**Corporal Sylvana Silverleaf's Log, Supplemental**
**Discovery, Primary Hanger Bay recording**
**37 days after Rothgard's Fall**
The void does not forgive fear. It only waits for us to become worthy of it.
The ramp of the CHS-130 lowered with a heavy hydraulic sigh, and the first breath of Discovery's recycled air washed over Corporal Sylvana Silverleaf like a cool mountain stream. She stepped onto the hangar deck on legs that still felt unsteady, the massive bay stretching out around her in a cavern of matte-gray steel and precise lighting. Delta Operator Sergeant Jax "Specter" Kane waited at the threshold, lean and scarred in his matte-black tactical gear, face impassive beneath faint stubble. "Corporal Silverleaf's team," Kane said, voice low and professional. "I'm your Delta shadow for this op."
The words barely registered. Sylvana's mind flashed back to the climb only minutes earlier. The shuttle had roared eastward low over the valley, then the engines had thundered full power. The world had pressed her brutally into her seat, the roar vibrating through every bone. The sky had darkened, stars appearing too suddenly, too many. Her graceful composure had shattered. She had gripped the harness until her knuckles bled white and screamed—a raw, childlike cry of pure terror that tore from her throat as the pressure crushed her chest and the ground fell away forever. "We are climbing into the heavens themselves!" she had wailed, voice lost in the thunder, while the rest of her squad clutched their restraints in silent panic. The memory still burned behind her eyes.
Kane's steady gaze brought her back. "Target is the warship anchorage and dry-docks in the military port of Karthos, capital of Valdora—the largest island in the Atlantian chain. It's the Imperia's primary fleet hub on the western approaches: repair yards, munitions stockpiles, and the main berths for their capital ships. We insert tonight under the cover of darkness, mark the critical nodes on the warships themselves, and feed coordinates for stand-off strikes. Stay tight, stay silent, and we all come home breathing."
He led them from the hangar deck through a series of wide corridors and into a joint ready room where the other squads were already gathering. The space hummed with low conversation and the faint metallic tang of oiled weapons. Torin Shadowear's team and Garrick Thorne's group mingled with Sylvana's, the air charged with nervous energy and the shared awe of having just ridden a starship into orbit. Sergeant Kane moved among them with easy authority. "Questions while we wait for the final brief."
Darius Blackthorn, broad-shouldered and steady, spoke first. "That climb… I thought my ribs would crack. How do you people do that every day and still walk straight?" Elara Whitestone gave a shaky laugh, her sharp eyes still wide. "I screamed like a frightened child when the sky turned black. I'm not ashamed to admit it. How do you trust machines that push the world away beneath your feet?" Rylan Graymaw's growl was soft but edged with raw instinct. "My nose still burns with the smell of fire and metal. The void has no scent, no wind. I wanted to run on all fours the entire way up."
Tobin Brasswhistle, the gnome inventor, perched on a reinforced stool and gestured excitedly. "The gravimetric systems—holding us to the deck when the world falls away. My mind can picture the runes, but my hands itch to take one apart." Kane's mouth twitched in the ghost of a smile. "First time is always the worst. You get used to it. Or you don't. Either way, the mission doesn't wait."
The squads settled into easy banter, sharing stories from the gauntlet and the terrifying ascent. Laughter mixed with nervous admissions, the bonds of shared fear tightening the group. Kane answered their questions with clipped precision, his calm professionalism a steady anchor in the unfamiliar steel world around them.
The easy camaraderie was interrupted by a calm, clear voice that filled the compartment from hidden speakers. "All infiltration teams, report to the primary hangar bay immediately. Final pre-drop checks begin in ten minutes. This is not a drill." The squads straightened as one. Torin Shadowear caught Sylvana's eye across the room and gave a single, resolute nod. The time for questions had passed. The void waited.