The public hangar, connected to a large visitor center where they were registered, gave them some basic info about the district and its rules. It was all pretty basic, and most planets had similar rules for outsiders, so Joshua and Darthenu thanked their guide and headed out.
The air was thick with particulate, but their nanites and improved bodies were more than enough to ignore that issue. They had a basic plan involving finding a discreet place to rest and gathering some info. They wanted to figure out what had happened with the Thro’lacet Empire, but their first point of business was business.
Neither of them expected to get anywhere by playing by the rules, so they had planned to gain some traction in the underworld, and they intended to locate some weak faction as their point of entry. Whether they could take over with or without hostilities was something they’d figure out on the go. If they could take over without bloodshed, they’d be left with more manpower, but that held its own risks.
They found a dingy bar where they could rent some musky rooms down in the depths of the district. Various races were represented in the district, though most of them were human variants. There were a few Gretens, large, four-armed, and horned creatures who lived like nomads. They’d lost their homeworld a long time ago and lived on a few city ships or constantly on the move on other vessels as part of a crew. Joshua had met a few of their race before and knew them to be capable warriors. There were also a decent number of Juraia. The Juraia were tiny creatures, barely a meter tall on average, but excellent tinkerers and among the best in the galaxy if you wanted computer systems or tech in general. Other than those two, there was a mishmash of races, but no other races had their numbers.
The rooms were barely livable, but they didn’t expect to stay long. Neither of them wanted to sit around in their rooms, so they headed down to the bar, which was surprisingly crowded. They spread out to gather some intel while enjoying themselves. They both needed to let off some steam and while they had intended to do so on Onerak, the situation changed once they decided to break up Darthenu’s business there. This time, they would let loose and have some fun, but there was no reason why they couldn’t get some work in at the same time.
Joshua got a glass of swill, something barely drinkable, and started making some rounds. He talked to some, flirted with others, and generally had a good time until most people had left or passed out on the floor. He met up with Darthenu, and they returned to their rooms.
They didn’t want to discuss their findings out loud, so they took advantage of the connection through Nanite Link. While they couldn’t communicate directly, they could use Claire as a messenger.
Darthenu had found out some things about the situation with the Empire, which boiled down to them looking for someone. A human had stolen some nanites, and the Empire was very interested in finding this person. It should have happened around two years ago, which felt strange to Joshua since he hadn’t heard about anything happening before he, and Darthenu left Onerak. There were also countless small gangs in the area, but he hadn’t found much on that front.
Joshua had, though, and they had a couple of options. The lowborn was a group of people who had been born in the depths and had never seen the sky. They were getting pushed out rather quickly and might be open to a peaceful takeover if Joshua and Darthenu could provide a future. Another option was the Boundless, who were a mix of various races who had banded together for safety. They were prideful and would be much harder to convince through non-hostile means, but they were also far better off and would require less time to build into something half-decent.
***
The skin wriggled as the wound closed, and Joshua breathed in relief. His Regeneration skill was a lifesaver, but it hurt like hell when he healed. Something about the process made his nerves fire like crazy, but it seemed to lessen as the skill leveled up.
“That’s the last of them?” he asked Darthenu, who just arrived through a side door.
“Yeah. Should have known that guy was crooked. Fucking trash info-broker,” Darthenu didn’t have his regeneration skill and was still covered in minor cuts and burns. “Wanna pay him a visit?”
“We really should. Can’t let this slide, or people will think we’re soft,” Joshua sat in the former boss’ chair and accessed his terminal.
They had found an information broker who told them the Boundless gang would be open to negotiations if they brought some items along. It turned out it had the opposite effect, as it enraged them. Now, most of the crew was dead, and they were back to square one, only with a decent-sized area to control without the manpower required.
The terminal didn’t hold much of interest, except for some crappy plans to regain their power.
“Fucking morons,” Joshua muttered. “They didn’t use fronts, thinking that using legitimate businesses as fronts was beneath them. Didn’t they realize they could trick the enforcers into helping them if they did it cleverly?”
“What did you expect? They basically blew a fuse when we showed them a bunch of valuable items. They couldn’t have been the smartest bunch, or they wouldn’t be in such a rough position. What now, though?”
“Hmm,” Joshua sat back and massaged his neck. “Well, we should pay that broker a visit, but we need to secure the area, or all this would have been in vain. You’re a decent recruiter, right? How about I deal with the broker, and you see if you can gather some manpower? We’ll deal with promoting any lieutenants later. For now, we just need to fill in some missing posts.”
“Sure. Sounds good. I might have a decent idea of where to look. Meet back here in, say, five hours? I might not have many recruits, but I can get the word out. Discreetly, of course.”
“It’s a plan.”
***
The door slid shut with barely a sound behind Joshua. The building was dingy, damp, and barely looked livable, but it was the base of one Roradon Jeutha. The information broker had come recommended to Darthenu as one of the cheaper but still reliable ones. That had backfired on the two, and now Roradon would learn what it meant to fuck with Joshua.
He didn’t consider himself a bad person, but he was no saint either. He didn’t hesitate to get his hands dirty, and his plan to create a criminal empire should be quite telling about what kind of person he was.
Roradon sat in his chair, glued to a terminal screen, and barely noticed his entrance.
“Be with you in a second,” he grumbled.
“Nah, I think you’ll deal with me now,” Joshua said as his face changed to the one Roradon had seen earlier.
“Wha- You!?” the information broker shouted. “What’s going on? Heh… Uhm, are you back for some more intel?”
“I am here due to intel, yes, but not anything new. You fucked us, and now you’re going to pay. An information broker should have some more pride in their work. How would anyone trust a broker who lies?”
“Wait! What do you mean? I gave you good intel, I swear.”
“You set us up to fall, and you know it.”
Roradon tried to plead, but Joshua didn’t listen. Telekinetic force slammed him into the back wall, and Joshua heard bones snap. Roradon screamed in pain while Joshua took out a knife.
An hour later, an assistant entered the room and found Roradon’s corpse splayed on his desk. His lips had been cut off, and the word ‘SEEKERS’ were drawn in blood on the wall.
***
Joshua sat in the chair in the office of the old Boundless HQ when Darthenu returned with a satisfied expression.
“Went well, I assume?”
“Yeah. We’ve already got a few takers, though we’ll need to vet them. I heard about the broker, by the way. That’s gonna draw some attention.”
“It will, but I figured we’d go big or go home. This way, we’re getting some notoriety. The guy was a lowlife, so the enforcers won’t do more than the bare minimum, and I covered my tracks. We’ll be figured out at some point, but if all goes to plan, we should be too big to touch by then. I figured we could go by Boundless until we’re set up and change into the Seekers.”
“I like it. Didn’t think you had it in you, that¨s all. Anyway, what’s our play?
“Well, I’ve been looking through Roradon’s files, and I’ve gotten some decent leads. I still have to ensure it's accurate. Still, if it is, we’ll be able to set ourselves up with some legitimate businesses while taking over the underworld,” Joshua had returned immediately after grabbing the files. He’d been pouring over them with Claire’s help.
“Pretty sure these are all legit. He actually marked the fake ones. I might have a way to take over a private hangar and get some tech merchants in our pockets.”
“Great, could you set up a plan of action for that? I’m looking into some of the entertainment district’s businesses, and those tend to be goldmines for intel.”
“Sounds like you’ve got this all handled. What about me? You’re not pushing me out, are you?”
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
“Hah, nah. I was actually thinking of two plans. Either you stick to personnel, and the day-to-day, while I deal with planning, and certain specific tasks, or one deal with the legitimate, while the other deals with the criminal side. I, personally, think the latter is the better option. It’ll put a veil between us, so to speak. Reasonable doubt, and plausible denial, etc.”
“Yeah, that sounds better, as I don’t think I have the temperament for legit work that isn’t merc stuff. I can handle the criminal side fine.”
“One more thing. We should have frontmen. People who can act as the faces of our respective sides.”
“Why?”
“Well, we’ve been lucky so far since nobody has figured out we have Connections, at least nobody who still lives. That’s one of the reasons I figured Earth was the best option for us; not many earthlings know what to look for, but it’s only a matter of time if we keep meeting people and making waves.”
“Fuck! You’re right. Alright, I’ll get on that since the legitimate folk will likely have trouble keeping that secret for long. I have a short list of people that have potential, but it’ll be a while before I can be sure.”
“That’s fine. It’ll take some time to figure out a proper action plan, and we still need to secure our position here.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
***
Five people stood in the office of the old Boundless gang. One was Joshua, another was Darthenu, and the other three were potential frontmen and lieutenants.
Securing their territory had taken a few weeks, as several other gangs had jumped on the apparent weakness, and blood flowed like rivers after the first few days. The pits of the city, as the bottom layers were called, had become eerily quiet after that, and with the majority of the lesser gangs weakened, Joshua and Darthenu had quickly taken over. Now, they controlled one of the district's largest, though not necessarily the most powerful, gangs. The only issue was the two of them were spread thin, running from one fire to the next, and it was time to delegate.
Darthenu had vetted the three thoroughly and decided to give them an opportunity.
“You three have proven yourselves resourceful and surprisingly capable of keeping your mouths shut. As such, we’re prepared to give you an opportunity,” Joshua said as he inspected them. There were two men and a woman. All human, though obvious societal rejects. The woman was the most put together, and Joshua hoped she could take on the legitimate side. “As you know, the two of us are Connected, and that needs to remain secret. A hidden card, so to speak. As such, we need frontmen, or women, to act as the faces of our gang. Parth, and Len, you will head the underworld side—specifically the entertainment and fighting force. You’ll take your orders from Darthenu. Leandra, you’ll be working for me as the face of our legitimate organization.”
The three looked at each other but didn’t say anything. Darthenu gestured and took the two men to another room. Leandra looked worried for a second but schooled her expression.
“I am in the process of acquiring some legitimate businesses, and merging them into a singular organization, though that’s a ways away still. For now, I’m going to smuggle you through the checkpoint and fix you up with a proper identity on the other side,” her eyes widened at that, and her breath hitched. “I have made some inroads and contacts that will make this work. Credits will get you far; after all, there is no such thing as an incorruptible politician. There you will follow my lead and set up our organization. Know that we will be making rapid progress and significant acquisitions in a short time. It will be stressful, and you will have to use every ounce of guile and charisma you possess. Does this sound alright to you?”
“Yes, sir! I won’t disappoint you. There is no way in hell I’m going to mess up this opportunity,” she said with a wide grin. Her eyes had a greedy, malicious glint. “Just to get it out of the way. Is there a chance for a Connection of my own down the line?”
Joshua didn’t immediately answer, as he had to weigh the consequences of it.
“Perhaps, though, that will entirely depend on how well you do and several other conditions I will keep to myself. Don’t fuck up.”
***
Joshua walked up to the checkpoint wearing the face of a young man with an affluent background, the epitome of the young master who wanted to slum it. Leandra walked behind him wearing a beautiful dress but kept a somewhat haunted look on her face.
He’d been pleasantly surprised by her acting skills, as she played the part perfectly. The idea was for her to be one of the young master's entourage who had gotten in over her head, and he was escorting her back, all gentleman-like.
With the paperwork provided by his contact, they made it through the checkpoint without any issues and found themselves on the other side of the wall.
It wasn’t a wall, per se, just a wide border separating the visitors or outsiders district from the rest of Earth. The shift in the environment was significant, as the city looked clean and well cared for on this side. Enforcers stood around the checkpoint, and several speeders and vehicles belonging to them patrolled the area.
Leandra took a deep breath but didn’t break character as she donned a relieved expression, and the two made their way to a taxi pad. They had made arrangements for a place to stay until they could set up a proper HQ, and for their persona, nothing less than the most expensive and exclusive hotel would do. The seed money from Darthenu’s former crime empire had gotten them quite far, but the loot from the various gangs had kept them afloat so far. Now was the time to invest, and Joshua had several targets.
A private hangar would let him store his vessel while allowing him to work on it, which led to his second plan to make a shipyard or at least a parts manufacturer. He intended to use his Tech Savvy skill to make some money, while Leandra would be the face of the business. That was only a part of it, though, as she would use most of the remaining credits to buy up some of the manufacturers or material providers. Eventually, they would escalate into a proper shipyard, likely an orbital facility, and with that, they would gain influence.
At first, Joshua had been worried about the Thro’lacet Empire, but they seemed to have shifted their attention elsewhere. They were still blockading the most direct routes out of the Coalition, but they didn’t cause any more trouble, at least. That meant he could take his time rather than rush it. His true ambition was to gain enough influence to push the Coalition to do his bidding, after all, but that was a long way away. Years, decades.
“Are you up to this, Leandra?” Joshua asked as he sat by a table in a private lounge. “Or do I need to find someone else?” He had high hopes for her, but he couldn’t help but worry. He didn’t have that much experience with relying on others, and now he had to put quite a lot of faith in someone he didn’t know all that well. She’d done well so far, but that could change quickly if she encountered something unexpected. She had gotten a lot of coaching from Darthenu over the last month, and now was the time to put her to the test. If she failed, it would set them back a bit, but so long as she didn’t reveal too much, they’d be able to recover.
“Yes. I can,” Leandra said with a hint of frustration. “I will do my part to perfection, don’t worry.”
“Alright, then. Tomorrow, we will start with the private hangar and contact the constructors to build the storefront. I’ll handle the workshop while you handle the management and hiring for the store. That’s not an urgent task, as I would like to build up a stockpile first. From there, we need to add material providers to our organization to lessen expenses. Then, we can expand into a proper shipyard sometime in the future.”
“Right, but what’re we going to sell in this storefront? I mean, you never mentioned.”
“I’ll be working on building tech for starships and gadgets for various uses. I’ll need some time to build up a stock and some experimenting. Based on what I’ve made so far, it should prove lucrative. I will, eventually, expand into other pieces of tech, but at first, it’ll be mainly ship tech.”
“Alright. Who’s our first target?”
“My contact has pointed out the private hangar of an old family, the Jurans, as a prime target. They’re losing money all over the place and are looking to shore up their business by eliminating some unnecessary luxuries, and the private hangar is on that list. We need to hurry, or someone else will snatch it, but I'll handle the competition while you make your offers. You’ll make a generous offer at first, but not so good they immediately take it, and when the competition starts dropping around you, you’ll lower the offer, citing the risk involved. I’ll go through some intermediaries, put in a ridiculously low offer, and orchestrate a false attempt on you, hopefully ensuring the enforcers don’t look too deeply into your situation.”
“I will do my part, sir!”
“Good, then have some fun, and get some rest. We’ll be very busy from tomorrow on.”
With that, Joshua headed out of the hotel, intending to set things in motion. After all, creating a decent cover for assassination and phony bids shouldn’t be rushed.
Joshua put the finishing touches to his new creation and his tools down. On the desk before him sat a small, spider-like machine. He’d been working on it for a while and finally got it working.
With his Technomancy, Tech Savvy, and even Nanite Link, he could control this arachnid robot from a pretty long distance. This was to be his little assassin bot, and he was delighted with his success. According to his tests and Claire’s simulations, it should be able to kill pretty much anyone not Connected. He’d finished it just in time, too, since Leandra was about to make her first offer.
It had taken a few days longer than expected, but they were finally ready. Joshua had set up a dummy corporation to act as scapegoats, and with the spider bot now done, he could set his plan into motion.
He picked up a box, which he filled with various sundries, and hid the spider among the other objects. It was tiny enough to be challenging to see, and he had made great efforts to ensure it didn’t register on scans, which was one of the boons of mixing his skills. Tech Savvy and Technomancy allowed him to do a lot for that, but his Energy-based skills gave him a final clue via Nanite Link. He could ensure the spider was completely inert until he connected to it and transferred energy to it.
He used a prepared face when he sent the parcel and returned to a small building he’d bought under the alias of his dummy corporation and waited.
***
Joshua sat in his office in the private hangar while the constructors built the storefront. Leandra sat opposite him, and they watched the latest news feed.
A string of murders had left the enforcers scrambling until they managed to track them back to a small corporation trying to make inroads into the various businesses of Earth. Their plan fell apart when one of their targets avoided death, though she came close. The enforcers were too slow, though, and the perpetrators had escaped their clutches. A few weeks of investigation led them to a trail leading out of Terran space, and they were forced to give up. The likeness of their prime suspect was circulated through every available channel, but they didn’t have high hopes. The case went cold, and people returned to their daily lives.
The operation had gone just as expected, and Joshua was now the proud owner of a private hangar, and he’d already transferred the Seeker of Profundity to it. Leandra had made some offers to material providers, and things were looking good, as the storefront was almost finished.
“How is it going with the new hires?” Joshua asked as he closed the newsreel. “Any problems?”
“It’s going well since it’s a perfectly legitimate business and one with high potential rewards. I’ve arranged a few interviews, and things are looking good,” she responded dutifully. Not surprising, as she had already felt the benefits of her station. She wore brand-new clothes, was fashionable, and dined at the best restaurants. Joshua had wanted to set her up for high society, and while they didn’t have the revenue to support it, yet, he was confident that would change once the store was opened. “I’m hopeful about the next acquisitions as well, and I don’t think we need to do anything drastic, like here. The prototypes you provided piqued their interest, and being a part of future advancements would aid them tremendously. Your plan for gradually taking over their business seems to go smoothly so far.”
“Good. Make sure the new hires are interested in staying on long term. Imply the benefits of taking part in the beginning of something great. Any news from Darthenu?”
“I will see to it, sir. I received an update from Darthenu just before I came here. His plans are progressing, but he’s running out of funds rapidly. He’s hoping for a credit injection soon, but he’ll still manage for a few months.”
“He’ll get his credits soon enough. We need what we have currently for our acquisitions, but once the store opens, we should be raking it in. Earth has always been behind the rest of the galaxy regarding tech, and the blockade has worsened that significantly. We’ll fill a void and thus make a killing, as they say.”