Ethan
'You managed the room,' Blake says. 'He planted the flag. Both are true.'
"'We can live with both being true,' I answer.
I hit Send on the manifest. The Crown's office acknowledges receipt inside five minutes with a tidy line; Guest badge accepted. Visitor/Ops is fine. See you Tuesday. No drama. Just work.
Father doesn't come to the afternoon council prep, which is almost a relief. I brief Councilor Voss and Hart on the agenda, wards, mixed-unit rotations, war prep and joint drills. I lay out the "no streaming" rule and the reality that the Crown's guard will sweep our gear on entry.
Councilor Hart reads the packet and taps Allison's line with one fingernail. "You expect pushback."
"I expect discipline," I say. "From us."
He considers, then nods. "Fine."
On
