A few minutes later at the Cape Girardeau Airbase and Civilian Airport's pilot lounge, the best five pilots in the American's People Military Air Corps (APMAC) were sitting at a booth talking to each other while they drank. They're the famous (or infamous, depending on the country) 502nd Special Operations Fighter Squadron (SOFS), A squadron designed to operation behind enemy lines with no support for long periods of time.

"This place isn't as full as it used to be…" Major Barnes said as he took a sip of his root beer. Barnes is the leader of the 502nd, his eyes are a light emerald color and his hair is a mixture of light and dark browns. His call sign is Dice-1

"That's probably because of the disappearances. There have been six pilots that have gone missing, three of them were stationed in this airbase and were fellow F-45 pilots." Lieutenant Carmen said. Carmen Luca is an Italian-American with light blue eyes and blonde hair. He is third highest ranking member below Barnes in the 502nd His call sign is Dice-3

"The disappearances are scaring people away…what a pity." Captain Ramirez said. Jack Franz Ramirez is one of the two African Americans in the 502nd. He has a short shaven black hair, some facial hair, and brown eyes. He is the second in command of the 502nd; his Call Sign is Dice-2

"I know of the one pilots that were kidnapped,Walton Krueger, we were very good friends." Sergeant Newell said as nodded his head sadly. Gabe Newell the Second is the descendant of the famous early 21st century video game developer and leader of the Valve Corporation, Gabe Newell. He as dark brown hair, blue eyes and is the biggest of the squadron, his callsign is Dice-5.

"Who is skilled enough to hold any kind of APM official and hold them this long without being found?" Sergeant Louis said. Louis is the second African American in the squadron; he has no hair and blue eyes. His call sign is Dice-4.

On a nearby TV there was a news report about a nearing severe winter storm that was threatening the capital, but nobody was watching it. Outside, there was already a thin layer of snow that covered the ground.

"We need to stick together during these times. Otherwise one of us will be the next victim of the kidnappers." Barnes said to his wing mates, who nodded in agreement

"Uraa…" Ramirez silently said

Outside a HMMWV motorcade rolled up, a APM general and his two APM bodyguards wearing their A-1 Powered Combat Armor armed with GK-44 Pulse Assault Rifles (GK stands for George King, the developer of the original GK Assault Rifle) entered the lounge.

"Are the 502nd present?" The General asked the people in the lounge with a thundering voice

"We're right here, Conrad…" Barnes replied as he and his squadron got up their booth and approaches General Conrad. Marshal Conrad is a elderly Second Civil War veteran who has seen service in nearly all the wars the APM has thought since it's creation in 2011. He is a tall man with a thick, gray, and bushy mustache, his hair is white and sticking out from under his officer's cap, his eyes are a cold dark green.

"Uggghhh…I was hoping you guys would be better dressed…" Conrad said looking at the 502nd who were wearing tattered and worn out Dress Winter Uniforms

"Why is that, General?" Barnes asked Conrad

"Because the President has requested your presence on the USAS Cape Girardeau, bring your fighters." Conrad replied before the 502nd stood at better attention

"Tell Garter that we will be there as soon as possible!" Barnes said quickly

"Good, do not keep him waiting…these orders sound very urgent." Conrad replied before he leaves with his body guards to the HMMWV, after it rolls away, Barnes turns around to face his squadron

"Return to the barracks, wash up, get better uniforms on, and get nice looking and we will regroup at the hangars. DISMISSED! " Barnes yelled in an orderly voice. The 502nd quickly left the pilot lounge for the pilot barracks that are across the road from the lounge.

A few minutes later the 502nd rallied at the hangars and are talking to each as Preston Marlow, the 502nd's crew chief runs over to Barnes.

"I know you guys don't want to hear this, but the control rods on Newell's and Carmen's planes are dead and they need to be replaced." Preston said to Barnes. Preston is a young APM cadet who dreamed of becoming a pilot in the 502nd. He is in early twenties; he has dark red hair and green eyes.

"Get those replaced as soon as you can, we need to get to the Cape Girardeau to meet with the President." Barnes replied

"Don't worry, sir. It won't take long!" Preston said before he ordered the rest of the Repair crew to begin replacing the Fusion reactor on Newell's and Carmen's aircraft

"He's a good kid, he'll make a good pilot some day." Barnes said as he watched Preston opened the hatch to the compartment that held the F-45's fusion reactor. Preston had been given immunity treatments that make him immune to the radiation emitted from the F-45's reactor.

"I haven't seen Sam in a while, are you guys still together?" Carmen asked Barnes about Samantha McNally his long time girlfriend

"Yes we're still very much together…she is on a cruise in the Caribbean with Katie (Samantha's best friend). She won't be back for four months." Barnes replied

"Oh…" Carmen said

"You guys have been together since 2062, you guys even sleep and live together, and you two still aren't married or even engaged." Ramirez said to Barnes

"Sorry, but that isn't your business on what I and Sam decide to do with our relationship, captain." Barnes replied in an annoyed voice

"Sorry sir." Ramirez said to Barnes, apologetically

"You're forgiven captain. Just keep you're nose out of my business." Barnes replied

After a few minutes, the bad control rods in Carmen's and Newell's F-45s were replaced and the pilots got to their assigned F-45.

The F-45 Ultra-Eagle Joint Strike Fighter was first introduced in 2062 after nearly 10 years in development. Equipped with the latest weapons and defenses, including automatically recharging pulse cannons, built-in automatic missile and rocket Assembly device that provides a nearly unlimited supply of missiles and rockets for the F-45's, all the F-45's weapons are located in weapon bays where they can be extracted and extracted when needed, they also help improved the F-45's Stealth that is also further improved by a built in radar jammer. The F-45 is also provided with a near unlimited flying time and operating range due to its powerful fusion-powered Pulse Engine. The F-45 is only in limited production and is only supplied to the best SOFS Squadrons in the regular APMAC, the While the air branch of the APMSF is fully equipped with F-45s. But the APMSF disappeared with the Reaper twenty Years ago.

Barnes climbed into his F-45, once inside, he put his hand on the scanner so the F-45's computer could scan it. The F-45 recognized his DNA and the instruments in the F-45's cockpit came to live, Barnes then closed the canopy as he began the pre-take off preparations

"Activate Engine!" Barnes said to the F-45's computer that activated the pulse engine which roared to life with red flames that then turned to a quite bluish-white flame. The F-45 taxied out of its hangar. Barnes then activated the turbofan that lifted the F-45 off the ground vertically like a helicopter; the other F-45s do the same.

"You guys know where we're going! Last one to the Cape Girardeau buys dinner when we come back!" Barnes said over the radio to his wing mates happily before he took off in full speed and the other F-45s followed

It only took a few minutes for the F-45s to reach the USAS Cape Girardeau; Carmen was the last one to reach the USAS Cape Girardeau.

"I swear…you guys cheat." Carmen hissed over the radio to his wing mates who begun to laugh as they approached the landing bay of the hovering airship. Barnes and Ramirez's F-45s were the first ones to enter and land in the landing bay. But they do not dismount until the others had landed. After everybody had landed, the pilots turned off their engines, opened the canopies on their F-45s and climbed out on the small ladders that deployed.

An APM Officer approached Barnes after he had finished climbing down from the canopy, Barnes turned to face the officer

"The President is waiting for you in the bridge, Conference Room A." The Officer said to Barnes who nodded in response before he and the rest of the pilots began to leave the landing bay

As the pilots left the landing bay, Several APM Engineers rushed past the pilots with metal containers headed towards the F-45s. Barnes stopped the officer that led the engineers

"What the hell are you guys doing to our planes?" Barnes asked the Engineer with concern

"The President told us to upgrade your F-45s with cloaking devices and radio-listening equipment for your upcoming mission." The Engineer replied with a New York accent, Barnes then let the Engineer past, before he and the other pilots continued down the corridor that went to an elevator that went straight to the bridge

"If they're upgrading our fighters with APMSF cloaking devices, this mission must be important to Garter." Ramirez said to Barnes

"Yeah I wonder what kind of mission this is then." Barnes replied in a concerned voice

"Do you think we're going to war?" Carmen asked his wing mates uneasily

"I doubt it, last time I checked we were getting along with everybody." Newell replied

"We'll find out when get there." Barnes said to his wing mates as they arrived at the elevator and got in it and headed up to the bridge

A few minutes later, the 502nd entered the Conference room, Garter and Redfield were waiting and were sitting down in chairs at the opposite end of the room from them

"Gentlemen, please take a seat." Garter said to the 502nd who then sat down in the chairs across from him and Redfield "Redfield,tell them what they need to know for their mission." Redfield opened up his brief case and pulled out several folders with the words "Classified" stamped on them in red ink before he closed the folder again and approached the 502nd

"The contents of these folders will explain your mission." Redfield said to the 502nd as he handed out folders to each pilot who each took a few minutes to read the contents of the folders, after each pilot was done reading, they sat the folders down in front of them.

"So you guys think that Gene Corp and Blackwater have been the ones kidnapping pilots because they've been also bringing in dragons from the other dimension, you want us to find out where their main base in the other dimension is for you guys?" Barnes asked Garter and Redfield

"Yes, the location of their base will help us with the continuing investigation of their intentions with the dragons they're importing and the reasons behind the recent Blackwater arms build up." Redfield replied

"Barnes,we want to keep this operation covert…We want you to keep your weapons cold unless Blackwater or any dragons engage you first." Garter said to Barnes in a serious voice "If Gene Corp figures out we're onto them, they mat try to cover their tracks."

"I understand and what do we do if they attack us and we can't fight them?" Barnes asked them

"You are to fall back and await further orders." Redfield replied

"Just in case you will be equipped with a full weapons load out for any problems you might face while you're there." Garter said to the pilots

"Before you leave, you may want to read up on your dragons." Redfield said to Barnes; who nodded

"When do we leave then?" Barnes asked the two politicians

"As soon as the engineers finish upgrading your F-45s with those cloaking devices in three hours, we want you to be in the air and on your way to the Kansas Rift Zone." Garter replied

"And how are we going to find this base?" Ramirez asked Garter and Redfield

"You will have to follow one of the scheduled Blackwater air convoys that go back and forth between their base there and the main Gene Corp facility in Phoenix." Redfield replied

"We have told you all we know about this situation and what you need to do to help us to learn more about this possible threat. Do this mission and come back home in one piece." Garter said to Barnes and his wingmates, before he dismissed them, the 502nd got up from their chairs and saluted the President and SoD before they left the conference room and got back into the elevator and headed back down

"I suggest we take Redfield's advice and read up about the dragons since we weren't deployed in Bodyguard…" Barnes said to his wingmates as they went down the elevator

"Yes Sir!" Ramirez replied as the elevator stopped at the 2nd floor below the Command Bridge that had the airship's library

"Dismissed, we'll regroup in the hangar in three hours." Barnes said to his wingmates as they left the elevator and went their separate ways

A few minutes later Barnes was is in the library as he looked at the APMAC's Field Manual to dragons that contained basic information about most of the known dragon species in the other dimension.

"Monstrous Nightmare, largest known Dragon, extremely aggressive dragon with spines going from neck to tail, uses its claw tipped wings to crawl along the floor. The Monstrous Nightmare is the first dragon species to enter a fight and usually the last to leave. It is well known for setting itself on fire creating a "fire jacket" that makes it dangerous to attack at close quarters. It is extremely dangerous, it is preferred that you wait in till the Monstrous Nightmare is on the ground when you can bomb it." Barnes said as he read the description of the Monstrous Nightmare

Barnes turned the page on it there was a description of a Deadly Nadder

"Deadly Nadder,most common dragon encountered. It is a two legged dragon that is aggressive and has a quick explosive temper. It usually attacks in groups of four or five. Can shoot venomous quills out of its tail if threatened it will also and rattle its tail like a rattlesnake. It is preferred to attack it head on. It breathes magnesium fire that can melt most tank armors at close range." Barnes said in his mind reading the description

Barnes turned the page again, on the next page there was a description of the Two-Headed Hideous Zippleback

"Zippleback, evasive and devious two-headed dragon that can trick its prey, one head breathes flammable acid, the other ignites it with a large-enough spark. Both heads has it own personality and brain. It is known for the heads to argue with each other, when this occurs the Zippleback will be vulnerable to attack." Barnes said in his mind reading the description

Barnes read the description of the Gronckle, Terrible Terror, Timberjack, Bone Knapper, before he reached the vague description of a Night Fury that featured a sketch drew by the only APM Soldier to have survived an encounter with one.

"Intelligent and stealthy dragon, the Night Fury is the only known dragon that will aggressively go after F-45s and similar jet fighters. The Night Fury only appears at night and dives bombs ground targets and remains unseen. If engaged by a Night Fury, it is a game of luck, only the best pilots should go after the Night Fury and even those have little change of returning." Barnes said quietly as he read the description. After he was done reading the manual he looked at his watch and put the book back into its shelf.

Three hours later, the 502nd shot out of the landing bay at full speed as they headed west towards Kansas

"Maintain formation!" Barnes said as the F-45s sped through the skies, the sun was setting below the horizon.

"God, I hope we don't run into any Night Furies." Ramirez said over the radio to wingmates who agreed quietly