Super Mothership
“Village chief, everyone! I want my loved ones to no longer fear death, and for my children to live carefree and happy lives…”
Spartacus wasn’t particularly eloquent, but these words moved every Ryan tribesman present.
The oppression and greedy exploitation of the Jinlok Consortium had long filled them with resentment. They were not afraid to die in the vastness of space—as long as they could see hope.
And a group of pirates had brought them that hope.
With Spartacus, one of their own, acting as a persuader, combined with the overwhelming visible gap in military strength, everyone in the village cooperatively brought their families and boarded the landing craft.
In the end, Nie Yun even set the entire village on fire, creating the illusion of a pirate raid.
And it wasn’t just Village No. 67—pirates across the rest of Ryan Planet had also begun “burning, killing, and looting” everywhere.
Whether looting wealth or capturing people, they surrounded villages one by one, used force to intimidate them, and then took them away in batches.
The Ryan people could truly be called a warrior race. From a young age, they received Spartan-style training. Under the pressure of a harsh environment, even women and half-grown children possessed considerable combat ability.
But this was no longer the age of cold weapons. Lacking modern weaponry, the Ryan people could only offer scattered resistance before being driven onto ships by waves of ferocious pirates.
The population plundering operation lasted a full five days. Landing craft traveled back and forth across Ryan Planet until the ships Nie Yun brought were completely filled. Only then did Nie Yun, somewhat regretfully, lead his fleet away.
In the end, nearly a hundred villages were emptied, and close to 100,000 Ryan people were abducted.
Before leaving, Nie Yun also threw all the prisoners from the Fifth Fleet into the large mining facility on the planet.
According to him, this was “leaving a line of mercy, so we may meet again in the future”…
Of course, he didn’t forget to take along a batch of minerals from the mining base warehouse that couldn’t be transported in time.
The Ghost Pirate Crew, fully loaded, carefully avoided the patrol routes of the Fifth Fleet and returned to the Shattered Star Region. The Fifth Fleet’s reinforcements, after receiving the news, only arrived at Ryan Planet two days later.
All they saw were fragments of warship wreckage floating in space…
…
“Useless! A bunch of useless fools!” Jinlok pointed at the Fifth Fleet commander’s nose and berated him furiously.
“Just a few dozen enemy ships, and you still haven’t wiped them out! And now, you’ve let a bunch of pirates steal my slaves right under your noses! That’s my property! Do you know how much money this is going to cost me? Huh?!”
“This subordinate has failed!” the Fifth Fleet commander replied meekly.
“I truly did not expect that among those pirates, someone would dare provoke the Jinlok Consortium. Moreover, the location of Ryan Planet is classified information—there may be a leak within our ranks.
Additionally, I suspect that both of these incidents were carried out by the same pirate fleet. Among the ships involved in this raid, we identified vessels from the Twin Stars—they are likely the same ones that were previously captured.
It’s also possible that through those ships, the pirates obtained intelligence about Ryan Planet…”
“Enough! I don’t want to hear your excuses! Go investigate—where did this band of small-time pirates come from, daring to target the Jinlok Consortium? I want them to pay the price!”
Jinlok didn’t care much about the loss of a mere hundred thousand Ryan slaves. To him, such slaves were like crops—after some time, they would grow back.
But if a small pirate group could bully them without consequence, how could the Jinlok Consortium continue to intimidate other pirate factions, or protect its trade routes and territories near pirate-infested regions?
Maintaining the consortium’s deterrent power—that was what truly mattered to Jinlok!
“Well… we may need to use our connections with the Black Sail.”
“Then have Flint handle the investigation. Isn’t he planning to procure a batch of warship weapons? Agree to it—set up a merchant convoy, pretend it was captured by pirates and sold to him. Keep it clean.”
After all, collusion between merchants and pirates couldn’t be brought into the open—appearances still had to be maintained.
“Yes! However, Black Sail seems to be preparing for a major operation recently. They’ve purchased quite a large number of warships and weapons from us. I’m worried this might end up nurturing a tiger that will come back to bite us…”
The Fifth Fleet was the garrison fleet of the Jinlok Consortium’s territory, so he naturally understood that if a hegemon-level pirate force emerged in the Shattered Star Region, it would definitely not be good news for the Jinlok Consortium.
After all, the combined strength of the seven major pirate fleets was no weaker than the Jinlok Consortium.
“Let them stir things up. The waters of the Shattered Star Region are far deeper than we imagine!” Jinlok said indifferently.
The internal situation of the Shattered Star Region was chaotic, with multiple factions intervening and competing against each other. Although the Jinlok Consortium had geographical advantages, it had only managed to win over Black Sail and secure a foothold in this massive “cake,” which showed just how intense the competition among the major forces was.
It wasn’t that no one had ever tried to dominate the region, but the other six pirate groups were no pushovers. Anyone attempting to rise would have to be prepared to face a joint assault from the rest. The pirate factions formed alliances and rivalries, resembling a miniature version of the Warring States era.
Aside from the unique geography of the Shattered Star Region, the broader environment within the Wolf Empire was also a factor behind this situation.
Although the Wolf Empire was centralized, its territory had already expanded to the limits of current technology. Even with wormholes connecting regions, traveling from the outermost edges of the empire to its core still took years.
Coupled with the chaos caused by the “Mechanical Calamity” a thousand years ago and the disappearance of the “Star Cross Knights,” the imperial royal family had long since suffered a severe decline in strength, greatly weakening its control over local territories.
The early signs of warlord fragmentation had begun to appear. This was also one of the deeper reasons why piracy in the Shattered Star Region remained rampant despite repeated suppression.
…
“Jinlok’s territory was attacked?” Flint swirled the wine in his glass with interest.
“Yes. Previously, the Jinlok Consortium’s Fifth Fleet was also intercepted by a pirate group in the Shattered Star Region. A batch of alien captives was forcibly taken from them. It’s said that it’s very likely the same pirate group responsible for this attack.”
“Oh? You’re saying there’s a pirate group specifically targeting the Jinlok Consortium?”
“That possibility cannot be ruled out.”
“Heh! Interesting. In this little patch of land in the Shattered Star Region, someone actually dares to act against the Jinlok Consortium without regard for the reputation of Black Sail. Could it be one of the other major pirate groups?” Flint spoke with a smile, but a faint killing intent flickered in his eyes.
“Probably not…” The subordinate hesitated. “It’s said that the pirate group calls itself the Ghost Pirate Crew.”
“Ghost Pirate Crew… why does that name sound familiar?” Flint frowned.
“Do you remember the mysterious expert known as the Ghost Captain who killed Mad Wolf? He is the leader of the Ghost Pirate Crew.”
“It’s him?!” Flint was momentarily stunned.
This mysterious expert, rumored to have deep ties with the Mechanical Race, was currently being investigated by all seven major pirate groups. Unexpectedly, as soon as he made a move, he set his sights on the Jinlok Consortium!
Was it because he had strong backing and thus dared to act recklessly against the fattest target nearby? Or was his real intention elsewhere—perhaps targeting Black Sail, which was allied with the Jinlok Consortium?
“Boss, we’ve already identified the Ghost Pirate Crew’s base. Should we send our men to teach them a lesson?”
“No! Don’t act rashly!” Flint raised a hand to stop him.
A schemer instinctively evaluates opponents through the lens of conspiracy.
Flint’s first thought was… could this be a trap?
If someone was trying to use the Jinlok Consortium to provoke a conflict between him and the Ghost Pirate Crew—letting the tiger devour the wolf…
He had no doubt that he could wipe out the Ghost Pirate Crew without much effort, even if they had a mech expert comparable to a legend.
But even if doing so preserved Black Sail’s reputation, he would gain nothing from it—and might even offend the Mechanical Race behind them…
If their background was truly powerful, provoking the small one might bring out the big one. By then, wouldn’t Black Sail gain a powerful enemy for nothing?
No matter how he looked at it, this deal was a loss!
The Shattered Star Region was vast—so why did this Ghost Captain, who had just arrived, choose to offend the Jinlok Consortium twice in a row, instead of anyone else? With no prior grudges between them, Flint refused to believe no one was secretly instigating this.
This was clearly an attempt to make Black Sail clash with the Mechanical Race!
A conspiracy! There was definitely a conspiracy behind this!
“Go. Investigate why they are targeting the Jinlok Consortium. Focus on whether other major pirate groups are manipulating things behind the scenes!”
“Then… are we just going to let this go?” the subordinate asked hesitantly.
That would undoubtedly damage Black Sail’s reputation.
“Heh! Regardless of whether someone is behind them, the Ghost Pirate Crew has actually done us a favor this time, helping us gain quite a few benefits from the Jinlok Consortium.
Sometimes, such ‘pioneers’ have their use. They remind the Jinlok Consortium that in the Shattered Star Region, they cannot do without Black Sail. This is what you call ‘raising bandits to strengthen oneself!’” Flint said with a smile.
The subordinate immediately looked impressed. “Boss, your wisdom is unmatched—truly far-sighted!”
“Mm! But since they’ve slapped our face, we can’t show no response at all. However, our ‘Dragon Slaying Plan’ is currently at a critical stage. We must not create unnecessary complications.
Once everything settles, that’s when I’ll settle accounts with the Ghost Pirate Crew. By then, even if the Mechanical Race truly stands behind them, I’ll show them what it means—no matter how strong a dragon is, it cannot suppress a local snake!”
“Yes! Understood, Boss! With your brilliance in both strategy and might, you will surely unify the Shattered Stars!”
“Hahaha!”
TL Note- Pirate Chess...
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