Free Soldiers of Fortune by Joshua Dalzelle

doubts about how inconspicuous he could be in a setting like they were in, although he had shifted the color of his armor panels to a muted black that looked quite formal against the burnished silver of his "skin.” Kross saw them approaching and turned to dismiss most of the people he had been talking to, save for one man. He was tall and thin, almost severe looking, and had white hair and a prominent pointed chin. It seemed like the white hair was a natural coloration, or lack of, rather than a result of advanced age.
     
                  "Gentlemen," Kross said smoothly, "welcome. I see not all of you made it."
     
                  "The rest of the crew was a little under the weather after such a long flight," Jason said blandly, knowing full well the politician would see right through the lie. 
     
                  "Of course," he agreed. "May I introduce our mutual friend and your current employer: Mr. Crisstof Dalton." I'll be damned... a normal sounding name for once. At the mention of his name, Crisstof Dalton placed his right hand on his chest and bowed slightly.
     
                  "A genuine pleasure to meet you, Captain Burke," his rich, deep voice seemed to hang in the air. "And you as well Dr. Ma'Fredich and Lucky."
     
                  "If you don't mind my saying, you seem quite familiar with us Mr. Dalton," Jason said smoothly, hiding the alarm he was feeling.
     
                  "Please, call me Crisstof... And do not be alarmed, I've been tracking your exploits for some time now, but not for any nefarious purpose," Crisstof said. "I believe we can be mutually beneficial to each other in the future, but for now let us get acquainted, settle up our account, and discuss the possibility of discussing another job you can do for me soon." This guy is smooth.
                  Soon, Kross left the four of them to talk quietly at the far end of the hall while the reception went on around them. Jason got the impression Crisstof was what he would call a "trouble shooter:” someone who found ways to accomplish things when official channels either broke down or were unavailable. He practically confirmed this when he explained why Omega Force had been hired to get the Vongaard family off Corran instead of any number of military units that were probably not only better equipped, but already on the payroll.
     
                  "You see, Corran is being subjugated by her sister planet, Kellaan. Kellaan shares an orbit very similar to Corran, in fact they overlap each other in some places. Kellaan was settled by the Corranians nearly a millennia ago when the technology was still quite primitive. There wasn't regular commerce, just a steady stream of settlers and refugees that wanted to escape the pollution and overcrowding of Corran's cities." Crisstof paused to take a long drink of a clear something that smelled like a distilled spirit before continuing.
                  "After the last planetary war on Corran, the two worlds lost contact with each other and set off down two very different social evolutionary paths. When they finally were able to communicate and visit after the technology caught up, there was a constant tension between the two.
                  "In recent years, an increasingly vocal contingent within the Corranian government has been advocating the more totalitarian, militaristic methods of the Kellaanians," he paused to take another drink.
     
                  "Let me guess," Doc filled in the silence, "the movement caught on and before long were advocating a takeover by the Kellaan government."
     
                  "Correct," Crisstof confirmed. "Through creative manipulation of the media, and in turn the population, they were able to convince people that it was in their best interest. This put the opposition in a dangerous place; if the Kellaanians actually attacked