In war, the most dangerous enemy isn't always the one who stands across the battlefield—it's the one who walks beside you, disguised as a friend.
And in the wake of Kael Draven's psychological assaults, Silas Draven knew the battlefield was shifting from the stars… to the minds and loyalty of those closest to him.
Inside the Sovereign's Echo, the situation room buzzed with projections and alerts. Since launching the Tradeguard System, the Accord had successfully stabilized over twenty planetary economies. Panic indexes were falling. Black market activity was receding.
But something felt off.
Zeke frowned at a screen. "Carthis is holding, but trade inflows are plateauing. That shouldn't be happening. If morale is stabilizing, traffic should rise—not freeze."
Eylin, fingers tapping against her chin, leaned over. "Could it be residual fear?"
Zeke shook his head. "No. These trends are controlled. Artificial. As if someone's… bottlenecking trust."
