Floating before my eyes was a mass of steel spanning more than three hundred meters.
The Regular Army heavy cruiser, HC-09 Aegis.
Built for endurance and heavy firepower, the massive vessel had served as the fleet’s "shield," soaking up enemy fire as the core of the battle line, while simultaneously acting as the "spear" that drove the front lines forward.
But now, it drifted as a hollowed-out wreck, cruelly torn asunder, the raw, scorched marks of fire still fresh on its hull.
"...It’s a grim sight, isn't it?"
Sitting in the co-pilot’s seat, Rick muttered the words with a self-deprecating edge.
"Our mission was to seize a Rebel Army base. The intel said the enemy was nothing but a ragtag collection of old-model ships."
"Was it a trap?" I asked.
"Yeah. The second we were lured into this debris belt, a massive swarm of hidden autonomous space mines and drones activated all at once. The Aegis took the brunt of the fire. The shields failed, the armor was stripped away, and they blew a hole right through her gut."
Rick clenched his fist in frustration.
"After that, it was their cruiser-class ships against our escorts. I was out on patrol, so I was far enough away to avoid the initial blast. But... I was so focused on scanning for the enemy fleet that I didn't notice the minefield right under my nose. The escort ships fought like hell, but they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers and wiped out."
Cruisers were formidable in anti-ship combat, but few ships possessed the specialized close-in defense capabilities of the Sperm Whale.
"...Well, we’ve already cleared out the vermin that were nesting here. All that's left is to rescue what we can from this mountain of scrap."
I worked the console, running a full scan of the wreck. As the sensor data scrolled across the screen, I let out a low whistle.
"Hey, look at this. The engine block is practically untouched."
Normally, fleet-scale engagements involved heavy-caliber slugs trading back and forth; more often than not, the power section would suffer a secondary explosion and blow the ship to smithereens.
The Aegis, however, had been different.
Because the mines had gutted its midsection, the ship had been forced into a total functional halt before a secondary explosion could occur. It was an ironic twist of fate, but it meant the most expensive heart of the vessel remained in pristine condition.
This was a massive windfall.
"Lucia, divert all power to the tractor beam. You can drop the shield output to the bare minimum. Raise the engine output to the redline."
"Understood. Connecting energy bypass. Setting tractor beam to maximum output."
The hull of the Sperm Whale gave a low, vibrating groan.
The onboard generator roared to life, and a torrent of energy surged toward the bow projectors. Gravity waves powerful enough to distort the very fabric of space lanced out, seizing the massive wreckage of the cruiser.
Despite the size difference, the mass of a military-grade armored hull far outweighed an empty transport ship. Normally, we would have been the ones tossed around by the weight.
However, the Sperm Whale held firm, pinning the giant carcass in the void without a single shudder.
"What the...!?"
Rick’s eyes went wide.
"You’ve got to be kidding me. You've completely immobilized a cruiser? Even using the heavy-duty tow rigs at a maintenance base, that’s a nightmare of an operation!"
"This ship's best trait is its raw strength. Now, Mina, let’s start the show. The floor is yours."
"Roger that! Lucia, overlay the cutting lines! Target the connection bolts on the engine block!"
Mina’s orders flew fast.
Following her lead, I pulled the triggers for the pulse lasers. High-output beams of light began to steadily melt through the cruiser's thick plating.
"...This is insane. That armor is supposed to have an anti-beam coating. How are you cutting through it that fast?"
Rick stared at the monitor as if he were witnessing a miracle—or a nightmare.
Even with the absurd output of a generator-linked laser, military armor was no joke. We weren't cutting through it like butter, but we were forcibly overloading the thermal limits and searing right through the plate. The section we were cutting glowed white-hot, tracing a brilliant line against the black vacuum of space.
"There! Next, the power pipes on the starboard side! Watch the cooling fluid lines—we don't want a flare-up!"
"Starboard, got it."
My piloting, Mina’s technical direction, and Lucia’s precision corrections—the three-way synergy was as smooth as a surgical procedure. A dismantling job that would typically take several days was being completed at a staggering pace.
"...The pipe on the right is a redundant backup. The primary line passes through the third layer beneath the armor," Rick suddenly chimed in. "If you pop the latch over there, the entire engine unit should slide right out. The maintenance guys were always complaining about how poorly designed it was for servicing."
"Good call, Rick! Akito, peel back that armor plating!"
The knowledge of a former crew member was worth its weight in gold. Thanks to Rick’s precise advice, we cleared the most difficult stages of the salvage one after another.
A few hours later.
The Sperm Whale’s cargo room was filled with a mountain of high-quality scrap: a massive military engine unit, the base components for the main batteries, rare metals, and crate after crate of military-grade electronics.
By now, most of the Aegis had been devoured by the gluttonous Sperm Whale, leaving only scattered sections of the interior corridors drifting in our wake.
"Whew... That was a solid day’s work."
The job finished, we were all taking a breather in the break area.
"Yeah. Though I never expected to be the one to take my own ship apart," Rick said with a strained laugh, taking a long pull of his coffee. There was a newfound clarity in his expression, as if the act of salvaging the ship had finally allowed him to move on.
"Hey, Rick. Why don't you come work for us?"
I finally voiced the thought I’d been sitting on.
"Your skills are the real deal, and you’re a good guy. You get along with Mina, too. And as you can see, we’re short on hands. It’s a hell of a lot more relaxed than the Regular Army."
"..."
Rick’s hand froze. Mina and Lucia both turned to look at him, waiting for his answer.
However, Rick let out a heavy sigh and gave a slow, deliberate shake of his head.
"I appreciate the offer, truly. But I have to pass. I need to get back to base."
"Reporting duty?"
"That, and... I want to be the one to tell the families of my squad how they went out. Besides, it would weigh on my conscience if I just ran away to play mercenary while they're all gone."
Rick looked me straight in the eye. Seeing the conviction there, I realized that pushing him any further would be an insult. He was a more honorable man than I had initially realized.
"I understand. It’s a shame, but I won't force you."
"In exchange—if you can call it that—I'll point you toward a route where you can sell those parts for a premium."
Rick gave a sharp grin.
"I’ve got connections in the Regular Army’s Logistics Department. If you sell this stuff as 'recovered military goods' through the right channels rather than as 'unknown junk' to a scrapyard, you’ll get a much better price. With my word, the paperwork will be a breeze."
"...Heh, I’ll take you up on that."
Friends and connections—the two most valuable resources in the galaxy. I felt like the path toward my credit goal had just widened significantly.
"Alright, then let’s go put those connections to work. We’ll drop you off at the nearest base."
"You got it! I'm in your hands, Captain!"
We immediately set about preparing for our departure.