Several minutes later
Ironclaw Compound, Maintenance Bay 6, Gao
Pekin
“There it is.” Pekin made sure to observe the human’s reaction. The human gasped, clearly awed by the vessel before him.
Success.
It was a decent sized ship. Significantly larger than a shuttle, but smaller than a cargo ship. The hull was actually rather ancient. Whitecrest had requested a rather impressive ship, at rather low cost, and in a rather rushed timeframe. Pekin, in response, requisitioned an older airframe to strip out and rebuild. This meant less Nanoforge time and materials expenses, while granting the the technicians and researchers that Whitecrest had sent a much more generous budget to play with.
Sermil spoke next. “We had a lot of fun with this one. I did our cubs a bit of a favor here.” He glanced at the tech that remained, who’s ears drooped in response. “They spend most of their time maintaining our stock class ships.”
“We have had dozens of ideas for improvements for our ships, but the clan leaders have been holding us back! It’s time they see what a real ship can do!”. The Gaoian tech blurted out. The other Whitecrests glared at him. He quickly quieted… and whimpered slightly. One of the human’s eyes widened slightly, apparently a gesture of intrigued amusement.
Pekin resumed the presentation, trying his best to remain professional. “In a practical sense, this ship is actually quite more capable than it looks. It incorporates several cutting edge shaped force fields that make excellent use of the area surrounding the craft. On the left and right of the craft, there are state-of-the-art docking points. Park a ship next to the dock, and with a few commands, force fields lock onto the other craft holding it in place. A separate force field extends to the craft, creating a pressurized walkway between the ships. The actually walkway is a retractable catwalk that houses the gravity plating. These connections will work anywhere in microgravity, however if the other ship is large, it may need to assist during trajectory adjustments.”
“The hangar on top is a bit more…special. Notice the flattened top? We fitted the craft with a 5 sided hemi-cylindrical hangar. Its not huge, but it is large enough to house the craft you specified.”
The human spoke. “Are you talking about the Silver Sailor?”
Pekin struggled, trying to recall. “That… sounds familiar.” Chuck nodded. “Moving on, for access to this hangar, there is an elevator near the aft of the hangar, and a fielded ladder near the fore. Air can be evacuated from the hangar as needed. Though the upper hangar is atmosphere ready, it can be retracted to improve atmospheric flight performance.”
“On the rear of the ship, you will notice several universal latch points. These are intended to connect to Dominion cargo container vessels, or if desired, a single Dominion radial cargo array in the center. Flexibility is fun!” Pekin panted, grinning as he said this.
“Flanking the fore of the craft, you have a pair of escape pods. There is a third aft escape craft of my own design in a small hangar at the bottom of the ship. It’s actually more of a small shuttle, though most of the interior space has been… requisitioned. I used the space for more thrusters, shields, and a larger reactor!”
“Gotta go fast.” The human laughed quietly. Pekin tilted his head slightly in confusion. Play it straight. “I agree wholeheartedly.”
Pekin turned to the Whitecrests. “The interior of the ship is rather cramped, with all the work still being performed. It’ll probably be easier for all of us, if I just show the human around in there myself.”
Ronovin snorted. “Sure, so you can take him and run off to wherever you intend to interrogate him.”
Uh oh. This was not Pekin’s area of expertise. “This ship is not currently flightworthy. You can ask your tech if you don’t believe me. Besides, do you really think I could overpower a human?” Hopefully this would work…
Ronovin thought for a moment before relenting. “Fine.”
Pekin carefully avoided showing the glee he felt. To pull hide over the ears of a Whitecrest!
“Come, human, let me show you around.” So exciting! Secret agent Pekin sneaking around the big bad Whitecrest!
“Call me Chuck.”
Pekin nodded as they entered the ship. “Chuck. Let’s head of the rear of the ship to start.” As soon as the door closed behind them, Pekin put a finger to his muzzle. Chuck took a small step back, glancing quickly over his shoulder. Pekin attempted to show a submissive posture, hoping Chuck would realize he was in no danger. He pulled out a small device and activated it. He motioned, again, for Chuck to remain quiet. “Almost there.” He listened in on his earpiece, satisfied that they were alone.
“I’m sorry about that Chuck, you have nothing to fear from me. I just wanted to ensure that we are alone in here.” Pekin could no longer keep himself from chittering happily.
Chuck let out an amused, but wary grunt. Pekin stopped chittering and tilted his head. Amused and wary? From a simple grunt? Well, that’s what the translator said. “What do you want from me?”
Pekin stared at Chuck. “I honestly do not know. Ironclaw wanted to know who Whitecrest’s mysterious customer was, but… I did not expect a human. At this point, I’m flying anosmic. I’m kinda hoping that you had something you wanted to talk to me about.” He nervously played with his paws for a moment, then turned around. “I’ll let you think about it. Come, we should probably head to the back of the ship. I’m sure the Whitecrest have more than just a bug or two watching us.”
Chuck shrugged and followed the Gaoian. “Won’t they notice the silence?”
That single question put Pekin on edge. He stopped and turned around. “How did you know…” He interrupted himself. The question he was asking would have no useful answer. Even to consider ‘silence’ as a useful mote of information implied that the human had awareness of communications, espionage, clan relations, Pekin’s ‘covert’ activities… Had Ironclaw underestimated humanity? He stood in silence, staring at Chuck. What had he gotten himself into? Chuck merely raised his shoulders slightly and curled his lips, waiting for Pekin to continue. “I pre-recorded several messages describing every last boring component of the ship. It’ll last half an hour or so. Come, they may have heat or gravity sensors watching us.”
Chuck followed.
“Back here is the engineering room. You have your reactor, dampeners, FTL and shield generators.” Pekin said, pointing to each device in series. “A few of the kinetic thrusters are here as well, with more scattered throughout the ship.”
“That’s the reactor? I expected it to be bigger. How many thrusters does this ship have?”
Pekin glanced at the human, confused, just how much did he know?. “Our technology allows for very compact reactor designs.”
“I’m aware of that, but this reactor looks like it could only run about a dozen or so thrusters of that size.”
Pekin rolled his ears back, shocked. “How… do you know that?”
Chuck laughed. “Hiron told me he was getting me a ship. I decided to study up on their design. I figured it would come in handy. Now how many thrusters are there, and how many can this reactor power?”
Pekin spent a moment remembering the plans for the ship, counting in his head. “Uh… thirty…four present, eighteen can be run at a time, twenty two on emergency power.”
“Hmm.”
“That’s plenty to get this thing moving! It’ll do a hundred and fifty kilolights easy!”
“I bet it’ll go faster with that extra dozen thrusters running. Why even have them if you can’t power them?”
This was one Pekin could answer. “Maneuverability. By using different thrusters in different parts of the ship, this craft will turn faster than any centrally thrusted system.”
“OK, how does that emergency power thing work?”
“It runs the reactor right against its safety limits. Dangerous, but if you are in trouble…”
“No stored power reserve? I thought the shields, at least, had some attached storage?”
“Of course the shields have a capacitor bank! It stores the energy for the few seconds it takes to re-radiate the energy away!”
“Why not power the engines with that energy? Wrong type of energy?”
“No, all energy is energy… Wait… what? Hold on. Give me a minute.” How could no one have noticed this before! All ships have energy banks storing energy from the shields. All ships also had reactors that powered the ship’s subsystems. Why weren’t those systems connected. “Chuck… what is your trade?”
“My trade? I guess entrepreneur.”
Pekis shook his head. “How could someone without a technical background see such a simple solution…”
Chuck grunted in amusement. “It often helps to re-frame a problem, to look at it from a perspective you are more familiar with. On Earth, I owned and ran a nation-wide manufacturing company. I had weekly meetings with my logistics manager. I don’t know all the details, but the broad strokes are always the same.” Chuck shrugged. “I’m just treating ‘energy’ as any other resource. That means you need 4 things. Production, consumption, distribution, and buffering. With the systems I work with, those first two are facilities, the third is trucking, and the fourth is warehousing. I’m just trying to define analogues in this energy system.” Chuck counted off on his fingers. “I guess you have reactors, subsystems, wiring, and … uh…”
“Capacitors…” Pekin added.
“Sure. If that allows excess energy to be stored until needed. After that, all you need to do is ensure that your distribution network can support all consumption devices you can possibly run at once.”
Pekin was speechless. He banged his head of the wall next to him.
“Woah, you alright there buddy?” Chuck yanked him away from the wall, straining Pekin’s neck in the process.
“I… just… how?” He stopped. “Humans…” If a simple trader could provide this kind of insight… No. No use thinking about finding a human engineer. Work with what is available. The human in front of him was here, now. Use that. “Chuck…” He paused, completely unable to create the correct words.
“Do you need some water? Fresh air?”
“No…”
“You sure? Take it easy.”
Pekin nodded weakly. “Just… give me a minute.” Had Whitecrest seen what he had? Is that why they bought him this ship? Bribery? Consulting fee? “Chuck, do you mind if I ask why Whitecrest is giving you this ship?”
Chuck paused only a moment. “Trade deal.”
“What could you have to trade…” Pekin stopped. What else would you trade for a ship! “You’re the one who caught the hunter vessel! How did I miss that!”
Chuck tilted his head. “May I ask how you know about that ship?”
Pekin chittered, at least the human did not simply inherently know everything. Without that, the human would have no further reason to talk to him. The insight that could be gained… “Everyone in One-fang knows about the Hunter ship that Whitecrest landed at their Clanhouse. I see plenty of One-fangs that come in for maintenance or repairs. Some of them do not know how to keep their mouth shut.” Neither did he, it seemed. “Unbelievable… how did you acquire the vessel?”
Chuck fidgeted slightly before answering. “The Hunters attacked the Desolate Oasis while I was re-supplying. I… protected those on the station.”
“You killed them.” He shook his head in disbelief. “I’m guessing about twenty of the Keeda damned things, based on the size of that ship.”
“Hiron killed a few as well.”
“A soldier… an engineer. What else can you do?”
“I am neither of those. I do not wish to claim to be good at something, unless I am. It shows weakness when people realize the truth.”
What? How could he… “You are better than the professionals!” Pekin’s already nervous composure, fell apart abruptly. “Do you know how insulting it is? I’ve trained my entire life to design these ships, and with only a few days informal training, you are teaching me new ideas. Then you have the gall to claim that you lack those very skills that dwarf what professionals have to offer?” Pekin had grabbed ahold of Chuck’s clothing, and had attempted to shake him to emphasize his points. Chuck did not budge.
Chuck frowned. “I’m sorry, Pekin, I did not mean to offend you.” Chuck’s eyes… lit up with something that his translator said was a powerful… metaphysical emotion? “I first left Earth less than a month ago. I’ve talked to many beings, learned many stories. But I am still new out here. I still have much to learn. I’m sorry, but I will not claim expertise that I do not have. Especially in situations like this. Situations that require honesty.” He paused. “I think you are the first being that I’ve had a real conversation with. A conversation that was not planned carefully from the beginning. It was… foolish of me not to foresee these kind of misunderstandings.”
Pekin stood still. This was too much to take in too quickly. Chuck stared at Pekin for a time, mulling something over. Suddenly, Chuck grasped Pekin by the shoulders and pulled him in, wrapping his arms around his back. Something in the back of his mind was telling him to struggle, to escape, but he shoved that away. There was something… calming about the human’s embrace. After a short while, Chuck backed away. “So… soft…” He laughed quietly. “I’m sorry Pekin I can’t help myself sometimes.”
Pekin raised an ear in confusion.
“Don’t worry about it. You Gaoians just remind me of… There is another species on Earth. Dogs, they are called. We humans commonly refer to them as ‘man’s best friend’. I had one as a… companion when I was younger. They have very short lifespans.” Chuck paused, saddened. Only a moment later, he regained his composure. “This behavior is… unprofessional of me.”
Pekin stood silent. How could one respond to something like that?
Suddenly, Chuck twitched. He turned his head to the entrance to the engineering room, squinting at the doorway. He walked over to a device on the wall next to the door. “Pekin, what is this? It just kind of caught my eye.”
“Uh… that’s a fuse box.”
“Oh, OK.” He stared at the door a little while longer before turning back to Pekin. “So where were we?”
Where indeed? Everything that had happened today had been just… too much. Yet still… the being in front of him was something special. This was his his chance! In just a few minutes, Chuck had proven that he could be a most valuable resource! So where does that leave them? Whitecrest bought Chuck a ship. From Ironclaw. Pekin grinned. The Whitecrest wanted to fight? This was a battle that he could win.
“Uh, Pekin, you’re kinda freaking me out here a bit. What’s with that devious look you have there?”
“Sorry Chuck, just taking a minute to clear my head. Thinking about our future together.”
Chuck raised an eyebrow. ‘Skepticism’ his translator said. He needed to speak very carefully and cautiously. Unlike the Whitecrest operatives, he was not trained in the whole cloak-and-claw lifestyle. He would have to be very careful with his words to not give the wrong impression. Or… “Chuck, Ironclaw needs your help. I know Whitecrest has their claws in you, but we want in. I’m a designer, not a diplomat. I cannot hope to out-speak what is almost certainly the best Whitecrest has to offer. But there are things I can do for you.”
Chuck tilted his head. “Going for the whole ‘actions speak louder than words’ approach?”
Pekin pondered this a moment. “I… suppose.”
Chuck nodded once. “Go on.”
Pekin thought a moment about exactly what he wanted to offer. This conversation had already moved well beyond his station, but… where was life without a little adventure? He had no authority, so everything he could offer Chuck would require retroactive approval later. If the Brothers didn’t approve… He mulled it over before deciding, yes, it was worth the risk. The potential benefits… “Chuck, what if I told you that I too have access to the Hunter ship. All the parts that matter, at least. My Cousin in Longear… acquired a complete copy of the schematics of the vessel as it was transferred between Whitecrest repositories. I can build any part of that ship.” He grinned wickedly.
Chuck shrugged. “To be honest, I have no idea. I didn’t spend long studying the ship I was getting rid of.”
Pekin deflated slightly. “It’s good stuff Chuck. Some of it, galaxy class tech. Better than Corti even. And I can get you some of it.”
Chuck nodded for him to continue.
“Whitecrest paid us a great deal to build this ship for you. Ironclaw can offer more.” Whitecrest’s request that the ship’s components all be modular was paying of nicely now. “After their techs leave, we’ll get you the good stuff. Better shields, more power, better engines, upgraded sensor suites. The works.”
“I see. And what do you want in payment?”
Pekin stopped a moment. He had to word this very carefully. “You have already helped us greatly, though admittedly indirectly, through the capture of the Hunter ship.” He stopped a moment to think.
“Didn’t your Longear buddies do the heavy lifting there?”
Pekin broke into laughter. “Heavy lifting? You are the one that captured it! Hell, I’ll even give Whitecrest credit for its retrieval and digitization. Longear just got lucky.” He stopped laughing. “Don’t tell them I said that.”
Chuck looked confused. “I’m not in contact with Longear.”
Pekin chittered. “Right, like a little thing like that will stop a human.”
Pekin thought back… “Oh… I can’t believe I forgot. Chuck, I’ll be rewiring the electrics on this ship for you too. No sense letting those shield capacitors sit idle.” He grinned as he performed a few quick calculations in his head. “It’ll get damn near three hundred kilolights for twenty minutes at a time once I’m done with it.”
Chuck still seemed skeptical. “You still haven’t told me how I’m supposed to pay for this.”
Pekin shook his head. “These are your ideas, Chuck. It’s only fair that you receive compensation.” He steepled his paws. “Speaking of. Do you have any more?” Left unspoken was the fact that Ironclaw built all of its own components. Design and installation were the only true costs.
“Hmm… not right now. Maybe if I spend more time on it.”
Pekin nodded, almost relieved. At least the human had to think to create these ideas. “I would, however, be lying if I told you we didn’t want something out of this.”
Chuck nodded, solemnly. “I figured as much. I’m not interested in any agreement that results in me owing you anything.”
Hmm. “… Bad experience?”
“Corti.”
“Ah…” Pekin again had to consider his words carefully. “I would take it as a great favor if you would… keep me in mind when you come across any new ideas or discoveries.”
“That’s it? Nothing concrete? No fine print?”
Pekin sighed. “That’s it.” He shook his head. “I would rather have more…”
“But I’d decline.”
“…Yes.”
“I won’t promise anything, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“I guess… that will have to do.” Even just one more idea half as revolutionary as the ones Chuck had revealed today… Worth it.
“We’ll be putting some serious tech in here. Some stuff Ironclaw doesn’t want Whitecrest to get in on just yet. Give me a minute here.” Pekin put a small datacard into his own datapad. After making a few adjustments, he handed it to Chuck. “It was designed as a contact chip. That is all that anyone will see looking at it. Plug it into your datapad, and you’ll have direct contact to me, and a couple of my close associates.” Pekin grinned. “I’ve taken a copy of that card’s key. Your ship will be built around that card. Without that card, everything in it will be spoofed to show exactly what Whitecrest ordered. Plug that card in however…” Pekin chittered. “I’m sure Whitecrest will discover the changes eventually, but I would request as a personal favor that you delay that moment.” Chuck carefully pocketed the card.
“We had better get back outside.” Pekin cautioned. “Those Whitecrest cubs get fidgety.” He listened to his earpiece and waited for the right moment to flip it off. “Alright Chuck, I think that covers the basics, let’s get back out to the others.”
Soon after
Ironclaw Hangar, Gao
Chuck
He had hurt Pekin with his words. Torn him apart. Would this happen any time he tried to talk to someone that was unfamiliar with human culture?
In any negotiation, you wanted to be a step ahead of the other party. One step, not dozens. He broke Pekin. Completely shattered him. Building him back up had required resorting to… drastic measures. He had to make a human connection with Pekin. Well, a sapient connection. Contact with another clan outside Whitecrest had been one of his priorities, but it would have been… cruel to not fix what he had so easily broken. A cynical man would say that Chuck’s actions were reprehensible, how dare he fake something so personal? Well, that cynical man would be wrong. Chuck didn’t fake anything. In fact, he had allowed himself an, admittedly controlled, moment of weakness. There is no method of trickery more effective than honestly when it came to heart to heart conversations.
The most dangerous part of the encounter had been the hug. He worried about cultural implications. He worried about responses to aggression. He probably would never have attempted it, if not for the translators that would inevitably transmit the intent. After that, a simple slip of the tongue provided him with the opportunity to cement the connection. God damn those Gaoians are huggable! As it stood, it took all of his willpower to avoid stroking the poor Gaoian. Once he had Pekin calmed down, it was only a matter of providing a path back to the conversation. His mention of his own unprofessionalism was all that was needed to complete the ladder that Pekin needed to climb out of his funk.
After that… heh.
“Chuck, you coming?” Pekin asked, standing at the door of the ship.
As they exited the ship, Chuck remembered the other reason he had come here.
“Where is Bart’s ship at?”
Pekin stopped and turned to face Chuck, confused. “Which ship?”
“The Silver Sailor.”
Pekin shrugged. “How would I know?”
“Didn’t you say you sized the hangar to fit it?”
“…Yes, but why would I need it to be here? I have the schematics.”
Sermil was waving his arms frantically behind Pekin’s back. “I just hadn’t seen it since we landed. Whitecrest must have put it into a garage or something.”
“…Yes.”
Chuck smiled and walked past Pekin. “Alright, I think I’ve kept you guys waiting long enough. Ready to go?”
The Whitecrest tech tugged on Chuck’s shirt. “Actually, I do have a request.” The tech glanced at each of the Gaoians present. Apparently satisfied, he continued. “Some of the updates we built into this ship are updates we desperately need on our standard fleet. If at all possible, could you… push them? Just a nudge, I don’t mean to inconvenience you.”
Chuck nodded. “I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you.”
Chuck and Ronovin left the hangar.
Several minutes later
Ironclaw yard, Gao
Ronovin
Chuck and Ronovin boarded the shuttle to head back to Whitecrest. This time, the shuttle glided smoothly into the air, no turbulence at all.
Ronovin mulled over his excursion onto the new ship. He had not been sure if Chuck had seen him, but had declined to stick around. How could he have been spotted? Chuck was facing the other direction! Smell maybe? Hearing? No, look at Chuck’s nose, his ears.
He had carefully recorded what he had heard, but there was not much to worry about. Ironclaw now knew who the ship was for… and why. While this loss stung, it could have been much worse. Hell, Chuck hadn’t even volunteered any information himself, he merely did not deny it. Still. Whitecrest may have some competition.
“So, about that local cuisine?” asked Chuck.
Ronovin grunted in amusement. “No, not today. Maybe later.”
Chuck raised his eyebrow.
Ronovin sighed. “Yes, I’m stuck with you for as long as you are on Gao.”
Chuck nodded. “Makes sense… Though I am somewhat surprised they sent an Associate to ‘guard’ me.”
Ronovin snorted. “Associate?”
“That’s what Father Busani said. He was sending one of his Associates to escort me.”
Ronovin flicked his ears in irritation. Busani… why must you do this to me? “Do you think you fought an Associate today?”
Chuck shrugged. “Maybe, I dunno. I was told you were an Associate, so I took it easy on you.”
“Took… it easy.” Ronovin boggled. He wasn’t sure what was worse. Busani calling him an Associate, or Chuck telling him that he fought like one. He chittered softly, images of Chuck brawling with the Father Busani dancing in his head.
Chuck raised an eyebrow. “What are you then?”
“I’m a… trainer.”
“Ah, you teach the new recruits.”
Ronovin paused. “Not… exactly.”
Chuck opened his mouth to speak, but let the conversation fall away.
Ronovin’s mind drifted to his Spec Ops trainees. Oh what he wouldn’t give to have someone like Chuck for his pupils to spar with. Tough enough to brawl forever and juuust slow enough that he could limit the training regimen to just a few simple maneuvers without making the fight impossible. Yet Chuck was strong and fast enough that one wrong move would result in a spectacular takedown. He would have to petition the Fathers to enlist a human for his future efforts. Oh how his trainees would hate him.
Ronovin glanced over at Chuck. He chittered softly, watching as Chuck sat mesmerized by the cities that passed below. If nothing else, at least Chuck was impressed by what Gao had built.
There were still unanswered questions. Well, now was as good a time as any. “I don’t understand why you kept revealing your strategy as we… studied. Surely exposing your position would weaken it, allowing an easier counter.”
Chuck smiled as he turned from the window. “Recall our… lesson. How many times in that conversation did I let you learn anything that would give you an edge?”
Ronovin closed his eyes, lost in thought.
“I disclosed exactly what I meant to, exactly when I meant to. No agreement can be reached unless both sides know what is at stake. Your side was fairly easy to decipher; Father Busani is not exactly subtle. You needed to know what I wanted, so that you could explore the results I sought for yourself. Contrary to popular belief, most fruitful negotiations do not have a losing party.”
“That’s… not what I meant. Each time you… manipulated me, you told me exactly what you were doing… and why.”
Chuck smiled. “It did not make it any less effective, thought, Did it? The best negotiating techniques not only remain effective if exposed, they can actually become more powerful. Good ideas do not suddenly become bad, just because you learned them from an adversary.” Chuck paused for only a moment. “Next you will ask me why I am telling you this. I still seek allies. I do not know what adversaries are out there, and I want to ensure that I have the strongest web of allies I can before I meet them. You said that sparring is how Gaoians learn about each other. If that is true, you may now know me better than anyone else on Gao.”
Ronovin reflected on the days events. Everyone who met with Chuck did seem to notice something… different about Chuck, and they had all believed that they understood him completely. Ronovin would make no such mistake. It would take a great deal more effort to truly know this being beside him. As the shuttle pulled in towards the Whitecrest Enclave, there was one more topic he wanted to cover.
“Chuck, If anyone asks about the fight, will you tell them I let you win?”
Chuck smiled mischievously. “I will say exactly that.”
Somehow, as the day drew to a close, that simple assertment terrified Ronovin more than anything else Chuck had said that day.
1y11m3d BV
Thalias’ office, Whitecrest Clan Enclave, Wi Kao, Gao
Thalias
There was a scratch on the door.
“Come in.” Thalias’ ears perked when he recognized his pupil. “Ah, just the operative I wanted to see.” Thalias beckoned Hiron.
Hiron sat in the indicated chair.
“I have two assignments for you. Both should be relatively short.” Thalias chittered softly. “The post at the Desolate Oasis must be re-staffed as soon as possible. You will be returning there. However, you have proven to me that your talents would be best put to use somewhere more important. I will be sending another trainee to relieve you as soon as I find a suitable candidate.”
Hiron simply nodded.
“Your other mission is a much more… delicate one. Success on this mission could very well complete your training for the second ring trials.”
Hiron’s ears perked up.
“I have created a test suitable for gauging Chuck’s ability to maintain clan secrets.” Thalias paused momentarily, noting Hiron’s concerned expression, before continuing. “I will negotiate with Chuck to secure your passage back to the Desolate Oasis. En-route you will administer this test.”
Hiron carefully listened to his orders. He acknowledged them, and left the office.
Thalias grinned as his Officer left. One step closer to procuring the finest free agent money could buy.