"Are you not going to start a frontal assault, Vice-Admiral?"
"A frontal assault?" Iridelle gave Karina a tired look. "Karina, I understand the urgency, and I admire your sense of justice, but attacking the Theocracy outright could start a continental war. Zyphran isn't in the greatest position right now. You know that."
"That's not what I mean. As I told you, they must have the Sword Saint captive somewhere. Isn't that enough justification for the Great Powers to act?"
The Great Powers operated without the permission of any nation. On paper, they were above political influence and free to engage wherever they believed balance had been disturbed.
But that was only on the surface. In reality, their neutrality depended entirely on whether a Great Power held personal biases.
And Iridelle Vermillion had biases that kept her tied to the Zyphran Dominion, whether she admitted it or not.
