Under the brilliant lights of the "Prosperity Blossom" base, which resembled an interstellar disco hall, three NOMA M-Class Light Frigates glided in like sharks.
On the command bridge of "One-Eye," a burly man with a face full of brutish flesh stared at the main screen, his expression a mixture of contempt and greed. The base before him was fully illuminated, its external speakers even looping a bizarrely cheerful Earth song he couldn't understand.
"Boss, this place... it's a bit weird," a pirate helmsman said hesitantly. "They're not raising shields, not turning off the lights, just throwing a party? Could it be a trap?"
One-Eye spat on the deck. "Trap? What damn trap could there be? This is just some mine boss whose brain got kicked by a donkey. Thinks hanging a few lanterns will scare us off? He's practically lighting the way for us! All ships, begin charging assault ion cannons. Target the largest warehouse and blow the roof off it!"
He completely failed to notice that, deep within a vast asteroid belt on his fleet's flank, a small CV-II003 Type Light Corvette was lurking like a ghost, all active signals silenced.
"They took the bait," I said, my palms sweating, but my eyes sharper and more focused than ever. "Nightlight, report enemy distance."
"Commander, the enemy fleet is 80 kilometers from the base and has entered the preset ambush zone. I must remind you again, given this vessel's (tentatively named 'Gazi') firepower and armor, the survival rate in a direct confrontation is less than 0.1%," Nightlight's voice was flat.
"Only a fool fights head-on," I took a deep breath and issued the order I had been planning. "Order the three SC002 Engineering Ships in Mining Sector Two to release all mining drones! Target, the empty space between us and the enemy. I want that area as cluttered as possible!"
"Order confirmed. Releasing 'Alpha' type mining drones... 368 units in total."
The next second, on the pirate fleet's sensors, the previously clear patch of space ahead of them erupted with a chaotic swarm of signal blips. Hundreds of small drones, like a disturbed nest of space hornets, buzzed forward, instantly forming a massive cloud of metal debris and signal interference.
"Alert! Alert! Massive group of fast-approaching targets detected!" "Fire control radar heavily jammed! Unable to achieve target lock!"
On One-Eye's bridge, piercing alarms blared.
"What's going on?! Where did all this junk come from?" One-Eye shot up from his chair. "Is it a fighter squadron?!"
"Report, boss! Signal analysis identifies them as... m-mining drones? They're unarmed!"
"Then what the hell are you panicking for!" One-Eye roared, but a sense of foreboding had already begun to creep into his mind.
Now!
"Gazi, engines to maximum! Let's go!" I slammed the control stick forward. The CV-II003 shot out from the shadow of a massive asteroid like an arrow loosed from a bow.
"Nightlight, calculate the weak point of the engine module on enemy vessel three!"
"Calculation complete. It has been highlighted on your HUD."
I stared intently at the flashing red box on the screen, marking the energy output node of the outermost enemy frigate. I didn't greedily target the bridge or weapons, but chose the point that would most effectively cripple its mobility.
"Fire!"
The two "Gatling-style" light cannons on the Gazi's bow spat fire. Dense streams of tracers cut two deadly lines through the blackness of space, precisely blanketing the red box.
A series of explosions lit up the enemy ship's stern. Its engine nozzles erupted in a great ball of plasma flame, and the hull lurched violently, its speed dropping dramatically.
"Nice shot!" A wave of elation washed over me, but I didn't dare linger. "Pull back immediately, get behind cover!"
The Gazi executed a sharp turn and once again vanished into the shadows of the asteroid belt.
"Bastard! They're over there!" One-Eye finally reacted, pointing furiously at the spot where the Gazi had disappeared. "Ship two, blast that rock field to pieces!"
The other undamaged frigate immediately turned its cannons, and beams of ion energy slammed into the asteroids, sending countless fragments flying. A piece of shrapnel struck the Gazi's port side, and the violent shudder nearly made me bite my tongue.
"Warning! Port-side armor damaged by 17%. Energy leak detected!"
"Order FSV830 to dispatch repair drones, now!" I shouted without hesitation.
From behind the base, the launch bays of the waiting FSV830 Rapid Support Vessel opened, and a swarm of spider-like "Moss" type repair drones flew out silently, heading straight for my position.
"Boss One-Eye! Ship three's engine is overloaded, we've lost half our power!" "Boss, our fire control is a mess with all these junk drones! We can't lock onto that little ship!"
Listening to the chaotic reports from his men, coupled with the ever-louder strains of "Good Luck Comes" from the base, One-Eye's blood pressure began to skyrocket. He felt less like a ferocious pirate and more like a fool who had stumbled onto a country fair stage, being toyed with by all manner of nonsense.
"I don't bloody believe this!" He shoved the helmsman aside and took the controls himself. "Ship one, with me! Ship two, maintain covering fire! I'll catch that little rat myself!"
He made a fatal mistake: he divided his forces.
"There's our chance!" I saw One-Eye's flagship break formation and seized the opportunity. "Gazi, we're going out again! This time, we're crippling ship three for good!"
The repair drones had already attached to my hull, spraying a green cloud of restorative nanites. The armor was slowly regenerating. I piloted the Gazi out from the asteroid belt once more, unleashing all my firepower on the weapon systems of the already hobbled third frigate.
Another series of precise hits. Ship three's turrets sparked and died, falling completely silent.
"Boss One-Eye! Ship three has lost all weapons! Requesting permission to withdraw! Requesting withdrawal!"
Staring at the ship that had now become a "space coffin," then at the impenetrable swarm of drones, and finally at the corvette that was as slippery as an eel, One-Eye's heart sank. He finally realized he might have kicked a steel plate—a very weird steel plate. This wasn't a fat sheep; it was a madman disguised as one!
"Retreat! All hands, prepare for warp jump!" One-Eye roared in frustration. His flagship and the second frigate immediately began to turn, their engines glowing brightly as they prepared to flee.
Watching the two enemy ships escape in a panic, I finally let out a long breath and collapsed into my chair, soaked in sweat.
The battle was over.
Inside the cockpit, the sound of "Good Luck Comes" had faded at some point, replaced by the low hum of the ship's systems.
"Commander," Nightlight's voice broke the silence. "The enemy fleet has withdrawn. According to combat data analysis, we have disabled and captured one enemy NOMA M-Class Light Frigate with near-zero casualties. The previously calculated 3.7% chance of victory evidently did not factor in the psychological contamination inflicted upon the enemy commander by the song 'Good Luck Comes'."
A tired smile tugged at my lips as I looked out the viewport. In the debris-strewn expanse of space, the powerless NOMA M-Class frigate drifted silently.
It was my prize. The first score for the Prosperity Blossom conglomerate. And the first piece of territory I, Zhang Ga, had conquered in this universe.