Chapter 130: Stalling for Time

He didn't expect him to arrive here in such a short time, he thought he would come tonight. Anyway, James gave the order to make him come to his main cruiser, while he thought about what to do with him.

He didn't get any answer yet from the teams that went to search for that ore. He couldn't make up his mind, not without the necessary information, or else he might miss a great opportunity, or lose it big.

The ambassador didn't take longer than one hour to reach him. during this hour, the news Islinda sent about the new gains made him in a better mood. He knew, the victory Rigo had proclaimed would be greatly used well by her, as the two of them were the pillars he would never risk losing, as losing one would topple his empire's balance, making him lose everything.

The ambassador was led to his commanding deck, where there was a table already preparaed for their meeting, put just in front James' seat. James didn't send Luna away, as he wanted to send a message to the ambassador, I knew everything about your previous deals with the old king here.

However, he stopped playing with her, as she now stood beside him, with her cheeks all rosy and eyes all sleepy. If it was up to her, she would prefer to go back to her dorms, and sleep for couple of hours, or even days there with him.

The ambassador who entered through the door of his commanding unit was short, fat, and his steps were really slow. James just wondered how this man managed to reach him this soon, perhaps he was using a slim version of the cruiser.

"Hello mr ambassador, I'm glad you can join us here," James said, welcoming him, warmly.

"Thanks, but it would be nice if you stayed there at the black market," the ambassador said, expressing his complains, which James didn't give heed to.

When the ambassador went to sit on his designated seat, his eyes fell over Luna, and his face instantly froze for couple of moments, before regaining his usual face.

However, he was much gloomy than before, which was something James was pleased to see.

"How was your trip to here?" James asked.

"It was quite hard and tiring to be honest. What are you doing here, invading other territories, may I ask?" the ambassador jumped over the curtesy and asked directly his question in a rude way.

"Oh, I didn't know I should answer to anyone my actions, especially you," James replied back, rudely as the ambassador's way.

"Really? You don't know whom I represent?" the ambassador sneered, "if you don't know, then I can tell you," he added, with a sarcastic smile over his face.

"Sure, I want to know, as all I know is you are sent by the black market, which, in my opinion, is made up of forces like me. so, why not just cut the crap and say your real master's identity?" James jumped over curtesy as well, speaking bluntly just like that.

"Bold, and courageous, I respect that," the ambassador said, while taking out a screen of his own before adding, "however you aren't the first, or the last to come here and cause some ruckus. All before you either yielded or were destroyed, and something is telling me you will be one of the latter," the ambassador said his threats, while pressing his thumb over the screen, to make a hologram to appear.

James saw a group of planets, twenty each, lined together, forming a familiar scene of gathering.

"These are the four kingdoms that you worked hard to get, they are now under our hands. you have to yield, or your army right there will be wiped out," the ambassador said, which made James quite startled. He just received the news from Rigo, and acted upon them

Was Rigo mistaken? Never, so this ambassador was lying.

Just before he could reply, another message came from Rigo, asking for reinforcements, anything that can be spared, and narrating the whole situation.

When James read that, he suddenly realized what was going on here. it was a cat trying to act like it was a tiger! This would have worked pretty well in fact, however if not for Rigo's ambitions being far bigger than his leader.

James, however, didn't show this up, when he passed the messaged to Islinda, giving her the order to mobilize the newly recruited forces, that he could spare, and send them fast towards Rigo.

The distance from here to Rigo would take days, so he needed to stall for time here. after he finished, he would kill this ambassador and ditch his body in the space.

He was, for one moment, tempted to do it now, but he refrained, as this would cause more trouble than solving problems.

"So, what should I do to gain the approval of this force you are representing?" James said, making the ambassador quite surprised. He thought James would be stubborn, so this would the reason for the force he was representing to act on here, snatch the part of the black market he had, and the gold mine under his hand.

"Well," the mbassador face told James he didn't expect this reply, and this made him quite satisfied, "I will have to present this to my superiors, arrange for conditions, and return back to you," he said, as he wasn't that ready for answering him.

James smiled, as he simply replied:

"Take the time you want, and during that, you will be my guest, living inside my cruiser."

The ambassador wanted to refuse, but he couldn't as he had seen two armed guards moving to stand on his two sides, which made him quite startled at first, before he was silenced and accepted this condition of James.

He just didn't understand it, as all the news coming about him told them how stubborn he was, and thus they made their entire plans based on his refusal, readying themselves to invade here at any moment.

However, now, they had to start over, think about hard conditions to comply, and then they would have their reasons for war.

The rules of the black market were quite severe and strict, they couldn't just simply attack a member without proper reason. If they did so, thent he doors of hell would be opened upon them, and they would be instantly destroyed, and their belongings would be distributed over the current members of the black market.

So, they had to treat it carefully, especially his presence here was already a mistake and a violation for these rules. for their luck, James was new here, and he didn't know the proper rules for the black market, or else they wouldn't have done this silly move now.

James just watched that ambassador walk away before he hurriedly said:

"Send this message to Rigo, at all costs you must conquer that kingdom!"

"Affirmative."

On another hand, Rigo was already waiting for the reply from James, and when he got it, he felt somehow skeptical and doubtful. He felt the urge in James' words, and when he realized that, he decided to act before the reinforcmenets arrive.

"Send my orders, all the droids would go and act on the suicidal bombing missions now! target all the large cruisers here and inside their territory."

The suicidal bombing mission was the code name Rigo came up with to describe the tactic they frequently used recently, and was quite effective.

It acted as part of the droids would infilitrate the large cruisers, go towards their engines, and plant extremely deadly bombs there.

The problem was the lack of the good advanced bombs, as they were using the old antique ones they had from the days of their lost empire. however, after gaining all this wealth and the trade channels, the advanced gears were all available to them now.

So, just planting a few bombs would be enough to render any large cruiser paralyzed, planting even more would totally destroy it.

"Paralysis or destruction, sir?" the soldier responsible for the communication unit asked.

"Destruction," Rigo muttered, as the days where they would hunt for cruisers by this way was already over. The orders wee given, and the responses came stated and drew a timeline course for this operation.

They would need for one day to complete the mission. Rigo didn't have any reason to disagree with them, so he gave them the final order, while sitting there waiting for the good news, while reading the latest reports coming from that hidden kingdom.

That kingdom was really massive, stretched over hundreds of planets already, but was still less than five hundred by a few. After the addition of the four kingdoms to it, the number would exceed five hundred for sure.

Rigo saw this fat sheep with a greedy eyes, and he knew gaining control over this place would be great. The only thing he, or James, knew about was the presence of a branch of the black market there, at the end of this territory.