Read [05] Elite: Reclamation for Free Online Page A

There were no roads or access routes; the island was entirely unspoilt; supplies and visitors typically arrived at a small airport on the far side of the island directly from the mainland and were then taken via an underground transport link to the palace.
    Unseen to the casual observer the island was defended by a perimeter of anti-craft batteries and surface-to-air missile launchers alongside a variety of shield technologies. Squadrons of defence craft were stationed on nearby islands just out of sight of New Ithaca, ready to scramble at a moment’s notice. The island was, in the eyes of the military, somewhat over protected; particularly as their resources were stretched thin trying to keep a handle on rising piracy and the activities of the Reclamists. The Senator had commanded it however, so it was done without question.
    All this had been built in a scant couple of years following the appropriation of the system and the expulsion of the original settlers. The Lorens were nothing if not efficient.
    The head of the family, Senator Algreb Loren, had inherited his grandfather’s vast fortune at an early age, after the suspicious death of his father. Algreb’s father had, by most accounts, been something of a fool and a popinjay. Many suspected wider interests had intervened to ensure the succession. In their quest to ensure that family lineage and purity continued untainted, much care had to be given to the choice of marriage partner. Genetic engineering ensured the worst anomalies were avoided, but it wasn’t possible to avoid them all.
    Algreb, through uncertain means, shrewdly invested and enhanced his grandfather’s legacy, the family’s money continued to be made through mining of rare and exotic materials extracted with cheap labour. It had given him much scope for influence and put enormous power in his grasp. With the capability and the experience, the opportunity provided by Chione given the sudden and unprecedented demand for Tantalite had been one for which Algreb had been perfectly placed to take advantage.
    The entire household had moved to Chione; wife and mistresses (all discreetly housed in the remoter parts of the palace), his three daughters, their tutors and a small army of guards, musicians, servants and staff. Everything the Imperial family had enjoyed back in the Empire they enjoyed here, no compromise was accepted. This was often complemented by frequent visitors from the lesser noble families on the mainland and visitors from the Empire itself.
    A young woman entered through the grand foyer of the Imperial Palace and strode purposefully towards the dark panelled doors that formed the threshold of the reception hall. She knocked three times, quickly and sharply, in accordance with tradition.
    There was no immediate response. The woman waited, her arms folded impatiently, glaring at the closed doors. Her fingers tapped against her forearms.
    She was dressed simply, in a loosely flowing pale green robe that fell to her ankles. Her hair, straight, dark and cut at shoulder length, was braided by a thin crystal tiara. Her eyes were grey with a hint of blue, her skin pale and only lightly adorned with colour. Her stance was erect and commanding, her expression cool and aloof.
    Two guards on the inside slowly pulled the doors inwards. The woman abased herself reverently, but kept her head up, with her expression unchanged.
    ‘Approach,’ a deep and melancholy voice intoned. It was only just audible from the opposite end of the hall.
    The woman resumed her stance and walked forward, conscious of her footsteps echoing on the mosaic floor. She kept her eyes locked ahead, only peripherally noticing the murals, images and stories passing beneath her feet; tales of conquest, resistance, victories, defeats and famous last stands.
    She arrived at the foot of the dais and curtseyed, reluctantly lowering her head down.
    ‘You summoned me, pater?’
    ‘Arise.’
    The woman stood up and looked directly at the