Galactic Exchange: The Merchant Sovereign-Chapter 61 – The Council of Seven

The Free Exchange was no longer a whisper.

It was a force.

Across the Nexus, outlaw ports began pledging allegiance. Starships bearing forgotten emblems emerged from hiding. Traders once blacklisted for defying Anchor monopolies now stood proud, their systems buzzing with newfound commerce.

And at the heart of it all sat Kairos, Sovereign and newly appointed Arbiter of the Free Exchange Network.

But liberation required order.

And for that, he needed something more powerful than any weapon or relic.

He needed a council.

Summoning the Seven

The Sovereign Interface responded to Kairos’ request immediately.

[Rebellion Governance Structure Initialization Complete]Title: Arbiter of ExchangeRequired: Seven Councilors representing major market domains.Roles must be filled by verified traders with unique Nexus footprints and high trade reputation.

The roles materialized as holograms around Kairos’ command console aboard the Unyielding Trust.

Each council seat pulsed with a different icon:

Commerce – Oversees general trade law, tariffs, pricing structures.

Logistics – Controls shipping lanes, star routes, and gate prioritization.

Defense – Organizes mercenary branches and border protection.

Innovation – Manages tech trade, patents, and relic integration.

Agrimark – Governs food trade, planetary farming systems, and biotech.

Culture – Handles art, media, luxury items, and information economics.

Sanction – Regulates justice, trader conduct, and market penalties.

Kairos frowned at the last.

"Sanction?" he muttered. "Basically a judge?"

Vael smirked from his side. "Every rebellion needs a lawful executioner."

Kairos inhaled sharply and spoke aloud.

"Search for candidates across the Free Exchange."

The Candidates

The system worked fast.

Within hours, seven profiles were shortlisted, each blinking with urgent headers:

T’rana Jex (Commerce): A multi-armed Cephan trader with a 98.4% success rate across 900+ deals. Once a chief negotiator for the Anchor Zone Trade Tribunal before defecting.

Lok Atren (Logistics): Former Nexus mapmaker turned smuggler king. Controls black lanes through eight sectors and maintains five private star-gates.

Marshal Crayne (Defense): Disgraced Galactic Admiral. Now commander of the Iron Veil Armada—an independent fleet loyal to currency, not crests.

Kessie Varn (Innovation): Rogue AI merged with a biological host. Oversees one of the largest free-tech hubs in the Verge Clusters.

Rovu of Thornspire (Agrimark): A plant-based sentient with control over hundreds of terraforming gardens and seed banks. Provides food to starving moons.

Vinta Rue (Culture): Galactic performer turned media mogul. Controls public morale through entertainment syndicates and propaganda networks.

Mara Quill (Sanction): An ex-Judicator from the Nexus High Council. Known for executing traitor Sovereigns and now rumored to have rebelled herself.

Vael let out a low whistle. "This is... a dangerous collection."

Kairos nodded slowly. "But also necessary. Bring them here." ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

Arrival at Sovereign’s Ring

To host them, Kairos activated a hidden module within the Unyielding Trust—a massive diplomatic chamber ringed with energy shields and surveillance systems. He named it the Sovereign’s Ring.

One by one, the councilors arrived.

Each brought entourages. Each brought power.

T’rana Jex came in a ship that resembled a cathedral made of glass. Lok Atren arrived aboard a hollowed-out asteroid. Marshal Crayne marched in with mech-troopers trailing him like hounds.

The moment they entered, the tension crackled.

Kessie Varn scanned the room, her digital pupils flickering. "Too clean," she murmured. "You sanitized it. That’s Anchor behavior."

Kairos stepped forward. "This room is neutral. Not controlled. Not observed. And not regulated by the Nexus. This is Free Exchange ground."

"And yet," Vinta Rue purred, "you are clearly in charge."

"I’m an Arbiter," Kairos corrected. "Not a ruler."

The First Council Session

Kairos opened the meeting with a projection of galactic unrest.

"The Anchors are recalibrating. We disrupted their grip.But make no mistake—they will not give up.Which is why the Free Exchange must be more than a rebellion.It must become a system.Efficient. Adaptive. Resilient."

Crayne crossed his arms. "You want us to run a government."

"No," Kairos said. "I want us to run a market—but one that isn’t held hostage by megacorps or invisible hands."

T’rana tapped a claw. "Do we get voting rights?"

"Yes. One per seat."

Rovu’s vines twitched. "And what of enforcement? Who ensures compliance?"

Kairos nodded. "Mara Quill. Sanction seat. That’s your role. Keep this council clean."

Mara, pale and silent until now, looked up with sharp eyes.

Her lips curled into a ghost of a smile.

"So be it."

The First Vote – The Founding Act

Kairos put forward the Founding Act—a declaration of independence from the Nexus Trade Authority, the formal resurrection of the Free Exchange, and the legitimacy of Sovereign Kairos as interim Arbiter until elections.

Each councilor was given a token.

Green for approval. Red for veto.

The tokens vanished into a central sphere.

The results pulsed in the air:

✅ Approved: 6❌ Vetoed: 1

Kairos turned.

"Mara?"

The enforcer raised an eyebrow. "I want something in writing. Immunity from past judgments. You want me as your judge? Then free me from theirs."

Kairos didn’t hesitate.

"Granted."

The vote passed.

The Free Exchange Council was official.

A Hidden Betrayal

Hours after the council disbanded to private quarters, Vael returned to the Ring, face tight.

He tossed down a data chip.

Kairos plugged it in.

The screen flickered to life—surveillance footage. One of the councilors transmitting data through a forbidden channel.

Encrypted. But not hidden enough.

"Who?" Kairos asked coldly.

Vael sighed.

"Lok Atren."

The smuggler. Logistics seat.

The footage showed him slipping something into a console near the chamber—a pulse beacon broadcasting encoded telemetry.

Kairos clenched his fists.

"Anchor spy?"

"Or worse," Vael said. "He might be feeding multiple factions."

Kairos stared at the silent image.

"I need to be sure. Not guess."

Vael nodded. "Then let me tail him. Quietly."

Declaration to the Traders

Back aboard the bridge, Kairos sent out the first Free Exchange broadcast.

His face appeared across rogue terminals, backwater settlements, and hidden markets.

"Traders of the lost lanes,The Anchors have kept you in shadow.But your signatures have not been forgotten.The Free Exchange is real. And we are open for business."

The interface chimed softly.

New Traders Registered: +3,500Galactic Markets Aligned to Free Exchange: 42Sovereign Trust Index: 98.1%

Kairos stood tall.

But his gaze remained on one dark corner of the Sovereign Ring.

Because trust was fragile.

And betrayal had already taken root.

Status Panel

Cosmic Units (C.U.): 25,000

Star Credits: 3.9 million

Trust Index: 98.1%

New Title: "Founder of the Seven" – You established the first trader-led economic council independent from Anchor law.

Free Exchange Councilors:

T’rana Jex (Commerce)

Lok Atren (Logistics)

Marshal Crayne (Defense)

Kessie Varn (Innovation)

Rovu (Agrimark)

Vinta Rue (Culture)

Mara Quill (Sanction)

Suspicion Flag: Lok Atren (Compromised)

The Free Exchange was taking form.

But one traitor could collapse it all from within.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢