Location: Tavara – Damien's Central Command, Underground Operations Wing
The silence in the underground command center was louder than any war drum. Holographic projections hovered in mid-air—maps of regional shifts, intercepted transmissions, and the chilling red markers representing unknown movements. At the heart of it all stood Damien, Logan, and Ashford, reviewing intelligence that would shape the next move of their fragile new nation.
Logan zoomed into a section on the Northern Continental Border. "Three unmanned drones breached our airspace last night. No insignias. No heat signature trail. Whoever sent them... didn't want to be tracked."
Ashford spoke next. "And we have chatter about a codename—Serpent Directive. Our inside sources believe it's tied to the rogue intelligence unit we thought was dismantled years ago."
Damien folded his arms, eyes fixed on the blinking red dot near Tavara's eastern border. "They're probing us. Testing for weaknesses now that we've stabilized internally."
Nora entered, dressed in a fitted navy blazer, eyes burning with fresh urgency. "We need to go public with the breach. Transparency will only solidify the people's trust. And if we keep it hidden, the enemy will assume we're scared."
Ashford frowned. "If we go public, we risk mass panic. The people just embraced the Unity Charter. They're hopeful for the first time in years."
Nora shook her head. "Exactly. Hope is power. We show them we're not invincible—but unshaken. They'll stand behind us."
Damien exhaled slowly. "Then we'll issue a statement. Calm, clear, and defiant. But we're also upgrading border surveillance, locking down transport routes, and deploying our black ops teams in the mountain corridors."
He turned to Logan. "Get me the head of Falcon Wing."
Logan nodded. "He's already on-site. Wants to see you privately."
Damien raised an eyebrow. "Privately?"
---
Location: Falcon Wing Operations Bunker, Edge of Tavara
The man waiting for Damien wore no rank insignia. His beard was grizzled, his demeanor calm—but behind his eyes lived a battlefield of memories. General Raul Vex—the ghost Tavara once used to end wars it never admitted fighting.
"You wanted to speak to me, old friend?" Damien asked, extending a hand.
Vex took it, firm. "I've seen this play before, Damien. The Serpent Directive isn't just some tactic—they're a global cleansing unit. They don't want to destabilize Tavara. They want to erase it."
Damien didn't flinch. "Then we fight them."
Vex's voice dropped. "You don't understand. This isn't a war of guns and bombs. It's data, propaganda, blackmail... and betrayal from the inside. You built Tavara's future on unity. They'll use that hope as a weapon."
A cold stillness spread in Damien's chest.
"And they'll come for your legacy... starting with Nora."
---
Location: Unknown – Serpent Directive Headquarters
In a high-tech war room shielded beneath a dormant volcano, the leaders of the Serpent Directive stood around a long digital table. The map of Tavara glowed in red, with target zones flashing slowly—one by one.
At the helm, the scarred man from before—Director Kael Morran—smiled thinly.
"Let the games begin. First target—public trust. Second—internal collapse. Third... eliminate the heart."
A file opened. A photo of Nora Wambua-Kane, highlighted in blood-red.
"She will break first. Then Damien Kane. Then Tavara."