More importantly, get it away from the prying eyes of the buyers!
As long as Specimen Fourteen was pulled from the auction stage and secured in The Med-Tech Quarantine or The Sanctum Vault, Obsidian Sun still had a play.
They could find a way to reclaim it.
And if retrieval was impossible, they could always ensure it was completely destroyed.
Anything was better than leaving it under the glaring spotlight of Project Zero- Transit, where their darkest secrets were being ruthlessly laid bare for the world to
see.
Silence still emanated from the darkness.
It was as if The Commodore was weighing the offer.
The Raven stared at the shadowed silhouette, smoothly lowering his voice. "As for the damages the ship suffered during tonight's unforeseen incident..."
"Project Zero-Transit and Obsidian Sun have collaborated for years. Since this involves our research, we certainly wouldn't expect our partner to shoulder the fallout alone."
He paused for effect. "Send us an itemized list of the damages. Obsidian Sun is more than willing to renegotiate our current agreements. We can even offer further concessions on the transit quotas we previously established."
Inside The Nexus, the technicians instinctively softened their keystrokes.
The implication was crystal clear to everyone in the room.
Regardless of who actually smuggled Specimen Fourteen onto the ship, Obsidian Sun would cover all financial losses.
They would even slash their future shipping rates.
All The Commodore had to do was shut down the public appraisal and pull the asset off the stage.
As for the official narrative?
Obsidian Sun had simply asked their esteemed partner for assistance in tracking down stolen property.
No bridges needed to be burned. It was the most mutually beneficial outcome available.
The Raven clearly believed his concessions were more than generous.
Both factions had worked together long enough to know that in the underworld, profit always outweighed pride.
He smiled at the obscure figure in the shadows. "Lucius, after so many years of fruitful partnership, a single piece of unverified carga shouldn't jeopardize what we've built
He was entirely confident that The Commodore would take the deal.
The darkness offered no immediate response.
The Raven didn't press. He waited.
Minutes ticked by.
Finally, a faint, rhythmic tapping echoed from the shadows-knuckles rapping thoughtfully against a leather armrest.
Then came The Commodore's mechanically distorted, androgynous voice. "I see Obsidian Sun's sincerity."
The Raven's lips twitched upward into a satisfied smirk.
He knew a smart man would make the pragmatic choice.
But just as he opened his mouth to seal the deal, the distorted voice cut through the
dark again. "However, Raven... do you really think I care about the money?"
The smirk froze on The Raven's face.
The Commodore continued, his tone dangerously flat. "An unregistered, high-risk biological asset with no identified owner managed to bypass my protocols and slip directly onto the highest fier medical transit
route."
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A low, mocking laugh echoed off the walls. "In fact, my crew had absolutely no idea
it even existed."
"So, I must ask: Is this the first time?"
"And if it isn't, what else have you smuggled aboard?"
"If my people hadn't stumbled upon it tonight, what other unknown cargo would find
its way onto Project Zero-Transit next?"
The questions fell like hammer
strikes. The Commodore's voice
hadn't raised a single decibel, yet the
sheer weight of the terrogation
seized The Raven's chest in @
suffocating grip.
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