The Weight of Command

Ava Hawkins stood at the pinnacle of power, yet the air in her office felt suffocating. As President of the Planetary Defense Force, she commanded an army tasked with humanity’s survival against the Vodock threat. Her journey to this zenith—forged through cunning, charisma, and relentless ambition—had taught her one truth: to stay on top, you buried those beneath you. Allies and enemies blurred in the haze of her authority, and after the disaster at Raspberry Island, that haze had thickened into a storm.

She faced General Sydney Flick across her desk, her gaze unyielding. The general’s uniform was crisp, but sweat beaded on his brow, betraying his fear. The stolen serum—humanity’s edge against the Vodocks—had slipped through his fingers. Ava’s voice cut like steel. “Someone has to answer for this, General. You understand what I mean?”

Flick’s jaw tightened, his pride warring with desperation. “Madam President, I know I failed you. But I can fix it. Give me one chance.”