kel-mathematical-expertise

Hexarch Shuos Mikodez grapples with the escalating crisis at the Fortress of Scattered Needles, where a coordinated heretical calendrical rot threatens the hexarchate's stability. He delays responding to Hexarch Nirai Kujen's persistent calls while awaiting mathematicians' assessments of a promising Kel candidate, Captain Kel Cheris, whose exceptional mathematical skills may be crucial in combating the threat. The chapter highlights the political and strategic tensions among the hexarchs, the importance of calendrical mechanics in warfare, and the looming military response to the heresy.