The silence in the wake of the demonstration was more profound than any sound. Commander Valerius and his team departed with a collection of sensor data that defied physics and a quiet, unnerved frustration. They had not found a weapon to control, but a symphony they could not hear. The Steadfast Inquiry broke orbit, its mission a failure by its own metrics, but its report would sow seeds of confusion and fear throughout the Alliance's upper echelons.
On Verdant Promise, however, the event was a catalyst. Lin, true to her word, had discreetly broadcast the core of what had happened, not the sensor data, but the principle, to the seventeen other colonies on her list. She sent Kael’s simple philosophy, echoed by Lira’s practical framework: they were Gardeners, not conquerors; their strength
