(Vorkiq POV)
Targatro was a desert planet, its surface was almost entirely red, with little water, little food, and a deadly heat.
It was a planet considered useless, so it also became a base for a group of criminals. Over time, the criminals began using it as a trading base, and soon the planet had become a black market hub.
It got to the point where the galactic black market opened a branch here, which made it even harder for other local forces to intervene. Hunting pirates was fine, but if they acted out of line, they would be stepping on the toes of the galactic black market, which had several Grade S Supers in command.
The leader of the black market on this planet was actually one of Gorutan's many sons.
Only a Grade B, but even the Grade A that approached didn't dare disrespect him.
His name is Vorkiq, the man wore strange clothes for the galactic era, with long, messy blue hair and beard that looked like a lion's mane, as well as red fur, with horns coming out of the back of his head and passing through the front like a crown, a bare chest full of thick hair, and only pants made of unknown animal skins.
Due to his genetics, Vorkiq adapted very well to the desert environment, he didn't mind staying there. Besides, with galactic technology, even an inhospitable asteroid could become a paradise with enough money.
The city built by Vorkiq lived up to that.
Vorkiqan, like him, the city displayed savagery, built of red rock, the largest industrial sectors of the city were based on combat, weapons and armor, fighting rings, gambling dens, the sale of war slaves...
Vorkiq was sitting in the main chair of the city's most prominent building, although not the tallest, it was the most well-known.
The name followed the simplistic style of Vorkiq, The Arena.
The upper level was a purely commercial sector, focused on buying and selling all kinds of galactic products, mainly those with forbidden labels, the lower level, underground, was much larger, with arenas of various types filling hundreds of thousands of square kilometers, fights happening day and night, and betting following close behind.
Vorkiq himself was an avid competitor, he competed whenever he could, not always winning, but enjoying the fights nonetheless.
But today was not a day for competing, today he was working as an intermediary.
The first party arrived early, a group from the Triptos civilization. They were a blue people with elongated mouths and nostrils, using their funnel-shaped mouths to eat by sticking their tongues out, feeding mainly on small live insects.
They were the contracting party.
As soon as they arrived, they began making wet, smacking sounds with their strange mouths. The translator did his job, making Vorkiq understand exactly what they were saying.
-When are the pirates going to arrive?- Their leader asked, getting straight to the point.
-Soon. - Vorkiq grabbed a mug of beer and drank, wetting his beard, much to the dismay of his visitors, but no one said anything about Vorkiq's habits.
A feline-looking, fierce woman behind Vorkiq kept refilling his glass whenever he finished, Vorkiq even touched her a little, desire evident in his eyes.
The woman didn't seem bothered at all, even purring when he touched her.
This made the Triptos even more uneasy, but again, no one said anything, waiting in silence.
Twenty minutes later, the second side arrived.
Two men, a woman, the man in front was a redhead and wore a red outfit, the woman had silver hair and a silver outfit, and the other man had black hair and a black outfit.
The three were galactic humans, their clothes matching their hair making them particularly eye-catching.
If Ringo were there, he would think they were Power Rangers.
-Triple Tide, you're late!- Leader Triptos said, frowning.
The leader of Triple Tide, Kelox, smiled nonchalantly, sat down, and spoke. -We're not late, in fact, we're 2 minutes early.
-It's customary to arrive early where I come from, your education precedes your title, pirate.- The Triptos said, his mouth full of contempt.
A cold glint flashed in the woman's eyes, she maintained a serious expression the entire time, staring at the man. The temperature in the room began to drop, literally.
The woman's hands were lightly covered by a thin layer of ice, she looked ready to move.
-Lana, please calm down.- Kelox's voice said softly beside the woman.
Lana glanced at him briefly, the ice slowly receding, only the cold in the room hinting at the previous danger. The leader, Triptos, seemed to realize his mistake at that moment, swallowing hard, yet, accustomed to being proud, he pretended not to notice anything, but he also didn't say anything more about the late.
The last man of the Triple Tide, with black hair and a sword at his waist, didn't seem at all interested in the event, he simply sat down, without bothering to hide. He was Black Tide, O'Manir.
Kelox, Lana, and O'manir were the three links in this group of galactic pirates.
Kelox seemed impulsive, but acted calm and restrained, Lana seemed cold, but was the most impulsive among them, O'manir seemed indifferent to everything, merely following behind and raising his sword when necessary.
Vorkiq saw that things had calmed down and inwardly mocked both sides, but outwardly he still acted indifferent.
His job was simply to stay in the room and ensure the transaction went smoothly, so he didn't speak from beginning to end.
Kelox smiled softly as he spoke, trying to ease the situation. Among the three, Kelox is a Psychic, although geared towards combat, his experience in relation to his eloquence is also evident.
The conversation returned to normal, and soon an agreement had been reached.
The objective was to plunder an important planet from a rival civilization, there was a Grade A Super stationed there, but they are all Grade A Supers, so the job wasn't really that complicated.
Kelox is a Psychic, Lana is an Esper, and O'manir is a Pugilist.
When the three work together, they can compensate for each other's weaknesses.
As soon as they left the room, Kelox's smile faded, his face became extremely cold and indifferent. He might seem the most approachable among them, but in truth, Kelox was the meanest and cruelest of the three. He had already left a small gift in the minds of the emissary Tripto and his crew.
At the right moment they would die horribly.
Beside him, Lana was smiling, knowing full well how Kalex acted.
O'manir, on the other hand, glanced at the pair for a brief moment and ignored them. He didn't really like those two lunatics, but he cared little about the lives of those arrogant emissaries.