Camila could still feel the electric thrill of accomplishment racing through her veins. She had done it—proven herself in the eyes of Blue and Nova. The rush of success, the validation of her skills, left her heart beating in sync with the jungle's pulse. Every leaf, every shadow cast by the canopy above, seemed sharper, clearer, more vivid. Her entire future seemed to stretch out before her in that moment—officer school, fast-tracked missions, everything she had trained for.
The air around them was humid and alive, the distant sounds of wildlife mixing with the rustling of leaves. But the peace was shattered as Nova's voice cut through the atmosphere like a sharpened blade.
"Blue," she said, her tone rigid, crackling with urgency. "We have an incoming signal."
The shift was immediate. Camila's breath hitched, and the heat of the jungle was suddenly replaced by a cold ripple of dread. The sudden tension in Blue's body was palpable, his entire stance straightening, his head snapping toward Nova's projection as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.
"What kind of signal?" Blue's voice had dropped into something colder, more focused. Every syllable carried an edge of command.
Nova's holographic form shimmered, her eyes flickering as she processed the fragmented data. "A ship. Entering Earth's atmosphere at high velocity. It's not supposed to be here."
Camila's stomach twisted, her earlier confidence sinking into a pit of confusion. She looked between them, her pulse quickening as her mind tried to make sense of what was happening. "A ship? From where?"
"Details, Nova. Now." Blue's voice was as sharp as a blade, cutting through Camila's rising questions. His entire demeanor had changed, becoming rigid and coiled, like a predator sensing an approaching threat.
Nova's hologram flickered, the data streaming faster. "It's Aquitian in origin," she began, her voice calm but urgent. "The ship is classified as Bladesurge. I've triangulated its trajectory using sensor data from the megacities' towers and locked onto its GPS signature. It's coming in for a crash landing—two kilometers north."
"Aquitian?" Blue repeated, his voice rougher now, as if he could hardly believe what he was hearing. "Bladesurge was destroyed in 2015."
Nova's tone was steady, analytical, but there was a deeper edge to her words. "I've confirmed the ID. This is no mistake. The ship is real, and it's coming down fast. We don't have time to figure out how it got here."
Camila's skin tingled with the shock of it all. Her mind was spinning, but she forced herself to focus, to absorb the gravity of the situation. Crash landing. Two kilometers north. The words echoed in her mind like a storm. This wasn't a simulation. This wasn't just another trial. This was something far more dangerous.
"Sir, what should I—"
"Camila." Blue's voice was hard, commanding, and left no room for hesitation. "You need to get to the transport. Report this to Command immediately. Relay the ship's ID and expected crash zone. Request reinforcements—air, tactical, and armored divisions."
He paused for a brief second, his eyes locking onto hers with an intensity that sent a chill down her spine. "Take the stun setting off your weapon. No one, and nothing, stops you from reaching that transport. You get this to Command, no matter what."
Camila blinked, the weight of his words sinking in. The stun setting off? Her hand instinctively moved toward the weapon at her hip, her pulse quickening. This was real. The seriousness in Blue's voice hit her harder than the heat of the jungle sun. She nodded, swallowing her fear as her hand brushed the weapon's controls, adjusting it to lethal.
"Understood," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. Her training instincts kicked in, and she turned to head for the transport, her body tense, muscles coiled. But before she could move, the ground beneath her feet trembled—a low, rumbling vibration that spread through the earth like a slow-building storm.
"Sir…" Her voice wavered, fear creeping into her chest.
Blue's eyes snapped to the horizon, scanning the northern sky, his jaw clenching. "Nova," he called, his tone tighter now, "how long until impact?"
The ground shuddered again, more violently this time. The rumbling grew louder, and the sky to the north began to glow. A distant roar echoed across the jungle, faint at first but growing steadily louder, a monstrous sound that rattled Camila's bones.
"The ship's descent is rapid," Nova responded, her hologram flickering. "Impact imminent."
Camila's heart raced, her eyes darting to the treetops where the clouds were beginning to burn. She could see it now—a streak of fire slicing through the sky, moving impossibly fast, growing larger with every second. The Bladesurge was hurtling toward them like a falling star, its flames licking at the sky as it plummeted through the atmosphere.
Her breath caught in her throat. This was really happening.
"Go!" Blue ordered, his voice snapping her back to reality. "Get to the transport, now!"
Camila's legs moved before her mind could catch up, adrenaline pumping through her veins. She sprinted toward the transport, the weight of her weapon in her hand feeling heavier than ever. The ground beneath her feet seemed to shake, the roar of the descending ship drowning out every other sound. She had to reach Command. She had to report this.
Each step felt longer than the last, the air thick with tension and fear. The jungle around her seemed to warp as the distant roar grew louder, the sky above burning as the ship closed in. Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst from her chest. Her hand gripped her weapon tightly, ready for anything that might stand in her way.
Back where she had left them, Blue stood rooted to the spot, his eyes never leaving the horizon. The rumbling beneath his feet grew stronger with each passing second, the sound of the ship's descent reaching a deafening pitch.
"Nova," he said, his voice strained but controlled, "keep monitoring its descent."
"The ship's hull is disintegrating from re-entry," Nova reported, her hologram flickering wildly. "But it's still on course for impact."
The jungle itself seemed to tremble as the ship hurtled toward the earth. Blue could see it now, a massive hulk of burning metal tearing through the sky, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The Bladesurge was coming in hot and fast, and there was nothing stopping it.
"Brace for impact!" Nova's voice rang out over the roaring wind as the ship hurtled toward the earth.
And then, in a blinding flash of fire and metal, the Bladesurge collided with the ground.
The impact shook the jungle to its core. Trees were uprooted, the earth cracked open as the massive vessel skidded across the landscape, flattening everything in its path. A shockwave rippled through the ground, sending debris flying in every direction. The roar of the crash was deafening, drowning out everything but the sheer power of the ship's descent.
Blue staggered, raising an arm to shield his face from the wave of heat and dust that followed. The ship's wreckage came to a grinding halt, its hull torn apart, flames licking at the remains of its once-mighty structure. Smoke billowed into the sky, dark and thick, obscuring the sun.
"Status?" Blue called out, his voice rough as he straightened up, eyes locked on the wreckage.
Nova's hologram flickered beside him, her expression unreadable. "The ship is down," she said, her voice tense. "I'm scanning for life signs…"