Derek's eyes narrowed, curiosity and calculation warring across his face. "You mean... make everything official? Use the base as a cover?"
"Exactly," Luke replied, a faint, clinical smile touching his lips.
"With a legitimate front, we can institutionalize operations that currently get us risk and profit in unequal measure."
Aaron leaned forward, impatience seeping into his voice. "Like what? Trading? Smuggling?"
Luke's answer was careful and broad.
"More than that. We can run experiments, traffic people, siphon resources, and force labor. We can set quotas, levy fees, and claim it's all administrative. Under the guise of charity or protection, we can command obedience."
Derek's mouth twitched into a grin that didn't reach his eyes.
Luke continued to speak, his tone calm yet filled with grand ambition.
