Captain James Nolan's Log, Supplemental
Discovery Bridge recording
30 days after Rothgard's Fall
Commands ripple through the void.
Icons dance across the holo.
Wings of thunder answer the call.
Captain James Nolan strode onto the bridge and went straight to the central holo-table. The tactical display lit up, painting the battlefield south of Roth Vale in crisp three-dimensional detail. Red icons pressed forward in ragged company strength; blue markers held the thin line at Checkpoint Six.
"Report," he said.
"The Draco forward company engaged at Checkpoint Six," the watch officer answered. "Cole's Marines are holding, but the pressure is mounting. Jackels are on station providing close support." Nolan traced the projected line of advance. "Raptor Squadron, launch immediately. Support the Jackels and loiter in the battle space. Harass every retreating element." He glanced at A.L.I., who had escorted Jasmine onto the bridge. The princess stood silent beside the android, eyes wide at the planet curving below and the icons dancing across the table. "All Draco forces are to be captured where possible. If they resist or try to withdraw with intelligence, lethal force is authorized. We cannot let word of our capabilities reach their main body south."
"Understood, Captain. Raptors launching now." New blue icons detached from orbit and arrowed toward the surface. At Checkpoint Six, Corporal Nathan Cole led his team forward from the concrete barriers, pushing aggressively into the open ground. Arrows and magic bolts continued to fly, but the Marines advanced in tight formation, gray armor scarred yet unyielding. Private First Class Lena Torres and Lance Corporal Jax Harlan flanked him, rifles cracking with hypersonic precision. The two reinforcements from the HAS-V kept pace, rifles steady, while the vehicle's turret provided covering thunder from behind. Cole keyed his mic mid-stride. "Discovery Actual, we're advancing to clear the flank. Jackels, keep the pressure on the center ridge."
A black-armored Draco soldier broke from the retreating line and charged Cole head-on, sword raised in a desperate counterattack. Cole sidestepped the first wild swing, the blade glancing off his armored shoulder with a harsh scrape. He brought the butt of his rifle up hard, catching the man in the jaw and staggering him. The soldier recovered with surprising speed, lunging again. Cole dropped his rifle to the sling and met the attack hand-to-hand, grabbing the sword arm and driving a powered gauntlet into the midsection. The Draco soldier gasped and doubled over, but still tried to bring his blade around. Cole twisted, using the man's momentum against him, and slammed him face-first into the dirt. A final precise strike from his sidearm ended the threat.
Torres dropped to a knee beside him, rifle still up and scanning. "You okay, Corporal? Need a medic?" Cole shook his head once, breathing hard as he retrieved his rifle. "I'm good. Keep pushing." The Marines continued their advance, pushing the Draco line back step by bloody step. Ahead, a tight knot of mages had formed an interlocked high-level barrier—shimmering blue and violet plates of raw magic that overlapped like scales, absorbing the Jackels' cannon fire with brilliant flashes. The formation held stubbornly, buying the retreating infantry precious seconds.
Cole's jaw tightened. "Jackels, that mage knot is anchoring their line. Need a missile on target." One of the hovering gunships banked sharply and unleashed a single missile. The projectile streaked in on a trail of fire and slammed into the center of the barrier. The explosion bloomed savage and white-hot, shattering the interlocked plates in a cascade of sparks and hurling mages backward. The defensive formation collapsed.
Cole and his team surged forward into the gap. "Push! Push! Keep them running!" Torres and Harlan poured suppressive fire into the flanks while the HAS-V turret continued its steady hammering. The two reinforcements added their rifles to the chorus. The combined weight of Discovery's firepower finally broke the Draco advance. The black tide faltered, then began to pull back, leaving the ground littered with fallen banners and broken shields.
On the bridge, Nolan watched the holo-table as blue icons tightened their grip and red icons began to fragment. Jasmine stood silent beside A.L.I., eyes fixed on the display, the weight of two worlds pressing down on her shoulders. Nolan turned to her, his expression somber. "This is why we can't fight the Draco Imperia alone, Jasmine. A single company already requires this level of response. Their main armies number in the tens of thousands, supported by hundreds of dragons and mage cadres. We have two hundred and fifty crew. We can protect your people and give you a safe haven, but we cannot wage a continental war for you."
Jasmine swallowed hard, her voice quiet but steady. "I understand… but seeing this power, it gives me hope we might still have a chance. Even if it is only a small one." Nolan nodded once, his gaze returning to the holo. "Hope is good. But we must be realistic. Sanctuary first. Everything else comes after."
The Draco Imperia broke.