He turned his murderous gaze toward the Deacon, who was still panting from his tantrum. In his mind, the Oasis Leader was cursing every one of the Deacon's ancestors to the deepest pits of hell. The Union's "brilliant plan" to overextend Ethan had instead decapitated the Union's influence and gutted the Oasis's holdings.
"You said he would fold," the Oasis Leader hissed at the Deacon. "You said the administrative weight would crush him. Instead, you've given him a continental empire and a private army of ten thousand battle-hardened traitors."
The Deacon straightened his robes, trying to regain his composure, though his eyes remained bloodshot. "He has the land, yes. But he also has the Rifts. Let us see how 'sovereign' he feels when the first Wave hits his unprotected docks. He has no Union satellites, no joint-defense protocols, and no reinforcements. He bought a kingdom, but he paid for it with a death sentence."
