GENERIS
Nathan tried the wine. It was his choice anyway and bad form, but he would have Stamper replace the bottle before she got here.
He was somewhat nervous, though he worked consciously to bury any outward sign of it. He had sailed through his early years of politics with few true...
GEOSTATIONARY ORBIT, SECOND MOON OF CIUTRIC IV
Nathan lent against the hard wall of the cargo hold that would have to suffice as a briefing room. He had hired the nondescript freighter through an intermediary and though it served their covert purposes well it had few bells and whistles.
The...
WATER TOWER COMPLEX, BEGAMORIAN SOVEREIGN LAND, GATALENTA
Senator Nathan Braxon cut a solitary figure on the balcony of the water tower, leaning on the rail in shades and casual attire as he gazed out over the green plains. The sun was shining on Gatalenta, and it was shining on Nathan too...
BLACKWELL TECHNOLOGIES, BONADAN, CORPORATE SECTOR
Nathan cracked his knuckles as he waited impatiently by the customs booth. It had been a long journey and every bit of him felt in need of wringing out. He would be sure diarise a full theraputic massage as soon as time allowed.
It was a...
TEKSHAR FALLS CASINO, KUAT
Nathan swilled his old-fashioned, watching the top notch whisky swirling in the crystalline glass.
This meeting mattered to him more than any for a while, though that was all the more reason he could treat it no different. The Senator was pretty damn good at...
HIGH SIGHTS COMBAT RANGE, ORD MANTELL
Nathan put the butt of the blaster rifle against his shoulder, finding the familiar padded spot that would give it the best cushion. If only making politics happen was as simple as setting up a shot.
The Senator was pretty handy with a pistol, but he had...
GATALENTA
The Begamorian shuttle arced through the air, winding its way to the landing pad. Inside, Senator Nathan Braxon ran over the information on his datapad a final time. He knew this world and its Senator inside out by now, at least as far as public information could carry him. But...
DOAN, ABANDONED QUARRY
A gentle breeze stirred within the walls of the quarry, but otherwise Nathan could hear little but his own breathing and the security detail’s booted feet on the dry earth.
The Senator was in boots himself today, his dark formalwear and black pants a tad more practical...
BEGAMOR, EQUATORIAL DISTRICT
Nathan tightened the chrono on his wrist, fingering the lapels of his summer suit and stretching his neck in the mirror. Afternoon drizzle was beginning to rattle on the panelled windows, but he paid it no mind. This was a big day, the first step on the next...