Chapter 587: The Loyalty Called Money

The transport pod lurched upward. Magnetic clamps locked onto the exterior of the Demonic Society dreadnought. The bay doors swallowed the small vessel and sealed shut with a massive crash.

Enforcers ripped the pod doors open. Two guards grabbed Xavier by the shoulders and dragged him onto the alloy deck. Rin and Kylus received the same treatment, landing hard on their knees.

A reptilian commander marched down the line of prisoners. He dragged a shock maul along the grating. Sparks showered over Xavier’s boots.

“Get them moving,” the commander ordered. “Take them to the abyssal blocks.”

The guards shoved the three men forward. They marched down an endless corridor lined with reinforced holding cells. Groans and the rattling of chains echoed from the shadows of the adjacent blocks.

Rin glanced at the reinforced security doors sealing behind them. “They brought an entire armada just to arrest three people.”

Kylus spat a glob of blood onto the pristine floor plating. “The Demonic Society loves their theatrical displays. They probably want to make an example out of us.”

A guard struck Kylus in the back of the knees with a rifle butt. Kylus collapsed onto the grating. The guard hauled him back up by the collar and shoved him down the hall.

Xavier kept his eyes forward and monitored the patrol routes. He tracked the positions of the automated turrets mounted on the ceiling. He counted the seconds between the changing guard shifts.

The convoy reached a massive circular chamber. A dozen armored wardens manned the central control terminal. The walls consisted entirely of vertical isolation cells suspended over a black void.

The commander approached the terminal and keyed in a sequence. Three cells descended from the upper tiers and locked into the ground floor with a resounding clang.

“Lock them up,” the commander ordered. “The interrogation will begin once the fleet commander arrives.”

The enforcers threw Xavier into the first cell. The energy barrier ignited immediately, casting a violet glare across his face. Rin and Kylus were shoved into the adjacent cells.

Xavier approached the barrier and placed his hands on the transparent energy field. He scanned the layout of the prison block and tapped his fingers against the containment wall.

Rin leaned against the barrier of the next cell. “So, what is the next phase of the plan?”

“We observe,” Xavier replied. “We find out who ordered this arrest, and then we take their heads.”

Kylus slid down the wall of his cell and rested his forearms on his knees. “I hope you have a solid exit strategy. The Demonic Society does not take prisoners to release them.”

Xavier smirked. “I never claimed we were leaving peacefully.”

Xavier tapped his boot against the grated floor of the containment cell. The violet energy barrier cast a sickly glare across his face.

Rin leaned against the adjacent cell wall with his arms crossed. Kylus sat on the floor, tracing the scarred plating with his thumb.

A hulking demon guard marched down the corridor and stopped in front of Xavier’s barrier. The creature sneered, dragging a shock-baton along the grating to produce a screeching shower of sparks.

“Enjoy your final hours, trash.” The guard bared rows of yellowed fangs. “The Warden is prepping the execution block for you and your scavenger friends.”

Xavier remained seated. He opened his system interface with a flick of his wrist. The blue text of his Level 10 Unlimited Money System hovered in the air. His daily transaction limit displayed five hundred million credits.

“You look underpaid.” Xavier bypassed the prison’s local network and accessed the guard’s private neural implant. He typed a sequence into the holographic keypad.

[Transaction Complete. 100,000,000 Credits Transferred.]

The demon guard blinked. A green confirmation light flashed across his cybernetic eye. He stared at his internal display, his jaw dropping open.

“Check your balance.” Xavier swiped the system screen away. “Then go fetch me some decent food.”

Two hours passed. The dreary containment block underwent a radical renovation. The violet energy barriers were deactivated and replaced by velvet ropes.

Four armored demon guards now wore bright floral shirts over their bone-plated armor. They scurried around the cell block carrying silver platters of steaming Io lobster and pouring vintage Martian wine into crystal glasses.

Kylus sat in a plush reclining chair, wearing a high-end holographic VR gaming headset. He cheered as he navigated a simulated racing track. Rin leaned against a newly imported mahogany bar, sipping wine and watching the demons work.

Xavier reclined on a leather sofa at the center of the block. The chief guard stood beside him, draping a pristine white towel over his arm.

“Is the room to your liking, Mr. Xavier?” The chief guard offered a respectful bow.

“It works.” Xavier took a bite of lobster.

Footsteps pounded down the main corridor. The Warden, a towering beast with four crimson eyes and a spiked tail stormed into the cell block carrying a plasma-axe. He came to a dead halt.

The Warden stared at the floral shirts, the VR rigs, and the silver platters. His four eyes twitched in unison.

“What is the meaning of this?!” The Warden pointed his axe at the chief guard. “These are prisoners slated for immediate disintegration!”

The chief guard stepped in front of Xavier, shielding him from the Warden. He drew his shock-baton and ignited the tip.

“Lower your weapon, Warden.” The chief guard puffed out his chest. “Mr. Xavier is a VVIP guest, and you are interrupting his meal.”

Xavier swirled the wine in his glass. He offered the stunned Warden a cheerful grin.

“Care for a drink?” Xavier took a sip of wine. “We have plenty to share.”

The Warden’s plasma-axe hissed through the air, aimed directly at Xavier’s neck. Lunging forward, the chief guard jammed his shock-baton against the energy blade to deflect the blow. Crimson sparks erupted from the impact, scorching the velvet ropes flanking the couch.

“Traitorous filth!” The Warden swung the heavy weapon again, his four eyes flaring red. Three other guards in floral shirts drew their pulse rifles to form a defensive wall in front of the sofa. Bright plasma bolts filled the narrow corridor, forcing the remaining loyalist forces to scramble for cover.

Xavier remained seated, his fingers flicking through the glowing blue system interface floating before him. Swiping through the encrypted firewalls, he plunged deep into the dreadnought’s primary security matrix.

[System Command: Overriding Prison Network Security.]

[Dreadnought Internal Shields: Deactivated.]

Alarms shrieked through the ceiling grids while the containment barriers dissolved into nothingness. Rin threw his wine glass aside, kicking over the mahogany bar to create a temporary barricade against the arriving reinforcements. Ripping the VR headset from his face, Kylus grabbed a pulse pistol from the floor and joined the fray.

A new auxiliary channel opened as Xavier patched his comms signal directly to the Strider. His focus remained locked on the data feed while the bribed guards traded fire with the Warden’s loyalists.

“Xalvoria, Lyra, the internal shields are down,” Xavier spoke into his neural transmitter. “The engine rooms are wide open. Hit them now.”

Inside the damaged wreck of the Strider, Lyra cracked her knuckles while a predatory grin split her face. Violet flames danced across her fingertips as she stepped toward the primary airlock.

Xalvoria adjusted her crimson mantle, her golden eyes flashing with lethal intent. Her cosmic blade left its sheath, the edge shimmering with stellar light.

“Finally,” Xalvoria muttered. “Let us teach these pests the cost of their arrogance.”