"I propose we rescue him properly," David countered, meeting her gaze directly. "With preparation, intelligence, and a strategy that doesn't simply replace one prisoner with another. A strategy that advances our original mission rather than abandoning it."
The tension between them crackled with nearly physical intensity—not simply disagreement, but the collision of fundamentally different leadership philosophies. Where Elara embodied direct confrontation and righteous action, David represented calculated patience and multi-layered planning. Their dynamic seemed to polarize the laboratory, with the others unconsciously shifting positions to align with one approach or the other.
"Every moment we delay is another moment Salomonis spends in interrogation," Elara argued, her voice dropping to a dangerous register that carried more threat than her previous volume. "Another moment my sister stands vulnerable without proper support."
