FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

One calendar month after the trip to the world of tigers, Draco appeared on a Friday night, while me and Gareth were halfway through tea, and an argument.

"What is this supposed to be,Gareth?" I sighed.

"It's supposed to be pasta."

"Pasta!?"I picked up a stick and tapped it against the table. It was black and hard,"What did you do to it?"

"I grilled it. Isn't that what you're supposed to do with pasta?"

"No."I said firmly."What you're supposed to do is boil it in water for ten minutes, and then drain all the water out. Add a pinch of salt and oil when you start, and off you go. It's the first thing I learnt to do right."

Bam, Draco appeared.

"Hello Draco, tell me you've got an exciting planet to visit.It's been a month."

The dragon smiled."That's exactly the good news. Teleport in tomorrow early."

I punched my fist in celebration. Draco didn't stop for dinner, stayed long enough for a parting shot at Gareth's cooking, which Gareth was used to by now, and vanished. After dinner, I packed my gear together. I had my rifle, my sword, a jacket, gloves, a circlet I had acquired from Takori's world, which I wore like a crown. Two water bottles, and a prepared lunch, one bottle of Lift Plus, and packet of Oriental Noodles, for either a snack or dinner.

I like them raw, O.K.? But I went to sleep, the thoughts of the new planet running through my mind. I woke in the morning, and felt charged. It was six in the morning, and, buckling on my boots, I said goodbye to Gareth, and then teleported. Straight into the Main Hall. Silverine was there, looking without emotion at another bunch of explorers, and explaining what they needed to do. Does he ever sleep?

This trip was for me, Draco and Simba only, and we would all beam down together. I slotted on my camera glasses, and we teleported not five minutes after my arrival.

As we did, there was an utter state of confusion around us. I heard a explosion of gunfire to my right, echoing with the sharp crack of a sniper rifle. Above us, two jets with different markings flew overhead, the one behind the leader firing missiles and machine guns at the one in front. As we looked around, a pair of watchful eyes spotted us.They looked in confusion, not quite believing what he was seeing.

"We're in a bloody war zone!" Draco shouted. A helicopter appeared over some trees. The trees were dead, and the plain was covered in craters and small hills, but it came over them, flying directly towards us. I could see the machine guns on them swivelling towards us, and the helicopter had red markings on the side.

"Scatter!"

I changed into my Lightning form, and rocketed vertically into the sky. Draco changed into his car, as did Simba, and the helicopter, which had a red wolf's head in a silver square, fired a missile at me. I heard a tone, I was locked on, and I boosted, the rocket keeping with my track effortlessly. I through myself hard into a reverse loop, until I was heading directly at the chopper. I shouted over the radio, to anyone who could hear.

"I'm sorry, but I have to do this. Flares!"

I saw two creatures eject out of the chopper as I pulled up, my countermeasures diverting the missile away from my jet. With the accuracy of an avenging angel, the rocket homed straight into it's parent helicopter. One tenth of a second after impact, I felt the helicopter explode behind me, the expanding fireball licking at the tail of my craft.

I was glad that whoever had been in the craft had bailed out, but I was still mad that they had fired at me. I headed Northwards, towards what appeared to be a ruin of desolate buildings. Below, Draco and Simba were following my progress, trying to keep together. It was about this time I noticed that the ruins were actually an air-base, and there seemed to be many small figures guarding it. I heard a tone in my cockpit as more than one anti air locked on to me, and I pulled up.

"Whoever's firing at me, bloody stop it." I shouted, rocketing upwards, and saw about three missiles on my tail.

I saw the airfield they had been defending, a really large airfield with modern type planes and aerial assault vehicles. This would explain my unpopularity. I called to Draco.

"Draco, I've got locked on by some missiles.Need backup."

"How?"

"I'm still working on that." I said, barrel rolling, and I saw one missile pass within a foot of my wing. I completed the large loop, and continued my desperate evasion of the remaining missiles. The second one missed, as did the third. Then I did a common trick of fighter pilots, rotate the craft, and then blast the other way.

One exploded right past my prow, and I felt my right wing buckle and shake under the force of the explosion. I felt my craft burning internally, and I knew I was on fire. I dived, trying to put out the fire on my wing, I could see behind me was a plume of black smoke. Draco shouted.

"Alduin!"

I spiralled, the fifth and last cruel missile having been diverted.The ground was rushing towards me, uncommonly quickly, and I used my speed to my advantage.I got out of the spin, and pulled up as hard as I could. I responded, but not enough. I hit the ground at about a ten degree angle, and scraped along the dirt track directly towards the airfield, doing about six hundred kilometres and hour, leaving a deep furrow behind me, a series of metal explosions went on behind me, and I came to a halt not three hundred metres from the outpost.I was too weary to do anything, move, transform, but I heard the roar of the Ferrari engine and the Porsche heading towards me.

Draco changed beside me, and he drew a water bottle, splashing it over the burning wing. I felt the injury seethe into nothingness, although I was still in pain, it wasn't burning.I felt I had enough strength to change, and did so, rolling over, and looking upwards. Draco's concerned face looked down.

"Alduin, are you alive?"

"I think so, Draco. But I can't feel my right leg."

"Don't worry, it's there, it's just badly burnt. Nothing permanent."

I could read him like a book, and I knew he was telling the truth. Then I heard Simba change, and he started drawing a bottle of liquid, and casting the liquid over the cuts in my chest. He gave me an analysis of my condition.

"Your leg is badly burnt, but not terminal. Your right side of your chest is ditto. The rest is just scratched, and you've had enough of them.We'll get you back to Central, Alduin."

Then a voice growled behind him.

"If you move, I was kill you."

I saw Simba turn, and Draco looked over me, his angry face turning to scared. Now I knew things were bad.I closed my eyes, and waited for things to turn out.

Simba spoke into his microphone.

"Dominant life form appears to be some kind of wolf, capable of holding rifles and guns, and functioned much the way a humanoid can. Their fur is dark grey/ black, and they stand at about six feet.They wear few clothes, and appear to be hostile.They are a warring species, and are currently fighting among one another, although which sides we do not know."

The unseen voice spoke again.

"Enough of the chatter, stripey, stand up, your hands on your head. Same with you, lizard." Draco gave the person an evil look, but both did as they were told. As they did, four wolves, very accurately described by Simba, came over, and covered them, while another ran them for weapons.

Then I felt two hauling me up, underneath the armpits. I looked dazily around, and saw the one holding my right armpit was carrying a Missile launcher. In my slightly delirious state, I screamed.

"You shot me!"

I leaned one way, my left foot twisting and catching the wolf in the general intimate areas, and I felt his grip lessen. As I fell to the ground, I pulled the other one down with me, and I used the momentum to fling him over my shoulder. Draco laid out his two as Simba did the same. I grabbed a pistol from the unconscious guard, and pointed it at one who was wearing a special shirt. Three stripes on his shoulder, and a special red badge on his front.

He looked at me with venom, but he was now outnumbered three to one.Draco didn't aim his pistol, unlike Simba, and I decided to loot the unconscious soldier I had delicately kicked. As I kneeled down on one leg, Draco spoke.

"Where is this place, and why are you attacking us?"

"We of the Red clan are at war, and anyone here is to be taken into custody." he growled in defiance. I grabbed the belt holding shells for the rocket launcher, and then took the rocket launcher off the creature.

Simba whispered to Draco.

"We need him out of the way."

"Allow me."I said, aiming the rocket launcher, but Draco stopped me.

"No, we can't kill him." I saw the sergeant sweat as I aimed,stopped as Draco shook his head, and then looked warily as Draco drew his ray gun, firing a one setting burst. The sergeant keeled over, and we turned. I put my arm over Draco, and we ran spiritedly down the dirt track.

We ran for a good ten minutes, expecting pursuit. We needed to get out of the area as fast as possible, maybe meet with someone a bit friendlier, and then teleport the hell out of here. I was in favour of leaving now, but we had a job to do, and it was going to get done.

We arrived at our original spot, and I saw two wolves on the ground. Both of them were dead, and I saw that beside the red badge, a pair of wings. These were the pilots.One of them had a wound in his chest, and the other was bleeding considerably from the head.Simba crouched by this one.

"This wasn't caused by the explosion.Someone shot these two."

As we knelt by the bodies, a pair of wolven eyes looked at us. His rifle wasn't aimed at us, he was wondering who we were. I looked around, trying to find potential sniper spots. Then I heard a rumble, a very loud rumble, and I turned, and saw a streamlined armoured vehicle heading directly towards us. It's turret was swivelling towards us.

"Scatter!They've sent a fucking tank after us!"

First time I had sworn properly in five years.It was like an Abrams, and we went in different directions. Draco changed into his car form, and headed down the road. Simba ran for the trees, and I , the pain in my leg dissipating miraculously, ran up the hill. I had changed into my bionic form, and as I reached the crest, several things happened.

I spotted a wafer thin wire across the ridge, tied to a rock. I dived, trying to miss it, but the tips of my foot clipped it, snagging the wire, and pulling out the booby trap. A clay more, filled with explosives, obliterated the turf behind me, and I felt fire surge across my blackened legs. I rolled, and came to a halt upside down across a rock.

"What kind of irresponsible person leaves a clay more lying around on a battlefield?" I gritted my teeth in pain.A voice came from over my left.

"Shut up! Do you want to be spotted?"

I twisted my head, looking for the source of the voice. It came from a very handsome looking wolf, stripped to the waist, and holding a sniper rifle in his hands. He was jet black, and I saw a long scar running diagonally across his chest. He wore no shoes, but never the less blended in well with the surroundings. He wore an arm band, on which was pinned a stylish logo of a black wolf's head, and realised he was an opposition to the lot shooting at us. I waved my hand from upside down.

"Sorry."I whispered."I've had a hard last half an hour.I'm Alduin."

"My name is Javid, now what are you doing in the middle of a battlefield, looking like that?" he asked equally quietly. We heard the rumble of the tank as it came along.

"I am a member of an alien outfit, and we teleported here from our planet.That lot have been firing at us ever since."

"I saw, you changed into a plane, and destroyed that helicopter."There was an explosion of sound, the tank had fired at something. I nodded affirmation, and then whispered.

"How do I fire this thing?"

"Simple." he told me to put a shell in the launcher. I put it in the right way, and then, aiming it upwards, pressed a small button. It was loaded, and I double timed to the ridge.

The tank was fifty metres away, and looking through the trees for Simba. I aimed the launcher at the tank.

I have never fired a bazooka before. There was a loud thump as the missile caught, and the rocket fired out the front as a long tongue of flame flickered out the back. I saw a white dart erupt, head directly at the tank, and impact.

Fire and brimstone. The rear of the tank exploded, catapulting it forward.I saw the fireball, and then saw it dissipate into the sky. Four wolves staggered out of the explosion, all wearing the red wolf's head badge, by the wreck of the smoking tank, looking at me with a anti tank Sraw in my hands, and a rifle over my shoulder. The wolf came over the ridge, pointing his rifle at the four, and they surrendered. They weren't carrying much on them, only a few light hand guns, and I holstered my nicked SRAW over the opposite shoulder of the rifle, and held one of these hand guns and my C.E.O pistol in my hands. Javid took two more, and ordered them to march in a certain direction.

Where ever they were going, it was probably safe, and probably not very far.Fortunately adrenalin was keeping me going, so my leg and chest were merely numb as I limped beside Javid. We said nothing, but I knew that Javid cast an eye over my scorched legs more than once. After half an hour, we came to a camouflaged series of buildings, all covered with camo netting. There were about six, and Javid ordered the prisoners to the one in the centre. It was a temporary structure, and as I walked in, I realised it was just a large canvas tent. In the room were several wolves, all wearing the black Wolf's head logo. One, behind a desk, was talking with Draco, and three were holding rifles at the dragon. The remainder were looking at us new arrivals, and I heard Draco's annoyed voice.

"Now look, I am a member of an alien task force to explore this planet, I had two friends with me."

"I'm here, Draco."I replied, leaning against the door. As the prisoners were hustled away by a group of guards, Draco came over, and bodily hugged me.

"I knew you were O.K. Have you found Simba?"

"The tank went after him, but I junked it. I haven't seen him." I said, wincing as Draco's hug incensed the returning pain. Draco's relieved smile disappeared, and he turned away, looking thoughtful. He spoke into his communicator.

"Simba, talk to me."

"Is that you, Draco?" the communicator replied."I seriously have no idea where I am."

"Don't we all."I added. Javid had gone over to the man behind the desk, and was speaking in quiet tones. Javid was pointing at me, and saying something.Meanwhile, Draco placed a scanner outside the door, and under the watchful gaze of about eight guards, Simba materialised.

"Hmm, I must of walked past it."

"So what happened?" Draco asked him.

"Well, I think the tank went for me, because I could hear it rumbling towards me. I turned, looking over a slight rise, and saw it by the edge of the forest. Then some destructive young vandal fired a rocket at it, and blew it up. I ran for it, and I was searching for any sign of you or Alduin."

"Well, I was the vandal."I said, patting the SRAW across my shoulder. Simba smiled.

"I should have guessed."

The C.O. spoke briskly.

"The colonel has informed me of the events of the last half an hour, Alduin. But could I just ask something?How came you by that wound?"

"Simple, sir.I have a few tricks. I turned into a fighter plane, and a Stinger missile exploded directly behind me."

"And how do you do this trick?"

I concentrated, and formed into my Lightning form. Taking the cue from the gasps and whistles of appreciation, I changed back, and nodded at the two by the desk.Javid was looking very curiously, and I caught a flash of fire in his eye.This guy was an explorer, or would be a very good one.

We were dismissed, and Simba helped me to the infirmary as the pain came back with a vengeance. I landed on a bed, my torn trousers shifted so Simba could get to the flaming red wounds. The burns had gone down to the bone, and Simba started gently applying liquid to the burns.

The first touch made me almost shriek. I held it inside, and turned into a desperate cough. I grabbed the leather strap of my rifle, and bit into it. Simba saw this.

"Hurts a bit does it?"

I made a gesture at the lion, one finger raised. Simba, like all good doctors, ignored this, and continued. I hissed between the leather in pain. Draco spoke to Simba.

"Shall I get some more from Arachno?"

"Good idea." Simba nodded. Draco vanished, to the surprise of the nurse and the patient across the room. Fifteen minutes later, we all got a bigger shock as Arachno appeared with Draco. He had a belt around his middle, and he came over to me.

"Good grief," his insect voice exclaimed."what have you been doing to your self?"

I explained, and Arachno tutted. Draco had two or three bottles , and Arachno mixed a few together. The liquid in the one he was concentrating on changed colour three times, and as he held up the chemical mix, it was a brilliant purple.

He filled a small cup half way, and gently poured the remaining mixture on the burns on my chest and my leg. And I thought Simba's stuff had hurt. Draco had put his fingers in his ears, and everyone else very quickly did as I shrieked. Absolute agony. Arachno withdrew some ear plugs, he knew this was going to happen, and as several guards rushed in and aimed their guns at Arachno, the spider being spoke.

"Give it two minutes, then try to stand up."

"Thanks Arachno." I coughed, feeling my side in pain.He gave me the rest to drink, and I did so. It tasted awful, but I kept it down. Arachno teleported, and after a minute thirty, the pain vanished. I gave it two and a half minutes, just in case, and then tried to stand.

All the wolves gasped. It was no harder than normal, the burns had completely healed.As I took a few steps, I turned to Javid.

"That ruin, it's an airbase, correct?"

"Yes. It's a strategic point for the Red Clan. No one gets within a kilometre of it without being spotted, and all aerial vehicles get locked on by AA."

"I counted at least twenty of them." I nodded.

"Have we got scans of the airbase?"

"Yes. Fifteen unmanned aerial vehicles have been sent over. Come with me, I'll show you the pictures." Javid led us back into the main tent, and the commander got out the pictures out.

"The perimeter,"Javid drew a wide circle with his finger, following a high sand bag wall," is guarded by about fifty people in total. The section which is guarded by twenty is the main gate, which is how they captured you so quickly. There are two other ways behind them, both guards by ten apiece, and alarm boxes at each post. You try to attack one of those, you'll be carried out."

"Interior buildings?"

"There are twelve buildings. Three of them are guarded twenty four seven, they are the hangars. All of the rest but two are important buildings for them, the infirmary, armoury, weapons, command center, etc. The barracks buildings are the only two buildings which do not have armed guards, but who would be stupid enough to attack a barracks?"

"I would." I looked at the two buildings Javid had pointed to. They were both fairly close, and I had a plan. Javid and the commander looked hard at me, and I spoke again.

"Draco, the teleporters can materialise close to a target, but not in a building you're aiming for, correct?"

"Correct, unless a scanner is in the building." Draco nodded.

"What,"I said slowly,"if we had a way of dropping a scanner into the airbase, and then dumping a whole load of troops by teleport?"

Draco smiled."We have enough short range bracelets to move the command centre, if you give me half an hour to get them.They are simple bracelets, and can transport a group about a hundred miles.The other advantage is they can be used by more than one person, they aren't genetic."

"Excellent.Javid, among your weapons, do you have some sort of knock out serum?"

"We have a small armament bomb that detonates, sending waves of sleeping gas into buildings, but no one could ever get to the airbase."

"I managed to. Now how long does the gas linger?"

"About fifty minutes, and the effects of the gas last for up to twelve hours."

"Right. Here's the idea. Draco and Simba cause a bit of havoc by driving around the perimeter. I know enough about anti tank rockets that they can't lock on to small targets, especially if said targets are moving fast. Meanwhile, I climb to ten thousand feet with two bombs of this serum. I dump one each in the barracks buildings, and then as the AA's lock on to me as I climb, I change, and throw a scanner into, hopefully, one of the buildings, or nearby. This is the signal for a large group to teleport there."

"Surgical precision? Are you telling me you can transform in mid air?" Javid asked.

"Yes." I nodded. The commander thought on this.

"How will we know you've completed your task?"

"I have radio, if I knew your frequency, I could send a confirmation. The only thing is whether the scanner lands within the radius. Simba, as soon as I dump the sleeping bombs, could you do a check, to confirm where it lands?"

"Easily, Alduin."

"So how long will it take to prepare?" Javid asked.

"Well, half an hour to get the teleporters, how ever long it takes to assemble a large group of troops, add five minutes for Draco and Simba, five for me to get in position. Five more before the scanner is in position, and how ever long it takes to take the base. Best case scenario, we have the entire base in under four hours, from now."

"Worst case scenario?"

"I get shot down, Draco and Simba get blown to bits, and you sit here waiting for a call you're never going to get."

"Did they teach tactics at your high school, Alduin?" Draco smiled.

"No. I just learned to think on my feet, and fast. I'm an actor, I did debating, and I write. I'm naturally fast, in all modesty."

This got a laugh from the dragon.

"So the plan is a go?"

The commander stood." Well, at least they won't have much advance warning. Javid, assemble about two hundred men. We shall throw the dice together. Draco, we expect your retun in forty minutes."

"Yes, sir."Draco vanished.

I was led by Javid to a small building. It was full to the brim with weapons, and as he went down a shelf, he pulled off a small cylindrical device, no longer than twenty centimetres, but about seven centimetres wide.

"This is the sleeping bomb." he gave it to me to feel, and I held it.

"Stand back, Javid." I concentrated, and changed into my Lightning form. For those who play Battlefield will know that the JSF Lightning can fire two bombs, and I thought.

Open bomb hold.

Javid knelt down, as the doors of my bomb holder opened, and the single bomb came out, attached to some mechanical wiring and structural linkage.

"Here, Javid, catch."

He got down beside me, holding his hand underneath the bomb, and I released the bomb. He caught it gently.

"Excellent Alduin, that should work well. You can carry two?"

"Yes." I confirmed. I changed back, and Javid gave me the two canisters.

"The roof of both barracks is made out of wood, and I calculate you'll have to be diving at about three hundred to penetrate it."

"Javid, I can do over nine hundred, I will get them in at that speed."

Javid rushed off on his commander's orders, and I went into a yoga position, the two canisters on my lap. Simba came over, and gave me a scanner.I waited.

Men rushed around, assembling in the centre of the HQ. They were equipped with gas masks and assault rifles, and they looked very professional. Draco arrived thirty three minutes after leaving, carrying bags of short range teleporters. Each wolf came forward, to be given one by the patient dragon. They were preset to teleport to the nearest scanner, which would be the one in the airbase, should everything work. Simba had a personal computer in his backpack, it's software all ready to calculate.

The commander spoke to his men exactly five seven minutes after the plan was hatched.

"Comrades. Today we have an opportunity to take the airbase of the Red Clan, and to deal a severe blow to their war efforts. As you are no doubt aware, the Red Clan have taken territory from all their surroundings lands, and we told them they will only take another inch of our territory over our dead bodies! They declared war on us, and we have fought bitterly against their tyrannical regime.All our dead will be avenged today!"

There was a multi throated roar from the wolves, and I shivered instinctively.

"Now, you will form into twelve squads, each to take one building.Two of you will defend the barrack buildings, and capture the sleeping wolves inside, after Alduin has dropped his bombs on the buildings. The rest of you will take one building each. Now, we are to capture, do not kill unless you're under fire. We want this done with as few casualties as possible. This is a surgical strike. Javid will lead into one of the barrack buldings, I will lead the other."

Then he went into splitting the assembled ranks into squads, and Javid spoke to Simba and Draco.

"This is your cue. Get to within two kilometres, and on our signal, do your stuff."

They transformed, and the two cars zoomed off,completely unheeded. I changed into my Lightning form, and knew by my telemetry that I was carrying both the bombs in my hold.Five missiles were attached to my wings, the sixth was the scanner. I waited until Draco and Simba were in position, and the commander had stopped setting his squads. I ignited my engine, and saw all of them look at me. Javid, who was beside his commander, gave me the thumbs up.

"Draco, Simba, go cause havoc." I spoke, and heard my echo in Javid's walkie talkie. I ignited my afterburners, and soared into the sky, gaining height rapidly. After a minute, I was at ten thousand feet, the land looked miniature from this distance, but I could see the airbase. It was really quite large, and I spotted the two target buildings. I could also see mini explosions as Draco and Simba were being fired at. I flipped over, just for show, and dived.