The true nature of the Purist threat became clear when Councilor Deepwater arranged for us to interview refugees from the fallen city-states. What we learned in those conversations challenged everything I thought I understood about warfare, resistance, and the nature of individual will.
"They didn't conquer us," explained Meren Coastwalker, a former merchant from the city-state of Golden Harbor. "They liberated us. At least, that's how it felt at the time."
She sat across from me in one of the Federation's secure interview rooms, her eyes carrying the haunted look of someone trying to reconcile contradictory memories.
"I remember the day they arrived—ships on the horizon, armies marching through our streets. I remember being afraid, angry, ready to fight for my home. And then..." She pa
