Matty was sweating; his heart was pumping so hard that he could hear it. He had run simulations several times, but this was his first time bringing the Pup down to the surface of a planet from orbit. The vibrations on the stick of the Pup were intimidating; it bucked and shook so violently that he thought his hands would go numb soon. The instrument panels were blinking, and several were lit up with red warning lights as the small drop ship plunged down into Earth's atmosphere. "Elvis! I have several warning lights from the heat shield panels on the nose of the ship!" Matty grunted over his shoulder as he struggled to keep the Pup in a controlled descent. "It is fine! Matty should trust the ship; it will hold!" Elvis shouted back, "And if it doesn't, then we will have little time to worry before we are sucked into the void…HAHAHAHA" "Not Helping Elvis!" I shot him a death stare before I checked that my safety straps were secure. We had spent plenty of time in the Pup. We used it to ingress and egress from the Alcaran moon and to land on the grind station, where we found the wonderfully inviting spider queen. This time was different, though; Earth was the first time we had dropped into a full atmosphere. The displacement of air caused by us dropping into the atmosphere from orbit caused extreme heat and strain on the Pup. It was built for it, but it didn't help when we had never experienced the sensation before. I was nervous, and I wasn't even flying the ship; Matty must have been out of his mind with stress. "Matty, you good?" I asked. "All good here, Cap. Just a newbie getting his wings," Matty responded, still straining against the flight stick. "Insertion is nominal, Captain. I am monitoring the ship's systems, and nothing is out of the ordinary," Elvis said with a nod of his head. "If Matty lost control, I would take control and ensure we landed safely." He smiled wryly," unfortunately for him, Matty doesn't know I can do that." "We are entering the Troposphere, Cap." Matty said, tilting his head and shouting over his right shoulder, "We should be over the continental US in approximately 15 minutes. Are we still targeting Ft. Polk as our drop?" Matty asked to confirm the flight plan. "Yes, we all know the plan. Let's do a flyover just to see what the response is. Make it fast; we don't want to test our luck. The Lacertines never expected to need to defend against airborne threats, so I am assuming they have no surface-to-air weapons. Elvis assured me that the Pup could outrun any of the small patrol ships that might be active, but based on the reconnaissance Natasha provided, I don't think they would have any ships ready. The ships in good working order were transferred to Ft Hood or to the home base at Ft Bragg. So, there is no real cause for concern." I said as I pointed down at the tablet showing the data provided by Natasha. "I hope she is right because we're about to let everyone know we're home," C.J. shook his head and leaned back. I wanted to test the defenses on Ft Polk; it was a smaller base in an unimportant region of the US, so I imagined that the Lacertine force there was minimal. Still, my family lived near that base before the drop, and if they were still alive, they would be in danger every day. It seemed selfish; I was taking the Pup straight to Hineston, Louisiana, to find out if my family, any of my family, had survived. I never had the guts to make that trip before the right of reaping began, and I never trusted myself to be able to handle the reality that they might be gone. Now, things were different. It had only been a few short months for me, but I had changed. I had power, resources, and friends to help me deal with whatever I found or didn't find. I was ready to answer the question I had lived with for nearly four years. If my family made it and somehow survived the drop and all the challenges that went with it, I wouldn't be surprised. It was the three years we lost going through the Quasar that worried me. The Lacertine occupation had been brutal. The humans were captured and treated like livestock. Nothing more than a source of cheap labor or entertainment for the highest bidders. We deserved better, and I would make sure that was understood. "Tiff, as soon as we land and set up our FOB, we need to let Jax, Matty, Loren, and Red head up north to check on their people. Can you send TT with them?" "Yes, Captain. I have already made plans with the group. Kaj or Elvis will need to go with them. Matty has the highest level at 22, so they will need someone to assist if they get into trouble." "Any volunteers?" I looked around to see if anyone wanted to tag along. Kaj and Elvis were both extremely loyal, and both thought it was their duty to be near me if things went south. I was pretty sure I could take care of myself, but I needed one of them to assist the other group. Splitting our forces wasn't the best idea, but they could travel to New York and back in a single day if they found their families safe, so the risk was acceptable; we didn't plan on making any major moves on the Lacertine forces for several days anyway. Both Kaj and Elvis stood erect, not wanting to be the first to volunteer. "Look, why don't you go with them, Elvis? If something happens with the ship, they will need you to assist," I patted him on the shoulder. "Captain," Elvis stepped forward. "I understand. They need a skilled warrior with them if the shits hit the fans; there is no need to coat with sugar." "I'll have Tiff, C.J., and Kaj here; we will be fine. Natasha can keep you posted on the Bloodhounds' status or let you know if we have any unexpected visitors. By the time you all get back, the FOB should be up, and we will be ready to plan our strike on Ft. Polk. I promise to limit the killing until you get back, okay?" "Yes, Captain, I understand." He said disappointedly. "There will very likely be killing in New York, too," I added, with a raised eyebrow, trying to offer him something to be excited about. He immediately perked up at the idea of potential fighting, so I knew all was good in the universe. "Approaching Ft. Polk, Captain. Nothing is showing on sensors as of yet. No vehicles or potential anti-air ordinance. It is way too quiet down there." Jax said from the co-pilot's chair as he continued to work with the sensors. "Can you transfer the video feed to my tablet?" I asked, honestly wondering if that was a thing we could do. "Done, Captain," Elvis replied as his eyes quickly flashed white, signifying that he was communicating with the network. "That is really unsettling," C.J. said, cocking his head at Elvis. "Only unsettling if you are puny piece of shit," Elvis shrugged. I watched the video feed on my tablet. The base looked deserted. There didn't seem to be any vehicles or anything of value, really. There were pockets of Lacertine troops scattered across the base, but there was no organization; they seemed to just be hanging around the base.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work! "Tiff, do we have any way to ascertain the average level of those troops?" I asked, not looking up from my tablet. "What do you mean?" "I would like to know their levels before we decide on our next move," I replied. "Captain, those troops don't have levels. Well, I should say they probably don't. Levels are gained inside dungeons. Most species have dungeon task forces that are trained and used repeatedly inside dungeons. The cost associated with leveling is significant, so those investments would have been protected." She waved her hand around the cabin of the Pup. "We are likely the only beings on this planet that possess an interface and leveling abilities." "I… I guess I didn't consider that. So, that is good for us, then, right?" I asked. "Yes and no," she said. "The average Lacertine is worth the equivalent of at least two human men in terms of strength. At the upper end of the spectrum, they may be able to handle three to four human males with ease. Some of the troops may also possess biometric enhancements. Other than hand-to-hand combat, it is still a dangerous proposition for us to take on large groups of Lacertines just due to their firepower alone." "Understood, Guns still hurt," I shrugged. "That is an oversimplification, but yes," Tiff sighed. "The other half of the equation is that we can't level up if we aren't fighting initiated beings. We will not receive experience, and the system won't reward our kills." She leaned forward to get closer to me. "Captain, if the Coeus really are gone, then it is likely that we have all stalled on our path to power. That is not an appealing notion if we plan to take down the Council at some point." "That is a problem for another day. For now, let's see what we can do to help Earth. After that, we shift our focus to the rebellion, if the rebellion still even exists." I said, sighing with the weight of another problem. "Matty, take us to the coordinates Natasha provided. The base doesn't seem like a threat at this point. Once you guys are back from New York, we can put together a raid to clear out any stragglers and see if we can figure out what happened." "Got it, Cap. Heading to Hineston. It should be about a 15-minute flight. Should we be worried about their reaction when we get there?" "I don't even know if we will find anyone there, Matty. I haven't had contact with any of my family since the drop." "Well, if they are as resilient as you, then I am positive we will find them there, Cap," Matty said. "Thanks, Matty," I replied with a nod. Fifteen minutes later, we were slowly hovering over the remains of what had once been the small community of Hineston, Louisiana. There was never much to the town: a sheriff's station, a Dollar General store, and a gas station. Most of the people lived in the woods in this area. They were hearty people, raised by tough parents; they didn't need much. The two small stores, which were once the only spots for gas and groceries, had long since been abandoned. The Yellow Dollar General sign was missing a few letters, and the parking lot was overgrown. The Gas station beside it looked to have been burned down as well. "Damn, this place has seen better days," Jax said. "There never was much to it anyhow; now it's almost like it never existed," I replied. Warning lights blinked orange as alarm sirens rang in the Pup. "Incoming!" Matty shouted as he banked the Pup hard to the left to avoid an incoming missile, "Somebody fired a damn missile at us!" he said through gritted teeth as he strained against the controls of the Pup. Before I could figure out what was going on, the rear bay door of the pup lowered; Elvis, holding his axe over his head, screamed a blood-curdling battle cry and jumped out of the pup. "Holy shit, he jumped!" C.J. said, standing up to look out the bay door, "Andy, those are humans down there; you better do something." "Elvis, do not kill anyone!" I shouted as I activated my armor and jumped out of the bay door to follow him. I landed amidst a cloud of dust to see a group of about ten humans surrounding Elvis as he held his axe in front of him and moved in slow, intentional circles. To the humans, it probably seemed like they had the enemy surrounded. I knew the reality: Elvis was just hoping one of them would make a move so he could react. He was the Lion; they were the prey. I made my way up to the group with my empty hands raised. A visible weapon might have set the group off, and I didn't need anyone making any sudden rash decisions and opening fire on us. "You are trespassing," an older, burly man with a bandana over his face said. He had what looked like a rocket launcher on his shoulder, and it was still smoking from the ordinance that was fired at our ship. I put my hands out in a warding motion as I approached. "If everyone would calm down, I can explain," I said as I came to a stop near the group. "We don't need any explanation from a damn alien. Your kind only takes and kills; well, that isn't happening today!" the old man said as the men on either side raised rifles in my direction. "Like I said, you are trespassing, and we deal with trespassers swiftly and violently around here. It's just not your lucky day, Lizard," the old man raised his hand to give the fire signal. "Wait!" I shouted, "I am no lizard, and I am damn sure not trespassing; this is my home, old man." I dismissed my helmet to show the group that I was human. "My name is Andrew Dawes, and I am from here; I am looking for my family." "Son? Is that you? How…what…" the old man said as he lowered the bandana from his face. "Dad? What are you doing with a rocket launcher?!" I asked. Now, that probably wasn't the most pressing thing to ask at that time, but come on, who wouldn't be surprised to see their retired dad leading a group of rebels and firing off rocket launchers like a badass? My Dad rushed over to me and grabbed me in a tight bear hug, "Son, where have you been? What is that armor, and why do you have a ship? What the hell is going on, boy?" "I have answers for all of those things, Dad. First, tell your men to lower their weapons before Elvis does it for them," I said. "Men, lower your weapons; my boy has come home!" My Dad said excitedly. "Damn it! I was so close to letting my axe taste the sweet nectar of death!" Elvis shouted as he stomped off toward the landing Pup. "It is good to see you, Dad; I have missed you. How many made it?" I asked as I returned his hug. "We all did, son. We all made it. Let's go see your Mom. She is going to pass out when you walk up the drive." He laughed. It was a happy laugh mixed with tears, and it was a sound that I missed more than I knew.

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