The battered dropship roared across the sky, its engines sputtering slightly as it carried the squad back toward their newly established firebase. Daniels leaned back in his seat, the dull ache in his ribs reminding him of their recent encounter with the dragons. Hayes sat beside him, his helmet resting on his lap, absently running his fingers along the dented metal as if replaying the battle in his head. Across from them, Agent Lokei remained silent, his piercing eyes scanning the horizon through the scratched viewport.

  As the dropship neared the landing zone, the team finally got a good look at their base of operations. It wasn’t much—yet. Prefabricated structures had been hastily thrown together, creating makeshift barracks, command centers, and storage depots. Rows of sandbags and automated turrets lined the perimeter, their barrels pointed skyward in anticipation of another dragon attack. The landing pads, once swarming with gunships and transports, now seemed sparse.

  Daniels frowned as he leaned closer to the viewport. “Where the hell are all the gunships?” he muttered.

  One of the pilots, a grizzled veteran with a scar running down the side of his face, overheard him and let out a dry chuckle. “Grounded. Half of them were taken down by the enemy’s air assaults before we set up anti-air defenses. Command finally got smart and stationed missile batteries around the base. Those things work wonders on the dragon hordes, but we still have to ration our flights. Every time we send a bird up, we’re rolling the dice.”

  Daniels exchanged a glance with Hayes, both of them realizing how much the war effort had already shifted in just a short time. The dragons weren’t just mindless beasts—they were a coordinated force. Someone—or something—was guiding them.

  The dropship touched down with a thud, sending a cloud of dust swirling around the landing pad. As the ramp lowered, the team grabbed their gear and filed out, stretching their limbs after the rough flight.

  The base was alive with activity. Engineers welded reinforcements onto armored vehicles, soldiers ran drills, and officers shouted commands as they coordinated defense efforts. But there was something different—an unusual energy in the air. The usual tension of war had been replaced with something else.

  Excitement.

  A group of marines stood huddled near one of the tents, whispering among themselves, occasionally sneaking glances at something—or someone—inside.

  Daniels and Hayes exchanged puzzled looks before approaching. “What’s going on?” Daniels asked, his curiosity piqued.

  One of the marines turned to them, his expression a mix of disbelief and amusement. “You guys are gonna want to see this.”

  Lokei, who had been listening from a distance, finally stepped forward, his usual indifference giving way to genuine interest. “Something interesting, you say?”

  The marine gestured toward the tent. “Oh yeah. We found something alright.”

  Daniels pushed past the crowd and stepped inside—only to freeze in place.

  Sitting on a metal crate, her hands bound in front of her with military-grade restraints, was a girl. Not just any girl.

  An elf.

  Her long silver hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her striking violet eyes scanned the room warily. Her pointed ears twitched slightly as she observed the newcomers. She was dressed in what looked like ceremonial robes, though they were tattered and dirt-streaked from obvious struggle.

  The room fell into silence as the soldiers took in the impossible sight before them.

  “Holy shit…” Hayes muttered under his breath.

  Daniels blinked, as if trying to confirm that his mind wasn’t playing tricks on him. “You’re kidding, right? This is a joke?”

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  The marine beside him shook his head. “No joke, man. We found her while patrolling the jungle. She was running from something. When we tried to talk to her, she didn’t understand a word we were saying.”

  Lokei stepped closer, his analytical gaze locked onto the elf. “Fascinating…”

  Daniels turned to the marine. “So what’s the plan? We keeping her here?”

  “The brass is figuring that out,” the marine replied. “But one thing’s for sure—if there are elves on this planet, we’ve got a lot more to worry about than just dragons.”

  The elf girl, seemingly sensing the attention on her, narrowed her eyes and said something in a strange, melodic language.

  No one understood a word—except for Lokei. His enhanced translation chip immediately began processing the language, converting it into something he could understand.

  She was speaking.

  And she was angry.

  Lokei smirked, rolling his shoulders as he turned to the others.

  “Well, boys,” he said. “Looks like we just made first contact.”

  In the background, the song "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" blared from a portable speaker, adding an oddly cheerful soundtrack to the tense scene. Most of the soldiers were visibly annoyed by the song's incongruity with their situation, casting irritated glances at the source of the music.

  Daniels shook his head, trying to focus despite the distraction. “This is insane. First dragons, now elves. And those dragons were way too coordinated during the battle. It’s like they had a tactical mind behind them.”

  Hayes nodded. “Yeah, no way those were just wild animals. They executed their attacks with precision.”

  Lokei, still observing the elf, added, “We’re dealing with an intelligent force here. Whoever—or whatever—is controlling those dragons has a plan. And this elf might be the key to understanding it.”

  The marines exchanged uneasy glances, the reality of their situation sinking in. The island held secrets far beyond their initial expectations, and their mission had just become infinitely more complicated.

  Captain Lewis sat in the command chair of the Liberty, his eyes scanning the reports coming in from the ground. The soft hum of the ship’s engines was a stark contrast to the tense atmosphere in the command center. His mind was weighed down with the reality of their situation, and the silence of the bridge only made it feel more oppressive.

  Commander Patrick McGregor’s voice broke through the stillness. “Captain, the base construction is progressing as planned. The perimeter is secure, the automated turrets are online, and we’ve got a skeleton crew set up for now. We’ve got the essentials in place—communications, medical, and command. We’re ready to fortify further once we have a clearer picture of the situation.”

  Harris nodded, his fingers tapping against the armrest. “Good. We’re going to need that base for what’s coming next. What else do we have?”

  Before McGregor could respond, the voice of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Evelyn Cart came through the comms. Her voice, usually calm and collected, was tinged with distress. “Captain, this is Dr. Cart. The medical situation is... grim. We’ve got a large number of wounded, far more than anticipated. The casualties are mounting. Many of the soldiers are in critical condition—severe burns, broken limbs, concussions. And the dragons... they leave scars we’re not equipped to handle. We’re doing what we can, but we need more time.”

  Harris cringed at the news, the weight of the loss settling heavy on his chest. He’d been through battles before, seen the cost of war, but hearing about the injured men and women under his command hit harder than usual. “Understood, Doctor,” he replied, his voice firm despite the grimness of the report. “Keep me updated. I’ll make sure we get you the support you need.”

  He paused, glancing at McGregor. “Get the head of the marines down there. We need order. We can’t afford to let morale slip.”

  McGregor didn’t hesitate. “Aye, Captain. I’ll send the order immediately.”

  The line fell quiet for a moment, and Harris let out a heavy breath. But before he could gather his thoughts, another officer’s voice came through the comms. “Captain, we’ve captured our first native.”

  The mention of a native made Harris sit up straighter in his seat. His expression turned stern, his thoughts narrowing in on the unknown threat. “A native? Are they human?”

  “No, sir,” came the reply. “They’re... something else. We have them in custody now.”

  Harris narrowed his eyes, the weight of this new development hanging over him. He had suspected there was more to this planet than just the dragons but hearing this confirmed something he’d feared—the game was changing, and there were far more unknowns than they had prepared for.

  He looked up at McGregor, his voice cold and commanding. “Send in the spook. We need answers, and we need them now.”

  McGregor raised an eyebrow but nodded. “Understood. I’ll get him on it right away.”

  As the comms went silent once more, Lewis leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. The dragons were bad enough—but if there were other intelligent life forms on this planet, ones capable of controlling them or even collaborating with them... things were about to get a whole lot worse.

  He glanced at the display screen in front of him, showing the chaotic reports of the battle below. The injured, the dead, the uncertain future—it was all unfolding too quickly.

  The spook, their resident intelligence officer, was the key to understanding the mystery of the natives and, hopefully, uncovering whatever larger force was pulling the strings. Lewis had to know what they were up against. Because if the dragons weren’t just the beginning... they were in far deeper than they ever imagined.