The Paladin's final words hung in the sterile air of the command center. She did not look away from Lilla; her gaze remained steady and unflinching. She knew what came next. The order was a formality now, a single spoken word that would set a chain of events into motion.
On the screen before her, the preparatory commands for the Saintess's personal shuttle glowed, a silent promise of swift departure. Every line of code was in place, waiting. All it required was the final, decisive authorization from the woman whose eyes held the weight of worlds.
Far below, on the planet's scarred surface, that weight was felt in the thunder of artillery and the screams of men. Two teams of paladins had launched a desperate assault, targeting the pirate artillery positions just beyond the protective barrier. Their mission was to break the siege before it truly began.
The outcome was a study in brutal contrast.
