A few days later, having confirmed with Li Yaqi that the people she'd contacted had brought the five T2 Moose-class Heavy Interstellar Transport Ships to the location he'd specified and were waiting, Zhao Chen's T3 Blizzard-class Light Interstellar Battlecruiser set out as well.
"Wow…" Annie gazed at the spacious bridge of the T3 Blizzard, mouth agape. Though she'd already overseen the construction of several T2-grade warships, this was her first time actually aboard a T3 warship under way — and in so important a place as the bridge, no less. Like a curious little thing, she looked this way and that.
"By our flight route, we'll head for the Northstar Star System's Star Gate, then, after several Star Gate crossings, reach the Star Gate of a frontier system, and from there sail to that system's outer fringe. There we rendezvous with the fleet Li Yaqi arranged and take receipt of the T2 Moose. After that we continue on to the Reef Star Region. The whole flight plan is expected to take at least 15 days. As you instructed, Commander, aside from the replacement crews needed for the five T2 Moose, the T3 Blizzard is carrying as much food as it possibly can." A gold-haired, twin-tailed succubus girl stood beside Zhao Chen, speaking a little nervously.
This was the candidate for cultivation Lilith had recommended earlier — the succubus Aili. Since Lilith was staying behind at the Owl Dragon base for this operation, she'd suggested Zhao Chen bring Aili along to gain experience.
"Mm, do just as you've said," Zhao Chen agreed.
"Warp-drive course preset complete. We will now enter the acceleration phase; warp travel will begin in 10 minutes. Within 10 minutes, all crew are to enter deep-sea mode! I repeat: within 10 minutes, all crew are to enter deep-sea mode!" Aili's voice rang out across the whole ship just then.
At the same time, hibernation pods appeared on the bridge. Only — looking at one of the pods beside him, Zhao Chen very nearly failed to hold back a laugh. It was a hibernation pod barely a meter and a bit long, dainty and small. The impression it gave was rather like… a minor's hibernation pod, already out working.
This pod was, of course, Annie's. A hibernation pod's size could intelligently adjust to the build of its corresponding user. On the verge of entering deep-sea mode, the ship's system would scan the personnel on the bridge and place each person's pod in the spot nearest them.
Annie thought nothing of it. She stepped into the pod that was hers, not forgetting to wave at Zhao Chen next to her. "Good night, Commander." And then Annie, for all the world like a child settling down to sleep, closed her eyes.
This Annie really was too artless. If the dwarves of her tribe were all like her, then they'd be far too easy to fool… far too easy to get along with.
Zhao Chen stepped into his own hibernation pod.
Afterward the T3 Blizzard would use the Northstar Star System's Star Gate. There was no fear that using the Star Gate would expose the T3 Blizzard's whereabouts — for seen from outside just now, this T3 Blizzard was like an entirely different ship from before. The whole vessel wore a gray paint scheme, with added camouflage over certain hull sections besides. Before departure, following Zhao Chen's instructions, Annie had disguised the T3 Blizzard to look more like another obscure T3 interstellar cruiser found on the market. So from its appearance alone, it would now be very hard for anyone to recognize this ship as that legendary vessel, the T3 Blizzard!
No one would know that Zhao Chen was about to leave the Starlight Empire without a whisper. At the thought of leaving the bounds of the Starlight Empire's territory for the first time, Zhao Chen felt a little flutter of excitement.
A few days later, in a frontier system at the boundary of the North Wind Star Region and the Chu River Star Region, a gray warship sailed out of the Star Gate. Soon it entered warp travel once more, bound for the system's outer fringe.
After who knew how long, the gray warship at last drew slowly to a halt.
"All bridge personnel, return to your posts within one minute and check the ship's readings. All ship personnel, return to your posts within three minutes and stand ready." Aili, waking swiftly from her hibernation pod, relayed the orders.
Zhao Chen looked to Charlotte beside him.
Charlotte said, "We're attempting to make contact with the handover party."
After 10-odd minutes' wait, they at last received a signal on the comm channel. It was a string of garbled code — but in Zhao Chen's eyes it was no such simple thing: it was the rendezvous passphrase Li Yaqi had given him for meeting this pirate fleet. Zhao Chen input another garbled string and transmitted it out. Soon the two sides were in contact, and had fixed the handover location. On its high speed, the T3 Blizzard swiftly reached the appointed spot.
"Ship's radar detects 10 warships ahead, all T2-grade." Charlotte watched the ship's radar. Routine handover though it was, as a general she stood ready to fight at any moment, prepared for anything that might occur.
Hsss, hsss, hsss.
A video-comm window popped up just then. After a brief blur, against the somewhat dim backdrop of a bridge, there appeared a woman wearing a half-face demon mask. She wore a dark-red top; the half-mask concealed half her face, and on the exposed half, besides fair skin, there were black markings of some unknown kind — like some sort of script or design. But Zhao Chen didn't recognize them.
"All five T2 Moose are here, and as required they carry synthetic nutrient rations enough to feed 200,000 for a month, along with some basic living supplies. As agreed, once you've confirmed all is in order, my people will withdraw from the five T2 Moose, and your crew will take the ships over." The woman's voice was a little hoarse — whether by nature or by disguise, there was no telling. And that pair of eyes was crimson, a most uncommon thing. The gaze in them was full of a cold indifference, much like Charlotte's when Zhao Chen had first seen her.
Zhao Chen noticed that Charlotte's tail beside him had stopped swaying, held at a peculiar arc. He knew that was Charlotte's state when on the highest guard. She was wary of this crimson-eyed woman in the demon mask.
"Very well," Zhao Chen answered. Since this was someone Li Yaqi said could be trusted completely, Zhao Chen would make no rash move so long as the other side did nothing threatening.
Then several shuttles departed from the hangars of the five T2 Moose, which were left running only in a low-power automatic state. After that, Zhao Chen's crew began boarding the five T2 Moose by shuttle. In the meantime, Zhao Chen also noticed Charlotte quietly instructing the boarding crew to be careful and cautious, and at the same time to search the five warships thoroughly, making sure there were no hidden dangers.
The whole ship-handover process lasted half an hour. Once Zhao Chen's crew had formally taken over the five T2 Moose, Zhao Chen looked at the crimson-eyed girl in the demon mask across from him.
"The handover's complete," Zhao Chen said.
"Goodbye." The masked, crimson-eyed girl said coldly.
"We may have further dealings in future — how might I address you?" Zhao Chen asked. Certain future dealings with Li Yaqi that needed transport would likely involve this crew; better to learn something of them first.
"We are the Bloody Mary Mercenary Company. As for my name — only the dead know it. Are you sure you want to hear it?" the masked, crimson-eyed girl said in an ice-cold tone.