Doran looked up from the equipment manifest. His expression was doing the controlled-neutral thing with considerable effort. "There's a discrepancy in the stone work requisitions," he said. "Historical records show standard formation anchors. Current manifest includes an additional material order." He turned the manifest toward Orion. "Condensed mana crystal, fractured grade. Forty units."
Orion looked at it.
"Fractured grade crystal doesn't hold formations," Astra said immediately. "It releases them. Under pressure it shatters and discharges whatever mana structure it's been loaded with."
"Forty units embedded in an entry mechanism," Orion said.
"Under peak suppression conditions," Voss added.
"Triggered by nullification at the moment of entry," Astra finished.
The picture assembled itself completely and sat there on the table looking exactly as deliberate and ugly as it was.
