That damned paper…
Arturo, who had read it over his shoulder, had his jaw in the position it went when he was containing what he actually thought because what he actually thought wasn't useful out loud at this particular mont.
"He wants to plunder the vault first," said Julius, keeping his voice low, the space they were in had enough people within range for volu to matter. "We already knew that. But the installations…" He paused, holding the full implication of it. "If he gives the corruption access to those installations…"
"I don't think he knows he's doing that for it," said Selphira from where she was sitting, her more crystallized arm resting immobile yet hindering communicated how bad her situation was. Sitting helped since the hugging posture compensates for what the sensation could no longer provide. "He believes he has control of it. He believes the crystals are his and the corruption is a manageable tool he's been clever enough to harness."
"Which he doesn't," said Julius.
"Which he doesn't and..."
The ground shifted.
Subtle, not the kind of vibration that ant a bigger flux of enemies, but the kind that ant sothing changing direction before the consequences beca visible. The adjustnt of a flow before that sa flow declared itself. Julius looked toward the periter with the attention of soone who can feel the earth like his body and already knows what complex new logistical trouble they're about to face.
The concentrated mutant torrent they had been containing at the periter split.
Not in two... But into five separate streams that began moving toward different points across the city simultaneously, each one with the directness of sothing that had a preditated destination rather than a broad or imprecise direction. Toward the densest residential areas to the east. Toward the main market to the south. Toward the secondary access points that defenders had left with minimal coverage because the bulk of the pressure had been elsewhere and the resources hadn't stretched that far.
Julius ran the available numbers against the necessary numbers at the sa ti.
They didn't balance.
They could follow the flows and distribute their people to reduce civilian casualties. Or they could hold their concentration to et the army approaching from the west. With what they had, there was no version where they did both.
Orion knew that.
He had calculated exactly how much pressure required to be applied across exactly how many fronts to ensure that none of the available options were sufficient, to make the only rational exit from the situation one that involved at least engaging with his demands, at least opening the conversation. It was the kind of trap that didn't require walls because the geotry of it made moving in any direction look worse than staying.
Julius leaned on Arturo for the logistics and still sent the redistribution orders with a bad feeling of doing exactly what he was being made to do, with no better option visible in any direction.
"We need ti," said Selphira.
"Yes."
"And we need Ren."
Julius looked at her.
She didn't say it as so wishful hope… She said it as the logical analysis of their only choice, with the ticulousness of soone who has reviewed the available resources and arrived at the conclusion that one specific variable is necessary for the equation to produce the only different result. And the tone of a person who would have preferred the math to work out so other way and still was reporting what the math had actually said.
"If he wakes up and can help us with the crystallization even partially," she continued, "Then Victor can fight, I can fight… With the four of us together, you, Arturo, Victor, and , and whatever is left of the defense units, we might be able to press Orion hard enough to break through that barrier of light." A pause. "But we need the fusions... All four together. Without that we have no realistic way through the crystal barrier protecting him… None."
Julius didn't answer imdiately, because there was no answer to give until he had evaluated the rest of it.
"What he's asking for regarding Luna," he uttered then.
The na changed the texture of the atmosphere, thickened it, and gave it an uncomfortable direction.
"Larissa won't agree either," he added.
"No," Selphira confird. "But we only need the girls to pretend to accept for a limited ti." A pause that carried the weight of a decision already made. "Though we're not going to give them the choice to say no for now."
The unpleasant decision landed with the full weight it carried.
Julius let it land.
"So we send the acceptance ssage," he said. Not a question.
"You send the acceptance ssage." Selphira uttered it with the tone of soone who has reviewed every available option and arrived at the only one that leaves any room to maneuver afterward. "But with conditions of substance. Orion wants to make this official. He wants the ceremony because without it what he has is a coup, and with it he has a functioning governnt he can use when the crystal energy eventually runs out. And for the ceremony he needs to establish at least so arguable claim to the things he's demanding, since several of them are rewards tied to Luna and Ren specifically."
Julius crossed his arms.
"And Luna is going to accept this willingly? I don't think she even knows the crystal is being usd…"
"Luna doesn't need to accept it willingly." Selphira raised a hand before he could continue. "Not in the way you're thinking. Also, if Orion wants to use the Starweaver genetic key for what he's planning, he needs her physical presence. That's the last piece of positioning we have right now." Her eyes moved toward the great hall of the castle, reading sothing in the space that the others in the room weren't looking at. "The new year ceremony has a protocol that is very old and very respected. The hall is wide and it will give us the opportunity to look for vulnerabilities in the barrier up close. And if we use the ti the negotiations and preparations require for soone to wake up and soone to recover enough to move…"
"It's a risky gamble."
"Everything we have left is a gamble." Selphira said it without drama, the sa way she would state that the sky was a particular color. "The difference is that this is the last one we have and the one I understand well enough to bet on."
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