Page 101 of Stars on Fire

‘My older brother recently informed me that you’re now the Prime of Dunia. And I’d like to discuss something vital with you.’

‘Yes?’ she encouraged.

‘I’ll cut to the chase. We know that your celebration ball will bring together many of the System’s leaders and politicians, and now that the coup is behind us, they’ll be keen to discuss their access to xentium. We want to pre-empt any of their discussions. With the request that you guarantee our access to xentium and, in fact, increase our stake. To 40% of your exports. Up 10% from our current arrangement.’

‘Guarantee?’

‘Yes, we’ll be willing to pay well for a higher percentage of xentium sales than we agreed upon back on Enia months before the coup. We’re thinking of a small, separate, generous donation to secure what we need.’

Selene knew the Rhesians had recently struggled to send just one measly corvette to Dunia’s aid.But, suddenly, they had a generous fund to pay her off? Impossible.Unless, of course, there were other cashed-up parties involved.

‘And who arewe? The Rhesian government?’ she probed.

‘A group of highly vested individuals fully supported by the Royal family.’

‘Is your Prime Minister or the King across this?’

‘We don’t worry those two with such trivial matters until they’re finalised, Prime.’

Selene scoffed silently at the low-key put-down.

‘No doubt. And how much is your highly vested consortium willing to part with for your generous gifts?’

The Prince paused for a beat. Most likely to consult someone else in the room with him. ‘They’re open to numbers in the region of 25 million schills,’ he eventually said.

‘Payable to whom?’

‘To you, of course, Prime.’

Selene bristled and decided to pull the plug on the awkward charade. ‘Are you aware that this offer you’ve just made constitutes paying for preferential access? Which could lead to multiple counts of bribery, penalties and censure from my government?’

The Prince bristled. ‘I wasn’t suggesting thatyouonly receive this money. We can spread it among all key officials and even donate to Dunia’s charitable causes. Perhaps a fund to help all the families affected by the coup?’

The gall of the man. To call her out of the blue and try to twist her arm. With a piss-poor bribe couched as philanthropy.

He probably thought she was an immature, inexperienced leader who could be easily manipulated. This was Rhesia’s perpetual weakness these days - being so removed and out of touch with the reality of its people and allies. Let alone being unaware of the System’s changing balance of power and its emerging leaders’ low tolerance for bull spit.

The problem extended to its governance. Once, Rhesia had been an energy titan due to its orhial mines. However, a lack of planning, over-mining, poor management and corruption had since undermined its dominance.

Their manufacturing companies were struggling for energy resources, and their desperate need for xentium was a play to claw back some of the clout Rhesia had lost in the last few years.

The Rhesians thought Dunia was the same, a monopoly sitting atop immense wealth — inefficient, politically driven, and corrupt, with officials allowed to siphon off cash for their greedy goals. Selene was keen to disabuse the Prince of this notion.

‘Prince, Dunia has never been for sale. Besides, we have stringent agreements with Galicia, Eden II, Alloria and even Iccythria that we can’t just toss out to accommodate your sudden and increased need for xentium. So I’m sorry, but the answer is no.’

An awkward silence ensued as Selene took another blissful sip from her glass.

‘You’ve no idea what this means,’ the Prince snarled.

‘You’ll find that I do know exactly what it means.’A fokk you to your entitlement,she thought crabbily.

‘You’ll live to regret this, young lady!’

‘Don’t young lady me, Prince. And don’t threaten me. I won’t budge. I also won’t stand to be bullied. Dunia just kicked down what was supposed to be the System’s greatest threat. So don’t think we can’t protect ourselves if we have to,’ she said.

She paused for a beat, struggling to keep her angry breathing from flaming the airwaves between them. ‘Now, was there something else I could help you with?’

‘No!’ came the curt, clipped reply.

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