[Sector 8 - The Nebula of Rust]
The Revenant floated silently in the orange fog. Ahead of them, the metal planet of User 006 loomed like a dead god. It was covered in massive orbital rings, half of which were shattered.
Swarming around those rings like flies on a corpse were hundreds of jagged, rusty ships. The Junkers.
"They are locking onto us," Admiral Valerius warned, his hands gripping the command console. "Three hundred light fighters, fifty salvage cruisers. They don't have our firepower, but in this fog, they can swarm us."
"Let them hail us," Alex said, taking a sip of his coffee. "I want to hear their pitch."
[The Extortion]
A static-filled screen popped up on the bridge. A hulking alien with cybernetic eyes and a rebreather mask glared at them. His armor was made of welded scrap.
[Designation: Captain Skrap - The Rust Brotherhood.] [Status: Hostile.]
"Attention, Dreadnought," Captain Skrap's voice was a metallic growl. "You have entered the territory of the Rust Brotherhood. This Forge is our claim. Power down your weapons and transfer a toll of 500,000 Galactic Credits, or we will strip your ship for parts with you inside."
Luna stepped forward, her hand on her sword. "Master. Give me a pod. I will clear them out."
Valerius shook his head. "Too many targets, assassin. We need to use the main cannons. It will cost us fuel and time, but we can break their lines."
Alex looked at the screen. He didn't see an army. He saw cheap labor.
"Captain Skrap," Alex leaned into the microphone. "You want 500,000 GC just to let me pass?"
"That's the price for your lives, rich boy," Skrap sneered, seeing Alex's clean suit. "Pay up, or die."
[The Buyout]
"You think too small," Alex sighed. He opened his System Interface. "Dawn. Do a market valuation on the Rust Brotherhood. Ships, weapons, and personnel."
"Scanning..." Dawn replied. "Total asset value of the Scavenger Fleet: 800,000 GC. They are highly depreciated."
Alex looked back at the screen. "I don't pay tolls," Alex said coldly. "But I do buy companies. I'll give you 1,000,000 GC. For everything. Your ships, your crew, your loyalty. You work for me now."
Captain Skrap paused. The sneer wiped off his face. "One... One million? Are you insane? No one buys a whole Scavenger Guild! We are outlaws!"
"I don't care what you are," Alex tapped his Black Card on the console. "I care about efficiency. If I shoot you, I waste time. If I buy you, I get a mining crew for my new planet."
Alex hit transfer.
[Transaction Authorized.] [Expenditure: 1,000,000 GC.] [Current Balance: 2,500,000 GC.]
PING.
Every ship in the Junker fleet received a notification. Their rusted dashboards lit up with solid gold numbers. Captain Skrap looked down at his personal console. His jaw dropped behind his rebreather.
"The money... it cleared," Skrap stammered. He had been scavenging for twenty years and had never seen a million Credits.
"Now," Alex's voice dropped to a dangerous whisper. "I am the CEO of the Rust Brotherhood. My first order: Move your trash out of my way. Then, start mining the perimeter. Anyone who disobeys is fired. Out of a cannon."
[The Submission]
Skrap swallowed hard. He looked at the massive Dreadnought, then at his bank account. "Yes, Boss!" Skrap saluted frantically. "All ships, clear the lane! Form a perimeter! The Boss wants to park!"
The swarm of 350 ships instantly parted, forming a perfectly respectful guard of honor for the Revenant.
Valerius stared at the viewscreen in utter disbelief. "You just conquered an entire outlaw fleet... in thirty seconds... without firing a shot."
"War is expensive, Valerius," Alex adjusted his cuffs. "Acquisitions are tax-deductible."
[The Real Threat]
The Revenant flew past the bowing Scavengers and approached the metal planet. As they crossed the first orbital ring, the planet reacted.
It wasn't dead.
Massive red lines of energy flared across the continents of metal. Huge, planetary-scale defense turrets rotated, locking onto the Revenant.
"System Warning!" Dawn's avatar flashed bright red. [Target: The Forge of User 006.] [Status: Automated Defense Protocol Awakened.] [Scanning Intruder...]
A voice echoed not just on the bridge, but directly into Alex's mind. It was a cold, mechanical voice that sounded exactly like the God-Tycoon System.
"Intruder detected. System User 009 recognized. Warning: This territory belongs to the Estate of User 006. To enter the Forge, you must prove your capital. Submit a Proof of Wealth of 100,000,000 GC in 60 seconds, or be terminated."
Alex's eyes widened. [Current Balance: 2,500,000 GC.]
He was short. And the planetary cannons were glowing bright orange.