On their next stop they found a system with only a star and a massive asteroid belt.
The sensors detected quite a bit of helium 3 buildup on some of the asteroids and a bunch of materials that could be sold on earth for profit.
Through their conversations they found out that they didn't have much in the form of funds on earth and they would need a lot of money to resupply their ships.
Especially if they wanted to remain neutral and not indebted to any country.
Of course they could sell the fuel which is extremely valuable,according to Simon it cost over ten billion dollars a ton but the price would go down as soon as the new technologies were implemented.
They started gathering the fuel and some materials like gold and platinum which were abundant in the asteroids.
They were half way through the refueling when sensors picked up two ships jumping into the system.
One was a cruiser class and the other one was a destroyer class.
Simon and the rest thought that it was some patrol ships from the nearby system or just some military ships that also wanted to refuel and ignored them.
When the ships came closer they sent a message.
-Power down your ships and prepare to be boarded or be destroyed.
The message was clear,either way they would be captured or killed.
-Shields to full and power up your weapons.
Simon said to his friends.
They were not surrendering the ships and if they had to fight then they would, especially not being able to escape into FTL thanks to being too close to the asteroid field.
All three cruisers powered up their shields and weapons and targeted the cruiser class first.
-We don't know who you are,but I suggest that you turn around and leave us alone.
Mikael said in the comms.
-You have chosen death,it's a shame because your ships would be a great addition to our fleet.
They were not military,they were pirates.
-You have to be kidding me.
Simon said.
-We just found space pirates,this has to be the biggest joke in the galaxy.
He continued.
-What do we do with them? My sensors show that they have no kinetic weapons and even their energy weapons are in the database and they are classified as class 2 and we have class 5.
Mikael informed the rest.
-If they back off then we let them go and if not then we get to test our weapons.
Simon said.
-They challenged us so we should just kill them and take what they own for ourselves.
Steuner proposed a solution.
While they were discussing their course of action the destroyer fired a warning shot.
-Ok they are asking for it.
Steuner you and me will target the cruiser,Mikael you target the destroyer and try to just cripple it.
Simon explained the plan of action.
They targeted the ships and opened fire.
The pirates were in shock that the ships they wanted to attack,fired on them and the energy weapons slammed into their shields draining a sizable chunk of their power.
They were a well known group in this sector of space and they thought that by just showing up they would intimidate the target like always.
Now they were under fire and their ships were down to 60% after only one salvo.
But it wasn't the end of their problems,a few seconds later MAC's slammed into their ship,ignoring their shields and they found themselves dead in space with heavy damage all around the ship.
The destroyer didn't fare any better.
Two salvos from energy weapons took out its shields and a well placed shot took out their engines.
Both pirate vessels were dead in space in a matter of seconds and the shots they managed to fire were absorbed by the shields of the three cruisers.
-Hold your fire.
Simon said.
-Why?They are pirates and I doubt that they would show us mercy.
Mikael asked.
-I know and I won't let them live to attack any other wessels but I want some information from them.
Simon said and hailed the cruiser.
-You are defeated and i won't kill you if you tell me where your hideout is and how many of you are still there?
-We will tell you to just spare us.
Came the answer.
Pirates are not very loyal people especially if they can save their own skin.
It turned out that the hideout was located in the neighboring system and it was lightly defended by an automated defense system for which they provided codes and aside from some slaves there were only two pirates guarding it.
-Thank you for the information.
Simon said and cut the connection.
-Now you can finish them off.
He said to Mikael and Sreuner.
-But you just said that you would spare them.
Mikael was a bit confused.
-I just said I won't kill them and I won't,but I said nothing about you two.
He answered with a sly smile on his face.
-You are a horrible person.
Mikael said with a chuckle.
-I never claimed to be a good person.
Steuner was listening and he was speechless at what he heard.
It was true that Simon never said anything about them but it sounded like he would show mercy to the pirates if they provided information which they did and he didn't lie.
He just used his words in a misleading way.
Mikael and steuner finished of the pirates ships and they sent the salvage drones into the wreckage to see if there was something worth taking.
Unfortunately there was nothing of value to them.
-Why did you ask about their hideout?
Steuner asked Simon when they returned to gathering fuel.
-Because I want to take a small detour and visit their hideout.
You heard them, there are slaves in there and if we can free them then I bet that we can make a few new friends or at the very least we can earn ourselves some good will from them which could be useful in the long run.
Simon explained.
-And they would owe us a favor for rescuing them.
Mikael added.
-And there is a chance of finding something valuable in their hideout.
Like technology,ammo,and other things.
After some more discussion they agreed to visit the pirates hideout.