This was awkward.

Just as the Larkinson Clan innocently went out of its way to undermine and assault a pirate base, a number of outsiders arrived and caught Ves in the act.

Prior to the assault, the Larkinson ships and mechs had largely remained together and at a distance from Xiphard Base.

Task Force Predator aimed to leverage the advantage of surprise, and for that to happen, the Larkinsons had to stay well away from the Crona Lords.

Due to various reasons, the Larkinsons only opted to dispatch scouts in order to keep an eye of the surroundings of the main fleet. This was a compromise decision that allowed the task force to monitor its own surroundings but effectively remained blind to all but one of the approaches to Xiphard Base.

This meant that an unknown pirate trade convoy had managed to approach Xiphard Base without alarming any Larkinson scouts!

The new arrivals had already detected signs of battle just beforehand. Their light and medium carriers calmly disgorged mech after mech. In the end, the full escort of the trade convoy consisted of 300 mechs, which was not a negligible figure!

Worst yet, these 300 mechs appeared to be a lot more formidable than the mechs fielded by regular outfits. The rank-and-file machine was roughly equivalent to a midrange commercial mech. As Ves studied the preliminary sensor data, he became aware that the mechs were clad with a tougher Kavenit alloy that blended Kavenit with considerably more expensive exotics.

"Careful, Major Verle. The escort mechs of that pirate convoy are equivalent to mercenary mechs. They're not equal to the mechs of the Living Sentinels, but if their mech pilots are any good, they can give us a run for our money!"

Three mech companies looked different than the rest, though. Their purple and orange exterior featured considerably more ornate frills and decorative features. They looked as grand as an honor guard, and from the long-ranged scans their armor plating consisted of high-quality compressed armor!

"Those are bridge mechs!" Ves gasped.

The roughly 120 elite pirate mechs may not be equal to second-class mechs, but they performed considerably better than typical third-class mechs!

As Ves analyzed the elite mechs further, he picked up a lot of indirect clues.

"The elite mechs utilize a very advanced and rather wasteful alloy formula. Whoever produced the armor has blended a lot of Kavenit with a lot of exotics and blended them together in a simple manner. After compressing it, the resulting armor plating is very strong, but its price-to-performance ratio is quite awful. It's uncompetitive in civilized space."

He scanned the armaments of the mechs next.

"Their weapons are nothing special. They are largely lastgen weapons, but their laser rifles seem odd and contain modules that I'm not familiar with. Investigate them thoroughly."

He analyzed the other features of the mechs such as their flight systems.

"The remaining systems are not very remarkable. The relatively low tech base of the pirate industry constrains the local producers from fabricating components that are too complex or use up exotics that are very difficult to source in greater amounts. The mobility of these mechs are average or below average."

Ves continued to rattle more and more details at a rapid pace as the scanners continued to supply him with more detailed data. The expert analysis he provided gave Major Verle and the other mech commanders an increasingly more thorough impression of the new arrivals.

All the while, the battle against the Crona Lords still raged as hot as ever! The Larkinson mechs did not let up on their assault while the defenders did not cease fire just because they met with some friends.

A battle never ended easily once the first shot had been fired!

The Penitent Sisters fought with fury and overwhelming force. Their ranged Hexer mechs unleashed devastating fire that rapidly chewed up the Kavenit alloy barriers that the Crona Lords used as cover.

Dozens of Crona Lords mechs had already succumbed. An even greater number of fixed defenses got knocked out in rapid succession!

Barring any surprises, the Larkinson Clan would likely be able to attain an overwhelming victory against the Crona Lords. The morale of the pirates had constantly been sagging prior to the arrival of the trade convoy.

Yet now that the new arrivals boldly kept traversing towards Xiphard Base, it became evident that the 300 mechs of the unknown pirate force did not mean to shy away from this conflict!

"Who are they?" Ves frowned.

The projection of Calabast emerged in the command center of the Redfeather. "I can answer that. After scanning the markings and colors on the exterior of the mechs and ships of the new arrivals, I can conclude with a high amount of confidence that they are part of the Allidus Alliance.

Ves immediately looked alarmed! "What?! Isn't that the pirate alliance based in the core regions that built the Gravada Knarlax!?"

He remembered what Master Willix said about the Gravada Knarlax. She was a heavy cruiser that was completely built from the ground up by the Allidus Alliance. Though her technical sophistication probably wasn't high, the raw power she was able to bring to bear was more than enough to cement the Allidus Alliance's footing in the dangerous and contentious core regions of the Nyxian Gap!

"They're the Allidus Alliance, no doubt. In fact, Allidus is a regular customer of the Crona Lords. In the complicated web of Nyxian pirate relations, you can also say that the Crona Lords are backed or at least supported by Allidus." Calabast explained in a grim voice. "What is strange is that according to the trade logs we've obtained from Xiphard Base, the trade convoys dispatched by the Alliance aren't scheduled to stop by in a couple of months. It takes time for Xiphard Base to accumulate a notable amount of Kavenit, so the trade convoy that has arrived today won't be able to return to the core regions with full cargo holds."

"We can investigate this issue another day." Major Verle cut her off. "The presumed flagship of the trade convoy is hailing us right this instant. Ves, do you want to take this call or shall I address the pirates in your stead?"

"Let me take the call. You just focus on commanding the battle. The Crona Lords are still putting up a fight and we are already starting to lose some mechs. Make sure our forces are ready to battle those Allidus mechs. Their continued approach is not a good sign."

Normal bystanders never headed towards an ongoing battle unless they wanted to meddle in it. After straightening himself up, Ves accepted the hail.

A projection of a fierce-looking pirate leader appeared into view. The huge and formidable-looking man boasted a bushy and messy black beard. He wore an excessively pirate outfit that straightforwardly showed off his battle accomplishments in the form of trophies.

The blackened bones, tarnished insignia and faded metals hanging from the Allidus commander's uniform spoke of a long and vicious pirate career.

During his previous travels through the frontier, Ves learned that pirates didn't maintain any detailed records on the galactic net. Mostly, it was because their access to it was very intermittent.

Instead, they resorted to the more practical method of sprucing up their uniforms and adding trophies to them. The more junk a pirate wore on his body, the more battle accomplishments they accrued!

"Intruders." The pirate's gruff voice spoke. "The Nyxian Gap is not a playground for civilized folk like you. We have heard of you, Larkinson Clan. Your infamy in Wreckage Paradise has spread throughout the periphery of the Nyxian Gap. Not even the strongest Peacekeeper outfits are as brazen as your fleet. Do you think that anyone can get away with beating up our kind without retaliation? If you know what is good for you, then retreat immediately, or offer up your necks. The Crona Lords are not yours to take."

Shortly after the pirate commander made his demand, Calabast spoke to him through a private channel.

"The man you are speaking to is Lord Drogen, a trusted subordinate of Lord Hivex. He has a formidable reputation in battle, but he isn't known to be reckless. The sensors of his vessels should have gained a good impression of our exposed combat forces. Since he has chosen to adopt an aggressive posture, he must be confident he can deal with the Penitent Sisters."

"I see." Ves already had a feeling it wouldn't be that easy. "Is Lord Drogen confident because he is leaning on the strength and reputation of the Allidus Alliance?"

Calabast was very capable in reading people. "No. Lord Drogen isn't bluffing or exuding a sense of false bravado. He is truly confident in his own ability to resist our forces."

"That means he's hiding something else! Scan his mechs and ships for anything dangerous or unusual. We need to know what gives this fellow so much confidence."

He turned back to Lord Drogen and quickly considered his response. While the Gravada Knarlax was insanely strong, the heavy cruiser was nowhere to be seen, along with the remainder of the Allidus Alliance's formidable main fleet.

Ves smirked. "Lord Drogen, you underestimate our resolve. The Nyxian Gap may be infested by your kind, but you are but rats hiding in a dark hole. To claim this space as yours is folly, and we are not afraid of your feeble threats. The Crona Lords are already history from today onwards. Either get out of our way or join them in hell."

"You insolent brat!" Lord Drogen shouted as he lost his temper! "I will warn you one last time! Leave the Crona Lords alone or we will crush you and your pretty mechs! Lord Hivex has personally commanded me to gather as much Kavenit and other minerals as possible and his will is absolute!"

Though Ves found it curious to hear that the Allidus Alliance sought to gather as much materials as possible, he had no plans of backing off. The 300 mechs fielded by Lord Drogen were still manageable, and even if the trade convoy fleet possessed any surprises, they shouldn't be too extreme.

"Talk is cheap." Ves stated. "Fight us at your own peril. We are not afraid of the Allidus Alliance!"

The communication channel closed. Lord Drogen had made his choice and so had Ves. The 300 mechs advanced shortly afterwards. The Allidus mechs circled a bit around in order to attack the Larkinson mechs from a flank.

The crossfire they would soon be able to establish with the Crona Lords would put the Larkinson mechs at a slight disadvantage.

"Sir, our scanners have picked up elevated activities in the bow sections of three different Allidus vessels!"

A visual feed quickly came into view. The forwardmost armor plating of the three biggest medium carriers slowly started to slide apart. Each of the ships had bared their fangs and exposed their formidable-looking warship-grade weapons!

Ves didn't need the help of an analyst to realize what those weapons were capable of! "Those are destroyer-grade laser cannons! Their designs are similar to Xiphard Base's Omega Laser!"

It turned out that the Allidus Alliance were the original suppliers of the latest trump card of the Crona Lords! In exchange for a huge amount of Kavenit, Allidus provided their trading partner with one of their taboo products!

A sensitive exchange like this did not take place between regular trading partners. It spoke of a deeper cooperation between the Crona Lords and the Allidus Alliance!

Though Ves grew vastly more concerned as those laser cannons started charging up, he at least took comfort in the fact that they shouldn't be as powerful as the Omega Laser.

The Crona Lord secret weapon was not only several times larger, but was also embedded into a huge asteroid base.

The medium carriers of the Allidus Alliance didn't look all that impressive. Much of their capacity was already taken up by the pirate mechs they were supposed to transport. This meant that the forward-mounted laser cannons should be significantly constrained in terms of power supply and heat management.

That said, when those laser cannons finally discharged three powerful laser beams, the seemingly invincible Penitent Sisters mechs had been struck!

The momentum of the Hexer mechs abruptly stalled as the mechs that had been struck exhibited severe damage!

The Penitent Sisters suffered their losses as both the mechs and the pilots inside had died!