Evelyn's voice didn't rise, but the weight behind it pressed more than any shout could.
"Second clarification," she continued, her steps steady as she reached the edge of the circle where Orin had been standing.
"Our outpost was established inside the Second Rift—an unstable zone with full signal corruption and no stable weather patterns.
Satellite mapping was impossible. No long-range comms. No sensor backups."
She paused just long enough for the room to register what that meant.
"We deployed field medics without supply lines. Held ground without atmospheric shielding.
Our casualty logs, heat signatures, and perimeter data weren't filed through Moonshade channels—they were captured and verified by third-party satellites outside our jurisdiction.
Neutral agencies. Independent contractors."
Then she looked up, eyes calm, unreadable, but anchored.
"I have those reports," she said, voice clipped yet composed. "Would you like them sent now, or later?"
