Dominion answered with paper.No bombs fell. No fleets appeared on the horizon. No soldiers marched through the gates of Garden City. Instead, a document arrived—immaculate, neutral, and devastating in its restraint.It came through official channels that still existed whether Garden City acknowledged them or not. The formatting was perfect. The language was sterile. The tone was almost polite.NOTICE OF PROVISIONAL AUTONOMOUS STATUS PENDING REINTEGRATION REVIEWEthan read it once.Then again.Then a third time, slower, letting every word sink in—not just what it said, but what it implied.Around the Charter Hall table, the others waited.Jun leaned forward, forearms braced on stone, eyes sharp with barely restrained anger. Mira stood with her arms folded, expression unreadable but rigid. Alexander sat stiffly, fingers hovering over his slate, already tracing implications faster than any human bureaucracy ever could. Leah remained standing, hands clasped together, jaw tight.The city
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