The briefing room aboard the Resolute was dimly lit, with flickering holographic displays casting long shadows on the walls. The air felt heavy and thick with tension as Alphonse stood at the head of the table, his usually casual demeanor replaced by a rare intensity. Around the table sat the team: Jackie, Agent Lorne, Kovacs, and two other CID operatives, their faces etched with fatigue and wariness.
Alphonse tapped a control on the console, and a hologram of interconnected trade routes lit up the center of the room. Lines crisscrossed the galaxy, converging on a handful of brightly glowing nodes, one of which was labeled Prescott.
“This,” Alphonse began, his voice low but commanding, “is the web. A network of supply chains and trade routes controlled by some of the most powerful entities in spinward space. At the center of it all is an interspatial conglomerate called Cindralis Dynamics.”
He paused, letting the name sink in.
“Cindralis Dynamics,” he continued, “is a corporate empire that deals in everything from starship components to advanced weaponry. On the surface, they’re legitimate—one of the galaxy's largest suppliers of industrial tech. But dig deeper, and you’ll find a different story.”
The hologram shifted, zooming in on smaller nodes connected to Prescott’s supply chain. Each node bore the insignia of a subsidiary or shell corporation.
“These companies,” Alphonse said, pointing to the nodes, “are fronts. They extract and refine rare elements like those found on Prescott. Elements that, until recently, we didn’t even know existed. They’ve been smuggling these materials across the network, using the Consortium as their enforcers and brokers.”
Kovacs leaned forward, his heart sinking. “So they knew about Prescott’s resources before we did.”
Alphonse nodded grimly. “They didn’t just know—they’ve been exploiting them for years. The attack on Prescott wasn’t just a grab for territory. It was about securing a monopoly on those elements.”
The room fell silent as Alphonse’s words settled over the team. Kovacs stared at the hologram, his mind racing. Prescott’s suffering and the destruction of its towns and families came down to greed. Cold, calculated greed.
Jackie broke the silence, her voice tight with controlled anger. “What’s the endgame here? If Cindralis Dynamics has been doing this for years, why escalate now?”
Alphonse sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Because the rare elements are running out. Prescott’s deposits are among the largest in the sector, but even they’re finite. Cindralis Dynamics sees the writing on the wall. They’re stockpiling resources, ramping up production, and eliminating competition.”
“And using the Consortium to do their dirty work,” Agent Lorne added, her tone sharp. “Mercenaries, smugglers, assassins—they’re all in the conglomerate’s pocket.”
Kovacs clenched his fists. “And now they’re targeting Ivara Prime.”
“Not just targeting,” Alphonse corrected. “They’re embedded here. The Institute, the competition—it’s all part of their strategy. They’re scouting for talent, stealing designs, and testing technologies that can maximize their profits.”
Jackie leaned back in her chair, her arms crossed. “So what’s the plan? How do we take them down?”
Alphonse gave a wry smile. “You don’t take down Cindralis Dynamics. Not directly. They’re too big, too protected. What we can do is disrupt their operations. Expose their illegal activities. Force the Accord to act.”
“And how exactly are we supposed to do that?” Lorne asked, her skepticism evident. “We’re on foreign soil, surrounded by people who would sell us out in a heartbeat if it meant saving their skins.”
Alphonse’s smile faded. “Carefully. We’ve already planted seeds. The stolen data Kovacs analyzed is part of the puzzle. We'll have enough leverage to make waves if we can link it to Cindralis Dynamics and their weapons development program.”
Kovacs shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Leverage? You mean proof, right?”
“Proof, leverage—it’s all the same in this game,” Alphonse said. “The question is, are you willing to play?”
Kovacs felt all eyes turn to him, the weight of their expectations pressing down like a physical force. He thought of Prescott, its fields burned, its people displaced. He thought of the competition, of the stolen data that now sat at the heart of his mech’s design. He thought of Ilara’s challenge, her sharp gaze daring him to prove his worth.
“I don’t know,” he admitted, his voice quiet but steady. “I came here to build, not to fight a corporate war.”
“But you’re already in it,” Jackie said, her tone softening. “Whether you like it or not, Prescott’s tied to this. You’re tied to this.”
Kovacs looked at her, searching her face for some sign of reassurance. Instead, he found determination—a resolve he wasn’t sure he shared.
“What if we fail?” he asked. “What if all we do is make things worse?”
“Then we keep fighting,” Jackie said. “Because the alternative is letting them win.”
The room descended into uneasy silence. Lorne stood abruptly, her chair scraping against the floor. “We can debate morality later. For now, we focus on the mission. Alphonse, what’s next?”
Alphonse hesitated, then tapped a control on the console. The hologram shifted to a map of Ivara Prime, highlighting several locations in red. “These are our targets. Facilities tied to Cindralis Dynamics’ operations. We hit them, we disrupt their supply chain. But we have to move fast—they’ll know we’re coming.”
The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.
“And the competition?” Kovacs asked. “Do I just… keep playing along?”
“For now,” Alphonse said. “Your mech and your position in the competition are assets. Use them. If we can draw the right kind of attention, we might flush out their local operatives.”
Kovacs nodded, though his stomach churned. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could walk this tightrope, balancing his principles against the demands of the CID and the harsh realities of interstellar politics.
As the team dispersed, Kovacs lingered by the hologram, staring at the glowing map. Jackie approached him, her voice low.
“You okay?” she asked.
“No,” he admitted. “But I’ll figure it out.”
Jackie placed a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not alone in this, Kovacs. Remember that.”
He nodded, though her words felt hollow against the storm of doubt in his mind. As the lights dimmed and the room emptied, the shadows seemed to close in around him. The path ahead was murky, fraught with danger and moral compromise.
But for Prescott—and for himself—he knew he had to keep moving forward.
***
Segment Transcript: “Spotlight on Cindralis Dynamics” – Galactic News Network (GNN)
The broadcast opens with sweeping visuals of bustling spaceports, shimmering skyscrapers, and starships bearing the sleek insignia of Cindralis Dynamics—a stylized “C” encircled by orbital rings. The narrator’s polished, authoritative voice begins as the images shift to industrial complexes on distant worlds.
Narrator:
“Few names loom as large in the galaxy’s economic landscape as Cindralis Dynamics, the interspatial conglomerate responsible for shaping industries across dozens of sectors. From advanced starship components to cutting-edge industrial machinery, Cindralis Dynamics powers the galaxy’s growth. But with its reach extending to every corner of spinward space, questions about the corporation’s ethics—and its ambitions—are never far behind.”
[Scene Transition: Corporate Overview]
The camera pans over a dazzling boardroom in a Cindralis Dynamics headquarters, its glass walls offering a view of an orbiting spaceyard where massive freighters are under construction. A ticker scrolls across the bottom of the screen, listing corporate statistics.
Narrator:
“Headquartered in the Ivaris Sector, Cindralis Dynamics operates across 92 star systems, employing over 15 million sentients and generating an annual revenue of 2.7 trillion credits. The company’s crown jewels include its Polaris Shipyards, responsible for nearly 40% of civilian freighters in service, and its Omnitek Division, which produces high-efficiency energy systems for industrial use.”
[Cut to an Industry Analyst]
The scene shifts to a studio interview. The guest is Dr. Lira Janai, a prominent economic analyst specializing in megacorporations.
Anchor:
“Dr. Janai, what makes Cindralis Dynamics so dominant in the interspatial economy?”
Dr. Janai:
“Several factors. First, their integration across supply chains is unparalleled. Cindralis doesn’t just manufacture goods—they control mining operations for raw materials, refining facilities, distribution hubs, and even financing for buyers. This level of vertical integration allows them to undercut competitors and dominate entire markets.”
The visuals shift to a bustling mining operation on a desert planet, massive machines tearing into the ground, and laborers working under harsh conditions.
Narrator:
“But this dominance comes at a cost. Critics argue that Cindralis Dynamics’ aggressive practices push ethical boundaries. Accusations of environmental destruction, exploitative labor practices, and monopolistic behavior have dogged the company for decades.”
The screen displays an excerpt from a recent report, “Profits Over Planets: Cindralis’ Destructive Impact”, highlighting the devastation of mining colonies.
Narrator:
“Independent watchdogs estimate that Cindralis has extracted over 300 billion metric tons of rare elements from frontier worlds, often leaving local ecosystems irreparably damaged. These rare elements, prized for their use in advanced technology, account for nearly 25% of the company’s annual profits.”
The scene transitions to a grainy recording of a weathered miner speaking from the ruins of his homeworld.
Former Miner:
“They don’t care about us. Once the veins run dry, they pack up and leave, and we’re the ones stuck with the poisoned ground and the broken machines. It’s just business to them.”
Footage shifts to a packed courtroom where legal representatives for Cindralis Dynamics sit across from lawyers representing displaced frontier colonies.
Narrator:
“Despite numerous lawsuits, Cindralis Dynamics has proven adept at navigating the legal system. The company employs a team of over 10,000 corporate lawyers, ensuring its interests are protected at every level. Legal settlements, often amounting to billions of credits, are considered a cost of doing business.”
A polished executive, standing before the company’s insignia, addresses the camera.
Spokesperson:
“We take our responsibilities to the galaxy seriously. Cindralis Dynamics adheres to all applicable laws and regulations, and we continuously strive to minimize our environmental impact while supporting the communities in which we operate.”
The visuals grow darker, showing grainy surveillance footage of freighters docking at unregistered facilities and crates being loaded under the cover of night.
Narrator:
“But behind its lawful operations lies a murkier side. Investigations have linked Cindralis to a network of shell corporations and off-the-books trade routes, allegedly used to smuggle materials and launder profits. These connections have drawn the attention of enforcement agencies across the galaxy, though direct evidence remains elusive.”
The screen flashes a map showing suspected smuggling routes, with nodes labeled “Consortium Ties”.
Narrator:
“Recent rumors suggest that Cindralis Dynamics may be leveraging criminal networks. These allegations, if proven, could jeopardize the company’s standing in the Galactic Accord.”
The broadcast ends with sweeping visuals of bustling factories and gleaming starships launching into the void.
Narrator:
“As Cindralis Dynamics continues to expand its influence, the question remains: how much power is too much? For now, the conglomerate sits at the pinnacle of interstellar commerce, its profits soaring, its reach unchallenged. But in the shadows, resistance grows, and the galaxy watches closely for cracks in the empire.”
The GNN logo appears as the broadcast fades out.