"Well…" Olana hesitated, glancing at the sensor readouts. "It seems your little 'show of power' might have worked a bit too well. Their comms are a mess of panic. I think you've scared them into a stupor."
Hye's expression darkened. "If they reneged on their word or are simply stalling to wait for reinforcements, I won't mind bombarding this entire planet into radioactive dust and leaving it as a monument to their indecision."
He paused, turning to Olana with cold eyes. "Send this message across every open channel, planetary and interstellar: If you want to waste my time, I will waste your planet in return."
Olana felt a chill. She knew he wasn't bluffing. She relayed the ultimatum, and the effect was instantaneous. In less than five minutes, a single diplomatic shuttle detached from the planet's primary spaceport, burning its engines at maximum thrust to reach the flagship.
