The war spiraled beyond control.
General Adewale stood before the holographic map in the command center, its swirling reds and oranges painting Earth's devastation in stark relief. The battlefield shifted constantly, territories lost and reclaimed in bloody waves as his team worked with grim determination.
"They're tearing each other apart," Adewale said, voice low and controlled. "But we're still caught in the crossfire. We need to end this."
Emma studied the tactical display, her scientist's mind identifying patterns in the chaos. "The Zogarians are targeting their own infrastructure—defending their WoodDust processing hubs. They're securing their supply."
Chloe tapped rapidly at her console, highlighting a pulsing dot deep in the Amazon. "This facility is massive. Heavily fortified. Their main extraction hub."
Emma's breath caught as the realization crystallized. "If we disrupt their WoodDust production, we cripple them. The other species might abandon Earth when the prize vanishes."
Adewale's eyes narrowed, calculating risks and possibilities. "Bold move. But their fortifications won't fall to conventional assault."
Emma's resolve hardened. "A small, elite team using their own technology against them."
---
High above Earth, Emperor Zar watched the same conflict unfold on his private war display, molten eyes flickering with unbridled rage.
This invasion had veered catastrophically off-course.
WoodDust operations—delayed. Human resistance—unexpectedly effective. And now, rival species dared interfere with Zogarian conquest.
A commander's voice cut through the chamber. "Emperor. The humans target our processing sites directly. They understand the WoodDust's significance."
Zar's nostrils flared. "They should not possess this intelligence."
His voice darkened, sharp as a blade. "Destroy any vulnerable facility. If we cannot harvest, neither shall they."
His gaze drifted toward Earth, fury simmering beneath calculated restraint.
---
In a makeshift hangar tucked within the remaining forest, the assault team prepared in tense silence.
Adewale adjusted his infiltration suit, reverse-engineered from captured Zogarian technology. Its angular patterns shimmered as it adapted to his form—unstable but their only chance at deception.
"This is a suicide mission," he stated bluntly. "We disable the facility and extract immediately."
Emma checked her disruptor, watching its green energy pulse. "We'll shut down their defenses while Chloe hacks their systems remotely."
Through comms, Chloe's voice crackled with determination. "I'll guide you through. Just stay alive."
---
Under thick jungle night, the team slipped through a labyrinth of trees and alien structures. Their suits mimicked Zogarian personnel—lean figures with luminescent eyes moving with practiced precision.
Adewale crouched, scanning the darkness. "Heavy security patrols ahead. Stay low."
Emma's device hummed softly, guiding them forward. "Facility's central complex straight ahead."
The squad moved silently between shadows, each step measured against the need for speed.
Patrols suddenly converged ahead.
Without hesitation, Emma raised her disruptor. The squad fired in perfect synchronization, sending charged WoodDust bursts into the night. The energy crackled on impact, disrupting the Zogarian guards' physical cohesion and sending them into momentary disarray.
"We're in," Adewale whispered, moving forward. "Now for the heart of the operation."
Ahead loomed the towering complex—the nucleus of Zogarian harvesting operations on Earth, and their best chance to shift the tide of an interstellar war that threatened to consume their world entirely.