Chapter 6

Sanctuary was dividing but not falling, it managed to stay afloat despite the big explosion that just happened. Civilians panics as they run around the city, in fear of any potential attacks from Hyperion. The soldiers tried their best to manage the situation but some of them were no different than the civilians.

Civilians cried seeing the corpse of their loved ones. The remaining composed soldiers tried their best to help the civilians. Helping injured civilians, removing ruble and dragging the corpse, the remaining of it.

All of the scenes were crystal clear for the Chairwoman of Hyperion. She smiles alone in her office, seeing the defeated Rebellion on her desk. She touches her desk and more holographic screens appear. Showing the city that was destroyed in many angles.

Their misery was her enjoyment, she was more than impressed on the team. But not enough to surprise her, for now she thought. Only 2 men and the whole base was nothing but ruins, but she preferred more explosion and blood.

She touches her desk and said. "Blake, this is your chairman speaking."

"Yes , is there a problem?" Blake answered the call.

"Please schedule a meeting with from the AE Team, as soon as possible."

"Would 5 hours from now would suffice?"

"That would be excellent."

"5 hours from now that is due at?"

"The Boards meeting room."

"It will be done."

She wanted to end the transmission but then she ask. "Have you send them to the sun?"

"Do you mean the board of directors? Not yet but it will be done."

"Change of plan, send them to the nearest black hole."

"Yes Ma'am"

…..

AE1 was in the elevator, calmed and composed. He received a message from the team that was task for the mission that it was successful. A few mistake but all of them was understandable, he only brief them to make an impact and nothing more, yet they deliver his expectation.

The elevator door open and in front of him was Blake that had eyes that could barely see under the old eyelids.

"Please follow me. Mr. Keith." said Blake.

He turn his back to Keith and started to walk, without a word Keith followed him from behind. Both of them walked to endless corridors that was divided by titanium built doors. As he passes through the doors, he realized that the security was heighten. More robots were on standby, situated at the side of the corridor.

Loader bots were no threat to him, but similar to ants, numbers could overwhelm. He realized that every single movement that he made was monitored by the Loader Bots lens. The red dot in the lens was a dead giveaway. But he kept his image of professionalism regardless, he came here by his consent and he was ready for anything.

Blake stop in front of a wooden door that was luxurious and rare since the space station was in space. Blake open the two doors and reveal the meeting room that had a long table. After opening the door, Blake stood at the side of the door.

"The chairwoman would be waiting for you inside, Sir." Blake said.

"Thank you." He walked inside.

As soon as Keith enter the room, Blake closed the two wooden juggernaut doors. He looked behind and the door silently closed.

"Please sit Mr Keith." Alesia said.

Realized by the voice of his client, he looked in front. All the chairs at the meeting table were properly but with the exception the other end of the table, where the back of the chair was facing at him. He assumed that would be his client, Alesia.

He sat at the leather chair beside him. It was cozy and comfortable, his bottom sunk to the chair cushion but it was too soft in his opinion. Keith adjusted his position and look at the other end of the table.

"Having a good day, ?" said Keith.

"Previously I task you and your team to make an impact, and the possibilities are endless if you want to make an impact. You could sabotage their mining facilities, hack their systems or strike them long range."

Alesia turned her chair, leaning to her chair with her elbows rest at the armrest of the seat, hands crossed. "But your team just made the unexpected thing, invading the city. I'm impressed."

"Thank you." He nodded.

"But why take the risk ?" she asked.

"Risk is benchmark, the more the better."

"Quite a confidence you got there, be careful. Confidence comes with Ego, both can kill you."

"Oh I learned that more times than I can count." Keith smirked, trying to loosen the situation.

"And what about your soldiers? Are they fine?"

"They have been debrief and will return in a few days."

"Good, happy endings for us all."

"Except for your enemies."

"Of course, if they do not suffer, don't even consider it as an ending." She gave Keith a hint of smile. "But let's continue to business, I already deposited 25 million to your bank account. I think the money would suffice for the payment."

"But you already deposit 2 million before the operation." Keith confused.

"Just consider this as a it because bonus don't come that often."

"Thank you for your generosity." Keith bowed a bit. "Is there anything else you want my team to do?"

"Take the rest that your team needed, I want the resistance to rebuild."

"I'm sorry." Keith surprised what the Chairwoman just said. "You want them to rebuild?"

"Is there a problem? Do you pity them so much that you've sided with them?" Alesia right brow raised.

"No. I have no rights on knowing the reason but this is totally inefficient and might be costly."

"Calm down ." She smirk, that felt totally antagonistic. "We already won the war, is not wrong to prolonged the inevitable."

Keith face was still as stoic but inside he was shock with the woman method. Keith was rather surprised seeing the chairman of Hyperion acting quite brutal. Before, she was rather straight forward to business, but now she was uncomfortably brutal."Quite confidence to have, just now you said it was dangerous."

"Dangerous if there's no power to back it up."

"They already been defeated, we have hit the source of the problem."

"What your team just did was crippled them by the legs, they're not crippled forever. In time they could walk just like nothing happen, with a little bit of intelligence. At that specific time when they started to take the first step of recovery, we crippled them back but in a more gruesome way."

"As you wish but you have to reconsider the cost of each operation" Keith does not want to delve in why Chairwoman would like to do such thing.

"Money is none of your concern Mr. Keith, by the time your soldier completed an operation , the money would be put in the bank account." Alesia paused for awhile, thinking what should she say next. "I think that would be all for now Mr. Keith. You are now dismissed."

"Thank you for your time, Ma'am." He got up from his chair and depart from the meeting room. He left the room with his boot thumping the floor that breaks the silence.

Once alone, Alesia touch the table and connected with Blake by the network.

"How can I help, ?" said Blake.

"How is the rebellion? Recovering?" she got up from her chair and look at the view of the planet.

"Based on the information obtain recently, they're in a stationary state."

"Are you certain?"

"No activities whatsoever. Every single operation involving the Resistance has been reduced to a halt."

"The team really hit the root of the problem." She was impressed but rather disappointed at the same time. "Can they recover?"

"One of our commanders on the military department speculated that the Resistance won't be fully operational until next month. He stated that this is the right moment to demolish the Resistance for good."

"No, not yet. Did the military department send troops to the surface?"

"No Ma'am."

"Then cut the deployment of the loader bots to half and increase the surveillance on our Eridium mines. Make a dummy company and invest on the Resistance, don't ask why, just do it."

"As you wish but how much the investment would be?"

"100 thousand would be enough to make them stand on their feet. I want you to make sure the dummy company is anonymous and have no legal issues whatsoever."

"It will be done."

"Thank you, that is all." the transmission was ended and she at the unique planet and mumbled. "Don't die to soon, you still have to suffer many things."