The war leaves its mark.

Previously

…"It says," Alex began, his voice low and dangerous, "that the ambush was no accident. It says Commander Thorne orchestrated it. And it says he’s been using Project Nightingale to smuggle illegal weapons. We were just collateral damage." The air in the room crackled with a shared understanding, a silent pact forged in the crucible of betrayal and loss. The investigation had just taken a sharp, dangerous turn. The shadow of the agent had finally fallen upon the mastermind, and Alex Thorne knew, with a chilling certainty, that the war was far from over. It had merely followed him home.