Fresh from the victory at the Coral Sea, Charlie Harrison and the Australian Dragon Corps are sent north to reinforce the troops fighting along the Kokoda Track. What they find is unlike anything they faced in Europe or the Pacific: a narrow, mud‑choked trail carved through mountains, jungle, and mist — a place where dragons can barely fly, let alone dominate.

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The Japanese forces push relentlessly toward Port Moresby, their Ryūjin dragon corps adapting disturbingly well to the jungle terrain. Charlie and Thalassa struggle to provide support from the air as visibility collapses, storms roll in, and the canopy swallows everything beneath it. Ground troops — many barely trained militia — fight hand‑to‑hand in conditions that break even the strongest.

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As the campaign drags on, the Dragon Corps is forced to adapt. Smaller Jungle Drakes are deployed for reconnaissance. Mist‑Wyrms slither through the treetops. Dragons become stretcher‑bearers, supply carriers, and last‑line defenders when the fighting grows desperate.

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Charlie witnesses the cost of war in a way he never has before. There are no clean victories here — only survival. Every ridge taken is paid for in blood. Every retreat is a knife to the heart. And every soldier, dragon or human, is pushed to the edge of exhaustion.

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But amid the mud, rain, and terror, something unbreakable forms: a resolve that will define Australia’s role in the war. The Kokoda Track becomes a symbol of courage, sacrifice, and unity — and the place where Charlie learns what it truly means to defend home.

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When the Japanese advance finally falters, the cost is almost too high to bear. But the line holds. And from the ashes of Kokoda, a new fire rises — one that will carry the Dragon Corps toward the final battles of the Pacific.

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Note: Fire Over Kokoda is currently in development. Story details, character arcs, and key elements may change as the novel continues to evolve.