“So this Baronet,” Vihl says slowly, “he’s part of that plan?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
I sit back again, letting the chair take my weight as I fold my arms across my chest.
“He’s visible,” I say. “Connected. Weak enough to exploit, but strong enough that what happens to him will be noticed.”
Vihl’s lips curl slightly. “So we hit him harder.”
“We hit him differently,” I correct.
He tilts his head. “Explain that before I decide I hate it.”
I almost smile at that.
“We don’t just take from him,” I say. “We dismantle him.”
“That sounds like taking with extra steps.”
“It isn’t,” I reply. “Taking is temporary. Dismantling is permanent.”
Vihl considers that, his gaze drifting back to the data. “You’re thinking leverage.”
“I’m thinking structure,” I say. “He has debts. He has obligations. He has connections he relies on to maintain his position. We don’t just strip his assets; we expose the gaps in his protection. We show everyone exactly how little those connections are worth when tested.”
“And you think that scares people more than ripping a ship in half?” Vihl asks.
“I think it makes them think,” I say.
He lets out a low whistle. “That’s worse.”
“Exactly.”
The bridge falls quiet again, the weight of the plan settling into place.
Vihl finally nods once, slow and reluctant. “Alright,” he says. “Say I’m not completely against this. We still need to make it visible. If no one sees it, it doesn’t matter.”
“They will see it,” I say.
“How?”
I flick the projection again, pulling up Lorens’ estate location, security layouts, known personnel, and recent activity logs. The image resolves into a clean, detailed schematic, every entry point mapped, every defense system highlighted.
“We go to him,” I say.
Vihl grins, sharp and eager now. “That part I like.”
“We go to him,” I repeat, holding his gaze, “and we make him understand exactly what he is worth.”
“And if he doesn’t?” Vihl asks.
I tilt my head slightly, letting the question hang just long enough.
“Then we show him,” I say.
Vihl laughs, low and satisfied. “There he is,” he mutters. “Thought you were going soft on me.”
