed according to that, forces that you cannot control are unnecessary. So, if I were to sell the design of a war to a specific customer, I would start by eliminating the pirates there.'

 

'So that means...'

 

Feeling as her head becomes a jumble of information and overflowing thoughts, Marika speaks out the conclusion she has reached.

 

'...So you're saying that the star system has been chosen as a sales destination for a corporation that designs wars?'

 

'Probably.'

 

Gruier nods.

 

"I don't want to admit it, and I don't know how much the Sea of the Morningstar Administration has been sold on the design of war, or if a salesman will come in the future, but if they were to design and control wars, the location would be a young star district in the outskirts that was recently annexed by the Empire, rather than a core star system. The star system governments of the former colonial alliance that currently issue privateer licenses are more unstable than the older star systems of the core star systems, since there is more room for pirates to play an active role."

 

"So it's not the Tau star system that's being targeted, but the former colonial alliance..."

 

"That's just my imagination."

 

Gruier said.

 

"But if those who design wars are trying to eliminate pirates, then at least at this stage, I think that wars are not being designed with pirates in mind. Colonel Belmar's report is a compilation of rumors and information circulating in the arms market and the central military industrial market, and unfortunately it is not the kind of thing that can be verified by numbers.'

 

Marika glanced over the information container that had been sent separately.

 

'They are trying to eliminate the pirates using various methods. If we think about it that way, it would also explain the disappearance of the Karyoubinga and the situation that Barbaroosa is facing.'

 

'I understand. Thank you, Gruier. I'll have my staff and Captain Kenjo look at this data.'

 

"Please be careful, Marika."

 

Gruier’s eyes were filled with worry.

 

"If my guess is correct, the one who attacked Karyoubinga and framed Bentenmaru is a large corporation that thinks of the stars as a tool for business and war as a means of commerce."

 

"Then we can't let them do what they want."

 

Marika nodded to Gruier.

 

"Don't worry, I'll do something about it. And thank you to Colonel Belmar for writing the report. And if we're facing such a big enemy, can you stay at the palace for a while instead of going back to school?"

 

"Why?"

 

Gruier asked suspiciously. Marika answered with a smile.

 

"It seems that if Gruier is at Serenity's Royal Palace, he will be able to gather the necessary information."

 

"I understand."

 

Gruier bowed on the other side of the monitor.

 

"If anything happens again, please contact me."

 

"I wish Bentenmaru and Barbaroosa the best of luck."

 

The FTL communication ended. After properly closing the channel and ending the communication, Marika looked up at Captain Hogarth at the table across from her desk. Her hands were not moving as she operated the information terminal.

 

"Sorry to have kept you waiting."

 

Marika stood up from her desk.

 

"No."

 

The captain answered while still looking at his hands. After a moment of hesitation, Marika boldly asked.

 

"What do you think of what I just said?"

 

The captain's gaze, which had been fixed on the information terminal, turned to Marika, who was standing next to the desk.

 

"You're a princess with a rich imagination."

 

"Yes, really."

 

Marika smiled and nodded.

 

"The problem is that Gruier’s imagination is too big, and she hits the places she doesn't want it to hit."

 

Marika reached over to her desk and copied the received information container onto a data card.

 

"Um, well, I have a favor to ask of you."

 

"What is it?"

 

"If there's room in the patrol boat's flight plan, could you give us a ride to Port Seruna?"

 

Marika pulled out the data card with the copied information container from a slot in the desk.

 

"I'm thinking of sending the report I just received to the Marx Information System, but no matter how you look at it, I think it would be safer not to let this data pass through the port's network."

 

"Oh, that's unusual."

 

In response to the knock, Chiaki, clad in work clothes, opened the door to the Marx Information System.

 

"Wasn't there an investigation by the military police today?"

 

"They keep asking me the same questions every day, so I'm getting tired of asking them."

 

Marika, who came in her school uniform because she would stand out too much in her captain's uniform, peered into the Marx Information System, which she had only heard about.

 

"Oh."

 

Marika's eyes widened at the sight of the messy electronic battle desk of Coorie, which was only in one corner of the bridge of the Bentenmaru, expanded to cover the entire floor.

 

"Come in."

 

Chiaki quickly pulled Marika in and closed the door.

 

"Even though we don't advertise anywhere, salesmen from the nearby deli, door-to-door salesmen, and errand takers come by, so I don't like to keep this place open too much."

 

"Hey, Captain Marika!"

 

Kenjo, who was talking to Coorie in the middle of the electronic desk, raised his hand as Marika came in.

 

"You've come to a good place. There's been a lot of progress."

 

"Same here."

 

Marika looked around the floor, where even the tents used as sleeping quarters were set up, then walked over to Coorie's electronic desk. She took out a data card from the pocket of her uniform.

 

"A report from Gruier, handed over to me by the Serenity Space Force Intelligence Division."

 

"Is it top secret?"

 

Coorie's swirly glasses glittered as he reached out from the other side of the desk to receive the card. Marika nodded.

 

"If Gruier is right, I don't want you to see this while it's connected to a physical network. That's why I brought it directly without going through a communication line."

 

"Understood."

 

With that, Coorie disappeared from his seat. He slipped into one of the consoles around him and with practiced hands removed the network cable that was only temporarily connected, then threw the data card into the reader of the information terminal that he had forcibly isolated.

 

"An anti-theft quantum key with probabilistic multiple encryption? Serenity's intelligence department is really thorough."

 

Marika switched focus from Coorie, who had started to decompress the data inside the card, to Kenjo.

 

"What progress have we made?"

 

"We've identified the civilian ships in Port Seruna that are likely hiding electronic warfare equipment and armaments that don't match the registered ship type. Two in the middle, seven outside."

 

"A total of nine ships?"

 

Marika wondered how many of those ships had been matched up to Bentenmaru when they rushed to the rescue of Maria Forte.

 

"I don't know the details of the spaceship, but it's a carefully constructed one, with everything from new ships to used ships. Kaien thinks they bought cruisers with the same performance and refurbished them, but if you don't look at it with that in mind, you wouldn't know it's a battleship."

 

"Is it a battleship disguised as a transport ship?"

 

"Yeah. It's the opposite of a disguised cruiser."

 

A disguised battleship is a civilian transport ship that has been armed and equipped with electronic weapons to be able to fight. The former White Swan, which was built as a solar sail spaceship and obtained a privateer's license during the War of Independence and became a pirate ship, and the current Odette II, is in the class of a disguised cruiser, judging from its size.

 

"Well, there's nothing to be too worried about."

 

Kenjo said to Marika, who looked serious.

 

"Falsifying data on electronic data is common in battle airspace, and slow-speed battles where you can actually see each other with the naked eye rarely happen in modern times. The only advantage of a warship disguised as a transport ship is that it won't be recognized as a warship when it enters port, but I can't imagine many cases where faking the exterior would be useful in actual combat. Compared to warships of the same class, the fading becomes dead weight, and the extra equipment it carries reduces its frontal combat power. The combat power of each ship is probably lower than that of the Barbaroosa, let alone the Bentenmaru."

 

"Let's say we found nine suspicious spaceships."

 

Marika looked up at Kenjo.

 

"Did you see the data inside?"

 

The original plan was to identify the warships disguised as civilian ships, then hack into their internal data and check their navigation data and combat information. If we could obtain combat information from the spaceships disguised as the three Derrflinger-class ships, it would be evidence that would prove Bentenmaru's innocence.

 

"No."

 

Kenjo shook his head slightly.

 

"Even if we're disguised as a civilian ship, the other side is a real combat ship, and we know that it's specialized in illegal missions. As long as we're using the equipment we brought here and the ready-made network, we can only do our best to scrub the surface data."

 

"I thought so."

 

Marika shook her head. If we want to engage in electronic warfare with an electronic warfare ship, we need electronic warfare equipment as well.

 

"The problem is that we have to take out internal information without the enemy noticing at all."

 

Kenjo looked around the floor of Marx Information Systems with a nonchalant look on his face.

 

"Bentenmaru and our skilled crew are gathered here, but the enemy is also a professional, and it seems they've put up a lot of elaborate defensive walls. An attack that can be deflected without being detected won't reveal the system structure."

 

"Well then..."

 

"Well, there's no need to be so pessimistic. If we can find out what the enemy spaceships are, we can bring the data on their arrival and departure schedules from control without any hesitation. We've easily found out that all nine ships will be leaving the day after tomorrow."

 

"The day after tomorrow!"

 

Marika spoke up.

 

"That means the training using the Barbaroosa as a target ship will be held after the day after tomorrow!!"

 

"Yeah. So we want to get the Barbaroosa back safely by then, but the more we look into this matter, the more complicated things are happening behind the scenes."

 

"Captain!"

 

Coorie spoke up. Marika and Kenjo turned to Coorie, who was surrounded by 3D images displayed in multiple layers in the center of the electronic desk at almost the same time.

 

"Captain Marika, thank you for the valuable information. Captain Kenjo, please take a look."

 

Coorie flipped the display on the nearest 3D display toward Kenjo.

 

"The report from the Serenity Space Force Intelligence Division isn't very accurate and is probably not reliable enough to ask about, but it's very interesting."

 

"Oh?"

 

Show began counting the number of people in the group that had arrived at the Port Seruna branch of the Harold Lloyd Insurance Association.

 

"Oh my? Not only the main force of Marx Information Systems, but also Bentenmaru and the Marine Corps Captain of Barbaroosa?"

 

"Show!"

 

Marika stepped forward from the group. Show adjusted his flashy sunglasses.

 

"Oh dear Captain Marika, I'm surprised you managed to get out of the Bentenmaru."

 

"It's not like you're under house arrest."

 

Marika bowed to Show and lowered her voice.

 

"I have an important secret to tell you. Please let me use your reception room."

 

"A secret?"

 

Show tapped on the console to check the reception room's reservation status. No scheduled use. Show stood up from his desk.

 

"It can't be helped if it's a secret. I'll provide it to you."

 

"Are you closing up shop?"

 

The captain, greeted by Marika at the docking port, asked this first.

 

"It seems that Marcus Information Systems, which you opened up after much effort, has been closed since this morning."

 

"Yes, it seems so."

 

Marika nodded as she walked ahead of him down the ship's corridor.

 

"Also, Koutenkoushi is urgently purchasing a high-speed transport ship."

 

Even though her back was turned, Marika struggled to keep her expression constant as Captain Hogarth spoke.

 

"Isn't Koutenkoushi one of your secret companies?"

 

"You know a lot about it," Marika answered in as calm a voice as possible.

 

"Yes. Kujiramiya Aerospace Company is one of the companies Bentenmaru uses for work."

 

"If you don't mind, could you tell me what you're planning?"

 

Hogarth' tone changed.

 

"Aren't we going to the captain's quarters?"

 

"Yes, I'll take you somewhere else today."

 

With her head facing forward, Marika continued speaking.

 

"The high-speed transport ship purchased under the name of Kujiramiya Aerospace Company has already departed. According to the flight plan, its destination should be Sea of the Forest Star in the Uzumasa star system, but it will pass through the Fountainbleau airspace before that."

 

"Who's on board?"

 

Looking around the corridors of Bentenmaru, where the number of crew members coming and going had increased dramatically from the previous day, the captain asked.

 

"You know, don't you?"

 

It takes a lot of mental strength to ask such a question to someone like Captain Hogarth.

 

"Well, when I looked at the submitted crew list, there were no good records or backgrounds for the captain and below."

 

Even though Hogarth probably knew everything, he said it as if it was surprising.

 

"Just like when you look into the Whale Planet Space Company, there's no good records, so maybe they scouted ghosts to be crew members?"

 

Marika answered as calmly as possible.

 

"For some reason, the crew list for everyone from the captain down is all under false names."

 

That means they're lying to the control tower. While thinking about the worst case scenario that might happen and how to deal with it, Marika pulled the lever of the door leading to the bridge.

 

All the seats on the bridge were lit. All the seats except the captain's and observer's seats were occupied by the usual bridge personnel.

 

"Come in. This is the third time I've shown you the bridge of the Bentenmaru."

 

"I've been shown it twice before for interrogations."

 

The captain, who followed Marika in, looked around the bridge, which was operational and all the crew were in their positions.

 

"But this is the first time I've seen a bridge that looks like it's about to start moving at any moment."

 

The captain asked with an amused look on his face.

 

"What exactly are you planning?"

 

Marika turned to Captain Hogarth with a big smile on her face.

 

"We're kidnapping the military police interrogator in charge of the Bentenmaru."

 

"Oh?"

 

Hogarth looked back at Marika and turned his head slightly, looking even more amused.

 

"I will tell you everything that has happened. I will disclose all the information I have. However, as long as we are proceeding through the proper channels, it is likely that all evidence will be destroyed and it will be as if nothing had happened. If we act now, we can still make it in time. Captain, would you like to be kidnapped by Bentenmaru?"

The flight plan for the Bentenmaru was submitted to Port Seruna Control and was easily accepted, thanks to the endorsement of Captain Peter Hogus of the Imperial Fleet Military Police. The destination was the Core Star System, Joint Staff Headquarters. This was the headquarters that had commanded the Imperial fleet throughout the galaxy during the Mopping-up War that had wiped out pirates from the Empire.

 

"If we had put the destination at Joint Staff Headquarters, they wouldn't have bothered to follow us and make sure we were really going there."

 

Hogus, who had confirmed the departure permission from Control in the observer's seat on the Bentenmaru bridge, transferred it to the helmsman's seat, navigator's seat, and captain's seat.

 

"However, the Imperial Fleet will not take action just because a pirate ship that was supposed to have been sent to the Joint Staff Headquarters has gone missing. What are you planning to do from now on?"

 

"What if the pirate ship kidnapped a military police officer?"

 

Marika looked up from the departure permission displayed on the display in the captain's seat.

 

"Kane, move when it's your turn."

 

The anchorage airspace is wide, but the entry and exit of spaceships is managed by the control center. The order of departure is determined by the order of application, but there are also special fees to raise the order and changes in priority due to the convenience of the Imperial Fleet.

 

"Understood."

 

The Bentenmaru had already made all preparations for departure. The patrol boat that Captain Hogarth had come on had also undocked and moved to the next airspace.

 

"The Bentenmaru is heading to Fountainbleau, and I'm sure you already have an idea, Captain."

 

"Is it the airspace for a private company's live ammunition training?"

 

Captain Hogarth pulled his seat back from the observer console and turned to face the captain's seat.

 

"Yes."

 

Marika nodded.

 

"The transport ship purchased under the name of Koutenkoushi Kotenkoushi is still called Glamorous Grace, but Captain Kenjo and the rest of the Barbaroosa crew have boarded it and should have already arrived at Fountainbleau."

 

"A transport ship?"

 

"Yes."

 

Marika nodded.

 

"Unarmed?"

 

"A seasoned pirate with a fully armed marine unit."

 

"The Glamorous Grace left Port Seruna yesterday. According to the flight plan submitted to the control station, its destination was the Uzumasa system via Gallia Gallia's junk belt. However, we have not yet received a report that the Glamorous Grace has arrived at Gallia Gallia."

 

Marika couldn't help but look back at the captain, who spoke smoothly without even looking at the information terminal.

 

"You knew?"

 

Without answering, the captain stared back at Marika. Marika, who was in the captain's seat, forced a smile.

 

"Then it's easier to talk about. There will be an exercise on Fountainbleau with the pirate ship Barbaroosa as the target ship. The exercise was planned by Caligari Inc., a military consultant, with the cooperation of shipbuilding companies such as Rube Mass, and six Derrflinger-class mobile cruisers will participate. The exercise is supposed to be an experiment on new weapons. Although it is a civilian exercise, the military industry will rent out the battle airspace for live ammunition exercises, so there will be strict restrictions on access to the surrounding airspace. The company responsible for security and execution of the exercise is Rakion, a corporate consortium to which all the participating companies belong."

 

"A notice has been filed with the 5th Fleet regarding the exercise that Rakion will be conducting on Fountainbleau."

 

The captain said without even looking at the information terminal.

 

"It is the same for military and civilian use to maintain secrecy when conducting practical exercises with experimental weapons."

 

"The six Derrflinger-class ships participating in the exercise do not actually exist."

 

The captain didn't respond. Marika continued without paying any attention.

 

"The Derrflinger-class mobile cruisers scheduled to participate in the exercise are two belonging to the aggression company Beta Union, two new ships just completed by Rube Mass, and the rest are provided by the military rental company Five Axis Services, but of these, only the two built by Rube Mass actually exist, and the remaining four are ghost ships that only exist on paper."

 

"The Imperial Fleet does not investigate and check each and every exercise conducted by a private company. Of course, we do not check whether the spaceships scheduled to participate in the exercise actually exist."

 

"According to our investigation, there are more than 20 spaceships related to the corporate alliance Rakion deployed in the exercise airspace."

 

Marika, who was in the captain's seat, raised one hand while facing Captain Hogarth. As if waiting for a signal, Coorie in the electronic warfare seat sent a list to the observer seat.

 

The captain glanced at the new display and then returned his gaze to Marika.

 

"Among them, ten spaceships departed from Port Seruna for the Fountainbleau training airspace. Nine medium-sized high-speed freighters, and one unmanned target ship formerly known as the Barbaroosa."

 

The captain nodded slightly, a sign that he was listening. Marika asked.

 

"Do you need data on the nine freighters?"

 

"Shall I take a look?"

 

Coorie transferred a report created by the Marx Information System to the observer's seat. Images and data of the two high-speed freighters inside Port Seruna and the seven in the outer anchored airspace were displayed in a line-up.

 

"These nine vessels are operated by different companies (operators), and the ages and history of the vessels vary. However, all of the companies are affiliated with Rakion or are affiliated with it, and recently several vessels have been operating together with similar flight plans."

 

The captain switched between images of freighters superimposed on the observer's display.

 

"So?"

 

"We believe these nine freighters are the Derrflinger-class ships that attacked the Maria Forte in the Tau system."

 

"Are you saying the freighters are disguised as mobile cruisers?"

 

The captain asked, eyes still on the display. Marika answered.

 

"That's right. These nine freighters are equipped with engines that are too large even for high-speed ships, and there is enough space inside for electronic armaments and ship-mounted weapons."

 

"For disguised freighters, they seem to be carrying a sufficient amount of cargo?"

 

The captain said, switching between the displays at random.

 

"You can falsify the payload numbers as much as you want. No one cares if you're carrying less than the actual amount, as long as the customs and fees are paid. Besides, the cargo is sent and received by Rakion's affiliates."

 

"You're saying that the entire corporate alliance is helping to disguise the freighter?"

 

"It's not just the freighter that's helping. The Derrflinger class isn't the only freighter that can be disguised. If we get the necessary data, even the Bentenmaru can disguise itself as another spaceship."

 

Marika stared at the captain in the observer's seat, who had raised his head in the captain's seat.

 

"With the right data, the freighter should be able to disguise itself as either an Imperial fleet cruiser or a Rebel battleship."

 

"Why would the Imperial corporate alliance do something like that?"

 

The captain asked calmly. There was no sign of surprise. Marika answered.

 

"To start a war wherever you want, however you want."

 

A low-volume call rang out on the bridge.

 

Hyakume reported.

 

"It's now the turn of the Bentenmaru to depart from Port Seruna Control."

 

"The Bentenmaru will now proceed to the Fountainbloo training airspace to uncover the true identity of the nine cargo ships that are supposed to be conducting training exercises with the Barbaroussa as the target ship. We've got a front-row seat for Captain Peter Hogarth of the military police. Would you like to join us?"

 

"What choice does a kidnapped military police have?"

 

With a grin, the captain raised both hands.

 

"No matter where they take you or what they show you, there's no way you can resist."

 

"You idiot."

 

Ignoring Hyakume's mutterings, Marika smiled.

 

"Well, let's go. Bentenmaru, launch!"

 

"The enemy has nine disguised battleships, four research and observation ships, and even if we can ignore the fleet for supply and maintenance, it seems that there is also an escort fleet from a military company affiliated with Rakion, isn't there?"

 

On the bridge of the Bentenmaru, which was traveling faster than light, the captain asked Marika a question. Marika turned to the captain in the observer seat. Regarding the fleet scheduled to be deployed in the Fountainbleau training airspace, Bentenmaru still had no reliable information about the escort fleet that would be deployed to maintain secrecy.

 

"Again, what are our forces?"

 

"Only two ships, Bentenmaru and Glamorous Grace, which is ahead of us with the crew of Barbaroosa aboard."

 

Marika answered honestly.

 

"If we can get the Barbaroosa back, which has been converted into a target ship, into our hands, our fighting power will increase significantly."

 

"Anyone else?"

 

"We have a capable captain from the Imperial Fleet's Military Police with us."

 

Marika managed to say, trying to hold back from bursting out. The captain looked troubled and averted his eyes from Marika.

 

"No matter how you look at it, isn't there a huge difference in fighting power? If we believe the battle data from the previous Bentenmaru, the fighting power of the enemy ships disguised as Derrflinger-class ships is twice that of the Bentenmaru, and if there are multiple of them, the difference in fighting power will increase exponentially."

 

"If we know that the enemy can disguise their ship type, there are plenty of ways to fight."

 

Marika said, wondering how persuasive her words, the youngest on the bridge, would be to the captain of the Military Police.

 

"The enemy must think that this battle is a drill according to a scenario. We were particularly careful about counterintelligence this time, so they probably don't realize that outside forces are planning to intervene."

 

"Have you gotten the drill scenario?"

 

Marika looked away this time, as he asked in a leisurely voice.

 

"Unfortunately, I haven't gotten a detailed schedule, let alone an overall scenario."

 

Marika frantically made a list in her head of the things she needed to assert.

 

"If the enemy realizes this operation and cancels the drill plan, we will lose. We kept our information gathering to a minimum so as not to alert the enemy."

 

"Is that the result of Marx Information System's activities in Port Seruna?"

 

"Yes."

 

Marika nodded.

 

"I didn't ask anything because I thought it would be bad if I accidentally overheard a report and the captain found out about it, but our skilled people investigated various places together with the staff of Barbaroosa. Apparently, if they notice that you're setting up electronic warfare, they can counter it, so the key to success is how well you can set it up without being noticed."

 

"I see."

 

The captain looked around the bridge of the Bentenmaru, then back to Marika in the captain's seat.

 

"There's a whole bunch of magicians here who could stir things up if they wanted to, so I thought they were pretty quiet, but was that intentional?"

 

Marika glanced over at Hyakume and Coorie. They were on the bridge travelling at FTL speed, both of them working with their backs to the camera as usual.

 

"So you were watching after all."

 

Marika turned her eyes back to the captain.

 

"So, if you've been able to get along peacefully up to this point, does that mean that this exercise being organised by the Rakion corporate alliance will go ahead as originally planned?"

 

"The Imperial Fleet has no say in the content of private companies' exercises, except for the schedule."

 

The captain answered in the same tone as always.

 

"It would be a different story if they were to carry out large-scale environmental destruction like shattering a star as part of a new weapon test or something, but as long as it is within the scope of corporate activities, we have a policy of not wanting to be unnecessarily involved in corporate secrets, so we will not be involved in the content of the exercise."

 

"According to the information we have obtained, the exercise at Fountainbleau is a test of a combat system being developed by a company affiliated with Rakion."

 

Marika knew that no matter how much she persisted with the captain, she would not get much information. She continued her story.

 

"I expect that they will use the Barbaroosa as a target ship and try various patterns with an electronic battleship that can be disguised as a battleship or cruiser."

 

As she explained, Marika carefully tried to read the captain's expression. If her reading was different from the information the captain had, she might be able to get some hints.

 

"If it's an exercise, and an experiment with nine dummy ships moving in tandem, the scenario should be much slower than a real battle. If you're going to use that many spaceships and rent out a large training airspace for the exercise, the budget should be quite large."

 

"Unfortunately, I don't know much about what kind of exercises private companies are conducting."

 

The captain scratched his head.

 

"When the Imperial Fleet hires you pirates or company fleets as hypothetical enemies, isn't it a speedy battle that's just like a real battle?"

 

"Because exercises with the Imperial Fleet are premised on real combat."

 

Marika didn't know how much she should explain to the captain in front of her. It's not surprising that fleet battles are not the specialty of the military police.

 

"If it's an experimental ship, and the target ship, the exercise will be conducted while collecting data from the surrounding observation ships, so I think the progress will be slower than a live-fire exercise that assumes actual combat. In fact, it seems that tests of newly developed combat ships are conducted slowly on a schedule far from that of actual combat."

 

Marika has never seen an experimental flight of a newly built ship. It's all second-hand information from the crew.

 

"However, there will be four observation ships in the exercise airspace, and there will also be an escort fleet."

 

The captain leisurely switched the display.

 

"Leaving aside the Bentenmaru, which is good at stealth, how in the world are the crew of the Barbaroosa, who uses a transport ship without electronic armaments, planning to get into the scene?"

 

"If we exercise, we will need supplies."

 

The supply schedules of the ships participating in the exercise at Fountain Blow are unknown.

 

"This experiment will simulate various situations by loading live ammunition onto the target ship. The data from each experiment will be collected by the observation ship, but among the supplies procured by the transport bound for Fountainbleau were old missiles for the Barbaroussa."

 

The supplies for the training fleet were procured at a rural relay station with a much lower level of security than Port Seruna. In a mind-boggling investigation into where and what a transport bound for Fountainbleau would be loading, even though no one knows where it was departing from in the entire galaxy, the electronic warfare staff of the Barbaroussa found an order for old-fashioned, mothership-guided missiles that are not installed on modern combat ships.

 

"I think they're going to make full use of the pirate ship they got for a fair price while they can. And if they want to do a lot of experiments, they'll need to resupply the target ship."

 

"...Are you planning to use the Glamorous Grace to replace the supply ship for the Barbaroosa?"

 

"I haven't heard any detailed plans."

 

Marika said honestly. Because there was little information that could be confirmed in advance, Captain Kenjo had only come up with a very vague operational plan, such as ‘using a cargo ship as a decoy to retrieve the Barbaroussa.’

 

"But if we leave the Barbaroosa in the enemy's hands as a target ship, the enemy's fighting power will increase. Conversely, a Barbaroosa in the enemy's hands will be the strongest decoy."

 

"...Can we move the Barbaroosa from the outside?"

 

"Captain Kenjo said that."

 

Marika nodded.

 

"The Barbaroosa is a spaceship that has been an active pirate for over a hundred years since it first received its pirate license. It's not an easy spaceship that can be turned into an unmanned target ship with just a few days of refitting."

 

"Well, so you mean..."

 

Captain Hogarth turned his observer seat to the front of the bridge, facing the direction of the Bentenmaru, with a serious look on his face.

 

"You're planning to use just one old pirate ship to sneak into an airspace where a private company is conducting training exercises with its latest experimental battleships, and even worse, to use it as a target ship to recapture a spaceship that has fallen into enemy hands, and to defeat the far more superior experimental fleet, is that what you're trying to do?"

 

"There's no need to win."

 

Marika said with relief.

 

"If we can just steal the combat data that shows that the experimental fleet in training can disguise itself as multiple ships, there may be no need for direct combat."

 

"Are you planning to take on an experimental fleet whose combat power has not yet been accurately calculated, including spaceships that we haven't even gotten our hands on yet and that are being used as unmanned target ships, and transport ships whose situation is unknown?"

 

Marika answered with a smile.

 

"Yes, that's probably what I'd expect."

 

The captain sighed exaggeratedly.

 

"This is even more outrageous than I'd heard. You're even worse than Captain Gonzaemon."

 

The bridge crew, who had been concentrating on their duties and pretending to be expressionless, now focused their attention on the observer's seat. With a smile plastered on her face, Marika asked in a strained voice.

 

"Do you know my father... the previous captain of the Bentenmaru, Kato Gonzaemon?"

 

"I just looked at the old records when I was assigned to this case."

 

Looking around at the bridge crew with interest, the captain answered.

 

"There are so many unbelievable records left, and I was shocked that such carelessness could be allowed to go ahead with a report that doesn't directly relate to the Imperial fleet, but it seems that it wasn't so bad after all."

 

Marika glanced around at the bridge crew. She had hardly heard anything about her father's time in active duty.

 

Kane, who was at the helm, turned to face the front.

 

"We'll touch down soon. We'll return to normal space."

 

"Just to be on high alert."

 

The touchdown point is Fountainbleau, but it should be far away from the training fleet. If we touch down near a fleet with sensitive observation ships, they will sense the spatial tremors.

 

"It shouldn't be a sudden bang, but be as careful as possible."

 

Captain Hogarth, who was fiddling with the control panel in the observer's seat with a blank look on his face, suddenly spoke up.

 

"Wait a moment, where's this touchdown point!?"

 

"We're already in enemy territory when we land."

 

With a straight face, Marika sat back in the captain's seat.

 

"There might be a bit of shaking."

 

"Aren't these coordinates right next to a red giant?"

 

The captain checked the numbers several times, as if to look for an error in the data he was looking at.

 

"There's no way we could touch down so close to such a huge star over such a long distance!!"

 

The accuracy of a FTL jump is governed by the conditions in normal space. If you want to jump accurately, you must choose a stable space for takeoff and touchdown that is as far away as possible from celestial bodies that are sources of gravity or energy radiation.

 

The touchdown point of the Bentenmaru was right next to a red giant star that was near the end of its life and had the strongest gravity of all the star systems in Fountainbleau. If the displayed numbers were true, the touchdown point was far below the safety standards for FTL jumps set by the Imperial Fleet.

 

"Since it's a long-distance jump, if we don't get this close to the star and touch down, there's a risk that the enemy, who is expanding their observation network, will detect us."

 

Mostly just to look cool, Marika pulled out her seat belt from the backrest of the captain's seat.

 

"It's far from the star system that Rakion designated as the assembly point for the exercise, so I don't think it will be found unless it has a very sensitive observation ship concentrated there."

 

"What about the jump error?"

 

Captain Hogarth asked in a panicked voice.

 

"If we set the touchdown point so close to the surface of the star, there is a possibility that it will appear inside the star!"

 

"Don't worry, it should only get a little hot."

 

Even though it is the surface of a star, its substance is plasma, not solid like a rocky planet.

 

"Considering the speed at which it touches down, isn't it almost solid?"

 

If it goes in at interplanetary speed, even if it is plasma, the resistance will be enormous.

 

"Don't worry."

 

It was Kane who was at the wheel who called out.

 

"Trust the pirate's map and skill."

 

The Bentenmaru touched down in normal space.

 

The longer the distance, the more powerful the energy required for a FTL jump. The more energy put into the jump, the greater the impact on the surrounding space. The Bentenmaru returned to Fountainbleau's normal space, keeping as far away as possible from the expected training fleet.

 

Fountainbleau is not the name of a single star system. It is the name of a vast space that is undeveloped and uninhabited by intelligent life.

 

The training space set for Fountainbleau is over a dozen light years across, including several star systems and dark clouds.

 

There are no inhabited planets, relay stations, or resource-rich planets, including mines. Unmanned observation aircraft are placed at regular intervals to report the spatial situation within the space to the management company, but no other activities are carried out.

 

The space that extends into the area known as the Dark Gulf between the Orion Arm and the Perseus Arm, rather than the Galactic Arm where stars are densely populated, has remained largely undeveloped and in a pristine state, as no civilization has arisen and there are few stars suitable for life to survive.

 

In space, there are actually only a limited number of situations in which combat can occur. Life lives on stars, and even if it isn't on the surface of a planet, an environment for life must be created and maintained in space cities, relay stations, space colonies, artificial planets, etc.

 

All battles are fought by the will of both sides. The will of each side is to secure or seize star systems, stars, or life and resources.

 

The fighting power of each side is maintained as much as possible. In reality, it is rare for large fleets to clash in interstellar space for the sole purpose of crushing each other's fighting power to the point of being completely satisfied.

 

The exercises are conducted to simulate situations where a battle is likely to occur. Most battles are not fought in interstellar space far from the home planet, but in star systems with a nearby home planet.

 

The airspace where the exercises were scheduled was an outer planetary system centered on a Spectral F-type star, the most active star in Fountainbleau. Marika asked quietly.

 

"Do you think they found out?"

 

Even though they are fading as stars, red giants still radiate enormous heat in the immediate vicinity. The Bentenmaru operated its thermal protection system at full power and remained as close to the star's surface as it could withstand.

 

"If everything went according to plan, the training fleet should be deployed in the outer planetary system of LF525."

 

Luca answered from the navigator's seat.

 

"The touchdown point is on the opposite side of LF525, across the red giant, as planned. With such a long jump, if we had focused on observing the red giant, we might have been able to catch some background fluctuations, but unless we had a special research vessel jump, there's no way we'd know what had happened."

 

"Even if it was to dazzle the enemy, touching down so close to the star..."

 

Captain Hogarth asked a question while tapping on the control panel in the observer's seat at a much faster pace than before.

 

"Is the Bentenmaru's voyage always like this?"

 

"Yeah, well."

 

Marika gave an ambiguous smile, not knowing how to answer.

 

"Maybe it's just that we haven't started combat yet, so it's peaceful this time?"

 

"All right, surrounding conditions confirmed!"

 

Hyakume passed the observation data around to the captain's seat.

 

"We can't see beyond the red giant, but as far as our sensors can see, we can't see any spaceships or unmanned observation vehicles. It's okay to move."

 

"If we use radar, we'll give away our location."

 

Coorie in the electronic warfare seat continues to check the radar screen, which is set to receive only.

 

"Unless we use a FTL radar, I don't think we'll be noticed right away."

 

"What's the situation around LF525?"

 

Though she thought they probably couldn't see the neighboring star system, Marika asked just to be sure.

 

"Can you see a training fleet or something?"

 

"I can't."

 

Hyakume answered simply.

 

"But data has arrived."

 

The FTL line, which was up for just a moment, received a data container that was floating in hyperspace and was addressed to Bentenmaru.

 

"The latest information from Glamorous Grace, which is ahead of us, with a timestamp of 10 minutes ago."

 

"Is it real?"

 

Marika asked just to be sure. Even on a FTL line, there are many ways to disguise data.

 

"I think so."

 

Hyakume started to decompress the densely compressed data received.

 

"This is video data. Do you want to see it?"

 

"Please."

 

Hyakume started playing the video data on the bridge's main screen. A bust shot of Chiaki Kurihara in work clothes was projected on the bridge, which was much larger and more bleak than Bentenmaru's.

 

"This is Glamorous Grace, current location LF525, inside the second asteroid belt."

 

Chiaki looked up from the notebook in her hand, which seemed to display the message she was supposed to be conveying, to a camera that seemed to be used as a communication monitor.

 

"It's Chiaki."

 

Marika said happily.

 

"I'm the messenger to prove that this communication is coming from us. Please see the enclosed data for the information we have obtained so far. Glamorous Grace is currently under radio silence, and we have found some holes in the monitoring of the communication lines of the Rakion training fleet, but since they are so obvious, we are not using them as we think they are probably traps to lure industrial espionage from other companies. Please ignore them as well. We will only receive regular contact. Please check the data for the communication code and time. We will be moving soon."

 

Chiaki, who read out the message, looked into the camera with a worried look on her face.

 

"I realized after coming here that this training is nerve-wrackingly strict. Even the old men are nervous. Be careful."

 

"That's all."

 

Hyakume announced the end of the video data.

 

"Also, Barbaroosa, right now we're looking at Glamorous Grace, or the position and progress of the training fleet captured by their makeshift observation equipment."

 

Hyakume explained as he scrolled the decompressed data on the display.

 

"It's amazing how much data they can gather with just the standard sensors and observation equipment on a transport ship."

 

"That's a battleship after all."

 

Marika looked at the data transferred to the captain's seat.

 

"They've done a lot more direct combat than we have, and they've managed to survive just fine. What is the second asteroid belt where Glamorous Grace is?"

 

"LF525 has four asteroid belts in its orbit."

 

Luca projected a diagram of the star system with LF525 at its center on the main screen.

 

"It's too new to be a ring from a proto-star system, so it was probably formed for some reason."

 

"For some reason..."

 

"This is a training airspace."

 

Luca said in a bored tone.

 

"Did they blow up a planet that was there originally, or did they target a planet brought from somewhere? Looking at the composition of the asteroids in the catalog, not all of them are from this star system, so it seems there are not only asteroids from other star systems, but also scraps from target ships and fragments of plant ships."

 

"I thought training airspace was a dangerous place, but it seems that it's that rough."

 

Marika checked the conditions of the four asteroid belts that exist apart from the planet with six LF525s. According to Glamorous Grace's observations and the official information in the catalog, the second asteroid belt from the inside is the densest.

 

"Isn't it pretty dense?"

 

Asteroid belts in star systems that have been formed for many years do not become very dense because they are pulled together by planets with large gravitational forces. However, even when viewed on a star chart, the asteroid belt of LF525 appears to be much denser than common sense would suggest.

 

"I'm surprised the asteroid belt is stable."

 

"It's not stable."

 

Luca answered.

 

"The thickness of the asteroid belt is too large for LF525. If it were to stabilize as a ring, it would have to be thinner. At this thickness, it would probably become a planet in a few million years."

 

"Millions of years..."

 

That's only a short time for a star.

 

"Um..."

 

Marika called up the information about the asteroid belt of LF525 on the star chart.

 

"Are they all in a catalog?"

 

"Because it's set as a training airspace, it's a military-level restricted airspace, so the catalog only lists large rocks with a major axis of over 500 meters and a mass of over 10 million tons."

 

Luca said, bringing up a list with far more blanks than a normal star chart on the main screen.

 

"But there's no way that a private company like this, who conducts experiments and exercises with such a meticulous secrecy, would use only star charts from the official catalog to create a scenario for their exercises. I don't think they're tracking even the smallest pieces of debris by assigning numbers to them, but even the Bentenmaru can observe rocks in meters, and there's no way that people who use dedicated observation ships wouldn't know about it."

 

"It's troublesome when the map they have is more detailed than ours."

 

Marika zoomed in on the star chart, which was filled with asteroids orbiting around the LF525. Only large and heavy asteroids are shown on the star chart, but that alone makes the display feel heavy.

 

The asteroid belt that surrounds the spectral F-type star LF525 in a ring shape at a great distance has places where the density is abnormally high and low in some places.

 

Normally, even if all the pieces of an asteroid belt in a star system were collected, they would only make a small planet. However, the mass of the entire LF525 star system that is not a star is quite large. If all the asteroids scattered in the second asteroid belt were added together, it would be possible to create several rocky planets with enough gravity to have atmospheres and oceans.

 

"Is the main training area between the second asteroid belt and the orbit of the third planet?"

 

Marika looked at the training records so far in the data sent by Glamorous Grace. She enlarged the star system chart centered on LF525 and overlaid it with the training records.

 

LF525 has a modest asteroid belt at its innermost, like a ring of stars. It seems that what was once the first planet broke up. Outside of that are the current first and second planets, the second asteroid belt, and the third planet. Only the first three planets are rocky planets, the fourth planet is a giant gaseous planet with a thick atmosphere as its main component, and the next fifth planet is also quite large, though not as large as the fourth, and all of them have rings.

 

Further outside of that is the thin-density third asteroid belt, and even further outside is the sixth, the most rocky planet, which would be counted as an asteroid if it were a little smaller, and the fourth asteroid belt at the very outside.

 

Because it is a star system where even the main star is only referred to by a symbol, the six planets are only given identification symbols. The asteroids in the asteroid belt, the largest of which can reach sizes of several hundred kilometers, are only given numbers with identification symbols.

 

"Just to be sure," the captain stopped tapping on the control panel in the observer's seat, having apparently finished gathering all the information.

 

"Will the Bentenmaru also jump to LF525?"

 

Even though it's a neighboring star system, the distance from their current position to the LF525 system is measured in light years.

 

"Yes," Marika answered.

 

"Otherwise we won't make it in time."

 

"There's no other way."

 

Shaking his head slightly, the captain tapped on the control panel.

 

"The latest version of the Fountainbleau star chart, from the Fifth Fleet Command."

 

"The latest version?!"

 

Luca let out a rare high-pitched voice. A large data container was delivered from the observer's seat to the captain's seat.

 

One of the missions of the Imperial Fleet is the creation of star charts.

 

In order to operate a fleet, it is necessary to accurately grasp the operational airspace in which a large number of ships are deployed. And it's impossible to predict when and where a battle will break out. For that reason, the Imperial Fleet is required to have the most accurate star charts.

 

If a star system is inhabited, its administration must create an accurate star chart. The Galactic Empire shares star charts with star systems under its control, but for other locations, the Imperial Fleet investigates and creates star charts.

 

"Check it."

 

Before opening it herself, Marika passed the data that had been passed around to the captain's seat to Hyakume, Luca, and Coorie.

 

"Why are you providing us with the Imperial Fleet's star chart?"

 

Marika looked at the captain's profile. Star charts are assets that should be shared by those who navigate the vast universe. However, an accurate star chart that reflects the latest information is useful battle information in itself.

 

"The data was submitted by Marguerite Services, which manages the Fountainbleau."

 

The captain waved his hand nonchalantly. "It's probably a little more detailed than the official star charts, but probably not as accurate as the ones used by the training fleet."

 

"Is it okay for the Imperial Fleet to make it public?"

 

Marika asked again. The captain answered without looking at Marika.

 

"We didn't make it public without limit. We only provided some of the information we thought was necessary to ensure safe navigation. Part of the work of the Galactic Imperial Fleet is ensuring safe navigation."

 

"...Amazing."

 

Luca groaned as he quickly unfolded a star chart on the navigation display in front of him.

 

"Marguerite Service seems to have avoided the trouble of lowering the accuracy of the information they provide to the Imperial fleet. It's raw data, so it needs to be processed before it can be used as a star chart, but it's plotted down to the meter-sized pieces."

 

"Thank you for providing us with this valuable information."

 

Marika bowed to the captain's profile. The captain shook his head, his face slightly distorting.

 

"No, we're just worried about our lives. I think they're going to jump to LF525 in a closer position."

 

"Yes, otherwise they'll find out that an outsider has infiltrated the training fleet, which even has a research ship deployed."

 

"Survival is one of the fleet's most important missions."

 

"Thank you. With this, our chances of returning from Fountainbleau alive have improved considerably."

 

"I don't know where you pulled this out."

 

Hyakume looked back at the captain's seat after seeing the data, which had blank fields such as the last proofreading date and the location of the original data, which would have been filled in on a star chart provided by the Imperial Fleet.

 

"The fact that the raw data is exactly like that means the Imperial Fleet didn't check the submitted star chart data."

 

"I'm sorry, but the Imperial Fleet is the largest government office in the Empire."

 

"Does it take a long time to process it into a star chart?"

 

It was Luca who answered Marika's question.

 

"If it's okay to process it mechanically, it will be done quickly. After that, I won't be able to trust it until I check if it can actually be used."

 

"Let's check it while we use it. Once it's processed into the star chart, send it to Chiaki-chan in the next scheduled contact."

 

Marika checked the scheduled contact information included in the FTL communication from Glamorous Grace. FTL communication is almost never stolen, but since it is carried out through hyperspace, it is easy to observe associated phenomena. Glamorous Grace, hiding in the second asteroid belt of LF525, set the timing of sending and receiving FTL communication to just a few seconds every few hours to minimize the risk.

 

"Then, we will analyze the information from Chiaki-chan and decide when and how to jump there. The training has already started, right?"

 

"Yes."

 

Hyakume answered and displayed the solved battle data on the main screen in the captain's seat.

 

"The observation data from Glamorous Grace already contains data from two exercises. One of them is an attack exercise by three Derrflinger-class ships, and the other is an electronic warfare exercise simulating fortress warfare by two Locutus-class electronic warfare ships."

 

"Locutus-class electronic warfare ship?"

 

Marika repeated the name of the class she hadn't heard before. Coorie brought up the image of the ship from the catalog on the display.

 

"It's a new type of electronic warfare ship. It's the same model as the Jabberwocky, the flagship of the Hugh & Dolittle interstellar transport escort fleet."

 

"Jenny's family's battleship..."

 

Marika remembered and immediately gave the next instruction.

 

"If the ships are that big, it'll be easy to find out where they are all. Check the current location of the Locutus-class ships while you can!"

 

"I'm already doing it without you telling me."

 

Coorie displayed a list of the current locations of the Locutus-class electronic battleships from the latest data of all the warships in the Empire that he had checked before the jump.

 

"There are currently 28 Locutus-class ships in operational status, six belonging to the civilian escort fleet, eight belonging to the star system military and defense force, and the rest are seven each in the Imperial Second Fleet and Third Fleet!"

 

Coorie plotted the current locations of the Locutus-class electronic battleships on a star map that showed the entire galaxy.

 

"The data was updated before Bentenmaru's jump, so there is a slight time lag and it can't be said to be the latest information, but at least within a 100 light-year radius of Fountainbleau, there is not a single Locutus-class electronic battleship!"

 

"What do you think, Captain?"

 

Marika asked the Captain, who was looking at a galactic space chart with a disinterested look on his face.

 

"Would it be better to update the latest information on the current location of the Locutus-class here and compare it?"

 

"You want to keep the use of FTL communications to a minimum, don't you?"

 

The Captain looked down at the display in the observer's seat. He opened the second battle information sent from Glamorous Grace and displayed it.

 

"As I said before, this is merely electronic information. It is not up to me to decide whether this combat information is actual or is merely data created on an electronic circuit."

 

"The only vessel that was reported to the Fifth Fleet as participating in the Fountainbleau exercise was the Derrflinger class."

 

Marika said, carefully observing the captain's expression.

 

"If this combat information is true, then the exercise fleet falsified its report to the Fifth Fleet."

 

"It's possible that a Locutus-class electronic battleship was reported to participate later. There are mistakes that can be corrected anywhere."

 

The captain answered nonchalantly.

 

"If it's not true, we have to consider the possibility that Glamorous Grace made up fictitious battle information and sent it to Bentenmaru."

 

"Well, then, we have to go to LF525 and see the camouflage ship training right before our eyes."

 

The captain turned his eyes to Marika, who spoke what seemed to be a prepared line. Looking at the battle information in front of her, he pointed in the direction of the spaceship.

 

"Are you sure you want to go?"

 

"That's the plan from the beginning."

 

Marika sat back in the captain's seat.

 

"The captain cooperated with me by letting me get kidnapped, so I have to stay with him until the end no matter what."

 

"It's not my job to take on dangerous situations."

 

Captain Hogarth scratched his head with a troubled look on his face.

 

"Well, I don't think you'll be able to listen to me much since I've been kidnapped, but please be as gentle as possible."

 

"I'll try my best."

 

Two hours later, Bentenmaru sent the star chart data of LF525, which had been processed and was ready for use, in a timed scheduled call to Glamorous Grace. The reply came back to Bentenmaru almost as if it was a call back.

 

The plan to recapture Barbaroosa, which had been prepared as a rough plan in the first call, was now written in considerable detail and specificity with the star chart from Bentenmaru.

 

"As always, your planning skills are monstrous."

 

Hyakume spoke up after seeing the timestamp of the operation plan.

 

"The first lieutenant revised the plan based on the star chart we sent, just ten minutes after our scheduled call."

 

"Nora?"

 

Marika asked, and Coorie answered.

 

"Most of the Barbaroosa's operations are the work of First Officer Nora. Captain Kenjo is an expert in actual battle command, and apparently leaves the task of carrying out detailed operations simultaneously to the First Officer."

 

"Oh, well, it does seem that way."

 

Marika showed Captain Hogarth the operation manual sent by Glamorous Grace.

 

"What do you think?"

 

"I'm sorry, but I'm not an expert in anti-ship combat, let alone planning operations."

 

The captain bowed with one hand.

 

"It's a plan to recover the target ship during live ammunition training."

 

There's no need for a military police officer to be an expert on anti-ship combat in space. Marika explained, wondering how much she could trust the captain, who was pretending to be an amateur.

 

"The exercise is supposed to involve a long-distance bombardment of a target by a mobile cruiser. The target is QD0443, Barbaroussa. The location is between the second asteroid belt and the third planet orbit, and the participating ships are four Derrflinger-class ships."

 

Marika plotted the current positions of the first four Derrflinger-class ships of the exercise and the distant target ship QD0443 on the star chart of LF525.

 

"The target ships are semi-autonomous and controlled by the exercise fleet. The scenario is that they are under strong electronic interference, so the four Derrflinger-class ships will launch long-range bombardment at the fleeing Barbaroussa while using electronic warfare."

 

"That's quite a long-range artillery battle."

 

The captain commented after seeing the initial arrangement.

 

"Is it possible to hit something at such a long distance?"

 

"Only in the catalog," Marika replied.

 

"If the target is stationary, even a cruiser class ship can target a target about the radius of a planet's orbit. However, in reality, energy beams cannot exceed the speed of light, so if the hit is only a few minutes later, the enemy can easily escape unless you accurately predict its future position."

 

"The target ship will escape while scattering electronic jamming and interference curtains as planned, and the pursuers will pursue and fire long-range naval gunfire."

 

Captain Hogarth looked up at the captain's seat after reading only the general flow of the exercise scenario.

 

"So, how do you intend to get Barbaroosa back, Captain Kenjo?"

 

"By possessing Barbaroosa during the exercise."

 

Marika showed the movements of Glamorous Grace, which were added later to the exercise scenario, superimposed on the 3D display. The captain grimaced obviously.

 

"Is that even possible? Aren't target ships in training being targeted by all the other ships?"

 

"Normally, I don't think that's possible."

 

Marika tried to track the planned trajectory of the unmanned target ship on the display.

 

"The Barbaroosa is an old light battleship, and even though it's unmanned, it's in combat maneuver, so even if it's fast, it'll be hard for a transport ship like the Glamorous Grace to keep up."

 

"And yet, you're going to do it?"

 

"Fortunately, the target ship will be far away from the main force when the training begins."

 

Marika rewound the fleet's arrangement to the start of the training scenario.

 

"The observation ship that records the entire exercise will also be located at the farthest distance. If we can launch the attack at this timing and deceive the latest status of the Barbaroosa, the Glamorous Grace will be able to come alongside the Barbaroosa and regain control without being detected by the approaching mobile cruiser fleet."

 

As usual, Marika was looking at the opportunistic operation scenario and explaining it, thinking about the worst-case scenario. If the Glamorous Grace becomes the target of the cruiser fleet, the crew must be safely rescued.

 

"How are we going to deceive the observation ship and the attacking cruisers about the target ship's status?"

 

Marika answered with a smile when the captain asked.

 

"Of course, the Bentenmaru will launch an electronic attack on the exercise fleet from the site. How's that, Coorie? Are you sure we can do it?"

 

"It's a good thing that the attacking fleet is planning to camouflage the Derrflinger class."

 

Coorie answered while running both hands over the control panel.

 

"However, the conditions for setting the combat power are only for the Derrflinger class, and we must assume that the electronic warfare power, including camouflage, is something else. At the very least, we can't be found by the observation ships watching the exercise until we regain control of the Barbaroosa."

 

"When is the right timing?"

 

"If we believe the latest scenario from Glamorous Grace, we need to move now."

 

Coorie said, tapping the control panel with a quick touch.

 

"In the initial communication, Glamorous Grace said that it would be moving soon. The exercise starts with a super long-range artillery battle, so the success rate of the operation will be higher at the beginning when the ships are far apart."

 

"Can you move?"

 

"Data from the Imperial fleet has enabled precision jumps."

 

Luca answered leisurely.

 

"We will get as close to LF525 as possible and touch down on the opposite side of the training airspace so that the pre-jump phenomenon is not noticed by the training fleet, but this time it's a short distance and the data is perfect, so unless we're really unlucky we'll touch down right next to LF525."

 

Luca drew the planned trajectory on the main screen.

 

"Are we going to land right next to a star again?"

 

Marika smiled at the captain who sounded fed up.

 

"Shall I lend you a space suit?"

 

"No problem. Unless you want to release the pressurized atmosphere inside the ship and endure the high temperatures, that's a different story."

 

"To reduce the possibility of being noticed by the training fleet's observation ships as much as possible, we will stick directly above LF525 for a while after touchdown."

 

Marika frowned as she saw Luca's planned trajectory.

 

"Are you okay? Aren't spectral F type stars hotter than Tau?"

 

Tau is a spectral G type yellow star. LF525 is classified as a spectral F type yellow-white star, which is hotter than Tau.

 

"The surface temperature is about 1000 degrees higher than Tau."

 

Coorie answered simply.

 

"Don't worry, even if it goes from 5000 degrees to 6000 degrees, there won't be much difference in the heat."

 

"A 20% difference would be a big difference! Are you okay?"

 

"Of course, it won't last long."

 

Kane answered while checking the flight plan that had been transferred to the helm.

 

"We don't know where flares will come from, so we'll just have to avoid them where they come from, and considering that we'll be using the antenna later, we can't expose it to high temperatures, so we'll fly through the surface of the star with all of the flares stowed."

 

The planned touchdown point is on the back side of LF525 as seen from the training airspace, and it will stick to the surface of the star from there, make a half revolution, then leave and head to the training airspace. The closer the touchdown point is to the star, which is a source of high gravity and high energy radiation, the easier it is to camouflage the pre-jump phenomenon, and the closer we approach the training airspace with the star on our backs, the lower the chance of being discovered.

 

The airspace assumed in the training scenario was set along the ecliptic of LF525, that is, the planetary orbital plane. The observation ships are placed at wide intervals to obtain multi-dimensional data, but they can also hide in the shadow of asteroids until they leave the second asteroid belt.

 

"That's crazy."

 

After a glance at the planned orbit, the captain leaned deeper into his observer seat.

 

"Just to be sure, what would happen if the Bentenmaru's touchdown on LF525 was detected by the training fleet, or if it was discovered while approaching?"

 

"In that case, unless the training is canceled, I think Glamorous Grace will probably move to recapture Barbaroussa without the Bentenmaru's cover."

 

"No, that's not what I want to ask."

 

The captain lightly pressed his temple.

 

"If we're late, Captain Kenjo might start on his own. Sandaime, is the engine OK?"

 

"Enough power! I'm worried about what will happen after we leave if we're so close to the Spectrum F-type, but if we use a lot of coolant, it should be fine."

 

"Luca?"

 

"The jump settings are complete. We plan to adjust the trajectory after touchdown on-site."

 

"Schnitzer?"

 

"We can go. However, if we start fighting right after touchdown, this operation will fail at that point."

 

"Coorie?"

 

"We'll finish setting up the electronic warfare after touchdown, before we leave the star."

 

Coorie said, moving both hands quickly.

 

"We can't expand the antenna directly above the star anyway, so there's no need for us."

 

"Hyakume?"

 

"Same here."

 

Hyakume said, quickly setting up the radar and sensors.

 

"We can't open sensors directly above the star, and we can only use radar to a minimum extent, considering the possibility of being found by an observation ship. Just jump without worrying."

 

"Any other areas that could be problematic?"

 

Since we're touching down directly above a red giant, it's not surprising that problems could arise anywhere. Marika checked the display in the captain's seat to make sure that there were no problems with Bentenmaru that required immediate attention.

 

"So, Captain, are you sure?"

 

"Go ahead."

 

The captain waved his hand briefly.

 

"Nothing I say will stop them now."

 

"Yes, they won't stop now. Bentenmaru, let's go."

 

As soon as they returned to normal space, the bridge alarms started ringing all at once.

 

"We're in combat, we can postpone checking the hull!"

 

Marika shouted from the captain's seat.

 

"Is there anything dangerous around the spaceship?"

 

"There are no unidentified flying objects that would catch our sensors!"

 

Hyakume answered while quickly reading the data.

 

"As long as the main thruster can move, there's no problem!"

 

Sandaime announced while busily moving his hands.

 

"There are a lot of other problems, but we'll do something about it!"

 

"I'll leave it to you. We'll maintain the current altitude, stick to the surface of the star, and exit to the other side!!"

 

Even with the optical sensor sensitivity reduced to its maximum and all the filters we had on the monitor camera, the view remained completely white. Kane switched the optical observation data to color temperature display.

 

"External temperature: 6,250 Kelvin! A flare of unprecedented magnitude is erupting!"

 

"Low temperature on the port side!"

 

Luca announced, still wearing the head-mounted display.

 

"Elevation angle minus four, hurry!"

 

"I can see it!"

 

In the worst flight conditions, directly above the star, the Bentenmaru began its charge while controlling the ship's attitude with minimal maneuvers.

 

"Started spraying coolant."

 

Schnitzer reported. Coorie added.

 

"It won't last long anyway. Even if the hull survives, the Bentenmaru will be useless if the antenna can't be deployed."

 

"It's better to be found than to be unable to do your job."

 

Marika sat back in the captain's seat.

 

"Kane, Sandaime, I don't mind, just blast it off at maximum speed!"

 

"Got it!!" "Okay, go!"

 

"Wow, even with all the coolant sprayed on it, the tip is still red hot."

 

Ignoring Hyakume's comments, Kane put the throttle lever into maximum combat power. With the maximum possible power set by Sandaime, who was in charge of the engine, the Bentenmaru, which was positioned directly above the Spectral F-type star, began to accelerate while being roasted.

 

"Hey, you mentioned before that you use the inertial control system for heat exchange, can't you do something with that?"

 

"I'm doing it!"

 

Sandaime answered while spraying coolant on the exhaust system of the main thruster, which was quickly entering the danger zone.

 

"But this isn't a Sundiver that can convert thermal energy into kinetic energy efficiently. We already have to fly without falling into the gravity of the LF525, and even now the superfluid condenser is on the verge of exploding!"

 

"... Are you okay?"

 

Marika didn't miss the Captain's whispered voice amid the various alarms and flashing warning lights, and turned to the observer's seat with a smile.

 

"Of course it's okay. Is it hot?"

 

"Yes..."

 

The Captain looked around the displays in the observer's seat. More than half of the displays with lights on were flashing brightly in warning.

 

"It's the first time I've ever felt this hot."

 

"Once we get to the other side, it'll cool down."

 

Marika turned her eyes back to the direction of travel.

 

"Once we leave the heliosphere, we'll be on the battlefield."

 

After completing nearly half an orbit around LF525, the Bentenmaru left the star's surface earlier than planned. The coolant had run out, even in the reserve tanks.

 

The Bentenmaru had gained enough speed to escape from the Spectral F-type star, which has a much greater gravity than any other planet, and cut off its main thrusters as it left the heliosphere. Although they were beyond the second asteroid belt, the training fleet was spread out at a sufficient distance, and there were only a limited number of ships in a position where they could approach with the sun on their backs.

 

If we didn't use the thrusters, we could reduce the chances of being detected by infrared reactions.

 

"But still, our hull is right on your dick."

 

Kane carefully controlled his attitude to minimize the projected area in the direction of travel.

 

"If we could hit it with a sensor from the side, I don't think it would be surprising if we found a picture-perfect high-heat source object that had come out of a star."

 

"High-heat sources near stars aren't uncommon," Coorie said. The Bentenmaru accelerates without propellant by converting the thermal energy stored in the superfluid condenser into kinetic energy.

 

"If we don't fire anything extra, we won't be noticed, and if we are noticed, we'll have to send a spaceship over to confirm. Do you think a fleet in the middle of such a large-scale experimental exercise has the capacity to do that?"

 

"Can you see it?" Marika asked.

 

"Can you confirm the locations of the training fleet, Glamorous Grace, and Barbaroosa?"

 

"The antennas and sensors have only just been opened, and they haven't been able to dissipate heat sufficiently, so there are a lot of errors, but they are around here."

 

Hyakume plotted the current locations of the fleets deployed on their course, beyond the first asteroid belt, the first and second planets, and the second asteroid belt, on the star chart.

 

"There are also four Derrflinger-class ships in the supply fleet. The target ship, Barbaroosa, is a long way away and is around here."

 

The current locations of dozens of ships are superimposed on the star chart, not as points, but with a certain range. Marika asked at a glance.

 

"Any high-speed freighters other than the Derrflinger-class?"

 

"I can't see them."

 

Hyakume answered simply.

 

"There are nine disguised cargo ships participating in the exercise. I don't know how many are needed to disguise one Derrflinger-class ship, or if all nine are simulating four Derrflinger-class ships, but with our current observation accuracy we can't see any of them."

 

"But the Derrflinger-class's battle direction isn't facing us, is it?"

 

"As things stand, the target ship, the Barbaroosa, is far away from the main force of the exercise fleet. The Derrflinger-class has already begun advancing toward the target ship, so the Bentenmaru is currently in a position to observe the long-range artillery battle from the side."

 

"You're not even in front of me, so you can't see through the disguise?"

 

Marika checked the situation once more.

 

"That's amazing."

 

"It might be a different story if we hit it with a high-powered radar from the side, but that's how it is with passive observation. We can only see what the enemy wants to show us. Being unable to see what we see is a nightmare for a radar operator."

 

"Whether it's a Derrflinger-class or not, there's no doubt that there's something there where there's a reaction."

 

Coorie said, re-examining the data with large errors against the star chart.

 

"It's not uncommon for electronic battleships to appear and disappear these days."

 

"What's the current location of Glamorous Grace?"

 

"I can't see it."

 

The temperature of the radar and sensor systems, both of which had been thoroughly heated, was slowly decreasing. Hyakume said, searching the space around the target ship with sensors that were becoming more and more accurate with each passing hour.

 

"However, if we can see Glamorous Grace near Barbaroosa with our current observation posture, that means it can be clearly seen by the training fleet."

 

"It's still too early to come out, isn't it?"

 

Marika nodded.

 

"I understand. I will approach Barbaroosa while gathering combat information and preparing for battle."

 

Marika confirmed the current positions of the training fleet, the target ship, and the observation ships that were placed at regular intervals to cover the vast training airspace.

 

"...Hyakume, can you see anything in the airspace on the other side of the training fleet across from Barbaroosa?"

 

"...No."

 

After reconfirming Barbaroosa's current position, Hyakume pointed her sensor at a distant space.

 

"At the moment, there are no reactions other than natural celestial bodies. What's wrong?"

 

"If we want to approach the target ship without being seen by the training fleet and observation ships, we have no choice but to go from the other side."

 

Marika answered while thinking.

 

"With this arrangement, if the Glamorous Grace, which should have been in the second asteroid belt, wanted to approach the Barbaroosa, which was being observed as a target ship, the only way would be in the opposite direction. If we wanted to assist it, we would have to go from the same direction."

 

"We have to deceive not only the Derrflinger-class, which will attack from the front, but also the wide-area observation ships and the supply ships, which we can't ignore."

 

Coorie transferred the new route plan to the main screen.

 

"The observation ships will approach the target ship as the exercise progresses, and if the four Derrflinger-class ships close the distance and switch to precision naval bombardment, it's probably safer to go around here."

 

"Ah, they fired."

 

Hyakume reported. The four mobile cruisers fired simultaneously at the target ship, which was almost as far away as it could be, even though it was within the catalog range.

 

"Well, I don't think we'll hit it, but I wonder if it's okay."

 

Marika muttered worriedly. Although it's a matter of probability, there is an astronomical probability of a lucky shot.

 

"It should be okay."

 

Coorie zoomed in on the current position of the target ship, which was occupying the space on the axis of the guns.

 

"It's far from the electronic warfare power of the Barbaroosa, but it can at least deceive its current position against long-range fire. Besides, even a cruiser's main gun will spread at this distance, so even though it's old, the armor of the Barbaroosa, a light battleship, won't be penetrated."

 

"A pursuit battle while using electronic jamming?"

 

Marika remembered the scenario for this exercise.

 

"Four against one is unfair, but well, if you're being pursued, it can't be helped."

 

By the time the Bentenmaru left the second asteroid belt, the pursuing Derrflinger-class had fired four more long-range salvos at different distances and conditions.

 

Before firing, the target ship, the Barbaroosa, is using electronic jamming on the pursuing ship. As the pursuit scenario progresses, the range of the shots gets shorter and shorter, but no shots have been fired at the Barbaroosa yet.

 

"That's terrible."

 

As the Bentenmaru moves farther away from the LF525, the temperature of the ship's hull, which has been heated by the surface of the star, drops sufficiently. Alarms are still going off here and there, but the measures have been taken to ensure that the ship can continue sailing for the time being.

 

"Even if it's not as good as ours, the Barbaroosa has enough electronic warfare capabilities to continue as a pirate for many years, but they're only allowed to use textbook-level electronic jamming. Is it really worth setting the stage for an exercise like this?"

 

"If you want to disguise your ship type, don't you need some pretty advanced electronic warfare technology?"

 

Marika asked Coorie, who was constantly grumbling and complaining.

 

"At least the camouflaged Derrflinger class has good electronic warfare capabilities, doesn't it?"

 

"They're just using the equipment they were given as instructed."

 

Coorie replied, sending some data to the captain and observer.

 

"You're following the exercise scenario, so I can praise you for that, but that's all. We're still far away and we haven't initiated anything, so I can't see much of the situation, but we're not coordinating and we're only using a basic anti-electronic defense."

 

"The naval gunfire seems a lot more accurate than it was at the beginning."

 

"That's to be expected, since we're closing in on the distance."

 

Coorie displayed additional data on the display.

 

“The charge rate of the Derrflinger-class volleys is the same as in the real thing, but the focusing rate hasn’t been increased much for the exercise. It’s enough to make the Barbaroussa’s armor bounce off easily, which means that this exercise is set up so that even if we really try, we won’t have any problems. And yet, we haven’t even managed to hit a single target.”

 

After rattling off up to that point, Coorie took a breath.

 

"Well, I guess that's better for making them our enemy."

 

"No, it's about time to change."

 

Hyakume said.

 

"If the exercise scenario plays out, we'll move from long-range artillery fire to anti-ship combat. It'll be difficult to engage in anti-ship combat while still disguised as a cruiser."

 

"What's Glamorous Grace's current location?"

 

Marika asked just to be sure. As if waiting for the right moment, a ringtone sounded on the bridge announcing a message.

 

"I can't see you yet. But this is a direct message from the target ship QD0443."

 

Marika instinctively checked the message on the communication display in the captain's seat. In addition to the data communication that the target ship was broadcasting to the observation ship, the communication line opened for a moment and audio data was transmitted.

 

"I'll broadcast it."

 

Hyakume played the received audio data.

 

Chiaki's voice was broadcast on the bridge, saying just one word.

 

"Start!”

 

"Initiate!"

 

Marika immediately gave orders.

 

"Electronic warfare attack on the entire training fleet, including the Derrflinger class, to create an illusion of Barbaroosa's current location!"

 

"We've been waiting for this!"

 

Coorie gleefully began his work.

 

"Bentenmaru will be covering Barbaroosa. Kane, Hyakume, we can't help being noticed, but we'll try to get there as late as possible and approach Barbaroosa!!"

 

"Understood!"

 

Using minimal thrust from the main engine and a combination of inertial control and anti-gravity engines, Bentenmaru leapt out from the outer edge of the second asteroid belt.

 

There is no set distance that separates long-range artillery battles from mobile anti-ship battles. When firing energy beams at each other in space at great distances, warships stay still when they are far away, gather information on the enemy's location, and stabilize their own ships as much as possible to perform precise long-range fire.

 

As the distance closes, the position information of both sides becomes more precise, and the destructive power of each other's beams increases. If they perform evasive maneuvers between each other's firing opportunities, it becomes a mobile anti-ship battle.

 

Bentenmaru begins its intervention in the exercise, on a trajectory that will allow it to catch up with the Barbaroussa before the four pursuing Derrflinger-class ships. It spreads deceptive information to the four pursuing cruisers and the observation ship positioned at a distance, changing the current location of the Barbaroussa, while keeping its own position secret.

 

Bentenmaru's trajectory is quite different from that of the Derrflinger-class ships chasing the Barbaroussa. Spaceships in outer space are very small, so unless it does something that will find it, Bentenmaru should be able to keep its presence secret until it gets quite close.

 

"The Barbaroussa's electronic warfare has changed its pattern!"

 

Coorie reported as he continued to jam the observation ship and the Derrflinger-class ships electronically.

 

"The jamming power for the pursuing side has suddenly increased! I think it's being directly set up by the crew of the Barbaroosa!"

 

"Does that mean control of the target ship has been returned to the Barbaroosa?"

 

"Captain Kenjo said that we've set up a mechanism for that."

 

Coorie changed the electronic attack pattern of the Bentenmaru to match the Barbaroosa's electronic jamming.

 

"Now, we're deviating from the scenario. What should we do about the training fleet?"

 

The target ship suddenly increased the output of its electronic jamming without changing the planned trajectory in the training scenario. The Derrflinger class did not inquire about the change in plan, and the observation ship did not issue a command to cancel or stop the training. Perhaps interpreting this as a common event in live-fire training, the four Derrflinger class ships fired their guns at the same time as before.

 

"Ah..."

 

Hyakume made a strange noise.

 

"They shot back."

 

"What did you say!?"

 

The target ship QD0443 fired its guns at the pursuing Derrflinger class. Even from Bentenmaru, it was possible to observe the salvos of two Class 90 quadruple main guns tearing through space.

 

"Wait a second, is the target ship's counterattack planned for this exercise?"

 

"If the exercise scenario circulated by Glamorous Grace is correct, then yes!"

 

Hyakume answered immediately.

 

"What are we going to do? This is clearly a deviation from the exercise scenario."

 

"Derrflinger, what are you doing?"

 

"Increased communication traffic."

 

Coorie answered Marika's question.

 

"Are you discussing what to do in the event of an unexpected situation?"

 

"Oh, well, I guess that can't be helped."

 

Marika stood up from the captain's seat.

 

"Bentenmaru transponder emits!"

 

"Got it!"

 

Coorie quickly switched on the transponder.

 

"So, communication next?"

 

"I'm going to pick a fight with all the fleets in this airspace, forced communication!"

 

"Directional communication with all spaceships whose positions are known, set up complete."

 

Coorie quickly finished setting things up as if by routine, and ran the communication line to the captain's seat.

 

"With image transmission, please."

 

The camera on the communications panel lit up. Marika took the microphone.

 

"This is the pirate ship Bentenmaru, captain Kato Marika. We would like to thank the Derrflinger-class for their cooperation in collecting data during the exercise."

 

Marika glared at the camera with a smile, trying to look as cheeky as possible.

 

"Notice to all spaceships belonging to Rakion. The pirate ship Bentenmaru has completed collection of all data necessary for the trial. If you surrender now, we'll be lenient with you."

 

With a wink as a courtesy, Marika hung up the microphone.

 

"Schnitzer, can you target the four Derrflinger-class ships?"

 

"Of course."

 

"Then fire, and as soon as the salvo is complete, fire a disturbance curtain and send out jamming signals to let the enemy know that they're here."

 

"Understood."

 

The captain's seat received a signal that the two triple main gun turrets of the Bentenmaru were ready to fire.

 

"Fire!"

 

Marika immediately gave orders. A long-range beam was fired at the Derrflinger-class from a different direction than the target ship.

 

"Captain."

 

Marika looked forward and said to Captain Hogarth in the observer seat.

 

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Things are about to get interesting."

 

"A sudden declaration of war?"

 

Hogarth said with an amused look on his face.

 

"You're a pirate, as expected."

 

"We need to get the enemy serious."

 

Glancing sideways at the movements of the four Derflinge-class ships that had been hit by artillery fire from a direction they hadn't been paying much attention to, Marika asked.

 

"If those four Derflinge-class ships were real, then the Bentenmaru would be a real pirate that had entered the training airspace and launched an attack. But the data for three of those four Derflinge-class ships matches the data for the one that attacked the Maria Forte."

 

Marika looked down at the battle information display, where the individual ship data for each of the four ships was starting to come together.

 

"So, is it okay?"

 

"If it's electronic data for camouflage, it's hard to track them if they've been altered in small ways, but yes, it's okay."

 

Coorie had lined up the battle data for the three previous Derflinge-class ships so that the captain could see them, and matched it with the data for the four ships in front of him.

 

"Of course, it's a battle cruiser, so there's no transponder, but it matches perfectly with the data from the closest Derrflinger class. At this level, we can present it as evidence in court."

 

"If we were to disclose the firing pattern of a state-of-the-art cruiser as evidence in court, the manufacturer would definitely try to settle."

 

That is combat information that valuable products don't want to be made public.

 

"It's here!"

 

Coorie said happily.

 

"The radars of four Derrflinger class ships and the observation ship are heading our way!"

 

"Continue with electronic jamming on the Barbaroosa, but ease up so we're not targeted."

 

Marika, who was in the captain's seat, also smiled.

 

"Tell them exactly who we are and where we're from."

 

Marika looked down at the chronometer on the captain's seat, which displayed Galactic Standard Time and local sidereal time. He waited ten seconds to give the enemy enough time to confirm Bentenmaru's current position, then gave the next order.

 

"Resume electronic jamming! Target, training fleet, do it with the intention of hijacking!"

 

"Are you going to pick a fight with the training fleet with just one pirate ship?"

 

The captain in the observer seat couldn't stop grinning.

 

"What should we do?"

 

"An outsider suddenly invaded the airspace that a private company had rented out for live ammunition training."

 

Marika explained the situation, which was obvious.

 

"Normally, we would request that they leave peacefully and immediately. However, if they found out that they were pirates that we were supposed to be setting up, our response would be different. They're probably thinking about how much of their hand they've been exposed."

 

Marika kept her eyes on the movements of the four Derrflinger-class ships visible on the radar and the observation fleet deployed in the distance.

 

"The energy response of the four Derrflinger class ships has increased sharply!"

 

Coorie reported while taking countermeasures.

 

"They changed course while scattering! We've made them realize that we are their prey!!"

 

"They seem to have attempted to forcibly remove them without negotiation."

 

Marika smiled at the observer seat, relieved of tension.

 

"We have won."

 

"All we have to do now is to flee, then?"

 

"Not at all. Even if we flee now, they will tamper with the battle information again to suit their own convenience, and this time they will make us out to be real pirates. They have taken the trouble to recognize us as an enemy to be sunk, so we have to deal with them properly."

 

"The escort fleet has begun to move."

 

Hyakume, who was following the movements of the company fleet on guard duty further out on the outer planet side than the training fleet, announced.

 

"No, the escort fleet is heading for Barbaroussa."

 

"What about Barbaroussa?"

 

"They're not moving at the moment. If the plan goes according to plan, they'll come aboard the Glamorous Grace and take back Barbaroussa while we distract the fake fleet."

 

"Well then, let's go wild and cooperate with the training. Let's release decoys and take the initiative to make the enemy respond!"

 

"Understood!!"

 

While releasing decoys that react in the same way in all directions, Bentenmaru began accelerating towards the four Derrflinger-class ships.

 

"I'm firing!"

 

At the same time as Hyakume's voice, the Derrflinger-class ships fired a naval gunfire aimed clearly at Bentenmaru. A dozen powerful energy beams that seemed to be scattered cut through space.

 

"It's not a fake beam for training, it's an armor-piercing beam that's been tightly charged and narrowed down as much as possible!!"

 

"If we get hit directly, our armor will be pierced in one shot, but as expected, the aim is poor."

 

Marika glanced at the observation results of the beam that passed through the space near Bentenmaru.

 

"Schnitzer, can you hit it?"

 

"Even if our Class 40s hit it at this distance, they won't penetrate the armor."

 

Schnitzer sent orders to fire to the two main gun turrets.

 

"But if we don't focus the fire, we should be able to do a lot of damage to the antennas, which are essential for electronic camouflage."

 

"Go for it."

 

"Understood. Shoot and evade, and they'll hit us in our firing position."

 

Naval gunfire is one of the few chances to check the enemy's current position during battle. Bentenmaru fired six triple Class 40 beam cannons at the four Derrflinger class ships that were still far away.

 

"More!"

 

Coorie reported, counting the enemy figures on the battle display that suddenly seemed to split apart.

 

"Eight, sixteen! The Derrflinger-class split into sixteen!"

 

"Are they decoys? Or shadows?"

 

"Some are shadows, but the rest are probably real."

 

Coorie answered, quickly comparing it with data he'd pulled from somewhere.

 

"It's useful that we were able to get detailed data on the cargo ships' configuration before they were disguised in Port Cerna. They were probably forming a tight formation that made it look like one ship, and they were disguised while dividing up the reaction and attack, and then they dispersed one by one."

 

"And yet their reaction is the same as the Derrflinger-class. I wonder how much money they've spent on electronic weapons."

 

"They'd be able to fool amateurs, but they're too easy on professionals like us."

 

Coorie activated an improvised filter. In an instant, the number of Derrflinger-class ships shown on the battle display dropped from sixteen to nine.

 

"These are the only real ones, you can ignore the rest."

 

"Wow... they're impressive."

 

Marika gave orders while ignoring what Captain Hogarth was saying in the observer's seat.

 

"Unless the enemy is a real mobile cruiser, one at a time is enough to take them on. There's no need to sink them, as long as we can take away their electronic warfare power we'll win!"

 

The Derrflinger class, which had split into 16 ships, took a trajectory that would envelop the Bentenmaru as they spread out. If you have superior numbers, it's basic to attack the enemy with multiple against one.

 

The Bentenmaru, which should appear to the enemy as having split into five ships after releasing a decoy, further applied electronic jamming to deceive the enemy about its current position and headed for the nearest Derrflinger class. The enemy's aim was a long-range artillery battle, while ours was to jump into their inner circle and engage in anti-ship mobile warfare.

 

The Derrflinger-class fleet fired several volleys at the approaching Bentenmaru, including the decoy. It seems that the volleys were intended to confirm whether the target was a decoy or real, but it is unclear how effective they were.

 

"Barbaroosa is on the move!"

 

Hyakume reported from the data he was gathering between the gaps in the fierce electronic attacks.

 

"Heading this way."

 

"Is it a battleship?"

 

Marika checked the current positions of the enemy ships, Bentenmaru, and Barbaroosa on the battle display.

 

"And there's an escort fleet on top of that?"

 

As Barbaroosa began to reverse course in its exercise, the escort fleets that had been scattered and waiting in orbit around the outer planet began to gather and approach from the side. Some of the impatient escort ships seemed to have begun long-range firing at Barbaroosa, which was taking a simple straight trajectory to get the shortest distance.

 

"It's one thing if it's the usual Barbaroosa, which is fully prepared, but if it was just an unmanned target ship until just now, it might be a bit too much."

 

"It would be troublesome if it came flying into our area with that added bonus."

 

Marika looked up from the battle display.

 

"But they're probably more of a problem. Even though it's old, it's still a battleship, so it won't be easy to stop."

 

"It's up to them to decide, but if we judge it as an enemy force, they're more of a threat. Plus, at their current speed, the escort fleet will be able to reach the Derrflinger class before it can catch up with the Barbaroosa. For us, it's simply a doubling of our forces, but what will they do?"

 

"If I were the commander, I'd concentrate all my forces on the Barbaroosa first."

 

Concentrating forces on a strong enemy is also a basic principle of battle.

 

"It looks like you heard me."

 

Coorie switched the display.

 

"Huh?"

 

"The Derrflinger class has disappeared."

 

"What did you say!?"

 

"Instead, nine reactions of unknown format appeared. It seems they changed course in a hurry because the mysterious pirate ship and the target ship they had in their hands turned against them."

 

"Oh dear."

 

Marika stared at the battle situation display, where the status had changed from sixteen Derrflinger class ships to nine unknowns. The nine ships turned around and changed course for the Barbaroosa, accelerating more like assault boats than mobile cruisers.

 

"What's with the Derrflinger class? Were you hiding such acceleration?"

 

"It's almost the highest performance estimated for a high-speed cargo ship."

 

Hyakume reported.

 

"Anyway, we need to make sure we have acceleration that's better than the transforming spaceship, otherwise we won't make it to the stage in time."

 

Marika asked.

 

"Can we keep up?"

 

"We're running out of coolant."

 

Sandaime let out a pathetic cry.

 

"The next time the engine overheats, the only way to cool it down is through natural heat dissipation."

 

"The enemy has already shown us their true colors, so give us a little something! Schnitzer, it's better to have as few enemy ships approach the Barbaroosa as possible, so aim for the closest spaceship!"

 

"Shall we turn off the electronic jamming as well?"

 

Marika turned to face Coorie who had made the unexpected suggestion.

 

"It's just a little, but if we turn off the jamming signal from here, we can improve our firing accuracy. Won't you try it out and see which one the frontline ships will target: a battleship charging from afar, or a cruiser that's in full view right in front of you?"

 

"Try it."

 

Marika ordered.

 

"Isn't this the first time we've ever had to disable electronic jamming from our side on the battlefield?"

 

"The enemy should know what we're going to do."

 

Schnitzer said as he gave orders to the main gun turret.

 

"Target: former Derrflinger-class Charlie. Long-range precision bombardment. Kane, stabilize the ship."

 

"Oh, leave it to me!"

 

Kane pointed the axis of the hull precisely at the target and cut off the Bentenmaru's thrust. Without electronic jamming, the Bentenmaru moved into inertial navigation, completely defenseless.

 

Marika said without waiting for Schnitzer's report.

 

"I'll leave the timing of firing up to you."

 

"Understood. Firing main guns."

 

The two triple turrets of the Bentenmaru opened fire on the high-speed freighter that had turned around and was heading for Barbaroussa.

 

"Hit confirmed!"

 

Hyakume reported as she saw the target's infrared response rapidly increase.

 

"Its acceleration has also slowed, but it's not a fatal blow."

 

"Next, the other one!"

 

Marika ordered. The Bentenmaru temporarily regained thrust from inertial navigation and shifted its future position with minimal evasive maneuvers.

 

Bentenmaru fired two more volleys at the disguised ship heading for Barbaroussa. Long-range volleys at targets further away were not effective.

 

"Follow them!"

 

Not wanting to be left any further behind, Marika ordered.

 

"Bentenmaru won't let us get any further away!"

 

"Don't be ridiculous."

 

Ignoring Sandaime's screams, Kane throttled the Bentenmaru's main thruster to maximum speed.

 

"Resume electronic jamming, can we cover Barbaroosa?"

 

"We can, but the escort fleet is closing in on Barbaroosa more than we are."

 

Coorie reported the situation as he saw it.

 

"I don't think it will have much effect."

 

"It's better than nothing, right? Do it!"

 

"The escort fleet has opened fire!"

 

The escort fleet, mainly consisting of two battleships, began coordinated naval gunfire on Barbaroosa. Barbaroosa returned fire while making a token evasive maneuver.

 

Marika stared at the distant battlefield on the display. The escort fleet fired several corrective shots at the Barbaroosa with coordinated fire, then two battleships and four heavy cruisers began firing simultaneously.

 

"This isn't good."

 

Hyakume's mutterings were heard on the bridge, surprisingly loudly.

 

"This is going to hit us."

 

Barbaroosa didn't seem to take any evasive maneuvers. The black light battleship's reaction was enveloped in a powerful energy beam.

 

Next, an even larger explosion reaction appeared on the display.

 

"..."

 

Marika stared at the huge explosion reproduced on the battle display. The spherical energy quickly covered the attacking escort fleet.

 

When the explosion scattered and disappeared, Barbaroosa's reaction had disappeared from the display.

 

"It's a forward jump phenomenon."

 

Coorie announced, as if he knew it would happen. An abnormal space-time vibration was occurring at the point in space where Barbaroosa had disappeared.

 

"Pattern match... Karyobinga."

 

"Huh?"

 

Marika looked at the name of the ship again. The name of the pirate ship that was supposed to be missing appeared on the display.

 

Marika noticed that several more pre-jump phenomena had been observed.

 

"What is this... What's going to happen?"

 

"A missing pirate ship rushed to the scene of a fellow pirate's crisis."

 

Captain Hogarth rose from the observer's seat.

 

"Furthermore, the Imperial Fleet, which had been pursuing a pirate ship that had kidnapped a military police officer but was supposed to be sent to a core star system, has finally caught up with them."

 

The captain gave the captain the same sloppy salute he had given when he first boarded the Bentenmaru.

 

"We have now secured data that shows that the Rakion corporate alliance was conducting experimental training in the Fountainbleau training airspace for a combat ship that can disguise its type from individual ship (personal) data. Thank you for your cooperation. The Fifth Fleet will take over from here."

 

Following the Karyoubinga, the Imperial Fifth Fleet's mobile strike forces were touching down one after another in the training airspace.

 

Marika came back to her senses.

 

"Bentenmaru, head to the sinking point of Barbaroosa at maximum speed! We need to go and retrieve any life capsules or whatever!"

 

"Ah, I think that's okay."

 

Hyakume sent a short communication data to the captain's seat.

 

"This is a communication data that arrived here just before Barbaroosa hit directly. The sender is Chiaki Kurihara, and the contents are only numbers for a space coordinate a little distance away."

 

"Eh?"

 

Marika looked at the numbers displayed on the screen. It was a space that was far enough away to jump in a short distance.

 

"The biggest problem was how to legally get Barbaroosa back into our hands after we sold it once."

 

On the other side of the communication monitor, Captain Blackbeard had a broad smile on his face.

 

"No matter how many underhanded tactics the other side uses, if we do the same thing, we'll fall to the same level. Then I remembered the regulations for recovering sunken spaceships.'

 

'Is it true that ownership of a sunken spaceship is transferred to the person who recovers it?'

 

Marika looked at the relevant clauses of the navigation law that Coorie had quickly handed to the captain's seat, then turned her eyes back to the communication monitor.

 

'Yes, that's it. Well, to be precise, the owner must acknowledge the sinking judgment, or a third party must confirm the sinking situation, or there are various other things, but for now, unless I can see the Barbaroosa sink in front of me, it won't be legally returned to me, that's how it is.'

 

'But that doesn't mean we can fly with the Glamorous Grace loaded with energy containers, hit the escort fleet directly, and make a short jump at the same time...'

 

Marika looked over the navigation data that had been sent to her with a dizzy feeling.

 

"If the timing was off even a little bit, the whole thing would be destroyed if the explosion caught up with the Barbaroosa."

 

"So I gave the command for the timing of the explosion."

 

Captain Kenjo raised his index finger to Marika on the monitor.

 

"The escort fleet's gunfire was more accurate than I expected, so we were saved. When it hit, we pressed the switch and exploded, and we jumped at the same time. How was it? Did it really look like the Barbaroosa was vaporized by the direct hit?"

 

"Yes, it really was."

 

Marika glanced at the captain who seemed to be in contact with the 5th Fleet, who had rushed over to the scene from the observer's seat.

 

"The 5th Fleet will testify about the sinking of the Barbaroussa. As for the fake ship, the 5th Fleet has captured the entire training fleet and will be questioning them."

 

"Well, I'll leave it to you to clean up afterwards, Bentenmaru."

 

He raised his hand, and Marika looked back at Captain Kenjo in shock.

 

"What about the Barbaroussa? You're also involved, aren't you!?"

 

"Look, we're supposed to have sunk just now."

 

Captain Kenjo waved his hand.

 

"I can't go out in front of the 5th Fleet, who will testify about the sinking, or the training fleet that they think sunk it. The rest should be handled by Count Kahn, who has been working behind the scenes with the Karyoubinga and the 5th Fleet.'

 

'What exactly do you mean by clean up?'

 

'It's not a big deal.'

 

Captain Hogarth, who was in the observer's seat, said while talking on the radio.

 

'All you need to do is be questioned about this incident and help us write a simple report. You can take it easy in Port Seruna and we'll be done in the meantime.'

 

'But I'm in school...'

 

The Imperial Fleet's pirate designation for the Bentenmaru was lifted the same day. It was three days later that the Sea of the Morningstar Administration lifted the suspension of the privateer's license.

 

However, Marika was forced to help write a detailed report in Port Seruna.

 

"So why did you come out?"

 

Coorie gave a suspicious look at Nat Nashfall, an intelligence officer attached to the Imperial Fleet Command, who appeared at Marx Intelligence Services while they were cleaning up.

 

"I thought you might want to hear at least a basic explanation about this incident."

 

Standing on the other side of the open door, Nash held up a colorful box from Petit Etoile, a high-end confectionery shop in the center, that he had brought as a gift, in his right hand.

 

"You've probably been questioned thoroughly about the movements of pirate ships, including the Bentenmaru, at Fountainbleau, and the battle information, but the Imperial Fleet has never explained what the Rakion-affiliated company fleet was thinking when they tested a device to disguise each ship type, or why they were buying up privateer licenses or trying to trap pirate ships."

 

"They're making all kinds of excuses, like it's outside their jurisdiction, they haven't received any information, they're not qualified to disclose information, etc. Can you explain that to me?"

 

"Of course not."

 

Nash then held up a large case of high-quality liquor in his left hand to Coorie, who didn't even try to reach out.

 

"There's no way an intelligence officer could say something like that. Not in a place like this, where you don't know if anyone is listening in."

 

After glaring at Nash for a while, Coorie retreated to the back of the office.

 

"Come in. Captain, we have a customer."

 

"Yes, who's this time?"

 

Marika came out, pushing through the packed office furniture and electronic devices, and took a second look at Nash, who was holding a gift in each hand.

 

"Nat Nashfall, an intelligence officer?"

 

"I'm honored you remembered me."

 

Since both his hands were full, Nash bowed to Marika.

 

"We're closing up shop, but all the jammers and decoys are still in operation, so there's no need to worry about being eavesdropped on from outside in this office."

 

Although the desk and chair are still there, most of the electronic devices necessary for work have been removed, making the office much neater. After offering Nash a chair, Coorie finally accepted the large box of sweets as a gift.

 

"Thank you very much."

 

Hyakume received a large case of high-quality liquor, and opened it with practiced hands to check the labels on the barrels inside.

 

"This is the first time I've ever seen five-star champagne with royalties, and even in a crystal barrel. Do you want me to analyze it just to be sure?"

 

Coorie quickly opened the large box of sweets. He took out a small box that looked like a jewelry box, opened it, and popped the colorful chocolates inside into his mouth.

 

"I'll use this to taste them for poison, so that's fine."

 

With one cheek puffed out, Coorie glared at Nash.

 

"Count Khan of the Karyoubinga is on his way here now. I'm sure he'll give us a satisfactory explanation."

 

"Of course, I'll give you the best explanation I can."

 

Nash looked around at the faces of Marika, Coorie, Hyakume, and Schnitzer who were there.

 

"The conclusion is that you may have uncovered part of a huge conspiracy hidden within the military industry."

 

The Karyoubinga was anchored in the military-controlled anchorage airspace of Port Seruna along with the Bentenmaru. The captain, Count Khan, had been summoned to the fleet headquarters every day for questioning, and although there were no restrictions on the ship or its crew, they were essentially under arrest, which meant that they were under the protection of the Imperial fleet.

 

Count Khan, who had just landed at Port Seruna at the right time, appeared at the Marx Intelligence Service with Lady Anne.

 

"Thank you for your hard work."

 

Nash looked around at the two pirate captains and their subordinates who had gathered in his office just before moving.

 

"Thank you for your information and cooperation in this matter. The Fleet Commander's questioning will soon be over, so I'm sorry, but please bear with this cheap joke for a little while longer."

 

"Is that all you can tell me?"

 

Count Khan was enjoying the aroma of Five Star Champagne poured into a mug he had on hand.

 

"We would like to continue to maintain a good relationship with the Imperial Fleet."

 

"We will do our best. The Intelligence Department believes that the one who obtained your pirate license or tried to eliminate your pirate ship this time was not a Rakion-affiliated corporation, but rather a higher-ranking force within the military industrial complex, including the Big Three."

 

"So it's not just Rakion that's the problem?"

 

"No matter which chain of command you trace, there are impressively clever disruptions and concealments, as if they were assuming that they would be investigated, but some of the communication lines extend beyond the Rakion-affiliated to external networks."

 

"So you couldn't trace it to the main castle?"

 

"Unfortunately."

 

Nash nodded to Coorie, who was playing with a small decorative box of sweets.

 

"However, the existence of those who are trying to sell interstellar wars as a commodity has long been whispered about in this industry as a legend. Now, with the cooperation of the Serenity Space Force Intelligence Department, their existence has been clearly recognized by the Intelligence Department."

 

"So you've got your hands all the way to Serenity's Intelligence Department."

 

Coorie opened a small box case. He popped a large jewel-like candy into his mouth.

 

"So, how do you judge the Intelligence Department as friend or foe? The Big Three and Rakion are not enemies of the Imperial fleet, are they? If there is someone hiding among them who is plotting something evil, what do you intend to do about it?"

 

"They're enemies."

 

Nash smiled.

 

"Don't you know? The Imperial Fleet exists to build peace and tranquility in the Galactic Empire and the universe. I believe that the enemy this time has cleverly infiltrated and used military companies such as Rakion and military Confucian industries such as military companies that operate weapons. And since they are aware that they are against the ideals of the Empire, they will be hiding carefully and keeping their breath. Also, although their purpose is against the ideals of the Empire, it is not clearly hostile. As an enemy, they are much more troublesome than the rebel army."

 

"Isn't it the intelligence department's specialty to deal with troublesome and bothersome beings?"

 

"That's right."

 

Nash looked around at the faces of the pirates gathered around.

 

"This time, the enemy set out to eliminate you pirates. Fortunately, it ended in a result that could not be called successful, but it is possible that the enemy has clearly recognized you as a virtual enemy. Please be careful."

 

The pirates looked at each other.

 

Count Khan sipped his mug of beer.

 

"The pirates' prey has increased. So, what do you want specifically?"

 

"First, please help me write the report. As long as you are close to the fleet, the enemy who sees pirates as their hypothetical enemy will not make any rash moves. Well, this is just wishful thinking, though."

 

"What's next?"

 

"Keep in close contact. This situation means that the Intelligence Department has more hypothetical enemies. Depending on the results of the ongoing investigation, we may need your cooperation in various ways."

 

"Understood."

 

Count Khan placed his empty mug on his desk.

 

"I will cooperate to the extent that I can. Can I expect a reward?"

 

"Of course. Even though they are internal enemies, their scale is expected to be considerable."

 

"Can I trust you?"

 

Marika asked Coorie secretly. Coorie reached for the next box.

 

"You're just being deceived. Don't forget, Captain, that people who don't pay well are just stingy, but people who are too nice are dangerous."

 

It was a week later that Marika returned to her classroom at Hakuoh Girls' Academy.

 

Afterword (Asahi Novels version)

 

This summer, I rented a new workspace.

 

I used to take my charged laptop to a family restaurant after the lunch rush had died down, and work until the battery ran out, enjoying the drink bar that came with the lunch set, but now that I'm getting older, I can't afford to eat that much. Also, it's not like any family restaurant will do, and there are only a few places near my house where I can work easily.

 

It's true that I should just work from home, but there are many temptations here. I'm indecisive and have a weak will, so when I start up my PC to work from home, I first connect to the internet, check my email, look at Twitter, and walk around here and there, turn on the TV and glance at the news while following articles that interest me, and no matter how much I do, the text editor I need to write never starts up.

 

When you feel like you have no other option, you have no choice but to turn off your browser or mailer, and if that doesn't work, try turning off your wireless LAN or powering down your hub, but it's like building castles on sand.

 

Then a friend in the same industry told him, "I'm thinking of renting a room in a certain facility to use as a workspace." The workspace is about a 30-minute walk from his current apartment, 15 minutes by bicycle, or 10 minutes by car. It's a little inconvenient that you can't get there by public transportation, but it's a reasonable distance away, so you can excuse yourself by saying that the commute is good exercise. Perhaps if he sets up a computer that can only be used for writing in his workspace, which has no internet connection, his work efficiency will improve a little.

 

Hoping for this, Sasamoto agreed to rent a workspace as a shared studio, and brought in a second-hand desk and an old desktop that had been retired from his home. The old machine from the last century on which "ARIEL" and "Star Pilot" were written is Windows 98, which isn't even SE, but as long as I'm not connected to the Internet and just writing text, I don't have much trouble.

 

There is no Internet environment at my workplace. Sasamoto basically works from home, and has not yet purchased the equipment to connect to the Internet when he goes out. Thus, when I go to my workplace, I automatically have a computer dedicated to writing and an environment without the Internet.

 

The shared studio where I work started operating before the summer. Of course, the shared studio in downtown Sapporo has no air conditioning, so I have to open the windows in the middle of summer, and I'm sure I'll have to experience just how cold a huge space can get in the middle of winter. For now, I can say that my writing is going well at my new workplace, and at least it's progressing at a better pace than my workroom at home. Despite this, I'm working with a terrible schedule again.

 

"Bodacious Space Pirates", an anime adaptation of "Miniskirt Space Pirates" that started airing in January this year, seems to have received mixed reviews at first, due in part to the strange title proposed by the original author himself. However, I wasn't too worried about the anime being made by that director and that staff, but the reviews have been getting better and better with each episode.

 

For Sasamoto, it was the first time in his life that an anime he created was broadcast on TV every week, and it was a long series of 26 episodes over two seasons, which is rare these days, so it's been a really fun six months.

 

It was still airing when he heard the exciting news from the editorial department that it was going to be made into a movie.

 

So, Space Pirates will continue for a while longer. Thank you for your support.

 

October 26, 2012

Yuichi Sasamoto

 

Afterword (KADOKAWA version)

 

Seventh Year, a License to Lawlessness

 

This time, the additional afterword is short.

 

When you're republishing at such a high pace, it's no wonder that the author, who left everything to others even after it was made into an anime and a movie, can come up with ideas for an afterword so easily. In that case, it's easier to add in the main story that comes to mind later, or add in parts that were missing here and there.

 

The workspace I rented around this time is still in operation. Although I moved from the corner of the third floor of the old elementary school building to the center of the second floor, the heating works a little better, but it's cold in the middle of winter, so I can only use it occasionally. This year in Sapporo, the snow melted quickly after the strongest cold wave ever recorded at the beginning of February, and I was able to commute by motorcycle from March. My writing machine is an old IBM that's in its 22nd year. It's still going strong, along with the spare machine I have saved.

 

There's no doubt that one of the secrets to continuing as a writer for many years is health and stamina. To keep my stamina up, I try walking to work and taking the stairs instead of the elevator. Action scenes are not as physically demanding as actual action scenes, but they do require a lot of stamina. For a writer, stamina is key. As long as I have that, I can probably write my next work.

 

See you next time.

 

March 25, 2019

Sasamoto Yuichi

 

This book is a new edition with additional corrections and a new cover of "Miniskirt Space Pirates 9: License to Lawlessness," published by Asahi Novel in November 2012.

Sasamoto Yuichi

 

 

 

1963: Born in Tokyo.

 

1974: Becomes hooked on "Space Battleship Yamato" from the original broadcast.

 

1979: Watches "Mobile Suit Gundam" from the original broadcast.

 

1982: Reads "Galactic Beggars’ Army" and learns how to use airplane pilot manuals as reference books.

 

1984: Published "Operation Fairy"

 

1992: Published "Come and See the Stars Dance"

 

1992: Begins researching rockets from the first H-II rocket to write a space opera.

 

2008: "Miniskirt space pirate" battle begins!

 

2012: "Moretsu Space Pirates" televised.

 

2014: "Moretsu Space Pirates" theatrical animation was released.

 

2018: "Miniskirt Space Pirates" second battle begins!

 

 

Matsumoto Noriyuki

 

 

 

Worked for a game company for about 10 years. After that, he became a freelance illustrator, working on illustrations for light novels. Currently, his main activity is manga. His representative works include "Rin - Noriyuki Matsumoto Art Collection" (Enterbrain), "Tsubame Yodamari Shoujo Kiko" (Tokuma Shoten), and "Minami Kamakura High School Girls Bicycle Club" (Mac Garden).

 

 

 

Notes

[←1]

TL note: The Japanese is “青の姉” (“ao no ane”, big blue sister) and “青の妹” (“ao no imouto”, little blue sister)

[←2]

TL note: The kanji for the “Turquoise Brothers” is “碧の兄弟” with furigana of “あお” on the “碧” kanji, so “blue”. However, I’m going to go with “Turquoise”, the name used in mouretsupirates.fandom.com/wiki/Serenity, to make it more distinct from the “Blue Sisters” and give a nod to the “green” reading of the kanji.