Baron Helian exhaled sharply, his frustration evident as he clenched his fists and glared at the hologram projected from the circular device that he has now come to realize wad a communication device before him.
The obliteration of the pirate base had already left him in a foul mood, but this?
A shadowy figure addressing him through an unknown communication device telling him he was the cause of such absolute destruction? It defied logic.
He wasn't a fool—whoever could do this demanded caution but he still.
"You bastard, once I get you, you would pay for the destruction of the space station."
"Just because you managed to escape from my doesn't mean you can do the same when the empire comes for you."
"The Empire would come after you, there would be no where for you to hide."
Sylas kindly gave him a few minutes of silence, showing him courtesy by allowing him to vent before speaking again.
His voice, while smooth, carried an unmistakable gravity that left no room for misinterpretation
"Once you are done pretending, find a secure location. We have much to discuss."
Helian hesitated but soon his angry facial expression fade but a frown remained.
In truth, he wasn't as enraged as he pretended to be.
His anger was only a performanc meant to find out information from the shadowy figure on the other end of the call.
Helian needed to gauge the extent of this man's knowledge and, more importantly, the level of threat he posed.
In a twisted way, this unexpected encounter could actually serve his interests.
His true goal had always been to expand his influence within this star system, and he already had a clear path to achieving it.
Once the space station was out of the picture, he would approach the Empire with a proposition: to fund and oversee the reconstruction of the space station while also facilitating resource extraction.
Even the destruction of the pirate worked well in his favour.
Helian had long considered eliminating them because they where slowly getting out of his control, but his entanglement with other pirate groups made direct action… unwise.
Destroying them himself would sever his beneficial ties with other pirate groups, and the fallout would affect his other operations as the saying goes 'Honour among thieves'.
"Since you already know," he murmured, "I suppose there's little point in continuing the charade."
"Don't worry, I am here to offer you some... Let's say good deals."
"Okay, give me a few minutes" Helian laughed, "I'll play along. But I expect whatever benefit you seek from this will profit me."
Helian immediately switched tones.
He did not believe in eternal enemies, only in eternal profit.
Without another word, he took the communicator from his captain and strode towards his private chambers, his mind working through several plans.
Once inside, he sealed the door, engaging multiple layers of security. He had barely sat down when the hologram flickered to life again.
"Tap the central button on the device," Sylas instructed.
Helian's eyes narrowed. He had no intention of blindly obeying. Yet, after a measured pause, he complied.
Instantly, a subtle electromagnetic pulse radiated through the room, rendering every surveillance and communication device—hidden or otherwise—completely deactivated, including the one he had discreetly activated upon entering.
A cold sensation tightened in his gut. This was not a standard type of technology; this was technology far beyond what he had encountered, the kind wielded only by the most important people in the empire... If they had it.
A distorted chuckle echoed through the hologram.
"Do not attempt that again," Sylas warned, his voice devoid of amusement now. "Next time, the consequences will be irreversible."
A bead of sweat formed on Helian's brow. From the level of technology he could already tell that he was dealing with someone far above his pay grade.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his tone edged with tension.
"Null," Sylas answered smoothly. "Leader of the group your empire so affectionately dubs the 'Night Raiders.' But we prefer to call ourselves the Black Revenant."
The colour visibly drained from Helian's face. He had heard the rumors—speculation wrapped in fear.
The Black Revenant was more than an insignificant upcoming insurgent faction; they were already becoming a big issue.
A relatively new force that had erased an entire military base without a single alarm tripping.
They had infiltrated and hijacked a top-secret research (The colony ship), hijacked military transport fleets, and even killed an imperial Aetherian.
The unsettling part wasn't what occurred but how it did.
For instance on the military base, to try to get to the bottom of it destruction several Aetherians had been sent to use their mind compulsion on the survivors. But still no result.
Every biological evidence recovered at their crime scene—blood, hair, DNA— and they all matched with personnel already listed in the Empire's databases.
The black box showed that they had been several glitches for a while which meant the system had been compromised a long time ago.
Although he couldn't get detailed report on the case he could still get some snippets and that made him scared, especially with the Empire keeping it all under wraps when they usually bring out defaulters like this and publicly execute them.
He forced himself to steady his breathing. "You expect me to believe you orchestrated all of that?"
"You already do," Sylas replied with a trace of amusement. "I see your fear."
Helian swallowed hard. He detested being manipulated, but the evidence was undeniable.
Whoever this was, they had information that no outsider should possess.
"Which state do you work for?" he pressed, hoping to extract something useful.
Sylas chuckled, "We don't answer to any state. We are merely individuals who have grown tired of the Crimson Empire's tyranny."
Helian almost scoffed at the claim. This operation was far beyond what any rebellious faction could achieve.
This was something more—a calculated force with precision, intelligence, and resources that rivaled the Empire's own intelligence divisions.
"What do you want from me?" Helian asked, shifting his posture as he leaned forward.
"Collaboration," Sylas said plainly. "You collaborated with the pirate group. You sanctioned the destruction of the space station. I have irrefutable proof. And should I choose to disseminate that evidence… Well, the Empire is not known for leniency in such matters."
Before Helian could say anything Sylas continued, "Oh, before I forget to mention, the involvement with the Black Revenant would also be included."
Helian's muscles tensed. The station's destruction? That could be dismissed—reconstructed, concealed, rewritten in official records.
But verifiable connections to Black Revenant? That was a different beast entirely. If he was tied to the Black Revenant, it would implicate him in dealings with insurgents.
In the eyes of the Empire, that was nothing short of treason, the least that would happen to him was death.
His mind raced through potential exits. Denial would achieve nothing; information, after all, was the deadliest weapon. And given their technological superiority, he had no way of gauging how deep their reach extended.
"So," he exhaled slowly, choosing his words carefully, "what precisely are you proposing?"
"An arrangement," Sylas said smoothly.
"You will cooperate with us, granting access to certain... accommodations, and in return, we will ensure your continued influence and survival as well as technology."
Helian hesitated. "And if I refuse?"
"Then I allow the Empire to decide your fate."
A heavy silence stretched between them. Helian closed his eyes briefly, calculating. Open defiance was suicide. Flight was impossible. But collaboration? That, he could navigate.
He reopened his eyes, his gaze hardening.
"How do I contact you?"
"You don't," Sylas answered. "I will reach out through this device. And, Baron—do not attempt to outmaneuver us. We have eyes everywhere."
Helian exhaled slowly, suppressing a frustrated sigh. He wasn't about to test them. Organizations like this were the most elusive, the hardest to counter—you couldn't exactly tell who was who.
"Fine," he conceded, his voice devoid of warmth. "But understand this—"
"We do not betray useful assets," Sylas interrupted. "Just ensure you do not become expendable."
The hologram flickered once before vanishing, leaving Helian alone in the dimly lit room.
He leaned back, exhaling deeply, his fingers running through his hair.
He had participated in dangerous power plays before, but this was different.
This wasn't about political rivalries or noble infighting. The Black Revenant operated outside the constraints of conventional power structures.
Operating with them was his only choice.