Page 63 of New World

The room was lined with high-resolution holo-displays, star charts glowing in soft blues and golds, and tactical readouts running streams of data. The central command table, shaped like an elongated hexagon, displayed a live scan of Cryon II, its orbiting defenses and fleet positioning rendered in intricate detail.

Dorane moved to the center of the room, pulling out a chair for Mei before pulling the one next to her and sitting down. A moment later, Asta’s sharp golden eyes filled the screen, her tail flicking in agitation.

“Talk to me,” Dorane calmly commanded.

Asta exhaled through her nose, her gaze flicking briefly to Mei before settling on Dorane. “Crock just sent word. It looks like the entire Legion fleet is heading straight for Cryon II.”

Dorane’s jaw tightened, his fingers curling against the edge of the table. Damn it. He had suspected Andronikos would make a move, but bringing this many Battle Cruisers… it wasn’t just an attack.

It truly was an extermination.

Despite Mei’s silence, her presence beside him was palpable, a steady, unwavering comfort. She watched intently, her eyes darting between the speakers, absorbing every nuance of their conversation: a subtle shift in tone, a barely perceptible change in expression. She placed her hand on his knee, and he gently covered it with his own, the pressure a soft comfort against the fabric of his trousers.

Asta continued, “One of the Ancient Knights—a man called Sergi—along with a Tesla Terran freighter pilot named La’Rue, met with Crock. La’Rue was there to convince him and the other captains to fight.”

Dorane arched a brow. “Crock agreed?”

Asta smirked, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “You know how he is. Stubborn as hell. But he’s listening. And if he’s in, the others will follow. If you talk to him, you know he will be.”

Dorane nodded slowly, his mind working through the implications. He and Crock had fed the rumors over the years of Crock and the others being a part of Dorane’s vast personal army. In reality, they did have a vast army—as long as they worked together. It worked well for both men to build the illusion. It helped lessen the threat against each of their established business endeavors.

Crock had influence. If he was willing to fight, that meant dozens—if not hundreds—of freighters could be mobilized. The Legion might have overwhelming firepower, but an ambush of fast-moving, heavily modified freighters could turn the tide. Modifications Dorane had financed and Crock had overseen on Cryon I, the original base built before Cryon II.

He felt Mei’s fingers brush against his arm.

“Sergi?” she murmured.

Dorane’s pulse kicked up, irrational and sharp. He had no idea who this man was—only that he had once been part of Mei’s crew, part of her world. And this was the second time he had felt that unexpected stab of jealousy.

“Where are Sergi and La’Rue? Are they still with Crock?” he asked, pushing away the stab of emotion and refocusing on Asta again.

“According to Crock, they are on their way here. I guess hearing there was an Ancient Knight or two on Cryon II put a fire under this Sergi’s ass,” Asta said.

Dorane frowned. “How much time before Andronikos arrives?”

Asta’s expression darkened. “Three, maybe four, days. Lucky for us, that many ships don’t move as fast as one, and word has it, they were deep in Legion controlled regions before they made the decision to head this way. We’ve begun mobilizing the defensive systems. Jammer and our security teams found Zoak’s explosives near the core. They’re working to neutralize them. We need to make sure they found all of them before all hell breaks loose. The last thing we need is Cryon II exploding from within while the Legion is blasting us from outside.”

Dorane inhaled slowly. At least that was one threat handled. Zoak might still be pursuing them, but Cryon II wouldn’t be destroyed from within.

Jammer’s gruff voice cut through the transmission in the background, growling in frustration. “That bastard got deeper into mechanical than anyone should’ve been able to. We’re going to have to tear this place apart and rebuild the security systems from the ground up.”

Dorane exhaled sharply. Zoak was too damn good. And if Jammer hadn’t found those explosives when he did—none of this would have mattered.

Asta crossed her arms. “We’ll do what we can to hold off the Legion, but we’re going to need more firepower.”

Dorane didn’t hesitate.

“I’ll contact Crock.” His tone was absolute. “Deploy the full defense grid and move all non-combatants into fortified sectors. We don’t run—we hold. Make sure every single ship is armed and ready.”

Asta’s sharp-toothed grin spread. “It’s a shame that you are going to miss all the fun.”

Dorane’s lips quirked in amusement. “Who says I’ll miss the fun? We’ll be there before the fireworks start.”

Asta’s golden eyes gleamed. “Just take care of that Turbinta for me. I’m really pissed that he screwed up Jammer’s security system.” Her tail flicked behind her.

Dorane ended the transmission, the holographic screen flickering back to the tactical display.

Silence settled.

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