What Do You Mean I'm The Captain Of A Yandere Mercenary Company? Chapter 853: Arrest And Escort

Naturally, I possessed the ability to resist... Yet, for the time being, I elected to accompany them, as they indicated an escort to the Pleasure Station was their intention.

Regrettably, they disallowed our independent navigation, assigning another pilot to guide our vessel while we were confined to the cargo hold. I can only hope they bear responsibility should any damage occur to the ship...

The sole consolation was the absence of restraints; no handcuffs or bonds were applied, merely a substantial contingent of armed guards to maintain surveillance.

And when I say a substantial contingent... I truly mean a veritable legion, comprising even six individuals clad in Power Armour.

Truthfully... even with such overwhelming force and numbers, if a genuine desire to engage existed, we could have overcome them. Thus, it wasn’t precisely excessive, particularly when factoring in the presence of three Psionics within our group.

However, the crucial point is that these individuals were undoubtedly unaware of this fact. Had they possessed such knowledge, they would recognize the inadequacy of their current measures to restrain us.

Consequently, it remains somewhat perplexing why they deemed it necessary to surround us with such a considerable guard presence if they perceived us as mere ordinary individuals.

The sole reason for our compliance stemmed from Mara's psychic readings; they were indeed legitimate security personnel, acting under direct orders from their superiors to apprehend me, suspecting illegal contraband aboard, and bring me to the Pleasure Station immediately upon system entry.

Unfortunately, none of them could specify the alleged illegal item, only that they were expected to 'discover it promptly.' Furthermore, they were ignorant of the identity of the individual who issued these commands.

The only item that could possibly fit such a description was the turtle. But who could have possibly informed them about it?

The intended recipient was supposedly a wealthy individual residing on the Pleasure Station itself. If I were to venture a guess... perhaps a rival who intercepted information regarding the turtle and sought to prevent its acquisition by the client?

Yet, even assuming this scenario, how could they have known my ship was transporting it?

Moreover, while it’s undeniable they specifically targeted my vessel, it doesn’t appear that I, personally, was the primary focus of their actions.

Regrettably, none of the individuals whose minds Mara perused possessed any insight into the reason behind their targeting of this particular ship. Their instructions were solely from their superior: this was unequivocally the vessel they were mandated to intercept upon our system jump.

I consulted Renata regarding her clone dispatched to monitor Clement, seeking to ascertain if he had betrayed us. Renata, however, assured me that he had not.

In fact, he is diligently endeavouring to secure optimal prices for our merchandise. His faithfulness has been rather surprising, as he has made no attempt whatsoever to betray my trust.

Speaking of Renata... it appears there are far more of her manifestations present than I had initially surmised, a fact which likely contributed to the guards' palpable unease.

I had presumed the presence of only six or seven of her clones aboard this ship, but it transpired that... there were over a dozen, each distinguished by a unique hair colour.

While the guards displayed a degree of surprise, none of them ventured to inquire about her. This could be attributed to either indifference or a strict prohibition against interacting with us beyond the scope of the allegedly illicit cargo.

In light of these circumstances... the current situation is fraught with more questions than answers, questions that these guards are incapable of resolving as they themselves lack the requisite knowledge.

Therefore, engaging them in conflict and resisting their directives would likely escalate the matter considerably, potentially transforming us into genuine criminals.

At present, however, they possess no concrete evidence to substantiate any accusations against us.

...

Excluding the undeniable fact that I am harbouring Amber and Mara, both of whom are sought by distinct organisations, and considering Renata's status as a technically illegal AI and an eldritch entity...

Oh, and I must not overlook the detail that Yumiko was once a formidable Pirate Lord, almost certainly a wanted individual by the military forces.

Damn... It has just dawned on me that nearly half my crew are, in a technical sense, criminals... How did I ever find myself entangled with such individuals?

Then again, I wouldn't trade any one of them, not for the entire universe.

Furthermore... it's not as though my own standing is entirely unblemished. If my interdimensional origins were revealed, I would likely face immediate capture and dissection in some sterile laboratory.

So, as I was concluding... compliance in this moment serves our best interests.

Our vessel eventually docked at a station characterized by its striking resemblance to a colossal mushroom, featuring a bulbous, expansive 'cap' crowning its structure, while a slender 'stem' extended from its base.

Despite my description of the stem as slender, this was purely in comparison to the station's overall magnitude; it remained considerably wider than my entire ship from bow to stern.

With the docking apparatus and cargo bay seemingly centered on the station's 'stalk' region, our vessel was oriented towards it as the pilot, whoever that may be, slowly maneuvered my ship toward the docking arm.

The instant our ship concluded its docking sequence with the station, the surrounding guards initiated movement, forming a cordon around us.

This time, however, they approached with a specific type of wrist restraint, and I realized they intended to handcuff me after all.

The remainder of my companions were left unmolested; they were instructed to stay aboard the ship while I was escorted out, enveloped by those guards.

My girls were on the verge of protesting, but it became unequivocally clear that discussion was not an option when they raised their weapons, menacingly gesturing for them to step away from me.

I offered my girls a reassuring nod, indicating I was fine for the moment, and they complied with the guards' demands, permitting them to escort me from my ship, accompanied by the other guards.

They led me out onto the main station concourse via the docking arms, still maintaining their surrounding formation, leaving me no alternative but to follow their lead.

Upon reaching the elevator that would descend us deeper into the station's interior, one of them abruptly produced a bag before turning his attention to me.

"We’ll need to cover your face," the guard announced, immediately before placing the bag over my head, thereby obstructing my vision of our surroundings.

For what purpose do they require this?

I suppose I have no choice in the matter, so I simply had to endure it, doing my utmost to walk along despite my complete lack of sight.

They half-dragged and half-carried me forward, forcing me to navigate blindly on a specific floor after we disembarked from the elevator.

My sole recourse was to rely on the sounds to try and ascertain my location.

However, given this was a Pleasure Station, the very moment I stepped out of the lift, I was assailed by the cacophony of loud music blaring from all directions.

I possess no certainty regarding the station's layout or the nature of its amenities, but judging by the auditory cues, I surmise this place must have a significant water presence, evidenced by the frequent splashing sounds I perceived.

My vision remained obstructed as the guards propelled me onward, so I could not even discern if the patrons currently present registered any surprise at the sight of me, or if this was such a common occurrence that seeing guards manhandling someone with a bag over their head through the station elicited no reaction.

Even with my sight effectively stolen, I still endeavored to construct a mental map of the locale by attuning myself to the route they were taking, in anticipation of a potential escape opportunity.

Eventually, we arrived at a different sector of the station, where I overheard some of the guards conversing before their footsteps receded in another direction, diverging from our group.

Those who remained then guided me to yet another section of the station, where the music and ambient human sounds gradually diminished until the distinct chime of an elevator could be heard, and I was ushered inside.

A lurching sensation seized my stomach as the elevator commenced its descent to a lower level, before it opened into a space enveloped by profound silence.

The guards continued to pull me along in the stifling quiet, and I detected the whoosh of a door opening just ahead.

The bag obscuring my vision was abruptly yanked away, revealing me standing in a sumptuously decorated chamber, facing armed guards whose helmets concealed their visages.

Yet, apart from them, no other individuals were present in the room.

Um... What is it you require of me?