Eirik was frustrated and it showed in his temper. He was over 2 weeks of travel away from his nation's borders and his gut was telling him he needed to be back, in case the pirate fleet was indeed headed toward his territory. He was also more scared than he wanted to admit, knowing he had sent Freja back just a few days before the blessed... Cursed... Blursed! Message from Ulla.

There was not much he could do until they arrived. He had called Freja and had warned her of the possible trouble brewing on the horizon and she had, in turn, laughed it off, calling him paranoid and teasing by saying that it certainly did not take long for him to miss her. Eirik felt a twinge of pain inside as she said it, further regretting his horrible judgment. After saying their goodbyes, all he could do was brood and wait.

He didn't like it one bit!.

________________________________

Dalle was grinning from ear to ear. He was looking at 117 pirate ships of various sizes, all filled to the absolute brim with a literal army of bloodthirsty marauders and bandits. They could not wait for the last stragglers, they would have to catch up once the fighting had begun. He sent out the order and the fleet started moving in all its majestic glory. This was where he belonged! At the head of armies, the ultimate authority over everything he laid his eyes on! Soon, he would take what was Eirik's and laugh in his face as he took his life.

For the first time in many many years, he dared take a breath of relief. Finally, he could stop running.

________________________

The days passed as the different fleets were on the move and Lasse was working himself to the bone in preparation for the possible attack. Barricade materials were transported around and stockpiled near chokepoints in the station, and weapons were unpacked from storage and handed out to everyone that had military training and the will to fight. The various planets in the empire received their reinforcements and stockpiles of supplies before the ships returned to the space station and line up in a protective ring around it. Colonists on the planets gathered up their animals and belongings and made their way to the military compounds that had been constructed with underground bunkers to house the civilian population

The bean counters had almost started crying when Eirik demanded that underground barns were constructed to house the livestock, but when he explained that the one-time cost of making a secure space for the animals during war times, would outweigh the expenses of having the reimburse livestock time and time again. In the end, their moaning didn't matter. He was emperor, not a president or people's elected official.

Rifles were checked, armors were shined and subjected to minor repairs, station weapons received the grand treatment despite being serviced every month, and defensive plans were updated, taking the additions to the space station into account.

For 12 days they worked themselves to the bone, doing their best to be as ready as possible, when a call came of an unscheduled ship approaching by itself, 5 ships were dispatched to meet them. Lasse was relieved when Freja announced her arrival but confused as to why she would leave Eirik like this.

He invited her to join him in his office and as soon as she arrived he quickly told her about the unfolding situation. He also made sure to stress that this was not certain, but that they would rather be prepared. Freja, for her part, told Lasse he was going to be an uncle, prompting him to suspend work for the day in favor of celebrations. It wasn't every day you became an uncle! Besides, everyone had been working themselves to the bone. It would be good for morale to have a day off for festivities before the trouble arrived.

The ships had been seen on the long-range sensors the day before, confirming their fears. A message had been sent to Eirik, informing him that the pirates were indeed headed for Libertalia. The next day, the first of the pirate ships entered the system, soon followed by several more trickling in by, what seemed like, a never-ending stream of ships entering the system and gathering up near one of the desolate moons Lasse sent out several ships to gather information and to make probing attacks, try to assess their willingness to engage in a fight.

Turned out, they were more than willing as the pirates engaged in pursuit every time the ships Lasse send out came close. Eventually, they just joined in the defensive formation around the space station. Reports came in from all planets, informing of the civilian population all being accounted for and safely stowed away in the bunkers. The local garrison forces had taken up their positions in the defenses above ground and were ready to either engage the enemy or fall back to the bunker entrances at a moment's notice.

Pirate ships trickled in for over half a day until more than 100 of them had gathered up. Lasse was still confident they could see them off, but every new ship that came into the system made him just a little bit more worried.

"Thank fuck they are pirates and not regular soldiers. An army would have gladly sacrificed a few ships to ram the station and take it out of the equation. Pirates want to live, so they can enjoy the spoils of war. " He thought to himself as another ship showed up on the radar. He still had a few tricks up his sleeves, but he would prefer to not use them, if possible. No reason to show everything you are capable of if you had no need for it.

__________________________________

Freja was worried. For the first time in her life, she feared battle. Not for her own sake, she was fine with dying. But her unborn child deserved a chance at life. And in the secure area of the space station, amongst the barracks of the recruits, was the best chance that child got. Not that she had been given a choice, Lasse had practically carried her over there, refusing to let her be anywhere else. Like Eirik and the rest of their family, he placed the security of family, especially children and infants, above all else.

But despite her pregnancy, she was determined to help however she could. As an assassin by trade, she had a critical eye for security weaknesses. She happily admitted that it was not military experience in defending a strong point, but her observations were heeded in any case, shoring up security wherever she found flaws. She also helped direct the construction of last-stand fortifications in the back of the bunkers on the various planets, where the weapons and supplies were kept.

It was difficult work when you were not physically present, but she liked to think it would help in the long run. In any case, it kept her mind occupied. As always, the waiting was the worst, even if she only had to wait for a day or 2.

On a whim, she sent a message to Jeanette, asking if there was anything that could be used or done to set up a makeshift shrine. She had already done it for the Christians and Buddhists, with help from relevant people. Faith was a good thing to occupy their thoughts. The mind could not be allowed to dwell on the things to come, that would only decrease morale.

____________________________

Dalle was less than pleased as he waited for the last ships to enter the system. Despite their swift execution of his sudden idea, the small nation showed every sign of having spent his entire time traveling here, preparing for the conflict. All the ships were concentrated around the space station and the planets, after a thorough scan, had all their inhabitants located in strategically defensible positions, no doubt hidden behind walls, bunkers, heavy weapon emplacements, and more. And knowing Eirik, it was set up in a way that would invite for attack by looking like a weak point, but with multiple overlapping fields of fire, turning any attack into a massacre.

Being suppressed and flanked at the same time was as far from an ideal fighting position as you could get, Which was the reason he was not seated on his ship with maybe 3 dozen pirate captains present and they were all arguing loudly. Some wanted to attack the planets for what they considered "easy pickings" while others wanted to get the void battle over with. Even with a space station that was, by any standards, extremely heavily armed, they were confident they could secure a beach-head from where they could start the ground combat for control of the space station, a battle they were confident they would win.

And a few of them were vocal in the desire to leave well enough alone. Attacking an unprepared system is one thing, especially with the kind of firepower they had amassed. But attacking a well-prepared and well-fortified enemy on their home territory was just asking for defeat, in their eyes. However, they all agreed on one thing. That they felt Dalle had exaggerated the plunder that was to be gotten here, hence the current meeting.

"This is not what I signed my ships up for!" One of the more prominent Plyxii captains roared above the noise and a multitude of agreeing murmurs could be heard. "You promised us piles of loot with little to medium resistance. That, on the planet nearest to us, is nothing short of a full military complex that looks to be occupied by several thousand soldiers, if the scans are to be believed. And that is not even taking into account the civilians that will no doubt have picked up arms as well!" He continued and the murmuring grew louder. They all felt cheated

Dalle had to step very carefully here. One misspoken word could quickly see this entire room devolve into a killing ground, with him as the prize kill. "I am as surprised as you are! Everything I have been able to learn pointed to the system being fairly easy to plunder once the initial ships that were supposed to show up had been dealt with! But, seeing as this is no longer an option, let us instead look to what we can do instead." He drew in a big breath. He had a lot to say and limited time to do so.

"Some of you want to plunder the planets. A valid and sound option. Some of you want to turn around and head back. Also, a valid option, even if it means this trip has ended up being an expense in fuel and supplies, rather than a net gain." The sound of displeased mumbling momentarily filled the room as the captains quickly dismissed the idea of turning this venture into an expense.

"Finally, we have the option of trying to take the space station, even in its heightened state of defense. This is, in my opinion, the best option available to us!" Dalle quickly finished, before the mumbling could turn into arguing.

"And why would you think that to be the best idea?" A young captain spat at him, the woman speaking looking for all the world like she was a failed chainsaw juggler. The scars that ran across her visible skin almost blocked out regular skin. Whatever had happened to her, Dalle hoped he would never go through the same.

"Because," Dall said patiently as if talking to an unruly child, "If the space station falls, the various planets will be isolated. Without leadership. Making them very easy targets to starve out. If the station falls, they will surrender eventually! It is also the most fortified and armed place we could attack, meaning that if we succeed there, we will have cemented our ability to crush whatever they throw at us, causing their morale to plummet, bringing about the surrender that much quicker! Now, are anyone against that plan?" Dalle looked around the room, meeting the gaze of each captain until they had agreed.

"Alright, we move immediately!" Dalle said as he got up and left the room without waiting for the others to acknowledge it. I you wanted to be a leader, you had to act like one.

The captains returned to their ship and slowly the fleet started moving as a group.

___________________________

Jimmie was looking up at the ceiling inside the bunker. despite his past, he had been gathered with the others when the soldiers came to pick up Krisnu and her family. He had half expected them to leave him behind to his fate, but Krisnu had remained adamant that EVERYONE that worked on her farm was taken along with them the first time. She didn't trust the soldiers to return to pick up prisoners. He ought to thank her, if nothing else, then for the thought.

Eirik had, however strange it may seem, been right. Serving his sentence on Krisnu's farm, working the earth, and caring for the animals had brought him a strange sense of peace. It was not much, but it was honest work and he got his small allowance on time, every time. In the beginning, he had spent it all at the local tavern, trying to drink his bitterness away and find a woman. He failed in both regard and kept up the pattern until one day when Krisnu approached him as he worked. She didn't usually do this and so, he stopped weeding and waited to see what she wanted.

After a few minutes of pleasantries, she asked him a question he still was unable to answer. "What is it you are trying so hard to drown?"

After that, he had stopped drinking up his allowance, and since he had nothing to spend it in, he had started saving up, and now the future Eirik had mentioned about buying cheap land in Libertalia and creating a legit business instead, did not seem as far-fetched. If he kept this us, he could save up almost enough, once his sentence was over. Perhaps he could get Krisnu to let him work a few months as a paid worker, once he was a free man once more.

He was reminded of the electronic shackle he was wearing. If he left a certain area outside of his designated area of punishment, it would shock him with enough force to knock him out and he would wake up, back in his bed in the room Krisnu and her family had built for him inside one of the storage barns. It was away from the animals, so it didn't smell and the temperature was nice all year round. Pests could be found, but you had to look hard. The Kloxna children were extremely adept at catching the little critters, eating them raw on the spot when they caught one. Krisnu and her mate encouraged the behavior since it kept rodents to a minimum and also served to hone their hunting instincts without leaving the farm.

He was still angry at Eirik for locking him to the ground, but he was starting to see what the man was talking about. This was a quiet and peaceful, yet very fulfilling way of life. The animals knew him as the one that cleaned their homes and stalls and made them nice again and the workers knew him as a hardworking criminal that just wanted to serve his time and move on to a new life. He made no effort to hide the reason he was here, he only kept the details hidden. The truth would come out eventually, why not just tell it like it was?

________________________________

Eirik looked terrible. his hair was matted, his beard had grown in and the stains on his clothes told of at least 1 missed change of clothes when he received a message on his datapad. Opening it as quickly as he could, he read the 4 words he had hoped he would not get to read.

It has begun. Lasse

So combat it was then. At least now he knew and could start focusing on what was needed. He needed sleep and a shower. They still had 2 days until arrival, and he would make sure he was ready to engage whatever idiot was stupid enough to lead a fleet of pirates into HIS empire!

As he walked to his room to shower and sleep, he thought back on the travel time. A blur of training and worrying with 3 additional visits to Sif's cell at night. He knew he shouldn't. He knew it would only make the problem worse. But he had not been caught again. He didn't regret it, he only regretted the fact that he wanted it. It was not just his body reacting. It was him, fully conscious and sober, that wanted this. And he had taken it. And now he was planning to metaphorically throw Sif away. He would return her to Terra and from there the problem would be permanently solved. She already faced serious time for the things they knew about, and her little excursion in Dalle's employ would add at least another decade to the sentence.

He would have to tell Freja. But he was still conflicted about whether to tell her before or after she gave birth. The honorable thing would be to admit guilt the first chance he got. That didn't make it any more appealing. But he had made a promise to Las'Tai and it would only serve him well, to be honest from the start. Being unfaithful was bad enough, but if he got caught lying about it at a later date, that would magnify Freja's anger ten-fold.

He knew he would be debating with himself right up to the point where he saw her again. She would of course immediately know something was wrong and ask him, as she always did. He would crack immediately and tell her everything. This was how it had always been between them. She could read him like an open book, where everyone else was either stupified by his logic or confused by his apparent lack of the same.

He scheduled a command staff meeting for the next morning as he turned on the hot shower. Time to recharge for the conflict.