It didn't take long for Adam and Spector to finish off the final two ships, which soon blew up amid the screams of their pilots and crew.
"Well, that's eight thousand credits I just made," Adam said happily.
[Sparesomechangebro (Earth): 8k and you still can't spare me some change. If your streams weren't so action packed I would totally stop watching.]
[Leonthemoneygiver (Earth): Come on, streamer, seriously, give the man some change, bro.]
Adam turned Spector around and had it return to its previous position of watching the base.
None of the other patrols around the base chose to come attack, and as Adam looked at the sensors, wondering why, he saw that most of them were fleeing. They were quickly leaving the asteroid field before jumping into FTL.
[1000yearsofdeath (Earth): Looks like they're running scared. Kekeke.]
[Devil_Prince_Asura (Deverinian 9): No real surprise now they know the fleet is coming.]
[Beczontop (Imperial Down): They were never going to be able to stop them all, unfortunately. Pirates are like cockroaches and have a nasty habit of surviving.]
[MerceadAnderson (Palaxia): Admiral Dexter says to forget about those running and to keep an eye on the base as it's the base that is the primary concern.]
"Well, the fleet should be here in a few minutes by the looks of it, and it seems the power is still out in the base," Adam said as he studied Spector's sensors.
A few minutes later, the fleet arrived as expected, as almost 200 ships emerged from between the asteroids before the flagship ordered all the ships to take up their designated positions, creating a net around the base.
"Drop ships launch and remember to use your helmets' night vision capability until the base power is restored ." Admiral Dexter's voice said over the comm before several drop ships left the shuttle bays of the cruiser-type ships and headed for the pirate base.
Once they touched down, defence force personnel wearing combat armour and wielding automatic blasters disembarked the drop ships before heading towards the closest base access point while communicating over the private channel.
"Squad one reporting, we have gained entry to the base and can see several pirates fumbling around in the dark."
"Squad two reporting, we have a similar situation; they have no source of light since the EMP even took out their flashlights."
"Squad thee reporting, …]
"Squad four reporting, …]
"Squad seven reporting, We have located the captives and subdued the pirates guarding them, preparing them for extraction to the drop ship.]
"Squad seven, proceed with caution, estimates put the base power being restored at any minute now." Admiral Dexter responded.
"Roger."
[StealthAssassin9 (Earth): So far so good.]
Suddenly, the base power came back on, along with the engines of the pirate ships.
[Pokemonking0924 (Mobius 2.0): You just had to jinx it.]
[StealthAssassin9 (Earth): …]
"Squad three reporting, we have engaged some of the pirates who spotted us after the lights came back on."
"Squad six has also engaged the pirates."
"My sensors show that the pirate ships that were trying to depart earlier are not leaving the base." Spector suddenly said.
"Spector to flagship, sensors show the pirate ships are departing the base."
"Confirmed, Spector, our sensors show the same. All ships prepare for combat, focus fire on the ships along with your group and don't let any of the bastards pass you." Admiral Dexter ordered as the pirate ships started taking off from landing pads and exiting docking bays all over the base.
"Squad seven reporting, the captives are aboard the drop ship, and we are departing now."
"Good, all remaining drop ship personnel are to fall back to their drop ships for immediate evac." Admiral Dexter ordered.
Adam had already moved Spector into position near the group he had been assigned to, which consisted of a dozen ships, including Spector and was now waiting for the defence force medium-class ship that was leading his group to signify their first target.
A moment later, targeting coordinates were relayed to everyone on the ship, and as Adam selected them, the view-screen switched to show a medium-class pirate vessel taking off from a landing pad a few thousand meters from them.
Adam had Spector open fire with its laser repeaters while the other ships in his group did the same. Most of the weapons being fired were energy-based laser weapons; however, some used ballistic weapons, while a few fired a rocket or two.
It only took a few seconds for the concentrated fire of a dozen ships to tear the pirate ship apart before the next set of target coordinates arrived, and they all focused their fire on the next ship.
[Noobkiller9000 (Earth): Damn, they're not even lasting 3 seconds before they're destroyed.]
[Prestigious3horns (Vinox 2): Well, it is 12 v 1 with the pirate vessel only just launching and so not having enough momentum to evade.]
This tactic continued on for several minutes as the combined force of the pirate elimination fleet destroyed ship after ship.
"Squad seven reporting, The drop ship carrying the captives has successfully docked with its cruiser, and the captives are secure."
"Admiral, all other drop ships have safely departed the pirate base."
"Understood, all ships target the pirate base and fire at will. I want that eyesore destroyed."
Adam commanded Spector to target the base before opening fire with the 3 laser repeaters, along with all the other ships, as they also switched target to the pirate base before they opened fire.
Energy beams, ballistic ammo, rockets and missiles all rained down on the base, punching holes through it and tearing it to pieces. Because the base lacked a shield, there was no resistance, and it only took a fraction of a second for the base's artificial atmosphere to be compromised and it to start venting atmosphere along with pirates and debris into space.
Adam and the chat watched as pirates of different species and races were sucked out into space before floating off into the void.
[Vinnaka (Felinia 6): Damn, what a way to go.]
[Beczontop (Imperial Down): Serves the bastards right.]
It didn't take long for the base to become unrecognisable, and as soon as one of the ship's weapons hit the base's power reacted there was a huge explosion that engulfed the entire base while sending out a shockwave that pushed some of the small class backwards a short distance.
[Gunlovergirl (Earth): Check out the fireworks, this is what I'm here to see.]
[DeverinianLordMalacoss (Deverinian 9): It's certainly entertaining to watch; none of the other streamers put on streams like this.]
[Beczontop (Imperial Down): Damn right, only my future husband. 😘]
[OfficialLorelie (Imperial Down): 🤨]
[Tessisdabest (Imperial Down): What about the pirate boss Bonnie? Did anyone get her?]
It took several moments for the explosion to die down and for everyone to see that the base was completely destroyed, with only some rubble that miraculously managed to survive floating in space.
"All groups return to concentrated fire on the remaining pirate ships. Sensors give me a full sweep of the area. I want to know if Bonnie's ship, the Revenge, went down in that explosion." Admiral Dexter ordered.
"Yes, sir." A voice replied over the comm.
The groups returned to their coordinated attack on the remaining pirate ships, with Adam working together with his own group to take out one pirate ship after another until Spector suddenly spoke up.
"My sensors show several ships heading for open space on the other side of the asteroid."
"What!" Adam replied before checking the sensors and asking, "Where did they come from?"
"Unknown, they suddenly just appeared. If I had to guess, I would surmise they travelled through the asteroid before appearing on the other side of it."
"Are you saying they built a secret escape route through the asteroid?" Adam asked in shock.
"Affirmative."
[Whostolemyduck (Earth): Is that even possible?]
[Beinglittleisnotadisadvantage (Strathorp 7): Sure, though the time it took them to do it depends on the equipment they had available]
[SciFifanboy (Earth): A pirate escape route is not Sci-Fi, but it's cool; however, a space pirate escape route is both cool and so Sci-Fi.]
"Shit." Adam cursed before piloting Spector away from the fleet and after the fleeing pirate ships.
"Spector to flagship, pirates are escaping from the other side of the asteroid field," Adam said over the comm.
"What! Sensors report." Admiral Dexter ordered in shock.
"Confirmed, sir, twelve ships are heading towards the asteroid fields exit and into open space. They just appeared out of nowhere."
"How do ships just appear out of nowhere?"
"Unknown, sir."
"Well, find out, groups one through seven pursue those fleeing ships at the best possible speed. Groups eight through sixteen continue destroying the pirate ships here before joining us." Admiral Dexter ordered as eighty to ninety ships moved away from the base and started pursuing the fleeing pirate ships.
"I believe that the pirates built an escape route through the asteroid itself," Adam reported.
"Oh, for the love of god." Admiral Dexter said angrily.