Resistance never really starts with a loud shout or someone waving a rebellious flag. Instead, it dresses itself up to look like a concerned friend. It speaks in a very calm, measured voice about things like sustainability, historical precedent, and being prudent with money. It hides its defiance behind stacks of paperwork, long delays, and objections that are worded so carefully they sound totally reasonable to anyone who isn't looking too closely.
Astralis learned this lesson the hard way just three days after the new doctrine was announced.
The first sign of trouble reached the Core World in a very quiet way. It was just a routine update from the Helior Verge sector. This was a middle-frontier region that was already part of the Empire and was supposed to be getting its full defense parity within the next year.
