Meanwhile, inside the so-called 'safe' bunker—Iaco Stark gripped his communicator with shaking hands, his breath ragged. "This is Stark! Does anyone copy?! Hello?! DOES ANYONE—"
The bunker door exploded inward. The reinforced durasteel was ripped apart like paper, torn asunder by spectral hands. The shrieking wraiths poured in, their eyeless forms fixated on the man inside.
Stark stumbled backward, his communicator falling to the floor. Then—they grabbed him. Cold, intangible fingers wrapped around his limbs. The wraiths dragged him forward, his boots scraping uselessly against the floor. He fought, kicking, gasping, but there was nothing to struggle against.
And then—he saw him.
The same man . The same unreadable blue eyes.
Jin-Woo stood waiting, unmoving, as Stark was dropped in front of him like an offering. The pirate didn't speak. His breath came in short gasps, his heartbeat pounding in his skull.
Jin-Woo raised a hand. A simple gesture. The meaning was clear. We need to talk. Somewhere quieter.
Stark's body went rigid. He knew exactly what that meant. He shook his head frantically. "No. No, no, no—you might kill me in my office—"
Jin-Woo tilted his head, his voice as calm as ever. "If you're useless, I'll kill you now."
Stark froze.
Jin-Woo's eyes didn't waver. His tone was flat, absolute. "The only difference is you might live longer."
Iaco Stark led Jin-Woo through the ruined corridors of his base, his steps uneasy, shoulders tense. The survivors—pirates, mercenaries, smugglers—watched in utter silence.
Jin-Woo ignored them. The heavy cloak draped over his form, his face obscured—save for a single portion, revealing only his piercing blue eyes.
Whispers spread among the survivors, hushed and fearful.
"The Plague Man…"
"The Wraith Conjurer…"
"He didn't kill everyone. Why? Why did he leave some of us alive?"
No one dared to ask aloud.
The walk was long, but Jin-Woo never broke pace. His steps were measured, slow, deliberate. It was Stark who was sweating.
Finally, they reached his office.
The doors slid open, revealing a lavish but fortified chamber, dimly lit and lined with holoprojectors. Unlike the rest of the base, it was untouched by the chaos outside.
And standing inside—waiting—were two heavily armed guards.
Each one was clad in custom durasteel armor, reinforced with built-in energy shielding, their helmets covering their entire faces. They weren't ordinary enforcers. These were Iaco Stark's elite bodyguards.
They carried electrostaves—long, two-meter weapons crackling with energy, capable of overloading a lightsaber's blade upon impact. At their sides, they carried heavy blaster pistols, and judging from their stance, their fingers were already twitching toward the triggers.
Stark exhaled, forcing a chuckle. "I hope my guards don't offend you."
Jin-Woo said nothing. His silence was worse. The air in the room grew heavier.
The guards didn't shift, didn't speak. But their grips on their weapons tightened.
Stark cleared his throat. "May I know your na—"
"Joever Bideney ," Jin-Woo interrupted. "That's my name."
Stark blinked. Once. Twice. His lips parted, as if he wanted to question it, but the sheer absurdity of this man—**who had just turned his base into a horror movie—**was enough to stop him.
"...Right. Sir Joever Bideney ," Stark said slowly. "I can offer compensation since I seem to have… miscalculated the situation."
Jin-Woo didn't even blink. "Just explain to me—you're going to war with the Republic for the first time. Tell me your plan."
Stark hesitated. "...Before that, I need to know. Are you an agent of the Republic? Some kind of Jedi secret weapon?"
Jin-Woo scoffed. "Since when do Jedi brutally kill everyone? I'm on my own side."
Stark exhaled through his nose. "...Alright."
He walked toward a console in the center of the office. A holoprojector flickered to life, displaying a rotating image of a star system. He gestured toward it.
"This is the Qotile system, where the first battle will take place."
The image zoomed in, revealing a single, heavily industrialized planet.
"This is Troiken," Stark continued. "A planet on the Mid Rim, valuable because of its location—it's a major trade route intersection, connecting multiple hyperspace lanes. Normally, the Republic would never let someone like me get control of a planet like this, but they made a mistake."
Jin-Woo glanced at him. "What mistake?"
Stark smirked. "A supply chain disaster."
The hologram shifted, displaying multiple fleet movements across the Outer Rim.
"For the past few years, I've been cutting into Republic supply lines," Stark explained. "Hijacking their shipments, rerouting trade routes, and bleeding their economy dry little by little. The Jedi barely noticed because they were too busy dealing with crime syndicates and internal disputes. And now?"
He gestured toward the fleet movements.
"The Republic needs to move medical supplies to their outermost systems, but they don't have enough ships to do it safely. If they try, they'll spread themselves too thin."
Jin-Woo nodded slightly. "So, what's your move?"
Stark's grin widened. "I offer them a deal."
Jin-Woo raised an eyebrow.
"I tell them I have a 'safe' hyperspace route through the Mid Rim. I promise that if they pay me, I'll escort their supply ships without interference. They don't have much choice—they either take the deal, or they let their own people die from lack of supplies."
Jin-Woo's gaze didn't waver. "And then?"
"And then I betray them." Stark answered
The hologram shifted again, displaying Republic fleets entering Stark-controlled space.
"The moment their supply ships enter my territory, I cut them off. Blockade them. Trap them. Then, I demand twice the amount of credits for their release."
Jin-Woo tilted his head slightly. "And if they refuse?"
Stark's smirk turned sharp. "Then I start a war."
The hologram zoomed in again, highlighting Stark's fleet—pirate vessels, stolen Republic ships, heavily modified freighters outfitted with illegal weaponry.
"The Republic thinks I'm just a pirate," Stark said, crossing his arms. "But I've spent years building this fleet. I've got hundreds of ships, thousands of men, and I know their trade routes better than they do."
Jin-Woo remained silent. He understood now. This wasn't just some random pirate raid.
Stark's smirk faltered slightly. His instincts told him this man—this Joever Bideney—saw straight through him.
"You're still hiding something," Jin-Woo said, his voice even.
Stark exhaled, rubbing his temples. "...Yeah. I can't hide things from you, can I?" He motioned toward the holoprojector, and the display changed. "I have something that gives me an edge—a Navcomputer Virus. If I inject it into their fleet's systems, I can turn their ships into sitting ducks. Their hyperdrives? Dead. Their navigation systems? Wiped. They'll be stranded, defenseless and of course I got someone who will spread it ."
Jin-Woo nodded. "Good. But I want to add more mayhem. I'll bring in a third force—the Trade Federation."
Stark's head snapped toward him. "...Huh? I'm sorry, what?"
Jin-Woo leaned back, his expression unreadable. "Make sure your forces spread my name—make the Republic think I'm a bigger threat than you. Get me a bounty of 10 million credits."
Stark blinked. Then, he barked out a laugh. "Are you insane? Do you have any idea what you're asking? Fighting the Republic is already a nightmare. You think adding the Trade Federation will make this easier?"
Jin-Woo didn't respond. He just watched him.
Stark sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "...Alright, listen. You want to cause mayhem? Fine. But let me explain something first."
He changed the hologram again.
"Going to war against the Republic means dealing with their Jedi. You probably don't care about that, but my men do. A Republic fleet alone is a nightmare, but a Jedi leading them? That's a slaughter."
The display zoomed in on key Republic fleets stationed near Qotile.
"My strategy works because I lure them in. I make them believe this is just a ransom operation. If they think I'm just holding their ships hostage, they'll negotiate. But if the Republic sees a full-scale war coming? They'll send their full forces. And if we add the Trade Federation into the mix? That's not just war—that's a galactic crisis."
Stark pointed at the map.
"The Trade Federation doesn't fight clean. They use droid armies, battleships, and endless credits to fund their wars. If they smell blood, they'll send their fleets in droves. And do you know what happens when the Republic fights a droid army?"
He zoomed in on a recent Republic battle record.
"The Jedi take command. They lead the front lines. And if the Jedi are fully involved? That means the Republic Senate will authorize full military response. Not just a small fleet. All of it."
Stark turned back to Jin-Woo.
"You want chaos? You'll get it. But if this goes too far? The Republic won't stop until every last pirate, mercenary, and anyone associated with us is hunted to extinction."
Jin-Woo's smirk didn't fade. "I'll make the Trade Federation the third force. They won't ally with the Republic… but they won't ally with you either."
Stark narrowed his eyes. "Then what's the point?"
"When their ships arrive, you can continue your fight as planned. If you're smart, you can even loot both sides. Meanwhile, my own army will cause mayhem from the inside."
Stark's fingers tapped against his desk. "And they won't be allied with me either?"
Jin woo Said "No."
Jin-Woo leaned forward slightly. "Your Navcomputer Virus is a good tool, but I don't think it'll be necessary. I'll be doing the heavy lifting."
Stark exhaled, rubbing his forehead. "You're going to use that plague ability again, aren't you? Like you did here." He gestured vaguely to the carnage outside. "And your ghost army. Fine. I can understand that. But nothing you've shown me can replace what the Nav Virus does."
Jin-Woo chuckled. "Not in this galaxy, if that's what you're thinking."
He leaned back, eyes gleaming. Offensive Bias… it has to be at Zeta Halo or Mantle's Approach. But I'm confident it's at Zeta Halo. The Grand Edict deployed it to fight the Endless. That means it's still out there.
If he found Offensive Bias, he wouldn't just have a tool to hack enemy fleets. He'd have one of the most dangerous military AIs ever created
Jin-Woo then asked, "How long until this war event starts?"
Iaco Stark exhaled, rubbing his chin. "Three days."
Jin-Woo thought, That's more than enough. Just in case… I need to be prepared if I have to fight the most powerful AI the Forerunners ever made.
Jin-Woo's gaze flicked to Stark. "I need a room. Doesn't matter how much space—three minutes."
Stark hesitated for a second before shrugging. "Sure, you can use my bedroom. It's in my office. Just don't break anything important." He motioned toward the back, complying without question, though there was clear curiosity in his expression.
Jin-Woo nodded once, stepping forward and locking the door behind him.
Meanwhile, outside…
Iaco Stark leaned back in his chair, fingers tapping against the table. His mind raced. I need to know what the hell he's doing in there.
He turned to his elite guards, men who had been with him through countless skirmishes. They were professionals—hardened killers, ex-Republic commandos, and pirates who had survived more battles than they could count.
"Give me a hologram feed or something. I don't care what—I need to see what's happening in there. I need to know what makes this guy tick."
The guards exchanged glances before nodding. One of them immediately moved toward a console, fingers flying over the interface.
"Sir, we have multiple surveillance systems in this building, but that door is reinforced and shielded against basic scans. We can try and override it, but it might take a minute," the tech specialist reported.
Stark exhaled, rubbing his chin. "I don't care what it takes. Get me eyes inside."
The guards nodded again, quickly working to bypass the security locks. Stark leaned forward, eyes locked on the screen as they attempted to infiltrate the feed.
Meanwhile, inside the bedroom, Jin-Woo stood in complete silence. He reached into his system inventory and pulled out a voucher—[Zeta Halo (Halo Installation 07) Location Teleportation Voucher].
The paper was plain, but when he looked closely, instructions were written across it in simple text: Tear me.
Jin-Woo didn't hesitate. He tore the voucher in two.
In an instant, space warped above him. A massive portal burst open at the ceiling, distorting reality itself. The room was bathed in an eerie blue glow as the gateway stabilized.
And then, for a brief moment—a fraction of a second—it saw him.
A massive red mechanical eye, surrounded by three smaller glowing red orbs, locked onto him through the portal.
Jin-Woo didn't flinch. There it is. Offensive Bias. My guess was right.
Then, before he could react, slipspace expanded beneath his feet. An unseen force pulled at him, dragging him upward—into the portal. And then he was gone.