Counterfeit Hero

As soon as Delly finished speaking, the observer in the main control room of the [Bolan Rose] reported: "Captain, the space wave scanner captured the jumping wave of two small ships, the position is 12701-1613, 12699-1642

"Our guests are here!" Chekov smiled, pressed the communicator button on the command platform, and ordered: "Berland Rose, level 2 combat preparation, radar capture signal, tracking and locking. Left rudder 52 seconds, forward Car eight thrust, No. 2, No. 4, No. 6, No. 8, No. 10 turrets on the starboard side meet the enemy with energy!”

At Chekov's order, the entire battleship quickly entered combat mode. The officers and soldiers were busy in an intense and orderly manner according to the battle preparation procedures that they were familiar with... closing the living area, reducing the energy supply of the living system, starting the rotating turret, filling the energy, and starting the capture of the electronic locking device...

From the perspective of the [Audrey], the blue energy shield streamer flashes on the silver-white destroyer, and the color becomes darker and darker... The battleship's main thruster jet nozzle has been opened, and the huge jet stream is like a long Long blue tail.

The iron-gray armor distributed around the ship slowly closed, and the energy gun barrel had already extended out of the turret. Under the synchronous guidance of the locking radar, it rotated around and around... The entire battleship seemed to suddenly become a A rattling hedgehog.

Speaking of which, the crew members on the Audrey have also seen various majestic warships owned by these forces in the Freeport where major mercenary groups, pirate groups, and giant corporate security fleets gather.

However, those battleships. Most of them are obsolete old battleships. There are many cruisers, battleships, etc., which are purchased with scrap metal-like skeleton shells and modified with civilian equipment or small military equipment obtained from some special channels.

This is the first time for everyone to watch a new destroyer prepare for combat with your own eyes. For a while, there were endless exclamations. While watching, there was also a lot of discussion.

It is said that the current situation in Salega is turbulent, especially in the two star regions of the relatively backward Southern Alliance. Several major military regions are already so poor that they are almost bankrupt! Those who have successfully connected have already produced a lot of good things from the army. If there is a chance. Having two destroyers like that... is perfect for smuggling!

Look at this destroyer Le Ray, how awesome it is! ...Hey, here it comes. I was very proud of bullying our merchant ship, but I didn't know that these little yellow beards jumped out. What would they look like when they saw a destroyer lying in front of them... If it were me, I would have burst into tears!

Amid the crew's vague admiration and gloating discussions, two pirate plunderers converted from [Tissot] civilian frigates appeared in the airspace of the jump point.

The battle ended quickly...in fact, with two pirate high-speed raiders warping out of the jump point. Until the signal to surrender was given, neither side fired a single shot. To describe this small-scale battle without bloodshed is the best way to describe it.

As long as the pirates are not idiots, this battle cannot be fought. Their strength is too disproportionate!

To know. In order to adapt to the hit-and-run pirate tactics, and to bite the increasingly faster merchant ships, the predator ship sacrificed armor and energy shields. And put most of the energy into power. They are all allocated to three huge thrusters.

therefore. Plunder ships are born to rely on speed! As long as it can move at full speed, it is even difficult for ordinary energy cannons to lock on to it. Let alone hitting it in an empty universe! However, once the predator ship loses its speed advantage, its strength will immediately drop by 90%.

But this time, the two poor pirate plunder ships were obviously kicked onto the iron plate. The plundering ship without an electronic camouflage system had already captured the specific coordinates of the [Bolanwengui] before it had completed its space jump.

It is conceivable that when the jump ended and the pirates saw outside the twisted space, there was actually a military destroyer that was faster than the predator ship, and when it aimed a dozen rotating turrets and 500 mm caliber secondary guns at them, it was What a shock!

Apart from surrendering, the pirates could not think of anything else they could do with their two plundering ships that had not yet started their engines.

Perhaps the most frustrated among them is Barbarossa Hayreddin, the leader of the Red Beard Pirates.

This pirate leader, who inherited the name of the red-bearded pirate from the ancient Earth era and has been operating in the golden triangle area between Desik, Gacharin and the Tatanian Business Alliance for nearly twenty years, never dreamed that he would Will fall into such a place!

If I hadn't happened to get the news about the [Audrey]...

If he hadn't become so angry because he failed to catch this damn smuggling ship several times that he personally led an ambush...

If it weren't for the fact that the main force of the pirate group was plundering another star field and hadn't returned yet...

If we hadn't encountered a destroyer that was faster than the plunderer...

If it hadn't been for jumping out of the jump point, the ship's engine would still have started...

Restraining the regret in his heart, Barbarossa Hayreddin, wearing an ordinary pirate uniform stained with oil, stood quietly among a group of depressed pirates, with his eyelids drooping, listening to Huck, the leader of the plundering group, nodding and bowing. At the front, the heavily armed Leray soldiers answered the questions.

Now, all the pirates have gathered in the escape area according to the Lere people's orders. There were a total of sixty-one pirates, who were pointed at by dozens of LeLei soldiers armed to the teeth with energy guns. They stood there in a dignified manner, not daring to take a breath.

The surrender was ordered by Frederick himself. There's nothing you can do about it, he's a pirate, not an idiot. In the pirate world where the jungle prevails, everyone is a desperado, and at the same time, everyone knows the rules better... With absolute force, any resistance is in vain!

The weak obey the strong, this is the purpose of pirates. In the raiding life, if someone breaks this rule, they don't care how many people they kill. And likewise, they are bound by this rule. Just because they killed more people, they actually understood this better.

Frederick was a notoriously ruthless man. Be ruthless to your opponents and ruthless to your prey. Be ruthless to your opponents and be ruthless to yourself. It is precisely because of their ferocity that the Red Beard Pirates have been able to dominate the golden triangle between Gacharin, Desik and the Tatanian Business Alliance for nearly twenty years.

Countless rebels died at the hands of the Red Beard Pirates. In the Golden Triangle area, every merchant ship or smuggling ship knows that if it encounters the Red Beard Pirates, there is no absolute guarantee of escape. Better to stop and surrender. .

As long as the pirates don't take a liking to your ship, and as long as you don't anger them. After getting enough money, they usually won't kill everyone. After all, these merchant ships are the basis of their survival. When it comes to fishing in dry swamps, smart pirates will never dry up.

Now, the pirates just hope that these Lelei are as "reasonable" as they are. A military destroyer. Why bother with some pirates who didn't provoke you?

Inwardly, Frederick was not very alarmed. This Leray battleship is not a pirate. They won't kill people without trial. As for the Red Beard Pirates, although they had robbed Lelei merchant ships countless times, they... But he has never taken action against Lelei's military logistics ships.

After the war broke out, there were many pirate groups in the southeastern star region with the support of some countries. grew rapidly. They frequently rob military logistics ships. Destroy supply routes. They thought that the forces behind them could help them avoid all attacks.

But Barbarossa came to contact him. The envoys who tried to bribe the Red Beard Pirates kept them at arm's length. This is not because he is timid, but because he understands that once he is involved between the two major forces, no matter what the final result is, the pirates who are cannon fodder will not end well!

Therefore, although the Red Beard Pirates killed people and stole goods, they had no direct conflict with the Leray military government. In this era of war, there are very few pirate groups that are as pure as the Red Beard Pirates and do not participate in any power games.

"As long as you don't reveal your identity, this hurdle can always be overcome." Barbarossa thought to himself and buried his head lower.

In fact, very few people in this world have seen the true appearance of Barbarossa.

The leader of the Red Beard Pirates does not necessarily have a red beard. Having traveled across the Golden Triangle for nearly twenty years does not mean that Barbarossa should be that old.

In fact, Barbarossa was just an ordinary-looking middle-aged man who could not be found in a crowd.

"Andre..." Sergeant Leray walked down the aisle in front of the pirates in a row with a list of names, each one famous. Beside him, a fat man in ordinary clothes was looking at the list in the sergeant's hand, and at the same time he was blowing his beard and glaring at the pirate who was named.

"Juan..."

"I am."

"Frank..."

"arrive!"

"Alda..." Sergeant LeRay walked up to Barbarossa.

"Here we come!" Barbarossa bowed humbly.

The sergeant glanced at the information and photos on the electronic folder, then looked at Barbarossa up and down, then turned to look at the next one: "Barack..."

"etc……"

Just when Barbarossa thought he had passed the test, the fat man walking beside the sergeant suddenly called out to the sergeant loudly and reached out to take the list from the sergeant's hand...

"Alda..." The fat man looked at the list, then looked up at Barbarossa with interest, his eyes bright: "Are you a mechanic?"

"Yes, sir. Barossa's dirty hands were caressing the machine repair suit. His eyes showed appropriate confusion and panic. His ordinary face looked even more honest and humble: "I'm responsible for the power. Cabin engine maintenance. "

"What's wrong?" the sergeant asked the fat man in a low voice while looking at Barbarossa again.

After looking at it for a long time, the sergeant didn't see any problems.

This Alda who was just named is obviously a low-class member of the Kolai tribe. Arda is the most common name among this people who are no more than a light-year away from the Kentish people.

The man in front of him with a square and honest face fit the image of a mechanic. The sergeant didn't think there was anything suspicious about him or his information.

"If I guess correctly..." The fat man raised his chin: "This so-called Mr. Alda is the leader of the Red Beard Pirate Group, Barbarossa, Hayreddin!"

As soon as these words came out, everyone was stunned.

"You mean..." the sergeant was speechless: "This guy is the leader of the Red Beard Pirates?"

"Sir..." Barbarossa looked a little at a loss. Somewhat confused: "You are mistaken. My name is Alda, and I am the repairman on the ship."

"Stop pretending!" Fatty said decisively: "You know, Captain Barbarossa, under my glaring eyes, you exposed at least four flaws!"

"Flaw?" Barbarossa's expression looked confused: "What flaw? You confused me, I really don't..."

"Don't admit it? Then let me tell you how I recognized you!" The fat man patted Barbarossa on the shoulder, interrupted his defense, and said with a smile: "First of all. The original approved carrying capacity of these two frigates There are sixty people in total, and there is one more person on this ship. On a combat ship where the living quarters and many equipment are fixed according to the number of people on board, there is one more person. It is really not suitable for cleaning..."

Barbarossa felt a little cold. The fat man said that it was indeed a flaw when he got on the ship. I didn't think about how long I would stay on the ship, and I ignored this aspect. There is one more person on the strictly equipped combat ship. Needless to say, this person's identity must be very special.

"Secondly..." Fatty cleared his throat and said: "As the only Kolai tribesman on these two ships, it is difficult to separate your appearance and name from the name Barbarossa. In the ancient earth era, the red-bearded pirate Barbarossa's name

::.;The Turks from the ancient earth share the same ancestry! "

Barbarossa could only smile bitterly. If that counts as a reason. He really wanted to hear what the fat man's other two reasons were.

"Third!" The fat man pointed at Barbarossa's hand and smiled: "If you had changed your identity, maybe I wouldn't be so sure. But, you made a mistake by pretending to be a mechanic. The mechanic's hand . Due to the nature of work, the oil stains on your hands cannot be disguised by rolling them in waste oil twice. Bones, skin, textures and even the degree of oil erosion are completely different from your hands!"

Said. The fat man grabbed the hand of another pirate next to Barbarossa and raised it to Barbarossa's eyes: "Wash your hands. Compare them carefully with your buddy's hands. The wide and deep lines cannot be washed away. The floor is oily in color, there is a line of stains in the nails that cannot be cleaned, calluses on the palms and knuckles, some deformed and thick joints..."

Throwing away the pirate's hand, the fat man sneered: "These are the hands a middle-aged man who has been engaged in machine repair work for a long time should have!".

Barbarossa was silent for a while. Originally, he thought that the camouflage he had designed based on his non-ferocious appearance was already very tight. Who knew that the clothes and the oil stains would actually show flaws everywhere in this fat man's eyes.

Now that he is being targeted, there is no point in denying it. If the fat man must prove his identity, there are naturally many ways and many people for him to choose from. Barbarossa looked at the fat man calmly, smiled slightly, and asked: "So, what is the fourth flaw you recognized in me?"

Two Leray soldiers came over and took Barbarossa into custody alone.

"It's very simple..." The fat man walked forward with a smile: "I happened to have seen your photo."

****************

When the scarred [Castle Lily], escorted by two battleships and six cruisers of the First Fleet, docked at the Capital Star Spaceport, a lifeless atmosphere enveloped all the LeRae military and government On the top of the head.

The special fleet encountered a well-planned attack, and the mission plan was stranded. The federal hero Tian Xingjian and the "Blue Rose" were deeply trapped in the enemy's formation, and there has been no news so far. One by one, the extremely bad news plunged the Supreme Command into a state of misery.

As soon as Vice President Flavio returned, he requested that a fleet be dispatched immediately to respond to the "Berland Rose". The old man, who had always presented himself as a strong veteran, burst into tears in front of everyone for the first time. Those tears could not be persuaded no matter how hard I tried.

Flavio was not the only one crying uncontrollably. And all the officers and soldiers on board the "Castle Lily". These men, who had fought with the Gacharins and the Desiks, and who regarded death as simpler than sleeping, were drunk in the wine at the air force base, at home, in the dormitory, and in the arms of their girlfriends. Mud howled.

A radar soldier told his father in tears: "Originally, it was us who should have died. Now, as soon as I close my eyes, I can see the [Burland Rose] accelerating and jumping over the porthole of the radar cabin..."

".That is the most beautiful picture I have ever seen...The silver-white water drop-shaped battleship, dragging a long blue ion light wake, slid silently through the silent space. Their The energy cannon flashed red and white, and their portholes were bright and clear..."

"They just rushed forward and stood in front of the enemy..." The radar soldier's tears rolled out of his eyes and fell to the ground: "I will never forget that scene until I die!"

The father held his grief-stricken son's shoulders with tears in his eyes. He believed that what his son said was also the most beautiful picture he could imagine.

"They sent a light signal... they told us to get out..." the young radar soldier burst into tears.

Outside the study door, my mother was holding a plate of peeled fruits and was about to push the door in. She gently released the door handle. She wiped her tears with her hands. She knew that her son was still alive. And in the distant space, there are hundreds of young people the same size as my son, who may have died.

Mother staggered downstairs, put the fruit plate on the table, and slowly sat down on the terrace stool. He raised his head and stared blankly at the bright starry sky, wondering when this war that had shattered the dreams of countless people in this star field would end...

Ten destroyers drawn from the mixed fleet with insufficient combat power set off for the Tuna Constellation as soon as they got the news. However, dozens of high-speed stealth reconnaissance ships dispatched in advance searched the entire star field, but no trace of the [Burlan Rose] was found.

In the airspace of the engagement, nothing was left.

This is how the space battlefield is originally. The shock wave of the explosion will turn all the debris into a meteor in the universe and disappear into the depths of the stars. Unless it happens to be caught by gravity, no trace will be left.

Under Flavio's order, ten destroyers set up a posture, trying to find the Western York warships that launched the attack. However, in such a vast star field, the aimless search of ten destroyers was just in vain.

Finally, the fleet had to abandon the search and set sail for Chacona to continue Flavio's mission.

Time no longer allowed them to wait any longer. Just one day ago, news from the Federal High Command came from the accompanying electronic early warning ship.

On December 22, 2062, two mixed fleets of the Sous Empire crossed the Chaknaresk system and approached the Longbow system of the Salga Federation.

On the same day, President Terry of the Salega Federation announced his resignation and held an early presidential election. The Bundestag passed a resolution to withdraw all troops from the Leray Bermuda system. Unilaterally announced that it would withdraw from the war and seek neutrality, seal the borders, and impose martial law across the country.

Mountain rain has come! .