Chapter 27: Sparta
"Yoo-hoo! Brothers! We've got another gig!" Nova Li called out cheerfully as a message popped up on her holo-display from Sandayu Oda.
"Big Sis, maybe check our current situation before shouting like that!" Takumi Kai shouted over the roar of gunfire slamming into their AV's hull.
"A few stray bullets got you rattled? Go cry to your corpo buddies with a bottle of warm milk," Nova scoffed, clearly unfazed.
"If your mouth weren't so toxic, we wouldn't be in this mess right now!" Takumi groaned, shaking his head.
It was supposed to be a peaceful ride back to Night City. But when they stopped at a nomad outpost for rest, Nova saw someone botching a repair job and couldn't resist muttering, "My grandma could fix that better—with her feet."
Naturally, that triggered chaos.
Nomads already had no love for city punks. After her snide remark, the whole camp erupted, charging at them like a pack of feral dogs.
Da Xiang Tanaka wasn't about to back down. With a casual toss, he lobbed a few grenades, sending their attackers flying.
But that was just the beginning. A whole tribe of nearly a hundred nomads emerged from the canyon beyond.
What could they do? You can't punch your way out of a hundred-strong mob. They hit the gas and bolted.
"What's everyone panicking for? The Night City border checkpoint's just up ahead. Let's see if they dare chase us into official territory," Nova muttered coolly, though relief flickered in her eyes as the checkpoint came into view.
Sure enough, the nomads skidded to a halt, hurling insults but not bullets. They knew the rules: Night City might be chaotic, but there were still lines you didn't cross. The NCPD didn't play nice with nomads, especially on the grid.
The border patrol—elite mercs trained for corporate warfare—could wipe out a hundred nomads with two AV strikes. The difference in firepower and training was night and day.
"Stop for inspection!" an officer ordered, waving Nova over to the security bay.
"Back in a sec," she said, grabbing a small parcel from the glovebox and stepping out.
Seeing no resistance, the officer gave her a brief once-over. "Head to Room Six for entry processing."
Night City had its own rules. Passing through customs was like entering another country—paperwork, checks, and the occasional bribe.
Nova stepped into Room Six.
A Black officer in a heavily augmented uniform lounged behind a desk, lighting a synth-cigarette. "What's your biz in Night City? Who're you with? What's in the ride?"
Nova smiled sweetly. "Group tour, officer. Just delivering some local specialties for friends."
"Specialties, huh?" he said skeptically. "Not guns or ammo, I hope. If so, they'll be... 'confiscated.'"
In Night City, every car had a gun or three. On city streets, cops didn't care. But here at the border? Your permits suddenly went missing if you didn't grease the right hands.
"Oh, just food," Nova said with a wink, eyeing the inactive wall cam. She handed over the package with a subtle pat.
The officer cracked it open. Inside was a clean stack of Eurodollars—about three grand.
"Not bad," he said with a nod. "You got a pass?"
"Right here." She produced a standard Night City travel permit.
The front bore a welcome message. The back? A legal disclaimer not to break the law. Worthless without a stamp—and that's what bribes were for. No stamp, no entry. And good luck arguing with a gun.
Suddenly, the news monitor on the wall drew her attention.
"Military Technology confirms deployment of the elite Spartan Squad under Lt. Colonel Carter. Arrival: next week."
Nova's eyes locked on the screen as a stoic man in a white dress uniform gave a speech.
> "Due to rising external threats, hostile actors are undermining our operations. Military Technology will take defensive action to secure its assets and personnel in Night City."
Defensive? What a joke. They were clearly preparing for war.
Nova scoffed at the corpo doublespeak. They were painting themselves as victims while readying heavy ordnance.
But still—if they were sending the Spartans, this was no bluff.
Fifth Corporate War incoming?
She bit her lip. Did she prepare more backup gear… or cash in on the intel she just scored?
Half a million eddies was hard to ignore...
---
Elsewhere…
"Yuto, you're really going?" Arasaka Michiko looked at the heavily armed Arasaka Yuto with concern.
"Yes, Miss Michiko. If war is coming, I can't just sit around," Yuto replied with a calm smile. "I need to do my part."
Arasaka had seen the same report. Anyone with half a brain could smell blood in the water. Fear. Excitement. Confusion. The city braced for chaos.
Arasaka Yuto couldn't stand waiting in safety. He needed to act.
"What about me?" Michiko asked, her voice trembling. "What am I supposed to do?"
"You're the inside link," Yuto said firmly. "We need intel on Yorinobu and Hanako's movements. You're the only one with that kind of access. And more importantly, you need to make it clear: you support Hanako."
"Your stance, as a direct heir, is critical right now."
"Saburo's death. Arasaka's future. It all hinges on which of the three heirs comes out on top. We're just the pawns."
Yuto wasn't wrong. The true war wasn't on the streets—it was inside the family. That's why the captain had no interest in Saburo's death. No benefit. All risk.
Honestly, if not for Michiko's Immortal-grade gear—the kind of stuff you couldn't even buy with money—Ash wouldn't have bothered with any of it.
He hated drama.
"If anything urgent happens, contact me through Aunt Okada," Yuto said before vanishing into the neon.
---
"Yo, Yuto. What's up?" Sandayu Oda ended the call and turned to Ash, who was grilling skewers on a rusted chrome rack. "Yuto's on the move. I told him to link up with Nova and the others at the border."
"Good. We needed someone with netrunning skills," Ash said, handing her a skewer. "Synthetic meat... barely counts as meat."
"I ordered a real lamb online. Should be here in a few days."
"Oh? Then hot pot lamb it is!" Ash's eyes lit up. Even the chewy synth-meat suddenly tasted better.
"I didn't expect the Spartans to show up too," Oda muttered, watching the News54 holo broadcast.
"Yeah, Military Tech isn't playing around," Ash chuckled. "I wonder how long we can stay in bed with Arasaka."
"You don't think they'll hold out? They've got an aircraft carrier docked off the waterfront."
True. Arasaka and Militech were fairly matched in raw force. But this was New America—Militech's home turf. When it came to logistics and reinforcements, they had the edge.
In a drawn-out war, Arasaka would bleed.
"But Arasaka's got that carrier," Oda countered. "And no one knows what they're hiding on it."
"Militech's got one too," Ash said, chewing thoughtfully. "Unless someone launches a nuke, I don't see Arasaka winning."
"If someone did drop a nuke... that'd close the American market for good. Massive blowback."
"Who knows?" Ash shrugged. "President Myers is dumb enough to want Arasaka and Militech to kill each other off."
Militech propped her up during the last war, but alliances fade when peace returns. Myers wanted her territory back.
Otherwise, what's the point of being a puppet president?
Ding.
New message received.
"Funds are in. It's time," Oda said, eyes locked on the eight-figure transfer.
"Alright." Ash stood and opened his contact list. "Miss Nina, get ready. Let's begin."
---
With the payment secured and supplies locked in, Takumi Kai rejoined the team—only to see Arasaka Yuto already there.
He practically ran over and grabbed Yuto's hand. "Dude! You're back! Our savior!"
"Uh… it's not that serious," Yuto said awkwardly, black lines forming on his face. They hadn't even known each other that long.
"You're the only one who can keep Nova in check! You have no idea how rough it's been since you left."
Kai clutched his chest in mock pain. "Now that you're back, it's like sunshine after rain!"
Yuto: So I'm just a meat shield… got it.
Just then, a heavy clang echoed—and a woman's voice boomed across the garage.
"The Young Miss has arrived! Kneel, you dogs!"