As the minutes ticked down, Lena felt the full weight of leadership pressing on her shoulders. The team was readying the defensive systems, but she knew it wasn't enough. The council's technology was light-years ahead of anything they could throw at them. It wasn't just the enemy ships she had to worry about. The alien council had far more at their disposal than just weapons—they had tactics, strategies, and an intelligence network that spanned galaxies."Focus!" Lena snapped, trying to shake the worry from her mind. "We need to hold them off long enough to figure out how to fight back. Kira, anything new on the council's movements?"Kira's fingers flew over the controls, trying to find any sign of weakness in the enemy's formation. "They're adjusting. I can't predict exactly how they'll respond, but I do know one thing—they're not going to underestimate us again."Lena glanced at the map again. The council's fleet was advancing at an alarming rate. It wouldn't be long before they were in orbit above Zaltron, and when that happened, all hell would break loose. But there was one thing the council hadn't accounted for: Lena and Elias had become a team—something the alien invaders couldn't have predicted."We've got one shot at this," Lena said, turning to Elias. "If we can reach the core in time, we might be able to harness its power in a way that'll give us an edge. But we need to move fast."Elias didn't hesitate. "I'm with you. Let's do this."