Go straight to the top-minimize both panic and hypocrisy

For a fleeting moment, I had the idea to keep this information to myself. Let them hit us unprepared, and then I ride in to look so brilliant when I come in to save things. And then, the next moment, I was disgusted. That was the exact kinds of thoughts I was so quick to denigrate-of being able to sacrifice others pointlessly for your own glory. If I let them be taken by surprise, people will fall for no reason than because I decided their risk was worth less than my ego. No-I would have to make sure we're ready.

The problem being, that I've frankly kinda isolated myself out of the normal command structure-so I wasn't sure who would be appropriate to let this slip to-or how much they would listen. I knew what was basically the top, I had my minions below me, and my 'technically equal rank but essentially marching to my tune' fellow members of the Squad of Unconventional Strategies. This was a bit of a problem, because I needed a delicate balance to occur. On one hand, I wanted everyone to be as ready as possible for the oncoming attack. On the other, I would prefer that we don't tip out hand that we know-which might make them decide to not go through with it. And then it's back to just waiting.

Mulling it over, I decided that the only reasonable way to do this would be to go to Orchid herself. If there's anyone who could manage that kind of navigation, it was her. As the one in charge, it was probably an obligation for her to know eventually anyway, so this was just saving time. My mind made up, I uproot myself for the first time in several days and make my way through the camp. My new appearance draws a few eyes-though ultimately nobody comments, presumably I'm still recognizable enough that they assume. I mean, how many masses of mixed meat and vegetable matter could what apparently is a largely human army really have in it? Probably a few more if I had tried to create more like myself, but that's beside the point.

Trundling up to the crimson canvas that indicated the magic tent where the highest reaches of power here were, I hesitated a moment. While I'm certain my own task is important, old habits of staying quite because I didn't want to interrupt tried to creep back. After all, surely even if the army is in a holding pattern, she surely has matters of state to attend to. I try and shake this off with a bit of affirmation-c'mon, new life, perfect chance to be more assertive! Squeezing myself through the entrance, I soon find her about where I expected-at a desk, with a bored look over some papers. Which quickly turned to a more irate one at my presence, though she didn't say anything. Didn't need to, the baleful stare said enough. As I explained myself, it softened up a bit-I could practically watch the gears turning in her head. When she dismissed me after an exhaustive ask of what she could extract from me, I made my retreat to go back to managing my own partial affairs-thankful that sleep wasn't needed, because there was no way I was getting something after feeling this anxious.