"This is also another golden opportunity for the Empire to test its force, to have our standing army taste blood and not rot away in garrison positions," the voice urged, dripping with arrogant ambition. "There is no greater opportunity to live-test our military doctrines, and at the same time, deliver an undeniable show of force to prove the true reach of the Empire's might."
On paper, the logic spilling from his advisors was airtight, a masterclass in cold, pragmatic statecraft. But as Chen sat listening to their eager war-drums, a bitter knot tightened in his chest. Everything they advocated for was precisely what he despised.
