The Rothian nodded along sagely to Vreta’s train of thought. The blackness around them gradually billowed out into a maelstrom of mauve clouds. “Oh.” They thought back when the discussion turned again to the Hegemon. 

“We hit it [b]hard[/b]. But our biggest inroads came not from off its shields, but [i]inside[/i] its mind.” The Rothian smiled again and tapped the side of its head with one claw. “I’m no Tactician, but I know that if we keep the Hegemon busy on the outside, it is more vulnerable elsewhere. That is how we beat it, once and for all.”