From Furies Forged (Free Fleet Book 5) by Michael Chatfield Page A

PDF could police them and the rest of the Union while they look to advancing their trade routes, expanding the Union instead of letting it grow stagnant. She wondered if she was giving Salchar and his people too much credit. They kept to themselves for the most part and they were used to juggling more than one ball at any given time. She only needed to look at the current situation for that to be clear.
                  They were hitting the almighty hell out of the Kalu in a way that the PDF had never even thought of, while they grew their trained personnel, both for the front lines and in reserve capacities.
                  Those numbers are only going to rise when someone finds out just what these meetings are for. Or some might hold out to start creating the PDF again.
                  There were so many possibilities, all of them created from the decisions of the people in this room, she looked down from her seat in the Semi-circle configuration of the lecture hall. Each delegation had their own seat, placard and were arranged so that they could see one another as well as the Free Fleet delegation that sat at the front of the auditorium.
                  Silence fell as Salchar stood from his position at that forward table, Rick remained seated on Salchar’s left, the commander of planetary relations and a woman by the name of Dalia Wasseur sat on either side on the right of Salchar. Rick and Salchar’s protection details sat behind them, looking omnious in their powered armor. They looked as if they were going to walk out the doors into a warzone.
                  Even though Elisati couldn’t see their eyes she knew they were watching the delegates, constantly ready.
                  Elisati didn't think that she had ever seen Salchar out of his powered armor, it looked more natural on him than the battle suit he wore. He, like every other human that had undergone Syndicate or Free Fleet training was a large specimen of muscle mass.
                  His eyes locked with hers for a moment, she felt herself being assessed before he moved on. He was quick with his look around the room, she didn't doubt that he had classified them based on his own system of how much they were a threat to him.
                  “Rick and I are largely here for decoration and to act as referees in this talk. Dalia will be dealing with all of our points. I suggest that she begin and we go from there, talking over the points raised and deciding how we're going to get the Union back on its feet,” With that he took his seat and reclined.
                  Dalia leaned forward in her seat.
                  “Okay, first of all we will look at the military organization of the Union.” Dalia began as Elisati sat forward in her chair.
                  The future waited for no one, and she wasn't about to have this Union come into creation without being as thoroughly vetted as damned possible.
                 
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                  Felix looked at the station on his sensors. It was too far to be seen with a naked eye, or even with the telescopic abilities of the visual sensors. The station had been put into standby mode and its reactors shut down. All of the Research and Development people were coming with him to the Star-destroyer yard. They had all been pining over the issues with the Star-destroyer's and leaving them out here would be doing them a disservice. A tug had already come to collect the various factories and other equipment that had been resting at the station. That tug would be jumping between systems all the way to the Star-destroyer yard. The factory ship in-system would be doing the same to Parnmal, resupplying, joining up with the relief column and