We were at the settlement in less than five minutes. Dawes Hill, as it was now called, was pretty impressive in the amount of defenses and infrastructure the residents had created. My dad managed the settlement as it initially started on his property and mainly consisted of the Dawes family and extended family. There were nearly 500 residents of the settlement now, and it had expanded way past the original 40-acre plot that my dad owned. Once people heard there was a place that offered safety and seclusion, it wasn't long before they made their way to the small haven in the woods.

Not everyone was welcomed with open arms, though. If you could provide labor or resources, then you would have no issues. Once the Lacertine occupation began, men of fighting age were also welcomed. A small contingent of soldiers operated out of the settlement, a company of wasps led by my brother Michael.

"Let me go get your mother; she has been inconsolable since Michael was captured. The knowledge that at least one of her lost sons has come back to her…" Dad's eyes welled with tears, and he shook his head. "Andrew, you have to understand she mourned you. Don't get me wrong, she still prayed for you every day, but she mourned you as well."

I put an arm on his shoulder as he looked at the rear ramp, lowering, "I get it, Dad. I'm hoping I can help set things right around here. At the very least, I plan to be around for a while. Now, why don't you go get her?"

Dad walked away toward the settlement with a big smile and a nod as we all exited the Pup. We had landed on the outskirts of the settlement and picked a clearing suitable for setting up camp.

"Matty, can you guys unload a few things so that I can set up camp while the Pup is with you? When you all get back, we can use the Pup's fabricator to build something a little more permanent," I asked, looking around and seeing the pine trees that reminded me of growing up in this area when I was younger.

"No Problem, Cap," Matty said as he carried a box down the ramp, "This place ain't bad, ya know? Lots of trees that provide cover, so it wouldn't have been easy to spot this place unless they were specifically looking for it."

"Captain, can I have a word?" Tiff asked, walking over to me.

"Yeah, sure, what's up?" I asked as we walked a few steps away.

"How are you?" she asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Your family is alive; you must have been holding onto that fear for years. It is okay to let your guard down now." She looked at me with those electric blue eyes. "I only have one piece of advice, Andrew: enjoy this time; enjoy the knowledge that your family is safe," she stopped and put a reassuring hand on my arm.

"Yeah, I will try, Tiff." There is just so much to catch them up on and prepare them for," I sighed and shook my head.

"Andrew, there will always be another fight. Take time to enjoy the people who give you cause to fight. It won't be long before we are heading off to another challenge, and these people will be depending on you. You earned this small victory, so enjoy it." She turned to walk back to the crew, then stopped and lowered her head before speaking again, "There will come a day when you don't have the chance to see the smiles and tears of the people you care for, but today is not that day."

"Andrew! My Andrew? Is that you?" an older woman's voice strained as she approached the Pup. I turned to see my Mom running to me before she slammed into me and threw her arms around me. Tears ran down and streaked her dirty face. She had gotten older since the last time I had seen her. Thinking back, I guessed it must have been the Christmas before the drop when I had driven in for the holidays.

"Hey Mom…" I smiled and returned her hug. We stayed that way for several minutes, hugging and crying. Mom fussed over me, asking why my hair was so long and if I planned to shave my beard. I realized now how much I missed all the things that I used to hate.

"Andrew, where have you been? What happened after the drop? We all thought you were dead, son," she said, pushing my hair from my face.

"It is a long story, Mom. Let's get everyone together, and I can tell them all at once. There is a lot you all need to know, but first, I need to get unloaded and let some of these guys head to New York to find their own families. Before that, let me introduce you to everyone," I took my mom around and made all the introductions. Everything was fine until she got to Kaj, who walked out of the back of the Pup and spread his wings wide.

"Oh, sweet Jesus, I prayed that God would protect you, and he gave you an angel!" Mom said as she clasped her hands together. I started to correct her, but Kaj walked up and knelt in front of her," Madam, if your God ordained the meeting between your son and me, then I must give him my everlasting gratitude for it saved my life. I fear I am not this angel you speak of; however. Nevertheless, I have pledged my life through blood to Captain Dawes and will give my own life before I let harm come to him."

Mom put her hand on his head and said a quick prayer of thanks. It was truly a remarkable sight as Kaj spread his wings wide and knelt in front of her while she prayed.

"Okay, that will do," I said. "Mom Kaj is my friend and part of my crew. I met him on an alien moon that was part of a dungeon that was part of a bigger competition to see who would win the right to control Earth and its resources," I shrugged as my mom just stood there, slack-jawed. "That is the short version of a much longer story; gimme a couple of hours and get everyone together. Tiff and I will meet you guys then."

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By now, people were starting to get curious, but Dad had posted some guards to keep them from getting too close while we set up camp.

"You can point that stupid gun somewhere else, boy; you best remember who lived here first!" A woman said.

"Y'all act like you are some kind of super soldiers; how about you go do something useful?" another shouted.

"Just let 'em through already; it's not like you are gonna stop them anyhow," Dad said, shaking his head, "Girls, hurry up and get over here; Andrew has things to do so his friends can leave." My three sisters, Tara, Misty, and Sabri, came running up to me, smiling and crying. We hugged and laughed, and I told them I would update them all as soon as I was done. They didn't care about that; they were just happy to see their brother alive and well.

A few hours later, we had set up camp. It was just a small prefab building with a few cots in it. Kaj, Tiff, C.J., and I all said our goodbyes to the rest of the crew, and I made sure to let them all know that I would understand if they chose to stay with family, but everyone seemed to understand that we had a job to do before anybody's family was safe.

Matty, Jax, Red, Loren, and Elvis entered the Pup, which quickly lifted off and shot away. Within a few seconds, Elvis chimed in via my communicator, "Captain, you have trusted me to protect your friends. I will kill anyone who tries to harm them. Please also inform SR-C.J. that he is weak and will most likely be the first to die if trouble comes in my absence. I will not mourn him."

I just shook my head and sighed," Thank you, Elvis. I will not tell C.J. that last part."

"No need, Captain; I looped his communicator in so he could hear my words. Hahahaha."I looked over to see C.J. flipping off the sky and shouting something unintelligible. It seemed some things weren't gonna change any time soon.

That evening, Mom made dinner for everyone as we sat around a fire, and I updated them on what had happened. I covered everything that happened from the moment I went through the Orb. I showed them my armor and explained how the system interface works, even though currently nobody here had levels, so it just showed me basic information like:

Human male – N/A

Human female – N/A

I explained that the Lacertine Empire was in the process of diverting resources from the Reaping operation, as the majority of their resources were being allocated to the defense of their home system. I also let everyone know that we would do what we could to help take Earth back from the forces that were still here. After that, I spent the remainder of the evening just catching up with everyone. My nieces and nephews had gotten so much older, and I enjoyed reconnecting with them.

My sisters were overly interested in Tiff, and they pulled her away to get to know her better. I felt like they thought there was more there than there actually was, but I didn't want to dampen the mood. Kaj was by far the most popular person that night as people crowded around him, asking to touch his wings and hear stories of his past battles. C.J. really enjoyed talking with my Dad as they discussed the settlement and everything that had happened since the Drop. I spent the last few hours of the night just sitting and watching, taking in the sights and sounds of family and people I held dear. I was home, and as odd as it seemed, I knew that I was meant to be here.

We all took our leave in the early morning hours, around 1 AM. We went back to our camp and turned in for the night. It had been a good night, and I was looking forward to a good sleep. Unfortunately, good sleep never came. As soon as I closed my eyes, I awoke in the white room I had come to know through my previous meetings with the Coeus.

"Andrew, we require you to perform a task, " the robotic voice or multitude of voices said.

"Are you serious?!" I said, grasping at my hair in frustration. "I thought you were gone. Didn't you leave this universe? Cut yourselves off?"

"Our only remaining link is the gift, which resides in you. We have a task that only you can complete.:

"I have tasks of my own. Why should this task of yours take precedence?"

"Andrew, there has been an imbalance since our departure. There are those like yourself who have been initiated and gained the ability to grow. Then, there is everyone else. The others, the Lesser." the voice almost sounded disdainful. "This imbalance cannot exist and will lead to the destruction of the many at the hands of the few."

"Wasn't it already like that? You guys had been running dungeons for millennia, and it never seemed to be an issue before," I said flippantly.

"We were the weight that balanced the scales before. We no longer wish to shoulder the responsibility. Therefore, a new balance must be created."

"Let me guess, that is where I come in? Isn't that convenient for you? You guys helped create this mess, and now I am left to clean up for you."

"The gift is not just a weapon, Andrew. The gift is not just for one. The gift is for all."

"What does that even mean?" I asked, throwing my hands into the air.

"The gift is connected to a seed. The seed must be planted. From the seed will grow power, power for all."

"Power for all? Are you saying that everyone will have access to the system?" I let out a relieved sigh. "This could change the balance of power in the universe. Are you sure that is what you want?"

"We do not want. We only wish to undo what we helped to create. All must be equal. All must have the chance to gain power. You must plant the seed, Andrew."

"And if I choose not to?"

"There is no choice, Andrew. You possess the gift and must act on our behalf. We unfortunately could not allow you to decide. We apologize for the weight of this new responsibility and assure you that this will be our final request."

With those words, I woke up. It was the next morning, and I felt like I hadn't slept at all. As soon as I sat up, my interface blinked with a message.

New Mission – Plant Seed of Power.

Accept Mission – Y/N

I groaned in frustration and rubbed the sleep from my eyes. I didn't want this. I wanted to focus on my family, on my planet. There were things here that I could do that actually mattered. Instead, it seemed my hand would be forced, whether I wanted to help or not. I mentally selected Y and swiped the message away.

"Well shit," I said as I got out of my cot to go wake up Tiff, C.J., and Kaj. Just as I stood up and stretched, I heard shooting and explosions outside. I ran out to see a group of about 25 Lacertine troops assaulting the settlement as men from the settlement took cover and shot back. I wasn't in a good mood this morning. I hadn't had any coffee; breakfast was gonna be late, my cot was uncomfortable, and, oh yeah, I had just been forced into a mission that I had no desire to take on.

So, I smiled as I walked out of the campsite and activated my armor. "It is time to fucking kill something," I said as I sprinted full speed toward the group of Lacertine soldiers.

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