Outside of the window, hover cars of all makes and sizes bustled about the city’s skyscrapers with a destination. Towers, whose foundations had been buried by eons of development and construction, were connected by thousands of skywalks and bridges. A few creatures flew and dove at rodents hiding in crevasses for an evening meal, as the sun raced for the horizon.

Inside of the office however, things seemed to move slowly. The meeting that had begun just less than five hours ago was finally approaching an end. The room, hexagonal in shape, was filled with cigarette smoke throughout. In the center of the room, seventeen of the galaxy’s most notorious underworld criminals sat around a large oval kalka wood table with a human named Matthew Spince at its head.

He talked to the gathered group, while stroking his black goatee, calmly using his strong abilities at negotiations and tactics to express his demands. Behind him, Syrak stood impatiently waiting for the meeting’s end.

Syrak, an alien from Zhath, handled most of Spince’s side jobs. For centuries, Syrak’s species had been the target of discrimination. As a result, he usually concealed his tough, orange carapace under a black, hooded cloak, as he did today. Although he kept his phosphorescent red eyes hidden with tinted glasses, careful observation yielded the knowledge of their uniqueness. Adjacent to him, Ellona, Syrak’s assistant, quietly stood at parade rest.

Ellona was human and beautiful by Earth standards. At the moment, she had her long brunette hair up in a bun, and wore small framed, prescription glasses. She held her posture throughout the entire meeting without a hint of discomfort.

Spince stood up and gazed upon the gathered outlaws before him. “I would like to thank you all for coming. Unless anyone has any comments or questions, I declare this meeting adjourned.”

A human hand rose from the other side of the table. Tom Jacobson Ellona recalled.

“I was wonder’n how the hell you’re gunna obtain enough currency to pay us?” A low mumbling from the rest strengthened his inquiry.

Spince’s expression remained sober. “You let me worry about that, just do your part and you shall receive your tokens.” Spince gazed at the rest. “If that is all, we may leave.” No other submissions were made. “Dismissed.” The group departed the office while Ellona, Syrak, and Spince remained.

Syrak spoke first. “Sir, your plan would work, but how will we obtain that money?”

Spince walked over to the window. Outside there was a near collision in the chaos outside. “I already have plans for that. Tomorrow, you, Ellona, and your men shall receive portfolios, each for a different job to carry out.” A modest amount of time passed without sound. “Dismissed.”

Ellona finally broke from her stance and accompanied Syrak out of the office. Outside, Ellona wondered what Spince had in mind.

Spince sat down in his darng-hide chair and laughed to himself quietly. He knew what he was doing. He would gather the necessary funds for those criminals. It would cost him, oh it would definitely cost him, but it would be worth it.

The galaxy would soon be his.