The news arrived via encrypted Tribunal communication channel.
A bridge tier being had been killed.
Not in accident. Not in self-defense. Deliberately. Forcefully. By Tribunal operatives working under the authority of Investigator Valorin.
Keris Vorn delivered the message to Owen and Lord in person, appearing in Drak'thar's Palace courtyard as evening fell. Her expression carried something Owen had not seen before: Anger. Directed at her own faction.
"They called it a failed recalibration attempt," Keris said, her voice clipped and precise. "A being who had transitioned to bridge tier status began experiencing rejection symptoms. Valorin's team was authorized to attempt forced recalibration back to traditional tier system. During the procedure, the being's body rejected the restoration. Valorin claims it was an accident."
"But it was not," Lord said. It was not a question.
