Page 168 of Star Claimed Omega
‘We’ve got a problem, my friend.’
He didn’t even afford her a glance.
She crossed her arms, projecting casual ease. ‘We need your skillset on 65 Cybele.’
She got a twitch of one brow, no more.
‘I suppose I’ve no choice but to hear you out,’ he rasped dully, his timbre hoarse with disuse.
Miral smirked. ‘Ding ding ding, winner.’
She tracked closer, her cadence building momentum.
‘Here’s the deal. Accord’s got a vice grip on Cybele Station. United Earth contracted its merc outfit, the Accord Legion, to maintain order. However, their version of peace appears more like civilian bullying and disappearing cargo.’
His eyes flicked to her, still dull, but following the thread now. ‘There have been over two hundred violent strikes against passengers, dock workers, and Cybele rebels who oppose Earth’s rule.’
His jaw flexed, muscles twitching. ‘The kicker is that parts of Cybele have no real governing authority. Which means the Accord Legion answers to no one. They’re turning into rogue operators with zero oversight, halfway across the galaxy.’
‘Sounds like a rightfokkin’ mess,’ Santi rasped, sitting up a little straighter.
‘Oh, it is since Accord’s top brass now admits their guy on the ground, Lieutenant Varl Rexus, is off leash. They’ve lost control. That’s where we come in.’
Santi turned his whole face to her, narrowing his unusual eyes. ‘What’s it to us?’
Miral grinned. ‘Xander and I pitched a takeover, a quiet one. Signet steps in, replaces the Accord Legion, restores order and credibility. We also win because Signet lands a new fat contract. United Earth just approved the plan.’
She let that sink in.
Santi blinked once, then again. The guitar slid off his lap and onto the divan, forgotten.
‘Why are you talking to me about it?’
‘We need a certain touch,’ Miral continued, her voice velvet over steel. ‘Someone who knows how to captivate politicians while twisting knives under the table.’ ‘A leader who can flatter pirate overlords over drinks and then rip their empires apart if the charm offensive doesn’t work.’
He arched a brow. ‘You’re asking me to seduce and destroy.’
‘Diplomatically,’ she said sweetly.
A gleam returned in his eyes, just a flicker, but nonetheless visible. ‘My kind of mission.’
He leaned forward, enlivened. ‘Tell me I’ve got full discretion. That if diplomacy fails, I get to go in guns blazing.’
Miral gave him a slow, wicked smile. ‘You’ve got carte blanche. Xander signed off on it himself.’
A beat of silence passed between them.
Santi stood, his movement sudden, as if a fundamental element within him clicked back into place.
‘I need something to sink my teeth into,’ he growled. ‘This sounds like just the thing.’
‘Abso-freakin-lutely,’ Miral smiled. ‘You’re a wolf who loves a fight even with one set of claws tied behind his back.’
‘When do we leave?’
‘As soon as you’re ready, my friend.’
Miral simpered as she followed his prowling gait toward his primary, satisfaction blooming like a quiet storm in her chest.
