Nikita hissed is surprise.

  Caliban barely looked up from the three monitors he was studying, typing frantically on his keyboard, doing his best to put out a dozen metaphoric fires while both assuring multiple administrative factions of Blue Corp’s continued neutral status and the many mutually beneficial economic opportunities that awaited smooth relations, in addition to juggling the handful off exquisitely choice territories his surprisingly talented and outrageously deadly business partner had flipped his way. Territories that appeared to be so shockingly fertile with such rich levels of magical and spiritual energy that they would not have been out of place upon Imperia Prime.

  Even if they just barely made the cut, those choice provinces were among the choicest real estate ever to cross his desk, surpassed only by the actual storybook wonders that glorious wildcard of a Contender who seemed to be able to fuse living dream with reality had sent under his care. Or granted to his sister, who was now, arguably, Caliban’s closest political ally and the support he would desperately need, after the Emperor’s unforgiving demands had just left his faction completely defenseless, save for stationary turrets and a supplementary force he was now doing everything in his power to muster and entice into existence.

  “Caliban, this is urgent!”

  “So is everything, Nikita,” Caliban said with a tired sigh, before wincing at the glare his lover gave him before accepting the call.

  A call that stunned him almost as much as the fight that a good percentage of the world’s elites had just witnessed.

  “This is Starship Saber7Y of Tiger Fleet requesting secured communication with Prince Caliban Caerulus.”

  Caliban stiffened only momentarily at the sight of the woman before him. The hard eyes of a Deep Bronze met his own, wearing the scars of more than a few battles, presently kitted in her admiral’s uniform.

  A face Caliban was quite familiar with.

  “Admiral Reiza. A pleasure, as always.”

  This earned a tight smile. “Likewise, Your Grace. Tell me we are secure, Caliban.”

  Caliban dipped his head. “We are.”

  “Good. Then let both our houses be bound by the covenant we strike.”

  Chilled, Caliban nodded, even as he flashed his hands.

  Nikita paled, hissing and demanding everyone leave the command center, no matter how urgent their business.

  Within seconds a once busy and extremely hectic command center was empty of all save Caliban and the woman staring back at him. Only then did he give the tiniest dip of his head. “Frequency Zeta 3”

  “Done,” she said, the screen crackling momentarily before snapping back into crystal clear focus, now revealing both the admiral, a handful of elite professionals before shimmering force cage behind her, and the absolute last person he would have expected to see.

  The rabbit waved an ear his way. “How’s it going, Calibro?”

  He hid his stupefaction with a bob of his head, mind racing with the implications of the completely unexpected anomaly before him, using every bit of his class skills and enhanced intellect to fathom the implications when the admiral’s words instantly put it all into perspective.

  “So, you know this individual?”

  Caliban solemnly nodded. “I do.”

  “Excellent! Now, our guest here is curious about the spot price for a particular product. We’ve done our best to explain that there is a vast difference between having legitimate, certified products procured through properly licensed and bonded primary, secondary, and tertiary parties, then earning partial commissions on scavenged goods that, without the right market makers and backing, have no real value at all.”

  Caliban hid his smile. “Truly. How fascinating.”

  “Indeed. I’m sending you a list of thirty major components of ship salvage and would like the spot prices for the dozen primary markets within our neighboring sectors. I will of course pay standard fees by discrete channels for this service.”

  “Sure, we could totally do that!” Bunbun said. “But let’s save time by starting with the spot price on the most valuable treasure to be found within any dreadnought or imperial class starship!”

  The admiral froze. The scientists blanched, and Caliban’s thoughts raced at the request.

  But of course it all made sense.

  And before Reiza could protest the oddly unexpected interruption, Caliban was already presenting the numbers.

  “O.84 T on the Jitan market. -0.92 T in the Amarinth sector, and 0.83 on the Dixen Exchange.”

  Reiza’s jaws tightened, her eyes flashing with heat while Bunbun beamed with happiness. “Awesome! Now could someone please tell me what ‘T’ stands for?”

  Reiza blinked, turning to face the familiar, Caliban speaking into the heartbeat’s silence before the admiral could. “T refers to trillion. As in, The item in question that you are speaking of is worth 0.84 Trillion credits on the most liquid of all markets.”

  The rabbit’s ears positively quivered, eyes widening with awed wonder. “Are you freekin’ serious? Fucking HELL YEAH! THAT’S what I’m talking about!”

  Reiza sneered, crossing her arms and gazing disparagingly at the bunny. “You claim to have unverified salvage with neither primary, secondary, nor tertiary origin certificates, nor do you have access to any trading house or brokerage. You are unlicensed, unbonded, and are legally in absolutely no position to ask for anything more than the wages paid to an employee for three hour’s hazardous duty.”

  The admiral’s carmine lips twisted in an absolutely ruthless smile, her violet eyes sparkling with delight as she quoted a number that made the rabbit stiffen.

  “Which, I will be extremely generous, and say that your three hours hazard pay nets you ten thousand credits. Which will be deducted from the cost of shipping you to the populated world of our choice, whereupon the balance of 1.2 million credits will be paid immediately or deferred at 20% compounded interest.”

  Even the scientists blanched at that, gazing almost pityingly at the bunny, Caliban able to read the lips of all four as flawlessly as anyone in his position should.

  “Poor sucker’s going to get fleeced. It should have let us take the cores off its hands for free passage anywhere, before we got the admiral involved.”

  “Has no chance against the commander. Not with her skill levels!”

  Bunbun looked shell shocked, lost and foundering upon deep, treacherous seas.

  Caliban said absolutely nothing, as much as he regretted the limitations of his position.

  The admiral’s smile grew. “So, am I to take silence for acceptance? Excellent. As you’ve voiced no objections to our arrangement, I’ll have dear Prince Caerulus draw up the writs of indenturement you will be bound to until you pay off your…”

  “Sir! Mission complete!”

  Reiza snorted. “Don’t think you can weasel out of your position now, rabbit. We offered you amnesty in return for immediate discharge of our property, but as you forced me into this position to make this call…”

  “Forgive me, Admiral. But I’m not referring to you. I’m referring to my master’s business partner. On whose behalf in am offering to negotiate for the sale of three pristine prizes that we all know the nature of!”

  Reiza chuckled coldly. “Do you truly take us for such fools, that—”

  Caliban gave the rabbit an approving nod. “Excellent, Bunbun. Your master will be pleased to know that you’ve successfully made contact with a third party of such sterling reputation on our behalf.”

  Reiza froze, slowly turning Caliban’s way. “You don’t seriously expect me to believe that this rabbit is acting as your representative!?”

  “As a matter of fact that is exactly what I expect you to believe. For it is nothing less than the truth,” Caliban solemnly assured. “Her master happens to be an equal shareholder of the Terran chapter of Blue Corp Bank. So that which benefits Blue Corp and our bank here on Earth, benefits him as well.” Caliban met the admiral’s glare with a tight smile of his own. “Thus, as a properly licensed and bonded party with Imperial licenses for the trade and manufacture of all legitimate products, including the most highly regulated of ship equipment, such as Hyperion Cores, for example… I shall be more than happy to take over the negotiations on behalf of our Terran bank branch for the sale of the items in question.”

  Reiza blanched. “Wait, you’re saying… no, there’s no way those were on Terra… this is absurd!”

  Caliban gazed pointedly at the admiral. “However likely or unlikely the particular nuances of this unique trading opportunity are is utterly irrelevant, Admiral Reizia. At this point, there’s only one question you should be asking yourself.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  She crossed her arms glaring at Caliban’s image. “And that would be?”

  “How wonderful a discount you can get on the cores we both know you need for the dreadnoughts that have just been remanded into the imperial fleet, no?”

  She blanched, eyes widening. “No. There’s no way you could no about...”

  Caliban cut her off with his too-knowing smile. “0.82 Trillion credits. A full 10 million discount over the Ricen exchange.”

  “Outrageous!” The admiral hissed. “There is no way we will pay prime rates on unverified cores held in the ES space of a ragged flee-bitten excuse for an undead pet!”

  Caliban dipped his head even as a smirking Bunbun wilted, looking genuinely hurt.

  “I’m neither ragged nor flee-bitten. I’m a perfectly wonderful pet,” she whispered too softly for anyone but Caliban to pick up.

  Caliban knew it was absurd. Feelings were utterly trivial in matters of negotiation. All the more so when the slightest tick of a hundredth of a point could feed or beggar a thousand employees.

  Nonetheless, he gave the crestfallen rabbit a quick wink before addressing the peeved looking admiral directly.

  “So, what you’re saying is that it’s a matter of quality assurance. Am I correct in inferring that such prices are acceptable if we can ascertain that the core is in pristine condition?”

  Reiza blinked, looking sightly flustered. “Well that would be the most baseline of requirements of course, but—”

  “Excellent. And I trust that your scientists can make such a determination?”

  The admiral glanced at the scientists who looked suddenly very smug.

  “Yes, this would be acceptable.”

  “Excellent!” Caliban said jovially. “Then I’m sure the Hyperion calibrator I see the leftmost of your crew placing out of sight will work admirably well.”

  The man froze, cleared his throat, nodded thoughtfully at the tool in his hand, then placed it on top of the Faraday force cage Bunbun was now slowly hopping across the chrome alloy floor plating toward, eyes turning to gaze at the computer banks filled with blinking lights and monitors showing the planet from all angles and the massive dreadnought fleet overhead.

  Both scientists and admiral had gone deathly quiet, faces tense with the realization of just how serious, how perilous the situation had just become. Immediately, a ship summoned force field surrounded the rabbit and the force cage.

  The scientists just beyond frowned, clearly having to concentrate harder to maintain the force cage with their arts with the secondary automatic force field up, but certainly no one wanted to take any unnecessary chances.

  “Alright, rabbit. We’re within the meridian of this planet’s gravity well. The cores should be almost free of all radiation discharge at this altitude. All you need to do is carefully withdraw the core and press it against the force cage. It will accept and float toward the center, whereupon the Hyperion calibrator will ascertain the quality of the core.”

  Caliban kept his features cool, a reassuring face looking on, even as he saw the rapid pulse of nape hairs between uniform and scalp that gave away just how anxious the admiral was. In truth, he was surprised she was even exposing herself by being the face of such perilous negotiations. But considering that she was in the midst of negotiations involving property with a market value of over two and a half Trillion credits… perhaps he could understand.

  Seconds ticked as sweat dripped from too many brows while Eric’s familiar slowly approached the shimmering force cage with a determined stride, prudent enough to step right before it, as if shielding the ship with its body before a sudden flash of light that momentarily cut out the screens… though the sound of several startled cries came through loud and clear.

  “Admiral Reiza! Are you there?” Caliban barked.

  His only answer was the crackling static.

  He clenched his fists, heart hammering, when the screen abruptly snapped back into clear focus, Caliban’s eyes immediately going to the brilliantly shimmering object in the center of the Faraday cage, shimmering with unearthly colors that his mind screamed to interpret, glowing brown and a piercing shade of green that somehow defied comprehension… a priceless glowing orb bobbing gently between a quartet of hard-eyed professionals all wearing officer’s uniforms and intent expressions that, thankfully, didn’t look taxed to the point of breaking like poor fools who tried to contain such a thing on a planetary surface.

  Yet it was only when the orb ceased its gyrations, its evolution of flashing superluminal shades Caliban could see, even on his arcane frequency monitor as the object settled into the heart of the cage, it’s mad spinning at last slowing down such that the scientist’s shoulders slumped with the suddenly release of tension. The one with the captain’s insignia turning to salute his commander.

  “We have successfully stabilized it, sir!”

  “Very good,” Admiral Reiza said, dipping her head in acknowledgment, before looking at the blinking display and frowning. “Odd.”

  Bunbun, however, whooped. “That thing says it has 99.99999999976% Integrity!”

  Reiza flashed an apologetic smile. “Yet it’s not 100%, regrettably. That cuts into the pristine state that’s so vital to smooth ship operations.” She affected a sigh. “Two steps away from trash.”

  Caliban snorted. “Considering that the Amarinth sector’s 0.92 T spot price is due in large part to it’s integrity requirements… requirements that this core more than exceeds, it’s fair to say that the Amarinth price point will serve our baseline.”

  Reiza crossed her arms, brow furrowing. “My ships are precision instruments, Caliban. You know we won’t accept anything but the best.”

  This earned a hard smile. “Of course. So no doubt you’re more than prepared to pay the price of cores that exceed even Amarinth sector’s stringent requirements, no?”

  He grinned Bunbun’s way. “Perhaps we should have a 1.2T starting offer, in light of how precisely fine-tuned your fleet’s flag ships are, Admiral.”

  Violet eyes flashed with sudden heat. “Careful, Caliban. I will not be take advantage of.”

  “Of course. Which is why we will accept 0.92 T per core possessing 99.999999% integrity or higher.”

  The admiral glared Caliban’s way for long moments. “One half trillion per core. Not a single credit more. You can take it, or you can take my personal recommendation that we cut off all ties to Blue Corp and trade exclusively with Blade Consortium from this day forward.”

  The engineer’s conversations cut off, all of them gazing the admiral’s way in stunned disbelief. Apparently even they hadn’t expected her to play that degree of hardball.

  Caliban hid the sudden prickle of cold dread racing down his spine with the cold look the admiral was giving him. Both of them knowing just how perilous that would be for Blue. That Blade Consortium would both welcome the favored status and be more than happy to pay exorbitant prizes, should Blue Corp friendly operations suffer Blitzkrieg attacks with 100% fatalities throughout the entire sector. Without a single prize of war being claimed. The aggressors vanishing without a trace, no one having any idea who they were.

  Caliban would know. As would the ruthless commander he nodded to, even now.

  Not daring to call such a perilous bluff.

  Instead, he dipped his head. Keeping his face as stoic as granite.

  “Your counter offer is more than acceptable... in light of our favored trading status with your faction.”

  Reiza’s ruthless gaze transformed as if my magic into a dimpled smile. “Wonderful, dear Caliban. I look forward to a long and mutually profitable relationship between our two factions. It is always such a pleasure to negotiate with a true professional. Now, we’ll send the first installment to the Terran branch of your bank, at which time your… courier will present the second prize, and we will go from there.”

  Caliban’s fingers didn’t tremble at all when he sent her the necessary data to initiate the transfer, though he did carefully check the fund balance before the engineers took the now stabilized core and force cage, presumably to deliver it to one of the three dreadnoughts he could see upon the monitors and displays in the control room.

  Reiza smiled, clearly pleased with how events were unfolding, even if she hadn’t been able to rob them completely blind. No doubt she had expected to get those cores at double the price she was now paying, and Caliban, for his part, was not such a fool as to complain about the shocking windfall his partnership-owned bank branch was now being enriched by.

  The wealth used to equip an entire royal fleet, or its three priceless crown jewels. The wealth of a kingdom that had expanded by military might to claim over half a dozen worlds.

  “I trust all is to your satisfaction, Caliban?”

  He solemnly nodded, not even minding the bite behind her smile. “It is.”

  “Excellent. Our experts have returned. Now, for the second core. Let’s hope it is at least as intact as the first.”

  Caliban suppressed a grimace, having absolutely no doubt that Reiza would use that as an excuse to force smaller payouts, truly raking in the profits. Yet much to his satisfaction and genuine surprise, despite their short stint upon Earth, both were so near to perfect that not even the Hyperion Scanner could tell the difference.

  The ship cabin filled with the admiral’s delighted chuckle. “How wonderful. Just as pristine as I could have hoped for! Of course this won’t affect our agreed upon price, Caliban.”

  “Of course,” he solemnly concurred, dipping his head.

  And despite the long seconds it took Eric’s familiar to deposit the final core, seeming to tremble with what Caliban feared might be exhaustion, for a heartbeat seeming almost to fumble to the horror of everyone present… it too was deposited successfully.

  It too had a Perfect rating.

  Reiza was smiling with undeniable satisfaction when she made the final deposit.

  “I trust all is in order, Prince Caerulus?”

  “Indeed it is, Admiral Reiza,” Caliban said perhaps a bit too breathlessly, earning a sharp smile. But all she said was, “May the credits serve you well, Caliban. I shall give my personal recommendation to my queen that we extend our favored trader status with your faction for the remainder of this cycle. Reiza out.”

  Caliban blinked at the suddenly blank screen, thoughts whirling with the incredible windfall his partner’s remarkably resourceful familiar had made out of what should have been absolute catastrophe. Three times the fortune he had managed to secure for the young Contender he had taken such an unexpected shine to. And much to his incredulity, these fortunes were not being restricted, put in escrow, or denied to him at all.

  It was all here. 1.5 Trillion credits. A shockingly fortunate turn of events.

  And it was still some seconds of taking deep, shuddering breaths, his mind racing with all the frantic measures and steps with which he might use this fortune to secure their position and so much more. Because with his partner’s permission, it might just hold the keys to rescuing Blue Corp holdings far beyond what Eric or his familiar might imagine.

  Only then did Caliban freeze, gazing at the blank monitor that had cut off far too quickly.

  Too quick for any Inquisitor to put to the question.

  Too quick for any foe of either of their factions to track down.

  And far too quick for Caliban to assure to one final niggling detail that made him put his head in his hands and curse softly under his breath.

  All that effort to negotiate as grand a payoff for his partner, and his faction, as he possibly could… and he hadn’t had a chance to ask for the tiniest of concessions from the smirking admiral who herself had no doubt paid less than half of what she had been prepared to.

  And that was requesting safe passage for Eric’s familiar to come home.