Chapter 277: Vexical Prime: Planning Stage
"I am confirming that none of you are traitors and then I will send payment and the plan." Jace explained as he began gaining access to their security footage using the connection that was set up through this communication channel.
"Ha! How are you going to do-" The ill-mannered mercenary from Talus began to ask.
But was interrupted by the other two. The first of which was the fish man. "We were just hacked."
"Same. Good technique. A bit brutish but..." The woman trailed off as her eyes widened and then she smiled and looked at him. "Ah... now the mass of wealth makes sense. We will work with you. It can only bring us benefits to make such a connection. Those cold boys say great things about you." The woman’s gaze was starting to make him uncomfortable. It was the same gaze he got from a woman who wanted to sleep with him. The term ’cold boys’ she used was a Kamot slang for Artificial Intelligence.
Jace was able to confirm that the woman’s group mostly consisted of hackers who work for hire. They were approached by the New Hexarian Republic but had turned them down. Their base of operations was a fully automated masterpiece that was preventing the enemy from getting close. Once he confirmed that he sent an encoded message along with payment to her.
"Oh?~" The woman looked at him and then nodded, "how fun. Can I get started?"
"Yes," Jace answered and the woman’s hologram disappeared and he focused on the aquatic beast hybrid. He was not confident in what the race was so he was just guessing. He was able to access their systems more quickly as it was not secure. Their building was made of durable materials that were working to keep the enemy out. But it also kept it difficult from leaving the building as well. After a moment of confirmation he sent the payment and another set of encrypted instructions.
He could tell the man got the instructions a moment later because he did a double take. "This is your solution?" Jace just nodded in response, already focused on hacking the third mercenary group when the aquatic beast hybrid’s hologram disappeared.
It took him even less time to get access to the Talus mercenaries systems. Frowning at what he found. It unfortunately appeared that there was a group of traitors among his group. They were holding the civilians hostage. Which included members of the other mercenaries’ families.
It seems that the Circle of Yuri managed to get their people in the building and was using it as an information outpost. He contemplated outing them for a moment but the civilians were in danger if he did that. Which would be in opposition to the orders he was given.
But he could not risk the safety of the other civilians. So they would have to go a different route to deal with them. He began forming a plan and then sent a different set of instructions to the Talus Mercenary along with payment. The mercenary frowned and then shook his head. "Okay, I will do as you ask." They then disconnected from the call, but Jace put a listening bug that was left behind on a fake loop to keep them distracted. The reason the republic and the holy empire were kept out was because of the base’s shielding that was on the first few floors. Unfortunately it looks like that did not stop the vampires from scaling the side of the building.
Jace turned to the Mercenary Boss and sent him the instructions he gave the first two groups. "Get this started." He then turned to the Union spymaster, "Shepard, I just sent instructions to your device. Make sure your people follow them. The safety of that one group’s civilians is in our hands."
They both turned to their individual devices. Shepard being the first to react, "I expected one, but it is still disappointing to see. I suspect you have a foolproof plan to get rid of them and save the civilians?"
"I do, but focus on getting this group and all that gear out of here first. Do you need help building the laser miner or can I head over to raise hell and be a sufficient distraction?" Jace asked as he began doing a few more things so this plan of his would go off without an issue.
"No, I will have the others meet you underground. Are you sure you will not need backup?" Shepard answered with a sigh as he looked over his instructions; they were far more in-depth and specific since the Union needed to get this perfectly right. Otherwise people would get hurt, lost, or even die.
As for building the laser miners. He was confident that each mercenary group had a few handy men that could follow his directions to the letter. The directions had them taking apart equipment that was in their respective buildings to make them. It took him from the time he first looked at the list of equipment to when he hacked their systems to come up with the designs. There was a good chance the designs would have to be adjusted, but he was sure the mercenaries would be able to do that on the fly.
"It will be easier to move if I am alone. But I have to go back up and grab another weapon. Then I will head out while it is still raining." Jace declared as he moved to the elevator. He already acquired the mercenaries’ encryption codes. So he could remotely communicate with them and the live map program he had running just grew larger.
"Then we will join them in bringing the civilians out. Contact us when you plan to go raiding the Circle of Yuri’s base. The Union will gladly join you if it means we can free civilians." Shepard explained as Jace stepped on the elevator and went back up to the armory. He had a few more things to grab before he left.