Retaliation did not arrive with fire.
It arrived with compliance.
Within twelve hours of the denied region's declaration of full autonomy, the empire's outer systems began to experience something far more destabilizing than resistance.
Agreement.
Trade corridors acknowledged new authorities without protest. Independent operators rerouted logistics through neutral channels. Old allies sent polite notices, carefully worded, legally sound, requesting temporary renegotiation of terms.
No one defected.
They simply adjusted.
Victor slammed a data slate onto the table. "This is coordinated."
Aria didn't look away from the wall of feeds. "No. This is contagious."
Dante stood motionless at the center of the room, hands clasped behind his back. "Cassian didn't pull the trigger," he said. "He taught them where to place their fingers."
A regional liaison appeared on-screen, nervous, practiced.
"We're not withdrawing," the man said quickly. "We're… diversifying."
