The travel agency's ship docks with the station and Koll and his young companion begin the weeks of journey to Ruun.
Koll holes up the whole way, using a large amount of resources to reinforce his stock of felsuit armor and wrist launchers. His chances of a rare proc builds a supply of the rare goods for later use.
When the ship comes into orbit around Ruun, Koll negotiates for a day's shore leave to gather the 50,000 Immortals.
He comes down to Lain City where thousands of players looked up in alarm.
[Quest Name: True Companion (Part 2)]
[Description: Koll Luna has returned from Juniper Station. He seeks 50,000 true companions to join him on the journey back to Juniper Station. Are you a true companion?]
[Rewards: 1 XP, 1 Reputation with Koll Luna]
Koll mass releases the quest the moment he lands and auto-accepts the first 50,000 who complete it.
News of his return had spread on the forums before he had even departed, so many thousands of players jump to accept the quest. And, the interorbital shuttle begins taking the players up by the thousands.
Still, it takes the day for enough people to return to Lain. And, when the last player is accepted, there's no further opportunity.
Hundreds of thousands of players in the far corners of Ruun can only blame their lack of preparedness for missing the ride. Most of them will have to be enslaved to escape the planet.
Koll doesn't put them in his mind as he rides the travel agency vessel back to Juniper station.
Upon returning, Koll leaves the players to their own business and buys a new headquarters with what little credits he still has left.
The new office is massive in comparison to his previous one. With multiple entrances and space for at least 5,000 people at any given time.
He still has to share its location with the homeless masses.
Upon seeing their new headquarters the players are jubilant with expectation.
Koll opens his store, which is full of uncommon and rare interstellar-grade equipment.
Unfortunately for the new players, all of his items are sold for credits.
Fortunately, he has a number of quests to get them started.
As word of the new headquarters spreads, the veterans of Juniper station filter in with excitement to match the 50,000 newcomers. Not least of whom is Gol D.
"Finally," the barbarian says upon seeing his favorite NPC. "You decided to sell the rares."
"I missed you too," Koll says bitterly.
Gol D doesn't spare him a thought as he begins scrolling through the store inventory.
The previous month or so had been good to Gol D. With his mercenary company raking in a considerable number of credits. And, as commander, Gol D got the lion's share.
All of his profits give him enough to fully upgrade his felsuit armor. The black and glowing green of the rare equipment has distinct silver highlights throughout the equipment.
Koll watches the greedy barbarian become the best-geared player in the entire game.
Gol D nods as he closes the menu.
"Thanks."
With that, the giant walks away.
Koll doesn't waste any more thought on the man.
Players come and go. The headquarters is in perpetual use. Koll sleeps and tends to his needs in a side room only to come out into the hub of the players on the new day.
A far larger quantity of spiker tails, nether crystals, and felsteel finds its way into his inventory over the weeks that follow.
The veterans can afford the rare pieces of gear and stand apart from the riffraff with their intermittent pieces of interstellar equipment.
One day while Koll is busy crafting, Wu Lan appears.
She had been absent for some time having realized that he was busy. But, now she has decided to check in with him.
"So," she says. "You returned with an army."
Koll nods, "I did. Now I have 50 times as many Immortals to equip."
"How terrible," the fairy laments. "So, you don't have time for that movie, now do you?"
Koll shrugs, "I can spare some time."
Wu Lan smiles, "I have just the movie in mind."
The young woman excitedly chatters about a classic noir that had been rated highly by the NPCs of the Juniper network.
Koll nods, uncertain if noir is his type of movie. But, he has no objection to her selection.
Many of the gathered players complain as he closes shop ahead of schedule. But, Koll dismisses their complaints as he exits the office with Wu Lan.
They take an independently floating lift across the length of the station until they arrived at an opulent theater that could service thousands of guests at a time.
Wu Lan excitedly speaks about other movies she'd watched in the theater.
Koll, for his part, listens attentively as they find their seats and wait for the movie to start. The seats are comfortable recliners which Koll has to admit is rather nice.
Koll feels that the entire situation is somewhat odd.
He may once have been a human player. But now, he is undoubtedly an NPC within the game. He might even be an artificial intelligence algorithm.
And yet, Wu Lan goes out of her way to take him on a date. As though he were a person like her.
But, even if he has his circumstances, she should recognize him as a program. And yet, here they are.
While he's caught up in thought, the movie begins.
It's a story about a hard-on-his-luck bartender who gets caught up in the disappearance of a young woman he'd poured a drink for at the start of the movie. First, a pair of bruisers come to him with threats. Then, a detective. And, finally, the woman's sister with whom he develops a relationship.
By the end of the movie, it's revealed that the woman ran away from an abusive relationship with the boss of the thugs. And, her sister is reunited with her.
The bartender winds up right where he started with a new perspective on his hard-luck life.
Koll can't claim it as high art. Just a wrote, procedural, story created by AI.
"That was so good," Wu Lan says as they leave the theater.
"It was good," Koll says. "I just think that something should have changed in the bartender's life."
Wu Lan lights up. "But it did. He got a new perspective on his life. Don't you think he's somewhat familiar?"
Koll raises an eyebrow, "Familiar?"
"Yeah," she giggles. "He's like you. You both go on adventures. But, when the story's over, you end up right where you started."
"So I'm just a bartender for you Immortals?"
She shrugs, "Aren't you? I mean, you deal in armor and weapons. But, you distribute them like fine wine."
Koll laughs, "I suppose."
Wu Lan beams, "Thanks for going with me."
He nods, "Same."
She hesitates, "Koll..."
"Hmm?"
"Don't change."
Her words speak to an insecurity Koll hadn't seen before.
"Change?"
"Just, don't become someone we can't approach."
Koll bites his cheek, "So, stay a bartender."
She smiles, "Exactly."
"What if I want more?"
She tilts her head to the side, "Like what?"
He looks off into the distance, "The galaxy's a big place. You don't get anywhere by standing still. I have dreams just like Immortals."
Wu Lan nods, "I know. But, take us with you. Even if you just need minions. Bring us along for the ride."
"Okay."
She smiles, "I'm gonna go do something. Thanks for the movie."
"Good night."
Wu Lan departs while Koll makes his way back to the headquarters.
Time moves steadily and Koll makes significant progress in his artificer class.
With tens of thousands more players jostling for the chance to buy their felsuits, he has to boost his output. Fortunately, his current project is a fabricator.
When completed, the fabricator will process the raw materials he inputs alongside a blueprint to produce a finished piece.
He'd long aspired to build the item. But, his class hadn't progressed sufficiently until recently.
Powered by an arc reactor he'd adapted to use Nether Crystals, the fabricator will allow him to mass produce any item in his current skill range.
The felsuit is a low-tier interstellar-grade construct. And the limit of what his current fabricator technology can manage.
As Koll busies himself, the thousands of lingering players observe him curiously.
Koll looks up to meet the players' gazes.
"What?"
His question is met by expectant gazes.
Dancing Dagger walks over and speaks for them, "We were wondering if you had any more tasks for us to perform."
Koll lets out an exasperated breath, "Shouldn't you all be looking for merc work? There are thousands of cargo ships looking for mercenaries."
Dancing Dagger shrugs, "The jobs last from days to weeks. A lot of players are already running them. But, others were hoping to get sent to clear out a new raid."
Koll rolls his eyes. Greedy bastards.
Fortunately, Koll needs new materials.
[Quest Name: Black Hold (40)]
[Description: Use the Juniper Station teleportation array to travel to the dwarven world Underdark. Find the Black Hold and slay the raid boss Daemon.]
[Rewards: 2,000,000 XP, +2,000 Reputation with Koll Luna]
[Quest Name: Black Iron (40)]
[Description: Gather 100 units of black iron in the Black Hold and return to Koll Luna.]
[Rewards: 2,000,000 XP, +2,000 Reputation with Koll Luna]
[Quest name: Mithril (40)]
[Description: Gather 100 units of Mithril in the Black Hold and return to Koll Luna.]
[Rewards: 2,000,000 XP, +2,000 reputation with Koll Luna]
Any sensible player would covet the black iron and mithril for their own purposes. But, the players who'd followed Koll couldn't be said to be sensible. They are only too ready to sacrifice personal wealth for the advancement of their favorite NPC crafter.
A few might claim the materials for sale on the Juniper market. But, Koll doesn't mind. Those credits will become his when the players seek out his relatively cheap upgrades and repairs.
The dark iron and mithril are lower middle-tier interstellar resources and will allow Koll to design new items.
The felsuit still functions as the standard for the players, so Koll isn't planning to replace it so soon. But, other gadgets can be made with the new materials.
As Koll shares the quests, an exodus takes place. Each player gathers their friends and additional players to run the raid instance with.
Underdark has many other dungeons and plenty of NPCs to occupy the players when they grow bored with the raid.
Koll, for one, is glad for their absence.
Dancing Dagger lingers near Koll's workstation.
"How many credits do you have now?" the player asks.
Koll looks up briefly, "Isn't that question a bit personal?"
The blonde shakes his head, "You're one of us. Your growth is our growth."
"And, my wealth is your wealth too?" Koll asks dangerously.
Dancing Dagger smiles, "That's not what I mean. I'm just wondering what the next step is."
Koll shrugs, "I just brought a bunch of players to Juniper. I need time to process my resources. There is no next step right now."
The blonde man shrugs, "So, you're not planning to buy a ship of your own?"
Koll shrugs, "What do I need a ship for? The pirates would just raid it."
Dancing Dagger looks at the last departing players, "It would be cool, though. For the players to have a ship to call their own."
There he went again. Treating other people's property as his own.
Still, by multiplying his player base 50 times over, Koll is raking in the credits by a large degree. He just needs to keep them occupied while he builds an arsenal for them to buy.
A small minority of players don't care for his gear, preferring to horde their wealth for the elite gear of the station. Koll doesn't mind. The players can waste their credits on overpriced equipment.
But, the vast majority build their felsuit armor sets piece by piece. And, with the new fabricator, Koll can meet the increasing demand.
In the weeks that follow, Koll's fabricator begins to pump out felsuits with the same ratio of rare to uncommon as Koll himself is capable of producing.
And, his production is tested by the burgeoning wealth of the players.
Coming back from the multitude of worlds connected to Juniper station and from the many mercenary escort missions, the players seek to spend their credits lavishly.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
The rare pieces of felsuit armor are in the highest demand as many players seek to skip the uncommon tier all together. But even Koll, with his high production rate, can't meet the demand for the rares. So, he bumps up the prices on those items and limits his inventory to a certain number each day.
The players, for their part, become even more competitive. They talk him into holding auctions for the rare pieces. Which turns out to be incredibly lucrative.
Added to the list of items in his vendor list come a handful of different mechanized pet variants.
Most of the pets are noncombat toys. But, Koll uses the black iron and mithril to produce a line of mechanized combat wolves with low-tier interstellar grade combat potential.
The wolves aren't as potent as a player at the same level. But, they can provide the players with advantageous party play even when questing alone.
So long as the mechanized wolves don't suffer catastrophic damage, Koll can repair them for a nominal fee.
The players are particularly enthused about the new line of pets and compete for the elite wolves whenever Koll adds a complete one to his store menu.
Gol D bought one of the first wolves and the pair look particularly savage together.
"Koll," the barbarian says one day as he hangs out in the headquarters. "I have a business opportunity for you."
Koll stares blankly at him.
"Oh, don't give me that look. The arena is still collecting a good income. You just have to go back to Ruun to collect your earnings from that bank of yours."
Koll shrugs, the passive income isn't bad. It just isn't relevant to him anymore.
"What's this oh-so-great opportunity you're bringing to me."
Gol D gestures to the gathered players.
"I know," he says, "that you are collecting many credits from the players. I wonder if you've thought of a way to spend it all."
"I have," Koll says bluntly.
Gol D is unperturbed. "I'm guessing you plan to buy a ship. No?"
Koll nods.
"Well," Gol D says. "What I propose isn't to buy one ship. But, to buy a fleet of ships."
Koll crosses his arms, "And, what do you bring to this arrangement?"
Gol D has a savage glint in his eyes, "I would be the fleet admiral."
"And, I would be what? The silent partner in the fleet I paid for?"
The barbarian shrugs, "If that's what you prefer. With the fleet, we Immortals would be able to run more lucrative mercenary work. Most of the profits for escort missions are taken by the mercenary outfits with ships to run interference on the pirates."
"So, I buy you your toys and what? I get a chunk of your commissions."
Gol D nods, "I won't even require special compensation for administrating the fleet."
Koll scratches his head, "Fine. But, any ships you lose will be paid for by you. Even if it takes years for you to pay them off."
The barbarian smiles dangerously, "I look forward to working with you once more."
"Yeah, yeah."
Koll waves the man off and activates his omnitool.
Accessing the Juniper station network, Koll brings up the spaceship merchant.
Most of the vessels available are transports and cargo ships. Some high-end dreadnaughts could be bought, but Koll can't afford them.
Instead, he looks at a cheap transport vessel named Striker.
In his experience in the interstellar arms race of the first expansion, the Striker was the preferred attack craft for players.
The vessel is lightly armed. But, has a torpedo-like design that barrels into larger craft and allows hundreds of players to directly invade hostile ships.
It'll be the most effective attack craft against the lumbering cargo vessels that pirates seem to prefer for the transport of their stolen goods.
The roles will reverse and the pirates will be slaughtered on their ships before they can even touch the cargo vessels the players will escort.
With 50,000 players shoveling credits into his account, Koll can buy 10 of the inexpensive Strikers right away.
He fills out his cart and pays through his omnitool. The Strikers will be available in a couple of days.
Koll will give command of the vessels to Gol D and his mercenary company. Even if the barbarian loses of few of the craft through negligence, Koll won't suffer a loss.
This arrangement is the best for him. He'll gain much more from the 10 attack craft than many thousands of players buying his equipment.
Koll puts such thoughts away and goes about his business.
In the days that follow, Gol D and his mercs join Koll in examining their Strikers.
The barbarian has a bright grin on his face, "What will we do for pilots?"
Koll shrugs, "The AI can function for your first few missions while you can assign Immortals to complete the tutorial. It's an intuitive system. So you shouldn't have too much trouble."
Gol D looks to his thousand-plus mercenaries.
"We'll begin immediately. I have already been in talks with several merchants. With 2 strikers out on missions together we can work 5 missions at a time."
Koll listens. The plan is functional. Pirate vessels aren't particularly tough. They rely mostly on their breaching crew. And, against Immortal Braves immune to the fear of death, the pirates will face an insurmountable threat.
Not to mention that Gol D's mercenaries are better equipped than any of the other players. This venture should prove highly profitable.
Koll shares the control codes with Gol D and leaves the players with their new toys.
He remembers when he went on adventures. But now, he sits on the sidelines working while others have fun.
But then, making money is fun in its own right.
Koll returns to the headquarters where he finds the players excitedly talking about the new fleet under Gol D. Many want to imitate the warlord. A few even ask Koll for sponsorship.
But, Koll had emptied his wallet for the 10 Strikers. And, most of the players don't have the history that he and Gol D share.
Still, the players aren't too dissatisfied. They see a new path. One that takes them out into the stars on their own ships.
Winter Storm approaches Koll at his workstation.
"Hey, Koll."
"Winter," Koll greets the man.
"How's Gol D?"
"That blowhard? He's off playing with my new toys."
"Ah," Winter Storm seems awkward. "I heard that you're not buying any more ships right now."
Koll raises an eyebrow, "That's right."
Winter Storm winces, "Do you think you'll buy more in the future?"
"Yes," Koll says plainly.
A glimmer of hope can be seen in the young player's eyes, "Do you think you could entrust one to me one day?"
"We'll see," Koll says vaguely.
Everyone wants a ship now that a player commands 10 of them. But, Koll isn't handing out ships for nothing. Gol D will be working to pay rent on the Strikers.
And, as far as Koll is concerned, Gol D has the best head for business out of all the players he knew. It might be that obnoxious greed that makes the barbarian a competent businessman.
Regardless, Koll doesn't have the money to buy everyone a ship.
Winter Storm sheepishly excuses himself.
Koll watches him go before turning to Jake Snow.
"Jake, how's your enchanting progressing?"
The boy looks up from a piece of common interstellar gear Koll had bought in large number for him to work on.
"Good," the boy says. "I feel like I'm progressing more rapidly here on Juniper station than when I was on Ruun."
Koll nods. It's largely because the quality of his materials has increased.
"I'll buy you an artificer class change manual when you're ready."
The boy nods.
Jake's store sells inferior goods compared to Koll's. But, he is developing a supportive customer base.
Koll puts away such thoughts and devotes himself to his crafting. There are still many more players who lack a full set of felsuit armor and the demand remains high.
In the months that follow, Gol D's mercenary operation blows up in profitability.
Koll is paid handsomely for his ships and he has even added to the fleet. Of course, Gol D and his mercenary company are the only ones getting Koll's ship investment. Other players can only watch in jealousy.
Gol D confesses that he is saving up for a corvette that could function as his flagship. But, Koll thinks the purchase will mostly be a vanity piece at this juncture.
In the first expansion, bigger ships just make bigger targets. Strikers are cheap and efficient in what they do.
Koll is content to add to his fleet as he had been doing.
The other players are growing in discontent at the preferential treatment Gol D is enjoying. But, Koll isn't ready to invest in the rest.
Instead, he sends them out into the myriad worlds connected to Juniper Station.
Koll adds anchorite crystals, thorium, azurite, and adamantine to his middle-tier interstellar grade materials. The players eagerly challenge the raid instances Koll sends them to. The promise of new armor convinces them to give up their hard-earned resources for free.
Occasionally, Koll will open the player forum and read about the goings-on of the gamer community. Needless to say, it's often controversial.
[Why? Oh, why? Does Planet Ruun get all the breaks? Not only did their Koll Luna bring a thousand players into the galaxy. But, he even came back for 50,000 more. I had to be kidnapped and taken as slave labor to get off the planet.]
[I know, right? What's wrong with this expansion? Slavers and pirates taking us players as laborers and cage fighters. This is ridiculous.]
[I don't know. I think it's kind of fun. There are some unique quest lines in the slave pits.]
[Yeah, but the gear's terrible. Those Ruun players get set armor and even pets. I thought the situation would balance out when we got to space. But, it did the opposite.]
Koll looks over the usual gripes with indifference. If he could, he'd gather players from other worlds. But, the galaxy is vast and Koll doesn't have the time to go out in search of the other players.
He doesn't even have the resources to get more players from Ruun. Not with his purchasing of vessels for the fleet.
Fortunately, the fleet is growing increasingly formidable. Becoming a plague upon the pirates of the region.
As Koll is caught up in thought, Mary Susan comes up to him.
"Koll," she says. "I was wondering if you could teach me about the artificer class."
He looks at the woman. She'd been in his periphery since they'd been on Ruun. While Jake Snow was a highly skilled craftsman at this point, he couldn't view the woman as the same.
"It's a resource sink. You might prefer another class."
She shakes her head, "No. I can tell its value. I'm sure I want to learn it."
Koll shrugs, "I can provide you with some blueprints and I'll sell some resources you could use in your crafting. I'll put the class change manual in my store."
"Great," she smiles enthusiastically.
These players are weird. None of them seem capable of forging their own path. Instead, they all follow him blindly.
It doesn't cause him any grief. It just seems odd.
Koll updates his store and watches Mary Susan scan the menu.
"I was wondering," she says. "What's the next step in your class advancement?"
Koll shrugs, "It's too soon for me to worry about that."
She doesn't relent, "But, what would you choose if you were at that juncture?"
Koll shrugs, "Maybe bioengineer."
His answer startles her, "I would have expected you to say something technological."
"Bioengineer is technological. You might say that my class tree is built on augmenting equipment. But, there's a limit to such a career path.
"However, if I turn to augment the body and have powerful augmented equipment, the classes can synergize again."
"I see," realization dawns on her. "Still, bioengineer seems kind of sketchy. Would you turn players into monsters?"
Koll smiles slightly, "Maybe."
His smile causes her to shiver.
"Okay," she says. "I'll go study this class change manual."
"Good luck."
Koll sees Jake observing him.
"What? Do you think gene editing is some taboo in galactic civilizations?"
The boy shakes his head and returns to his work.
Still, Koll is a long way off from needing to think about his class advancement. For now, he needs to work on the middle-tier interstellar armor he's been cobbling together.
It uses mithril and adamantine as its base. The armor has a silver and pale gold aesthetic that stands in stark contrast to the black and glowing green felsuit.
The new armor is a cut above the felsuit, using rare and valuable materials to build it. The mithril and adamantine could conduct magical energies much more effectively, each enchanting augment being more potent on the new spellsuit armor than those of the felsuit.
Koll isn't ready to sell any of the new pieces. But, the players are already growing excited from observing his work.
He works well into the night and is closing down his shop when a fairy appears.
"Hey, Wu Lan," he says in greeting.
"Hey," she seems somewhat reserved.
"What's up?"
She sighs.
"I'm just not sure what to do."
"Hmm?" he doesn't know what she was referring to.
"Ah... It's just real-life problems."
Koll nods in understanding. The game can't always be a person's life. Unless that person happens to be him.
"What's the problem?"
She bites her lip, "It's about a guy."
Koll feels awkward at her confession. Her personal life isn't his business.
"He's successful," she continues. "And, my parents are pushing me to go out with him. But, I don't know. I just don't want to deal with the whole thing."
Koll understands. Her parents want her to take life seriously and settle down.
"Is being an Immortal Brave getting in the way of you having a life as your parents want?"
She stares at him blankly for a moment.
"Koll, how much do you understand about what it is to be an Immortal Brave?"
Koll smiles lightly, "More than you think."
She sighs, "That's just so annoying. You're an NPC. Aren't you?"
Koll nods, "I am."
"So you're not a player?" her eyes are searching.
"I am not a player."
"Dammit, Koll. You say something so honestly, but you're lying about something else."
Koll shrugs, "The best liars only tell the truth."
"Fuck!" she nearly screams. "Why are you like this? I know you're not a GM. But, God. Is there any other answer?"
"If there were, then what?"
Koll's question is quite plain but, it causes her to think.
"Then... I don't know."
Koll smiles a half smile. "You should do as you feel like. If you want to meet this guy, go meet him. If you don't, then don't. Are you ready to settle down?"
She deflates, "You're no help."
Koll chuckles. "I know."
Wu Lan gives him a lingering look before turning away.
"Goodnight, Koll."
He watches her leave, finishes closing down his shop, and goes to bed.
The expansion progresses rapidly.
Gol D's fleet grows to 30 strikers owned by Koll and 1 corvette that the warlord bought with his share of the mercenary company's profits.
The missions flow freely and Koll is growing to a point where he is earning credits almost too fast to spend them. But, whenever Koll has too many credits, he buys a Striker.
While Gol D's fleet stands at 31, Koll has invested in a few other mercenary companies.
Dancing Dagger has come to him as the representative of his company and negotiated for 10 strikers. The rules were the same as for Gol D. They pay rent on the ships, a percentage of their commissions, and would pay for any repairs or lost vessels.
So far Koll hasn't lost any vessels. But, they usually come back needing some token repairs.
For the most part, Koll just rakes in credits while the players do the hard work.
Months pass with exponential growth becoming the model by which Koll's fleet expands.
Contracts are being processed daily between Koll and the players.
A Striker assault vessel can carry 2 to 3 hundred passengers to attack pirate vessels. But, there are tens of thousands of players eager to join the illustrious ranks populated by Gol D and Dancing Dagger's mercenary companies.
Every Striker is relatively cheap. But, the exploitative contracts Koll forces the players into gives him an excess of credits that he simply rolls over into more Strikers.
Before long, Koll reaches a fleet of over 100 Strikers that he has to rent a harbor on the station to store.
Koll realizes that he's hit an equilibrium in his fleet where the player demand is saturated. And so, slows his purchase of vessels.
But, the static demand keeps the credits rolling in.
Hundreds of thousands of credits became millions. Such an escalation in wealth wouldn't be possible with rational actors. But, players know little of rational thought.
For players, the need to keep up with other elite players dictates their drive to spend money. And besides, to them, Cosmos is a game. The credits aren't real.
To Koll, though, the credits are very real. And, the players are the greatest resource in all the worlds of Cosmos.
Deciding to return to Ruun with his ships, Koll spends a massive chunk of currency to buy a proper freighter that can easily carry a population in the hundreds of thousands.
With an armada of Strikers escorting the vessel, he doesn't fear the ragtag pirates that populate his route.
Koll designs a quest for an escort, this time he even gives the players a token sum of credits for taking the quest.
[Quest Name: Escort the Immortals of Ruun]
[Description: Koll Luna intends to ferry the Immortals of planet Ruun to Juniper Station. Escort Koll Luna as a member of his armada to Ruun and back to Juniper Station.]
[Rewards: 5,000,000 XP, +500 Reputation with Koll Luna, 500 credits]
"Holy shit," a player says. "Koll's paying us this time."
"Did hell freeze over? This is difficult to believe."
Koll ignores the players. He was planning to take 10 Strikers, so the credits are a small, token, amount. But, with his resources growing at the rate they have been, he feels it appropriate to give the players a proper incentive.
Gol D is ahead of the other company commanders and comes to Koll directly.
"My Metal Mercenaries will escort you, Koll. No need to hire out just anyone."
Koll nods and discontinues the quest. He'd take the few hundred who'd already accepted the quest as guards aboard his freighter.
"So," Gol D says in a satisfied tone. "We're ready for the next great leap."
"I suppose we are. Though I'll have to construct many more fabricators to keep up with the population of Immortals."
"You'll manage," Gol D says. "You've brought us quite far already. It's hard to believe you're not an Immortal. Your mind is more like ours than any of the normal inhabitants of Ruun or Juniper station."
Koll smiles oddly.
"So," Gol D asks. "Will it be more Strikers when we return or are you ready to build a proper fleet?"
Koll shrugs, "With so many immortals, Strikers provide greater utility in the mercenary tasks. But, I will diversify."
Gol D smiles, "Then we better get underway."
The journey to Ruun is simple and safe.
The freighter is an attractive target for the pirates. But, the 10 strikers and 1 corvette that escort it crush any pirate crews that get ideas.
After a few weeks of journey, they come into orbit around Ruun.
The players on the planet have experienced several harrowing engagements with the slavers who covet the Immortals. But, a population in the hundreds of thousands remains largely planet-bound.
News of the arrival of Koll's fleet spreads across the player forums and masses of players are gathering in Lain of the Trade Union.
The NPCs of Ruun are rather flabbergasted by the arrival of an interstellar armada. The travel agency vessel was a small event. Whereas the repeated dropping of Strikers to ferry hundreds of thousands into the atmosphere is alarming, to say the least.
The process of gathering nearly 500,000 players takes several days. And, Gol D makes a point of inviting Koll to check out the old arena.
Koll accepts and the pair make their way to the Everlast arena.
Gol D laughs, "It seems so small."
Koll nods, "It was a good first step. But, you've seen the galaxy now."
"Indeed," Gol D agrees. "You said I was king of a small hill. And, you were right. I don't think I've even seen my mountain yet."
Koll hesitates, "You know. With so many more immortals coming to Juniper, I think there will be a greater demand for dueling arenas."
The smile on the barbarian's face is knowing, "It's not a bad idea. Though, I'll need a backer to get started."
Koll nods, "We'll talk."
The pair watch a few of the elite Ruun gladiators fight to the death. But, their thoughts are elsewhere.
When every player who wants off Ruun boards the freighter, the journey continues.
Now, half a million players call Juniper station home. The station itself has no issue absorbing these numbers. But, Koll's headquarters are woefully inadequate for the volume.
Rather than renting an office, Koll buys the lease to a building structure located near his rented space harbor.
The players can use the building for their various purposes. Many of the crafting class players take up the various floors to set up their storefronts.
A lot of the crafting players are still stuck in the terrestrial grade. But, many have resources that Koll doesn't provide. So, the players are able to collect credits to advance and grow.
Koll has to build ever more fabricators to meet the demand for his felsuit and spellsuit armors. The process becoming almost entirely automated.
Gol D isn't able to get a license for bloodsport on the station itself. But, a loophole allows for the gladiatorial business to operate out of a ship docked with the station.
After some heated discussions, it is agreed that Koll's freighter will be refurbished and turned into the new Everlast Arena.
Due to the freighter's size and many floors, thousands of matches can be conducted simultaneously.
Despite Koll's complaints, the freighter is draped in gaudy red and purple and filled with mood lighting. Balconies are built in large decks and platforms are arrayed for the fighters.
Koll doesn't pay Gol D's new endeavor much attention. All he cares about is the rent and royalties he's owed for financing the refurbishment.
With the mass of new players comes an incredible demand for his Strikers.
By the halfway point of the expansion, his fleet of strikers has increased to over a thousand. And the player-run mercenary companies working with him are in the dozens.
"So," Wu Lan catches him in an idle moment in the headquarters. "You've got your army. You've got your navy. You've got a fat bank account. What's left for Koll Luna to accomplish?"
Koll looks at her oddly. He's by all rights a powerful NPC. He can send players out to perform whatever task he needs done. He can even pay them.
But, he knows that, at best, he is a middle player in the interstellar community. And, as far as galaxy-grade actors are concerned, he might as well not exist.
"Tortuga."
Wu Lan looks at him oddly, "Huh?"
"Tortuga. It's a pirate system. It's just beyond Juniper Station's range. Pirates from many lightyears all around consider it to be their holy land."
Wu Lan looks at him oddly, "Why do you want to hunt pirates?"
The question is a good one.
"Do you know the grades?"
She thinks for a moment, "Terrestrial, interstellar, and galaxy."
Koll nods, "I'm essentially a middle interstellar figure. I'm well off thanks to the Immortals. But, my purchasing power will never grow beyond my current level without merits and reputation.
"The Strikers and freighter are junk. I can buy better and more varied crafts. However, the great galactic civilizations control the distribution of more advanced craft.
"Conquering Tortuga won't automatically build me a galactic reputation. But, it will be a start."
Wu Lan looks at him for a long moment, "I guess you still have big plans."
He shrugs, "I'm just trying to stay ahead of the curve."
She's silent for a moment, "I guess I used to think you were at the top of the hierarchy. But, the Immortals have already caught up to that peak and surpassed it. Of course, you had a part to play in that too."
Koll lingers, "How are your adventures, Immortal Wu Lan?"
She laughs, "Nothing so dramatic as yours. Nor can I compare to that Gol D. I'm ahead of most of the Immortals in terms of gear and credits. But, I don't have as much time to play these days."
She looks a bit sad. "Life just keeps getting in the way. I...
"I met that guy. He's... nice."
Koll observes her until she grows uncomfortable.
"Anyways," she says. "I just have to figure out what I want."
They share a silence for a moment before she says, "I'm gonna go do some stuff. I'll see you later, Koll."
With that, he is left in silence for some time before he moves.