Fringe sectors
Vega system
Fort Muerto
Baron Rosso, 79 biological years old, married. Has children from his wives and numerous concubines. Rich. His main source of income is based on illegal practices in fringe sectors. Robbery, extortion, assassinations, drug trafficking, slavery, prostitution. Cruel. Extremely dangerous.
Baron Rosso sat at the table (authentic Resolute) in his huge office at Muerto station and glared at the one who actually owned everything around him. And even his life. He looked at Summer.
Of course, it was not the real Summer, merely a holographic image. According to rumours, no one has ever seen Summer in person. She stood at the huge panoramic window. Ships belonging to all kinds of factions and classes were slowly sailing past the thick armored glass. Maybe the broadcast was carried out from an actual station, or maybe it was all a computer simulation.
— They also started to build destroyers. But that’s not going to help them...
Summer's voice was gentle, low, sensual. Summer’s stature was gorgeous. Her eyes bottomless. And the mark. ‘Mark of the Damned’ — the Baron spat over his shoulder In his thoughts. But only in his thoughts. The higher Revenant hierarchs did not like external manifestations of feelings. Especially if those feelings belonged to them. ‘Summer, switching bodies. Forever young, but with a thousand-year-old woman's brain. Dangerous. Deadly. But what a figure!’ — Baron continued to contemplate the curves of her back. The woman at the window did not turn to him.
An hour ago her numerous emissaries and militants arrived at the station. Most likely, her dreadnought was somewhere close by. They said it's as black as Summer’s very soul. If she even had a soul. Her people quickly seized control of the station, replacing Baron’s employees in all key positions. Then they started digging in databases and secret recesses of the station. Her picture was hanging in the office. And he, Baron Rosso, one of the most influential bosses of the Cartel, was afraid of her.
— That girl Frost got ahead of us almost everywhere. She found Northstar first. Her people were the first to enter the Leviathan. Almost all of our operations were disrupted, even though we gabe Frost and her mercenaries a good beating. We got a lot of new tech. But all the cells I’ve been working on for half a year after the summer defeat are destroyed again. Looks like we have a mole.
Her voice was calm. She never started yelling. This made her words even harder to stomach.
— My Security Service believes that the leak is coming from you structures, baron. This is someone from the Cartel. Unfortunately, the investigation yielded nothing. We searched Muerto top to bottom. Checked all your people. Nothing important. But the mole is somewhere very close.
Summer turned and stared at the Baron. He held her gaze. But it was not easy.
— We’re leaving. I’m expected somewhere else. But our conversation is not over.
The screen turned off, and the image vanished. The Baron sighed. She checked everything on the station. Everything except for one place. His brain. The Baron closed his eyes.
Cryptogram NN00-542134
From: Shrike
To: Ms. Frost, Klauss inc.
Posted: Friday, January 15th.
Subject: The Lady’s Visit
I inform you that the person of interest paid a visit to my humble abode today. She is angry. All her plans have been thwarted. The visit, as always, was virtual. The actual location of the Lady and her plans are unknown.