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Kyle web. Centuries later, Kurj had named the station the Orbiter because it orbited throughout the
Imperialate, never staying in one place. He christened its idyllic city City and he called the valley where
he lived Valley. The names made perfect sense to him, though they seemed to amuse his grandmother.
His grandfather understood.
ISC replaced most of the Orbiter s technology, but they left the Strategy Table. Modern engineers had
yet to reproduce the transparent composite used in its construction. Lights glittered within its massive top
and blocky legs, illuminating the gold, copper, brass, silver, and platinum components, all visible like the
mechanisms of a gleaming, antique clock.
Today, military personnel packed the Strategy Room, seated at the great oval table or standing by the
metallic walls. Officers on other worlds attended as VR simulacra. All four branches of ISC were
represented: the Imperial Fleet, Advance Services Corps, Pharaoh s Army, and J-Force.
The Fleet had originated in the navy on Raylicon, but now it dominated the ISC space divisions. Banner
Highchief commanded. When Kurj had first heard her name, he had gritted his teeth, imagining the
atavistic culture that produced it. He had no romanticism for barbarism. He should have avoided
assumptions, though; Highchief was a towering cyber-warrior from a high-tech culture. Hard but fair, she
had a dry sense of humor he appreciated. Although in private she expressed doubts about the invasion, in
the Assembly she supported him.
The Advance Services Corps scouted planets. Kurj recalled how they had tried to recruit his father,
Tokaba Ryestar, a civilian explorer. Tokaba had refused. When Kurj had been a small, laughing boy,
Tokaba had often swung him around, saying he would much rather toss his golden child in the air than
shoot people. Kurj didn t miss the irony: his father had declined to support ASC; now the ASC
Commandant had voted against the invasion. Regardless, he treasured his memories of Tokaba. Recalling
his father s love of peace was all that constrained his drive to obliterate the Traders, indeed, all that held
his ambition for power in check.
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Kurj himself headed the J-Forces, the fiercely independent pilots who faced the Traders one on one,
without the mental static of crewed ships to interfere with their mind-intensive operations. He had risen
through the ranks, ruthless and driven to this command. Today he controlled one branch of the military;
someday, as Imperator, he would control them all.
The Pharaoh s Army had existed for five millennia, during the Ruby Empire, through the dark ages when
technology crashed, and now in the interstellar age. Vaj Majda commanded. As the Matriarch of Majda,
she came from a long line of warrior queens. Tall and dark-eyed, with iron-gray hair and an aristocratic
face, the forceful Majda General of the Pharaoh s Army had given Kurj his strongest support for the
invasion.
Kurj considered the Majda. Even he had approved the Assembly s choice of her nephew, Prince Dayj,
as Roca s consort. The union would increase political stability, strengthen ties between Majda and the
Ruby Dynasty, and enhance the prodigious wealth of their Houses. He suspected the Assembly also
hoped Roca would weaken his links to the militaristic side of Majda. He knew better, but he kept that to
himself.
Personally, Kurj found his future stepfather insufferably arrogant. Dayj had, however, one exceedingly
admirable quality; he obeyed the conservative traditions of his House which meant he kept his mouth
shut and stayed in seclusion on Raylicon. That made him perfect for Roca. As a Councilor, she couldn t
live on Raylicon, so Dayj s presence would be nonexistent in her life.
A voice spoke on the comm in Kurj s ear. Primary Skolia, the First Councilor is on-line.
Kurj subvocalized his response:Understood.Sensors in his throat interpreted and transmitted the answer
to his ear comm.
The simulacrum of the First Councilor formed across the table, so lifelike he looked solid. Kurj added
his voice to the murmur of acknowledgment. My honor at your presence, sir.
The First Councilor nodded, his dark eyes scanning the room. As the elected leader of Skolia, he was
the supreme commander of ISC, even over the Imperator. Kurj thought it an absurd division of power.
The Imperator should rule; without him, Skolia would fall to the Traders.
A woman s voice rang through the Strategy Room. Imperator Skolia. The great platinum doors
opened and Jarac entered.
Kurj rose to his feet along with everyone else. Towering and massive, Jarac strode to a heavy chair
embedded in the far wall. As he sat down, techs fastened him into the cyber-throne, plugging its
exoskeleton into his neck, spine, wrists, and ankles. It linked him to the War Room, giving him full access
to any data needed by this council. He would become the focal point of the meeting, its central command
unit. Its Key.
Kurj wondered how Jarac felt about the Assembly overriding his vote against the invasion. Jarac had
long supported the division of power that put the First Councilor over him, but Kurj thought it must
bedevil him now, knowing that if he had full command, he could refuse to lead the invasion.
The woman spoke again: Her Highness, the Ruby Pharaoh.
They all remained standing. The pharaoh s simulacrum formed at the head of the table, along with those
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of the officers who served as Operations, Communications, Plans, Intelligence, Logistics, and Security.
After she settled into her chair, everyone else also sat down.
So began the meeting to formalize their invasion.
Kurj had his recommendations ready: send in the J-Force first. The split-second response times and
accelerations of space warfare were beyond normal humans, but the Jagernaut-ship combination could
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