Liora looked toward Ren, who continued sleeping peacefully, oblivious to the chaos developing around him.
"Should we wake him? He might have important information about..."
"Let him sleep," Selphira said firmly. "When he wakes up, he might have to deal with a lost war and will need energy to hide with you..."
The messenger cleared his throat. "Is there any response for our observers?"
Selphira sealed the first of her orders forcefully. "Tell them to maintain constant vigilance. I want to know the exact moment the first Yino troops cross into our territory."
Selphira headed toward her personal wardrobe, where her own combat armor waited. "We'll discover if all these years of enemy preparation have been worthwhile."
As the messenger left to deliver the orders, Selphira looked once more toward the bed where Ren slept.
War had arrived, ready or not.
♢♢♢♢
In the damaged Starweaver mansion...
