Lucendra took four steps down into the basement. Through cameras on her armor, Annie could see equipment meant for processing raw milk into products meant for everyday life. Once pristine, now the metal coating of equipment bore marks of the acid, several massive machines were torn apart. Darkness ruled in the basement, energy cords were bitten some time ago.
A pale form charged at a warrior from the ruined carcass of a square-shaped refrigerator. The shardgun in the warrior's paws fired a single shot, riddling the insectoid worker's chitin plates with torn holes and sending the body back into the ruins.
With a screeching sound, a living wave came from the ruined processing hall. Countless legs ran across the floor, bringing weapons of murder closer and closer toward Lucendra, unnatural eyes locked on wolfkin, as insectoid workers charged into incoming gunfire, oblivious of their own demise, intending to take down the intruder no matter what.
When cameras showed several workers climbing the ceiling, preparing to drop on the warriors from above, Annie wanted to scream in warning. Lucendra was stationary, a deadly mistake when dealing with insectoids alone. New breeds were supposed to be constantly on the move, charging around, firing, slashing, and stomping all at once, not giving the instinct-driven hive mind even a chance to come up with a plan.
Kayleen's paw landed on Annie's shoulder, calling for silence. This was a mission for the warrior and her alone, only if she called for aid herself, or met an unknown situation, or the wolf hag felt that they needed to step in, could Annie say anything.
"Learn to trust your fellow soldiers, Annie," quietly said the wolf hag, turning off communication with Lucendra for a brief moment, "They might just surprise you."
Scout was sitting before the screen in a small pod-like room in the control center. She received another injection today and her wounds felt like searing fire, yet at the same time, thin skin now covered her wounds, preventing bleeding. Doctors still insisted upon maintaining bandages around the former wounds, warning that skin could easily crack because of pressure and banning Annie from active duty for a while. The scout spent her sudden free time reading history books about three great nations and watching documentaries. The sight of the sea shocked her very soul, making the wolfkin want to learn more about the world. All her life, she was used to seeing endless rocky deserts in all directions. The world ended up so much bigger than this. But even she could stomach free time only so much. She asked for a job, and Kayleen gave her a part-time job in the control center. Carty and Ultis, meanwhile, both enjoyed free time without a care in the world.
The warlord reviewed the status of her pack and noticed that several members of the pack were feeling down. Among them were two Branded soldiers from the Annie pack, two males from the pack of Ultis, and one warrior from the pack of Carty. Normally, loss of confidence could be solved with increased feasting and personal training with the warlord herself. Yet once again, Dragena was mysteriously absent, and the feast alone could not help. The warlord handed down a new plan to her wolf hags, a plan that was supposed to help with morale.
Under orders of the warlord Dragena, the wolf hag Kayleen sent Lucendra and a few other warriors on a cooperation mission with the soldiers of the state. Their job was simple, patrol the area, help locals, nothing that honestly required the attention of wolfkins. Nowadays, it is almost unthinkable to send members of the Wolf Tribe on such missions. Annie understood why the warlord decided to break the tradition. Lucendra’s confidence was shaken because the warrior viewed her performance as lacking. The male soldier felt inadequate because he was the first injured person on the mission. Annie tried to cheer them up verbally, but they were still unsure about themselves. Dragena left Lucendra and others with no time for brooding, making them regain confidence in action and trusting soldiers with making decisions on their own by pushing them into the position of team leaders for a while. The wolf hags of Dragena’s pack fully supported this idea, Kayleen even went so far as to approve the unorthodox upgrade of Lucendra’s armor, after the warrior asked for permission to try out her theory. Planning, mission approach, coordination with the police force... This time, everything was on the soldiers, with the wolf hag and state agents merely acting as operators. And sometimes there is clear confusion about local laws for soldiers.
Annie was worried about her soldier, and Kayleen allowed her to be operator for Lucendra on today’s mission, with strict orders to not interfere unless asked. Today’s job of Annie was simple, just be a parrot bird for Lucendra, sending orders for normies and passing information to Kayleen. Lieutenant Angoro worked side by side with Annie, but his job was more active today. Several refugees, intending to get into the Core Lands and skipping the Wastes entirely, caused trouble for locals. Angoro was present here to give legal advice to the wolfkins involved about how to solve such problems. Warlord Ygrite stood by the entrance to the room, looking at monitors with a bored expression on her face. If not for breathing, the warlord would resemble a statue rather than a human being, her eyelid refused to blink even once. Ygrite refused to explain her presence, and no one here outranked her to tell the warlord to leave. She moved only once, accepting coffee from Kayleen, when the wolf hag went for food for operators.
An electric discharge came from two round parts on the back of Lucendra’s armor. An arc of energy hit the pale forms of insectoids that leaped on her back from the ceiling, sending them away. The warrior wasted no time looking to see if her recent addition to power armor worked, thinning the incoming wave with precise shots. She could worry less, insectoids advanced in a straight line, hellbent on buying time for ambush units. It was impossible to miss them at such range.
Shards pierced chitin plates and soft insides, going straight through bodies and into insectoids behind. The swarm that took hold in this basement was not a particularly big one, insectoids came here in search for supplies for the main host of the hive. While deaths of five or six were acceptable losses, deaths of a dozen or more were not. The hive was losing more than it had gained. And instincts drove the hive to make one last charge, hoping to save whatever was still salvageable.
A pile of metal in the back of the room exploded, unleashing a charging mass of an enormous snail. Tentacles with eyes at the end of them were deeply buried within a ghostly pale mass, the shell of the creature pushed aside metal when the mass dragged its body toward the exit. These snails were known as gatherers—creatures capable of enlarging their size to incredible limits thanks to the food that they devour. Upon finding a hamlet or remote house, insectoids invade it in mass, slaughtering occupants if they were unable to run or retreat. Then gatherers come, feasting upon dead bodies and nutrients in the newly conquered place. Upon returning to the hive, the gatherer ended up being butchered by insectoid warriors, who then distributed the flesh among countless members of the hive.
And gatherers were dangerous. Their sheer mass was such that even wolfkins had trouble lifting them. When the "foot" of such a snail strolled across the victim, it could peel all flesh from the bones within moments, leaving not even bone marrow behind. The gastric juice of the creature was potent enough to melt even through power armor. The shell was tough enough to block even shards from a shardgun. Directed through the eyes of lesser workers, this creature was too much for Lucendra to take on herself.
And the warrior knew it. She did a backflip, jumping out of the basement the moment the snail reached a distance of two steps away from her. Insectoids charge after Lucendra, their instincts screaming to run down and devour the retreating foe, or at least tie her up while the gatherer retreats. Through a single exit from the basement, all of them charged outside, several workers were devoured to chitinous plates when the "foot" of a snail ran across them. The living mass charged to a nearby farm's backyard, sensing the dread smell of insectoids cusacks and screamed loudly in the nearby protected farmhouse. The critters ignored them, on this night they already tried to break into this farmhouse but found no way through the iron fence and electricity that ran across it.
Instead, they rushed after the warrior, while the gatherer tried to run west, toward the Wastes. Lucendra made her retreat to save distance and send a signal for backup.
"Begin the mission, everyone." Annie calmly said, patching the signal through to the police officers in hiding. Lucendra herself chose the place for the ambush, and now the trap was fully ready.
In Iterna, in the lands of the Oath and even in the Core Lands, police forces were mostly lightly armed groups. There was little reason for them to bear heavy arms or use power armor. Things were quite different in the Wastes and Ravaged Lands. The police officers of the Reclaimers in these regions were clad in outdated power armors, granted weapons on the same level as military and military training to boot. Some of them could even put soldiers to shame thanks to their rigorous training. Once, they were even expected to join the military to help fight back raids by Oathtakers. Each police district in Wastes had a proud history, their special forces could subdue even new breeds due to excellent teamwork.
In short, they had no need for the help of Lucendra. This was proven when forms in blueish power armor rose from hidden places in the sand, unleashing a hail of bullets at the workers. Insectoids jerked on the stone ground, their eyes smashed apart, and bullets smashed into their chitin plates one after the other, cracking them due to pressure. The acid grenades were thrown at the snail, melting away its organic "foot" and ending the existence of the gatherer. Lucendra never even got the chance to add to the fire, her allies cleaned the foes in under a minute, leaving only dead forms laying under the hot sun, fluids from the torn wounds quickly evaporating on the stone.
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"Sweep the area and check for life signs on the corpses," Lucendra commanded in a high-pitched voice. The warrior tried her best to sound assured and intimidating, yet every time when it came to giving orders, she ended up sounding like a squeaking cub. Or like Ultis, "Eliminate any straggles that we missed. Proceed slow, we already won, no need to risk it."
"You heard the boss, move out, people." Said one of the police officers wearing power armor with green command officer markings. Passing officers nodded to the warrior in thanks while they were securing the area and going down to the basement for the sweep.
Lucendra turned her head toward the farms, hearing shouts. An angry-looking old man in the clothes of a farmer broke from the hold of a younger man and woman. Despite his frail appearance and the fact that he used a steel walking stick to help himself move around, there were still muscles, like wires of iron, running down his naked wrists. A six-shot armor-piercing revolver was in a holster on the man’s belt, a large hat protected his tanned face from the hot sun. His two assistants were strikingly similar to him in facial features.
"Have you finished the job, yet? "The cusacks are getting hungry." The farm owner asked, spitting out chewing tobacco on the ground.
"We are finishing the sweep, mister, once we are sure that all inse…"
"Bah! You saw the gatherer running, this means all insectoids are dead by now. I expected better knowledge from a member of the Wolf Tribe," His eyes narrowed when he noticed the round things on Lucendra’s back, "Huh. Energy traps. On a suit of power armor. Didn’t think I would see someone using them again in my lifetime. You better drop them, girlie, they ain’t strong enough to kill the critter, much less the man."
"My family lives away from the village. Ma and pa often use them to scare away insectoids since energy discharge is not strong enough to harm us. I just decided to test them out myself," Lucendra took off her helmet, smiling to the man respectfully, "And they proved to be just enough to push critters away from me."
"Uh-huh, it’s your life and funeral, lassie," The man threw a glance around his lands. He hissed, seeing the cut electric fence, "All for the sake of bits of food. Blasted refugees. Had they just asked, I would have given them scraps. Should’ve just shot them when they tried to break in the first time. The next ones daring to steal from me will…"
"Criminals are already apprehended and are awaiting a fair trial, mister. Justice will be served and hopefully they will change their ways." Quickly said Lucendra, noticing how the hand of the man moved toward the handle of his revolver.
"What good is it to me? What am I supposed to do now? Sure, I can live for some time by selling raw milk, but you can’t live on just on this alone."
"This idiot just admitted to selling illegal product." Noted Annie, inputting the date into records.
"Kill him." Ygrite said.
"Illegal. Beat him up and arrest him." Kayleen proposed.
"We need to arrest him. Raw milk is dangerous, there is a reason why the state forbids trade only of processed milk." Angoro took off his headphones and looked at Lucendra’s screen.
"Sir, selling raw milk is illegal. Several decades ago, it caused the deaths of several people, and a whole group of people were arrested." The warrior told the elderly farmer, but the man only waved his hand.
"I know about that event. It was due to mismanagement of cusacks, they were sickly and ill, while I am fully certain in mine. The only ones who buy raw milk from me are the new breeds of your tribe. You may not like it, but how am I going to earn tokens if I don't do something now? It will take time to fix the processing facility to pasteurize the milk, and it will take even more time to get confirmation that my facility is up to standards."
"Ah, so it is him. On a second thought, we can’t be too hasty." Kayleen quickly said.
"Indeed, perhaps I was too hasty in my judgement, we need to look at this situation from all angles." Ygrite agreed, inhaling air loudly.
"Please tell me that you do not drink raw milk," The agent looked at the silent warlord and the wolf hag and turned back to the screen with a sigh, "We still need to arrest him. Hundreds of people are getting sick from raw milk every year."
"Life is risky. And you can die from it. Banning every treat is…" The wolf hag tried to reason with him, making the agent turn toward her.
"Raw milk is not a delicacy! It is a hazardous substance that can lead to illness or even death. The state passed a law that only allows pasteurized milk for consumption, due to the fact that unpasteurized milk can contain bacteria like…"
"You heard the man. He sells this stuff only to the new breeds. We can take it," The warlord stepped forward, making the agent lock his gaze with her. The man refused to back down, looking up in the large amber eyes, "Everybody should be able to choose their own risks when it comes to food. When the state gets between my mouth and my stomach, I call this an invasion of my privacy."
"This is ridiculous! Laws cannot be bend or…"
"All of you, be silent! This is not your mission!" Annie snapped at them, feeling their burning eyes at her back. She ignored the bickering of her allies, focusing on the screen before her. Lucendra might need her advice.
The warrior looked around, half helplessly. People in the Wastes were not that well versed in the laws, and it was quite possible that this man did not realize that he had just incriminated himself. Yet he had proper facilities before and tried his best to live up to the laws before. It was not his fault that his main source of income was taken from him, many stores in cities bought milk from farmers as part of supporting local business programs in the state. Annie could feel how the warrior desperately tried to find some way for the man to get out of this mess unharmed and untouched. If Lucendra asks for help, she will no doubt receive orders to arrest the man for violation of the law.
"Sir… I heard that farm owner Driago recently lost his herd in sandstorm." The warrior finally said.
"Ah, that idiot. I always told him to throw out his drunk failure of a son and hire some help. You know, there was that incident fifteen years ago when I…"
"Sir, a bit of your moment, please!" Lucendra pleaded, before the elderly farmer could trail off in the memories, "Driago still has a processing facility for pasteurization, but no herd. You have a herd, but no facility. You both depart only a few miles apart. What if you two work together for the time being and split profits while you both wait for insurance and loss restoration?"
"Why would I work with this asshole? He is an old and intolerant fool. And he always acts as if he knows bes…"
"Sir! Half of an expected profit is still better than none. Besides, you too are old and intolerant."
"You drive a hard bargain, lassie…" The man scratched the back of his head, looking around one more time. A police officer came back, confirming that all insectoids were exterminated. At the farmer's gesture, workers hurried from the main building, cutting bodies of the insectoid workers. The remains will be later fed to cusacks. Finally, the farm owner slapped his sides, "Fine! I will give him a call."
"And stop selling raw milk, sir. Even to my kin. Sales of this product are illegal for good reasons nowadays." Lucendra quickly added.
"Now you just want to render me poor!" The old man whined, fishing for something to sweeten the deal.
"If you promise me to drop this business, I will help you fix the fence. Otherwise, I will have to arrest you, sir." The warrior offered, and the farmer begrudgingly agreed to this offer.
"And where am I supposed to get the raw milk now!" Kayleen and Ygrite screamed in unison, while Angoro laid back in his chair smiling at them.
"Well, while we can still arrest him… The state’s duty is also to care about its people and ruining lives is not our duty. I will make the police keep an eye on him, if he stops selling illegal junk, then all is forgiven." Angoro put on headphones again, while the warlord blinked angrily and left the room.
"Annie, you are also out for today. Doctors told me that you need time to recuperate and can’t work for long." Kayleen put her paws under the shoulders of Annie, lifting her from the chair and putting her toward the exit.
"But my bones are healed! I can even clench my paw now without feeling pa…" Annie tried to argue, but the wolf hag utterly ignored her, sitting on the chair and putting headphones on.
From what Annie could see on the screens, Dragena's idea of joint cooperation between the troops was a success. Every single mission, from finding a missing person in the Wastes to helping farmers with pest extermination, went off without a single misstep. Wolfkins were anxious, but with coordination and help from police, they were more worried about how to complete their task to the letter rather than feeling down. And yet, there was something that bothered Annie.
She left the command center for the training area. She was lost in thought on her way there. Some time ago, she would have been angry and bitter at Dragena for not showing up and training her. Now she no longer cared, the warlord was always around, even if through video feed. Annie herself was surrounded by allies and felt content. Annie briefly wondered if this was what normies called "growing up" a time when mundane problems no longer bother a person. What bothered her now was something else. She looked at her right arm, covered with scars. Her fingers run across scars on her face, touching her nearly useless nostrils. She couldn’t deny that the beating had made her stronger and tougher, her self-training and training under helpers was all but useless… And yet, in her time of reading books and watching videos, she learned something.
The normies had laws against domination in their ranks. "Bullying" as they called it, was unacceptable in the military, military specialists claimed that it was detrimental to discipline. Males and females in the ranks of normies served side by side, promoted on merit rather than on physical strength. Annie put her right paw behind her neck, almost scratching herself. The Spirits taught to value strength, for only the most physically able soldiers could lead the Wolf Tribe to survival. Yet… The Spirits also teach not to lie to oneself and to adapt to new circumstances. Based on what Annie knew, Alpha allowed Omegas, even males, to lead groups of Alphas. This was insanity, a male standing above a female? But the evidence was clear. According to several military reports Annie had access to, Omega team members led the combined forces of normies and wolfkins. And in several very rare cases, these were the male Omegas.
Thoughts of Annie traced back to this strange person, Ron. He was fast, true. But… was he also strong? And if he was strong and was able to lead, could this mean that shamans were wrong about natural order in the Wolf Tribe? This was not a heretical thought, shamans were wrong before, and they changed the rules to adapt to current times. Even traditions were changed, something that Alpha proved herself by making others accept technology and power armors. Spirits, Annie herself was saved by a male, even if he was a normie! And if traditions were wrong… How many soldiers like Lucendra and Ron were held back over the years just because they were not lucky enough to fall into the right paws or were never given a chance to shine to begin with? Even the Ice Fang order, accused, arrogant, insufferable ice boys, accepted both genders as equals into their ranks.