Due read the document aloud, slowly, his voice flat.
The Echelon's formal letterhead sat at the top of the page, clean and unmistakable. At the bottom, Caldren's seal. The language in between was constructed with the precision of a man who had a full legal team, and had used it without hurry.
"The legitimacy test undertaken by the applying faction known as Sun Harvest was completed with material assistance from an unregistered Characteristic wielder operating within the disputed territory adjacent to Therasia's southern border. Under Echelon registration statutes, section fourteen, subsection three, material assistance from an unregistered party during a legitimacy test invalidates the test's official standing. Sun Harvest's registration application is hereby procedurally voided, pending formal Echelon review. Review window: twelve days from filing."
Due set the paper down.
The room was quiet.
