The dawn was brittle, a pale wash of light spilling across the city, but inside the estate's war room, urgency had already taken hold. The coalition's fractured pieces were still trying to align, but time wasn't waiting.
Aria stood at the helm of the central command, fingers lightly tracing the surface of the holo-map that pulsed with shifting data points, each representing a node, a voice, a potential fracture or alliance. The balance was precarious.
Victor's voice cut through the hum. "We've confirmed breaches in three additional nodes overnight. All showing signs of coordinated interference."
Dante, leaning against a console, frowned. "Cassian's tightening the noose. This isn't just sabotage; it's strategic strangulation."
Aria nodded. "We have to act on multiple fronts, defense, diplomacy, and disruption. The architecture's survival depends on our ability to weave these strands into a single, unbreakable fabric."
