The main screen had just switched away from the satellite feed of Wakanda's border. In the replay, its unmoving Vibranium shield glowed with a warm golden light, as if silently mocking every advanced weapon system the United States possessed.
The Chief of Staff stood to his right, clutching a newly compiled assessment report. Beads of sweat glinted on his forehead under the cold white lights, and his voice was tight:
"Supreme Leader, according to a joint assessment by the CIA and the Defense Intelligence Agency, Wakanda's Vibranium shield system is at least fifty years ahead of our current defensive technology."
"And we have reason to believe that's only the tip of the iceberg. Their materials science, energy systems, medical technology, and military equipment may all be far beyond anything they've revealed publicly."
Grand Commander Aoniu said nothing. His eyes remained fixed on the frozen image of the shield.
General Lane sat on the left side of the long table, back straight and hands on his knees. His dark brown eyes held the cold calculations honed through countless military campaigns.
The silence lasted about half a minute.
Grand Commander Aoniu finally spoke, his voice thick with the anger and resentment of an animal backed into a corner:
"There's no room on Earth for a country this damn powerful!"
"Their very existence is a serious threat to our interests!"
"We have to destroy them completely!"
He turned to General Lane. "We need a scapegoat with enough credibility."
General Lane held his gaze for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Understood. Yongye is our best choice. But how far are we going?"
Grand Commander Aoniu leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice. It had the cold edge of a beast grinding its teeth:
"We need a nuclear strike powerful enough to destroy Wakanda and