For some reason, my words traveled through the colony at the speed of light.
I could understand the guys from the Officer Academy taking me seriously, but for some reason, even the Imperial Guard, the university students, and the colony soldiers were suiting up in full combat gear. The Imperial Guard, in particular, looked genuinely panicked as they scrambled to stockpile ammunition.
As usual, I was assigned to the heavy machinery detail with Edge and the others. Using our Humanoid Heavy Machinery, we spent the time loading ammunition and setting up barricades made from the colony's outer-wall materials. Since the artificial gravity was currently set to a low-power mode, we had to bolt everything to the floor.
"I’m telling you, I’ve got zero confidence in this, just like always," I grumbled to Claire, who was working alongside me.
"Even so, Leo, you’re a future-predicting Esper. The mere fact that 'Leo has a bad feeling' is more than enough justification for everyone else."
"But usually, when someone’s about to try and assassinate me or when the Zork are closing in... there’s this sharp, piercing bloodlust. This time is different."
"How so?"
"It’s just sort of... muddled. Fuzzy."
"Maybe that's just the solar flare messing with you?"
"I wonder... I really don't feel sure about this."
It was a strange sensation. Just then, an internal comms broadcast cut through the air.
[In approximately one hour, the electromagnetic interference will subside. Please be aware that artificial gravity will return to its standard state.]
"Roger that," I muttered.
I set a timer on my end. I was sure there would be another announcement right before the shift, but it never hurt to be careful.
About thirty minutes later, another facility-wide announcement echoed through the halls.
[All soldiers, report to your stations.]
"Let's go, Claire."
"Right."
We swapped our Officer Academy Tracksuits for combat suits and moved to our designated positions. Our party consisted of the usual members, plus Kevin.
Since Humanoid Fighters carried the risk of accidentally damaging the colony's structure, the plan was to keep them grounded until the Zork were actually confirmed. That meant we were starting the engagement on foot—except for me. I was tasked with holding the line in a unit of Humanoid Heavy Machinery.
...I wasn't entirely thrilled about that. When I let my dissatisfaction show on my face, Kevin scolded me.
"Don't give me that look! It can't be helped. Leo, you’re the most skilled pilot we have when it comes to Humanoid Heavy Machinery!"
I equipped my machine with a heavy machine gun and used the auxiliary arms to hold a slab of outer-wall plating to serve as a makeshift shield.
"I know, I know. It's just... I was hoping to sortie in a normal fighter for once."
"If a solar flare hits while you're out there in a fighter, you’ll never make it back," Kevin countered.
I guess waiting here was our only real option. Time to get to work, then.
"Kevin, you’re on radar duty and coordinating comms with the other units."
"Understood."
I couldn't risk a clumsy guy like Kevin getting hurt on the front lines. Besides, he was surprisingly competent when he was stuck in a support role.
"Fairy, you there?"
"Yes, yes! Present and accounted for!"
"Can you coordinate with Kevin?"
"You got it! Oh, and Leo-kun? Something feels very strange."
"What is it? Did you find the Zork?"
"Even the Zork should realize this star system has no strategic value~. I can't imagine them allocating more forces here. And yet..."
"And yet?"
"Something is definitely coming. A lot of somethings."
"Wait, what?"
I started to get a bad feeling, though of a different variety than before. A transmission came in from Ren, who was currently glued to a terminal in the radar room.
"Enemy signatures detected! Relaying visuals now!"
I leaned in to look. What appeared on the screen were battleships—though calling them that was generous. It was a ragtag fleet of civilian vessels outfitted with black-market weaponry.
"...Pirates."
The ones brave—or stupid—enough to force their way through a solar flare were space pirates. I didn't think they were daredevils so much as complete idiots. Even a super-large battleship had chosen to stay grounded for safety, yet these guys had charged right in. Moreover, they had chosen to attack a location where the military was currently stationed.
Melissa’s eyes began to sparkle.
"I’ve always wanted to try fighting pirates!"
Claire and I, on the other hand, lost all motivation instantly.
"I'm going to bed."
"Good idea. I think I'll go sleep in my room, too."
"Wait, why are you two so relaxed?!" Kevin shouted. "Pirates are the natural enemies of colonies, aren't they?"
Kevin was clearly the only one who didn't understand the situation.
"I mean, look. My wifey is here. There’s not going to be any work left for us."
My wife’s nickname was the "Pirate Hunter." She was a woman who had spent years systematically sinking pirate fleets simply because she didn't want to be forced into a political marriage by her father. When it came to dealing with pirates, her experience level was worlds beyond mine.
"Ah, look at that. A few of them are drifting off course."
The electromagnetic waves must have fried their steering systems. Several ships were just floating away into the void.
"Are we going to have to recover those?" I sighed.
We’d probably end up having to rescue them in the end. Honestly, I felt like we should just let them drift.
"Yikes..."
Even Melissa looked put off by their incompetence. Still, it served as a valuable lesson for all of us: Never leave port during a space storm. Unless you wanted to end up like those guys.
A few of the pirate ships finally managed to dock with the colony. Watching through the surveillance cameras, I saw them bring out beam circular saws and start hacking away at the airlock doors. Baron Ohno’s voice suddenly boomed over the speakers.
"Oh, for heaven's sake! Stop breaking my doors! Fine, I'm opening up! Everyone, prepare for combat!"
The hydraulic doors hissed open.
"Gyahahaha! If you value your lives—"
The pirates stormed in, laughing manically. That laughter died the instant they saw the rows of fully armed military personnel waiting for them.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
I wanted to believe it was a joke, too. They surrendered immediately and were arrested on the spot. Even the idiots who had drifted away were eventually picked up by drones. It was frankly irritating that we lost several rescue drones to electromagnetic damage just to save those morons.
But that was where the real problem started.
[Princess Veronica, Marquis Kamishiro, Baron Ohno—please report to the conference room.]
"Huh? Why me?" I asked.
Ren turned to me with a helpful look. "Because you are the head of Marquis House Kamishiro, Master."
"Yeah, but why? What's the meeting for?"
"It’s for the trial."
I blinked. A trial? What did that even mean?
When I reached the conference room, my wife and the old man were already waiting.
"Ah, the Lord Groom has arrived," Ohno said.
"What's this about a trial?"
"Lord Groom... you’re an aspiring lawyer, are you not? Surely you know how this works?"
"I don't. I haven't reached that part of the curriculum yet."
To be honest, I was already at my limit just keeping up with my current assignments. I’d skimmed the law books, but I hadn't even begun to study the legal system as a whole. Though, for the record, I was top of my class in the legal regulations section of the heavy machinery licensing exam. Ahem!
"I suppose it can't be helped, seeing as you had no plans to become the head of a house until recently," the Baron said. "But when you capture pirates in remote territory, you must hold a trial!"
"We don't just take them back to the Imperial Capital or a planet with a courthouse?"
"There is no time for such luxuries! Therefore, the trial is held right here under the authority of the local lords."
"Then why do I have to be involved? Pops Ohno can just handle it."
"Because you are a high-ranking head of a noble house," Veronica explained. "I will also be participating as part of my duties to the Imperial Family."
"What about Big Brother Cyrus?"
"We want to keep his identity a secret for now."
That made sense, I suppose.
"So, what am I supposed to do?"
"Determine the sentence. Here, take this."
A digital version of the Compendium of Laws was installed onto my terminal. When I opened the file, an AI had already highlighted the sections relevant to the current incident.
"Hmm, I see..."
I started scanning through the judicial precedents as well. As I read, a realization dawned on me.
Deciding a sentence for this right now... wasn't that basically impossible?