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"Military business requires accurate terrain knowledge," she fires back. "I know those mountains better than anyone here. I guided traders through Broken Ridge for five years before presenting."

Thorne's ears flick forward with interest, his posture shifting subtly. "Commander, if she has direct experience?—"

"Fine." I cut him off, torn between tactical advantage and the risk of involving her. "But you observe only. Speak when spoken to." The command comes out with more force than intended, and I see her jaw clench as she falls in behind us.

The command center erupts with activity as the patrol spreads out around the central holographic display. They mark enemy positions, describing the engagement with military precision as a three-dimensional map builds before us. Through it all, I watch Aria from the corner of my eye. She's studying the projection with analytical focus, none of the wistful dragon-admiration I half-expected.

"This position gives them no tactical advantage," Thorne says when the initial report concludes. "Broken Ridge has minimal defensibility compared to heights just two miles east."

"Unless defense isn't their goal." I study the elevation patterns, the cover options. "They're staging for advance, not holding ground."

"There's something missing from your map." Aria's voice cuts through the tactical discussion, quiet but certain.

Every head turns toward her. I give a short nod, granting permission despite my earlier restriction.

She steps forward, fingers hovering over the projection. "Broken Ridge has a cave network through its eastern face. A natural formation, probably ancient volcanic vents. They're invisible to aerial survey because of the forest canopy, but they run through most of the ridge's internal structure."

My eyes meet Thorne's across the table. His tail has gone perfectly still—his tell for intense focus.

"You've been in these caves?" I can't keep the edge from my voice, the thought of her in such dangerous terrain making something twist in my chest.

"Many times." She nods. "The settlement uses them for emergency shelter during bad storms, sometimes as a trading waypoint when the valley floods."

Without asking permission, she approaches the control panel, hands moving with surprising confidence across the interface. "May I?"

I nod, watching as she adjusts the projection parameters. The terrain map shifts, revealing subsurface features that indeed suggest an extensive cave system beneath the forest canopy.

"Main entrance here," she points, marking a spot half a mile from the dragon encampment. "Secondary entrances along this ridgeline. All three connect to a main chamber system that runs nearly to the valley floor on the eastern slope."

My blood runs cold as the implications hit me. Not a random incursion but a calculated position that gives them access to a hidden route directly into the heart of our territory. A path our standard defenses would never detect.

"If they get into these caves," she continues, oblivious to how she's just upended our entire strategic assessment, "they could move substantial forces within striking distance of both Shadowthorn and Blackridge before your perimeter sensors would ever detect them."

The observation shows military thinking no settlement trader should possess. Worse, it reveals dragon strategy that's far more sophisticated than their usual brute-force approach. Someone in their command knows the terrain better than they should.

"We need to adjust patrol patterns," Thorne says immediately, professionalism overriding any hesitation about taking intelligence from a claimed omega. "Monitoring at all cave entrances, seismic sensors throughout the projected pathway."

I nod agreement while studying Aria with new eyes. Her knowledge represents a tactical asset I never anticipated when claiming her to secure my territory. The irony burns—keeping her from dragons has given me the very tool I need to defend against them.

"Prepare three strike teams," I tell the assembled officers. "Primary force at the main entrance. Smaller units at secondary access points with comms relay capability. Full tactical loadout including fire suppression gear."

As I outline the response, I remain hyperaware of Aria's presence—her scent, the way she stands, the subtle shift in how the others now look at her. No longer just my claimed omega but someone with value beyond her biological status.

The realization brings complicated satisfaction. Pride in her capabilities wrestles with lingering suspicion about trusting someone who made her dragon preference abundantly clear. The claiming bond pulses between us, carrying emotional currents I refuse to examine too closely.

When the planning concludes and my officers disperse to prepare their teams, I find myself alone with Aria and Thorne in the suddenly quiet command center.

"Your terrain knowledge proved valuable." The words feel awkward on my tongue, approval rarely offered so directly. Surprise flickers across her face.

"Survival required it," she says simply, the practicality somehow more impressive than any elaborate explanation. "Knowledge meant safe passages, reliable shelters, fewer confrontations with patrols and predators."

"Knowledge that now serves Shadowthorn's defense," Thorne observes, his scent carrying new notes of respect. "Commander, should we integrate her expertise into regular intelligence protocols?"

The suggestion makes tactical sense despite the complications. Using Aria's knowledge systematically would mean deeper integration into command structure, more access, more opportunities to observe our operations.

More chances for her to identify vulnerabilities if she still harbors dragon sympathies.

"Limited consultation basis," I decide, splitting the difference between advantage and security. "Settlement terrain features relevant to the current dispute only. Thorne will coordinate through secure channels."