PART 1 – INTRODUCTIONS

The journey passed without major issues. Occasionally, murmurs of concern about what might happen once we reached our destination could be heard. The only ones not engaging in conversation were the twins, who spent the entire trip sitting together, sharing the reading of the same book.

Since the flight turned out to be more boring than entertaining, I couldn't help repeatedly yawning, showing my sharp teeth. This startled the tall woman several times, which I found entertaining. Seeing her jump provided me some distraction amidst the monotony.

Despite the spaciousness of the place, I stayed close to the ramp to respect others' personal space and avoid exacerbating what was already a tense situation. The ever-present threat of conflict made me fear that any misunderstanding could trigger violence at any moment.

Mibreg headed towards the cockpit and was out of our sight for what seemed like hours, although it was only minutes. Finally, they returned and summoned us all, including me and two other people who hadn't been with the main group. These two people were dressed alike and seemed to be in charge of loading the plane, namely, loaders. The woman looked visibly frightened, and since I hadn't seen her when the plane landed, I assumed she had kept herself hidden from me. Therefore, I averted my gaze not to make her feel uncomfortable, as she seemed on the verge of tears. Her companion, noticing her nervousness, nudged her lightly, which startled her even more, causing her to emit a sharp scream that didn't go unnoticed by anyone.

Everyone turned to look at her, confused and wondering what had happened. However, they soon realized her fear was directed towards me. They were probably experiencing similar feelings, although some were better at hiding it than others, but they avoided it since they wore insignias on their uniforms they didn't want to dishonor. This was especially important because, in my opinion, I hadn't shown any aggressive attitude, and they had no reason to be fearful.

After social cohesion calmed the poor frightened girl, Mibreg began the meeting with determination: "The pilots informed me we'll soon reach the borders of the empire," they said loudly and clearly. They paused, waiting for the murmuring to cease, then continued, "That's why I need you all now more than ever. We must make a good impression on the empress and show that all our work hasn't been in vain."

The officers and non-commissioned officers nodded at Mibreg's words, although from my perspective, it seemed they did so in disagreement, as they shook their heads from side to side, which I found quite curious and entertaining. Mibreg gave orders to the mustached man and also to the twins, but only to one of them, specifically to the young woman referred to as Division General Peronia. She and her brother saluted with raised fists, accepting their superior's order, which was nothing but taking charge of the soldiers on the first departing plane. In contrast, the other officers and non-commissioned officers were assigned the task of serving as my escort to present me to the empress, as if I needed some form of security, even though with just one of my four horns, I could pierce any attacker and had the ability to fly if things got complicated. However, I was aware it was merely a formality, and besides, I had no reason to refuse.

The introduction continued with each of those present following Mibreg's orders. Mayra, the sergeant major, was the tall woman; Nauter, the senior non-commissioned officer with glasses; Elora, the lieutenant; Cámpora, the sergeant with noticeable dark circles; Juamingo, the young muscular captain; Odolina, the forty-year-old woman holding the rank of Brigadier General, responsible for handling the prototype planes; Major Bigúd, the grumpy mustached man; the twins presented themselves as one, with Ceache, the woman, speaking and referring to herself as "the division general"; then the two loaders who were supposed to transport the egg; and finally, Mibreg, the lieutenant general and superior in charge. Mibreg claimed to have selected the best from the armed forces to ensure the capture of the target.

The team introduction left me with more doubts than I already had. Mibreg explained they had organized an elite force from the military to capture me when I was still an egg because once I hatched, I would become unpredictable. In that case, they might be forced to use force to subdue me, as they had done before. However, as I was cooperative, they hadn't resorted to brute force again, aside from the empress's own request. Nevertheless, there was a possibility that if I refused to help the empire, they might decide to eliminate me to prevent me from joining the enemy's side. The situation didn't look promising and filled me with unease and fear. Once I landed at the border, anything bad could happen.

A sense of confusion and frustration overtook me as I remained aboard. I was asking myself questions for which I had no answers. Why wasn't I escaping? Why was I allowing myself to be manipulated like this, even knowing how it would all end? Had the meeting been organized just for me to meet them? Were they trying to impress or intimidate me to prevent potential violent action on my part? I was spiraling in a loop of negative thoughts.

A sharp pain twisted my stomach. My head started spinning, and an acidic liquid climbed up my throat before spilling over the officers. I collapsed heavily onto the floor.

"We're arriving! The barriers are working!" shouted Mibreg.

The plane filled with screams, and I blacked out, losing consciousness.

...