Neutrality spread faster than rebellion ever had.
That was the cruel irony Dante understood too well.
Rebellion declared enemies. Neutrality disguised them.
By morning, three more commanders had followed the first, each issuing carefully worded statements about "temporary withdrawal," "regional autonomy," and "operational pause." No denunciations. No allegiance shifts. Just absence.
Cassian didn't need them to defect.
He needed them undecided.
The estate war room hummed with controlled urgency. Data streams layered over one another, movement charts, loyalty indexes, influence heat maps, each recalibrating in real time as the empire's center of gravity wavered.
Victor slammed a palm against the table. "They're hedging. Waiting to see who bleeds first."
"They're waiting to see who blinks," another commander added.
Dante stood at the head of the table, posture rigid, expression unreadable. "And we won't give them that satisfaction."
