On the screen below, a single image flickered—a drone feed from what remained of a city called Geneva. A child, no older than six, stood alone in a crater. She held a torn flag in one hand and a broken toy in the other. She wasn’t crying. She was staring directly up at the sky. At the Odyssey .
Then he added, so softly only the stars could hear: Conquest Earth
“All sectors report compliance, sir,” said Ensign Vell, though her voice trembled. “Ground forces are securing the capital. Casualties… are catastrophic.” On the screen below, a single image flickered—a