Eberus left the Syndicate council meeting, his mind buzzing with activity. The recent developments in their newly integrated universe had given him much to consider, but he felt fortunate that his enhanced mental capacity allowed him to keep track of everything. There were so many moving pieces on the board—some he could manipulate to improve his standing, while others were clearly plotting to take him down and claim his seat at the table.
Yet, Eberus wasn't worried. His foundation was strong, and his followers were loyal and wouldn't dare go against him. Only fools dared to challenge him, and he relished the thought of crushing their ambitions. Especially that prideful lamia; what a silly inferior serpent. The thought of making boots from her skin, to trample on her pride for as long as he pleased, brought a dark, satisfied grin to his face.
Sitting down on his large elfskin armchair, he pondered what he had been told. The Aegis Coalition had by now properly marked them as hostiles and traitors and had found and killed most of their hidden operatives among their ranks. Only their most skilled infiltrators had successfully joined the Aegis Coalition undetected, continuing to provide critical intelligence at exorbitant prices.
The Aegis Coalition’s recent bounties on the Syndicate and its members had been a setback. Tough, the thought of hopeful bounty hunters chasing him was amusing. Still, if the Syndicate wanted chaos to thrive and keep their business growing, they couldn't allow the AC to establish a secure perimeter around the bridges and stop the invaders. They needed to strike at them swiftly before the situation wasn't as malleable anymore. He would direct some of the fleets he had acquired to attack some of the AC members, preferably one dealing in the production of war equipment, as he could sell it back to the AC or other parties for a good price.
Eberus mulled over his lack of personal informants within the Aegis Coalition, realizing the growing need to cultivate a few reliable operatives capable of handling high-risk assignments. It seemed like a necessary investment, especially with the Syndicate willing to cover the steep costs these agents demanded. Yet, the Syndicate had more to worry about than just the AC’s interference. Several Natural Gods had recently turned against them, betraying former allies and business partners, sending their fanatics to hunt down Syndicate members. However, just as many gods had chosen to protect or collaborate with the Syndicate, recognizing their value and eager to benefit from their services.
Eberus harbored no deep loyalty to the Blackmarket Syndicate, but he couldn’t deny the convenience they offered in terms of payment, goods acquisition, and overall reliability and the chance of an outsider's tutelage. Their efforts to establish their own Universal Network were particularly promising, and he eagerly anticipated its completion. For now, though, the Syndicate expected his organization to shoulder some additional responsibilities. Eberus didn’t mind; they paid handsomely for every service provided.
His exploits on Eldorion Prime had been a particularly fortuitous stroke of luck. The elves and humans on the planet were locked in a vicious civil war, with one faction inexplicably aligning with the Synth Alliance, opting to transform their elegant elven and human bodies into bland synthetic forms. Fortunately, many elves sought to flee, and they made for exquisite furniture and highly sought-after slaves, especially among Humans, Demons, and Orcs who had a penchant for crossbreeding with other species, elves in particular. These captives had done wonders for his concept and records, despite the relentless efforts of the Synths and arrogant high elves to drive them out. With the High Elves on the back foot and their lovely princess now cushioning his behind, he knew his business there was nearing its end. He would soon need to identify another lucrative target to sustain his profits and bolster his reputation.
Hunting down one of the factions opposing the Syndicate seemed like a promising next move. The payment would be substantial, and successfully eliminating a threat would keep the Syndicate off his back for a while. A few noteworthy clans had proven particularly troublesome, notably the Beshin Clan, Noross Cabal, Ryser Clan, and Neobit Collective. These groups had not only survived previous attacks but had also retaliated, destroying hidden Syndicate outposts, decimating pirate fleets, and even luring and eliminating their assassins, operatives, and other valuable assets.
Fortunately, reports from their agents indicated that the Aegis Coalition’s Universal Network was set to go online soon. Its activation could finally draw these and other more elusive factions out of hiding, perhaps narrowing the search from the vast expanse of the universe to specific nebulas or galaxies. While still a daunting task, it felt more achievable. Perhaps they could ambush and capture some faction leaders and torture the information out of them. Eberus shivered in pleasure at the thought of it. Once these factions were located, the Syndicate would undoubtedly crush them with superior numbers or, if necessary, sufficient funds to hire someone who could. Someone like him. There was always a price, and the Syndicate was often in a position to pay it, no matter how obscure or depraved. Still, Eberus wouldn’t waste his efforts unless he believed the endeavor would be profitable or further his own ambitions or desires.
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Alistair and Riseth entered the TOC, finding Nessyra already waiting, still surprised by their assistance in speaking in person. They had received a message from her earlier letting them know that she had her retinue, accompanied by Melissa, hunt down and capture one of the Wendigo Queens, with some of the expedition members almost dying.
"Nessyra, please tell me why you deemed it necessary to capture a Wendigo queen," Alistair asked, disbelief in his voice.
"To breed them and extract their regeneration-aspected cores, of course," Nessyra somewhat surprised at the question.
Riseth’s tone was equally disbelieving, her worry evident. "Nessy, we can't bring one of those things to Lacustrine or any other planet. You have seen what they do to a planet; the risk is far too high!"
Understanding flickered in Nessyra's eyes, and she waved them off. "Of course not. I’ll keep them on this planet, within a reserve."
Alistair’s was taken aback. While this wasn't as bad as they thought, it still felt like she was playing with fire and said as much.
Nessyra shook her head, "I am as careful as is reasonable and took a calculated risk. This planet is already a wasteland. The wendigos have scoured it of all other sentient life and most treasure. Once the recovery operations are done and we retrieve their bodies, there’ll be little to nothing left here for them to grow on. They’re not sapient; they’re monsters, pure and simple. Since this planet is already lost, they won't be able to grow and recover any time soon as long as we monitor them. We might as well take advantage of the only thing they offer—their cores."
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Alistair and Riseth frowned. As much as they didn’t like to admit it, Nessyra had a point. The Wendigos, along with the bat-like Daxtzal and their hybrid offspring, had ravaged the planet, stripping it bare to fuel their own growth. The only Wendigo they had encountered that showed any semblance of sapience was a Wendigo Mage. This creature had put up a fierce fight when Melissa, Levine, and Maldoras attempted to capture the queen it was protecting, resulting in severe injuries and near fatalities among the lawyers and expedition members. If not for Melissa’s abilities and the use of her concept to put them in stasis and preserve them, the outcome might have been far worse. Left unchecked, this particular Wendigo could have eventually led its hive off the planet and into the stars, possibly through the use of portals or teaching others. In the last week, they had taken out almost all of the monster's hives and their queens, and now the beasts were on the back foot, either hiding or attacking their bastions in waves while they continued their cleansing of Riddickulus which would take a while but could be left to their followers.
The planet was now a ravaged husk of its former self after months of those beasts consuming it and themselves to grow. The only remaining appeal lay in its dragon veins and the still above-average mana density. However, that was steadily declining due to the damaged environment and the near-total depletion of mana-producing treasures. Alistair couldn't even sense any dungeons on the planet anymore, as their cores had likely been consumed or destroyed. What few treasures the Wendigos couldn’t consume—ores, crystals, and similar materials—were usually stored in their nests. Alistair had likely obliterated a good portion of those with his orbital strike, which he now slightly regretted. Their people were currently combing through the hives, recovering whatever was left.
Unlike most beasts, which tend to stay in one place, claiming treasures and natural formations to gradually elevate themselves or their brood while refining both the treasures and themselves in a way that benefits the planet, the ravenous Wendigos and Daxtzal consumed everything in their path for their own growth, giving nothing back. This behavior had earned them the classification of "infestation."
They had researched this particular topic thoroughly and had asked Sotarr his opinion; due to the planets having undergone accelerated growth and a good portion of the beasts being seeded by the system, most planets within nebulas had a slightly lackluster biodiversity, Lacustrine and Nautilis included. Alistair and Riseth had plans to explore their quadrant of space and supplement Lacustrine’s Nautilis's lackluster biodiversity by introducing beneficial and interesting creatures if possible. With the help of their AI core's biosphere regulator module, they could ensure these new additions would enrich their planet's ecosystem without growing out of control—a benefit far greater than they had initially anticipated.
"I still believe this is exactly why we should eradicate them; if they ever manage to spread, they will ravage more worlds. Also, I don't think the cores are worth risking the lives of our members," Alistair insisted.
"We already have more cores than we’ll likely ever need," Riseth added, her tone measured but firm. "Do we really need to risk them spreading further just to harvest more?"
Nessyra frowned, her expression serious. "That’s not entirely accurate. The cores we’ve gathered are indeed a great bounty, and they’ll last us a long time. But if we want to produce adamend in large quantities for things like power armor and starships, we’ll need a steady supply. Eventually, we’ll run out unless we find another source. In my opinion, this is the only reasonable use left for this planet. Even if we eradicate the last of the Wendigos, we’d still need to monitor the planet for any signs of their survival and reemergence, and it would take centuries—if not longer—for the planet to even begin to recover without intervention."
They paused, considering her words, and Nessyra took the opportunity to press her point. "Infiltrating that last nest was a calculated risk, but we can’t always play it safe. Capturing the queen gave us options, and even if the clan decides to kill her in the end, at least we had that choice—a choice we wouldn’t have had if we’d taken the safer route and wiped her out along with her guardians. It was also a chance for those who wanted to earn some records and grow stronger. We can’t expect you two to shield us from every danger. If we never take risks, we’ll never grow. And yes, people die. We do everything we can to prevent it, but it’s a reality we have to face."
Alistair's sister's soft voice broke in as she entered the TOC. "She's right, Alistair. Having guides to help us grow stronger is invaluable, but our people also need opportunities to take risks and grow on their own."
Riseth crossed her arms and let out a breath. "You could have explained your plan to us or at least informed us ahead of time rather than acting on your own and asking for forgiveness afterward."
Nessyra nodded. "We could have. I apologize for not discussing it with you earlier; it wasn’t my intention to keep this from you. But as the clan executive, I made the decision and stand by it. Involving you would have diminished the potential experience and records our people could gain. I deemed this operation not significant enough to require your direct involvement, and that is why I informed you after the operation and planned to bring you in for the ultimate discussion regarding the queen and the planet’s fate."
As the tension eased, Alistair and Riseth exchanged a glance, silently communicating through the Akashic Link.
“She's right; we are a bit overprotective,” Riseth suggested.
“Yeah, but to be fair, we didn’t have the full picture, which is why we came,” Alistair replied. “Bringing a queen to our home planet would’ve been a disaster. Nessy does have a tendency to focus a bit too much on the profit and results at times.”
Alistair sighed and turned to Nessyra. "We apologize, too, Nessyra. We were a bit too protective and initially thought you were taking risks in the name of profits, but your plan is sound. That said, I want you to make sure these things don't get off this planet."
Nessyra let out a sheepish chuckle, glancing at Melissa. "Don't worry about it. I'd be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to lock the beast in a chamber on Lacustrine and harvest the creatures it spawns. But I now know Earth sensibilities would not allow that even for a planet-ruining monster."
Alistair raised an eyebrow, feeling a mix of relief and slight concern. It seemed their worries weren’t entirely unfounded after all. He made a mental note to ask Melissa to keep an eye on Nessyra and act as her moral compass while he and Riseth were away. Nessyra was incredibly reliable, but her upbringing made her a bit cutthroat, and Neshan's sensibilities could be upsetting for people on Earth.
Having ensured escaped wendigoes wouldn't accidentally haunt their or other planets, he refocused on their plans to explore some of the planets they hadn’t fully investigated yet, suspecting there were valuable treasures to be uncovered. There were also a few newly discovered planets and systems, identified by the newest addition to their space fleet, the exploration vessel, Origin, which was currently flying around their local sector cataloging planets and keeping an eye out for other factions settling down as well as native species they could trade with or integrate.
Alistair sighed, imagining all the things they could potentially find. They still hadn't found a realm or dungeon outside their own planet, and he knew Nessyra wanted them to capture an instanced dungeon, preferably one that they could use for farming or harvesting other resources from. Perhaps they would get lucky.