“The Terran Empire?” one of the leaders finally voiced, breaking the uneasy silence with the most controversial possibility yet.
A wave of murmurs and narrowed eyes followed, some in consideration, others in immediate rejection.
“They don’t have the wormhole technology to conduct these attacks,” another leader countered quickly, scoffing at the idea.
“But they might have learned it through the knowledge granted to them,” a third leader said, eyes flicking toward the Trinairan representative. “Especially after that duel with your representative. You all saw the broadcast.”
The Trinairan leader didn’t flinch. “We were the only ones who withheld the decryption keys. Also, possessing knowledge and being capable of applying it are two different matters,” he responded, calm but firm.
That didn’t stop the next question. “Was the encryption used in the knowledge the same as what you gave them to integrate into your civilization’s private star system?”