[In fifteen minutes, we will reach our next trade destination, planet Sanchez, a highly populated world best known for its reliable production of workers for the Kepler Empire.] Nico's voice explained to the ship, and Max had to fight not to laugh.

That was certainly one way to put it. They were best known for not producing a single Gamma-ranked or higher Pilot in generations, so they raised an Infantry army every single year for the last century.

There were clear signs of a recent battle on the surface, but it looked like the planet was pretty intact and hadn't suffered too heavy of a loss of life. That was a good sign for them and for the actual value of whatever they wanted to trade for.

A hold full of luxury furniture would likely be for the planet's nobles, or their Corporate leaders, replacing what was lost in the war with the status symbol imported items.

[Terminus, please hold your position in orbit around the planet. Our only station was downed in the recent unpleasantness, so we will have to come up to you.] The planetary authority informed them with the usual bureaucratic efficiency.

Meaning, of course, that it took them two hours to get around to sending someone up to meet with them, and even then, it was in a shuttle and not a vessel large enough to take the furniture back to the surface if they should happen to make a deal.

Still, Max and Nico met them in a cargo bay with a selection of furniture and pulled them in with the gravity beam to regulate their speed through the barrier. The occupants of the shuttle looked shocked at that level of technology, and Max knew that they had the upper hand in this deal right from the start.

"Welcome, representatives of Planet Sanchez. It is now safe to exit your vessel. Welcome to the home of the Terminus Trading Company." Nico greeted them, and the back hatch of the shuttle swung open with a gentle hiss.

"It is a pleasure to meet with you, Terminus. I do apologize for the unorthodox procedure, but you see, the trade goods aren't something that we can easily bring to orbit without an agreement." The leader of the Planet Sanchez group informed them.

"We have dealt with a number of volatile goods, sir. I doubt that you could shock us with anything these days." Nico laughed while the group from the planet shook their heads.

"No, this is something else entirely. The Rebels brought a new type of weapon with them, something that we had never expected. At first, it was catastrophic, but after we managed to reverse engineer it, we have turned it into something wonderful, though perhaps against the sensibilities of the Kepler people." The representative informed them.

Max examined the group more closely, realizing that none of them were particularly well dressed, nor were they in the eclectic garb common of Scientists who didn't interact much with the outside world. That definitely wasn't right. You didn't send blue-collar workers in a shuttle to do a deal this large.

At least you didn't unless you expected them to be expendable.

"Oh, do tell. I have very particular sorts of tastes. It might prove interesting to me." Nico informed him, and the man at the back of the group smiled at her with dead eyes.

"As you order." He spoke robotically, then slit his throat, sending a cloud of silvery mist into the air.

[Emergency Purge] Max ordered, but the mist was already filling the whole bay.

[Now, your ship will be ours. Welcome to the new republic, mind slaves.] A voice from the shuttle announced, then began laughing hysterically.

Max activated the gravity locks on his Mobile Suit's boots and locked himself to the floor while Nico simply stood there with an unimpressed look as the atmosphere was vented, blowing all of the representatives out of the bay, along with the mist. A cleansing laser scoured the bay, burning off Nico's outfit and scorching the paint off Max's suit, but after a few minutes, the lights turned green, and the ship's computer announced that the threat had been neutralized.

[Interesting. It was a biomechanical weapon designed to hijack the nanotechnology of the Kepler citizens and spread through their breath to anyone in their vicinity.

Once they had it active, the user could control the technology and essentially order the people to do anything that they wanted. Those men were nothing more than zombies. Their minds were blanked and replaced by the parasitic weapon.] Nico informed Max over his suit's data screen.

[And it didn't work on you?] Max asked, knowing that she had been exposed.

[Not well enough. My System Repair Function found and neutralized it immediately, then analyzed it and altered my exoskeleton's shielding to block the rest of the cloud.] Nico replied, gesturing to the Archangel unit that she was wearing, with the wings folded out of the way behind her.

[You know, you're going to have to go into quarantine anyhow.] Max sighed, not wanting to lose his right hand for that long. Especially since they would have to block her from computer access, in case her mind really was compromised but could use her System Functions.

[That sounds incredibly boring. Can't we just ask the Illithid to give me a checkup? They're the experts in the mind.] Nico suggested.

[Not a bad thought, but before you do either, we need to discuss our action plan. You're the best acquainted with the guests. What can we do that won't offend them too much? We are trying to get into their alliance's good books, after all.] Max asked.

[I am already on it. I don't know if it's just this one planet or all of the ones with suspicious signals, but I am working on reverse engineering the modifications that they made to the Zombie virus.] Nico informed him.

[Oh, and what are you planning to have them do?] Max asked.

[The only thing that every good Kepler citizen should want to do after they realize that their world has been hijacked by seditious forces. Purge the Heretics.]

Nope, that didn't sound good at all. [Wait, back up a moment. No genocide, even if they're doing it to each other. Bad Nico.]

[Not genocide. They will just purge seven generations of the family of everyone who tries to exert control over others using the modified virus.] Nico explained.

Max considered the implications of that for a while, then sighed.

[How long will it take?]

[Already done and activated. Thank you for your cooperation.] Nico chuckled.

Max waited while the atmosphere came back to the storage bay, then issued a new set of orders.

"Get us out of orbit around this forsaken rock. They are infected, and the whole region is to be flagged as under quarantine until further notice due to a new form of a mind-altering virus." Max announced.

That caught the attention of the Illithid, that had been watching the exchange with great interest, though they were too far away to know exactly what was going on.

[Commander, we have a request to examine both you and Rage before you leave the bay. The Illithid are insistent that they be allowed to ensure that no mind viruses can infiltrate the ship.] The crew informed Max.

[Send them down, full containment protocol. It might seem strange to them to put their environmental suits inside an armor suit, but the Mobile Suits are designed to be scoured clean in case of exposure to hazardous materials or entities.] Max ordered.

"This is going to be a very long day, isn't it?"