pg009
Bentenmaru was on her way back home to Sea of Morningstar when Marika first
heard the tidings.
Marika: Eh?
Show informed that
Karyoubinga went missing.
The information was from his colleague who was in charge working
with Karyoubinga.
With a serious tone, he asked Marika not to disclosed the news.
Marika and Show conversation was broadcasted bridge-wide, so the bridge crews heard what Show was showing.
pg010
Marika asked what did he meant by "went missing".
Show replied that it was to the T. Karyoubinga did a military training with
the Sinclair Star System of the
Eridanus constellation. She then did a transport mission from Ataka Relay station to the Imperial Military Base at Seluna.
Lastly, on their way home the privateer ship had the usual pirate business with
a passenger ship.
Misa said they (Karyoubinga) was as hardworking as ever.
Karyoubinga is older than Bentenmaru, but far bigger Battleship class, with more
crews and equipment, so their expenditure is higher.
Her work schedule is tighter than Bentenmaru, and she also accepted the jobs from
military company to test new weapons and equipment during their sails.
Marika asked Show whether Karyoubinga's last job was the passenger ship. Show
The guy nodded that his sunglass glittered. Show said that Karyoubinga should had
returned to Sinclair D 36 hours ago, but until then there were no R2B report or the
scheduled contact. The luxurious passenger ship, Candice White was the last trace of Karyoubinga.
The Captain asked Show what was the schedule for the missing pirate ship after that. There was the
possibility of Karyoubinga's job to be passed to Bentenmaru by the Insurance Agency should the contact
with the ship continue to be unsuccessful.
pg011
The insurance agent stated that Karyoubinga, should they had returned to Sinclair D, they was supposed to enter
Hourai Seiki's floating dock and performed a light maintenance, equipped herself with
a new targeting system and test it, while the crew would be given 108 hours of rest on the land.
Hourai Seiki is a spaceship maker that accept order made, and developing ship equipments and
weaponaries.
Marika thought it was weird for a pirate ship to dissapear just before their breaks days.
Show then said the last time they gave up their rest day was during the event at the frontier
(Jacky and the Crimson Pirates)
Karyoubinga Letter of Marque is concomittant to Count
Khan's peerage, and unlike Bentenmaru's LoM which was
issued by the government, the restrictions on Karyoubinga are quite loose, but when comes to passing assignment it could be quite troublesome.
The bridge went silent, as the first reason that came to mind on why a ship could gone missing
was that she was sank.
Marika procured if there was a need for Bentenmaru to go and search for the missing Immortal Creature.
Show answered that it hadn't came to that stage then, while showing his teeth (photogenic?
)
pg012
Even if the possibility was high that Karyoubinga could possibly be in between the last
point between Candice White and Sinclair D, it was still ten-odd light years wide. The Count probably had his
own reasons and went missing, and Bentenmaru would be unable to search for them easily. Marika asked Show to contact
Bentenmaru immediately if they could provide helps.
Courier and Hyakume were already hitting their keyboards hard (
) to gather the intel.
Marika asked the crew what was the best thing to do at that time. Misa was surprised that the question wasn't
"What do you think happened to Karyoubinga?", but instead, "What should we do?"
Marika replied that after all being said by Show, the only thing that would come out from discussion about the
other ship would only be conjectures. If there were other things that could be done, then they should be first priority.
pg 013
Hyakume then displayed the sailing routes' recent conditions of Sinclair Star System.
He added that the servicing of the routes were better done then Tau's route, and that missing ships for unknown reasons didn't occur up till then.
There were cases when ships lost for hundreds, or thousands of years being found.
pg014
Marika asked if it was that easy to go missing. Hyakume replied if the Captain was interested in doing so, it
should be easy to become a missing ship. Go out from the range of the Control Office and don't send a report.
A superluminal communication came into Bentenmaru. It was from Barubarusa.
"Chiaki-chan"
And then Chiaki-chan was angry.
pg015
Marika presumed that Barubarusa was all right since Bentenmaru was receiving call from them.
Chiaki then asked if Bentenmaru already heard about Karyoubinga's predicament.
The bispectacled girl explained that her father just knew about the news, but the reason for the call to Bentenmaru
was another thing. She asked if someone had came to Bentenmaru planning to buy her LoM.
Marika: Eh?
Chiaki added that people who claimed to be from a Trading Company of a Star came to Barubarua asking
if they're interested to sell their license, the ship itself, as the reappointment of the crews were also
guaranteed.
Marika was surprised. She asked if the license was something that could be sold and bought.
Chiaki replied that LoM issued by government, in their case Umi no Morihoshi (Sea of Forest Star),
can be put on trade if all the parties concerned agreed.
But if one wanted to use the LoM, the Barubarusa and a Captain were a must.
pg016
Marika felt like a cantankerous talk was about to begin, but she just nodded.
The girl who just appeared in bikini magazine spread added that the agent only put a price on Barubarusa and
the license, but things regarding the Captain were not mentioned. Black Beard did say to his daughter that
he would be reassigned to the latest Battleship-class ship, but the ship would probably not owned by the company.
Marika catechized furthermore if the representative didn't have the intention of doing pirates' jobs.
Chiaki smiled and replied that the full details about the agent and who was represented were still unclear, but
according to her father, it was not about buying the LoM, but more about putting the pirates out of business.
Miss Perfect Hair wanted to confirm if the license could be put on trading table without the consent of the
government.
pg017
Chiaki answered that her father prolonged the discussion with the agent because he wanted
to confirm that matter.
Black Beard didn't have the intention to sell his LoM, but he wanted to know more about the buyer.
Chiaki asked Marika what she would do should someone came asking to buy Bentenmaru's LoM.
Marika conformed that she would ask a price that would enable her to buy a new battleship, gives bonus
to her crews, and enough greenback to bribe the Galactic Empire to issue her a new LoM.
Someone snapped. (Misa? Chiaki?)
)
It was a joke from Marika, as she realized that it is the Captain's job to protect his/her LoM.
Chiaki wished Marika not to go missing when she hadn't refuse anything.
pg018
Marika wished the same for her waifu. Marika was confident that Black Beard was the better captain, but
if he and his ship gone missing, it would be hard for Bentenmaru too. Chiaki said if she told him that the
Bentenmaru's Captain was worry about him, what faces would he makes?
The communication ended, and Luka gave Marika the details on their sailing. It was time to go home.
A distress signal came on the same time when Bentenmaru touched down inside the inner orbit of Tau Ceti.
Transport ship Maria Forte 85 registered under West Kilia was under attacked by unidentified ships.
Marika: Eh?
Marika was perplexed as the location was the international
waters space
that was supposed to be patrolled by the Imperial Fleet.
pg019
Maria Forte 85 was carrying rare metals, precise medical equipments, and
rations, and she was to make port at Sea of Morning Star's Relay Station.
The Stellar Force should have received the SOS signal, but it would took some time to arrive to Maria Forte.
Two other ships that were closest to the scene were Princess Apricot and Kouryuu 69 that were unarmed. Both of them
awaited for furthers instruction from the Stellar Force.
Marika watched the display, as more and more FTL-capable ships arrived, but the closest weaponized ship was Bentenmaru.
The Captain ordered for a Short Jump, and to send request for reinforcement.
pg020.
A-gou and Un-gou's output were rising, and anti-ship methodology had started. Marika
asked Courier to send the Decoy. If the SOS was a trap to lure Bentenmaru, they should
expect a concentrated fire during the touchdown.
The Decoy signal's touch down should be close to Maria Forte, and the real Bentenmaru's touchdown should be behind the decoy 15 seconds after that.
Marika's strategy would allow them to avoid the first round of volley if the real target was Bentenmaru, Schnitzer said.
The Battle Cyborg added that the exchange fire would be imminent after that.
pg021
Marika added in her order that Bentenmaru should run away should the condition became too dangerous.
Schnitzer said the last order was the most difficult one
pg022
The Decoy touchdowned, and data processing was done roughly. All that Courier could read was that there were 3 attacking ships.
The Decoy wasn't attacked, so Marika ordered for evasive maneuver when the real one touchdowned.
p023
Bentenmaru moved at random speed during the evasion. Schnitzer assigned the name call for the ships of unknown origin; Alpha, Bravo, Charlie.
Bravo was nearest to Maria Forte. The transport ship's engines were overheat.
pg024
Marika used the common channel that only allowed to be used in emergency to warn the attacking ships
to cease their attack and surrender. They would be detained without being sank.
The Captain waited for reply. Only noises were coming from the speaker filters.
pg025
Marika ordered to commence the attack. Target: Bravo. Bentemaru full speed
Shnitzer said the charge was complete. Captain ordered to fire a warning shot with room for evasions
for Bravo before the enemy ship could dock with Maria Forte.
Energy used in order of severeness are: Ship's cannons, battle maneuvers, and finally Electronic Warfare.
But when EW is used during a fight, battle maneuver is many fold than chances to fire.
Courier finally identified the ship. They were a heavily modified Derfflinger battlecruiser-class ship. Derfflinger is
the newest anti-ship specialist. The battlecruiser is also used by the Imperial Fleet.
Hyakume said there were no transponder signal from the three attackers.
Alpha and Charlie were closing to Bentenmaru while jamming everything, including the SOS signal.
pg026
Bravo's energy reading was rising, as they readied to fire. Bentenmaru drifted to a side
pg027-pg034
Marika ordered to use Maria Forte to be their shield.
Marika thought that Bravo would not fire at Bentenmaru if they were close to Maria Forte.
But the enemy shot and the beam pierced near the center of the transport ship. Bentenmaru then released chaffs.
Bentenmaru could not jump because all the energy rerouting, so they had to run on the normal space plane.
The three cruisers did not follow them.