[Sector 8 - The Forge (Executive Suite)]
Alex sat in his newly furnished office, reviewing the financial reports of his newest acquisition. [Asset: Starlight Drives Inc.] [Status: 51% Majority Shareholder. Hostile Takeover Complete.]
"Dawn," Alex sipped his coffee. "What is the status of the Syndicate's supply chain?"
"Critical, Sir," Dawn replied. "By redirecting all Class-A Warp Engines to The Forge, you have halted 80% of the Syndicate's shipbuilding. Lord Orion's former allies are bleeding millions by the hour."
Alex smiled. "Good. Let them bleed. When they are desperate enough, we will buy their debt too."
In the corner of the room, Luna stood perfectly still, her silver hair catching the ambient light of the planetary furnace. Suddenly, her eyes snapped open. The temperature in the room plummeted to absolute zero.
"Master. Move."
[The Strike]
Luna didn't draw her swords. She lunged forward, throwing her entire body over Alex, pushing his chair backward.
A microsecond later, the space where Alex's head had been... shattered. There was no sound, no flash of light. Just a tear in reality, like cracked glass.
Out of the dimensional tear stepped a figure entirely wrapped in bandages made of dark matter. [Designation: The Wraith.] [Affiliation: The Silent Hand (Apex Assassin Guild).] [Threat Level: Fatal.]
"Target missed," The Wraith whispered, its voice sounding like grinding static. "Recalibrating."
Luna spun, her void blades materializing in her hands. She launched a blinding flurry of strikes, moving so fast she created afterimages. But her blades phased right through the assassin.
"Phase-Shift Armor," Luna gritted her teeth, standing between the Wraith and Alex. "It exists between dimensions. Physical attacks cannot touch it."
"Correct, S-Class," The Wraith raised a hand, forming a blade of condensed anti-matter. "The Syndicate paid a premium for guaranteed results."
[The Flex]
Alex dusted off his custom-tailored suit and stood up. He didn't look scared. He looked annoyed.
"Phase-Shift Armor," Alex opened his System Interface. "Dawn. What is the countermeasure for a dimensional shift?"
"Scanning..." Dawn replied instantly. "Target's armor operates on a micro-frequency quantum loop. Purchasing a 'Quantum Disruptor Field' will force him into base reality. Cost: 5,000,000 GC."
Alex checked his balance. [11,100,000 GC.] He was low on liquid cash, but he had enough to swat a fly.
"Buy it. Activate immediately."
[Transaction Authorized. Expenditure: 5,000,000 GC.]
A pulse of invisible energy blasted from Alex's watch. The Wraith froze. The dark matter bandages around his body sparked violently, turning from ethereal smoke into solid, heavy cloth. The dimensional tear behind him collapsed.
"My... my phase-drive," The Wraith panicked, his voice no longer static, but a human-like gasp. "What did you do?!"
"I brought you down to my level," Alex stepped forward, his eyes flashing with Tycoon's Aura. "Luna. Take out the trash."
Without the Phase-Shift, the assassin was just a man. Luna didn't hesitate. Her void blade flashed once. The Wraith's anti-matter weapon clattered to the floor. The assassin fell to his knees, utterly defeated, gasping for breath.
[The Price Tag]
Alex walked over to the defeated assassin and picked up his dropped datapad. He scrolled through the contract.
"The Silent Hand," Alex read aloud. "Contract Issuer: The Syndicate of Eight. Target: Alex (User 009)."
Alex stopped reading. His expression darkened. The Tycoon's Aura flared so intensely that the reinforced glass windows of the suite began to crack.
Luna stepped back, sensing her master's genuine rage. "Master? Are you injured?"
"Injured?" Alex's voice was a terrifyingly calm whisper. "Look at this contract, Luna. Look at what the Syndicate paid to have me killed."
Luna looked at the datapad. [Bounty Reward: 50,000,000 GC.]
"Fifty million," Alex laughed, a cold, humorless sound. "I just bought their biggest company for 71 Million. I own a planet. I have five planetary defense subscriptions. And they put a bounty on me for fifty measly million credits?"
Alex crushed the datapad in his hand. "They didn't just try to kill me. They insulted my net worth."
Alex turned to Dawn. "Dawn. Open the Intergalactic Mercenary Guild network. It's time to show these old-money dinosaurs how a real Tycoon spends his capital."