What Do You Mean I'm The Captain Of A Yandere Mercenary Company? Chapter 823: Boarding the Freighter

"Good luck, Miss Tera," the defense team captain said, finished with his salute before cutting the connection.

I shifted the thruster control, guiding my vessel toward the freighter floating in the distance.

My backup, the Iridescence, trailed behind me in case this freighter proved to be an enemy trap.

I kept my weapons locked onto the target, prepared for the freighter to expose hidden armaments or launch an attack.

During the approach, I repeatedly hailed the freighter, yet the space remained silent, offering no response whatsoever.

It wasn't that the transmission was failing; the signal was connecting just fine, but nobody was picking up.

I opened a video link with my girls on the Iridescence, the bridge deck appearing on my screen.

"So... what is our move here?" I inquired.

Amber offered a shrug, "I assume boarding it is the logical next step?"

That aligned perfectly with my own thoughts.

"I’ll dock and investigate myself. You girls stay on the ship and provide fire support if any hostile vessels drop into this sector."

Lea turned toward me with a worried expression, "Are you certain, Mistress? Shouldn't we all go together?"

I gestured dismissively, "I’ll be fine. Yumiko is joining me, so I won't be alone. Plus, I can utilize my Psionic powers if things get difficult."

The girls seemed reassured by that, so we moved forward with the plan.

I piloted my ship toward the freighter to initiate the automated docking sequence, stepping out of the cockpit with Yumiko toward the airlock.

A final equipment check was performed; I loaded shells into my shotgun, while Yumiko prepped her blades.

A sharp hiss sounded as the ships joined together, the locking latches securing the seal.

The door cycled open, and I raised my weapon, prepared to engage any hostiles waiting on the other side.

Instead, a void of darkness and an empty hallway greeted me.

The lights were completely dead, the area silent save for the faint, rhythmic groaning of the ship's metallic bones under pressure.

I had scanned the craft earlier—the life support was still drawing power, meaning the generators were active. So why was it pitch black?

A glance at the lighting fixtures suggested they weren't broken, implying someone had intentionally shut them off.

I ignited the flashlight on my Codex and scanned the shadows; it was devoid of life.

"Gravity systems are still functional... only the illumination cut out," Yumiko murmured, her blades held ready.

I kept the beam moving to catch anyone hiding in wait, asking, "Any theories on why?"

"Perhaps sabotage?" she hypothesized.

"Hmm... shall we push forward?"

"If that is the Mistress's desire... but in which direction?"

"I suppose we search for the crew. Getting the lights back on seems like the priority, don't you think?"

"I am right behind you, Mistress."

I led the way, the airlock hissing shut behind us and locking tight, ensuring nobody could slip back onto my ship and make away with it.

The hallway branched left and right. Based on our exterior docking position, the bow lay to our right, while the engines were positioned toward the left.

In standard ship design, the power cores were usually located toward the aft, so we should head that way to address the blackout.

If the power was failing, I needed to know before the life support shut down, too.

I would be fine, but Yumiko would definitely be at risk if the air recycled stopped.

Before venturing further in, I used my Codex to sync a feed with the Iridescence, giving the girls a view of our location and a way to reach us if necessary.

We pressed forward, the combined glow of my Codex and Yumiko’s personal terminal acting as our only beacon in the suffocating darkness.

Our boots clicked against the floor, the sound echoing through the vacant decks, while we stayed vigilant for any sign of the crew or intruders.

After walking for a substantial period, we hadn't encountered a single living soul.

There wasn't even a trace of a struggle; the corridor was pristine, making me doubt that a boarding action had occurred.

I was just about to wonder if we’d stepped onto a ghost ship when a pained groan drifted from a T-intersection up ahead.

I checked with Yumiko, who nodded to confirm she, too, had heard the sound.

We crept toward the junction, pressing ourselves against the bulkhead, moving with absolute silence as we neared the corner.

Stopping beside the edge, I took a steadying breath before leaning out to peek around the bend.

The corridor ahead was equally pitch black, keeping whatever made the noise hidden from view.

Taking the plunge, I stepped out, leveling my weapon while my Codex flooded the hallway with light.

There, splayed out on the floor only a few feet away, was a man lying on his stomach.

I quickly swept the light around, searching for signs of a fight or clues to what had transpired.

Aside from the man prone on the deck, the area was barren, offering no explanation.

I even checked the ceiling to ensure nothing was waiting to ambush us.

Turning back to Yumiko, I gestured toward the man, indicating we should move to his position.

She nodded, tightening her grip on her swords as she guarded our rear.

I advanced cautiously, keeping my gun steady and my trigger finger light. I scanned for any movement from the shadows, but nothing emerged.

The man let out another weary groan, and I nudged him with my boot.

He didn't respond to the contact.

Lowering my firearm, I knelt to flip him over, revealing a massive, gaping wound across his chest.

Curiously, for a laceration of that magnitude, there was surprisingly little blood on the floor.

I gave his cheek a gentle slap, "Hey. Hey. Are you conscious?"

Another groan escaped him, but he stayed deeply unconscious.

I did my best to stitch a makeshift bandage using his clothing to cover the injury, though it was all I could manage.

If I had known, I would have packed the medical foam used for sealing trauma wounds.

Next, I searched for identification and pulled his personal terminal from his gear.

Accessing it with his biometrics, I sifted through his logs and messages while Yumiko stood watch.

He wasn't much of a communicator, but I confirmed his identity as a crew member of the vessel.

The catch: the ship was unregistered. That meant it was either a stolen craft or one used for illicit operations.

If he was part of the crew, it’s likely the others met a similar fate. That chest wound suggested something or someone had cut through this ship like paper.

The lack of combat damage implied that whatever attacked them was either exceptionally fast, incredibly stealthy, or both.

I stood up and faced Yumiko, "Any thoughts?"

Yumiko shook her head, "Too early to conclude... but we must remain extremely cautious. My suspicion is they were smugglers, and a violent disagreement among the crew may have occurred."

Hmm... that seems plausible. We’ll need to watch our backs with the crew as well, then.