Path to Becoming the Greatest Space Mercenary

As the two Storren Corp. executives stared at the display of the vessel Avery had pulled up, the expressions on their faces could only be taken as bafflement.

They had expected Avery to choose the current heavy cruiser model that their corporation provided to the Alliance Police. It was an immense craft that most mercenaries would not have the means to buy, nor the desire to.

Large ships meant more crew and higher upkeep costs. In case of damage, repairs were going to be immensely expensive as well. Something most mercenaries wanted to avoid considering that such a large vessel was not particularly useful for hunting pirates in most scenarios.

Yet what Avery had decided on was bigger than even a heavy cruiser, around the size of an Alliance Police battleship which were typically the largest class deployed. There were only a few cpatial ships in the entire fleet that were of greater size.

However, Avery's choice of model was not even a warship. Instead, he had picked out a craft from Storren Corp.'s cargo ship line.

It was currently their most popular model considering that it had the most up to date frame, and its streamline design allowed it to move fast for its size.

Still, it was a bit over sixteen hundred meters long, around eight hundred meters wide at its widest point, and had a height of nearly four hundred fifty meters tall.

For a cargo vessel it was fairly big, though not quite in the same league as the massive behemoths some people used. Those were pretty much the largest ships around and could easily be double or more the size of what Avery was looking at.

"I know that some mercenaries like to have their own cargo ships with them to make money while moving around, but that doesn't sound like what you plan on using this for." Dorris said, a skeptical look on her face.

"Well, I do expect that it will have decent cargo space, and we might do some trading with it as a side business, but you're right that I'm not interested in it as a cargo vessel. I just want to use the frame. With the modifications I want done to it, it will end up more in line with a carrier battleship."

Hearing Avery's desire was baffling to Ardesen and Dorris. If he wanted a warship, it would be easier and cheaper to just order from the vessels Storren Corp. already made, rather than having a cargo ship extensively modified.

Seeing that they were not understanding his vision, Avery decided to elaborate a bit more.

"If I bought a typically heavy cruiser or battleship, then no pirates would ever come anywhere near us. Obviously, they aren't so stupid that they don't know what types of vessels the Alliance Police are using. On the other hand, they also know what Storren Corp.'s most popular cargo ship looks like. If they found one floating through space seemingly undefended, they would come out of there hiding places in droves for the golden opportunity." Avery said, his lips twisting up into a devious smile.

This explanation and Avery sinister expression clued Ardesen and Dorris into what Avery's plan was.

He would fly his modified cargo ship by an area with known pirate activity as a lure.

Then when he had caught enough of them in his trap, what appeared to be a harmless cargo vessel would turn out to be home to a band of mercenaries armed to the teeth.

Truthfully, it sounded a bit dishonorable, but with space pirates, pretty much no tactic was off the table. They were the types to do the worst things imaginable in pursuit of profit and pleasure. Getting rid of them was a matter of public safety.

"Well, that's certainly an idea, but the Ontembaar model cargo ship is not meant for what you're looking for." Ardesen said, knowing very well the specifications of the vessel Avery was looking at since he had helped design some of its systems.

"That's true, which is why it's going to need some heavy upgrades. I've got the queen energy lifeform's core along with some smaller ones still to use for its main generator. That should allow us to equip the best shielding and thrusters you currently offer. I'm also looking for sturdy armor that's not too heavy.

"Ah, and all of the weapon systems will need to be stored in hidden compartments while not in use. Obviously if pirates see a bunch of gun turrets sticking out, they'll realize something is wrong. And we're going to need a decent amount of hangar space. I'm thinking enough for at least thirty-five small ships, sixteen medium ships, and three corvettes. I've already roughly mapped out how I want he internal configuration to be, but I'll leave final decisions up to the experts."

Avery then sent a 3D model he had been working on with Grito's assistance to Ardesen.

It was still a bit rough and just in the idea stage, but it certainly helped to get across what Avery was looking for.

Now over his initial confusion, Ardesen started happily playing around with ideas for the enormous project Avery had just presented him with. For someone like him, this was going to be immense fun. There had never been a chance to build such a craft before during his time at Storren Corp.

As for Dorris, she felt her head starting to pound at the intricacies of Avery's order. He was looking to push them to their limits to build what would undoubtedly be an absurd vessel.

They were a massive corporation and handed thousands of deals each day, but this might have been the biggest ever for an induvial ship.

"Before we go any further, we need to hash out the price of something like this. I'm sure that you understand that the ship you're looking for is not going to come cheaply." Dorris said, putting on her best negotiating face.

Feeling the air in the room getting more serious, Avery sat up straighter and glanced over at Kasandra. Her ability to detect lies was perfect for this situation. They were going to haggle for the best deal possible.