Super Mothership
“Hahahaha! We've really struck it rich this time!” Looking at the long procession of warships trailing behind them, Red Dragon's eyes gleamed, and his grin stretched almost from ear to ear.
The Twin Dragons fleet had now completed its rendezvous and was slowly withdrawing from the Locke Consortium's territory with its spoils.
But the size of the two fleets had grown to more than twice their original strength!
Warships, cargo ships, even large supply vessels—the captured ships came in all shapes and sizes. Their only common feature was that every single one was loaded with an astonishing amount of wealth!
Everywhere the pirates went, they ruthlessly plundered key locations on every planet, including spaceports, shipyards, industrial facilities, and major cities.
The various stockpiles were packed with all kinds of supplies, dazzling the pirates and leaving them practically overwhelmed by the sheer abundance. Everything was completely undefended, as though the warehouses had been opened exclusively for their convenience.
Crystals of energy, brand-new mechas, freshly launched spaceships... The pirates could hardly believe their eyes as they looted one treasure after another. It all felt like a dream.
Under normal circumstances, these pirates were lucky if they managed to rob a passing merchant convoy. When had they ever received such luxurious treatment as “all-you-can-steal looting”?
Although they had mainly selected weapons, equipment, and compact valuables that were in high demand in the Shattered Star Domain, they had still filled their fleets' storage capacity to the brim. Some cargo ships that hadn't even finished unloading their goods had been taken wholesale, causing the combined size of their fleets to swell dramatically.
If they hadn't received news that the Locke Consortium's fleet was returning to reinforce its territory, Messiah would never have managed to drag Red Dragon away from this pirate's paradise. The man had been so caught up in the looting that he had practically lost his mind.
“Sigh! After experiencing this, I suddenly feel that my entire previous career as a pirate... was nothing but a waste of my life!” Red Dragon smacked his lips, still reluctant to leave.
Messiah rolled her eyes, but even she had to admit that this raid had been incredibly satisfying!
A conservative estimate suggested that the spoils from this single operation would be enough not only to restore their forces to their former peak but also to expand their influence considerably!
“Bosses, the Ghost Pirates' fleet has arrived in the nearby star region and is requesting permission to join our fleet.”
Upon hearing his subordinate's report, Red Dragon waved his hand without a moment's hesitation.
“Approve the request. Tell them to follow behind us!”
Naturally, Nie Yun had discussed the arrangement with the Twin Dragons before “shipping” his fleet over to them.
Neither Red Dragon nor Messiah had found anything wrong with it. After all, sticking together was the best way to prevent the enemy from ganking them in the jungle!
“How many warships do they have?” Messiah, however, remained a little more cautious.
“Uh... Around a hundred, give or take,” the subordinate reported.
“Only a hundred?!” Messiah's eyes widened in disbelief.
The Ghost Captain was using just a hundred warships to guard his spoils. Did he really trust them that much?
Had she misjudged him all along? Was this mechanical-race fellow actually an innocent, naive person with an entirely ordinary and perfectly normal way of thinking?
“I heard the Ghost Pirates seized several million Ryan people this time?” Messiah narrowed her eyes slightly, a new idea forming in her mind.
The combat prowess of the Ryan warriors was renowned throughout the Shattered Star Domain.
During the previous battle against the Gold Coin Pirates, the Ryan people's mecha corps had performed exceptionally well, boasting an average combat strength far beyond that of ordinary pirates.
After this raid, the Twin Dragons already had no immediate shortage of weapons or equipment. But if they could recruit a contingent of Ryan warriors as well, their strength would increase by yet another considerable margin!
If they had known the exact location of Ryan Star, Messiah might even have been tempted to send a force to seize the people herself.
Now, however, she was looking at a huge number of outstanding recruits sitting practically unguarded right in front of her. It was impossible not to have ideas.
Had the Ghost Captain deliberately dangled a delicious, plump duck in front of them to test their self-control?
Sorry, but she was finding it rather difficult to resist...
“Uh... Wouldn't that be a little inappropriate? After all, the Ghost Captain has helped us out quite a few times.” Seeing Messiah's expression, Red Dragon immediately realized what she was thinking and hesitated.
“What's inappropriate about it? I never said we should steal them. At most, we'd just buy two or three shiploads of people at the going market rate!” Messiah glared at him.
Red Dragon shrank his neck and fell silent.
At the going market rate? The slave market rate, you mean? And that wasn't stealing?
...
Meanwhile, the two hundred elite warships belonging to the Ghost Pirates had slipped past the Locke Consortium's unmanned patrol and surveillance perimeter. Traveling covertly, they eventually arrived in a star region that was extremely familiar to the Ryan people.
“This...”
The old clan leader recognized the surrounding star map at a glance.
Wasn't this the very wormhole region where they had fought a bloody battle against Gemini?
What were they doing here?
He soon found out. A piercing Level One Combat Readiness Alert rang throughout the entire fleet...
Although Chloros had withdrawn his fleet, he had no intention of abandoning such a strategically important location as the wormhole. He had left two hundred warships here as a defensive force.
Combined with the semi-permanent defensive line constructed during the earlier standoff with Gemini, these forces were sufficient to deal with any potential pursuit by Gemini.
But this time, the first attack came from the opposite side of the defensive line!
“Enemy forces behind us! Enemy forces have appeared in our rear! They're pirates!”
The unexpected ambush threw the Locke Consortium's garrison fleet into brief confusion. However, its personnel quickly recovered and responded.
Warships began turning around, mecha units were launched, and the numerous weapons along the defensive line swung around to face the attackers.
“Hmm?” Nie Yun raised an eyebrow slightly.
The enemy's reaction speed was surprisingly fast, almost as though they had anticipated his arrival.
Now that was interesting...
The two fleets soon began exchanging fire. Surprisingly, despite having the advantage of a surprise attack, the Ghost Pirates gradually found themselves at a disadvantage in terms of firepower.
“Boss, the enemy's firepower density is thirty percent higher than our estimates. Clearly, these aren't ordinary fleet units. They're elite forces!” Code Name quickly identified the discrepancy from the battlefield statistics.
Just as expected!
Even with their backyard under attack and the situation becoming increasingly desperate, the Locke Consortium had still stationed an elite force here.
It seemed the enemy had already guessed that he would come to seize this strategic location.
At that moment, the opposing fleet began spreading out into formation, revealing a warship several times larger than the others.
A flagship!
Chloros's flagship had not returned with the main fleet to reinforce the consortium's territory. Instead, it had specifically remained here to wait for him!
“Was my intention really that obvious?” Nie Yun rubbed his nose.
Naturally, Nie Yun had brought his elite forces to the wormhole to fulfill his second promise to Gemini: handing over control of the wormhole!
In fact, transferring control to Gemini wasn't merely a bargaining chip in exchange for the Vector Engine. It was also a crucial part of his own strategic plan.
His objective was to keep the Locke Consortium tied down!
Although the current situation appeared overwhelmingly favorable, Nie Yun had taken a small force and used it to achieve an extraordinary result, but he had also left himself facing enormous hidden dangers.
Of the three major powers—the Gemini civilization, the pirates of the Shattered Star Domain, and the Locke Consortium—Gemini had already suffered devastating losses, while the pirates of the Shattered Star Domain were little more than a disorganized rabble.
The Locke Consortium, on the other hand, remained the strongest of the three in terms of overall power.
It was true that the pirates had taken advantage of the consortium's vulnerability to fleece it mercilessly, leaving Jinlock so badly battered that he was practically sick with grief.
But thanks to its backing from the Woolf Empire, the Locke Consortium could recover its strength rapidly after the war.
Which raised an obvious question: once the Locke Consortium had recovered, what would it want to do most?
There was only one answer: revenge!
And there was no doubt about its primary target. The Ghost Captain, the mastermind behind the entire operation, would unquestionably be at the top of its list.
Furthermore, the forces backing Chloros represented another potential threat. Having had the Vector Engine snatched from under their noses, it was difficult to imagine that they would simply let the matter go.
The Ghost Pirates had been basking in the glory of this operation, but like a fire fed with oil, their apparent success concealed a tremendous threat to their very survival!
If possible, Nie Yun would have loved to eliminate the problem at its root, kill that fat bastard, and completely dismantle the Locke Consortium!
Unfortunately, Locke Star, Jinlock's home base, possessed defensive fortifications on the level of a super-fortress. Conquering it would be several orders of magnitude more difficult than attacking the Gold Coin Pirates' half-baked military base.
For all their ferocity during the raids, none of the pirates was willing to tackle such a hard target, especially with enemy reinforcements potentially returning at any moment.
The only alternative would be for Nie Yun to unite all five major pirate groups and launch an all-out assault regardless of the cost. But it went without saying that the other pirate leaders would never agree to such a thankless undertaking.
If he couldn't destroy the Locke Consortium in the short term, he would have to find another solution.
For example... recruiting a few more allies!
Gemini was undoubtedly the best candidate at this moment!
As long as the Shattered Star Domain could establish a continuous strategic connection with Gemini, the two sides could squeeze the Locke Consortium from opposite directions. Even if the consortium wanted revenge, it would have to think twice before acting recklessly.
But there was one prerequisite: they had to open up the wormhole and secure control of this strategic chokepoint!
Clearly, Chloros had reached the same conclusion and had been waiting here to ambush him.
“Boss! Based on the combat strength of both sides, even if we manage to capture this position, we'll suffer heavy losses. Furthermore, since the enemy was already prepared for our arrival, we can't rule out the possibility that they have other trump cards hidden away!” Code Name quickly reported after analyzing the battlefield situation.
“Looks like we have no choice. In that case, it's time to make a call for outside assistance.” Nie Yun remained completely relaxed.
The fact that the enemy had seen through his intentions merely added a little inconvenience. This had always been an open strategic gambit.
Whether or not the enemy had prepared for his arrival, the final outcome would remain unchanged.
Ultimately, the Locke Consortium was still short on troops and desperately needed to recall its forces to defend its own territory. Even if Chloros had anticipated an attack on the wormhole, he couldn't spare enough troops to defend it properly.
Otherwise, the force waiting here wouldn't consist of just two hundred elite warships. It would be an entire division lying in wait to ensnare him from every direction.
Nie Yun's force might have been a little too small for a sneak attack on this strategic position, but Gemini's fleet had already arrived on the other side of the wormhole!
Isabel had every reason to agree to the operation. She could personally oversee the recovery of the wormhole, and all she had to do was deal with a mere two hundred warships. It was practically a windfall of military merit handed to her on a silver platter.
Before long, a massive number of jump signatures appeared from the direction of the wormhole. One after another, spatial vortices materialized out of nowhere...
TL Note- Trap?
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