"We have no business in this battle," Aldred said. "Our purpose does not change. We must traverse to the Veil and let nothing slow or stop us. A battle avoided, is a battle won."
Salamander, Cellaeth, Shuzib, Elralya, and the rest of the crew nodded in agreement. The Stardust Voyager gracefully maneuvered away from the intense cosmic clash, slipping through the gaps in the ongoing skirmishes.
However, as they distanced themselves from the fray, they noticed that several other spacecraft, belonging to smaller factions, were doing the same. Each ship sought an exit from the chaotic battlefield, preferring to continue their journeys rather than engage in the cosmic struggle.
Among the diverse ships was a fleet of Elven vessels, their ethereal designs standing out amidst the mechanical and militaristic appearances of the others. As the different factions approached a more peaceful distance, they exchanged wary glances. It seemed like a fragile truce, as each faction eyed the others with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity.
The tense peace shattered when one faction, consisting of 12 sleek and agile ships, took a threatening formation. Their leader, a charismatic but clearly ruthless figure, initiated communication with Aldred's ship.
A holographic image of the pirate captain appeared on the Stardust Voyager's viewscreen. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? A ragtag group trying to sneak away from the chaos?"
Aldred frowned but his expression was firm, indirectly telling them that he wasn't weak and will not be bullied. "Speak your purpose."
The pirate captain chuckled. "I see you are good at hiding your fear."
You see, we have a simple offer. Join us, hand over the women in your crew to serve us, and we might let you pass unharmed."
"You wouldn't want to be killed for some women, wouldn't you?" The pirate captain giggled.
Aldred sighed. Not in fantasy world, not in sci-fi galactic world, there would always be some dickheads who couldn't control their horny self.
"No." Aldred said firmly. He already had enough dealing with these kind of people. "If you are thinking about attacking us, beware of the consequences."
The pirate captain grinned maliciously. "Consequences, eh? Let's see if you can back up that bravado."
Without further warning, the pirate fleet launched an assault on the Stardust Voyager. Energy beams and projectiles filled the space between the ships.
The Stardust Voyager, despite its graceful maneuvers, couldn't completely evade the onslaught of the pirate fleet. The ship's sleek form twisted and turned, narrowly avoiding some attacks, but a barrage of energy beams and projectiles found their mark, causing severe damage to the vessel.
"Fuck! Our ship is heavily damaged! We wouldn't be able to go anywhere or move!" Salamander pressed all sort of buttons on the control panel to try his best.
Cleome gritted her teeth. "Those fucking bastard! If not for their distance, I would've blasted them with my lightning."
Cellaeth was the most worried of them all. Elves were a race known for their beauty. If Elralya were caught, she already knew what terrible fate would befall upon her.
The pirate captain laughed heartily, the holographic image on the viewscreen sneering at Aldred and his crew. "You thought you could escape, did you? Now, hand over those women, and maybe we'll consider letting you drift into the cosmic void unharmed."
Aldred, his frustration mounting, was about to summon his Phantom Doomblade.
However, before he could enact his plan, the Eye of Clairvoyance began to emit a radiant magical light.
"What's going on?" Shinari asked.
The crew looked at each other in confusion, and even Aldred hesitated for a moment. Then, in a sudden burst of energy, the Eye of Clairvoyance activated itself, its magical light intensifying. A shockwave of spatial energy emanated from the Stardust Voyager, creating a burst of luminous energy that engulfed the surrounding space.
The crew watched in awe as the spatial shockwave expanded, tearing through the pirate fleet like a celestial force of judgment. More than half of the pirate ships disintegrated in the magical onslaught, their twisted metal and dark remnants scattering across the cosmic battlefield.
The pirate captain, now visibly shaken, stared at the destruction wrought by the unexpected surge of power. His arrogant demeanor crumbled into disbelief. "What in the void just happened?"
Aldred, equally surprised, looked at the Eye of Clairvoyance, now dimmed after its display of immense power. "I... I didn't do that. The Eye... it acted on its own."
Salamander, examining the ship's systems, chimed in, "I've never seen anything like it. The Eye just saved our hides."
The pirate captain, regaining some composure, tried to regain control of the situation. "This changes nothing! We still outnumber you. Surrender now, or we'll make you suffer."
Now that more than half of his ships were destroyed, he had to get those women onboard. The captain particularly want two of the beautiful women in Aldred's crew. He had never seen a beauty like that.
If the pirate captain knew those two were elves, he would threw all of his men for suicidal attack just to get them.
Aldred was enraged. "You horny bastards! We just destroyed half of your ships, but you still can't control your small dick and fail to think with logic!"
The remaining pirate ships hesitated, glancing at the debris of their fallen comrades.
Even the pirate captain hesitated as well because he just realized that Aldred had just destroyed half of his ships in a single attack in mysterious way.
"I—I will return for you! Consider this a mercy from the Space Wolverines!"
The pirates immediately distanced themselves from the Stardust Voyager, lest it tried to destroy them again.
"Space Wolverines?" Aldred raised an eyebrow. "More like Space Pigs."
Salamander sighed. "Our spare parts are only enough to repair the ship one last time. If we got damaged again before we can resupply, it will be over for us."
Shinari looked at Aldred, wondering what kind of solution he had.
Aldred felt the weight of their gaze on him. "We'll salvage the wreckage of the pirate's ships and use that to repair our own."
"The pirate's ships were made with mediocre materials. We won't have the same protection as before."
"That is fine for now. Seems like we can't be passive in this race. Next time, we will hunt high-grade ships and take their parts."
Everyone was shocked to hear that.
"Won't that make us a criminal?" Salamander asked.
Aldred laughed.
"Trying to survive is not a crime."
