The chief examiner slapped seven flagged pages before Hajin while the other two evaluators cracked open their statute books.
Morning dragged the household witnesses from camp into the appraisal rotunda, where Hajin sat with his damaged chain still supported. Six junior scribes lined the wall with inked quills, watching those flagged pages like hungry hounds waiting for dropped meat.
Cassie took her place behind the witness rail as the chief tapped the first page.
"Unregistered auxiliary summons, quarantine bypass and entry without an approved escort," he droned, dragging his finger down the list, "seven procedural violations during the pass campaign, followed by a conquest claim without a recoverable core."
"That's it?"
Hajin propped his chin on his knuckles while his other hand kept the chain's cloth from slipping.
"Put the casualty forecast beside those flags, old man, then go tell the people who survived which form you wanted them to die waiting for."
