"Do you know why my warriors have been considered unstoppable in every previous engagement?"
Out of the blue, just as Olana expected to see a flash of worry or desperation on his face, Hye turned to her. He was smiling calmly, his tone as collected as if they were discussing the weather rather than a high-stakes space battle.
"You're acting as if this isn't a catastrophe," she said, raising an eyebrow in disbelief. "Or did you already anticipate this resistance and simply write off the loss of these warriors in your initial plans?"
"Who said there was going to be any loss at all?" Hye asked, his smile twisting into an evil smirk. He motioned toward the screen floating in midair between them. "See for yourself, Olana. Look closer. There isn't a single fallen warrior on my side. Not one."
Olana felt certain he was bluffing—pure bravado in the face of overwhelming firepower. But when she turned her attention back to the high-resolution feed, her breath caught in her throat.
