The Liberty drifted silently above the planet’s surface, now just a lone survivor in the vastness of space. Captain Lewis stood at the bridge’s viewport, staring out at the swirling clouds of the unknown planet below. It was a strange feeling—this isolation. For the first time in his long career, he didn’t know what to do next.

  The ship’s systems, battered and bruised from the earlier assault, flickered sporadically. The damage to the main power grid had taken a heavy toll on their electronics. Most of their advanced navigation systems were offline, leaving them relying on older analog systems for basic functions. The faint hum of emergency power was the only thing that kept the Liberty from drifting into oblivion.

  “We’re lucky to even be in orbit,” Lieutenant Monroe muttered from his station, breaking the silence. He was huddled over a small display, his fingers running over the old-school buttons, doing his best to bring something—anything—back online. “But these systems... they’re ancient. Not designed to handle this much wear and tear.”

  “Do what you can,” Captain Lewis replied, his tone curt. “We need those communications up and running. If we’re going to survive down there, we need to make contact with whatever’s on the surface.”

  He turned to the Chief Engineer, who was huddled over another console, her eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep.

  “Any word from engineering, Chief? Can we get the main power back online?”

  The Chief Engineer sighed heavily. “We’re trying, Captain, but the power grid is in shambles. We’ve lost a lot of core systems for weapon target scanning and life support—replacing them won’t be quick, if we even have the materials to do it. But because of this the ships life expectance has dropped tremendously, I wouldn't recommend keeping this beauty up in orbit .”

  Lewis nodded, his eyes hardening. Time was running out. They couldn’t stay in orbit forever.

  “Understood,” he said grimly. He turned to the rest of the officers on the bridge. “I need reports on the surface. We need to make contact with whatever civilization is down there, hell "IF" their even is one. And we need to find a suitable landing zone for the crew. Id rather have my crew lve somewhere that doesnt make them live in a rust bucket that's going to crash in a few years.

  Monroe nodded, flipping through a series of archaic digital maps. “There’s a region down there that looks stable. No signs of active volcanism or large-scale weather anomalies. It could work.”

  “Good. Prepare a team. We’re not sure what we’re dealing with down there, so be ready for anything. I want a full scout team down within the hour.”

  As Monroe moved to assemble his team, the Chief Engineer raised her hand. “Captain, you may want to consider bringing in more assets. With the state of the Liberty, we’ll need to set up a forward operating base if we want to survive on that planet for any length of time. We can’t rely on the ship’s systems anymore.”

  Lewis considered her words for a moment. The Liberty was barely holding itself together as it was. They needed to find a place to establish some kind of foothold on the surface.

  “Agreed,” he said after a long pause. “We’ll deploy the dropships to establish a base for our men. We’ll need barracks, a small center of operations and a place to repair the ship. I’ll gather the senior officers.”

  Monroe nodded. “I’ll get started on the drop teams.”

  Hours later, Lewis stood at the briefing room, his eyes scanning the faces of his senior officers. The small room was filled with tension; everyone knew how precarious their situation was.

  Lieutenant Monroe, the ship’s second-in-command, was at the table, along with the Chief Engineer, the Communications Officer, and Sergeant Collins. They all sat silently, waiting for the Captain to begin.

  Lewis cleared his throat, taking a deep breath. “Alright, here’s the plan. The Liberty won’t survive long in orbit like this. We need to get boots on the ground, set up a forward base, and figure out how to make the best of the resources available. We’ve got 10 Falcon-class dropships, 20 Director-class gunships, and a small team ready to deploy.”

  He looked around the table. “Our first priority is establishing a base for the crew. We’ll need a place where we can regroup, gather intel, and begin making repairs to the ship. We can’t afford to sit around here and wait for help to come—we have to make our own way.”

  Sergeant Collins spoke up first, his gruff voice low. “What kind of opposition are we looking at, Captain? If we’re dropping straight into a hostile environment, we’ll need to be ready for a fight.”

  Lewis paused, considering. “We don’t know what’s down there yet. The planet’s atmosphere is breathable, but beyond that, we’re in the dark. We’ll be sending reconnaissance teams down first, using the dropships to scout ahead. The Director-class gunships will provide air support if things go sideways.”

  He turned to the Chief Engineer. “How long do we have before we’re in critical status, Chief?”

  The engineer grimaced. “We’ve got maybe two days before the systems start failing completely. If we don’t establish a viable base of operations by then, we won’t be able to fix the Liberty.”

  Lewis nodded; his jaw clenched. “We don’t have much time, then. We’ll launch as soon as we can.”

  The ship’s hangar was a hive of activity as crew members hurried to prepare the dropships for launch. Five sleek Falcon-class dropships stood ready, their engines humming quietly. Each one was designed for quick deployment, able to carry a small team of soldiers, supplies, and equipment.

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  The Director-class gunships were also being prepped, their large guns gleaming in the dim light of the hangar. The crews worked quickly, checking weapons and systems, ensuring that they would be ready for whatever they might face on the surface.

  Lewis stood at the entrance of the hangar, watching the preparations with a heavy heart. He knew the risks of sending people down to the unknown planet. But it was their only option.

  He turned to Monroe, who had arrived beside him. “Let’s make sure this goes smoothly. We don’t know what’s waiting for us down there, so stay alert. We’re looking for shelter, medical supplies, anything that can help us survive.”

  Monroe nodded. “Understood, Captain. We’ll make sure we have everything we need.”

  As the final checks were made and the crew boarded the ships, Lewis couldn’t help but feel a sense of foreboding. The Liberty might have survived the battle in space, but their fight was far from over. Whatever they encountered on the surface of this planet could be their greatest challenge yet.

  With a final nod to his officers, Lewis boarded one of the dropships himself, taking his seat as the engines powered up. The hangar doors began to open, revealing the vast emptiness of space beyond. The dropships lined up in formation, ready to descend to the surface below.

  The Liberty was alone in orbit now, but Captain Lewis was determined to ensure that his crew would survive. They had come this far, and they would not give up without a fight. The real battle had only just begun.

  Agent Lokei sat comfortably in his quarters, reclining on a plush bed that was a rare luxury aboard the Liberty. The dim glow of an old screen flickered in the room, playing a Home Alone marathon from a well-worn VHS tape. The soft hum of the ship’s failing electronics provided a faint backdrop to the antics of Kevin McCallister outwitting intruders, a scene Lokei always found oddly relatable.

  The peace didn’t last. The door to his quarters burst open with a loud metallic hiss, and a squad of the ship’s marines stormed inside, weapons raised. Their exo-suits whirred as they locked eyes on him.

  "Agent Lokei," one of them barked. "Captain wants to see you. Now."

  Lokei didn’t even flinch. He slowly turned his head, eyes half-lidded with irritation. "Why are you all acting so mad? I didn’t do anything."

  One of the marines, clearly impatient, reached toward the table where the Home Alone VHS sat next to the player. "What the hell is this ancient thing? If you arent willing to listen to us we are just going to have to—"

  Before the marine’s fingers could graze the tape, Lokei moved like lightning. With a precise strike, he shattered the marine’s exo-suit arm plating and sent the soldier crashing into the bulkhead with a bone-rattling impact. The others froze, staring in stunned silence as their comrade groaned on the floor, his armor sparking.

  Lokei adjusted his cuffs, exhaling. "I’ll come. But you don’t touch the VHS. That stays. Non-negotiable."

  The marines exchanged uncertain glances but ultimately relented. They had their orders, but they weren’t about to challenge the spook on something so minor. One of them muttered, "Weird damn priorities, but fine."

  As they turned to leave, one of the marines hesitated, then looked back at Lokei. "Captain never got your name. What should we tell him?"

  Lokei smirked faintly, stepping forward. "Agent Lokei. That should be enough."

  With that, he followed the squad, leaving behind the flickering glow of the old screen as Kevin McCallister’s voice echoed through the room— "Keep the change, ya filthy animal."

  The marines escorted Agent Lokei through the ship, their footsteps echoing down the long corridor. Lokei glanced around, taking in the frenzied activity. Soldiers rushed past, their expressions tense and focused. The entire ship seemed to be in a state of controlled chaos.

  Lokei couldn't contain his curiosity any longer. "So, what's about to go down? Why does the captain need me?"

  One of the marines, his face set in a stern expression, replied curtly, "Move along, Agent. You'll see soon enough."

  As they continued down the hall, Lokei noticed the urgency in the air. The ship's crew was clearly preparing for something significant. His sharp eyes picked out the small details—the nervous glances, the hurried movements, and the palpable tension and the officers and marines all scrambling towards one direction.

  "Why the Captain?" Lokei pressed, his curiosity getting the better of him. "Why does he need me specifically?"

  The marine shot him a sidelong glance. "You'll see," he repeated, his tone offering no further explanation.

  As they walked, the sounds of the bustling hangar grew louder. Lokei could hear the clanking of machinery, the hum of engines, and the voices of crew members shouting orders. The hangar doors slid open with a hiss, revealing a scene of organized chaos. Dropships and gunships were lined up, their engines idling in anticipation.

  Captain Lewis stood at the center of the activity, his arms crossed and his expression stern. Beside him was his second-in-command, McGregor. Lokei searched his memory and recalled the name, finally putting a face to it.

  As Lokei approached, the Captain greeted him with a smirk. "Well, nice to finally meet the man who thought it was a great idea to put a gun to my head. Quite the first impression."

  Agent Lokei returned the smirk, unfazed. "And yet, here we are, talking like old friends. Funny how things work out."

  The Captain exhaled sharply and gestured around the bustling hangar. "Since you seem to have a habit of making yourself useful in all the worst ways, I figured it's time to put that talent to good use. We’re in an unknown universe, way off course thanks to some dimensional mishap of ."

  Lokei raised an eyebrow, already knowing where this was going. "I felt it."

  The Captain shot him a glare. "Oh, you felt it, did you? That’s great. That’s just great. Meanwhile, the rest of us had to read the alarms, deal with the engines failing, and not get sucked into the abyss."

  McGregor coughed lightly, clearly suppressing a laugh. The Captain ignored him and continued. "Point is, most of our tech is fried, including a good portion of our translation software. Standard marine and officer chips are only programmed for known languages. Intelligence agents like you? You’ve got the fancy chips that can handle the unknown. So, here’s the deal—I need you to be our first point of contact when we land. This planet is habitable, which means there’s a good chance of intelligent life. And if there’s intelligent life, we need to know if they’re friendly before we start making ourselves at home."

  Lokei rolled his shoulders, considering. "So you want me to play ambassador for a what if situation that may or may not happen?"

  "I want you to make sure we don’t get speared by a bunch of angry aliens the second we step on their turf," the Captain corrected. "Think you can handle that, or is that beneath a man of your… talents?"

  Lokei chuckled. "Fine. But I get final say on whether or not they’re worth talking to."

  The Captain sighed, already regretting this arrangement. "Just get it done, Agent Lokei. Prep your gear. You leave with the first team."

  With that, the agent gave a mock salute and sauntered off, leaving the Captain wondering if this was going to be a diplomatic success—or a complete disaster.

  Mcgregor chuckled "I wouldn't worry about 'im capin I already assembled a team that would at least keep in line when he is down their after all he is expendable after your little.... interaction you had with him." the both looked as he was escorted to a dropship the silloeute of the rowdy marines who had made a mess in the cargo bay flailing their arms in the distance

  "Director above save us." He muttered he could only hope that this operation would ensure they would have a new home for them to settle in.