Path to Becoming the Greatest Space Mercenary - Chapter 351

Chapter 351: Chapter 351 Clash of Strategies
“They’ve moved exactly as we thought that they would.”

Jasmine was keeping a close eye on their enemies’ positions through the Dauntless’ long-range sensors.

Ahead of them, the three destroyers had positioned themselves to head off each of the squads that Avery’s team had split into.

It was clear that the commander in charge that had been taking bribes from the pirates in this system was not going to let a single one of them get away.

The chance that any evidence of her and her close subordinates’ wrongdoings getting out was far too great a risk for her to take. To the point that she had already sacrificed one of the captains and the frigate that he was in charge of just to try and kill the core members of Avery’s team.

Of course, the damning information had already been transmitted to the allies in the Alliance Police that Avery had already made.

However, there was no doubt that the commander and her complicit captains would deny the evidence and allegations if only they could destroy every original data drives that detailed their crimes and kill every possible witness.

‘We won’t be easy to get rid of though.’ Avery thought as the destroyer blocking his squad’s way came into view.

It was around fifty percent larger than the frigates they had already fought and boasted far greater firepower thanks to a larger and more efficient main generator.

“Everyone, prepare for evasive maneuvers, we’ve just entered their firing range.”

Not but a few seconds after Avery’s warning to the squad he was leading, every vessel alongside him began blaring with an alarm that weapons had been locked on to them.

While still within the outer edges of the asteroid field, the destroyer in their way began a barrage of fire with a series of sixteen high powered pulse lasers.

The view almost looked like a light show as beams cut through the area.

It seemed at this point that the corrupt Alliance Police had already compiled some data on Avery’s team and had identified the highest priority targets.

Despite just being one of the ships flying towards the destroyer, Avery had ten of its weapons currently targeting him.

“Decoy beacons aren’t having any effect, and chaffs are only working minimally.” Jasmine said, a hint of panic in her voice.

Being a capable military vessel with high-end sensors, the destroyer’s targeting system was easily able to differentiate between the real Dauntless and decoy beacons and could compensate for a majority of the interference provided by chaffs.

With the high concentration of fire on him, Avery was having a difficult time dealing with the barrage coming his way.

It had forced him to slow down, and he was no longer at the head of his squad leading the way due to the erratic dodging he had been forced to implement to avoid being hit.

‘Damn, why did my sight have to go back to normal. This would be so much easier if I could still see the flow of energy.’

Avery had enjoyed the benefits of the uncanny power he possessed and did not fully understand, but for whatever reason, it was no longer active.

During the fight with he two frigates it had allowed him to seamlessly avoid almost every attack and quickly move into a favorable range for him to begin striking back.

Now though, what had seemed so easy before was far more difficult.

The destroyer that Avery was up against had an experienced crew and some of the best combat systems in the galaxy.

Even tapping into all of his skills and experience, it was difficult for Avery to deal with the focus fire coming his way without having to resort to some drastic defensive maneuvers that naturally slowed him down.

At the very least, the heavy pressure on Avery allowed the others to advance quicker.

Yet, the destroyer’s pulse lasers were not its only armaments.

It also came packing some incredibly high caliber multicannons meant to rip apart smaller ships with ease, and eight missile pods that began rapidly firing the moment that the first ship, which just so happened to be Ezra’s, got into range.

‘So that’s their plan. Keep me away while dealing with the others. It’s not a bad idea, but whoever the captain of that destroyer is, they’re severely underestimating my team.’

Watching the way Avery had fought and crushed the first pair of frigates to engage his team, there was no doubt in the corrupt Alliance Police officers’ minds that he was the biggest threat.

They were thinking that all they needed to do was keep him at bay and the others would fall with only a moderately difficult fight.

But oh, how wrong they were.

The top captains working under Avery were all veteran mercenaries with at least five years of experience under their belts.

Normally mercenaries did not get into fights with large warships like those used by the Alliance Police and they were ill-equipped to deal with them.

Except, with all of the trouble that Avery seemed to attract, they had been training for such an eventuality. Their opponents would not always be underequipped pirates that survived by skulking on the edges of society.

“Sir, our shields aren’t going to be able to hold. We need to call for backup from the others. These pirates have far too powerful weapons! Where did they even get ships like these!” One of the officers onboard shouted.

However, in lieu of a response, the captain merely ground his teeth and growled in anger and frustration.

He knew that they were not up against pirates.

Had their targets actually been the pirates that had set up shop in this system it would have been easy to annihilate them without so much as a single causality.

“Damn it, kill them already! Don’t let some pirates make a mockery of the Alliance Police!”

The captain barked orders as spittle flew from his mouth.

It was certainly an uninspiring scene to watch for the bridge crew that was already trying their best.

Regrettably, they were unable to execute the commands that were given to them.

Their weapons were already firing at their maximum rate, and it was not proving enough to stop the smaller ships swarming around them.

Perhaps if so many of the destroyer’s main pulse lasers were not directed at a single vessel in the distance that was dodging almost every hit, they could have destroyed the ships attacking them one at a time until they were not under as much pressure. Still, orders were orders, and their captain was vehement that the lead hostile vessel not be allowed to get close.

They were just spread too thin though, and their adversaries were highly skilled combatants ahead of even most Alliance Police ace pilots.

“And bombs away.”

Kasandra pressed down on a button on the control panel in front of her, and two compartments on the bottom of her ship opened up.

Several explosive charges swiftly flew out from these two openings and blew up on impact with the destroyer’s shields.

Usually, these explosives were meant for use against planetary structures or space stations, but after getting into an advantageous position directly above the Alliance Police ship, she had decided to release a destructive payload on top of the craft as she flew by.

This proved to be the last straw, as the destroyer’s shields flashed a few times as they lost stability before disappearing.