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World in Peril

Despite of not being on Terra, the nightmare came to him every night and plagued his dreams. He was trying to run from it and end the suffering, but after two years of continuous dreams, he needed to embrace it and find out who had been keeping his night short.

Thus, he embraced the nightmare, and tried to live it as his own. The nightmare of a white wolf with bloodied maw slowly turned into that of a forest, with the white wolf sitting by a rock, watching him. Now that he had been explained by the family of Van Helsing of his vision (he took it upon himself and went to the Van Helsing family estate to seek guidance), he knew that the werewolf culture and magic was ancient, dating back to the times when they were still practicing paganism. While most had stopped the actual practice, its spiritual influence remained. It did not matter which race happened to be married to a werewolf. The moment they had decided to procreate with a pureblood werewolf was when they were considered a 'wolf' in the family.

The only way to tell that was the dream with a white wolf in it. He knew the identity of the wolf. It was the Wolf Goddess, the ruler of the eternal forest. As the wolves believed, after they died, their souls would become as pure as a wolf, in which they would join the goddess in her domain and run through the forest as a pack, free from the world. Regardless of race, they would turn into a wolf in that eternal forest. Amhyr thought it was nonsense, but seeing that he had been inducted into the Van Helsing family as their pack, he would need to let his dream to become a dragon go.

"Ah, I see you've awaken, young wolf," said the white wolf.

"I doesn't change the fact that I am still sleeping."

The wolf growled. "Indeed, you are. But in here, you are awake as a wolf, regardless of what race you were, draconian. You are my cub, as does everyone who has bonded with one of us. But let's not talk about your welcome, Amhyr Rithola, as now, the natural balance of the universe is collapsing."

"It has been happening for two years now. I hope Rose is safe."

"She is safe, but this universe will not. Their trial has just started. My children start to leave me, and it worries me. I'm afraid this plane of reality will collapse, as do all the realms of eternity. I have not fulfilled my purpose as the guardian of this realm, and all I could do is to send my messengers to warn those who are willing to go and make things right. Rose is one of them."

"What of me?"

"You are one of us, so I will give you a fair warning. The children of wolf will find their way home eventually, but the 'path' must be clear, and the pathfinder will fulfill their role."

"What does that mean, wolf goddess? Will you give me a direct answer?"

"That is for you to find out, my child."

The dreamscape vanished, and all Amhyr was left was a white place with no feature, even himself. He knew the dream had already ended, but why wasn't he awake?

Just at that moment, he heard an 'alarm' ringing, and it returned him back to the real world in mere second. He grunted and move to find the alarm, but then he realized that the room he was in had no alarm or clock at all. He didn't bother turning any on.

That was when he saw Let's face on the screen in front of him. He gasped and jumped out of his bed. The Scylla looked at him and said, "So that's how you sleep if you are alone. Don't you think that's a bit embarrassing if your children saw you naked?"

"Being a peeping tom is much worse! Turn off the video, for god's sake!"

Let smiled deviously and turned off the recording. "There. Oh, and for your information, I have been waiting in front of your door for an hour. Might as well buzz in."

"You should've wake me earlier. Aren't we going to infiltrate?"

"It's still dark outside. It's just your room have adjustable mood lighting. I'll be waiting."

Amhyr hastily dressed and walked outside. True to Let's words, the whole place was still dark. He didn't realize that the day and night cycle of that place was different from Luna Base or Terra, and he assumed that they would be the same. He sighed and quickly opened the door, in which Let had been lounging by the wall for a while now.

"So, trying to be minimal and blend with the local?" said Let making fun of how Amhyr dressed. As his clothes were not properly unpacked yet, the only clothes he could find that wasn't necessarily burdening was the clothes of the Scyllan people. As they had thick plate scales for heat shield and immunity to radiation, they did not need that much garment to cover their body. All they need was some loincloth-like clothes wrapped around their private area and that's that. Nothing else, just a big, almost naked reptilian walking around.

"But the way you dress make people think you are a servant or some sort. No one wears the khafi (some sort of pants, or loincloth) without ornaments."

"So why the hell are you the one who's properly clothed?"

"I am a kaf'rak, and we are infiltrating. I suggest getting into a proper armor."

"No. Just give me some time, okay?"

"Take your time. But let me in so we can brief the whole thing."

Let went in while Amhyr hastily walked to his room to unpack and get himself some clothes suitable for this sort of missions. Let stood near the replicator and ordered a coffee. It gave him a coffee based on a planet's crops, the variant he liked. He drank it while looking at the two doors leading towards Amhyr's children, Ben and Barlen. He stared at the door, thinking of the possibility that could happen to their parents if this happened. He didn't want another blood on his hand. He would not let it happen again, especially not with Amhyr.

After a while, Amhyr walked out of his room wearing simple casual clothes, which made Let said, "You need more protection than that."

"Which is why I have a shield generator handy. I've never used it after I was discharged, so I am surprised that it still works."

"Here, let me tune that up for you." Let then took the generator and tinkered with it. After he returned it to Amhyr, it had 120 percent shield sustainability.

"Won't it, like, overload or something?"

"That thing is simple, like a children's toy," said Let smiling.

"Will I get the same answer if, let's say, an Aquros does this? This thing is Terran, you know."

"More or less. Are you prepared? Let's go. We're wasting too much time. I'll let one of my servants to tell your children that you are on a business with me."

Amhyr nodded and took some equipment he needed for this infiltration mission. He had never done his for a long time, ever since he retired. Before his faithful meeting with both Let and Dairyu, he had not been on an infiltration mission for two years. While he could consider infiltrating a slavery ring one of those missions, it was because of Dairyu and Let hastening his mission on that planet. In the end, the mission failed. His target was one of the Black Creature's victims, but he had ensured that the business was shut down for good when the Federation came to that planet to clean up the mess. While Amhyr knew that somewhere, illegal slavery still happened, at least he had changed something on that planet. Last, he heard, the planet had become a budding colony city with traces of its slavery history erased and former slaves became citizens. It would be nice to go there someday, to see the change he had ushered in.

Let took Amhyr towards the same hangar where they arrived, and personally commandeered a small ship for four people. As Amhyr went in, he noticed two other Scyllas. One was female and the other male.

"Amhyr, I want you to meet Telaneris and Doloretis. They will accompany us on this mission."

"Hello, Amhyr Rithola," said Telaneris. "Kaf'rak Renziletis told us about your...preference to nicknames, so you can call me Tela, and he is Dolor."

Amhyr waved his hand, signifying his hello, but when he saw both Scylla making expression signifying annoyance and surprise, he turned to Let and said, "I don't know how to say hello without offending anyone here, especially you."

"I don't care much about that, but Tela and Dolor are Adonis I natives. There is a proper way to greet us. Just say 'Kerak Ternol Telarenis en Doloretis'. They'll understand."

Amhyr repeated what Let said, and both relaxed and smiled. Let then talked to them with his language for a while before they became embarrassed.

"We're sorry, Amhyr Rithola! We didn't know you are not familiar with our greetings."

"That's alright. Happens all the time. So, what's the mission?"

"We will infiltrate a solid base covered in darkness," said Tela. "There is an air duct that is big enough for the four of us to get in and get out, assuming that it wasn't guarded. The whole base is shielded, but kaf'rak Renziletis has given us the proper tool to bypass the shield, creating a hole for us to go through. From there, we deactivate the shield and signal airstrike to hit the base."

"Whoa, wait. I thought we're here to kill the leader, not an all-out assault!"

Tela and Dolor looked at each other for a moment, contemplating Amhyr's comment. After a while of confusion and uncomfortable silence, Let pulled Amhyr away and said, "Who said about killing the leader of the base?"

"Isn't that the logical course of action? We kill their leader, they become discouraged, and then they dispersed. It's as simple as that. We don't need more casualties dealing with people who had already died! And why the hell do you need me if the plan is already worked out like that?"

"We need your perspective on this mission. To be honest with you, Scyllas don't do infiltration mission. We were once a warrior race with advanced technology before the civil war turned us inside out. We were the only ones who wanted to do this. The rest prefers an all-out assault."

"Even the females don't know how to infiltrate despite of their body," said Tela. "But...I guess you're right, Amhyr Rithola. We do need to talk about this mission."

The ship then lifted off and sped towards the south, presumably directly towards the base. Along the way, Amhyr became acquainted with both Dolor and Tela. They taught Amhyr more Scyllan culture than Let could do, like mannerism when talking to a female and, due to his physiology being similar to a draconian, how to greet with wings. While briefing for the mission was still top priority, Amhyr didn't think that it was a mission that needed to be serious all the way, given how the others did not seem to be burdened by this mission.

What the draconian didn't know, however, was Let's desire to keep his companions safe. He was their leader and friend, and they expected him to be a great leader to the point that they were willing to sacrifice themselves to serve him. While it was great, Let knew that taking Amhyr, who had established a family, to Adonis III was a gambit. He originally wanted to make him safe, but seeing his knowledge and experience as a Former Federation agent proved invaluable for their group, Let saw no other way for this to work. The solid's base had been in his mind for a while and it started to worry him as their raids started to reach civilian centers. If it continued, life in Adonis III would not be safe, betraying its original purpose as a haven during the solid's attacks on Adonis I. It would also make his promise to Amhyr a lie, because it would not be different than what he endured back home.

Hearing how Amhyr talked about his recon missions during his younger years made Let feel confident to have his friend around. Tela and Dolor were also eager to know that at outsider like Amhyr could be reliable. For Amhyr, it was just like all missions he had done in the past, but with a twist. Unlike back then, he had more experience. He could not guarantee that the whole mission would keep them undetected, but he could ensure that it wouldn't degrade into a suicide mission.

Let deliberately flew the ship near the assembled camp of a hundred something Scyllas preparing to get into the base, to give Amhyr a sense in their preparation. The agent looked down and see the Scyllas, silently amused on how they were preparing themselves like an army marching towards the battlefield. It felt like watching a live representation of an epic 20thcentury movie. There were no lasers and guns, only swords and shields. Though it was far from that, the fact that the assembled army was so massive made him imagine that way.

The Scyllas were quickly gone from sight, replaced by a stone mountain where they landed. Upon getting out of the ship, Amhyr looked around and pulled out his binocular upon seeing the structure behind them.

It wasn't evil-looking with pointy structures, but the fact that it was built on a hill made it visually imposing. The enemy structures were made of giant spherical structures overlapping each other like soap bubbles, with some towers of similar form but different height jutting out from between the spherical structure. Of course, for a Terran like him, it had a lot of potential for innuendos.

"What do you think of it?" said Let.

"Kinda like a 'toy', don't you think?"

When the three Scyllas looked at him in confusion, Amhyr sighed and said, "Never mind. Terran jokes. I'll explain later. But seriously, this place is massive!"

"Can you find anything that looked remotely like an air vent or opening?" asked Dolor.

"Aside from Tela, the three of us can't get inside some of the holes I found. I don't want her to get inside alone. It could be dangerous."

"I can manage," assured Tela.

"I don't want to offend you, but your kind don't seem to be the 'stealthy' type. Unless your strength is like a human's, we won't go in unnoticed. Besides, I have a feeling they have an assortments of proximity sensors in that base. If things go south, it's game over."

"This is not a game, Amhyr."

"It's an impression, Dolor," replied the draconian. "We need something to get us in without tripping the alarm. Something like..."

Amhyr then looked at his shield generator. He turned towards Amhyr and said, "Do you know how to modify this thing aside from amplifying the shield?"

"We have the same idea, Amhyr, but I'm afraid that unless we know the shield frequency, we might not be able to go in. Not to mention the proximity sensors."

"I was afraid you'll said that," said Amhyr sighing.

"But then, I borrowed one of the Aquros's tech." Let then showed Amhyr and the rest of the group a strange contraption.

"What's that?"

"Anti-Tech Field generator. We can bypass most of the sensors and find a weak point like, say, a door. We only have one of these, so make sure you don't move too fast or too far. Rahtek (understood)?"

Amhyr nodded with the rest of the Scyllas. When Tela and Dolor turned towards the base, Amhyr approached Let and said, "Who the hell gave you that tech? That thing's illegal!"

"Let's just say our mutual friend gave me this for luck," said Let smiling.

"When did our 'mutual friend' even met you before I knew it?"

"Some things are best kept secret, but off the record...." Let then moved closer to Amhyr and whispered, "I didn't become a kaf'rak by myself."

"He helped you...how?"

"The civil war could've still happen even today, but his intervention cut it down to just two years. He did just like what you did...pull some strings. But in his case...cutting them."

"You mean eliminate them, isn't it? You gain power with the help of a secret agent-assassin from another race so no one will suspect you, right?"

"It's not like that's my idea!"

Amhyr sighed. "whatever our 'mutual friend' is now, he's no longer the same pilot we used to know. But I'm glad that you didn't change for the worse."

"I won't. Mark my words, Amhyr. I won't become one. But, just so you know..."

"Sometimes a necessary evil is required for a greater good. Yeah, I heard that so many times. I'm not criticizing you. It's realistic. I just don't know you have the capability of doing such a thing, given your background."

"Neither will I. Now, what's the plan?"

Amhyr raised his voice so Tela and Dolor could hear him. "We gotta do it now or we won't get the cover of the night. Let, give me the generator. I'll scout the area."

Let complied and Amhyr, as if knowing how the thing worked, turned it on and applied it to his shield. He then moved down the hill and closer towards the field until the shield was visible, having a bright orange coloring. He approached it to the point that he almost touched it.

Amhyr would've tried to touch the shield to see if the tech worked, but he wasn't Dairyu. He liked to be careful, as he believed that was the thing that let him survive until that moment. He chose to walk around the perimeter as fast as he could before dawn breaks, hoping that the ATF would keep up.

After running for an hour, he finally found the place he needed to find: an entrance. It was lightly guarded, possibly because most of the guards were posted to guard the front line in case the Scyllas decided to attack. Amhyr could see that they were an alien he had never seen before, possibly the native of that planet before their civilization ended. They did not looked tribal despite of possibly existing thousands of years ago, but what intrigued him was their insectoid appearance. They weren't necessarily Rendloks since they did not look like an oversized, anthropomorphic ant. They looked more like one of those flying Terran insects. They looked a lot like dragonfly, but humanoid. Amhyr could see the semi-transparent wings folded behind them. From the look of their body, they were fragile-looking, but agile. Even if Scyllas were agile in their own terms, they would not be able to keep up with these dragonflies, especially if they packed a punch.

Amhyr approached one of them and hear their clicking sound. Like Rendloks, these insectoid aliens could not talk with vocal language. Amhyr wasn't sure if they were telepathic or not, but he could only say that not being discovered after a close distance meant that they were not.

Doing things just like he trained for, he pulled out his trusty silencer. Like most Terran-based weapons, it was loaded with clips that were not energy-based. It was not that he didn't like laser weapons. It's just that with so many alien races in that galaxy alone, there would be some that had plate shielding or carapace that could reflex them. Chitin was one of those things, and all insects were covered in chitin, be it a terrestrial one or an insectoid alien like the dragonflies.

Before the two dragonflies realized something was wrong, Amhyr quickly got out of his cover and shoot one of them in the head before proceeding to approach the startled one. It was able to recover just before Amhyr dealt the final blow. The dragonfly grabbed the draconian and tried to pin him to the ground. The draconian then used his other weapon: his fire breath, to burn the dragonfly. It made sounds of agony, but Amhyr ended his suffering by a swift shot to the head.

Unknown to him, Let and the others looked at Amhyr through the binocular. Let knew that it was their time to act. Let then turned on his comm device earpiece and said, "Quite a show there. It's a little bit too flashy."

"No alarms tripped, so it's fine."

"If it isn't a silent alarm."

"Then everyone will be coming to my position soon. Come closer. I'll fly back up."

Fortunately, there was no one coming, so Let and Amhyr discussed the infiltration strategy with Dolor and Tela. Knowing very well that they had no map of the facility, their priority was to find an information room undetected and download a map, all the while inside the AT Field. Then, once they had found the control room, the group would lower the shield covertly to let the Scyllas in. Let oversaw the Scyllan army and to signal them to attack the base, while Tela helped Amhyr when they reached the control panel. Dolor would make sure that the security system was shut the moment they reached the room. After agreeing on the way to handle the situation, the four of them started their infiltration.

From the three of them, only Amhyr had an experience of a special police force. He once served as a special tactics unit that handled infiltration and ambush of criminal hideouts. There was a twist in that situation, however, in which they were infiltrating a heavily guarded fort and generally tried to keep together until they were sure that they could split out. Amhyr predicted that they wouldn't be any more security systems that could cause even their own people to get caught in it. Besides, they were solids, so they would try to preserve their second chance and not to become suicidal.

So far, getting into the compound went on smoothly. They occasionally met some dragonflies along the way, but they managed to find a hiding spot or otherwise unseen. With the help of the ATF generator and spare shield generators, they had a wide area to roam without getting out of the field.

Even so, the alien structure and the people roaming in it did not seem to realize or did not register that a group had broken through their compound with ease. They might not think that the infiltrators had an anti-tech field generator to mask their presence from technology. Amhyr was especially surprised on how effective it was. If the Aqura could manufacture the device, it would mean the end of their Federation. He was fortunate that he knew some powerful people, or else he wouldn't be able to survive, let alone having a thrill.

Talking about thrill, Amhyr knew that, being a father made him think of all the things he did not manage to go when he could, but he knew it was for the best. He chose the best wife and got healthy twins. That's all that matters. His legacy would continue. But of course, it did not mean that he would risk himself. Rose joined Dairyu's crew to find the answer to the nightmares that plagued him and her. They both knew the risk of going with the Black Orient, but nevertheless, as a friend, Amhyr trusted Dairyu. It seemed to work, with the dreams turning into pleasant forest landscape with a white female wolf sitting on a rock, talking to him. He didn't believe in communicating through dreams, but he couldn't deny the wolf, either. Somehow, what it was saying was true.

Amhyr looked past a corner to find some insectoid guards walking around in pairs. They were heavily armed, somehow expecting intruders. But with a Scyllan army posted near their base and ready to attack them, they would be worried. Even if the fort was formidable, it wouldn't hold on.

The four of them just need to hasten the process.

Silently gesturing towards Let, the draconian pulled out a sharp beam, obviously sharpened by a knife. Let understood what he was trying to ask him, but then he put down the beam and shook his head. Amhyr was confused at first, but then understood. Let tried to minimize death and all Amhyr wanted was to kill people. Even if they were already dead, they were given a second chance.

That's when Amhyr knew how to react non-violently. He then pulled out a sphere and gave it to Let. He then stared at Let, hoping that he would know what he meant. Luckily, Let understood, then took the spherical object and concentrated on it. It then levitated. He took over Amhyr's position and threw the small object near the insectoid. Amhyr then turned it on, which turned on a holographic projector that surprised them both.

Amhyr then swiftly ran towards them and hit the back of their neck, hoping that they would lose consciousness. It worked, apparently, and they fell unconscious on the floor, where Tela and Dolor dragged them away and tied them up. Amhyr and Let quickly moved towards the door and slowly opened it, but they did not expect what, or rather, who, was inside.

"So, the four of you are the intruders that have been masking your presences," said the insectoid while standing up. The insectoid did not look like the dragonfly race outside, but looked more like a wasp or a bee. The voice was also clearly telepathic, as it happened inside their heads.

"Who are you? Are you the one who has come to assassinate me?" said the insectoid. "Or are you trying to lower our shields so your people would attack me?"

"Before that happens, we want to talk," said Amhyr while lowering his weapon. "I do think you are one of the reasonable kind. But tell us, who are you? Are you related to the Rendloks?"

Then the confused insectoid alien gave the four a surprising answer.

"The Rendloks? What do you mean we are related? We are the Rendloks."