A certain system of the Reef Star Region.
A woman — human of body, serpent of tail, her hair a mass of little flickering, tongue-darting snakes — was chatting idly with a human woman in a video feed.
"Medusa, are you certain you truly mean to work with that interstellar power in the Lion King System?" the human woman said, looking at the snake-folk chieftain across from her, the one called Queen.
Medusa stroked the little snakes atop her head and said mildly, "Cooperation is only for powers of matched strength."
"If you want to make use of them, just say so," the woman said with a light laugh.
"You, though — a neutral trade group of the Reef Star Region, and yet you actively brought me this news. Aren't you afraid that once word of it gets out, those star gates you control will be taken back from you?" Medusa looked at the woman opposite. The other's strength might not match her own, but she was leader of one of the Reef Star Region's three interstellar trade groups — the Bramble Free Trade Group — holding close to 30% of the Reef Star Region's market share, and 30% of its star-gate control. As it happened, control of the Lion King System's star gate lay in this woman's hands; it was she who'd told Medusa the details of what had happened in the Lion King System. And in the end Medusa had resolved to carry out this plan.
"What did I do? I, Red Rose, merely traded a couple of idle words with my dear friend." Red Rose bit her lip, the very picture of soft frailty. But no one would believe this woman truly frail — a frail creature could never have survived in the Reef Star Region.
"That lot touched your interests, didn't they," Medusa said, without the least ceremony.
Red Rose lit something rather like a cigarette, drew on it, and blew out a red mist. "What that lot means to do in the Reef Star Region, I can't be bothered to care. But they dared touch my bottom line — snatching people on my turf! Do they really take me, Red Rose, for a decorative vase? In truth, no few powers in the Reef Star Region have long been displeased with that lot; were it not that they dread their strength, they'd have flipped the table on them already. I'd meant only to bring you this news and hear what you had in mind. I never dreamed you'd be preparing to act outright." Red Rose's lovely eyes fixed on Medusa. "Worthy of Her Majesty the Queen."
Medusa gave a cold snort. "Rather than let that lot boil us like frogs in slow-warming water, better to tear straight through that layer of paper. Let that lot know: this is not their Empire — this is called the Reef Star Region!"
"All right, all right. Then I'll await your good news — mind you don't play yourself to death in the end. A good sister's hard to come by in this wretched place." Red Rose winked at Medusa.
Medusa looked at the closed video window — and the next moment a message popped up. Reading its content, Medusa showed something of a hunter's look.
The Snake-folk. A leading power of the Reef Star Region, holding 12 systems and close to 5,000 warships! A being the second-rate likes of the Fire Salamander clan simply couldn't be compared to.
Zhao Chen was, at this moment, looking over the Snake-folk's dossier. He'd already agreed to a talk with the other party, and was now awaiting their reply. Soon a comm-window request popped up. Zhao Chen tapped to accept, and across from him appeared a woman of dazzling beauty. In form she differed rather greatly from humans: skin bright and pure as the moon; atop her head, several tongue-darting little snakes; clad in sultry scale-armor that bared a supremely eye-catching slender waist. By the Snake-folk's description, in the place Zhao Chen couldn't see there should be a serpent's tail besides. Different in form from humans she might be, greatly — but with that aggression-filled gaze, and that curved, exquisite figure with all its dips and swells, Zhao Chen felt not the least barrier of taste!
"So you're the commander of the Lion King Fleet?" Medusa asked first.
The Lion King Fleet? Ah, right — the identity he'd announced publicly in the Lion King System was the Lion King Fleet. "The very one. And let me first thank Your Majesty for the intelligence you provided us; it helped us greatly," Zhao Chen said in thanks. The other side was very likely making use of him, but thanks due were thanks given — a matter of a single sentence, and he'd lose no flesh over it.
"Let's not test each other back and forth — straight to the point. I want to work with you," Medusa said outright.
This direct?
"And how does Your Majesty wish to work together?" Zhao Chen asked.
Medusa's lovely eyes fixed on Zhao Chen; that gaze carried a formidable pressure — the Zhao Chen of before might well have been groveling by now. "The power behind the Fire Salamander clan has a feud with me, and they're now preparing to move against you. I want revenge on them. When that lot's fleet strikes your Lion King System, I want you to buy me at least five hours. In those five hours, I'll have my fleet strike the systems of the Gebo clan, the Black Boar-folk, and the Fire Salamander clan. The plunder taken then, we split 50/50. The systems seized, we split evenly as well. What do you say?"
"Your Majesty's sincerity falls a bit short. My fleet fights for its life at the front, while your fleet raids others' homes in the rear — so the back-breaking work is mine to do, and all the profit-taking is yours? Using a man as your gun isn't played quite like this." Zhao Chen shook his head slightly.
Medusa knit her brows faintly; the two fell silent a few seconds. At last Medusa spoke first. "This does you no harm. Or do you imagine that, on your fleet alone, you can settle these fleets the Fire Salamander clan has assembled? Only if I raid their systems will they surely fall into chaos — and only then will you have your chance!"
"Who says my fleet can't handle this rabble?" Zhao Chen looked at Medusa with a smile.
On fewer than 20 warships, deal with 3,000? True, she'd heard this fellow's Lion King Fleet had fought a handsome battle before. But this time was not like that one: before, there'd been only two T3 warships; this time it was a full 10. Yet, looking at this man's confident eyes, it seemed again that he wasn't boasting.
"Speak, then — on what terms will you agree to cooperate?" Medusa gave ground at last; she'd caught, with no small effort, a chance to strike at that lot, and to let it slip without venting the disgust in her breast — that she truly couldn't accept.
"I can do just as you've said — but I require you to send a fleet to support me." Zhao Chen held up five fingers. "500 warships, at least 100 of them T2. Wholly at my command — even if I order them to their deaths, they must do it!" Zhao Chen's tone left no room for doubt. Then he added, "If, on the battlefield, they don't heed my command, then I may not be able to hold back those 3,000 warships."
After a moment's thought, Medusa agreed. "Very well — I'll give you 500 warships! I hope you can do what you say. Otherwise…"
Zhao Chen paid no mind to Medusa's words of threat; he held up one more finger. "I have one more condition."
Medusa knit her brows — this man was getting a touch insatiable. But what Zhao Chen said next took her by surprise.
"Whatever it is you mean to do, I don't care — but the Fire Salamander clan's home base is to be left for me." The corner of Zhao Chen's mouth lifted.