Aboard the Zogarian command ship orbiting Earth, Emperor Zar stood before a holographic display, deep-set eyes burning with fury as he watched his forces falter. The projection bathed the war chamber in cold light, flickering between scenes of human resistance, collapsing harvesters, and unfamiliar energy bursts disrupting their operations.
"Their resistance is unprecedented," Zar growled, leathery features tightening. "Primitive technology should not challenge us."
His second-in-command bowed slightly, voice tense. "Emperor, harvesting efficiency has dropped sixty percent. Our sensors detect unusual energy signatures in their weapons."
Zar's eyes narrowed to glowing slits. "What is this dust they're using? Investigate immediately."
"It appears to be..." The officer hesitated, studying the readouts. "Our own WoodDust. Weaponized against us."
Zar went still, the implications washing over him like ice. "They've discovered our vulnerability."
---
On the forest floor, Emma fired her prototype WoodDust weapon with practiced precision. "Target their energy conduits!" she shouted, directing soldiers with urgent gestures. "Disrupt their power source!"
The blast struck a harvester, sending violent energy ripples through its form before it collapsed in a heap of destabilized technology. A victory—but brief.
The sky darkened ominously.
A deep, resonant hum rolled across the battlefield as larger ships descended, their hulls pulsing with bio-luminescent fury. Unlike the Zogarians, these newcomers attacked indiscriminately, firing upon human and Zogarian forces alike.
"New hostiles!" a soldier shouted through comms. "They're attacking everyone!"
Adewale's voice cut through the chaos. "Fall back to defensive positions! We're caught between multiple alien forces!"
Emma looked skyward, her expression grim but unsurprised. "I warned you," she said quietly. "They're all coming for the WoodDust."
---
Earth had become a crucible of interstellar conflict.
In the skies, Zogarian harvesters clashed violently with the bio-luminescent ships of a rival species. Their energy weapons carved jagged streaks through the atmosphere, illuminating the battlefield in chaotic flashes of alien light.
On the ground, human forces fought desperately, defending cities now littered with wreckage of downed craft and evidence of clashing alien technologies.
A news broadcast flickered through static:
"The situation deteriorates hourly. Multiple alien forces have engaged in open conflict, turning Earth into a battleground for what appears to be a resource war."
In the command center, Emma studied tactical displays showing three distinct alien signatures now present in Earth's atmosphere. "The WoodDust isn't just valuable to Zogar," she realized. "It's coveted across the galaxy."
Adewale's expression hardened as he processed the implications. "So we're not just fighting invaders—we're caught in the middle of an interstellar gold rush."
"With Earth as the mine," Emma confirmed.
Outside, the night sky blazed with the fire of ships from distant stars, all converging on a planet whose greatest treasure had remained hidden in plain sight—inside the cellular structure of its forests.
This wasn't just an invasion anymore.
This was a war beyond human comprehension, and Earth was the prize.