TCPUAAV Chapter 35

On the flight path from Sikkim to the Sijialan Star, a sleek cyan warship suddenly appeared, arrogantly blocking the transport ship’s path.

 

The transport ship sent out an electronic signal to inquire about the intrusion, only to be met with an immediate barrage of cannon fire.

 

Following Rong Heng’s orders, Noah activated the deflection shields, and the Blue Whale returned fire with its full arsenal. Meanwhile, Rong Heng and Dares piloted two fighter jets equipped with stealth devices, lying in ambush just outside the Blue Whale’s hangar doors.

 

The transport ship’s pilot, unfamiliar with such an aggressive opening gambit, hesitated in shock for several seconds before finally receiving orders to retaliate. Immediately, the transport ship launched its counterattack.

 

In the lower hangar on Deck B2, over a dozen fighter jets powered up and began deploying through the open hangar doors.

 

As soon as all the fighters had launched, Dares—already lying in wait near the hangar entrance—struck first. He fired an energy torpedo, hitting one of the enemy fighters, before swiftly pulling back and retreating into the distance.

 

The remaining fighters, realizing they had fallen into an ambush, immediately redirected their focus, closing in to surround Dares.

 

Dares had no intention of engaging in a prolonged dogfight. He maneuvered skillfully, weaving left and right, occasionally turning back to fire a shot or drop another torpedo. While his attacks dealt little damage, the provocation was undeniable, enraging the pilots who now pursued him relentlessly. Alone, Dares successfully tied up more than ten enemy fighters.

 

Meanwhile, Rong Heng used the distraction to slip into the transport ship’s hangar just before the doors sealed shut.

 

By now, the entire transport ship was in combat mode, with patrol robots scurrying through its corridors.

 

Rong Heng captured one of the patrolling robots and, with Noah’s help, downloaded the complete internal schematics of the transport ship, including its weapon systems and structural layout.

 

Touching the portable mini-torpedo strapped to his waist, Rong Heng set his sights on the transport ship’s shield generators.

 

The ship’s defenses relied entirely on its deflection shields, which absorbed laser cannon fire and diverted physical projectiles, neutralizing most incoming attacks.

 

As long as the deflection shields held, the exchange of fire between the warship and the transport ship was a stalemate, with neither side able to inflict significant damage.

 

But if the shields went down, the situation would change drastically.

 

Guided by Noah, Rong Heng expertly evaded the patrol robots and located one of the shield generator nodes. Placing a mini-torpedo beneath the generator, he moved on to the next location.

 

The transport ship was massive, with twenty such shield generator nodes spread throughout its structure. Rong Heng worked systematically, planting torpedoes at each node and setting them on timed detonators.

 

After finishing with the final generator, he climbed up the turbine elevator shaft to the next level.

 

The torpedoes beneath the shield generators began their countdown.

 

Ten. Nine. Eight. Seven… Three. Two. One.

 

Explosions rocked the ship in rapid succession. The entire transport ship shuddered violently, and the transparent shields enveloping it slowly dissipated. A laser cannon fired from the warship’s bow struck the now-exposed hull, creating a gaping breach.

 

The blast triggered a violent vortex, which sucked debris and atmosphere from the ship’s interior into the void of space.

 

Alarms blared across the vessel.

 

“Send a distress signal!” The previously composed command center was now in chaos. Officers frantically attempted to send out SOS messages, only to discover that their communication channels were completely silent.

 

The communications officer’s face turned pale with terror. “It’s… it’s interstellar pirates! They’ve jammed our signals! We can’t send out a distress call!”

 

This was a classic pirate tactic: jam communications, launch a relentless assault, then plunder all valuable goods before vanishing without a trace, leaving no survivors.

 

But this time, the pirates only had a single warship.

 

“No, they must have other ships lying in ambush nearby,” the captain said, struggling to remain calm. “Everyone, prepare to abandon ship. Head to the escape pods!”

 

Against ruthless interstellar pirates, the only option was to flee as quickly as possible in the slim hope of survival.

 

The crew followed orders, abandoning their posts and rushing toward the escape pods. Only the captain and the first officer exchanged a grim glance, grabbed their weapons, and made their way to the lowest level of the ship: the detention area.

 

Before they abandoned the ship, there was one task they had to complete—executing Hector. This was a direct order they had received before their departure to Sijialan Star. If any accidents occurred during transit, Hector was to be eliminated immediately.

 

*

 

Hector, meanwhile, had evaded the patrol robots and, relying on instinct, found his way to the bridge.

 

Along the way, he noticed crew members rushing frantically toward the escape pods. It seemed the transport ship had run into serious trouble, forcing its occupants to flee for their lives.

 

But Hector wasn’t concerned. Quite the opposite—he was thrilled. He licked his lips in anticipation and slipped into the bridge unnoticed. With swift, silent efficiency, he eliminated the pilot and seized control of the entire transport ship.

 

The cargo hold of the ship was packed with advanced laser rifles. For someone like Hector, a battle-hardened soldier who had scrimped and saved just to afford a single weapon, the sight of an entire warehouse of firearms was almost too good to be true.

 

“What a waste it would be to leave all this behind!” Hector muttered, a grin spreading across his face.

 

“Guess I’ll take my chances.” His fingers flew across the control panel, issuing a series of commands. The transport ship began discarding all non-essential components to maximize its speed.

 

Once the jettisoning was complete, Hector yanked the control stick, turning the ship around and preparing to retreat.

 

The cyan warship, which had been relentlessly bombarding the transport ship, seemed to be running low on firepower. Watching the warship recede in the viewport, Hector smirked. “Out of ammo, huh?”

 

Judging by the enemy’s firepower, the transport ship could endure long enough to escape their attack range. Once they were clear, Hector planned to contact one of Otter’s[mfn]No idea who is that, I guess it’s a member of the council like Lucien? Or maybe another dragon?[/mfn] subordinates to retrieve him and help him claim the weapons cache for himself.

 

His foul mood, which had lasted for days, finally began to lift. One hand on the control stick, he rummaged through a storage compartment with the other, eventually finding a pack of cigarettes. Chuckling, he pulled one out and tilted it toward his lips.

 

Before the cigarette could touch his mouth, something cold and hard pressed against the back of his head—a gun.

 

Cursing inwardly, Hector tossed the cigarette aside and raised his hands in surrender. His mind raced, calculating his chances against the unseen assailant.

 

Whoever had managed to sneak up on him undetected was clearly no ordinary foe.

 

*

 

Rong Heng, on the other hand, hadn’t expected to find anyone in the bridge. By now, most of the crew had evacuated to the escape pods. Yet here stood a tall, muscular man with broad shoulders and rolled-up sleeves, revealing powerful arms.

 

This man clearly wasn’t part of the transport ship’s crew.

 

Rong Heng stepped back slightly but kept his gun trained on Hector’s head. “Hands on your head. Turn around.”

 

Grinding his teeth, Hector slowly turned to face Rong Heng. But the moment they locked eyes, Hector lunged, launching a sudden attack.

 

Rong Heng, having anticipated this, leaned back to avoid the strike and immediately straightened up, aiming his gun squarely at Hector once more.

 

“Hector,” Rong Heng said coldly, his voice laced with familiarity.

 

Hector froze mid-attack, lowering his stance as his sharp eyes narrowed. “Who are you?”

 

The man in front of him was tall and composed, his gaze piercing. But his face was surprisingly ordinary—too ordinary.

 

Hector smirked knowingly. “Disguise capsules? If we’re already acquainted, why not show me your real face?”

 

Rong Heng didn’t bother with pretense. He discarded his gun and removed his mask.

 

Hector’s eyes widened in shock. “Your Highness?! You’re alive?!”

 

As a military commander of the frontline districts, Hector had crossed paths with Rong Heng countless times at annual military meetings. They weren’t exactly close, but they had occasionally collaborated to pressure the military council for increased funding.

 

Their connection wasn’t deep, but it was far from unfamiliar.

 

Thinking back, Hector recalled how news of Rong Heng’s assassination in the Baghdad District had spread like wildfire. He had even observed a moment of silence for the crown prince.

 

Who would’ve thought that shortly after, he himself would fall victim to betrayal?

 

“Since we’re acquaintances, that simplifies things. Let’s head back to Sikkim,” Hector said, though a look of doubt crept into his expression. “But… if Your Highness is still alive, why haven’t you returned to Sikkim?”

 

If Rong Heng had gone back to Sikkim, he would have been crowned as the new Emperor of the Empire. There was no reason he’d be wandering around in a place like this.

 

Suddenly, a thought occurred to Hector. He gave Rong Heng a somewhat sympathetic glance and tentatively asked, “Don’t tell me… you did return, only to find that the throne was already taken, leaving you with nowhere to go?”

 

Hector’s tone carried a mixture of suspicion and mockery. After all, the whole empire had long been abuzz with speculation about the relationship between the Crown Prince and the Regent. While Rong Heng had been fighting the Zerg on the Yanji frontlines, the Regent had remained firmly in Sikkim, governing in his stead. Many in the military circles couldn’t help but whisper that there must be tension between father and son.

 

After all, once the Ymir Clan entered their maturity phase, their strength was more than sufficient to inherit the throne. There was no need to wait for full adulthood unless… the Regent wasn’t willing to relinquish power.

 

At that moment, Dares walked in from outside, giving Hector a once-over. He raised an eyebrow and remarked, “You haven’t been keeping up with the news, have you?”

 

Hector looked puzzled. “What news? Did something big happen recently?” He waved dismissively. “It doesn’t matter. Once I’m back in Sikkim, I’ll catch up on everything.” Turning his attention back to Rong Heng, he added with a smirk, “What about you, Your Highness? Care to come back with me?”

 

His expression carried a hint of malice. He was clearly trying to provoke Rong Heng, hoping to drive away this troublesome ally. After all, the cargo hold was full of highly coveted laser rifles. If these two decided to follow him back, it wouldn’t be long before they discovered his little secret. Hector had no intention of splitting the spoils he’d worked so hard to claim.

 

Rong Heng saw through the ploy immediately. With a slight sneer, he sat down leisurely and replied, “We’re not going back.” His tone was calm but carried a faint chill. “We came here specifically to rescue you.” Then, leaning back slightly, he added pointedly, “Don’t forget—you owe me one.”

 

“Rescue me?” Hector scoffed, clearly unimpressed. “I don’t need anyone’s help.”

 

But inwardly, he was seething. If you two hadn’t shown up and messed everything up, I’d have escaped with the guns already. What rescue? All you’ve done is slow me down!

 

On the side, Dares finally couldn’t resist rolling his eyes. With a grin full of schadenfreude, he said, “There’s something you don’t seem to know yet, Hector. As far as the Empire and its people are concerned, you’re already dead.”

 

Seeing Hector’s blank expression, Dares added helpfully, “And not just metaphorically. I mean the kind of dead where they’ve already held your memorial service.”

 

Hector: ??????

 

His brows furrowed in confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?”

 

Rong Heng let out a small, mocking laugh. “It means that in both legal and societal terms, you’re already dead. Even your identity card has been deactivated.”

 

Hector: ?????????????

 

“I don’t believe you.”

 

Rong Heng casually tossed him a data terminal. “See for yourself.”

 

Still skeptical, Hector took the device and quickly searched for news about himself. To his utter disbelief, he found multiple reports about a memorial service held in his honor, including an online broadcast of a virtual mourning session.

 

?????????

 

Refusing to accept this, he logged into his bank account, hoping to prove it all wrong. But the moment he entered his password, a cold notification appeared on the screen: This account has been deactivated.

 

“Fuck!” Hector erupted in fury. “My bank account’s gone?! Where the hell is all my money?!”

 

That wasn’t just money to him—it was his hard-earned savings! His nest egg!

 

As a member of the dragon race, he was supposed to enjoy the vast wealth of Luso Star, where his kin lived in unimaginable luxury. But ever since he was exiled, Hector had been forced to scrape and claw his way through life, earning every coin himself. Every credit in that account represented years of blood, sweat, and tears.

 

Now it was gone.

 

Completely.

 

“Fuck!” Hector roared again, his rage escalating as his scales faintly shimmered on his skin. He couldn’t believe it. Years of effort, all wiped out.

 

The bitterness of his exile and the humiliation of losing his wealth combined into an overwhelming fury, and Hector’s face darkened further. He was completely and utterly livid.

 

 

 

---

 

We’re back to a shorter chapter this time!

 

Honestly, I get Hector. If I suffered for a long time then found out all my savings disappeared… Though, Rong Rong and Dares should work on a better way of announcing things, they have no tact xD (Not that Mister Hector seems to be tactful himself~)

 

By the way, if you’re confused, the “interstellar pirates” that attacked aren’t really pirates, it’s just Rong Heng and Dares.

 

Thanks for reading!

For every three ko-fis, I will upload a bonus chapter~