"Desert winds rising," one officer reported. "Thermals from the east. Visibility will drop in six klicks."
Kaelen nodded. "Deploy Stormwings. I want eyes up. If those Chameleari ghosts are out there, we flush them before they vanish again."
Another officer stepped forward. "Resistance reports from Sector Nine. Two patrols wiped out. No survivors."
Kaelen didn't flinch. "That's the third this week. The reptiles are getting bold."
He turned to the central display, which showed a 3D map of the region. Dozens of red blips moved in synchronized columns—each a Juggernaut in the Imperial spearhead. Blue zones indicated cleared territory. Yellow flashes marked probable rebel hideouts. One corner of the map flickered with a warning: Unknown Activity—Sand Echoes Detected.
"Mark it," Kaelen ordered. "Send in Striders. No blind spots."
...
