Chapter 46: Stones Beneath the Foundation

The Citadel's central briefing chamber had been refurbished three times in two months—each time reflecting the subtle transformation of Origin's most contested power structure. Gone were the traditional banners of aligned lineages and regional colors. In their place stood thin projection towers—neutral, elegant—displaying planetary topography, atmospheric analytics, and economic flow data in shifting hues of blue and silver.

Vaeron stood at the head of a circular table embedded with interactive light-threaded data veins. Around him sat seven key figures—hand-picked not for loyalty, but for difference. If this unification was to be real, it had to begin with disagreement.

Kael sat to his right, arms crossed, a rare frown on his otherwise composed face. Across from him, Scholar Virel adjusted her narrow spectacles, her attention split between Vaeron's voice and the predictive models running on her wrist.

General Draven, broad and weather-worn, leaned on the table with one metal arm, silent but observant. Beside him were two regional envoys: Minister Saria of Norvain, and Governor Halrik of the Free Sectors—neither of whom had ever been inside the Citadel until now. At the far end, Archivist Ren from the floating city of Nymar reviewed a slate of data logs with steady, methodical tapping.

"Let's begin with the premise," Vaeron said, tapping the center of the table. A globe of Origin bloomed to life above them, marked in softly pulsing red and blue. "Origin is fractured not just politically, but structurally. Economically. Culturally. Our first step isn't domination. It's stabilization."

Draven cleared his throat. "Stabilization requires enforcement. You know what happened in Yarne after the Shade breach. The governors fled. The reconstruction teams were hunted by rogue militants and pirates. If we step into another region like that without protection—"

"We don't enforce with force," Vaeron said. "Not first. We start with visibility. We establish Citadel liaisons in each major region—not soldiers, but stewards. Trained in emergency protocol, logistics, diplomacy. Presence first. Pressure only when necessary."

Kael glanced at Draven. "And if the old families resist?"

"They will," Governor Halrik muttered. "They already are. You know Meridien refused to even send a watcher to this discussion?"

Vaeron nodded. "I expected that. But we don't counter their silence with silence. We counter it with transparency. Open the Citadel's plans to public view. Let every sector see our projections, our resource redistribution models, our goals."

Minister Saria raised a hand, her voice tempered with concern. "With respect, Sovereign, that may work on the Core Rim. But in the Red Wastes? The border towns don't care about data graphs. They want food. Power. Safety."

"And that's what we'll give them," Vaeron replied. "First. Let them see it's real before we ask them to believe it."

Virel spoke softly, but her words cut clean. "You're choosing optics over foundation."

"No," Vaeron said, shaking his head. "I'm building the foundation where it's most cracked. That's the only way to build trust. You start with the ignored. With the abandoned."

Draven leaned forward. "You mean to send liaisons to areas that still report unrest? What about Dervan's Hollow? Their mines haven't stabilized since the last eruption. Half the population moved underground. The other half blames us for doing nothing."

Vaeron turned to the map. A red pulse marked Dervan.

"Then we send aid. We open communications. We broadcast our goals. And we install a mobile Citadel node there. One capable of distributing water, rations, and power support."

With a flick of his fingers, he activated a sub-layer of the table. A new schematic appeared—showing a mobile Citadel annex: compact, armored, self-sustaining.

"Field nodes," Kael said, narrowing his eyes.

"More than that," Vaeron replied. "Centers of aid, communication, and observation. A Citadel without walls. A reminder that unity doesn't live in towers."

Halrik let out a dry chuckle. "You're going to make a lot of enemies this way."

"Only the ones who benefit from separation," Vaeron said calmly.

He stepped away from the table and paced slowly. The room watched him in silence.

"I grew up hearing the phrase 'The world cannot be one.' It was said like a law of physics. But I've seen too many walls fall to believe in absolutes. This isn't unity by decree. This is unity by design. If we wait for peace to be accepted, we'll never earn it. So we build it. Brick by brick. And we let the world see who's holding the mortar."

Archivist Ren looked up for the first time. "And how will you protect the liaisons? If pirates strike? If chaos spreads again?"

Vaeron's voice was steady. "Then we protect them. Quietly. With hidden defense. With guardians who don't wear uniforms but carry the Citadel in their will."

Kael looked over at him, frowning. "That's a lot of trust in untested systems."

Vaeron met his gaze. "And a lot of faith in people who've never had reason to believe before. If we don't give them something new, we're just repainting the same walls."

The map shifted again. The light in the room dimmed to a dusky violet.

A soft sound from the far corner—a chime. A new message appeared.

Meridien House: Transmission blocked.

"They're watching," Saria said quietly.

"Let them," Vaeron whispered. "We won't win by hiding. We win by daring to be seen."