The war had a new rhythm. Sarah Blake was an ever-present, nagging hum in the halls of Aegis Haven. She was a spirit in a lens, her sharp eyes seeing everything. She captured the frenzied planning in the command center, the weary optimism in the recovery wards, the unobtrusive resolve of the engineering teams installing water purifiers. She asked a few questions, but her watch was a question in itself, leading Reuben to see his own operation from the outside. It was uncomfortable, but he could not ignore that her professionalism was impeccable. She was building her case, brick by piece of evidence.
It was while reviewing security recordings of the Haven perimeter late one evening, as a matter of routine Sarah had insisted, stating that Crane's vanity would lead him to monitor his arch-ene
