It was the way Scipio spoke about Polygon that held Andrea’s attention. Not hatred exactly. Something colder than that. Andrea had seen it before in older State officials. The Red Decades had created entire generations who still viewed the privatization of military force as a sort of original sin, regardless of how inevitable it had become. She suspected Scipio had spent enough years watching corporations turn war into procurement contracts that the resentment had fossilized into certainty. Certainty that organisations like Polygon would end up as her enemy, one way or another. Useful, potentially. But too dangerous of a mindset to keep, if it narrowed her perspective. Andrea didn't appreciate Department Heads with tunnel vision. They were in their position precisely [i]because[/i] they could see the bigger picture.

“The Polygon’s leverage is structural.” Andrea said after a moment. “That makes them harder to confront directly than companies like BlackSun. You can retaliate against aggression. But we don't have that option with them. And needless to say, I don't want a puffed-up territory dispute becoming a bigger headache than necessary.” The aerotaxi drifted lower through the city while she spoke, neon reflections sliding across the cabin glass. “Although it may not come easily, we cannot afford to simply view Polygon as an enemy yet to draw their guns on us. We're smarter than that, don't you think?”

A rhetorical statement more than a question. Andrea folded her hands loosely in her lap.

“I have a solution in mind, but it's dependant on a few factors. First, I'd like to know how active this conflict is currently.” She asked. “Cold rivalry, or are we already seeing deliberate aggression from their side?” A beat. “And more importantly, what have we done so far to stoke their anger? Other than occupying 'their' territory, obviously."