A Plan

The room itself was a testament to the Reyes family's opulence and power. Trophies from centuries of conquest adorned the shelves— weapons, artifacts, and even a fragment of the first ore mined on Selene, encased in glass. The air carried the faint scent of myrrh and something metallic, like the tang of blood.

In front of Alaric, a group of supporters stood in uneasy silence, their faces shadowed by the dim light. The tension was palpable, each person acutely aware of the stakes at hand.

Darian, a man whose sharp features and calculating gaze betrayed his opportunistic nature, stepped forward. His voice cut through the silence. "Orinthia supports him. She's made that clear. If we move against Cassian, we risk her wrath. Is that a gamble you're willing to take? And more importantly, what's in it for us?"

Alaric turned slowly, his movements deliberate, his expression unreadable. The fading light caught the edges of his face, highlighting the sharp angles and the cold determination in his eyes. "If we can sway the elders, even she won't be able to stop us. " he said, his voice low and measured. "And once Cassian is out of the way, our influence will be stronger than ever. A seat at the table when the Reyes family rises to new heights."

Lira, a woman whose sharp mind and ambition had earned her a place in Alaric's circle, crossed her arms. Her dark eyes flicked to the holographic displays on the walls, then back to Alaric. "And what if we fail? Cassian's not just some upstart. And even without Orinthia he's not alone. Elder Kael still supports him, as do many of the younger generation. If we're not careful, this could backfire. And if it does, I doubt you'll be the one paying the price."

Alaric's expression darkened, and he took a step closer to her, his presence looming like a storm cloud. "Failure isn't an option," he said, his voice icy. "But if you're so concerned, perhaps you'd rather sit back and let Cassian hand the family's future to his half-blood son. Is that what you want? To watch everything we've built crumble because you're too afraid to act?"

Lira didn't flinch, her gaze steady. "I'm not afraid. I'm realistic. Cassian has allies, resources, and a reputation that's hard to tarnish. If we move too quickly, we risk exposing ourselves. And if that happens, don't expect me to stand by and take the fall for your ambition."

Before Alaric could respond, Torin, a man whose deep voice and pragmatic demeanor often made him the voice of reason, stepped in. His cybernetic eye glowed faintly as he scanned the room, his expression grim. "This isn't just about Cassian. It's about the entire family. If we move too openly, we risk dividing it further. And a divided family benefits no one—not you, not us."

Darian scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. "Spare us the moralizing, Torin. We all know why we're here. And if Alaric can deliver on his promises, I'm willing to take the risk. But if he can't…" He let the words hang in the air, his gaze fixed on Alaric.

The room fell silent, the tension thickening like a storm about to break. Alaric's jaw tightened, but he didn't lash out. Instead, he took a moment to consider their words, his sharp mind weighing the risks and rewards. "You think I don't know what's at stake?" he said calmly, though his voice carried an edge. "Cassian's influence is a problem, but it's not insurmountable. We just need to be smarter than he is."

Lira shook her head, her voice sharp. "And what if Orinthia decides to make an example of us? You're asking us to risk everything on a plan that's half-formed at best."

Torin nodded in agreement. "Lira's right. We need more than promises, Alaric. If you want our support, you'll need to give us something concrete. Otherwise, this is nothing more than a gamble—and I, for one, don't gamble with my future."

The room erupted into murmurs as the group began to argue among themselves, their opportunistic natures laid bare. Alaric watched them with a cold detachment, his mind already calculating how to turn their divisions to his advantage. He turned back to the window, his gaze fixed on the sprawling estate below. 

'The next council meeting is in three days, That's when I'll make my move. By the time Cassian realizes what's happening, it'll be too late…' He thought

Then he spoke his voice dropped to a whisper. "I'll make sure each of you is rewarded. But if any of you decide to back out now, don't expect to be welcomed back into the fold."

Darian smirked, his tone mocking. "Is that a threat, Alaric? Because if it is, you might want to reconsider. We're not your pawns. We're here because it suits us. And if that changes, so does our loyalty."

Alaric's eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, Lira cut in. "Enough. We're not here to bicker like children. If we're going to do this, we need a plan. A real one."

The room fell silent once more, the weight of their ambitions pressing down on them like the heavy air before a storm. Alaric turned back to the window, his mind already racing with strategies and contingencies. The world outside was vast and unforgiving, and the Reyes family was just one piece on a much larger board. But for now, all that mattered was the game being played within these walls.

The mining outpost on the fringes of the Kepler system was a bleak, utilitarian structure, its metal walls scarred by years of harsh weather and constant repairs. The miners, a hardy group of men and women who had spent their lives extracting precious ore from the planet's unforgiving soil, were used to the dangers of their work. But nothing could have prepared them for what came next.

The first warning came from the sensors. A low, persistent hum that grew louder with each passing second. The outpost's chief engineer, a grizzled veteran named Jax, frowned as he studied the readouts. "What the hell is that?" he muttered, his voice barely audible over the din of machinery.

His second-in-command, a young woman named Marwa, leaned over his shoulder, her brow furrowed. "It's coming from the eastern perimeter," she said, her voice tense. "Something's out there."

Before Jax could respond, the comms crackled to life. "Jax, we've got movement on the eastern ridge," came the voice of one of the perimeter guards. "I can't get a clear visual, but it's big. And it's moving fast."

Jax swore under his breath and grabbed his rifle. "Marwa, lock down the outpost. No one gets in or out until we know what we're dealing with."

Marwa nodded and began typing furiously at the control panel, her fingers flying over the keys. The heavy blast doors slid shut with a resounding clang, sealing the outpost off from the outside world.

Jax made his way to the observation deck, his rifle slung over his shoulder. At first, he saw nothing. Then, a movement caught his eye—a dark, hulking shape emerging from the shadows.

"What the hell..." Jax muttered, raising his binoculars for a closer look.

The creature was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was massive, its body covered in thick, armored plates that glistened in the moonlight. Its eyes glowed with a sickly green light, and its mouth was a gaping maw filled with rows of razor-sharp teeth. But the most disturbing thing was the way it moved—unnaturally fast, its limbs twisting and contorting in ways that defied logic.

Jax's blood ran cold. "Marwa, get on the comms. We need backup. Now."

Before Marwa could respond, the creature let out a deafening roar and charged. The ground shook beneath its weight as it barreled toward the outpost, its claws tearing through the rocky terrain like it was nothing.

"Open fire!" Jax shouted, raising his rifle and unleashing a barrage of bullets at the creature.

The perimeter guards followed suit, their weapons lighting up the night with bursts of gunfire. But the creature's armor was too thick, the bullets bouncing harmlessly off its hide. It slammed into the outpost's outer wall with the force of a freight train, the impact sending shockwaves through the structure.

Inside, the miners scrambled for cover as the walls groaned under the strain. "We can't hold it off!" one of the guards shouted over the comms. "We need to fall back!"

Jax gritted his teeth. "Fall back to the inner perimeter! And someone get me a damn rocket launcher!"