The gap between the Range Falcon and the swarm of pirates shrank to just over 50,000 kilometers—practically a stone's throw in space terms. The player's frigate, however, was much closer now, only 10 seconds away from docking.
The final moments before the teetering frigate slid into my ship's hangar bay were tense, but the process went as smooth as butter. As soon as Percy confirmed the ship had landed, I brought the shutters down, sealing the bay securely.
{Brother...}
A deep, seething voice echoed from the bridge's speakers, laced with barely contained rage.
{We weren't even targeting you, and yet you interfered in our business? Hand over that bitch to us, and we'll let bygones be bygones. Refuse, and…}
Ah, here we go. Typical pirate lines. Do these guys have a handbook for this stuff? Memorize it all like a mantra? Honestly, what's funnier is that this isn't even a game anymore, yet their dialogue hasn't changed at all.
"Ah, are you trying to threaten me?" I sighed theatrically, shrugging my shoulders as if I had all the time in the world.
"Listen, buddy. If this were earlier, when there were over 50 of you, I might've considered it. But now?" I smirked. "There's less than half of you left. It'd leave a bad taste in my mouth if I didn't finish what I started."
For good measure, I added a cheap taunt. "Oh, and don't call me 'brother.' I don't have any stinky brothers like you."
{Bastard! Just because you have a big ship doesn't mean you can bully us!}
The connection cut abruptly as if they couldn't stand hearing another word from me. At the same time, the remaining 15 pirates began scattering into what vaguely resembled a flight formation. The attempt was so sloppy that I had to wonder if they'd just learned it from some outdated holo-tutorial.
Warnings lit up my monitor like a fireworks show, flashing bright red as all fifteen pirate ships locked onto the Range Falcon. They were still outside attack range, but that didn't apply to me—not with my Proton Ray in play.
Grinning, I methodically hunted them down, picking off one ship at a time while expertly maneuvering the Range Falcon. My strategy? A classic kiting play. I maintained a delicate distance—just far enough that their weapons couldn't touch me, but close enough for mine to rip through them. Judging by their erratic movements, I was probably driving them insane.
"Hehe, catch me if you can, slowpokes!"
I didn't forget to pile on the taunts. Adding insult to injury, I alternated between slowing down and accelerating at random intervals, teasing them with false hope before yanking it away. Honestly, I was having way too much fun with this encounter.
Eventually, they managed to close the gap, entering attack range at last. Their lasers and beam turrets lit up the displays, hammering one side of my shields in a concentrated fire.
"...Well, there's five more sides, anyway," I muttered, trying to stay calm.
With that, I rolled the ship a full 180°, flipping it like someone turning over in their sleep. The battered portside shield was now out of harm's way, and their lasers slammed into the starboard shield instead.
Of course, my relief was short-lived. The starboard shield, as weak as the others, couldn't last long under concentrated fire. After just 15 seconds, it got oversaturated and failed. Grimacing, I tilted the ship another 90°, exposing the topside barrier to absorb the next wave of attacks.
"I've still got three untouched sides, you know~?" I laughed, throwing out another taunt.
But internally? I was sweating bullets. This fight was quickly becoming dangerous. If they managed to knock out all my shields before the first one regenerated, it'd be game over.
'Why the hell did that idiot Gerard install such cheap barrier generators?!' I cursed silently.
A quick glance at the radar showed that the pirates' numbers had dwindled to seven. Progress. My Proton Ray continued to snipe ships from the helm, while my four "weak" Ion Lasers—now within range—provided additional firepower. Controlling all weapons with a single stick was tricky, but it let me reap the remaining pirates with ruthless efficiency.
I finally felt a wave of relief when I saw that the first shield—the portside shield—had recovered to 100%!
The moment the underside barrier collapsed, I flipped the ship again, redirecting the pirates' attacks to the freshly regenerated shield. With this seamless cycle of four shields, I had effectively turned this battle into a war of attrition—and I was the one with the upper hand.
The Proton Ray and Ion Lasers continued their relentless barrage, systematically dismantling the pirate fleet. One corvette after another disintegrated into scraps and debris. Only a single pirate ship remained after another ten minutes of intense combat.
Even then, I didn't let my guard down. The enemy's weapons were leagues ahead of the bargain-bin gear Gerard had slapped onto this ship. I kept up the kiting strategy, but suddenly, the last pirate changed directions, veering away to flee.
"Oh, trying to run now?" I muttered, shaking my head. "A bit late for that, don't you think?"
I rotated the Proton Ray toward the retreating ship, taking my time to ensure a clean shot. With a loud hum, the weapon fired. The pirate's shield barely lasted a second under the concentrated beam before collapsing. The ray then punched straight through the ship's hull, igniting a short-lived explosion as the oxygen inside combusted.
"Percy, scan the immediate surroundings," I ordered, still wary. "Double the sensitivity, just in case they're using stealth modules."
Even with the final kill confirmed, I wasn't about to take any chances. I navigated carefully through the asteroid field, using the massive rocks as natural cover while Percy ran the scan. A few seconds later, her voice chimed in with reassuring clarity.
[Scan complete. No hostiles were detected within a radius of 0.1 AU.]
Finally, I exhaled a long breath, my shoulders sagging as the tension melted away. "Good. Now, activate autopilot and revisit all the pirate wreckage. Collect anything salvageable."
[Command received. Activating autopilot.]
The controls in my hands retracted back into the floor as the autopilot took over. My fingers, trembling slightly from the leftover adrenaline, finally released their grip on the sticks. Standing up, I stretched out my stiff muscles, feeling every ache from the prolonged battle.
"Now then..." I said to myself, grinning.
The fight was over, and the area was clear of any immediate threats. It was time to greet our rescued friend—the player! Yep, I'd already decided we were friends. I mean, I'd basically descended like a godsend savior, warned them of pirates, and even covered their retreat. Surely, they'd be overflowing with gratitude!
At least, that's what I thought.
"You bastard! Do you know how much repair costs are?! And you literally turned my baby's wing into space dust!"
Upon reaching the hangar, what greeted me wasn't the heartfelt thanks of a grateful survivor, but the indignant rage of someone ready to throw fists. Standing before me in the hangar bay was... a woman? Wait, wasn't the player in Trinity Star Online supposed to be a man?
I blinked, confusion swirling in my head. First, the names in the star map, and now this? Was this perhaps another discrepancy between the game and this universe?
Her fiery red hair was tied into a loose ponytail, strands framing her sharp, golden eyes that practically seared into me. Her pink lips curled into a frown that was anything but friendly, and her arms—crossed tightly under her ample assets—pushed against the contours of her skintight, white-red-and-black spacesuit.
She was stunning, no doubt about it—a harsh, striking beauty who ticked nearly all my checkboxes. Too bad her attitude was a big red flag.
"You creep! Stop ogling my body!"
"Ugh…!" I winced, her words hitting like a slap. "I wasn't even staring that hard," I muttered, trying to defend myself. Though… I guess I kinda was.
With the way she was glaring daggers at me, the idea of turning this into a friendly chat seemed more daunting by the second. Still, I couldn't help but wonder. In this situation… could I still salvage my original plan?