Chapter 26 - 26: The Integrity of the Trade

Reno, the Water Guild Overseer, was a man who understood optics. His technicians had been "scammed" during a visit to a Sump-Matron's establishment—a classic "honey trap" shakedown. In the Underhive, if a Guild official is robbed without a violent response, the Guild's authority begins to leak like a rusted pipe. Reno needed the leak plugged.

The Mercator Aqua (Water Guild) was a titan of the Imperium. On Industrial Worlds, they were kings; on Hive Worlds, they were gods of the taps. On Agri-World 496b, the planet was lush enough that their power was limited, but in the Hive City, they remained a force to be reckoned with.

Kian Voss sat in a dark corner of the Red-Light Sump, a Lho-stick dangling from his lips. He was staring at a three-story structure made of rusted shipping containers and scrap-metal.

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