- Oliver -

  Oliver liop the base's upper levels for a few more minutes, where panoramic observation decks allowed him to see over the colossal wall. The immense forests of Olympus stretched out endlessly before him—a boundless sea of emerald treetops interwoven so tightly that the opy appeared as a solid, unduting surface. The sight was both awe-inspiring and humbling.

  ‘Is Niewhere out there?’ he questioned, a pang of tightening his chest. ‘It's been weeks since I st heard from him. I hope he's alright.’

  As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting the sky in deep purple and gold, Oliver turned away from the vista and began his dest.

  By the time Olver reached the barracks, the lights were already dimmed. Quietly, he slipped inside, careful not to disturb the resting Rangers. He made his way to his bunk, exhaustioling in. Sleep overtook him almost instantly as he sank onto the mattress, pulling him into a deep, dreamless slumber.

  It felt like mere moments before the harsh brightness of overhead lights jarred him awake. Blinking against the sudden gre, Oliver sat up groggily. A g the gau on his wrist told him it was an hour before the mission was scheduled to start.

  The barracks had sprung to life. Rangers moved with purposeful haste, gearing up and double-cheg equipment. The air was thick with anticipation and tension.

  "Rise and shine," Elliot called across the room, fully kitted in his armor.

  "Time to gear up," added Emma, fastening the st csp on her uniform.

  Shaking off the st vestiges of sleep, Oliver swung his legs over the side of the bunk and stood. He quickly began assembling his equipment. Each Ranger was to head into the field not only in their Ranger Armor but also carrying a backpack loaded with essential gear—rations, medical supplies, tools, and additional armaments.

  Oliver shrugged into his uniform, the suit's fabric adjusting to fit snugly against his body. His new kiic rifle rested on the raearby. He grabbed it, feeling the weight of the on in his hands.

  "Great rifle," Elliot remarked, stepping over to exami. "These kiies don't rely on bustion—just magism to propel the rounds. Means no muzzle fsh and minimal noise. Perfect for stealth."

  Oliver nodded, his firag the on's tours. "It's different from what I'm used to, but it will work."

  "You'll get the hang of it in no time," Elliot assured him.

  With his gear assembled, Oliver slung the rifle over his shoulder and hoisted his backpack. The trio headed toward the elevators, joining the flow of personnel making their way to the hangar. The corridors buzzed with energy, the heartbeat of the base quiing as the moment of deployment approached.

  The hangar was a hive of activity. Just like the day before, ships were in stant motion—some asding into the skies, others desding on pilrs of softly thrumming engines. Maintenance crews scurried about, perf final checks and repairs, their voices merging into a symphony anized chaos.

  "Over here!" called Alex.

  They verged near one of the drop ships—a sleek, matte-bck VTOL craft. Its elongated body was remi of a helicopters but far more advawin rotors, eaing a figure-eight pattern, began to spin slowly.

  The ship could easily aodate several squads of soldiers, but today, it would carry only the nine Rangers and the flight crew. Along its sides, panels of adaptive camoufge shimmered subtly, posed of millions of micro-LEDs that could mimic the surrounding enviro.

  "All final checks are plete," reported the pilot, desding the ramp briefly to fer with Alex.

  "All right, everyone. Board up and secure yourselves to the unch system." Alex's voice resonated firmly as he made his way to the rear of the transport craft.

  Oliver followed closely, stepping onto the b ptform amidst the low hum of the vessel's idle engines.

  "Rookie, activate your armor on your arms and legs—you'll to lo," instructed Chloe, the Yeller who had spoken with him the previous day. Her gaze was steady yet encing.

  Oliver hesitated, scratg his head in uainty. He hadn't yet mastered the nuanced trol of his Ranger Armor, especially when it came to activating individual parts.

  Taking a deep breath, Oliver initiated the full armor sequence. Sleek, cobalt-blue segments materialized around his body. He mao retract his helmet, leaving his head exposed.

  "Looks like you’ll o keep practig that when we're back," Elliot remarked good-naturedly upon seeing Oliver's all-or-nothing approach. "See this line here? Just grab it with one hand."

  Elliot poio a metallic bar running along the length of the transport's rear interior. As Oliver gripped it, his armau interfaced with the bar, emitting a soft click.

  "Now, secure one of your feet to the floor line," Elliot tinued, indig a simir strip embedded in the deck. Oliver pced his boot against it, feeling it loto pce with another audible click.

  "When it's time to jump, they'll ehe unch system. It'll catapult us out of the ship," Elliot expined, mimig Oliver's as to fasten himself into the system.

  Within minutes, all the Rangers had boarded and secured themselves. The atmosphere was a blend of anticipation and focused energy.

  "0400 hours. Starting operation," Alex announced over the team's s, his tone clipped and professional.

  "Initiating takeoff," the pilot's voice echoed in their earpieces.

  Oliver felt a subtle vibration as the transport came to life. Despite the powerful engines and the rotor bdes above, the craft was almost entirely silent.

  With a gentle lurch, the ship lifted vertically, asding above the sprawling expanse of the Half Wall. Once clear, it tilted forward, accelerating smoothly into horizontal flight. The world outside the rear hatch blurred into streaks of dark greens and blues, but the colossal Half Wall remained looming on the horizon, its sheer magnitude defying distance.

  "We'll reach the drop point in y minutes," the pilot informed them.

  "Use this time to rest and review the mission data," Alex advised.

  Oliver leaned back against the interior wall, doing his best to rex amid the faint vibrations of the vessel. Around him, pockets of versation emerged among the Rangers.

  Two Red Rangers were discussing life back at the y with a Yeller, speg about when they might return to their home ps. Elliot and Emma huddled together, quietly debating the merits of ret research findings and experimental teiques they'd been expl.

  As the miicked by, the chatter gradually subsided. A ptive siletled over the group, each Ranger retreating into their thoughts, mentally preparing for the task ahead. The dim lighting ihe transport added to the somber mood, shadows dang across armored figures.

  Oliver closed his eyes, allowing the steady hum of the eo lull him into a light rest. Images of the dense forests they'd sooraversing floated through his mind—a byrinth of arees, hidden dangers, and the unknowns that awaited them at the abandoned Ork base.

  A crackle over the s stirred him from his reverie. "We're approag the drop zohe pilot announced, prompting Oliver to open his eyes.

  "We're starting our dest. In one minute, we'll reach jump altitude," the pilot tinued, his voiposed.

  "Prepare yourselves," Alex ordered, his voice cutting through any lingering fatigue.

  Oliver could see the intense focus etched on the faces of his fellers. Mere seds remained before they would be unched into the mission. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, each pulse amplifying his anticipation. Then, abruptly, the cargo door of the ship swung open with a jolt. Before he could fully register the movement, an immense force cmped onto his hand and foot.

  The unch line yanked him forward, dragging him toward the edge of the cargo door. Without time to think, he was hurled out into the open air.

  A surge of adrenaline shot through Oliver. Instinctively, he bit down hard, suppressing a shout of surprise. He braced his legs, muscles tensing in preparation for impact. After a brief free fall sting mere seds, his armored boots struck the ground with a solid thud. Around him, the other Rangers nded in quick succession, their impacts resonating through the forest floor.

  ‘That was insane,’ Oliver thought, still reeling from the suddenness of the deployment. He marveled at the fact that he was unscathed. His armor had absorbed the shock of the nding fwlessly despite being unched from over thirty meters above the ground.

  "Launplete. Returning to the Half Wall," the pilot's voice crackled over their unication devices.

  "Stay alert, everyone!" Alex's authoritative to through the ambient sounds of the forest.

  Oliver swiftly drew his kiic rifle, cradling it firmly in his hands. His senses sharpehere was no room for pcy.

  The eight Rangers verged around Alex. The Red Raood with most of his armor deployed, g only the shoulder ptes a. "serve your Energy where possible, but do not promise your safety," he instructed. "We'll begin running downriver, moving through the forest. Keep up, maintain formation, ahe unication el open at all times."

  Alex g each of them, awaiting aowledgment.

  "Roger that," came the collective response.

  "Good. Red Rangers will take point, Yellers in the middle, and Blue Rangers bring up the rear. Move out!" Alex gave the final and.

  They plunged into the dense forest, advang toward the shadowed interior. T trees loomed overhead, their interced branches f a opy that filtered the early m light into a dim glow.

  ‘This pce feels a bit like the forests of Aethra,’ Oliver mused as he navigated the uerrain. ‘But the trees are clether, and the humidity is much higher.’

  The team moved with practiced efficy, their footsteps barely whispering against the leaf-strewn ground. They maintained a steady, accelerated pace, pressing forward without pause.

  Yet, amidst the rhythm of their march, Oliver felt an uliion. A prig at the edge of his awareness. He cast a gnce around, noting the calm determination on the faces of his panions. None of them seemed to sense anything amiss.

  But there was no denying it—he could feel a distortion in the Energy to their right, like ripples in still water. Something roag. Fast.

  Without wasting a moment, Oliver tapped his unicator. His voice was low but urgent. "There's something approag from the right. Inbound in fifty seds."

  GCLopes