Gabrielâs insights were different from the pirates. What did it mean for a ship to cloak itself? It meant equipment â expensive equipment. They would need at least an s-ranked power gem. Those were still more expensive even than Tears of Neptune.
To be able to carry so many mecha suits, youâd need something the size of a battleship. Capital ships and others werenât out of the question, but were a rare sight in the Starfields. The planetary debris would keep them from finding smooth passage.
A fire insignia⊠to Gabrielâs knowledge, there was no clan or group of any importance with a flame insignia.
âAnd what do you think, Redbeard,â Gabriel asked.
Redbeard used to be the second most feared pirate in the Shattered Starfields. However, once the Pontiffâs Citadel took control of the Moonfiend pirates, they began to swallow up all the smaller competition. Now Redbeardâs crew were part of the Pontiffâs forces. All three of the Starfieldâs primary planets had come under their control.
The Pontiffâs Citadel was an Adeptsâ organization, but it wasnât like Gobi Entertainment. It didnât have the resources to build its own army. Out here, though, no one bothered them in their work. It gave the Pontiff plausible deniability.
But where they couldnât built their own military force, the Pontiffâs Citadel did have enough resources and influence to make a pirate armada. They didnât have larger ships, but it was enough to create a good supply train. If needed, they could turn right around and become a guerilla resistance. Out here, the darker side of the religious order was on full display.
Thatâs why they installed the Morning Star here, to oversee their work. They didnât count on her being so independent and headstrong. She was removed because of it.
Now that the three primary planets were under Citadel control, the Moonfiend Pirates were stronger than ever. The Pontiff was concerned with outside threats, so he sent Gabriel here to conduct their business personally and deal with any problems. After all, the men and women they were dealing with didnât subsist on loyalty. If they wanted to keep the pirates under control, they would need to keep their interest with riches and power.
Redbeard answered. âThis sort of thing happens every now and again. Out here itâs not unusual for clans to take each other out. Whatâs different this time is the bastardâs reach. Heâs got everyone looking over their shoulder, and pirates donât like looking over their shoulders. Theyâll group up to find him and cut out the threat. We donât need to rush in and involve ourselves. If their gearâs anything to go by, they donât look like normal pirates, either. Maybe theyâre getting support from your enemies. I think we should sit back and stick to the plan. Weâll make changes if they need to be made. They wouldnât dare think of coming at us directly.â
Gabriel narrowed his eyes, pondering the words before nodding in satisfaction.
Redbeard looked your typical brutish pirate from the outside. Truthfully, though, he was quite clever. Su Xiaosu had given him so much trouble because she overpowered him. When it came to outthinking, though, he was hard to beat. Now he had command of the Moonfiend Pirate forces. Smart as he was, of course he knew the benefits of siding with the Citadel. Gabriel didnât doubt his loyalty.
âAnd if they do the unthinkable, and come here?â Gabriel pressed.
This brought a glint to the pirateâs eye. âThen let them come and see what greets them. The Moonfiend Pirates arenât the strongest in the Starfields for no reason.â
Gabriel smirked. âBearing vigilance against sinful men is ceaseless work. You must prepare.â
Redbeard chuckled. âRelax, master Gabriel. I wouldnât dare be careless with the safety of my brothers. Right, and when are we getting that railgun you promised, eh?! These planets are the best in the system, and the only ones that support life. We have to keep them protected!â
Gabrielâs tone grew irritated. âYou think those things are like picking out cabbage? Pick out whatever you like, however many you like? There are a hundred and twenty already installed here, and you need more? Itâs already enough to withstand a frontal assault from an interstellar fleet.â
Redbeard chortled. âCan you have too many big guns? LookâŠâ
âEnough.â Gabriel cut him off with a wave of his hand. âTen more are on their way. There should be here in a few days. Install them on the main planet. Theyâre the last of them, do you understand? I have no more excuses to give the Pontiff. Also, make sure you pay close mind to those people I brought. There mustnât be any mistakes, do you understand?â
âYes sir, Iâve got it under control!â
Gabriel stood. âThen Iâm off to cultivate. Pay attention to your duties, do them well. Gather as much data as you can on these pirates with the flame insignia.â
âAye.â
Redbeard watched Gabriel go, and couldnât keep the slightest scowl from creeping onto his lips. Pale-faced little shit⊠he doesnât understand a thing. This is pirate territory.
ζ
Majesty. War Room.
âAre we really going after the three planets?â The Gourmetâs face bore concern. He looked at Lan Jue and Xiaosu waiting for confirmation.
Lan Jue gave it with a nod. âAll our training has been to prep them for this, but none of our enemies have been strong up to now. Those three planets have been our targets from the very beginning, but now the Star Division is tempered enough to do it.â
The Driver chimed in. âBut this is completely different from other missions. This tri-planetary system makes coming at them from several angles impossible. Theyâre like three watch towers. After consolidating the pirate clans, they have over thirty thousand people ready to fight. Theyâre damn strong. Beating them wonât be easy, we just donât have the people or ships to do it.â
Lan Jue retorted. âYouâre right, if we face them head-on weâll pay dearly for it. But weâre the Star Division. From the day it was created we said we werenât a normal military organization. I will say that this mission will be a real test of what our troops can achieve.â
The Coffee Master added his voice. âI agree. I think my Third Brigade and Fourth Brigade should show âem what weâre made of.â
âNot just Third and Fourth,â Su Xiaosu corrected. âWeâre all going in. Theyâre strong, and weâre weak. They have the numbers, so we need to minimize contact with the enemy as much as possible. We need to initiate on their turf, feet on the ground is where weâre best. Then we need to put out scouts and wait for reports to plan our best move. The focus will be data on their defenses.â
Lan Jue nodded, showing his approval of her plan.
The Monfiend Pirates were indeed a force to be reckoned with. Never in the history of the Starfields was there a more powerful pirate clan. Theyâd have wept to imagine commanding more than ten thousand mecha pilots and a hundred warships.
But this also presented problems for them. In private, Xiaosu informed Lan Jue of dissatisfaction within the ranks, before she was taken. The Pontiffâs Citadel ruled by an iron fist which smashed opposition and caught all three primary planets in its grasp. But their presence was knew, and the pirates were many. They hadnât had time to ensure their control was stable. In addition, the Pontiffâs men all bore the same sin; pride.
Under these circumstances one learns that the gargantuan beast that is the Moonfiend Pirates, isnât in fact so invincible. There were dozens of clans, big and small, that werenât part of any structure. They had no chain of command, or communication with others. They operated as independent cells. Assaulting the Starfields wasnât impossible, all you had to do was find the kink in the armor. Even the greatest beast has a soft spot, and thatâs where you strike.
What the Driver said was true. This fight was different. It wasnât going to be like their training missions, this time they needed to fight with everything they had. Lan Jue had to pay special attention to this one.
Victory would only come if the Star Division could prove their strength. That had to be their top priority.
Su Xiaosu hadnât been gone from the Starfields for long before Lan Jue had busted her out. She still understood it better than anyone else. So long as her strategies were followed to the letter, there was always a chance of success.
To further perforate the image of impenetrability, their planetary defense wasnât any better than the one theyâd seen Red Widow use. There were parts the system didnât reach. There was a constant flow of ships of all kinds shuttling back and forth, with no electromagnetic barrier to stop them. It would be too restrictive. Allowing access one by one would waste a tremendous amount of time and energy.
The three planets were suitable for life, and humans have exploited as much of them as they could.
This gave Lan Jue sufficient opportunity.
Majesty was too large to land on the surface. Even with the Blinding Stone its energy signal would be picked up the moment they entered the atmosphere. Zeus-1 would prove its worth here. It was small and fantastically equipped, and virtually silent. If they were cautious, they could sneak right in. It would take a few trips, but thatâs how theyâd shuttle their people to the surface.
The three planets served as sentinels in each othersâ defense. The main planet was larger than the others, but not by much. The other two were perhaps two-thirds its mass. That meant the tactics they used for the Red Widows didnât apply in this case. They had to get on all three planets at the same time.
At least in terms of manpower, the Star Division was stretched pretty thin.