Author's Note: A bit of forewarning, this story follows no particular canon and draws almost all inspiration from SF2 for SNES.

Prologue

A shrieking tone ripped through the room. The crowd of Cornerians fell silent. All eyes expectantly turned to the front of the great hall where a massive stage rested before them.

A large desk wrapped around the stage, audience-side of course, and formed a physical barrier between the rough countrymen and the refined councilors. The door behind the stage opened and five robed figures entered the hall. Each one moved across the stage with easy grace. These councilors took an equidistant seat behind the desk; this presented a united front before the crowd.

One of the councilors, a tawny pit-bull, stood and addressed those present.

"The prisoner will approach." He growled.

There was a jostling on the left side of the great hall. A few of the beings moved aside to allow the passage of two armed guards and their captive. The guards, a chipmunk and a rabbit, were dressed in brilliant red and gold. Their captive, a graying primate, was adorned in cold irons and prison grays. The three Cornerians stopped just off-center to the forward stage.

"The accuser will approach." The pit-bull snarled.

A hound dog took a position on the floor opposite the prisoner. He was also clad in the same red and gold uniform of the wardens. However, his uniform was more refined and ornate, indicating a higher rank than the two guards.

The pit-bull spoke again: "Dr. Andross, you have been accused of fraud, kidnapping, mutilation, unethical and unlawful experimentation, public endangerment, terrorist actions, reckless homicide and mass murder. It has been demonstrated the satisfaction of the Cornerian Council that you stand guilty of all accusations."

The pit-bull's hand dropped to the desk. His hand punched a button built into the smooth surface. A piercing shriek filled the air and quieted the gathering muttering. Once silence was restored, the councilor continued his speech.

"This verdict was reached unanimously. Have you any words to say before we pass judgment?"

Andross regarded the pit-bull coolly. Then, he smirked at them. It was the most infuriating sort of academic smirk- the knowing one given to unruly students who attempted to bluff themselves out of an infraction. The councilors regarded him with just as much emotion. It was a contest of wills that the primate lost.

"None whatsoever, Councilman Reeves." Andross said with finality.

"As expected." Reeves replied. "You have demonstrated no remorse for your actions, nor have you shown nothing but contempt for this Council. You have left us with no choice but to administer justice in its full fury and without the benefit of mercy. You are hereafter henceforth and forevermore banished to the planet of Venom-"

Not even the shriek of the buzzer could contain the erupting chaos of the courtroom. Many beings were on their feet, shaking their fists and shouting words lost in the wave of his neighbor's complaints. It sounded like one mass of gibberish spoken by a petulant toddling. But the general meaning was clear: they were not happy with this punishment.

Reeves turned to his left and shrugged at the Councilor seated there. A large ape shrugged his mighty shoulders, then stood. He rose to his full height. One mighty hand was brought overhead and then slammed against the desk with such intensity that the rafters shook. This display of raw strength accomplished what the electronic buzzer could not do. The Cornerians fell silent and allowed the pit-bull to speak.

"- where you will live out the rest of your days." Reeves concluded. "That is all."

This time, one lone voice burst out from the courtroom floor. The uniformed hound dog was no longer in his appointed place. He was marching towards the stage with an accusing finger pointed straight at Andross' heart.

"Your honors, I must protest! If any being were worthy of termination, it must be this one!" The hound shouted at full volume. "The multitude of lost lives demands-"

"You are out of order, General Pepper!" Reeves thundered back. His voice stopped the General's approach, albeit not by much.

It was the ape who spoke next: "This decision was reached after much deliberation and consideration. We weighed your request carefully. We examined your wishes. We read your motions. We decided against them."

General Pepper scowled but said nothing in response. He had no words to waste in an argument that he could not win.

Andross, however, had nothing to lose by engaging in futility.

"Quite frankly, I'm surprised at your shock, General. We both knew how this little farce was going to play out and that this would be the result. This Council is too enlightened to get its hands dirty, just as you were too civilized to let evolution take its course."

The primate paused just long enough to cast a wide smile at the General. Pepper refused to look at the doctor. Seeing that there was little hope of provoking any reaction from the General, Andross turned to address the gathered crowd. He smirked at them and elicited more than a few hateful looks in response. If anything, he seemed bemused by the circumstances in which he found himself.

"But I see things differently. So much differently- with so much, how should I put this?" He hesitated for a moment before finishing: "Clarity. Yes, that's it. Clarity."

The Councilman ape quickly stood and slapped the desk again. He desired to end this spectacle before Andross provoked a mob action.

"This meeting is concluded." The ape announced. "General Pepper, there is to be no fanfare and no spectacle. Andross is to be on Venom by nightfall- Cornerian time- alive and unharmed."

"Yes, sir." The General gave the council a salute that was all obedience and no respect.

Pepper crossed the room and seized the primate by the shoulder. The two guards stood on either side of their captive. The three soldiers hustled the prisoner across the room to the side exit. They experienced no resistance from Andross- until right before he crossed the threshhold.

Andross twisted about one last time. He turned his eyes over the area in an effort to find one specific Cornerian; there he was: an athletic fox in a gray flight suit. Doctor Andross gave the fox another irritating smile.

"I knew you would be here. My condolences on the loss of your wife, James." Andross said. "For what it's worth, I'm sure that it was a reasonably quick departure from the mortal coil."

Pepper gave the doctor a shove and the four vanished through the doorway.

The fox, to his credit, didn't react outwardly. He merely reached into the breast pocket of his jacket, produced a pair of thick sunglasses. He stared at them for a long moment, lost in his thoughts and memories. Then he clipped them to his nose. There was a tug on his jacket sleeve. He looked down at the child fox by his side.

"I don't understand." The child said. "What's Venom?"

"A planet of exiles, criminals and murders." James McCloud Sr. replied. "Andross won't last five minutes on it."

Silently, he added: "And that may not be justice, but it's darn close."