There was a brief silence before the high commander spoke up. "The situation was... sensitive, Director," Lysara finally replied, her voice as flat and cold as winter stone.
"Sensitive?" Sorina's laugh was sharp and utterly humorless. "Lysara, he's enrolled in my academy. He's interacting with my students, living in my dorms, training in my facilities. His ability to mimic Vitae signatures isn't 'sensitive intel' it's a fundamental security variable that I, as Director, needed to know before he stepped foot on campus." She gestured toward Zaeryn, her frustration unmistakable. "What if he'd mimicked someone dangerous? What if he'd accidentally hurt someone? My instructors were operating completely blind!"
Zaeryn shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He hadn't thought of it that way. He'd been so focused on his own survival, on gaining power and allies, that he hadn't considered the operational security nightmare he represented to the institution.
