Morwenna turned her gaze toward him, her eyes narrowing as if she were attempting to peel back the layers of his composure to see the machinery beneath.
"Your preliminary report," she began, her voice dropping into a low, dangerous register, "is the first comprehensive assessment of the underlayer's current governance structure this network has produced in eight years."
"The last one required a four-person specialist team and six months of direct, high-risk access to the Underlayer's inner sanctums." She leaned forward, the tension in her posture tightening the air. "You produced it in a single night... and alone..."
"In the wake of a combat engagement that bled you dry for most of a morning."
"The forty-year archive provides the historical methodology of the underlayer in significant depth," Rex replied, his voice remaining a calm, unshakable anchor amidst her scrutiny. "Ignivara's direct knowledge of the transition is recent."
