Ryan let out a long, slow breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. The adrenaline from the fight began to fade, replaced by a deep, bone-weary exhaustion and an equally deep sense of satisfaction.
He felt like he'd just run ten marathons and wrestled three bears, but he'd won the gold medal.
His eyes fell upon the pile of loot that had materialized on the console. It was like Christmas had come early for the newly appointed Governor of Sector Gamma.
There was the "Prime Control Cache," the "Major Berserker Cache" from defeating Viktor, and the enormous, glowing "Prime Sector Cache." It was a beautiful sight. He made a mental note to open them as soon as he had a quiet moment. For now, there were other matters to attend to.
He looked across the chamber at the defeated faction leaders. Tom "Shadow" Kane, the master strategist, was helping one of his injured soldiers to their feet, his face a mask of grim acceptance.
