Chapter 20: Killing the Chicken to Scare the Monkeys
"As you wish, my Lord. I can go contact buyers right now," Verre offered.
"Wait. To sell at a good price, we definitely need to let the buyers see the product's actual effectiveness. What was the name of the faction that refused us earlier?" Lucan asked.
"The Void Consortium. It's an alliance formed by audacious pirates scattered throughout the void of the Expanse. They don't believe in anything sacred; they dare to sell anything. Profit is paramount in their eyes. They even dare to confront Rogue Traders or the Imperial Navy."
"Attack the Navy? Hasn't the Navy tried to eliminate them? Those pirate dinghies probably couldn't even withstand a single Navy broadside, could they?"
"The Void Consortium, as its name suggests, is a very nebulous organization. If you eliminate one group of pirates, others will quickly take their place.
And all the merchants in the Expanse, even the Navy, need someone to handle matters that can't be done openly – buying or selling sensitive information!
When you are powerful enough, this group's complex network can indeed bring us considerable benefits; they dare to do what others won't.
That's why the Dynasty chose them as our trading partners. But now, this pack of ingrates thinks we have no chance of recovery, or perhaps they've found a new backer."
Just a bunch of pirates; Lucan had already decided to make an example of them.
"Verre, suspend the crew's shore leave. Tell Damon to bring two companies, a force of two hundred men, in CMC armor, and assemble with me. Since they don't take me seriously, I'll have to use my fists to uphold the dignity of a Rogue Trader."
"It should be so! How can the Dynasty's authority be challenged by these pirates! My Lord! Please allow me to participate in this battle as well." Verre had been bottling up his frustration for a while; he was glad Lucan was being sufficiently firm!
Lucan didn't intend to completely annihilate the Void Consortium. He just wanted to show everyone that the Mongorte Dynasty was still powerful and use the lives of these pirates to endorse his merchandise.
Receiving the order, Damon immediately began to muster the personnel. Several shuttles started departing from the Golden Ram towards Footfall.
"Commander! The soldiers are ready!"
Lucan discovered that among the two hundred soldiers, many were his own warped-in Raynor's Raiders. Lucan could perceive them.
Since the quelling of the riot, Damon had already begun integrating the forces. Barracks production hadn't stopped either.
One hundred soldiers formed a company, with each company having 10 StarCraft soldiers as a cadre for leadership and training.
For now, each company consisted of 3 Firebats, 2 Medics, 5 Marauders, and 90 Marines.
Lucan now had 10 companies of these "Raiders" under his command. These soldiers were all veterans who had survived the riot, steadfast in will, and sufficiently loyal to Lucan.
Verre had also provided them with chainswords to replace the bayonets on the C-14 rifles, compensating for their melee shortcomings.
Lucan believed his Raiders would soon make a name for themselves.
Sets of CMC armor were distributed to the soldiers. If not for the shortage of metallic materials, production could have been even higher. Besides what the soldiers wore, about two hundred suits of combat armor were already stockpiled in the warehouse.
Subsequent crew members would need to compete for the qualification to wear CMC combat armor and join the Raiders.
Now, among the crew of the Golden Ram, joining the Raiders had become a matter of great honor.
"Target, Port Alfaroho! Advance!"
The contingent moved in disciplined order towards the target location. Lucan made no effort to hide their movements, and such a large formation naturally attracted everyone's attention.
In no time, news spread throughout Footfall. Smart people knew something big was about to happen.
Footfall's guards attempted to step forward to halt and inquire about the contingent's intentions – after all, normal trade required a relatively safe and stable environment – but upon seeing the Rogue Trader in the ranks, they wisely retreated.
What a joke! Here, if a Rogue Trader decided to eliminate you, you just had to accept it. No one would seek justice on your behalf.
However, just as the contingent entered Port Alfaroho, someone blocked their path.
Just as Lucan was wondering who could be so bold, he found the person before him looked very familiar…
Dark skin, ornate clothing, dazzling jewelry, and implants made of precious metals.
The woman before him stared at Lucan within the ranks, her eyes full of amusement.
"Jae Heydari?"
Lucan recognized the identity of the person before him. It was Jae Heydari, one of the few relatively normal characters from the Rogue Trader game, although her hands weren't exactly clean… Lucan had even completed her romance route in the game.
Compared to the other deranged individuals in the game, Jae was witty, humorous, possessed high emotional intelligence, and could get along well with most people.
Of course, she was also an opportunist and similarly obsessed with profit, just not to an extreme extent.
It seemed the world he had transmigrated to still had some connection to the game on his computer; in that case, perhaps some information could be utilized… for example, that Necron tomb here… and there was also a C'tan Shard…
"Honored Rogue Trader, Jae of the Kasballica Group greets you."
"Oh? Kasballica? So, what brings you to me?"
Lucan had learned about this organization in the game. They had arrived here when the Expanse was first discovered. Their founders could be traced back to the criminal syndicates from the Sol Sector who were among the first to arrive in the Calixis Sector.
They were also the most powerful underground trade organization in the entire Expanse, their scale spanning multiple star sectors. Compared to the pirates' disregard for order, Kasballica leaned more towards lawfulness; they also saw themselves more as merchants. Their leaders liked to style themselves with noble titles like Baron or Duke, though true Imperial nobles would only consider such titles a joke.
They were keen on cultivating relationships with Rogue Traders and striking deals with them. However, precisely because of their merchant nature, they insisted on taking a hefty profit from every transaction.
Therefore, cooperating with Kasballica inevitably meant surrendering a portion of the profits.
"I have already heard of the disrespect shown to you by the pirates of the Void Consortium. Truly a short-sighted bunch. Compared to them, I believe you are undoubtedly a powerful Rogue Trader. Since those pirates don't know what's good for them, I would very much like to become your new collaborator."
"So, are you representing yourself, or Kasballica of Footfall?" Lucan asked with interest.
"I represent only myself. I am merely a spokesperson for Kasballica, not entirely a Kasballica person. To be honest, the Group is still observing you, but I trust my own judgment," Jae said this with extraordinary confidence.
"You really are an opportunist."
"I shall take that as a compliment, my Lord! Only thus can one maximize profit, no?"
"Then what can you offer me?"
"I can help you find any goods you desire, and I can also help you sell those items that cannot see the light of day, all for a very small service fee – lower than any other broker in all of Footfall. Moreover, I can provide you with the true hideouts of those pirates in the port. Instead of taking out the Consortium's public puppets, it would be far more satisfying to directly eliminate their leaders here.
You know that organizations like ours never place their true sanctuaries in plain sight. And I have my intelligence channels. Don't underestimate them just because they are pirates; to have a foothold in Footfall, they too have their strengths."
"That sounds like a good offer! I accept, Jae!"
"It is my honor to serve you."
(End of Chapter)