Ilsa Venn presented her instrument at the Citadel gate and waited to be admitted.
She had a licensed valuation writ, four cases, and no escort of any kind. Nothing about the arrival resembled a threat and nobody in Kendra's line reached for anything.
She stated her business at the gate in about nine plain words. A licensed valuation of the collateral required a defended position and a holder willing to hold it.
Kendra admitted her, which cost that decision four hours of argument afterward.
Two of her commanders wanted the woman held at the outer gate until a council ruled. Kendra told them a licensed challenger turned away at a door becomes an incident instead.
Nothing in the charter gave her the authority to make that call alone. She made it anyway and filed the reasoning under her own name inside the hour.
Vasa read the registration file overnight and found nothing in it she could use.
