Lena’s Resolve

Back on the Alliance's flagship, Lena felt the pressure building once again. The attack was imminent, and she could feel the weight of their fate pressing down on her. The core might have given them an edge in the past, but that advantage was slipping away, and she was unsure whether it was her own fear or something else that made her second-guess their strategy.

Tavon had left her quarters some time ago, but she couldn't shake the thoughts swirling in her mind. How far had she gone? How much of her humanity had she lost by relying on the core's power? And would they ever be able to recover if they couldn't stop the Rhytil from striking again?

She needed to act. But how?

"Commander Lena," a voice called from the door, pulling her out of her spiral of thoughts.

She turned to see General Kessler standing in the doorway, a grim expression on his face.

"The Rhytil are preparing for their next offensive. We need to make our move soon if we have any hope of staying ahead of them."

Lena nodded, her mind already racing with possibilities. "Prepare the fleets. We strike first, hit them before they can mobilize fully. We can't wait for them to come to us again."

"Understood, Commander," Kessler said, turning to leave.

As he stepped out, Lena's gaze shifted to the core, glowing ominously in the corner of the room. She knew that relying on it was a dangerous path. But as the war raged on, and with the stakes growing higher every day, the path forward wasn't clear.

"I have to make the right choice," she whispered to herself. "For all of us."