Rhode Star, Distant Orbit.
In the vast blackness of space, an immense steel structure stood against the void.
The shipyard stretched like an endless mountain range, with fifty enormous space stations linking it into an Iron Great Wall in space.
Ships of every kind and model streamed in and out of the spaceport.
Divine Fire Spaceport belonged to the Black Sun Group.
It had a permanent staff of eighty thousand and a Planetary Defense Department garrison of two hundred and ten thousand.
Its daily traffic was modest. Its main purpose was to serve as the Black Sun Group's forward defensive position for Rhode Star.
Four Stellar-Class flagship vessels, each roughly five thousand meters long, were docked in the port's shipyards.
Their markings identified them as belonging to the Sword of Judgment, the Primitive Priest Sect, the Kage Pirate Group, and the Everfire Brotherhood.
Inside an office at the port, a holographic meeting was underway.
Representing the company was Ilis, the newly appointed L26 director of the Business Development Department.
Lal City was now under the Exploration Department's management, and the four ships had come for the city.
That made Ilis the natural choice to handle their arrival.
"Director Barrett, what is the meaning of this? Our people had barely landed, and you killed the leader I sent in?"
"Do you have so little respect for the Kage Pirate Group?"
The speaker was Yaha, known as Bloodfang Cowboy, one of the Kage Pirate Group's six deputy leaders.
He was in charge of this operation.
He wore a jazz hat, gripped a cigar between the red teeth fitted into his mouth, and held a human crystal skull. Arrogance was written all over his face.
Ilis replied coldly and firmly, "Have you misunderstood something?"
"The Goddess embraces all. The fact that our company