Page 40 of Stars on Fire

‘Better than good. I’d back ourselves,’ the scar-faced Rider said with a grin.

Kainan nodded. ‘So I need to know, are we happy with our decision to go ahead?’

‘This is going to expose us,’ Zane said presently. ‘We won’t stay in the shadows after this.’

‘Naam. Undoubtedly,’ Kainan agreed. ‘Can we deal?’ he probed.

‘It’s inevitable,’ Zane continued, his strategic mind flexing. ‘We’ve managed to expand strongly, and that’s reflected in our books. We’ve amalgamated and absorbed most of our competitors in the ship-building space. Our ice mining and manufacturing concerns are booming. But if we want to keep growing, we’ve no choice but to project further.’

Xion nodded in agreement. ‘Our security is tight. Our tech outguns the rest. We have a high concentration of young people we lead who are hungry to win. So we can extend and welcome risk while still being resilient and flexible. Our continued population growth also facilitates and supports the workforce drain caused by our military expansion and mercenary efforts.’

Zane took over. ‘More importantly, we can afford to pay for a large workforce as the economy expands. We’re killing it. We have the manpower and resources to give our plans a red hot go.’

Kainan lifted a long finger in caution. ‘Can’t let it get to our heads. Look at Rhesus. They’re in decline because they believed in their hype and didn’t prepare for their future. So while everything we’ve accomplished and can now do is heady and dynamic, we can’t rest on our laurels. We need to examine our offer to Dunia seriously. What are we in this for?’

‘Aiding a planet to regain control of its government means we’ll be perceived as more powerful,’ Zane rumbled. ‘Helping Dunia is, in essence, a war of accretion from a cerebral perspective. We’re winning minds and hearts. A huge move for us,khosi. While meeting our own goals.’

‘The deal will also bring in xentium and acquire that sexy-sounding tech to sustain our shipyards,’ Kage said. ‘Big advantage.’

Kainan nodded in agreement. ‘Agreed. As long we balance the achievement with the risk, then we should be OK. Rhesia is declining. Dunia, Falasia and Alloria are ascending slower than we are. Galicia is ahead in terms of size and population. Iccythria is a wild card. Nonetheless, our supremacy is our ships and tech - huge pluses in any present and future confrontations against our rivals. But we must keep to a clear, strategic plan and execute well, brothers.’

Kainan sat back in his chair and nailed his brothers with a long contemplative gaze.

‘We’re doing this?Naam? Not just for us, but for those we give back to and protect.’

‘Let’s go for it, brother,’ Kage rumbled.

‘Besides, there’s a beautiful and smart woman who’ll slice your innards if all the seduction you two were serving each other tonight was for naught,’ Riv added straight-faced.

Kainan’s molten eyes blazed. ‘I hope y’all choke on the shit you talkin’. Selene wouldn’t barter her planet for cheap thrills.’

Xion threw up his hands in surrender. ‘Oof! Who ate your bowl of sunshine, thundercloud?’

Kage dug even further with a snigger. ‘Sensitive much? It’s only been a day in her presence. How will you last the entire campaign with her around,khosi?’

‘You losers are the reason the middle finger exists!’ Kainan growled, pushing his seat back with force, thrusting the said digit at his brothers as he stalked from the room, leaving behind a thoroughly amused quartet.

After a beat, he pushed his head back into the room with a small smile playing on his lips. ‘0300 start. Everyone at training, no excuses. It’ll be all Kubai Kommando. Get ready for no rest squats, drills, push-ups and an eight-klick run in under an hour. Time to see if youkinaisare as fit as you think.’

The room groaned as one.

Kainan grinned smugly at his more than compelling payback and strolled away.

Massimo

High above Dunia’s stratosphere, on the oscillating bridge of a Technocracy capital cruiser, Massimo Makori shook.

On any given day, the statuesque man was a force to be reckoned with.

He’d long enjoyed the reputation of being a terrifying aggressor known for obliterating his opponents at will, with either a charm offensive from smiling lips, a glare from his cold eyes, a blistering tirade of abuse or a stamp of his massive foot.

He’d often thrown around his bulk to bully his enemies into submission. He’d terrified them all - from army commanders to his fellow Security Council members and even entire nations. Yet today, he twitched from head to toe.

His reaction was partly due to the freezing temperatures and powerful drafts that whipped through the massive airship. And to a greater degree, the unrelenting dread that gripped his well-fed form.

‘You assured us of a quick victory, did you not?’

The voice emanated from the figure who dominated the massive screen across the bridge, their feed transmitting from somewhere in the next galaxy.

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