Chapter 118: End of the road.

From the Carlos device, an hologram sprang to life in the center of the cargo bay, casting a bluish glow across the room. It displayed a recording of the mayor in his office, seated behind his polished desk as he passed out orders.

"Increase the pressure on the station," the mayor's voice snarled. "We need them desperate. The more chaos, the better. They'll have no choice but to sell to us at a fraction of the value. Those merchants will crawl back to me on their knees, begging for salvation."

The room fell silent as the recording played. The residents watched in stunned horror as their leader, the man they had trusted for so long, laid bare his treachery.

"That's not all," Carlos said, his voice cutting through the silence. He tapped the device again, bringing up another recording. This time, it showed the mayor standing on the bridge of a pirate cruiser, flanked by several of the station's most infamous attackers.