Iniquus stood still in shock after hearing what his aide had just said, but a mont later he began chuckling to himself.
"I see, they must have used the communication data they stole to figure out where we are. Still, I have the upper hand since they don't know who they are dealing with." Iniquus said, a confident smile slowly appearing on his face.
He had covered his tracks well to make sure that it would be nearly impossible to trace him as the true owner of the orbital station he was using as a base. Any records that could be found listed it as property of a shell company he had his subordinates create to hide his involvent.
Perhaps if the Alliance Police opened an investigation and used their vast resources and information network they could have figured it out, but he never believed that a group of rcenaries could have discovered this information in less than a single day.
Yet, what his aide told him next imdiately crushed the assurance that Iniquus had.
"My Lord, I'm afraid to say that the transmission the rcenaries sent is asking for you personally. I'm usure of how they've done it, but they do know that you are the one truly in charge of this station."
Iniquus' first reaction was disbelief, followed by anger. The advantage that he thought he possessed had imdiately disappeared.
"That shouldn't be possible! How could a band of imbecilic rcenaries learn about ?"
For several years, Iniquus had been seamlessly tricking rcenaries. Dangling the bait of high paying jobs to lure them into his web and ensnare them.
They certainly had skills when it ca to fighting, but he had never pegged any of them as significantly intelligent. Suddenly being bested by people he had looked down on imnsely hurt his pride.
"As I feared, things do not appear to be going well for us. My lord, I implore you again to consider retreating for now. Any advantage that we may have had is slipping away. These rcenaries have already proven to be formidable. I believe that interacting with them further will only lead to more damage to your plans and position."
"Silence. If I want your input, I shall ask for it. Even if those rcenaries have found out, it's clear that they are contacting because they fear my power. Now that they know who they are dealing with, they would rather hand over Grito and try to escape." Iniquus said, a devilish grin forming on his face as a plan ford in his mind.
All he needed to do was lure the rcenaries to his base and do as he had done several tis before. He would pretend to be willing to deal with them, and then when their guard was down, he would incapacitate them and have the special submission implant he used to control his troops placed into their heads.
Once that was done, he would have five new skilled soldiers at his disposal, and Vi'ivando's nephew back in his custody.
Everything would then be back on track, and he would receive the SCXD-011 as a bonus.
"Contact them back with a secure line. Make sure that it is impossible to trace and record. Figure out what sort of bargain they wish to present and only bring it to when you have learned everything. I must retain my authority by only appearing to finalize things." Iniquus said, giving his commands to his aide and leaving the room to rest in his parlor until the ti was right.
After his master had left, the aide sighed deeply and shook his head. He understood his lord's reasons for trying to dig himself out of the hole he had found himself in, but he felt the continuing would only lead to an even greater failure in the end.
"All I need to do is follow my orders." The aide said, a look of grim determination on his face.
Without wasting any ti, he prepared to send another transmission to Avery and his team.
For a few monts he waited for the call to be connected, before the faces of the rcenaries that had so thoroughly hindered his lord's plans appeared on the holoscreen.
"I was wondering if you were going to keep us waiting all da-. Wait! You're not Count Iniquus Dannoso. Who are you?"
Iniquus' aide could see the expression of confusion the blonde-haired young man on the other side of the screen wore.
He was certainly young, but the aide already knew that this man was Avery Asteria, and the leader of this group of rcenaries.
"It is as you say. I am not Lord Iniquus, simply his humble servant. As my na is unimportant, I will spare telling it to you. I've been given the duty of discussing the matter you wish to convey."
"Yeah, that's not going to work. Bring us to your boss. We don't want to discuss sothing this sensitive with soone that can't actually make decisions."
"I'm afraid that I cannot go against my lord's instructions. Should you have a problem with this, I recomnd that you end this call and forget about whatever it is you are trying to do."
The aide hid his feelings well behind a mask, but truthfully, he was hoping that Avery would terminate the transmission and have no further contact. He felt that this would be for the best.
Yet, the rcenaries had their own objectives, and they were not about to give up on them so easily.
"Fine. If that's the way this has to be, then we will do it your way." Avery said with a heavy sigh. "First, we know that your Lord Iniquus is the one that sent his private soldiers after us to retrieve sothing you guys lost."
On the holoscreen, a new figure that had not been there before suddenly ca into view.
Grito, tied to a chair and gaged, was now fully on display for the aide to see.
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