They returned to their deep-level bunker, the silence of their new home a stark contrast to the storm of secrets they now carried.
They had the truth, a weapon powerful enough to shatter the foundations of their world. But a weapon is useless without the will to wield it.
And their options were a minefield of potential betrayals.
"We cannot release this information publicly," Joric stated, his voice heavy with the weight of what they had discovered.
"It would cause a panic, a total collapse of the social order. The clans would turn on each other in a frenzy of paranoia and witch hunts. It would be chaos. It would be Vex's victory, even in his defeat." Kiera nodded in agreement.
"And we cannot take it to the Azure Dragons. Not while Valerius still holds influence. He would bury it, and us with it." Their unholy alliance with Elder Valerius had served its purpose, but it was a bridge they had already burned.
That left only one option, the devil they knew: General Tarik. It was a dangerous choice.
Tarik was a wolf, and they were handing him the keys to the sheep pen. He would use this information not for the good of the city, but for the good of the Sunstone Jaguars.
He would use it to consolidate his own power, to eliminate his rivals, and to position himself as the city's undisputed ruler.
But he was also a man of brutal pragmatism. He, more than anyone, understood the threat of a unified, Vex-led Vanguard.
He was a monster, but he was their monster. For now.
The meeting was arranged with the utmost secrecy.
Not in his war room, but in a neutral, anonymous location in the Outer Sector, a place where a powerful General's presence was an anomaly that would attract attention.
It was Kiera's subtle way of reminding him that they were still partners, not subordinates.
Kiera presented him with a single, encrypted data-chip.
"This is everything, General," she said, her voice devoid of emotion.
"The full list of Vanguard infiltrators in every clan, including your own. The financial records. And the details of Vex's 'Project Chimera.' His plan to create an army of artificial gods." Tarik took the chip, his massive hand surprisingly gentle.
He plugged it into his datapad, his face impassive as he scanned the contents. But Ryu, his senses attuned to the energies of the room, could feel the barely-suppressed storm raging within the General.
He felt the shock, the fury, and the cold, terrifying avarice as Tarik realized the scope of the weapon he had just been handed.
He now had the means to blackmail, expose, or eliminate nearly every significant political and military figure in the city.
"You have given me a gift, warrior," Tarik said, his eyes locking onto Kiera's.
The corner of his mouth twitched into something that might have been a smile.
"A very, very dangerous gift." He stood up, his decision made.
"I will handle this. The traitors within my own clan will be dealt with, quietly and permanently. I will use this information to force the other clans into a new alliance, an alliance under my leadership, to face the true threat of the Vanguard." "This is not about your leadership, General," Kiera stated firmly.
"This is about stopping Vex." "The two are now the same thing," Tarik replied, his voice leaving no room for argument.
"Vex has made this an existential war. And existential wars require a single, unified command." He turned to leave, then paused.
"Your part in this is not over. You are still ghosts. Vex will now be hunting you with the full, desperate fury of a cornered god. Stay in the shadows. Stay silent. And wait for my signal. When the time is right, I will give you your target." The message was clear.
They had given him his weapon. Now, they were to become his hidden assassins, his deniable asset in the war he was about to unleash.
They had won the battle for the truth, but in doing so, they had made themselves the most valuable, and most expendable, pieces on the board.