The winds of Talvoth’s desert swirled relentlessly, whipping through the worn banners of the Resistance. Inside the command tent, Thalira Vorneth sat at the long table, her eyes fixed on the map that detailed the Technokratium’s outposts. To any outsider, she appeared composed, fierce even, as the leader of the Resistance should be. But within, memories stirred—dark, blood-soaked memories of her past as a soldier.

The past always lingered, and on nights like these, when the moonlight glinted off her worn armor, it felt as if it would consume her.

“Commander,” a voice cut through her reverie. It was Terek, one of her trusted lieutenants. “The scouts have returned.”

Thalira’s gaze snapped up, and the memories retreated to the shadows of her mind. She nodded, rising from the table. “Bring them in.”

Two scouts entered the tent, their faces etched with exhaustion from the long trek across the desert. Thalira could see it in their eyes—the strain of dodging Technokratium patrols, the weight of the war that had stretched on for years.

“Report,” she ordered, her voice steady.

The taller of the two scouts, Kael, stepped forward. “Commander, we’ve confirmed the location of a key Technokratium weapons cache in the Maralis sector. It’s heavily guarded, but it could give us the upper hand in the next assault.”

Thalira nodded, considering the information. “What about the patrol routes? Any changes?”

Kael hesitated. “Yes, but there’s something else.” He exchanged a look with his companion. “We spotted a new type of mech in their ranks—larger than anything we’ve seen before. It’s not just standard issue; it’s something… different.”

Her heart sank. The Technokratium had been advancing their technology at an alarming rate, but this was unexpected. She clenched her fists, the scarred skin on her knuckles taut. This was exactly what they couldn’t afford—more advanced weaponry in the hands of their enemies.

Thalira’s mind drifted back to her earlier days, when the war had first erupted. Back then, she was young, eager to fight for freedom. But the things she had witnessed, the choices she had made—those weighed on her now. The faces of comrades lost in battle haunted her dreams.

Her voice cut through the tension. “We’ll need to adjust our strategy. Kael, gather your team. Prepare for a detailed debriefing. I want every piece of intel you gathered mapped out.”

“Yes, Commander,” Kael replied, his voice resolute.

As the scouts left, Thalira turned to the worn holo-map once more. A new piece of the puzzle had just fallen into place. But would it be enough?

She sighed, pushing the weight of her past aside. There was no time to reflect, not when the future of the Resistance—and the galaxy—was at stake.

Suddenly, a soft chime echoed through the tent, pulling Thalira from her thoughts. It was the secure communication line—the one linked to her deepest, most guarded contacts. She pressed a button, and the flickering hologram of a figure materialized before her.

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Drayk Zenaros. The name alone brought a mixture of emotions—distrust, curiosity, and the faintest hint of something else.

"Thalira," his voice was a low rumble, smooth yet laced with something dangerous, "I have information that may interest you."

Her brow furrowed. "This better be worth my time, Zenaros. I don’t have the luxury to entertain half-truths."

A smirk played on his lips, though it was hidden by the flickering holographic image. "Oh, this will be worth far more than your time. The Technokratium is mobilizing something big. Bigger than you can imagine. They're planning to deploy it at the heart of Aegis Prime."

Aegis Prime. The word alone was enough to make her stomach churn. The Technokratium’s obsession with that ancient planet had only escalated tensions, but for them to be preparing a deployment of such magnitude? The implications were staggering.

"What exactly are we talking about?" she asked, her voice dangerously low.

Drayk’s gaze darkened. "A full-scale assault. And it's not just military might—they're after something else. The Astralis."

Thalira’s pulse quickened. The Astralis had long been rumored to hold unimaginable power, a relic of the lost civilization that could change the course of history. If the Technokratium got their hands on it…

"We can't let that happen," she whispered, more to herself than to Drayk.

"No," he agreed. "But you're not the only one with something at stake here, Thalira. I have my own reasons for stopping them, and I’ll need your cooperation if we’re to have any chance of success."

She stared at him, her mind racing. Drayk was a wild card, a shadowy figure whose true motivations remained a mystery. But if his intel was accurate, she had no choice but to consider his proposal.

"What’s your plan?" she asked, keeping her tone guarded.

"I’ll provide you with coordinates to intercept their deployment. But there’s a condition. When the time comes, you’ll let me walk away with something of mine."

Thalira narrowed her eyes. "And what would that be?"

Drayk’s smirk returned. "You'll know when the time is right."

Before she could respond, the transmission cut out, leaving Thalira alone with her thoughts.

She stared at the spot where his hologram had been, feeling the weight of the decision before her. Trusting Drayk was a gamble, but the stakes were too high to ignore.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps outside the tent. Terek entered again, his face grim. "Commander, there’s been an incident."

Thalira’s heart sank. "What is it?"

Terek hesitated. "One of our outposts in the western quadrant… it’s been wiped out. No survivors."

The words hit her like a physical blow. Another loss. Another reminder of the cost of this endless war.

"By the Technokratium?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.

Terek shook his head. "We’re not sure. There were no signs of the Technokratium forces. But there was something else… something none of our scouts have seen before."

Thalira’s blood ran cold. "What do you mean?"

Terek swallowed hard. "The outpost was destroyed from within. Whatever did this… it’s not something we’ve encountered before."

A chill crept down her spine. The Astralis technology. Could it be that they had already activated something? Was the war about to take an even darker turn?

She stared at the map, the weight of her decisions pressing down on her. The future of the Resistance—and the galaxy—hung in the balance.

But there was no time for hesitation. She would fight, just as she always had. She would protect her people, no matter the cost.

And yet, in the back of her mind, a question lingered: What was Drayk really after?

As Thalira stared at the holo-map, the lights in the command tent flickered. For a brief moment, the air around her seemed to hum with a strange, unnatural energy. And then, from deep within the desert, a distant rumble echoed—a sound unlike anything she had ever heard.

Something had awakened.