Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 44

“Attention all units! Attention all units! Return to the mothership immediately! Retreat now!”

Leon’s order through the loudspeaker shocked Alois. “Why?” He couldn’t help but wonder if he had misheard.

“I repeat! Retreat immediately! Do not engage the enemy! This is an order!”

Leon’s voice carried an unusual tension and severity.

What happened? The current battle was clearly in their favor. The enemy’s vanguard had suffered heavy losses, and more of their units, unaware, were still moving deeper into the Second Sea of Death. With a bit of luring, they would enter the mine-laden high-risk area. Why retreat when the situation was so favorable?

Alois wanted to ask but had no time for questions on the battlefield. As a soldier and a pirate, obeying orders was his duty. He could only turn his craft and fly towards the mothership, Lady of the Night, skimming past an Empire cruiser.

The enemy was probably as startled by the sudden retreat as we were. Soon, two modified Godot IIs appeared on the radar, closely tailing Alois like determined hounds. If this were a retreat under unfavorable conditions, it could be seen as a feigned defeat to lure the enemy in. But retreating under advantageous conditions seemed too abnormal and could only be explained by internal issues within the pirate ranks. Not pursuing now would be foolish.

If Alois were the Empire commander, he would also send fighters to chase. The previous losses were too severe. If they didn’t score a win before the pirates disappeared, the record would look too dismal. The two Godot IIs behind him were determined to take down Doro.

Alois pulled up the map and located the Lady of the Night. She was cleverly hidden in an asteroid cluster, camouflaged as a large asteroid nearby. But Alois couldn’t return directly to the mothership. The enemy was too close; a slight approach would reveal the Lady of the Night’s position. Even if the ship’s laser cannons could take out the two fighters instantly, attacking would expose the ship’s location.

Alois gritted his teeth and looped back towards the battlefield. If he couldn’t shake off those annoying tails, he might as well take them down!

“Lagrange! What’s taking you so long?!” This time, Titia’s voice came through the speaker. “Retreat quickly! Don’t engage the enemy! Shake them off!”

“They’re too close, I can’t shake them!” Alois said as he pressed the launch button. Missiles shot towards a Godot II, but it easily dodged and skillfully destroyed the missiles. Through the explosion’s fire and smoke, the other fighter emerged, like breaking through the clouds, with indigo beams slicing through the air like a sword.

Alois pulled up his craft just in time to dodge the beams. Such high-level maneuvers must be from one of the top aces in the Empire fleet. This thought brought a subtle sense of jealousy to Alois.

A sharp noise came through the speaker, followed by Joanna’s voice, loud enough to shake the cockpit. “Lagrange! Stop fighting and retreat immediately!”

Simultaneously, six or seven red dots representing enemies lit up on the radar, quickly closing in on Doro’s position, forming an encirclement. When Alois tried to shake off the two persistent Godot IIs, a rain of indigo beams cut off his retreat, pushing him step by step towards the center of the encirclement.

“Alois, we’re coming to help!” Titia’s voice came through.

“No! Don’t come over!”

More red dots appeared. The Empire realized the pirates were genuinely retreating and couldn’t let them disappear into the vast space. Even downing one pirate fighter would at least save face from this surprise attack.

“Captain! You guys go first! I’ll follow soon!”

“Don’t be ridiculous! You want us to leave you behind?”

“It’s a tactical retreat, not running away.”

Alois launched another wave of missiles, this time firing them to the left and right of his target. When the Empire fighter dodged, it ran straight into the missile. Even so, the damage wasn’t significant, and it pulled back, with more comrades filling its place.

“Alois.” This time, Joanna called him by name. “If you can’t win, surrender. The Empire treats prisoners well.”

“You don’t need to tell me that.”

“You idiot!” Joanna’s anger was tinged with deep helplessness. “Stay alive until I come to rescue you!”

“I… know that!” Alois shouted back.

The speaker fell silent. The radar showed all ships, including the Lady of the Night, retreating in an orderly fashion. The pirates quietly withdrew from the battlefield, shielded by the interference field and the cover of the Second Sea of Death’s debris. The Empire forces seemed hesitant to pursue into the complex terrain of the star sea.

Alois fired his last wave of missiles. All his ammunition was exhausted. He closed the communication channel with the mothership and opened the general broadcast to the Empire. “The Doro of the Begrel fleet surrenders. Please treat prisoners according to interstellar law.” After the announcement, Alois felt his face burn with shame. The Empire pilots probably wanted to drag him out of his cockpit and shoot him a hundred times.

His surrender quickly received a response. “Disarm and await recovery.”

Alois marked a big X on the control panel, indicating the activation of the ejection and self-destruction system. The screen turned blood-red as the cockpit transformed, the seat sinking and the upper part closing to form an escape pod. The screen flashed for a few seconds, and then the escape pod was ejected from the craft.

With no control panel, the escape pod contained only essential survival equipment and communication devices. It was soon intercepted and recovered by the Empire. The craft left behind wasn’t so lucky. The “escape and self-destruct system” activated after the pod ejected, turning the craft into a ball of flames, burning itself to ashes.

Even if Joanna would cry her eyes out, Alois wouldn’t change his mind. Leaving the craft and its data to the enemy was unthinkable. “Not letting you have it, my Doro,” he muttered proudly to himself.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 43

“It’s about time.”

Darius Bayes raised his head, and his brown eyes reflected the gray shadow of the cell door. His cellmate nodded and immediately lay down on the bed, clutching his stomach and screaming loudly, rolling from side to side. His acting was so realistic that it was almost convincing enough to make someone believe he really had a stomach ailment.

Darius pressed the buzzer on the door, and soon, the special glass turned transparent. Two guards, holding guns, stood cautiously in front of the door.

“What’s going on?” asked the older guard.

“My cellmate.” Darius tried to make his face, which wasn’t good at expressing emotions, show a look of urgency. “His stomach condition flared up again, and it looks very painful. Can you call the doctor?”

The cellmate let out a scream louder than a pig being slaughtered. The guards seemed moved. The older guard gestured to his companion to wait outside and then opened the cell door, entering the room and squatting by the bed to check. Darius glanced at the older guard, who was holding a gun, nervously pointing it at the cell, ready to shoot if the prisoners made any sudden moves.

“How long has he been sick?” asked the guard, squatting by the bed.

“Uh, I’m not sure. Maybe about twenty minutes. I thought it was just his usual problem. You know, usually, he gets better after a few minutes, but today it seems especially serious.” Darius followed the pre-arranged script. “Can you call a doctor? Or take him to the medical room? Oh God, he looks really bad.”

The guard carefully observed the cellmate’s expression, seemingly trying to judge from his pale face and cold sweat whether it was a disguise. But it was all in vain. In the end, the guard was still deceived by the realistic performance.

“It’s a special time.” He turned to Darius, as if Darius were the patient’s family. “We can’t find a doctor for now. I’ll go to the medical room to see if there’s any painkiller. Try to hold on.”

“What? Painkillers?” Darius frowned. “If painkillers worked, why would we need a hospital! Hurry up and get the doctor! You damned pirates!”

The guard, looking as if he couldn’t be bothered, turned and walked out of the cell, telling his companion. “You watch them here. Report anything to me. I’ll go to the medical room.”

“I… I’ll go with you,” the younger guard seemed reluctant to take the task.

“Stay here and watch them. Prevent them from playing tricks.” The older guard firmly patted his companion’s shoulder and walked down the corridor.

The guard left behind awkwardly looked at the two prisoners. “Don’t panic. Just hold on a little longer.”

Darius stood still for a while, hearing the footsteps in the corridor disappear, then said to his cellmate, who was rolling around clutching his stomach. “Hold on a little longer. The medicine is coming soon.”

This was their agreed signal, meaning: the plan is entering the second phase.

The cellmate suddenly let out another scream, convulsing all over and occasionally retching.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Darius asked with concern.

The reply was broken moans.

“Hey! You!” Darius made a gesture to the guard outside the door. “Can you check when the medicine will arrive? My friend is almost dying!”

The guard hesitated. “But I…”

“Why don’t we take him to the medical room? Even if there’s no doctor, at least we can use some medical equipment and find some medicine easily,” Darius said, lifting his cellmate’s shoulder. “You take his legs!”

“Uh, you…” The guard hesitated, but the patient’s screams eventually moved him. He slung his submachine gun across his body and stepped forward, lifting the patient’s legs.

“Be careful!” Darius advised.

“Shut up…” The guard muttered. They carefully lifted the patient and moved cautiously towards the door.

As soon as they got out of the cell and entered the corridor, Darius suddenly let go!

The guard, unsteady on his feet, almost stumbled to the ground. In his panic, he released his grip, and the patient cried out as he fell. Darius jumped over his cellmate’s body, punching the guard to the ground. The cellmate then got up, grabbed the guard’s weapon, and threw it to Darius.

“Sorry.” The Major General aimed the gun at the guard’s head and pulled the trigger. Then he returned to his indifferent expression. The performance was over.

“Who would have thought there were no surveillance cameras in the prison? These pirates are indeed fools. Huh, Zorda?” Darius asked, holding the gun.

“The prison’s computer and the outside seem to be different systems. But that’s natural, right? To prevent external hackers. But internal attacks can make them crumble instantly.” His cellmate, Zorda, searched the guard’s body, finally removing a silver communication terminal from his neck. “I heard that everyone on Joanna’s fleet is equipped with such a terminal, which can directly link to their AI. Very convenient.”

“Joanna’s AI is really powerful.” Darius slowly walked down the corridor, guessing that the medical room should be in that direction. The older guard had just gone that way. “It can bypass five mid-range AIs, controlling Hecate’s central computer. Can you handle it alone?”

“Take it slow, you’ll get it done eventually. First, release the virus and cut off all contact with the outside world. Then, analyze the central computer in Milantu and steal the administrative rights. If I’m not mistaken, that AI is mounted on the Lady of the Night. We just need to cut off its link to Milantu,” Zorda said with a pleased smile as he fiddled with a small terminal. “After all, no matter how advanced an AI is, it was still created by humans.”

Darius had already disappeared. Shortly after, gunshots echoed from the end of the corridor. At the same time, Zorda cracked the prison computer’s password and transferred himself as the administrator. The doors along the corridor opened one by one, and Empire soldiers disguised as prisoners walked out in pairs. Without needing any orders, they automatically formed a long line and began counting their numbers under the supervision of Major General’s aide, Leibniz.

“All present!” Leibniz, his previous gloom swept away, looked at the daredevil squad that had followed the Major General deep into enemy lines with a proud and spirited expression, feeling a genuine sense of pride as if victory was just within reach.

“Don’t get too excited yet,” Darius Bayes said as he walked slowly down the corridor, carrying a gun, having dealt with the lone guards. “If you get complacent over a small gain, you’ll end up like those brainless pirates.”

“You’re right!” Leibniz saluted the Major General.

The Major General’s lips curled into a mocking smile. “Continue with the plan. Zorda, where do we go next?”

“The prison is sealed, but there’s an emergency escape route underground that leads to an underground parking lot near the spaceport. I’m opening it now.”

“Is that place far from the Milantu command tower?”

“It’s right next to the command tower.”

“Excellent.” The Major General tilted his head. “Let’s go, boys. We’re taking the command tower… Oh, and first, we need to grab some weapons.”

In the next ten minutes, the prison’s armory was ruthlessly looted.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 42

After passing through the First Sea of Death, the Bayes fleet slowed down in the Windless Zone while arranging their formation. The Major General’s flagship, the Sword of the Queen, was centrally located, with Colonel Gilbert Gauss’s ship at the forefront. Major General Darius Bayes temporarily handed over command to Colonel Gauss, much to the latter’s satisfaction. Eager to make a name for himself, Gauss placed his ship in the vanguard position. In war, the vanguard always faced great risks but also had the best chance to achieve glory. Besides, this time, the enemy wasn’t a well-equipped Federation army but a group of unruly pirates.

Upon reaching the edge of the Second Sea of Death, Colonel Gauss found that the pirates weren’t within visual range. They were hiding among the asteroids and sparse interstellar material, planning to resist desperately like cornered thieves.

“Colonel, how about sending out small patrol boats and fighters into the Second Sea of Death to lure them out and wipe them out?” a staff officer suggested.

“No,” Colonel Gauss rejected the proposal. “That crazy bitch is very cunning and may not fall for it. Besides, we outnumber them significantly, so there’s no need to be so cautious. Change formation. I will lead the charge into the Second Sea of Death and give them a head-on blow!”

“But Colonel, we don’t have a map of the Second Sea of Death. Charging in recklessly might lead us into a trap.”

“What are you afraid of? How capable can a bunch of bandits be! Even if there are traps, we can still force our way through with brute force!”

Alois was piloting Doro, hiding behind a small asteroid. Several fighters were concealed in this asteroid field. The radar indicated that Fran and Rachel were above and to his left and right, respectively, while Liz and the sister ships from the Romantic Exile were hidden in another asteroid cluster. Between the two sparse asteroid fields was a wide open space, resembling a corridor. When the Empire fleet passed through, the six fighters would attack simultaneously.

Of course, confronting cruisers with fighters was challenging, but Joanna had devised a thorough plan. Their main objective wasn’t to defeat the enemy head-on but to lure them into the depths of the Second Sea of Death. This spacious corridor didn’t lead to Milantu but to a dangerous area filled with old mines. Alois and his team’s task were to lure the Empire vanguard into the minefield, letting Old Earth technology wreak havoc, then charge into the enemy’s main formation in the ensuing chaos.

“If we can force Bayes to retreat, that would be best,” Joanna had said. “But if he insists on continuing the attack, I don’t mind at all if you bury him in space.”

Alois steadied himself. The Empire vanguard was passing through the corridor. The radar showed a cruiser and three frigates had already passed his “checkpoint”. Now wasn’t the time to attack. He reminded himself to wait for Errol’s command. He couldn’t act rashly.

His hand rested on the control panel, palms sweating and quickly absorbed by the spacesuit. This wasn’t a simulation or a relaxed merchant ship robbery; it was a real war. It was laughable that he felt nervous—something Leo would mock him for a month.

How ironic that the enemy he faced now was Darius Bayes. The last time he saw him was two years ago, when he was still in the Royal Guard. Bayes liked to loiter around the palace as if it were his home (which it almost was), with no sense of “avoiding suspicion”. He also enjoyed mocking Alois in front of Prince Annot, from his hairstyle to his socks, until the prince had to intervene. “Hahaha, Darius, you and Lagrange seem very familiar. Everyone should get along well.”

As if! Alois wished he had never known this brat! If he had known they would be at each other’s throats today, he should have finished Bayes cleanly in school and reported to the teacher with feigned righteousness. “Cadet Bayes had an accident during survival training.” That would have saved a lot of trouble!

But the god of fate loved to play cruel jokes on Alois. Not only was Darius Bayes alive and well, but he also led a fleet to attack Milantu. Now, the vanguard of his fleet—three cruisers and seven frigates—had passed the checkpoint. Errol’s clear command came over the speaker. “Attack!”

Doro shot out from behind the asteroid like an arrow, leaving a trail of bright green particles. The other five fighters followed, forming a silvery-green stream in the dark space.

Following the training plan, Alois made a feint attack. The last frigate in the vanguard quickly fired lasers at him. Alois deftly dodged, while Titia emerged like a ghost from behind him, delivering a deadly missile into the frigate’s heart.

The explosion’s flash lit up the dark sea of stars, announcing another frigate’s demise. Ahead, several large asteroids moved aside, revealing the Princess Sophie and the Romantic Exile. Their main cannons, fully charged, fired dazzling white beams at the Empire fleet!

A cruiser’s side was grazed by the white beam, causing it to shudder, while an unfortunate frigate behind it was pierced through.

The Empire forces finally realized they were ambushed. Pirates lay in wait ahead, and the rear was cut off by elusive fighters. The fleet could no longer slow down, so the vanguard continued forward, engaging the pirates as they advanced. Dozens of fighters launched into space, swarming towards the pirate fighters like locusts.

Alois dodged enemy fire while heading towards the minefield. After downing two persistent enemies, he approached the main cruiser and fired a volley of missiles. Most were blocked by the ship’s force field, and the few that slipped through were shot down by secondary guns. But this tickling attack enraged the big mother ship, which accelerated forward, eager to reach Milantu and destroy the pirate base.

The bait worked! The ship entered the minefield!

Old Earth’s old mines were undetectable by modern sensors. The ship was like a child in a minefield, where each step could trigger an explosion. And it did. A mine, disturbed by the ship’s field, floated like a dandelion seed in the breeze before erupting in flames, engulfing the entire ship!

“Ha, got them!”

In the Lady of the Night’s command room, Joanna cheered. These mines were as sensitive as cats, reacting to the slightest disturbance. The successive flashes of explosions were a spectacle, but the pirate regretted that in the vacuum of space, there was no sound. In movies, even lasers made “pew pew” sounds!

All she could hear were reports from six control stations, exchanging damage assessments of the enemy and broadcasting confirmed results. The captain now knew that a main ship and two frigates were sunk, with another frigate lightly damaged, fleeing towards the Empire’s main fleet.

This was a major victory, inflicting heavy damage on the enemy and boosting their morale. But Joanna’s joy was short-lived, and her smile faded quickly.

The Empire forces were tricked? They were lured into the minefield? What did this mean? It meant the Empire forces didn’t know what awaited them; they didn’t have a map of the Second Sea of Death! But they safely passed through the First Sea of Death; why? Did they have incomplete intelligence? Was Darius Bayes reckless enough to invade Milantu with incomplete intel?

No, impossible. Bayes wouldn’t take such a risk. He never fought unprepared. So how did the Empire forces get a map of the First Sea of Death? Was there a traitor in the base? No, even if there were, Leo would intercept any sent information. Joanna was 100% confident in that. What gave Darius the confidence to invade Milantu with an incomplete map?

…invade Milantu?

“Damn it!” Joanna slapped the armrest and stood up abruptly. “We are the ones who were tricked!”

“What’s wrong, Captain?” Leo’s holographic image appeared beside her.

“Darius doesn’t need to enter Milantu because he’s already there!”

Six control officers stared at Joanna, eyes wide with shock and confusion.

“Damn! Damn! Damn!” The pirate wanted to pull her hair out. “I was too careless! Falling for a centuries-old trick! The Silver String! It wasn’t a merchant ship. It’s full of Imperial soldiers! That explains why the Empire forces crossed the First Sea of Death but lacked the Second’s map! The Silver String recorded its path and sent it to the Empire forces, but the quantum interference around the Second Sea of Death blocked their terrain data! This is a gigantic Trojan Horse, and I happily dragged it home! I’m an idiot!”

She shouted and furiously ordered, “All units, retreat! Don’t engage the Empire forces. Return to Milantu immediately!”

“Yes, ma’am!” The control officers resumed their tasks.

The captain told Leo, “Contact Milantu. Tell them to secure the command tower and eliminate any suspicious personnel!”

Leo bowed. “Yes, ma’am!” But soon he frowned. “… Captain, bad news…”

“What?”

“We can’t contact Milantu. Communication is cut off. Hackers have infiltrated Milantu’s central computer and taken control!”

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 41

The Lady of the Night, the Aphrodite, the Princess Sophie, and the Romantic Exile were speeding through the Second Sea of Death, heading towards the Windless Zone. Since Joanna’s escape, this was the first time the fleet’s four main ships had set out simultaneously, marking an unprecedented event in five years.

Of course, the enemy they faced this time was stronger than ever. They weren’t the usual pirates, but the fleet led by Major General Darius Bayes, nicknamed the “Whip of Judgment”. When Leo detected the flagship “Sword of the Queen” on the sensors and identified the fleet, Joanna sighed in relief but also felt a surge of intense unease.

In the past, when she served the Empire, she had met Bayes several times. Back then, Bayes was not a Major General—not even officially ranked—but a cadet in the military academy. In her impression, he was a stern, uninteresting person, whose mind probably contained nothing more meaningful than “loyalty to the Empire”, “defeating enemies”, and “climbing the ranks”. As colleagues, their battlefield cooperation was excellent, but privately, their personalities clashed. As an enemy, Darius Bayes was terrifying. Sometimes his actions were predictable due to his narrow focus, but other times he was unpredictable, like a chessboard full of variables or a sealed candy box where you never knew the next flavor.

No matter what, Joanna acknowledged Major General Bayes as a troublesome enemy. “I never expected him to be the one attacking,” she said, sitting in the command chair, resting her chin on one hand and tapping the armrest with the other, speaking with a tone of helplessness. “No matter how you look at it, the admiral has more important things to do, like taking down Prince Sori, arresting Duke Winnet, or conquering the Federation to unify the galaxy. These tasks are clearly more critical than chasing space pirates. What game is he playing?” She fell into confusion.

“Our fleet will leave the First Sea of Death and enter the Windless Zone in an hour,” Leo reported. “The enemy will leave the Second Sea of Death in three hours.”

“So we still have time to arrange our formation?” Joanna’s eyes scanned the three-dimensional simulation of the fleet, showing a total of thirteen ships, including the main and escort ships, forming a snake formation carefully navigating the star sea filled with old mines and gravitational vortices. The simulation marked dangerous areas in red, which the fleet cautiously avoided. Joanna clicked on the map, zooming out to show the entire Flaming Binary Star System. Milantu was far from the fleet, appearing like a small marble on the map. Two Sea of Deaths surrounded the two stars, with the safe area between them known as the “Windless Zone”. The Second Sea of Death was surrounded by many quantum interference devices, blocking communication between Milantu and the outside world to prevent information leaks. The limited communication channels were strictly controlled by Leo.

This simulation map was part of the data Leo had when acquired. According to the AI, these were advanced technologies discovered by ancient colonists, transmitted back to Old Earth before the first Galactic War, and later brought back to the colonies by Earth survivors. Five years ago, Joanna relied on this map to safely land on Milantu and establish a pirate base. It wasn’t surprising that Leo could get this map, but how did Darius Bayes get the related data? Did he make a deal with the Neo Athens Academy?

The more she thought, the less she understood!

“Leo, order the entire fleet to slow down. We can’t confront the enemy in the Windless Zone. The disparity in strength is too great. We must use the Second Sea of Death as a barrier,” Joanna commanded.

No response.

“Leo? Are you malfunctioning?” The pirate frowned. The AI didn’t respond to her command!

“Sorry, Captain. There was a small issue.” After a while, Leo replied, “Some viruses were detected and being cleared.”

Releasing viruses to paralyze the enemy’s computer system during a battle was a common information warfare tactic, although not honorable, but surprisingly effective. Joanna never worried about her ship’s computer getting infected because they had the most advanced AI in the universe!

“Was it Darius who released the virus?”

“Not yet identified. But it doesn’t affect operations.”

“That’s good. Was the previous order conveyed?”

Leo hesitated. “What order?”

Joanna was momentarily speechless.

“Uh, really sorry! There was a little glitch. I didn’t hear it…” The AI was extremely nervous about its dereliction. “Please, please repeat the order, Captain.”

Joanna mechanically repeated the previous order, but she didn’t hear herself speaking. Her unease reached its peak. In her years of dancing with death in the military, this was unprecedented.

“Darius Bayes?”

In the rest area of the Lady of the Night preparation bay, the waiting pirates were chatting casually while flexing their muscles. They had just learned the enemy’s identity, and Major General Bayes’s name caused a ripple in the room. Some girls were excited. “He’s the Empire’s most handsome soldier! And he’s nobility, young and high-ranking, like a fairy tale prince!”

The men collectively expressed disdain. “Tch, this prince rides not a white horse but a ship with laser cannons.” Errol said, earning an elbow strike from his sister.

“You’re just jealous,” the female mechanic taunted the brother, rolling on the ground and clutching his stomach. “Just admit it.”

“If you like him so much, why not marry him?” Udino retorted.

“Oh, I wish, but he wouldn’t fancy me.” The female mechanic stuck out her tongue. “Haven’t you dreamed of marrying a beautiful princess?”

“Of course not…” Udino glanced at Titia’s face and immediately said seriously, “Never thought of it!” He was then knocked down by his sister. “No ambition!” Titia scolded.

“Enough.” Alois sipped his coffee and interjected. “Darius Bayes isn’t as cute as you think.”

“You know him?” The women’s eyes lit up, expecting some juicy gossip from Alois.

But the anticipated young man only said lightly, “He was a year behind me in military school. He was talented, but also the most obnoxious, unfeeling, and unlikable brat I’ve ever seen.”

Titia’s mouth formed an O shape. “Alois, I didn’t know you had such a past!”

I’d rather not have it. Alois rubbed his forehead.

“Attention all units! Attention all units!” Leo’s voice interrupted their pleasant conversation. “The entire ship is slowing down. We will confront the enemy at the edge of the Second Sea of Death. Prepare for battle!”

Alois threw his cup into the storage box, quickly stood up, and walked towards the preparation bay exit, with Titia following him. Errol and Udino got up from the ground as if nothing had happened. The others left through another exit, heading to their posts.

The time was 15:00 on July 14, 1416, Galactic Standard Calendar. The Battle of Milantu was about to begin.

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<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 40

“Level two alert! Level two alert! High-energy reaction detected a quarter of a light-year from Milantu in the direction of Lyra!”

“What kind of high-energy reaction?”

“Adjusting satellite radar! Beginning scan!”

“It’s a fleet! A military-grade fleet is exiting warp and heading towards Milantu!”

The command tower of Milantu lit up with red lights, flashing incessantly. The sharp alarm sounds and the exclamations of the navigators rising and falling made Joanna Begrel irritable. She tossed her empty can to the floor, crushing it with a tooth-grinding “crunch”. The control room fell silent immediately, with all eyes on the captain, except for the still-blaring alarms.

“Leo, are you sure it’s not a false alarm?” Joanna glared at the ceiling, “Not a sudden meteor shower or something?”

“Have you ever seen meteors like these?”

The screen flashed, revealing footage captured by the probes. Against the deep red cosmic backdrop of the Flaming Binary, ships bearing the Empire “White Wolf Sword” emblem were emerging from warp, swiftly reorganizing into formation, and heading towards Milantu in an orderly fashion. The high-energy flashes caused by their warp exit seemed even brighter than the Flaming Binary themselves.

“Which fleet is it?”

“We can’t identify it. They’ve shut down the entire ultra-light network, using a closed internal network. We also can’t detect any electromagnetic or gravitational waves,” Leo replied. “Moreover, they’re passing through an area known as the ‘First Sea of Death’. If they aren’t taken out by old mines and turbulence, they’ll cross the ‘First Sea of Death’ in seventeen hours, and the ‘Second Sea of Death’ in twenty-eight hours. At that point, we’ll have no choice but to face them at our doorstep.”

Joanna continued to stomp on the can with her high boots, making the navigators flinch as if she were stepping on them. “This is the first time in many years that an army has dared to cross the ‘Sea of Death’. Their commander is either recklessly indifferent to life and death or has inside information about a safe route.”

“Do you mean one of our partners leaked the information, or there’s a traitor among us?”

Joanna shook her head amid the high-energy flashes on the screen and the flickering red lights in the command room. “I’d rather believe the Empire soldiers are idiots.” She stood up and kicked the flattened can into the corner, where a cylindrical cleaning robot buzzed over to sweep it up.

The captain’s tall figure stood before the screen, her voice clear as a spring amid the noise. “Sound the Level One alarm! All personnel to battle stations! Lady of the Night, Aphrodite, Princess Sophie, and Romantic Exile prepare to intercept the enemy in the ‘Calm Belt’ between the First and Second Seas of Death. Ground personnel, follow Emergency Plan No. 3, and be ready to evacuate Milantu at any moment!”

Her words were met with a chorus of exclamations in the command room.

“Is this really necessary, Captain?”

“Please reconsider!”

“Milantu is our last stronghold. We can’t give it up!”

“Do as I say!” Joanna commanded sharply. “The enemy has the strength of a whole army group. What about us?” She scanned the room, and no one dared to answer. “Abandoning Milantu is the worst-case scenario. Pray we can defeat them with fewer numbers.” She turned and walked out of the command room, with the cleaning robot hastily making way for her.

“What? Milantu is under attack by Empire forces?”

Alois put on his headset and opened the door to his house. To save energy, Milantu base had disabled the transparent sky projection, turning the sky a dull gray, while the flashing alarm lights dyed the low buildings red. Ground personnel capable of fighting had all been armed, calmly forming into units according to drill protocols, executing their tasks. Women and children who couldn’t fight were being escorted to underground shelters. If necessary, everyone could quickly reach the spaceport via underground tunnels and escape Milantu.

Leo’s voice came through the headset, fulfilling his role as an advanced AI, issuing commands from the command tower to the ground. “Lagrange, report to the Lady of the Night. Joshua, head to the east square, where the second vanguard team is gathering.”

Alois pressed the headset. “Is the vanguard team not boarding the Lady of the Night?”

“We’re going to fight a battle, not a raid. The vanguard team will stay at the base. If the warships can’t stop the enemy, they’ll land on Milantu, and we’ll have to prepare for ground combat.”

“Understood.”

Alois and Joshua exchanged glances. “Be careful.”

“You too.” Joshua lightly kissed his lips, then ran towards the vanguard team’s gathering point.

“Hey, don’t jinx it with that death flag stuff…” Alois took a deep breath and headed in the opposite direction.

Townsend almost spat out his coffee. “What’s this? An air raid alarm?” He looked helplessly at the gray sky, the flashing red lights, and the piercing alarm sound.

“Two long, three short, it’s a Level One battle alarm.” His colleague Yakin swallowed his last bite of bread and tossed his coffee cup into a nearby bin. If the base had to disable the gravity grid, flying cups could become deadly projectiles.

Yakin walked to the surveillance room computer, expertly pressed a few keys, and a prompt appeared on the screen. “Activate Level One Battle Emergency System?”

He pressed “Yes”, and a low rumbling sound indicated that the prison perimeter was now sealed, preventing any prisoners from escaping during the chaos. Milantu prison was designed to be easy to defend and hard to attack, capable of withstanding low-altitude bombardment. Underground escape routes were also opened; if the enemy resorted to using nuclear or antimatter missiles, these tunnels would allow the prisoners to be quickly evacuated to safety. The pirates were indeed humane.

“Is that all we need?” Townsend asked nervously.

“Let’s hope we don’t need the last resort,” Yakin whispered. “With these prisoners, if the enemy attacks, we can use their lives as leverage.”

“Will that work?”

“It never has before.” Townsend dragged a storage box from the corner and opened it, revealing an arsenal of guns. “Let’s give it a try.”

“Did you hear that?”

In Milantu prison, the young man with hawk-like, tawny eyes asked his cellmate, who listened for a moment and smiled. “It’s an alarm.”

“They’ve gone into battle mode.” The young man remained indifferent. “This means Colonel Gauss has begun his attack.”

“Is it time to start our plan?”

“Wait a bit longer.” The young man closed his eyes. “Joanna isn’t foolish enough to confront the enemy at her doorstep. I guess they’ll fight in the area between the ‘First Sea of Death’ and the ‘Second Sea of Death’. Crossing the ‘Second Sea of Death’ takes about nine hours. The battle will start no sooner than nine hours from now. We wait. When Joanna’s main fleet leaves and Milantu’s defenses are thin, it’ll be our turn.”

His cellmate clenched his fists in excitement. “I can’t wait for that moment, Your Excellency!”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 39

Townsend opened the cell door of the prison, twirled the electric baton in his hand, and swung it a few times, pretending to be an action movie star. His partner, Yakin, impatiently pushed him into the long hallway beyond the cell door. “Hurry up! After the patrol, let’s find something to eat. I’m starving!”

“You had a sandwich just an hour ago,” Townsend complained back to his companion.

On either side of the hallway were doors made of special tempered glass, through which the outside could see the inside of the cells, but those inside could not see out. This setup facilitated the guards’ patrols while preventing the prisoners from conspiring and plotting.

The prison was currently less than a third full, all occupied by the crew of the Silver String. Each cell held two people. During the prison’s renovation, the AI Leonard had suggested keeping all prisoners together, but Joanna had vetoed this. “If they are all caged together, it will only unite them and bolster their arrogance,” she had said. Hence, the prison ended up in its current state. “It looks more like a student dormitory than a prison,” Leonard had mocked.

Yakin scanned the cells with a detached eye. Most of the prisoners were behaving as all captives did. After initial resistance and dissatisfaction, they calmed down and started to consider their situation, realizing that obedience and waiting for rescue were the safest bets. However, some of the more unique-minded individuals weren’t as compliant. A tall man paced back and forth in his cell, as precise as a pendulum. Yakin was reminded of a novel by a writer named Zweig from ancient Earth, where the protagonist developed extraordinary chess skills in prison.

In another cell, two roommates were arguing. The soundproofing was excellent (to prevent prisoners from communicating), so Yakin could only see their mouths opening and closing, their faces livid, occasionally using their hands and feet. If it turned into a violent fight, it would be troublesome.

In yet another cell, two people were engaged in an intimate activity. Yakin rolled his eyes and hurried past as if he hadn’t seen anything.

Townsend, however, was enthusiastically gesticulating in front of the cell door. “Oh, nice. I haven’t done it with my wife for a long time. She’s been giving me a hard time lately.”

“It’s work time. Stop babbling about your personal life,” Yakin sternly warned his partner.

The Silver Strings captain’s cell was at the end of the hallway. It was a large, comfortable single room that the guards jokingly called the “presidential suite”, as it was always used to host captured captains, demonstrating the pirates’ hospitality. Captain Leibniz was currently sitting on the bed, looking despondent and distracted, rubbing his hands anxiously, his lips moving as if talking to himself.

Yakin was used to this sight. Almost all captured captains were like this, worrying about “Will the pirates kill me?” “When will the ransom be paid?” “Will the company punish me?” and similar concerns. After lingering in front of the “presidential suite” for a while, Yakin nodded and signaled to Townsend that they could move on to check other areas.

As they left, Yakin suddenly felt a cold gaze on him. First, he felt a chill all over, then his back, where the gaze focused, seemed to burn. He turned abruptly and saw the source of the gaze.

It was a young man in his twenties, with meticulously groomed dark auburn hair and tawny eyes, glaring at Yakin like a bird of prey. The guard was stunned, wondering if the young man had a grudge against him, then realized that it was impossible to see outside from the cell! How had the young man seen him?

The confusion lasted only a few seconds before the young man shifted his gaze to his cellmate with the same cold, fierce look. Yakin sighed in relief, thinking maybe the young man had coincidentally looked in his direction.

The young man’s cellmate seemed equally uneasy under his gaze, his face turning very pale. Then he suddenly collapsed onto the bed, clutching his stomach and writhing in pain.

Yakin stepped forward and knocked on the cell door, turning the special glass fully transparent and activating the door’s communicator.

“What happened?”

Painful groans came through the communicator.

“Nothing,” the cold-eyed young man said. “He’s having a stomachache.”

“Do you need a doctor?”

“No.” The young man didn’t even look at Yakin or his suffering cellmate, staring instead at a nonexistent point in the air. “It’ll be over in a while. Right?”

“Y-Yes,” the patient on the bed said. “It’s an old problem. It’ll pass soon.”

“Alright,” Yakin shrugged. “If it gets really serious, press the red button on the door, and we’ll provide proper treatment.”

“Thank you very much,” the young man said.

The guard knocked twice on the door again, deactivating the transparency and communicator. Townsend was already at the end of the hallway, waving for him to hurry up. “Hey, come on! Didn’t you say you wanted to find something to eat?”

Colonel Gilbert Gauss paced anxiously on the bridge, like a caged beast. He was always impatient, and the thing he hated most in the world was waiting. However, he had to wait now because his superior had ordered it.

“When can we attack!” Colonel Gauss stomped on the floor. “Bayes, that coward! He dares not fight but won’t let others fight either! Damn it!”

“Please calm down, Colonel,” his adjutant advised. “The Major General must have his reasons for his orders. We should wait patiently for the right moment…”

“The right moment?!” Gauss roared, his anger exploding. “The right moment will slip away while we wait! By the time it arrives, that crazy bitch will have fled!”

“Please, you must calm down!” The adjutant wiped the sweat from his forehead and whispered, “The current order is ‘standby’. If you violate the order and attack on your own, regardless of success or failure, Major General Bayes will have a reason to blame you. But if you follow his order and still fail, you can put all the responsibility on the Major General. This is greatly advantageous to you!”

Gauss thought it over and found his adjutant’s reasoning sound. Indeed, his father had sent a competent person to assist him. The Colonel was pleased, patting the adjutant on the shoulder. His mood improved greatly. “You’re right! I can’t let Bayes have an easy time, but I also can’t let him get a hold on me!”

“Report!” A messenger hurriedly ran onto the bridge, saluting the Colonel.

“What is it?”

“We just received word that Dowlan Company has received the ransom demand from the Begrel Pirates.”

Colonel Gauss’s eyes lit up. “Does that mean we can attack now?” He sought confirmation from his adjutant.

“Yes, Colonel.” The adjutant saluted. “The time has come for you to show your skills.”

“Good!” Gauss waved grandly. “Order the entire fleet to set sail, enter warp, and raid that crazy bitch’s lair!”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 38

Joanna disembarked from the Lady of the Night carrying a black briefcase filled with raw stone samples. She saw a line of crew members from the neighboring Silver String, trudging dejectedly toward the prison under pirate supervision, resembling chicks led by a mother hen. The female pirate whistled, ran along the line of captives to the front, greeted the first mate in charge of escorting, and received many resentful glances along the way, which pleased her greatly.

“A good start to the year with such a harvest—a good omen indeed,” said the first mate.

“Let’s hope so.”

A passing prisoner snorted contemptuously, receiving a fierce glare from the first mate. Joanna sized up the prisoner, noting his attire was vastly different from the other crew members. His clothes were made of fine silk, with a ruby pin at the collar. Despite his disheveled appearance, his eyes remained sharp.

“Let me guess, this must be the captain of the Silver String?” Joanna teased. “May I have the honor of knowing your name?”

“Leibniz, thank you!” the captain replied curtly.

Joanna turned to the first mate and feigned anger. “How could you neglect Captain Leibniz so? He deserves the same treatment as I!”

“Oh, I was so careless!” the first mate exclaimed exaggeratedly. “I’ll make sure he gets a well-lit single cell in the prison!”

The surrounding pirates burst into laughter.

“And,” Joanna continued, “I will host a banquet tonight to welcome Captain Leibniz.”

“Will you cut Pavlov’s dog food again?”

“Hey, wait!” Captain Leibniz interrupted. “Aren’t prisoners supposed to be treated better than dogs?!”

“Of course, we always treat prisoners well!” Joanna bit her finger, looking sincerely at the pitiful captain. “Pavlov can’t even get dog food!”

The pirates were laughing hysterically.

“Keep up the good work.” Joanna patted the first mate on the shoulder and bounced away. She felt Captain Leibniz’s angry gaze, which had no effect on her at all. However, another gaze pierced her like a sharp thorn into the back of her head. The female pirate turned back cautiously, searching for the source of the gaze, but only saw the captives walking with their heads down.

The sudden, prickling gaze disappeared as quickly as it had come.

‘Strange,’ she thought. ‘Probably just my imagination.’

The female pirate scratched her head and turned away from the line of captives, heading towards the command tower.

In her exclusive office within the command tower, four pilots and the holographic image of Leonard stood side by side, like soldiers ready for inspection.

The door slammed open, and Joanna flew in like a bird.

“Well done, my dear darlings!” She hugged each pilot, giving kisses on the cheeks of Titia and Alois to express her joy. She then bypassed Leo and went straight to her desk, placing the black briefcase on it.

“Captain, you’re discriminating against me!” Leo shouted.

“Complain when you get a physical body,” Joanna said without looking at him, opening the briefcase. It was filled with unpolished raw stones resembling gemstones, irregular in shape and rough in texture, mixed with a lot of gravel, looking no different from ordinary stones scattered on the ground. Titia let out a deflated sigh, while Alois almost blurted out, “Captain, did you bring a box of coal?”

“Leo, come take a look.” Joanna beckoned.

The AI raised its head. “Even if you apologize now, it’s too late. I won’t be swayed by these trifling benefits!”

“…Who wants to sway you. These are raw stone samples. I want you to check their quality.”

“Hmph!” Leo pouted, walking to the desk and examining the raw stones. Unseen to the others, the AI was scanning each stone in the box.

After a minute, he concluded, “Not bad. Upper-middle grade. Not the best, but decent. They should fetch a high price after polishing.” He pointed with an invisible finger. “That one, yes, the one with silver spots, is very hard and can be used for making drills. Spiders might like it.”

“Really…” The captain pondered for a moment. “I was planning to return the captives, the ship, and the cargo once Dowlan Company paid the ransom. But since these raw stones are useful… let’s keep half of them!” She turned the briefcase towards the four pilots. “Take your pick.”

Alois, puzzled, asked, “Pick what?”

“In this line of work, the harvest and risk always go hand in hand,” Joanna explained righteously to the young man participating in the robbery for the first time. “You all did a great job in this operation, and you deserve to pick the spoils first.”

“Captain, we appreciate the thought, but carrying a bunch of stones back is useless to us,” said Udino.

His brother, Errol, added, “Yeah, last time it was original computer parts, and before that, a bunch of paper books. You might as well give us money directly.”

“Oh, I will give you money, but just take something. It’s symbolic. These are precious raw stones! Maybe keep one or two as a souvenir?” Joanna drawled. “I don’t want to carry this thing back.” This was probably the real reason. She turned to Titia. “Girls must be interested in gems, right? Come on, pick a few.”

Titia reluctantly approached the box but was pushed by Errol, causing her to fall onto it. “Go on, little sis. Pick for us.” The elder brother naturally shifted the burden of picking the spoils onto his sister.

Titia grumbled, “I’ll remember this,” as she picked through the box, finally settling on two of the largest stones. “They might look nice in the fish tank,” she said, weighing the stones in her hands.

“Only two?” Joanna was disappointed, then turned her expectant gaze to Alois. “You pick too! If you want, you can have them all!”

The captain’s enthusiastic promotion was hard to refuse. Alois hesitated, rummaging through the box before casually selecting a black stone. Seeing that the samples she brought couldn’t be disposed of, the captain frowned. Leo kindly suggested, “The vanguard team also deserves some credit. They should pick spoils too.”

“Good idea!” Joanna snapped her fingers. “Get them here!”

“Can we go now?” Udino asked.

“Of course.” Joanna rubbed her hands like a merchant. The four, plus the AI, seized the opportunity to leave the captain’s office eagerly.

“Too scary!” Titia said, still shaken in the command tower hallway. “The captain gives away whatever she robs! If we hijack a ship carrying oil next time, do we each have to take a barrel of oil back?”

“I understand her intention to reward merit, but her reward direction is completely wrong!” Errol followed his sister, “The merchant ship for trade will arrive next month. Hopefully, they’ll buy all the stones. Not a single one left!”

Alois and Leo nodded in agreement.

“Two stones.” Titia looked despondently at her “spoils”. “They’re too big for the fish tank.”

“You should’ve picked smaller ones,” Udino said.

His sister glared at him. “Why didn’t you pick then? Now you’re criticizing me!”

“Alright, Titia,” Leo intervened. “The two stones you got are high-strength hard drill stones from Neo Amazon. After processing, they can be made into daggers. They can cut through iron like mud, much better than ordinary weapons.”

“But where am I supposed to process these damn things?”

“Find Spider?”

Alois raised his stone. “Can this also be made into a dagger?”

Leo quickly scanned the black stone. “Definitely not. This kind of stone is usually used for jewelry. Its feature is that it shows different colors under different light intensities, so it’s commonly called ‘rainbow obsidian’. It’s quite rare. If polished well, it can be very valuable. You have a good eye.”

The young man didn’t feel happy at all about Leo’s praise. “Titia,” he asked, “can I trade with you?” He felt a dagger was more practical.

“Don’t even think about it.” The female pilot had also realized this.

Leo lamented loudly, “You bunch of vulgar people! All you know is fighting and killing—no sense of romance at all!”

“Then you take it?”

“…My database can’t hold this thing.”

The AI left the command tower under the disdainful gazes of the four, floating off to find the vanguard team leader. Subsequently, all vanguard team members were forced to take a “spoil”.

“…Then the captain gave me a stone, heavy as hell.” That night at dinner, Joshua recounted his misfortune. “Later, I asked Spider if he wanted it, and he did, so I gave it to him.”

“I should’ve done that too.” Alois toyed with his useless gem. “But Spider might not have accepted it.”

Joshua gestured. “Let me see.”

The young man tossed him the gem. The assassin held it between his fingers, examining it under the light. In the bright white light, the gem appeared deep purple, like uneven grape jam.

Joshua walked to the window and held the gem against the night sky. Under the starlight, it glowed bright blue, like a pure sapphire. “Rainbow obsidian?”

“You know it?” Alois leaned back in his chair, watching the color change in surprise.

“This thing can’t be bought just with money,” Joshua said, letting the gem shift between blue and purple. “If you don’t want it, give it to me?”

Alois lifted his chin slightly. The gem, unpolished, already showed its splendid colors. Once crafted by an artisan, it would be even more beautiful. He had never given Joshua a gift before. As long as Joshua didn’t mind the stone, giving it to him was perfectly fine. “If you like it, take it,” the young man said. “But what will you do with it?”

Joshua held the stone in his palm and smiled slightly. “Secret.”

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 37

After multiple training sessions, Alois had already regained his feel for piloting a fighter jet. Upon entering space, he quickly adjusted his balance and located his three companions on the radar: Liz, Rachel, and Fran.

“Liz calling Doro. Do you copy?” Through the speaker came the voice of Errol, Titia’s older brother.

“Doro, copy that.” Alois forced himself to utter the name despite the chill running down his spine.

“Form Formation 1.”

“Understood.”

The four fighter jets formed a diamond formation, with Fran at the front, Rachel and Liz on the flanks, and Doro bringing up the rear. This formation was the result of Leo’s comprehensive analysis of their training: Titia liked to act unpredictably, so she led to confuse the enemy as much as possible; Errol and Udino, as brothers, had a near-telepathic connection, allowing them to support each other, while the “more stable” Alois could both attack and clean up the mess left by the other three.

“Meeting Lagrange was a stroke of luck! With him, the Begrel pirate fleet is bound to have a bright future!” Leo wrote in his log. Alois, having accidentally seen the log, deeply doubted what kind of dark past the pirate fleet had.

“The enemy’s main cannon is charging! Be careful! Execute Plan B!” Errol commanded. Fran and Doro dispersed up and down, while the distance between Liz and Rachel widened, forming the vertices of a tetrahedron as they approached the merchant ship.

Alois immediately noticed that the merchant ship was a modified warship, equipped with heavy beam cannons and missile launchers. The Dowlan Company, the Empire’s largest supplier of raw gemstones, spared no expense to protect their cargo.

Unfortunately, they were up against the craziest pirates in the universe.

The merchant ship’s main cannon began charging, while the secondary cannons fired deadly beams continuously. Missile launchers on the ship’s flanks opened, releasing hundreds of missiles that swarmed towards the four like a plague of locusts.

Alois activated his defense field, navigating agilely through the jungle of missiles and beams. Ahead, Titia flitted like a ghost, appearing on the left one moment, then on the right the next. He couldn’t fathom what she was doing, and the enemy was likely even more confused. Errol and Udi, protecting each other, spiraled in perfect defense, breaking through the missile swarm.

Thanks to the three of them, the path ahead was cleared. Alois advanced steadily. Fortunately, the merchant ship had no fighter jets of its own, which would have been more troublesome. He pressed the fire button, launching two armor-piercing missiles at the merchant ship’s left flank. One was shot down by a beam before reaching the target, but the other hit its mark, exploding beneath the left flank. The bright flash quickly faded, revealing that the ship’s hull had an additional layer of armor. Regular armor-piercing missiles were ineffective. Alois pulled the control stick, passing the left side of the ship, dropping a few torpedoes. They exploded against the hull like hitting a bronze wall, having minimal effect.

This armor couldn’t be penetrated unless it was the Lady of the Night’s main cannon. Alois lightly tapped the edge of his helmet, activating the communication device to report the situation to his companions.

On the bridge, Joanna impatiently tapped the armrest of the command chair, eager to end the battle quickly and drag the loot (gems!) back to enjoy her matcha almond cake. Of course, to the uninformed, her constant tapping seemed to signify that the captain was racking her brains on how to break through the merchant ship’s defenses. In reality, Joanna’s thoughts were barely on that.

“Fire at the main cannon,” the pirate ordered.

Alois spiraled toward the merchant ship’s main cannon, his screen indicating high energy gathering at the barrel. “Fire? How?!” he shouted into the microphone.

“You’re a man, figure it out!” Joanna shouted back.

The dark past of the pirate fleet was fully revealed at this moment! Alois, on the verge of tears, pulled up the aircraft to join the other three pilots.

“Doro, we’ll draw the main cannon’s fire. Once it fires a shot, you attack during the recharge time!” Errol remained calm. After issuing the order, he and Udino’s Rachel circled the main cannon. Doro and Fran evaded the incoming laser beams and missiles from the periphery, waiting for a chance to strike. Alois understood Errol’s plan: the merchant ship’s main cannon was an Empire MF711 model, powerful enough to burn half the Lady of the Night into dust with one shot but had only a 12-second firing duration. Liz and Rachel would serve as bait, drawing fire, while Fran and Doro attacked from two different directions. The main cannon’s firing arc was only 80 degrees, insufficient to cover both fighter jets.

“Its energy is fully charged!”

The cockpit flashed red, warning Alois of the imminent high energy. He deftly avoided the barrel, circling the merchant ship’s right side. Liz and Rachel danced like ballet partners before the main cannon. As the cannon fired, they separated rapidly, like repelling magnets.

The intense light temporarily blinded Alois. He cursed himself for forgetting to activate the shading system. But it was too late now. He closed his eyes, relying on memory, and approached the main cannon from above. After counting to 12 seconds, he reopened his eyes, still seeing afterimages but managing to locate the main cannon. He locked onto it and pressed the fire button, sending several missiles toward the still-open barrel. Simultaneously, Titia appeared below him, launching three missiles.

The missiles entered the barrel just as it was closing, exploding along the high-energy pathways into the ship’s interior.

Alois activated the shading system, watching the screen dim to reveal a spark and thick smoke emerging from the main cannon. Unfortunately, he couldn’t hear the sound, but it must have been spectacular.

Without its main cannon, the merchant ship was like a soldier without a weapon, trembling under the pirates’ might. Joanna had Leo open the communication channel and began her robbery declaration. “Attention crew of the Dowlan Company’s Silver String, we are the Begrel Pirates, and I am Begrel herself.” She paused for two seconds, as if savoring their shock, though she couldn’t see what was happening on the merchant ship, so she was just assuming it. “Our demands are simple: cease resistance, hand over control of the ship, and we will negotiate with your superiors. We promise not to harm the crew and guarantee your safety. If you agree, stop attacking immediately and surrender control. Any resistance will be met with force.”

The Silver String clearly didn’t want to compromise with pirates. The secondary cannons continued firing, and the engines powered up to full, attempting to flee. However, before they could accelerate, the shuttle carrying the vanguard team had already burned a path through the main cannon’s wreckage. The vanguard team, composed of the most ruthless pirates, emerged with weapons drawn, heading for the bridge. Joshua was among them, wasting no energy cartridges, sending laser shots precisely into the crew’s hearts and heads.

Someone shouted, “Look, it’s the assassin, The Mourner!” The crew, initially determined to resist the pirates, panicked, abandoning their posts. Joshua realized he’d forgotten to set his helmet’s visor to opaque, so some sharp-eyed person must have recognized his eyes. But this was good too. If a name alone could demoralize the enemy, why not?

Soon, Joanna received the Silver String’s surrender signal. The enemy ceased firing and opened computer access to the Lady of the Night. Leo quickly took control, decelerating the merchant ship. The vanguard team escorted the disarmed and surrendered crew to the bridge, binding them. Some severely injured crew members had to be taken to the medical bay.

“You despicable pirates!” The captain of the Silver String, with Joshua’s gun to his head, tearfully accused. “The Lord will punish you! Hypocrites!”

“That’s not right,” Joshua replied. “We always treat prisoners well, even better than the dogs on our ship.”

The captain seemed even more disheartened. This reaction baffled the assassin, who had spoken the truth.

---

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

---

Chapter 36

His face felt itchy.

It was also wet, with a faint stinging sensation.

Something was licking his face. This guy’s tongue had barbs, making it extremely rough. Damn it, stop licking, he doesn’t taste good!

Joshua abruptly opened his eyes, and what he saw was Schrödinger’s furry face. Its whiskers twitched, and its amber eyes, with pupils shaped like ovals, almost filled the entire eyeball, making the black cat look pure and innocent.

The assassin glanced outside. The ruling star of the night sky had already moved past the zenith, so it was probably around 9 AM standard time. Judging by his usual schedule, he had obviously overslept. “Are you waking me up?” he asked Schrödinger.

“Meow.” The black cat meowed, turned, and ran out the door.

The assassin stared blankly for a few seconds before suddenly realizing something was wrong! His arms were empty. There was nothing there but air! Where was Alois? Where had Alois gone?! Before he closed his eyes, he was still lying in his arms. How could he be gone as soon as he opened his eyes?

Joshua hurriedly jumped out of bed, barely managing to dress, and rushed downstairs. The living room on the first floor was empty. Schrödinger’s black tail flashed in the kitchen door crack, and the sound of frying food came from inside.

He pushed the kitchen door open with a bang, startling the person inside.

“Good Lord, you scared me to death,” Alois said as he turned around. He was wearing a beige apron, about to crack two eggs. “You’re awake?” He glanced at Joshua’s messy hair and clothes with suspicion.

“Mm.” Seeing that Alois was fine and standing there, Joshua sighed in relief. The panic on his face vanished completely, with not a trace left. “I overslept,” he said.

“Oh, me too.” Alois put the eggs into the frying pan, expertly lifting the pan. “Did you sleep well last night?” He blushed as he asked this, luckily facing away from Joshua, so he couldn’t see.

“Mm.” The assassin replied. “I dreamed of you.”

Alois’s hand shook, nearly tossing the frying egg. Luckily, he was facing away from Joshua! The young man thought again, the designer of this house was really considerate!

The microwave on the cabinet next to them dinged. Schrödinger circled the oven, seeming to know it was done heating, scratching the oven door nonstop.

“Move aside!” Alois shooed the cat away, opened the microwave, and took out the plate of grilled fish from yesterday. The fragrance was overwhelming, making Schrödinger’s eyes glaze over. Alois placed the plate in a corner of the kitchen, and the black cat immediately pounced on it, devouring the fish.

After taking care of the cat, he hurried back to the frying pan. “You go wait in the living room. Breakfast will be ready soon,” he said to Joshua.

“You can cook?” The assassin leaned against the kitchen doorframe, watching the busy young man with interest.

“Duh, it’s just frying an egg. Anyone can do it!”

“Well, I can’t.”

Alois rolled his eyes at him.

“You look good in an apron.” A warm smile appeared on Joshua’s lips. “But you look even better in a spacesuit.”

This was his heartfelt compliment. The pilots’ spacesuits were form-fitting, and the high-temperature and cold-resistant tough material outlined Alois’s body from head to toe, especially the perfect curve of his waistline, always provoking wild thoughts.

Alois blushed and retorted, “I look better without it!”

“Ah, your eggs are burning.”

“…Shit!”

So, that day’s breakfast was two burnt fried eggs. For the first meal Alois made personally for Joshua, it couldn’t have been worse, Alois thought despairingly.

“Bah! Having something to eat is already good enough, stop being picky!”

Joanna glared at the whimpering Pavlov, who, after leaving behind Chef Celia’s delicious food, was strongly protesting against the bowl of dog biscuits in front of it. The restaurant waitress served the captain matcha cake and then turned to toss a small sausage to the big dog.

“Stop feeding him. He’ll get fat!”

“Captain, you should use that advice on yourself.”

“Hmph!” Joanna buried her head in the cake, selectively ignoring the helpless smiles of the restaurant staff.

Leonard’s image appeared opposite her. The AI had changed into a white robe today, looking very much like a church priest. “Good day, Captain.” He clasped his hands inside his sleeves.

Joanna glanced at the pitch-black sky outside, not understanding where the AI saw the “day”. Probably, lifeforms like them living in the virtual world could only rely on standard time to calculate time, she thought sympathetically.

“I have good news for you.” Leonard rested his chin in his hand. “A merchant ship belonging to the Dowlan Company is transporting a batch of gems to the Free City-States, passing about one light-year from the Flaming Twins.”

“Is this something that needs to be reported?” Joanna dropped her fork. “Brothers, grab your gear and go!”

“Robbery? How to rob?”

At 10:20 AM standard time, Alois was studying how to use the household robot, and Joshua, sent to wash dishes, suddenly heard Titia burst in, shouting loudly, “Come on, boys. It’s time to make a name for ourselves!”

“Is the Empire Army attacking?” Alois stuffed the manual into the robot’s belly.

“We’re going to rob!”

So, the two were dragged out of the house without further ado, heading towards the spaceport amidst the base’s alarms. The Lady of the Night had docked at the port for less than a day and had to set sail again.

“Robbing is just like eating. Once you do it, you’ll know how.” Titia and Alois boarded the preparation cabin, while Joshua went in another direction, assigned to the vanguard team.

After hurriedly changing into spacesuits, Alois was still confused. “I still don’t understand how to rob.”

“Let me put it simply.” Titia climbed into her beloved “Fran”. “Follow orders in all actions.”

That was straightforward enough. Military academy instructors taught the same way. Alois climbed into “Doro” (he didn’t know when everyone started calling it that), and started the system.

Captain Joanna, responsible for command, thought robbing was a very simple matter, much easier than fighting a war, even when facing a ship with heavy weapons. Her plan was even simpler: First, the Lady of the Night would warp to the vicinity of the merchant ship; second, the fighter jets would launch and destroy the merchant ship’s beam cannons; third, the vanguard team would board the merchant ship, threaten the crew with force, and Leonard would take control of the merchant ship’s systems; finally, they would drag the loot and captives back home.

Of course, she would never simply tell others her plan. In the bridge, Joanna always remained calm and composed, issuing one order after another, making many people mistakenly believe she must be contemplating complex tactics.

The Lady of the Night ended its warp, and the radar showed traces of the merchant ship. They weren’t far apart. If the Lady of the Night advanced at full speed, they could catch up within ten minutes. “Don’t reveal your identity.” Joanna ordered. “Fighter jets, destroy the merchant ship’s weapon systems!”

The control console faithfully transmitted her orders to the four pilots. Alois put on his spacesuit helmet, and the control panel appeared. The cockpit trembled slightly, a precursor to the launch system. He pulled up the control lever, whispering, “Doro (a shiver ran through him as he said the name), Alois Lagrange, launch!”

The fighter jet was catapulted into space.

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Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 35

“Spider, can the ‘Dream of a Cold Night’ depart now?” Joanna walked into the control tower of Milantu’s spaceport, her leather boots making a crisp sound on the metal floor.

Spider Maxim followed her. “The Dream of a Cold Night? Don’t you already have the Lady of the Night?”

“I need to take care of some business in the Empire Capital in a few days. Using the Lady of the Night would be too inconvenient.”

The Lady of the Night was known across the galaxy as Joanna Begrel’s ride. Even without identifying the ship’s number and name, its darker-than-night appearance was enough to reveal her identity. Taking it to the capital would be like wearing a sign that said “I’m Joanna” into a police station.

Before Joanna acquired the Lady of the Night, her flagship was the Dream of a Cold Night, a destroyer with an ice-blue hull. It was an excellent ship at the time, though inferior to the Lady of the Night, manufactured by Neo Athens. During the retreat from the Federal Army, the Dream of a Cold Night was heavily damaged by artillery fire. The mechanics at Milantu repaired it, but it hadn’t sailed since then.

“Do you really intend to take the Dream of a Cold Night?”

“Of course. Start checking its systems immediately, backup Leo’s data to the ship’s computer, and load sufficient supplies. This mission is extremely dangerous, and I need to finalize the crew list.”

“How many people will you take?” Spider asked, as this would determine how much supply to load.

“As few as possible. No more than twenty.” Joanna stepped onto the lift, heading up the control tower. “By the way, please take care of my dog.”

“Oh.” Spider watched her ascend, feeling an inexplicable sense of loss. “So, no need to bring dog food?”

Titia chewed her gum nonchalantly as she opened the door, turning to gesture at Alois. “You’ll be staying here from now on.”

“Pirates get assigned housing? That’s pretty luxurious!” Alois examined the two-story metal house. It wasn’t large, about 150 square meters including the backyard and balcony. The first floor was a living room and kitchen, and the second floor had bedrooms. The furnishings were extremely simple, which made sense given that Milantu’s artificial gravity was only three-quarters of Earth’s gravity and could be turned off for various reasons. Simple furnishings were safer.

He hesitated for a long time, not daring to enter, only casting a questioning look at Titia. “You can sleep on the street if you prefer,” the female pilot said, puffing out her cheeks.

Joshua shrugged, walked inside, and casually dropped his luggage on the floor. “Am I sharing this place with Alois?” He tested the stairs’ stability and then headed upstairs.

“The captain said family members should live together, and it also saves resources, doesn’t it?” Titia pushed Alois inside and bowed theatrically. “My brother and I live across the street. Come to us if you need anything.” She smirked and closed the door.

Alois checked the lock, confirming it couldn’t be opened from the outside. This place is fantastic! he thought happily. Living with Joshua! Eating, sleeping, waking up together every day—it’s just like newlyweds!

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re imagining.” Joshua’s voice came from upstairs. “There are two bedrooms. Give up your delusions and sleep peacefully.”

…Who designed this shitty house?! Damn it!

For the next hour, they busied themselves unpacking. Many neighbors came to visit. Some were colleagues from the Lady of the Night, while others, unfamiliar faces, were fleet members who stayed in Milantu. The most memorable for Alois was the chef, Celia. She brought a plate of delicious, golden-brown grilled fish to their door.

“Welcome to Milantu. Just a small gift, for your cat.” The pretty girl smiled while handing the grilled fish to the tearful young man, adding, “Don’t steal any!”

“Can you believe it, Joshua? These days, cats eat better than humans!” That night, Alois complained to Joshua on the balcony. Milantu’s rotation was extremely slow. A planetary day equaled four standard days, making night four times longer than standard time. For those living in space, adjusting to such a time difference was meaningless. So, Milantu’s inhabitants abandoned the day-night cycle, living two standard days per day. Here, day and night made little difference because even at night, the red giant star’s cosmic material left bright red streaks in the sky, resembling a river of blood. The other star dominated the night sky, outshining other stars like the brightest gem in a crown.

Milantu’s night needed no artificial lights. The stars’ brilliance always illuminated the planet.

Joshua glanced at Schrödinger, who was enjoying the delicious food. “Oh, I believe it.” He grabbed a fish from the black cat’s plate and stuffed it into his mouth. “So we need to change our situation.”

“Meow!” Schrödinger howled angrily, its tail bristling. Joshua glared at it, and the black cat immediately lowered its tail, quietly eating its fish without making a sound.

“See?” the assassin said smugly. “That’s the law of the universe, survival of the fittest.”

“You’re bragging about stealing food from a cat? Pathetic.” Alois’s voice lowered. Milantu’s red star shine illuminated the assassin’s hair, giving him a dark purple glow, like an ethereal being from a fairy tale, both dreamy and unreal. For a brief moment, Alois wondered if the Joshua before him was an illusion. He reached out, gently stroking the assassin’s silver hair, feeling its silky smoothness, then kissed his cheek. Feeling the warmth of the skin, Alois sighed in relief. The Joshua before him was real.

“What’s wrong?” Joshua sensed the unusual atmosphere. He returned Alois’s kiss, deepening it involuntarily. Since his confession in Neo Venice, their relationship had grown more intimate, spending almost every moment together, and even their intimate moments had increased significantly. Though they had never fully consummated their relationship, Joshua felt their current state was the most natural and intimate for lovers. He didn’t want to go further, afraid of breaking this delicate balance.

Their passionate kiss quickly excited both of them. Alois impatiently started to undo Joshua’s pants.

“Not here.” Joshua leaned against the balcony railing. “Someone might see.” Titia’s family lived across the street!

“They won’t. I asked Ibb. There’s an optical camouflage around the house. No one can see in from outside.” Alois knelt, pulling down Joshua’s underwear and taking his already aroused member into his mouth.

The warm mouth and agile tongue made Joshua inhale deeply with pleasure, then slowly exhaled. Looking down, he could see Alois sucking his cock. The young man’s expression was so focused, as if nothing in the world mattered more than this.

This made Joshua feel a pang of guilt. To be honest, he loved the sensation of deep throating—the hot and tight touch gave him intense pleasure, which made him reach his peak instantly. But he hated performing oral sex on others, so he had never reciprocated for Alois. Although Alois claimed not to mind, Joshua still felt uncomfortable, like he owed something.

The pleasure from below intensified. Almost time. Alois, while sucking Joshua’s cock, reached into his own pants, starting to pleasure himself.

Joshua gently pressed the back of his head. “I’m about to cum,” he whispered, giving a few shallow thrusts before releasing into Alois’s mouth. The young man narrowed his eyes, swallowing all the liquid, quickly finishing himself shortly after.

After climaxing, they faced each other in silence. Schrödinger had long since retreated to the house with a fish in its mouth, not daring to witness the explicit scene.

Milantu’s starry sky was silent. The brilliant starlight illuminated the small balcony. Under the starlight, Joshua saw the flush on Alois’s face and his exceptionally bright blue eyes. In the young man’s eyes, he saw his own reflection—a single second, but it was enough. In that moment, Joshua admitted he was hopelessly smitten.

“It’s cold at night. Let’s go inside.” Joshua averted his gaze.

“Okay.”

Alois got up from the ground. His knees were sore from kneeling too long on the hard, cold metal floor, causing him to stumble several times before finding his balance.

“Knees hurt?”

“Yeah.” Alois nodded. Before he could voice his complaint, Joshua scooped him up.

“What are you doing?” Alois was surprised.

“Taking you to your room.”

Joshua indeed took him to a room, but it was his own. He tossed the young man onto the bed, pulled the curtains to let the starlight in, then undressed.

“Don’t get the wrong idea.” He climbed into bed, commanding the expectant Alois. “Close your eyes and sleep. No funny business.”

“We’re sleeping together?” The young man was both surprised and delighted.

Joshua wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Together.”

“Aren’t you afraid?”

“I’m trying to overcome it!” The assassin, slightly embarrassed, pressed Alois’s head into his chest. But the latter wriggled free, asking, “Should we leave a light on?” Joshua usually kept a light on while sleeping.

“No need. The starlight is bright enough.”

A bit too bright. Alois snuggled into the assassin’s embrace, closing his eyes to immerse himself in darkness. He tried to calm his racing heart, but his thoughts were already soaring. He remembered when they first met, Joshua would get angry even at a kiss. Who would have thought they’d be sharing a bed now, with Joshua initiating it!

His heart grew even more jubilant. Wild thoughts raced through his mind, but soon he felt exhausted and fell asleep.

Hearing the steady breathing from his arms, Joshua calmed down as well. For many years, he had gotten used to being alone. If he had to share a room with someone else, he would surely suffer from insomnia. He often woke up in the middle of the night, startled by nightmares from the past, and even had to keep a gun under his pillow to sleep peacefully.

‘Being my roommate must be a torment,’ Joshua thought. ‘It’s also a torment for me.’

But now, Alois had already fallen into a deep sleep, and the assassin knew it wasn’t an act. He forced himself to close his eyes and sleep but couldn’t succeed. Hours passed, and Joshua still felt no hint of sleepiness.

Alois turned over in his sleep. So the assassin carefully adjusted his position, holding the young man even tighter. The body in his arms was so warm, it felt like it was melting both his body and soul. This feeling was very strange, soft and sweet—a warmth he hadn’t felt since he left the sunlight of Old Earth.

It was like a light shining, like a fire burning.

When the ruling star of the night sky moved to the center of the zenith, Joshua finally couldn’t resist the sleepiness and fell into a deep sleep. Like every night before, he dreamed. But this time he didn’t dream of the laboratory on Old Earth, didn’t dream of parting with Kester, didn’t dream of the dark journeys in the universe, and didn’t dream of the desperate days and nights on Benjamin Star.

When he realized he was dreaming, Joshua found himself standing in the cell of Hecate Prison. Right, this was where he first met Alois. At that time, if there had been a brick beside him, he would have undoubtedly picked it up and smashed it on this obscene guy in front of him.

But this was a dream. Joshua saw Alois sitting on the bed nonchalantly. “It’s all your fault, Joshua Planck,” he blamed. “It’s your fault for being too beautiful, making me have evil thoughts.”

Although he said this, his eyes weren’t evil, nor were they impure. Among all the people Joshua had seen, none had eyes as clear as his.

Clear and blue, like the sky and ocean of Old Earth.

In his eyes, Joshua saw his own reflection. Only for a brief second. But he admitted that, in that second, he had hopelessly fallen for him.

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