Mob No.4: “Uh, uh. If anyone’s living on that asteroid over there, please respond.”
After getting supplies on the day I accepted the job, I departed from the guild.
My ship [Patchwork] focuses on scouting, defense, and maneuverability, with average speed and firepower.
Protagonist-type guys just have to raise speed and firepower, and enemies will come at them but their attacks will absolutely never hit, and they can perfectly control any peaky handling ship, so they don’t need that performance.
But those 3 elements are necessary for me, a mob grunt, to survive.
By the way, that request to gather 50 people has various terrible aspects besides the likelihood of running into annoying protagonist-types.
The most obvious is being used purely as a meat shield.
The more people, the more the target spreads out, and the attack power decreases before it reaches your ship.
They said the client was a lady, but in reality it could be an old man smuggling something dangerous and planning for the escorts to be attacked. So they gather numbers to use as meat shields.
Next likely is gathering people who look good to play favorites and poach them as their own escorts.
With 50 people, there’s sure to be handsome guys, or handsome guys with big boobs too.
They gather numbers to search for those kinds of people.
And when that happens, difference in compensation is guaranteed to occur.
Of course it’s natural if you drive off attackers, protect the client, etc. But even without anything like that, giving favorites a raise and decreasing it for others is common.
I was forcibly made to participate in this kind of request when I was a newbie and had an awful experience.
By the way, it wasn’t Uncle Roans who did it but a senior guild staff who wanted to show off to the noble lady client.
While thinking about that, I arrived at the stellar region where the petty pirates appeared.
First I’ll start scouting.
Normal scouting radar is around 10 billion km but the [Patchwork] can scout twice as far at 20 billion km.
That sentient combat vessel from earlier could probably scout 100 billion km or more.
I check areas with little human traffic one by one like asteroid belts, abandoned colonies, debris collection points, and planetary satellites.
I also go around asking inhabited colonies and residential satellites nearby.
After steadily continuing scouting and investigating like that for 4 days, I discovered a fairly large asteroid.
It wouldn’t be suspicious if it was in an asteroid belt, but one alone in empty space is 100x more suspicious.
What’s more, heat was detected from the asteroid.
In other words, there’s something artificial on that asteroid.
However, some people live reclusive lives by modifying asteroids like that, so I have to confirm.
It would be bad if I was mistaken.
Furthermore, there’s also the chance it was knocked out of an asteroid belt due to some trouble.
First I’ll contact the authorities and give them the coordinates to check if anyone lives there.
The reply from them is that no resident is confirmed at those coordinates, and they certified no registered asteroid residence knocked from a nearby belt either.
In other words, someone is living there illegally, making it highly likely to be a pirate base.
However, there’s still the chance it could just be someone living there illegally, so for now I ready my barrier then try calling out on an open channel.
But if it turns out to be some stubborn old recluse geezer, this is gonna be a huge pain.
“Uh, uh. If anyone’s living on that asteroid over there, please respond.”
No response even after 5 minutes pass.
“Umm, the coordinates you are currently staying at are an obstruction of navigation according to the Galactic Navigation Law. Please promptly move coordinates and complete procedures, or dispose of the asteroid you are currently inhabiting.”
By the way, inhabiting asteroids outside of asteroid belts is strictly prohibited, and they are treated as debris that can be destroyed without issue.
READ THE ORIGINAL TRANSLATION AT GADGETIZEDPANDA.COM
5 more minutes passed after that.
I have no choice but to execute the final measure.
“Since there is no response, I will carry out destruction procedures assuming it is unmanned. Destruction will commence in 5 minutes.”
They usually panic and come out when I say this but…are they really not home?
While thinking that, the asteroid slowly started moving.
Looking closely, thrusters for movement had appeared at some point.
They were probably stowed away for camouflage.
“There are definitely people there it seems.”
I immediately deploy my barrier and brace myself to deal with the situation.
The suspicious asteroid residence is slowly trying to move away from my ship.
Don’t know if it plans to leave or not, but it needs to contact the authorities and explain the situation to the police.
“Uh, uh. You need to explain the situation to the authorities and police, so please stop!”
I called out to try talking since I hadn’t attacked, but that became unnecessary.
Small combat vessels had come out of that asteroid residence.
Two of them at that.
The moment I confirmed that, I dropped the barrier and rushed at the vessels while firing beams.
I don’t intend to hit them.
It’s enough if they panic or do something.
Their likely aim is to hold me up while the asteroid residence escapes.
So if they dodge or flee from my actions, I’ll head straight for the asteroid residence and attack.
If they get in the way, I’ll evade and still attack the asteroid residence.
Either way, attacking the asteroid residence and hitting the thrusters to stop its movement means it’s mine.
Then I just have to shoot down the vessels that came out.
I have to defeat them while destroying as little as possible so I can get a high price when purchasing it later.
Then those combat vessels dodged left and right to avoid the beam.
So I open the throttle, approach the asteroid residence, and score a hit on the thrusters.
There was an explosion but the asteroid residence continued forward without stopping.
But it was clear it was coasting on inertia.
So I quickly turned and fired beams at the combat vessels.
I was sure they’d dodge, but the beam scored a clean hit on one, and after wavering around, it stopped moving.
[Damn iiiiit! How dare you Gater!]
The remaining 1 vessel headed my way but it’s not that fast.
My ship [Patchwork] can still go faster.
For now, I better call the police.
“Uh…I just called the police so please don’t resist anymore.”
Don’t think it’ll work but I’ll advise them just in case.
[Damn iiiit! I worked as a pirate and was finally gonna get a wife and pay her back!]
[Damn…! I bought it with a loan…! Damn it, move! Move!]
No, it’s dangerous if you move it in that state.
[Nothing for it. My luck’s run out…]
But man, I’m surprised you were able to be a pirate, petty as it was, in this state…
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The ejection ports are probably thrusters, no? And in the previous chapter, the one with ranks, don’t ya mean rook instead of castle soldier?
fixed, thanks